It’s a Canada Thing
New Music: Chin Injeti – Peoples Mixtape
New mixtape by Vancouver-based producer, Chin Injeti featuring David Banner, Talib Kweli, Jay Electronica, Kitchen fave, Jasiri X, Zaki Ibrahim and many others. “Who Am I” is hot – a nice re-flip of the classic A Tribe Called Quest track, “Buggin’ Out.”
A Look at the Polaris Long List: 36. Patrick Watson – Adventures In Your Own Backyard
Guess I was saving the best ’til last? This was another really good record. I shouldn’t have been too surprised really though given that Patrick Watson was a prior Polaris Music Prize winner in 2007. However, I’ve never actually heard that album and was only vaguely aware of his past success which frankly didn’t really factor into my appraisal of his current album.
All I do know is that this was another crackin’ good listen. Great songs, and vocals of such delicate, fragile beauty they feel this.close to collapsing. But they don’t and this wonderful album is what we get instead, thankfully.
If I was going to use a crude benchmark (and it’s mostly crude because my frames of reference are somewhat limited in this area of music), think the best, most affecting ballads Chris Martin and Coldplay ever did and you get a sense of what you’re in store for here. Opening track, “Lighthouse”, “The Things You Do”, “Strange Crooked Road”, “Noisy Sunday” and “Swimming Pools” are just a few of the songs that blew my mind.
Dig the two track sampler above or intrigued by my rave review? Then hit the jump to listen to the whole album via Rdio (non-subscribers will hears snippets only. Sick of that being the case, then ak right and subscribe)
A Look at the Polaris Long List: 37. Bry Webb – Provider
This is it, the HOLY GRAIL! After repeatedly saying throughout this journey through the Polaris Prize Long List nominated albums for this year how I would only be moved by one of the many, many (many) folk/country, indie/singer-songwriter-y albums on the list, if it was exceptional sounding. And just when I thought that might not happen this year or that just maybe my ears were just not attuned enough to this stuff to recognize the exceptional when I hear it, it finally reveals itself with only three albums left for me to review. Now others may disagree but Bry Webb‘s Provider is a really good listen to my ears. Quiet songs that still speak volumes. Simple but memorable. Heartfelt vocals. And with the kind of quality and personality in the songs that you can actually listen to them over and over again. “Get You Up In Peace” to cite just one standout song on a very good album is a really beautiful piece of music. I might not have voted for this but it was a contender and this is one album that, if it gets shortlisted, I will not have a quibble with over that fact. A pleasant, pleasant surprise.
Dig what you hear in the two track sampler from his label, Idée Fixe Records above or by my endorsement? Then hit the jump to hear the whole album via the Rdio streaming player (preview snippets only for non-Rdio subscribers but c’mon, stop playing and subscribe already)
A Look at the Polaris Long List: 5. Azari & III – Azari & III
This is another one of the few albums I was familiar with before getting into my epic journey of long list-nominated album listening. As I had said before and during the Polaris Salon I was a panel member of (which you can listen to HERE if you missed it, click podcast #1): the Azari & III album is fantastic! Like I also said, I can probably count the number of truly great (non-compilation/DJ Mix) house music albums on two hands and this just might be one of them. The album references early, classic Trax Records vibes but gives them a fresh, shiny coat of paint so it feels modern and new and not dated or like a pastiche.
I was privy to some discussions that tried to justify the worth of this album because of the sociopolitical subtext of the lyrics and their commentary on AIDS, addiction, homophobia etc. I think that’s cool but I actually don’t have an issue with celebrating a record that is “just dance music” or a “soundtrack to partying” if it’s great at being that. What’s wrong with being excellent within those parameters anyway? Do you know how hard that is to make an album that works as music a real DJ could credibly play in his sets at the club and also as an at-home listening experience? Azari & III managed to thread that incredibly tough needle and do both with their album.
If you love dance music or even if you’re on the other end of the spectrum and think electronic music is not ‘real’ music or something that makes for a great album listening experience and should stay in the clubs, then you need to check this out. On my short list and proudly so!
[album stream via Hypetrak]
A Look at the Polaris Long List: 29. Parlovr – Kook Soul
Have to admit, the Kook Soul album by Parlovr wasn’t too bad. It was a solid listen all the way through and there were tracks I dug. “Married on a Sunday” had a bit of a vaguely Bloc Party feel to it the way the vocals were delivered and I also dig “4000.” Overall though, while it was good it wasn’t transcendentally good to my ears. I already had three picks locked in for my short list ballot that I had voted onto the long list one and there were just other albums I like more than this to fill my final two slots.
[album stream via Exclaim!]