It is Friday and I am on an extended long weekend (because that is how I roll) and wanted to throw some videos and a few songs at ya to see what sticks.  It will all stick.

Wanted to post on a new video of Zachary Lucky and Carly Maicher for “Leaves are Falling” that they played in Liverpool, Nova Scotia during their current cross Canada tour.  I mention this as they will be here in Calgary tonight at a House Show (I’m out of the loop on that) but they have an official show at the Ironwood Stage this Monday, May 21.  Me and the Mrs. will be in attendance, so you should join us for a long weekend beer and some great tunes.  Great tunes like the below!

Visit The Ironwood Stage for info on the show, directions on this Monday’ show!

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Ms. Al Spx has a new video that premiered on Rolling Stone the other day (yes, Rolling Stone – we live in a new era of indie music folks).  The new album isn’t out yet but is garnering some very high praise (myself included).  The album has been in the works for years and it is truly magnificent.  I will also make no secret that I will be voting for Cold Specks on my Polaris Prize ballot (you know the  Polaris Prize right?).  Watch a video for Winter Solstice below!

Find out and pre-order this amazing debut album from Cold Specks: Cold Specks Store

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Lastly but not leastly, we have The Great American Desert (formerly South of Lincoln who was a Slowcoustic best of the year last year) and a new ‘Classroom’ video for the track ‘Whiteclay’ from his upcoming Yer Bird Records (ahem, yes our fantastic label).  You get an intro with the story behind the song and a fantastic live version of the song followed by why Max Holmquist (The Great American Desert) picked up his career in music.  Thanks to the Lawrence High School Film & Media Program for having Max in for the session!

Listen to a bonus track below – which incidentally will be the next video for the LHS Classroom Session as well!

Find more on The Great American Desert: Website

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There you have a grab bag that is chock full of goodness!

~Smansmith

Today sees the release of one of my favourite releases of 2012 thus far in Zachary Lucky’s ‘Saskatchewan’!

While I have been listening to it for a couple of weeks now, I am still having a hard time putting words to this EP.  It is almost like trying to explain what/who is ‘Saskatchewan’ to someone who isn’t Canadian.  I dare say Saskatchewan is what being a traditional Canadian is really about but again, it is hard to describe.  Zachary Lucky’s home is the province in question and other than being Canada’s version of the American Heartland, it is the subject matter of this March 6th release in its entirety.  As his Bandcamp page says: “these songs are for Saskatchewan.“  And I believe him.

Lucky’s songs might always sound a bit pensive and almost longing at times and this is at the forefront here.  This may also be because Lucky is a never ending touring musician and this EP is about returning to ‘home’.  Just list the song titles and you know where this EP is going (and where it wants to be): Across The Ocean, Leaving, Back in the Fall, Leaves are Falling, Refrain and Saskatchewan.

Most notably there is a narrative of separation throughout all the songs.  Some reference a more personal relationship between two people like the track ‘Back in the Fall’.

Now listen to that song with it being even more about Lucky’s relationship with Saskatchewan itself.

Now the ‘title track’…this the pinnacle of the album with Lucky looking back fondly and pining for the past while still knowing it is just that.  Almost like that long lost Dear John letter that never made it to its rightful recipient, it is a lament of love for anything (in this case his home of Saskatchewan).  The letter than might not have ever needed to be sent but instead just repeated over and over to yourself.  It also just so happens to be a great venue to focus on some fantastic pedal steel along with Lucky’s patented strumming and vocal timbre.

Fans of Lucky’s previous work will be more than delighted with Saskatchewan and it will be required listening in many roots/folk homes.  Overall I rambled in this ‘review’ about the feeling that this album/EP has left me with – it may be just 18 ways to say the same thing but I think you get it.  The only fault of the EP is that is comes in at about 20 minutes total time due to the 8 track EP having 2 instrumental interludes and no track exceeding 3 1/2 minutes.  Despite this, they just might be the best 20 minutes you will spend on music today or any other day.

Find Zachary Lucky: Website | Bandcamp | Twitter | Facebook
Find Tour Dates for Zachary Lucky: 2012 Canadian Tour

~Smansmith

p.s.  Calgary on May 21st at the Ironwood Stage!

p.p.s.  Don’t forget the ever lovely touring partner of Lucky, Ms. Carly Maicher guesting on ‘Leaves are Falling’

Never has Malibu Rum sounded so good.

While I have orbited The Wooden Sky numerous times I never really took the plunge until recently when I spent some time with their recent EP ‘City of Light‘ which brought me to the new single from the upcoming album ‘Every Child A Daughter. Every Moon a Sun’.  Other than this post taking a huge tangent to “puns-ville” which I kind of apologize for, but maybe it will encourage you to take the time to listen to this excellent track.  The song starts out with a Hawaiian influenced vibe that gives way (mostly) to a pretty straight forward balladeer track.  Around here, a straight forward balladeer track is nothing to scoff at and can be extra refreshing.

The song feels timeless but still echos of something familiar.  I have decided the crisp production on the song gives you fresh ears in order to not shun the kitsch of hula girls & tiki torches that are only slightly blurred in the distance behind the acoustic guitar and pitch perfect sad sack vocals.  So then…I really like it.  Be on the lookout for the new album on February 28th when it is released by Black Box Recordings.  Did somebody say double vinyl LP??

“Malibu Rum” – The Wooden Sky
from the “Every Child a Daughter. Every Moon a Sun” album

Find out more about The Wooden Sky: Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter

~Smansmith

p.s.  The crew will be here in Calgary on March 31st at the Palamino for you locals.  More dates for you non-locals here.

Tomorrow sees the CD Release Show for hometown troubadour Reuben Bullock over at the Arrata Opera House here in Calgary.  I believe there is still space but make sure you check into the Facebook event for more info.

The new album “Man Made Lakes” from Bullock sees an album growth from the previous “Pulling Up Arrows” (see our feature here).  The new album is 11 tracks and honestly shows a full range of performances from delicate introspective to punchy indie rock.  Well mostly it is to the softer side but there is always something about Bullock’s performance that lets you know there is something inside almost clawing to get out.  Whether it is the gothic “Burial” to the definitely epic sing a long “Bow and Arrow”.

Where the album soars is in the moody and hallow tracks like “How to Fight” and “Pray For You” and even the stunningly fragile “Once Upon a Time” or “Lullaby”.  I also must list the track “We Belong” as it seems like the epitome of a Reuben Bullock track; focused acoustics along with the back and forth of cadence in the songcrafting.  The type of song you know brings the house down at live shows.  Wait…if there was a live show to see him where would you go?  Tomorrow’s CD Release makes for the perfect moment to see the album, hear the artist and come away with a new favourite album in Man Made Lakes.

Take a listen to a couple of tracks below to get you started along with a recent Streaming Cafe performance of a earlier Slowcoustic favourite “The Rain”.

~

Find out more on Reuben Bullock: Facebook | Bandcamp | Website |

~Smansmith

Found this EP just the other day due to an invite to a local house show here in Calgary.  Wow, am I glad that I got that invite.

So the artist is Paul Stewart and to be honest, I have only been listening to this EP for about 4 days now…but it has been a glorious 4 days.  The 5 songs are available as a “name your price” download over on his Bandcamp page and I immediately dropped my $5 for it after about 48 seconds of total preview split between all 5 tracks.  Why do I note this?  I am noting this as I almost can’t put forward one song as the lead track or single from it – they are all frickin’ great.  He describes his sound as “Defeatist Folk” or as many readers of this blog might call it, “Sad Bastard Folk”.  The songs might be a bit down on their luck but at the same time bring such rich beauty and comfort that I almost miss that fact.

I am selecting 2 tracks to embed below and they are the opening and closing tracks: “Glass Skull” opens the EP with gentle sepia toned echoes of lost summers…you almost picture the song playing over silent video footage of a summer camp in the 50s…it sounds like it floats due to what could be a slide guitar/pedal steel in the background, then the piano hits for the last few moments – stunning.

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Next is the closing track “Crowd Cocoon” which comes in a bit more ominous but with many of the same elements of piano, acoustics, reverb…but used in a more late night solitary drinking binge sort of way.  As many sad bastards know, this can be some of the most stunning and wrecking moments…the same can be said about the song.  It kills me each time I hear it.

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As I mentioned, all tracks are worthy, so if you like the above 2 tracks then there are 3 more just waiting for you and they are just as good.  Highly recommended.

Calgary Concert Alert: Any Calgarians can find Paul Steward at ‘The White House’ next weekend – January 21st with Alex Wesley Cardinal on their Winter Tour.  See the Facebook event for more details.

Find Paul Stewart: Bandcamp | Facebook

~Smansmith

Zachary Lucky and Carly Maicher (two of my current favourite Canadian acts) are going to be here in Calgary tomorrow.  The show is at the House of Commons which is literally 3 blocks from where I am typing this.  So I don’t really have an excuse, right?

Zachary Lucky

Lucky has just finished mixing his new album “Saskatchewan”, so we can hope to expect some new material with addition to his stellar back catalog including his amazing 2010 album “Come and Gone”.  Speaking of which, you can swing by his Bandcamp page to purchase a recent live performance that will benefit the printing/promotion of the new album by visiting that release here.

~~~

Carly Maicher

This week I also received my hand silk screened CD copy of Carly Maicher’s album “Hiding” – a nice little post holiday gift to myself!  This album is another folk, singer-songwriter gem from the prairies and was a surprise/out of nowhere late year find.  This album is absolutely stunning and comes very highly recommended.

Lucky assists on Maicher’s album and Maicher assists on the new live recording from Lucky as well.  So what could be better than both playing together here in Calgary tomorrow.  I would say just about nothing.

Facebook Event
(House of Commons – 6435-Bow Crescent NW)

Zachary Lucky: Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter
Carly Maicher: Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter

~Smansmith

If you are Alberta based and you fancy yourself musically inclined, you have a goal.  That goal is to join the ranks of the musicians included in the TransCanada Alberta Music Series for 2012.  The deadline to submit your talent is upcoming (Sept. 30th), so don’t sleep on this, just do it – we want to see & hear you!

The event is a 4 day series of shows at the lovely Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts and features local talent showcasing what Alberta has to offer.  You can schmooze with industry folks, fans and other musicians – what could be better?  Each night almost has a ‘theme’ of sorts and is both interesting and entertaining at the same time.  So check your memory banks and if you have not already been in the series and your ID indicates you are from Alberta, then get to the submitting already!

I already have my recommendation and I look forward to seeing Tyler Butler from Edmonton featured predominantly in the showcase (are you listening Epcor crew???).  Just kidding, I don’t want to influence anybody at the acceptance committee…but seriously, don’t make me have to make a few visits….again, just kidding…

Listen to a track from Tyler from his wonderful “Winter King” album from earlier this year:

The details are below, so if you have any questions you can download the pdf info sheet at the below address.  Hell, email me and let me look into it for you!

Event Description:  15th Annual Festival of Alberta Music
Opening of Call: June 1, 2011
Closing Deadline: September 30, 2011
Festival Dates:  March 28-31, 2012
Website: www.epcorcentre.org/CareersAndOpportunities/ArtistOpportunities.aspx

~Smansmith

Today sees the local release of Samantha Savage Smith’s “Tough Cookie”, and I think this is one of the most anticipated local albums in a long while.  I think this statement can’t be more true after a few listens (I admittedly have only listen 3 or 4 times) – the album travels generations and genres in the span of 49 minutes.

While many around the world are highly anticipating Calgary albums from artists like Chad VanGaalen and Women, they are going to need to start to share the world stage soon.  The album “Tough Cookie” has been in the making for some time, but songs have been circling for a while during the finalization of this album.  The songs below from her Bandcamp page just might not be the actual versions as the final album feels a bit more polished all around.  There are the classics I have been listening to for a couple of years (The Fight) and some that I have been listening to on a regular basis for at least 6 months (albeit without the final touches).

The album is immense, loud & a bit brash at times, then soft and soothing the next.  This 24 year old has put together songs that still connect while being diverse and I find each song can even stand alone in texture and feel…as they each glide through our Rocky Mountain air.  Don’t worry, non-Calgarians will also agree, that voice can’t be stopped by any location.  That leads me to something that often is the focal point of many overviews of Savage Smith and I won’t deny that I sometimes feel a bit dated saying it.  But now that I have been listening for a while, it really can’t be denied.  The voice of this woman is soo distinct & powerful it would be a shame to overlook the obviousness of it due to it being so, well…fantastic.  Her deep and powerful (almost out of body) vocals polish off all of these songs, it is the sometimes missing instrument in almost any other band.  Her voice sounds older than her 24 years on this earth could even possibly ever have hoped to have created.   It reaches back to classic crooners in smokey cabarets…albeit as long as those cabarets had a little bit of bite.

I admit I find myself almost partial to SSS…maybe because she is local, but it might be because she seems like such a great individual.  After seeing her perform 3 times last summer at the Calgary Folk Fest, as well as sitting down with her to talk to her a bit, she seems like such a down to earth person…except she is creating this immense and catchy music on the side.  So, please ignore any fawning, the album is good and not just getting the local shine.

Slowcousticals can enjoy songs like You Always Come To Mind, Devilman, The Fight & Good of Goodbyes.  For a bit of down tempo/summer pop, you can enjoy a song like 1000 days or The Hats.  Overall the album seems a bit gritty, at 3/4 speed and I dare say a bit sexy in a late night whiskey induced nightclub sort of way.  The album, not unlike Samantha Savage Smith is more than a little bit intoxicating.

The album really took off into becoming reality after local staple Lorrie Matheson (visit) started listening to some of the many demos from Savage Smith.  She was getting a bit of a well deserved buzz in the local scene and Matheson heard the potential immediately.  The album was completed in late 2010 and found the backing crew of Chris Dadge, Scott Munro and Brooker Buckingham (who have lent their talents to recordings and live shows by Chad VanGaalen, Rae Spoon, Ghostkeeper, Fake Cops and Woodpigeon).

Listen to a couple of tracks below:

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**The album gets it’s local release TONIGHT at The Palomino Club (see here) and you will even get to hear another local hero on the bill, SAVK (see a quick post on him here).  This is truly a great line up of local talent and you will even get a chance to purchase the new album at the show!  Unfortunately at the moment I only know of her Bandcamp to purchase the album or individual tracks, but hopefully that will expand very soon!

UPDATE: Locals can purchase the new CD here in Calgary at Hot Wax, Sloth Records and Melodiya and if you are not local, you can email me and I can pass on the information about ordering direct (PayPal required & $15.00 which includes shipping worldwide).  <— get on it!

Please visit Samantha Savage Smith on her Bandcamp Page & MySpace page.

~Smansmith

p.s.  Bonus video that I LOVE from the good folks at Shot At The Dark:

SHOT AT THE DARK – Samantha Savage from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

Slow down, Molasses is a Saskatchewan band (yes, that’s in Canada) that is coming out with their second full length release this coming March.  As far as albums go, this one has a little bit of everything – this is becoming a bit of a trend with bands in order to not be all “samey” and it really shows Slow down, Molasses…well, being a band…if you get my meaning.

The album is 9 tracks that span musical styles from indie pop-rock, almost Radiohead like moments and then all the way to an expansive wall of sound and still finish up nicely with intimate laments!  This can be a challenge for some bands to have such range in one album, but this prairie outfit don’t seem to have any issues.   You have full on indie rock in tracks like “Late Night Radio” and “Wake Me Up At The Coast” then they about face and immerse you melancholy with “As Meant To Be” or “Bodies” or the absolutely stunning title track “Walk Into the Sea”.  The band have also taken to full use of orchestral elements in their building of a fuller sound and it really works – now, why doesn’t everyone have trumpet alongside electric guitar and a cello?  There is no reason not to and Slow down, Molasses show your ears how much they like it.

The album also has had some truly great contributors throughout the year or so it has been coming together…ummm, Julie Doiron and Olenka and the Autumn Lovers…very nice.  This is also why I feel like the new album is a larger sound and shows growth in SdM as a full on outfit – this could be one of the next great Canadian bands.

The lead off track is “Feathers” which is below along with the newest sampling, “Fade Out”, which are both available from their Bandcamp Page.  Having a listen to both will start you on the journey that is this album, they almost sound like they could be from Side A and Side B or separate acts of a play, and not unlike the album – I like it that way.

“Feathers” – Slow down, Molasses – from 2011′s “Walk into the Sea”

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Find our more on Slow down, Molasses: Website, Facebook, MySpace & Twitter
Purchase Slow down, Molasses: iTunes, Zunior & CD Baby

Upcoming Tour Dates

March 10 – Saskatoon – Caffe Sola Walk Into The Sea All Ages album release
March 11 – Saskatoon – Amigo’s – Walk Into The Sea album release & tour kick off!
March 12 – Edmonton – Wunderbar w/ Jeans Boots and Jessica Jalbert
March 15 – Vancouver – The Biltmore w/ Jeans Boots
March 17 – Calgary – Broken City w/ Deadhorse and Scars & Scarves
March 18 – Regina – O’Hanlons w/ Jeans Boots
March 19 – Winnipeg – The Lo Pub w/ Jeans Boots, The Empty Standards and The Slow Dancers
March 20 – Thunder Bay – The Apollo w/ Jeans Boots
March 22 – Toronto – The Horseshoe w/ Jeans Boots
March 24 – Halifax – Gus’ Pub w/ Jeans Boots, Dance Movie and Klarka Weinwurm
March 25 – Fredricton – The Capitol w/ Sleepless Nights and Writer’s Strike
March 26 – Sackville – The Royal Canadian Legion – Shotgun Jimmie’s cd release!!!
March 27 – Charlottetown – Baba’s w/ Jeans BootsM
March 29 – Montreal – L’escogriffe w/ Jeans Boots
March 30 – Ottawa – The Raw Sugar w/ Jeans Boots
April 1 – Toronto – The Garrison w/ Forest City Lovers
April 2 – London – APK Live w/ Forest City Lovers

~Smansmith

Twilight Hotel are bringing their new album and tour through Calgary this coming weekend at the Kerf Music Showcast at the Ironwood.  If you are interested in a slighly 60′s influenced indie pop this will be the place for you.  I find the music of Twilight Hotel hard to describe, there are so many elements intertwined here, but it feels about what the photo above would make you think it sounds like.  That does make sense, right?

Regardless, the show is this Sunday and Calgary’s own SAVK is going to be performing as well, so it will be a great show.  Find a couple of tracks below from the new album “When The Wolves Go Blind” that was just released in January.

Twilight Hotel
“Ham Radio Blues” (mp3)
“Golden Eagle” (mp3)
“When The Wolves Go Blind” (mp3)

from “When the Wolves Go Blind”
(Cavalier Recordings)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

Visit Twilight Hotel on their Website, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter.

~Smansmith

Devil’s Time – Trailer from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

Reuben Bullock’s album Pulling Up Arrows made it to my “Best Canadian Albums of 2010″ list (see here) and now we are seeing a video feature for one of the tracks from the album, that track is Devils Time.  This is not just a “video” as much as it is a short film.  The Devils Time feature is a combination effort that includes musicians/brothers and now actors, Reuben and Benjamin Bullock and was directed by Brock Mitchell (of Shot At The Dark fame) and produced by Justin Huculak.  From the look of the first teaser, then the second teaser above – this looks to be epic!

Description from the new website & Bandcamp stream of the track (its a free download as well folks!):

Devil’s Time is a short film / music video for the song “devil’s time” off of Reuben Bullock’s debut album, “pulling up arrows”. It was filmed in the late summer in the badlands, taking shape among the jagged terrain, endless prairies and wide open sky landscaping southern Alberta.

There is a bit of back story as well for this whole thing (for me at least) as I remember last summer sitting down with Reuben over coffee and talking about his music and he mentioned “Devils Time”.  So I know the song already, but he mentioned there was going to be a video and he was really excited about it…there was going to be a horse rented!  So this isn’t your run of the mill, indie made video thrown together to get something out there – there is intent here and possibly gravitas for lack of a better word.  The trailer leaves me feeling like this will be something to really dig my teeth into.

Brock Mitchell told me a little about the experience and by the sounds of it, there are bits and pieces of mental (and possibly physical) shrapnel embedded into the psyche of Bullock and crew after creating and capturing the vision of Devils Time.  Some of the quotes and descriptions on the video shoot are included below;

• “…we built the short story for Devil’s Time, involving Reuben as this fugitive that has been caught by the sheriff…no back story…sheriff had been on his trail for years”
• “…looking for something authentic, and unique…”
• “…the song would involve him being tied and bound…”
• “…tension between the sheriff and the fugitive during one night of their travels together…”
• “…to bond with this horse, and really become part of the landscape….”
• “…[the landscape]…which had its own curiosity to it, where we never knew what was around every bend…”

The shoot itself didn’t go without obstacle – if you get the chance, you can ask the Bullock brothers or crew about the unforeseen storm that swept through the filming that almost put a end to the shoot…

Hmmmm, got ya thinking didn’t it?  Well, this “EVENT” will take place at the fantastic Theatre Grand Junction (see info) and will be the place to be.  There will also be a performance from Bullock as well as another local favourite, Samantha Savage Smith.  All you local Calgary types should consider this a no-brainer – great music and a great film.  Listen to a track from Reuben and Samantha and tell me you won’t be there…

“The Rain” – Reuben Bullock (from 2010′s Pulling Up Arrows)
“You Always Come to Mind” – Samantha Savage Smith (from her upcoming March 2011 release)

Find More Info on this event & Reuben Bullock: Website, MySpace, Facebook
Find More Info on Shot At The Dark and Brock Mitchell – Vimeo, Twitter

Purchase Pulling Up Arrows on CD Baby and on iTunes

Below are a few ‘behind the scenes’ photos from the experience courtesy of Shot At The Dark.

See y’all there on Friday, January 28th, 2011 at the Grand!

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2011/01/18/calgary-eventconcert-alert-reuben-bullocks-devils-time-premiere-on-january-28th-2011/feed/ 2 http://slowcoustic.com/2010/11/17/frazey-ford-brings-obadiah-to-calgary-slowcoustic-sends-you-there/ http://slowcoustic.com/2010/11/17/frazey-ford-brings-obadiah-to-calgary-slowcoustic-sends-you-there/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:43:45 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=5331

Frazey Ford of the new defunct Be Good Tanyas has a new album.  And she is bringing it to Calgary!

Canadian songstress is making her way across her home and native land and is stopping in Calgary on November 21st at the new Ironwood Stage.  So if you are into a fusion of folk, bluegrass and even a touch of 70′s country torch song, then you are in for a treat.

This Vancouver raised singer songwriter who’s album is actually her middle name is known for her almost signature voice that cuts through a ballad with it’s slight warble and endears itself to almost anyone who hears it.  She has a timeless voice, but with it sounding contemporary at the same time.  I have to say that this style of vocalist is becoming more pronounced in the music industry these days (or in truth, maybe we are just finally coming to our senses and now finally hearing what has been there all along) and I can’t be happier about it.

Frazey Ford – Blue Streak Mama by nettwerkmusicgroup

So if you want to see the show this Sunday (and you do), simply hit us up at admin(at)slowcoustic.com and the first folks to email will get on the guest list for complimentary entrance and we will send you a copy of the CD to you as well!  All this is courtesy of the good folks at the Nettwerk Music Group.

Find Frazey Ford on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.
Purchase at iTunes and Amazon.

~Smansmith

*Above shot is from the upcoming video/short film from Brock Mitchell for (or based on the song) “Devil’s Time”

Reuben Bullock is one, if not best, of Calgary’s best unknown “known” talent.  While having a robust and dedicated following in the local scene here in Calgary, Bullock is definitely slated for bigger things.

After sitting down with Reuben over a coffee you realize he is someone dedicated to his art.  He is staunchly Canadian in spirit and is a patient and well thought out young musician.  He is protective of the local art scene and supports local endeavors like the “Market Collective” that strive to bring the local scene out to both socialize and gain strength and support from each other.  Truly an admirable trait these days that he isn’t in it to be a star – too bad someone didn’t tell that to his passion for crafting quality songs.

Overall, the album was loosely released in a few months back (mid 2010), it is one of the best finds I have had recently and not so recently.  Unfortunately the album looks to only be available locally in a short run pressing but hopefully things are in the works to bring his music to more Canadians and hell, even the world.  His never wavering voice and amazing acoustic sessions do translate to the recording of Pulling Up Arrows, but some that are familiar to Bullock might think the album is “louder” or “fuller” than some of his stripped down, gut wrenching performances.  I am caught somewhere in the middle as I am always one for the lone troubadour but can appreciate the work put into creating a full album with some range.  You might find this fuller sound in songs like “Devils Time” and “Pendulum Sun”, but where it really gets great for me are the tracks like “The Rain”, “Haunted”, “Eli” and even “Brother” (of which he has 2 that also enjoy talent in the music making arena).

After the above songs noted that find Bullock solo with a guitar, you have to get on board with him…especially if you find yourself reading this particular blog.  The tracks are catchy, but not in a cliche way, they are well thought out, performed with conviction and can be repeat listens without feeling like they get “worn out’.  Overall, the album has such high points that the parts that I find “only pretty damn good” qualify this for what could be a best of the year in Canadian Music.  I know local bloggers tend to lean towards their local talent for such claims, but this time I just might be right.

Listen to a favourite track for some convincing:

“The Rain” – Reuben Bullock, from 2010′s “Pulling Up Arrows”.

If you can, message him on MySpace and see about getting a CD, it will be worth it.  If you are local, you might find a copy at either Hot Wax in Kensington or Weeds Cafe in the NW.

~Bonus-

Via the folks at Calgary is Awesome & Shot At The Dark (highly recommended and where I originally “discovered” Reuben – see my blogroll and visit them) find a couple of videos:

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“Haunted” from Pulling Up Arrows

SHOT AT THE DARK presents Reuben Bullock – Chapter Two from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

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There just might be more than one Bullock in this one…

SHOT AT THE DARK presents Reuben Bullock – Chapter Three from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

~Smansmith

Dubbed “Little House Show on the Prairie”, this show at the White House (more info) is something to look forward to.

Bringing (now) Vancouverite Daniel Huscroft together with local Clinton St. John (of The Cape May) is looking like a pretty solid line up for this Friday.  Whether it is the delicate guitar work alongside the powerful delivery of Huscroft or the perfect sombre tracks of St. John, you won’t be disappointed with these two.

Show starts around 8pm and a recommended donation of about 10 bucks (+/-) for the guys is appreciated.

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Daniel Huscroft has an new album from earlier this year (see CD Baby) and a check out a video from the ever fantastic Shot At The Dark series below:

SHOT AT THE DARK – Daniel Huscroft from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

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Clinton St. John’s solo work is quite amazing (and we need more).  Most recently caught him on the Julie Fader/Postdata bill a few months back, so with having him a bit more predominantly featured…this will be a really good thing.  Check out a couple of tracks from a few years back.

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Should be a good one!

Daniel Huscroft: MySpace (more show dates in Alberta/BC), CD Baby
Clinton St. John: Bandcamp, MySpace

~Smansmith

Sunday, August 29th here in Calgary, there is a bit of a family affair going on at a local “house show” venue with both the Sumner and Bullock brothers.  The event is located at the White House which is located here (606 Memorial Ave) for you locals to drop by.  I hope to do so, so if you see a lonely guy (with wife) standing alone that guy is me.  Just sayin’.

The Sumner Brothers have been a favourite for a while and especially lately with their new release “In The Garage 2″ – for the version of “Going Out West” alone!  Sooo good.  See a video of them performing it on local Calgary Transit (via Shot At The Dark).  I know I have posted it previously, but come on it is soo good.

Shot At The Dark – The Sumner Brothers from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

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Next there will be the Bullock brothers who I am very quickly becoming a HUGE fan of.  Local talent at it’s best.  Brothers Reuben, Ben and Distance.  I recently included Part two of Reuben’s Shot at the Dark series, so enjoy Part One below along with Ben’s contribution.  Seriously good stuff.

Night Lights – Reuben Bullock – Chapter One from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

SHOT AT THE DARK – Benjamin Bullock from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

Please consider dropping by with a donation for the boys.  Brothers.  ’nuff said.

A bit more information on the Facebook Event.

~Smansmith

After listening for a little over a year (she was introduced to me from one of my counterparts in France – finding out about local talent from someone thousands of miles away…yeah…), I finally got to see her play (twice) and sit down and talk with Samantha at this year’s Calgary Folk Fest.  We did a bit of an informal interview with her and more of that will surface hopefully when I get a chance to tell you all about her upcoming album that I anxiously await.  Samantha has something about her that you might have a hard time placing – it might be her saucer like eyes that often hide behind glasses, her unique almost classic torch song voice or it is just that you want to keep listening when each song ends.  The new album (of which there are samples on her Bandcamp and MySpace pages) should officially surface soon and it will be one to keep an eye out for.

For now, please watch and listen along with me to Samantha Savage Smith (no relation).  The below video is from the great folks at Shot at The Dark and Calgary Is Awesome (see more here).

SHOT AT THE DARK – Samantha Savage from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

The above song is “You Always Come To Mind” and is currently on her BandCamp Page as a free download – so get it!!

Locals will be able to see her next at the Ironwood on August 29th – see here for more info.

Visit and purchase some Samantha, why don’t you?

~Smansmith

I think the post title says it all.  This Saskatchewan troubadour is quickly making me more than a casual fan – this guy is definitely some of the best new (to me) Canadian talent!

While this is his 3rd official release, it is coming on strong with great mellow acoustics, serious Americana hooks and a voice that lands exactly where it should be (a touch rough but with a harmony that is rock steady).  Favourite tracks are the title track, “O’ Ontario”, “Don’t Ask Me to Sing”, hell…they are all recommended.  The only fault I have is that excluding the first track as an “introduction” it is only 8 songs…

Come & Gone Tracklisting

1. Introduction
2. Coming back home
3. Small town streets
4. Sins of my father, sins of mine
5. Lake of the woods
6. O’ Ontario
7. Don’t ask me to sing
8. Town to town
9. Hard to love

Lucky is also still on his massive tour, so visit his MySpace page for a list of dates across Canada (here).

Watch some early workings of one of the tracks “Don’t ask me to sing” from ZL’s Vimeo page:

Don’t ask me to sing from zachary lucky on Vimeo.

Find Zachary on Bandcamp ($10 gets you the digital, $12 gets the actual CD!), Facebook and Twitter as well.  You can also purchase at iTunes by clicking here.

~Smansmith

I will be on holidays next week and will be starting a string of “Song of the Day” posts – they are quick and are a great way to bring a track (or artist) along for a quick smack in the face post! Today will start off with Zachary Lucky.  The below is from a previous album (as he has a new album “Come & Gone” out August 5th) that shows off this Saskatoon singer songwriter’s talent.  He is starting a tour to coincide with the album release and low and behold, I will actually be around when he will be in Calgary on August 19th!  See you there (if I can find this ‘House of Commons’ place)…

Take a listen (stream some more on his Bandcamp page):

See some dates below and check him out when he comes through your neck of the woods.

*the above are only the August dates!!!

See his MySpace for more tour dates plus 2 songs from the new album – I think he is adding more as the release date comes closer, so check back often.

~Smansmith

One of the things that I found new and interesting about this year’s Calgary Folk Music Festival was the fact that they had “sessions” where you had 3-4 bands/artists performing together on one stage at one time.  I am not sure if this is a new idea or simply new to me.  Overall, it had its ups and downs, but lets take a look at a session I attended.

Sunday – July 25th: “Face Down, Feet First”

This session showed a lot of promise with the four acts being: Ohbijou, Timber Timbre, Samantha Savage-Smith and Laura Marling.  Just enough indie pop, singer songwriter and full band to get a bit of everything I thought – well, we did get a bit of everything!

The idea is for everyone to “jam” or play together with one band taking the lead for a song and move to the next artist.  What ends up happening is one artist will play one of their songs with everyone joining in to add input, layers or to just simply play along.  For the most part it worked, but essentially if you are not intimately familiar with the other band’s music, you really don’t know where to jump in or what might happen if you add your input to someone else’s song.  For example, I am not sure Laura Marling had any “real knowledge” of one of our younger Calgary artists being as she isn’t even from our continent, so you get what I am saying.  Had potential to be spectacular, but usually ended up being a subdued event overall but with some moments of full stage beauty.

What worked and moments of highlight:

~ Multiple Neil Young covers were performed – If you were following me on twitter, you would have saw me saying that this MUST be a Canadian Folk Fest when that happens.  The covers were from Ohbijou and Timber Timbre.
~ Got to hear a new track from Timber Timbre (“Vampire….” – I missed part of the title due to conversation in the crowd).  As I think TT was probably the main band I was at the entire festival for, this made my day.
~ Samantha Savage-Smith who both me and my wife are now enamored with opened with her signature song “The Fight” and almost took over the entire show.  This girl can project power with her voice and is possibly the sweetest gal around.  This is one to watch.  She could have been considered the “least known” artist on the stage, but you wouldn’t have known it.
~ Everyone sounded great – all 4 of them were “on”, nobody faltered in a live setting

What could have worked better:

~ I am not sure how much each other knew of each others songs, so often the main artists were very lightly accompanied by the rest of the stage.
~ It was a full stage.  Marling had 3, Timber Timbre had 3, Ohbijou had 5-6 and then Samantha.  So with all gear and 13 ish people on a 30 foot stage, I felt like nobody had place to really move around.
~ Laura Marling played only 2 songs.  I am not sure how comfortable she was at the performance (it was all Canadians other than her, maybe??)   She sounded great for those 2 songs, but there was 16 songs total from 4 artists and she only had her 2.  She was cheered on to play more and it looked like she was going to and then Casey from Ohbijou had to finally let her off the hook and say that “she was taking a pass”.  I think there was some disappointed fans (myself included) as she basically didn’t say a word really or play music past 15 minutes in (due to the rotation she played the 1st and 5th song out of the 16).

Overall though, the crowd very much enjoyed it (I did) and we all got to see some really great music.  Highlights were Savage-Smith’s “The Fight”, Timber Timbre’s “Demon Host” and Ohbijou’s “Black Ice” that ended the session (on recommendation of Taylor from Timber Timbre).

See some pics below:

Laura Marling

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The sisters of Ohbijou

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Samantha Savage-Smith

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Taylor Kirk of Timber Timbre

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I also want to thank the Calgary Folk Music Festival for giving Slowcoustic Media credentials in order for us to get slightly better photos than some, comfortable locales to hang in and they even assisted in interviews and festival information!  Kudos!  We will have some interviews with Calgarians Samantha Savage-Smith and Jordan Klassen upcoming this week – so keep an eye on this space.

Some music for you (as this is still a music blog…)

Goodbye England (Covered In Snow) – Laura Marling (Visit)
Black Ice – Ohbijou (Visit)
The Fight – Samantha Savage-Smith (Visit)
Lay Down In the Tall Grass (Live on Camera Music) – Timber Timbre (Visit)

~Smansmith

Yesterday (Saturday, July 24, 2010) was the Saturday of the 2010 Calgary Folk Music Festival. The weekend was looking good – weather looked to be probably the nicest weekend of weather of the year so far…sunny, not a cloud in the sky with 27c temperatures. It was actually spectacular for weather (which can be half the battle at an outdoor festival) and it boded well for seeing numerous shows.

The first show we saw was a nice early performance with Jordan Klassen and Honeybear and it was a hometown affair. What better way to kick off the day then with local talent, and it did not disappoint.

One thing to note is in order to get through all the talented musicians and acts into a short period of time, you combine performances and it ends up being almost a jam session (if you will) with in this case both artists essentially being on the same stage the entire time. It was a nice combination of young up and coming Calgary talent that included Klassen’s set of mixed tempo folk tunes and Honeybear’s ukulele laments. The whole performance was a back and forth scenario with each playing a song or two than passing off to the other: great idea so you get to enjoy a little of both throughout the just longer than an hour performance.

Overview & Notes: Jordan Klassen (Visit)

~ Infectious personality (you cannot not like them!)
~ Sets the stage with building crescendos of acoustic guitars
~ Great use of full band: Cello, drums, bass, xylophone (?!), violin, keyboards – also the full band gets involved with either clapping or singing at the top of their lungs!
~ You know they are having a good time – when needed they kick up the energy and you cannot help but get into it
~ New EP “St. Brigid” was available and will see a release soon
~ We did an interview with Jordan and that will come up live next week

Photos of the show:

~~~

Overview & Notes: Honeybear (Visit)

~ New discovery for me – so I was very pleasantly surprised by this Slowcoustic gem
~ Sets a mood for his music by use of backing soundscapes
~ Wields his “uke” well – we are all fans of this fine instrument around here
~ I don’t want to beat this point to the ground, but you (and me) need to hear more.
~ Had a collection of songs available for purchase that came packaged as a booklet of sketches with a download code!

Photos of the show:

As mentioned Honeybear is my “best surprise” of the fest so far, so I am still looking into him (and hence have no tracks to provide, but his MySpace page has some streams, so visit). I do have a track from Jordan Klassen that might have been my favourite of his set. The track is from his album “Tempest and Winter” (purchase at iTunes or help out local Calgary music and purchase at Kerf Music).

“Sing Your Song to Ares” (mp3) – Jordan Klassen, from 2009′s “Tempest and Winter”

Gotta go and get back to the fest! Swing by for more a bit later.

~Smansmith

All photos ©2010 Slowcoustic

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2010/07/25/calgary-folk-fest-saturday-doesnt-disappoint-jordan-klassen-honeybear/feed/ 2 http://slowcoustic.com/2010/07/23/calgary-folk-fest-wraps-up-day-one-with-the-avett-brothers-photos-overview/ http://slowcoustic.com/2010/07/23/calgary-folk-fest-wraps-up-day-one-with-the-avett-brothers-photos-overview/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:35:26 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=4859

Last night kicked off my first day of the 2010 Calgary Folk Festival.  I think despite the constant threat of rain this night really did hit the spot!

Let me also start off by saying I am usually not a fan of “festivals” as liking a style of music that lends to a hushed and intimate setting, it can be a bit daunting to meet up with about 10,000 people in a large open area to listen to what is expected to be “folk” music.  You will notice the word folk has quotations around it as last night was a main stage only affair with 4 bands playing to open the festival: Library Voices, Natacha Atlas, Stars & The Avett Brothers.  Overall a good mix of music, but not really “folk” music.  I think you had to go with the comment Torquil Campbell of stars had: “It’s folk music if its for the “folks”, right?” – I think this was kind of the idea for the night.  I wouldn’t call it a folk festival concert as much as an outdoor festival that took place during a folk festival…

To be honest, I only saw a part of Library Voices who jumped, belted out tonnes of charisma and really started to get the crowd into their infectious music – I thought it might have been a bit refreshing to see a band come in and be dressed all in spring whites/colours and getting the crowd awake (to say the least).

I didn’t hear much of Natacha Atlas as at this time the crowds started to really grow and (let’s be honest, I had to get another beer in before the Stars show) I was a bit stuck in a “beer gardens” for that hour.  We did manage to get to the Stars show which is when the crowds really started to get into the evening (despite one of the best parts being Samantha Savage-Smith being the “in-between” artist to keep the crowd interested before Stars took the stage).  Stars kicked it up a notch definitely and if the success of the set could be measured in “indie teens” then it was a very successful collection of songs.  Really good, but I tend to get a bit tired fighting through hordes of junior high tweens in order to see or hear anything.  I relegated myself to listening from the backstage(ish) press area by a serene river setting…nuff said.

But…The Avett Brothers were next and I wasn’t missing it – they really put on a show and got the crowd to a frenzy!  These 4 guys (I believe they tour with 4 and are a trio normally???) completely got the crowd into it and it was bopping and jumping all around, including the guys on the stage!  Seth and Scott Avett are the humblest of guys and engaged the Calgary crowd with the simple use of the term “y’all”.  We love that southern shit.  They played a mix of old and new (with the new getting the biggest roars from the crowd, which is expected) and they played practically the perfect set – mixed the barn burners alongside the down tempo ditties.  Overall, I would have to say the crowd was perfect and weren’t just attending a festival main stage – the crowd that not so surprisingly changed from tweens to more college crowd/20-30-40 were there to kick it up and the Avetts did not disappoint.  Kudos, boys.

Find a few pics from the Avetts below (sorry our pics of the Stars were a bit off, but they may surface at some point):

*All photos courtesy of Slowcoustic’s wife (©Judy Smith)

There you have it – keep an eye out for more Calgary Folk Fest coverage over the weekend!!  Hopefully will have a couple of interviews and a lot more photos!

Enjoy a classic track from The Avetts from their “The Gleam II” EP – “Bella Donna” (mp3) (buy all their albums on iTunes)

~Smansmith

This one is a no-brainer for me…come on, Calgary Folk Fest. As most folk fests tend to do, these festivals attract a good sized crowd, great selection of artists and in particular, provide Slowcoustic the opportunity to see many, many artists in one music packed weekend.

The festival is set in Prince’s Island Park, and while working for a few years in the Eau Claire area of downtown, I always saw all these yahoos walking to the park with their blankets, lawn chairs and smiles on their faces every July. This year, I will be Mr. Yahoo, to you.

I am originally from Winnipeg, so if you are Canadian, you will know that the Winnipeg Folk Fest in one that can be hard to beat as the WFF is world class. So, now that I am a Calgarian, where do we stand? I think we are standing tall on our own if I may say so. Let’s take a look at what I am personally looking forward to (courtesy of the great “My Folk Fest” section of the CFF site).

You might see some overlap above as you never know the exact time each artist will play, so you have to kinda “double book” to ensure you see favourite artists.  The Slowcoustic nominees for “Most Looking Forward To” are:

~Timber Timbre
~Laura Marling
~The Avett Brothers
~Jordan Klassen (Calgary!)
~Samantha Savage-Smith (Calgary!)
~OX
~St. Vincent

Well, look for lots of pics and features on the Calgary Folk Fest on these pages in the upcoming week, through the weekend and after!  Anyone want to meet up – just let us know!!

Aaaaaaand, as this is a music blog, let’s have a few tracks from artists performing at the 2010 Calgary Folk Music Festival.  While all these tracks have been on Slowcoustic already, they are neatly placed in one convenient place for your listening pleasure below:

Bella Donna - The Avett Brothers

Black Ice – Ohbijou

Falling Slowly (live) – Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová

If The Creeks Don’t Rise – Sunparlour Players

In These Arms – The Swell Season

Lay Down In the Tall Grass (Live on Camera Music) – Timber Timbre

Now, Now – St. Vincent

Road Regrets – Dan Mangan

Steep – Ohbijou

Weaving – OX

Enjoy the rest of your Friday – See you all in “Cow Town” next week.  Visit the site HERE for more info and get tickets!

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2010/07/16/calgary-concert-alert-calgary-folk-music-festival/feed/ 1 http://slowcoustic.com/2010/07/02/the-slowcoustic-recommended-sled-island-show-for-friday-july-2nd-2010/ http://slowcoustic.com/2010/07/02/the-slowcoustic-recommended-sled-island-show-for-friday-july-2nd-2010/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:43:36 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=4774

So tonight is Friday, you are kicking around Calgary.  You lean into the bearded guy next to you and say, “Brother, what the hell do you do in Calgary on a Friday night?”.  Well, thank you for asking….

Tonight’s official Slowcoustic recommendation is taking place at the “Arrata” venue (all ages surprisingly enough) and goes something along the lines of:

Come on, you can’t do much better on a Friday night….in Calgary….right?  It all goes down at the Arrata Opera Centre at 1315 – 7th Street SW!

To get you in the mood:

“Just Once” – DM Stith
“Pigs (feat. Jefferson Street Band)” – DM Stith

~~

Video from Inlets:

~~

“The Ice” – Odawas
“Harmless Lover’s Discourse” – Odawas
“Alleluia” – Odawas

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Video from Silje Nes:

Silje Nes – Crystals from One Little Indian Records on Vimeo.

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“Squall” – Azeda Booth
“Samoan Girls” – Azeda Booth

~~

Okay there you have it, our recommendation.  So it might not be as “hip” indie as some others (hello Olympic Plaza featuring Fucked Up, Why?, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, The Thermals, Built to Spill and Girl Talk) and actually might get a little out there/ambient especially with DM Stith and Azeda Booth on the bill but it should be interesting!  I think the break out star here will be the lovely Silje Nes…just sayin.

For more information or alternate shows for tonight (or tomorrow) – Visit Sled Island HERE.

~Smansmith

Stephen van Kampen released a new album this past March – as a fairly new Calgarian, I missed it.  I am dumb.

So this is less a “review” as it is just a heads up on an album that shows a lot of promise.  I say that because I have only been listening for a short while (remember, I am dumb?) but there is a bit for everyone who might frequent this blog.  You have some slow burners, lots of banjo and then some not so slow numbers to keep it interesting.  Remember, you may remember him from Beija Flor who have recently gone their separate ways, but go in fresh and don’t think of this as a “solo project of a band member” as much as it is simply Van Kampen’s new album.

The below 2 videos are good examples of what to expect from Sark’s album- the first being found from the good folks at Calgary Is Awesome and taken from the “Shot At The Dark” series.  It is kinda like Calgary’s version of Black Cab Sessions/La Blogotheque/other indie video hub and is great snippet into the workings of Van Kampen – it might be a bit hard to hear due to the street noise, but lean in as it will reward with banjo goodness.

SHOT AT THE DARK – Stephen Van Kampen from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.
~~~

This next video is for the track “The Red Eye” from his self titled album (I think kinda like the “lead off single” if there was one) and brings in a bit of “art-folk” if that is even a genre.  Again, good flexing of the banjo chops.

~~~

Upcoming shows in the Calgary area:

• 1 Jul 2010 / Aratta Opera Centre (part of Sled Island Festival!!)
• 8 Jul 2010 / Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association
• 14 Aug 2010 / CJSW Summer Concert Series

There are some links below to visit or purchase.  If you are local and wanted to keep it local, you can always purchase (and stream 2 tracks) over at Kerf Music HERE.

Find and purchase more Savk:

~Smansmith

Looking forward to this one, a lot.  The Tallest Man On Earth is coming to Calgary (and half the planet by the looks of the dates listed on his MySpace and Dead Oceans site) – but alas, I am very excited that among the many tour stops, this Swede will be Canadian for at least one day, May 15th.

Kristian Matsson who performs under the moniker of The Tallest Man On Earth is someone that everyone says you have to see live – by everyone, at least 3 of my friends have seen him at least once and say it is truly great.  As these folks know what they are talking about, I am quite excited to see this finger picking folkie do his thing at Local 522 here in Calgary.  The fact that he has released two albums (by two I mean one officially, with one that has leaked but officially released on April 13th, 201o) that are both incredible is a feat in itself.  While his sound is not the sound for everyone, often described as a modern day Dylan (I don’t like that description, regardless of his MySpace indicating Dylan as an influence) I think that takes away from some of the best modern/60′s songwriter folk around.  He has the sound that both gets you out of your seat with upbeat and almost frantic beating on his guitar (King of Spain) and more subdue (Burden of Tomorrow) as well as down right stunning slow burners (Kids On The Run – piano instead of guitar on this amazing track).  While “The Wild Hunt” is a bit more straight forward and his “Shallow Grave” being a bit more intricate in my opinion, I think they both compliment him well and are worthy of a show (or two).

I also know statements as “this is the singer/songwriter of our generation” get tossed around for numerous artists, I for one think Mr. Matsson’s hat is in that ring.  Take a listen below

“Burden Of Tomorrow”
“King Of Spain”
from “The Wild Hunt” – April 12, 2010 (Dead Oceans)

~~~

The opening band are the label mate of TTMOE in the psych-folk band Nurses.  I am excited to hear these guys live as I have heard the album and it is definitely interesting with moments of great clarity (Technicolor), so I think it will be a great addition to the show.  Actually fellow blogger Geordie at You Crazy Dreamers had their album “Apple’s Acre” on his top 10, so I tend to think it is worth more of a listen.  You should to.

“Technicolor”
“Caterpillar Playground”
from 2009′s “Apple’s Acre” (Dead Oceans)

See all you locals there!  TICKETS HERE.

~Smansmith

So after yesterday’s Calgary Music Scene post – why not do something else Calgary?  Done.

So next week (March 18th to be exact) there is a concert going on here in Calgary with a fantastic line up of Canadian talent!  What may you ask is this event?  Well Postdata and Julie Fader along with the local Clinton St. John (of The Cape May) will be performing and I will definitely be there.  You should be too.

Ticket Give-Away

So here is the deal – I want you to be there too, so let’s get some tickets to you.  I have 2 tickets to pass along to the person who can post in the comments with the name of the club (or email us at admin[@]slowcoustic.com), that they are playing at.  Remember to ensure that the email you use in the comments is the one we can contact you at as well.

Let’s give you a reason to visit, by playing a few tracks by this group of talented Canucks.

“Tobias Grey” – Postdata [visit]
“Goodbye Before Hello” – Julie Fader [visit]
“Spring Flight to the Land of Fire” – The Cape May (sorry, I don’t have any solo Clinton St. John)  [visit]

Also, to sweeten the deal, we will also provide a copy of the new Postdata CD to the winner of the tickets!   Come on, free tickets, free CD, the chance to be in the same room as Slowcoustic…oh, and see what will be an incredible show!

Okay, now who is buying me a drink down at the “___________” club next Thursday?  You know, the one located at 219 – 17th Avenue SW…

~Smansmith

p.s.  just in case – you can still buy tickets HERE (but please note Ticketmaster indicates Brian Borcherdt is on the bill, but he is not making the Western dates for the Postdata tour…)

I have to admit I am not that adventurous and also listen to a bit of a niche style of music.  So this would lend to not getting out as much as one should and connect or even know about the music scene in the city where I live.   Well it took an old school Calgarian returning back to “Cow Town” to bring life into what would be my impression of the Calgary Music Scene.  I admit, I tend to be out of touch….but not as much anymore!

Enter Chris from Culture Bully.  Ya all know it, Culture Bully Music Blog that was based out of Minneapolis for the last 5 years or so.  Pretty much an eternity in music blogger years, but here he is back in Calgary and taking on a task of beginning a collection of Calgary music hubs, artists, labels, blogs, magazines and whatever he can get his hands on.  I say kudos to him and for giving me (and hopefully the rest of you locals in YYCers) a place to check for info on what is happening.  This is a project and collection of web-pages that will essentially be a living document of who, what and where.  Want to know the MySpace page of a local artist…done.

Want to know if they have their own website…done.  Are they on twitter???   Done.  I also know that he is taking input to grow this database, so if you are local and you are “in the know”, why don’t ya help a brother out and give him a holler?  If you already are running a portal to all things Calgary – maybe touch base to share the knowledge or even just to say “hi”.  Hopefully we can grow what we have here in Wildrose Country (ouch…I know it’s cliche, but I had to).

Visit all things Calgary at

There you have it, something local for a change around here!  So in good faith and theme of this post, find a couple of tracks from Calgary’s own fringe electro-folk maven Chad VanGaalen to busy yourself with.

“City of Electric Light”
“Subterranean City Roots (CBC Radio 3 Session)”
Visit Chad VanGaalen at Flemish Eye

~Smansmith

Kinda been a hectic last bit with the various world events, personal events and upcoming events.  What is it of which I speak?  Well, glad you asked.

How about those Olympics?  Pretty sweet in my opinion, but I tend to quickly jump on board of sports I would shun in any other forum…I dunno, all of a sudden I am a fiend for biathlon for 2 weeks every 4 years!   I, like a true and proud Canadian, enjoyed the Gold Medal Hockey game this past Sunday and I am even glad it went to overtime for the win.  I hope all you other Canucks had a chance to enjoy a few frosty brews with friends while it happened (I know I did).  Enjoy this bit of Canadian Hockey Classic – Stompin Tom (video & lyrics)!

Just received my tickets for me and the wifey to go see The Tallest Man On Earth when he hits Calgary this May, should be a good show as everyone I know who has seen him live says his shows are excellent.  With his new album The Wild Hunt out in the next couple of months, it should be right on time!  Enjoy “King of Spain” (mp3).

Thinking of hitting the Postdata and Julie Fader show here in Calgary on March 18th.  If you are not totally aware Postdata has a new album which you could say is the perfect blend of Clem Snide and Brian Borcherdt.  This is a very good thing…enjoy “Tobias Grey” (mp3).  Julie Fader is also quite a lovely songstress who’s album “Outside In” was one of the best Canadian Albums last year.  Enjoy “Goodbye Before Hello” (mp3).  You should check out a show if you can (check Hand-Drawn Dracula for dates).

Next week should see the launch of the new Yer Bird Records website that I gone and stolen from the former owner and good friend Morgan.  Make sure you drop by starting Monday, March 8th for a visit to say “hi”.  We will have lots of tracks to download and after that, I will be perilously balancing that act of music blog AND music label owner.  Trying not to push bands that I may have a financial interest in and also trying not to hound those damn music bloggers about giving away mp3s from my bands!!!!  ;-)  Enjoy a song from one of our favourite releases “Cancer and Delirium” from J. Tillman, “When I Light Your Darkened Door” (mp3).

Visit Canadian Hockey
Visit The Tallest Man on Earth
Visit Postdata
Visit Julie Fader
Visit Yer Bird Records

That is about it for now, what’s new with you?

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2010/03/02/status-check-updates-and-a-few-concert-alerts-in-the-slowcoustic-radius/feed/ 3 http://slowcoustic.com/2010/02/07/a-couple-of-videos-couple-of-mp3s-and-a-couple-of-thoughts-for-this-saturday-er-sunday/ http://slowcoustic.com/2010/02/07/a-couple-of-videos-couple-of-mp3s-and-a-couple-of-thoughts-for-this-saturday-er-sunday/#comments Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:16:56 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=4031

TGIS!**

I love Saturdays! (**please note that this post was supposed to go up yesterday, but you know how it goes…Sunday Morning Fever??) It very well could be the best day of the week (most definitely) and that is that, there is no back talk from any of you.  Ya here me…the best day.  I find Saturday great as you get to sleep in and stay up late in the same day with little repercussions due to standard work schedules.  I do apologize to those of you who may in fact work at the “proper” job on weekends, but I am much too set in my ways and much to old to give up my weekends to anything other than being lazy, watching a movie, maybe a beer or two and listening to music.  Seriously what else would a music blogger do…go out to a live concert??  “Now that is crazy!”[...he says as Dan Mangan and Aidan Knight perform at one of our "Technical Institutes/Colleges" this very night...] {EDIT – remember, this was last night due to not posting this yesterday!!}

Well I have a couple of videos that I think you should see.  The first one is from Shelley Miller and is possibly a Sunday Morning live performance of “Walk Away” and it is quite lovely.  I find the track a bluesy, roots tinged folk track that finds itself delicate and gritty at the same time.  Don’t think the flower dress and mostly hushed acoustic guitar is not balanced by the powerful voice and, um…skull planter on the window sill.  I think that just says it all for this Chicago talent.  Find her on MySpace and her Website.

Bonus rip of this great track – “Walk Away” from Shelley Miller

~~
Another video is one of the videos discovered by Craig over at Songs:Illinois this past week and it truly was  a nice find!  There is a whole lot of Sufjan styled acoustics and vocal delivery and now that Sufjan himself is dangling from the ledge of his signature sound as it is, well we have someone to take the torch on that one.  The video’s are a bit DIY and fit the sound in spectacular fashion – you can find a download of the song “Sarah Minor” over on Songs:Illinois – so go get it!

‘Sarah Minor’ from Keaton Henson on Vimeo.

~~

So something I thought was funny, I received the PR email about Midlake like many bloggers did – but I noticed it was all just “look at Midlake, they are good…honest, you have to believe us!”.  I presume it came out due to the negative review on Pitchfork, which I think is a bit weak – the album is pretty good, so it should not have to have any knee jerk due to a jerk at PF (see what I did there?).  I think the album is quite nice and as a laid back fan – I like it but I am not going to die on that hill if you know what I mean.  Just thought it was funny, never mind the backlash on various social media sites due to this “mis-step” by Pitchfork.  I think the review was gone about the wrong way but isn’t completely off the mark – they just came up with a verdict that you are not allowed to have your own sound…is it soo wrong to sound like yourself?  Anyway.

Another thing that both made me happy and made me a bit proud (by proxy) is getting a PR email about The Deep Dark Woods releasing their track “Charlie’s (Coming Down)” on 7″ vinyl.  What you say?  Yes, the track that (as far as I know) was only available via the HearYa music blog…until now!  The song was an entry for CBC’s Great Canadian Song Quest and was the Saskatchewan contender about the Good Time Charlie’s bar in Regina.  Well, it won (of course) and they are releasing it officially with two shows in their home province (March 5th – Saskatoon, SK @ Louis Pub & March 6th – Regina, SK @ The Exchange – both with The Sumner Brothers joining in!!).  Highly recommended if you are available to get there.  This all made me happy for the great track and proud as a blogger showing that they can influence the greater good – way to go HearYa in assisting in getting the song released!  Watch and listen to the great HY session HERE and find that winning track HERE.

Bonus DDW:  “The Gallows (CBC Radio 2)”
“Winter Hours (CBC Radio 2)”

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2010/02/07/a-couple-of-videos-couple-of-mp3s-and-a-couple-of-thoughts-for-this-saturday-er-sunday/feed/ 0 http://slowcoustic.com/2010/01/22/calgary-concert-alert-the-possibly-a-bit-late-edition-woodpigeon-broken-city-tonight/ http://slowcoustic.com/2010/01/22/calgary-concert-alert-the-possibly-a-bit-late-edition-woodpigeon-broken-city-tonight/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:35:43 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=3971

Apologies lad and lassies but little ol’ me forgot to give the heads up for the locals (like they didn’t already know) on Woodpigeon tonight in Cow-town!

They are playing at Broken City – maybe door tickets?? – which can be found, phoned, emailed HERE.  I will unfortunately not be there as I am a lone wolf, er, ah because of prior engagements with a friend (and a large container of “on tap” beer) – but it should be a great show supporting the Die Stadt Muzikanten album (pre-order at Boompa).

Enjoy a couple of tracks from the album below to warm ya up!

Empty-Hall Sing-Along
Morningside (live on CBC Radio 2)

Visit Woodpigeon on their WEBSITE or at BOOMPA:

~Smansmith

Oliver Thiessen made his debut on Slowcoustic in October 2008. We knew back then that Oliver was talent and we couldn’t wait for his first full-length album. Here is a little he said / she said from Slowcoustic HQ (meaning, the wife is a huge fan and wanted to be part of “Three Hills” part II).

She said….

I was really excited to hear Oliver Thiessen was finally going to give me more than four songs to pour over (to be fair he does provide a few extras on his myspace page but I was holding out for the full album). Volcanoes And Factories, released in 2009 did not disappoint.  Thiessen considers himself a searcher and someone who is always learning. When I listen to the album I see him as an observer.  There is a maturity to his new music that makes me think he has seen sorrow and felt heartbreak.

Thiessen uses his voice as much as his guitar and his lyrics together do more than create a song. My favourite song on the album is Chimney Company because it highlights his voice and the thoughtfulness of his lyrics. The indie artist is alive and well.

“Chimney Company” – Oliver Thiessen

~Judes

He said….

Well, so we know the wifey likes Mr. Thiessen (but she is known for having a crush on Canadian indie talent…I’m looking at you Wheat Pool).

I was also looking forward to Thiessen’s album as I did see here and there clues towards it’s imminent release via Myspace, etc but didn’t actually know until he emailed me to let me know it was finished.  I still don’t really know if it is “officially” released, but if not it will be shortly.  The album is for the most part a cohesive project with his patent delicate vocals over a steady strumming of an acoustic guitar.  He has brought in a few more elements to beef up parts of the album as being a solo performer it can get too sparse at times and this definitely brings an enhanced experience to the album.

Being a sad bastard at heart, I enjoy a truly down trodden acoustic track and I believe this is where Thiessen excels.  Songs like “Barcelona”, “Unions”, “Warrior” (tragically beautiful), “Bad State of Mind” (that last full minute is stellar with almost Jim James of My Morning Jacket falsetto finishing the track!) and even a touch of melancholic angst in “Smoke in the House”.  I have said it before and will say it again, the songs of loss, separation and the stresses of life changing decisions make for such good subject matter on Slowcoustic…

It isn’t all slow as molasses, crying in your drink music here – you can take refuse in the title track “Volcanoes and Factories”, “James Dean” and even “Norwegian Girl” which might not all be lighter context for meaning but he provides a lighter “plate” to serve his brand of lamentable folk music.

My chosen track is “Barcelona” which is a drifting story that floats you from start to finish.  There is a back vocal track of who I assume to be Thiessen humming along to the medley – it might sound like it is an odd choice, but it really works.  The track was originally featured on an international “Chill Out Acoustic” compilation from Quickstar and released last December (see it on iTunes).  It is also another good example of a great track from some of our “local talent” around Alberta!

“Barcelona” – Oliver Thiessen

Visit Oliver Thiessen:

~Smansmith

p.s.  If you are local and have the opportunity, please consider stopping by The Ship & Anchor on January 2nd to see Oliver!  Might be perfect to get you over the cold January in Calgary!

p.p.s. His Myspace has a bunch of festive tracks to stream.

p.p.p.s.  Bonus video of a great track from Oliver:

Tomorrow night I will hopefully be spending some quality time with Liz.  Okay, spending time at a table in the back, casually tapping my foot while enjoying what I can only assume will be a frosty brew.  Liz is in town with Vic Chesnutt (another reason to get my ass out to a show) so I started listening to some tracks and noticed this Cat Stevens cover by Liz is absolutely stunning.  It is a free download on her website and is totally stuck in my head now.

Remember Calgary locals – The Marquee Room tomorrow night (hopefully tickets at the door…) be there, buy me a beer.

“How Can I Tell You (Cat Stevens Cover)” Liz Durrett

Visit Liz Durrett:

~Smansmith

Upcoming is a concert I am making sure I am at – the Vic Chesnutt / Liz Durrett performance at the Marquee Room on November 23rd (locals, please note change in venue with Timbre Productions).  Any Calgarians looking to go, please consider confirming, it will be a great show!  I have not seen either artist live and I am very excited to see them both together.  They are not strangers to each other as you can see from one of the tracks below, but it should be quite an intimate show at points – this I am excited for!  You can check previous posts on these two separately – Vic & Liz.

So tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster or from Megatunes locally and they are $20.00 each.  Give a shout out if you are going, maybe some beers are in order with the Slowcoustic crew!

Now Listen:

“Rustic City Fathers” – Vic Chesnutt
“Warm” – Vic Chesnutt

“Somewhere” – Vic Chesnutt & Liz Durrett

“The Mezzanine” – Liz Durrett
“November” – Liz Durrett

Visit Vic Chesnutt HERE and Liz Durrett HERE.  See as many of you as possible on the 23rd!

~Smansmith

p.s.  For some new Vic Chesnutt tracks from the excellent “Skitter on Take-Off” – visit Captains Dead here & here.

Holy shit I am digging this song (Tirade Of A Shitty Mom)!  Wait, I’m digging the whole damn thing.

I recently picked up the album for One Hundred Dollars – another winner from Canada folks – and this song (and below video) are just amazing.  It is all psychedelic, folkish and is stuck in my head.  I noticed the youtube action for it and this video really is this song.  If there is a better video for this song – tell me what it could possibly be.  Sepia tones bleeding through a burnt orange vision all blurred with 60′s infused alt-country-folk.  All along Simone Fornow chants the lament of the shitty mom.  This song definitely gives juxtapose to the full album which tends to be a bit more Americana infused country.  It is just too good.

One Hundred Dollars (I never know if I should type $100, but the long form is the true name I believe) are coming to Calgary as well!  There is an Oct. 31st (yes Halloween show) at the Palamino – if you dare go downtown in the evening on Halloween, you now have purpose. The crew is about to start a Western Canadian Tour which is a little delayed for the past while as they seemed to stay “Eastern” due to various issues.  I don’t want to judge, but it’s about damn time!!  Saying that regardless of being fairly new to the band in general…

Visit them on MySpace to see some dates and stream some more tunes.  I leave you with what I believe was the lead off track (if my fellow Canadian bloggers have anything to say about the situation) which shows the difference (or depth depending on how you look at it) between tracks on the “Forest of Tears” album.  Okay watch the above video, then listen to the track below.  Intrigued aren’t you.

“No Great Leap” – One Hundred Dollars – from 2009′s “Forest of Tears”

Purchase:  iTunes & Sonic Union.

~Smansmith

Mojave hit the Calgary Concert alert with their Cross Canada Tour stop right here in Calgary tonight at Dickens Pub (locals can find it HERE).  They have hit the roads looking for good folks, good vegan cuisine and now a great show here in Cow-Town (is it okay to say cow-town and Vegan in the same sentence?).

Well, the socially aware crew are currently touring in support of their newest album “Crow’s Funeral” which was released this past May.  The album is their second full length release with the previous effort “Stories” also being a favourite.  You could say they are a mix of acoustic, indie and power pop/rock, all with a conscience.  The new album title “Crow’s Funeral” is aptly fitting with their brand of dark, heavily stringed indie (if indie is even a real description anymore).  They clearly have a more rock background, but as their MySpace page indicates, they have softened with the string elements of violin and viola, which are very predominant in their signature sound.  When I say the sound is “dark”, it might seem darker do to this background, they feel almost coiled up and could let loose at any moment – you know they are going to have a great live show.

If you keep wondering why I am mentioning things like “vegan”, “socially aware” and “with a conscience” it is because this is no ordinary rock and roll band – they could be the next generation of earth friendly musicians.  Simply looking over their blog, where you get the new album, you know that these folks are going to give you a great show and are doing right by just about everybody while doing it.  A great in-depth look at what the band is all about and the efforts they support, Kiwano has a great feature on them HERE.

But come on folks, even if you aren’t into saving the world right at this moment, save your night and head over to Dickens Pub to see the band!  To get you primed up, take a few listens to some tracks from their website.

“The End of the Heartache” – from 2007′s “Stories” album
“Here I Am (Live From the Media Club)” – originally from 2007′s “Stories” album
“Lights Out – Live for Earth Hour”

Check the tour, if you are in any of the below centers,- git on out there and say “hi”.

I will be doing my best to hit the pub tonight as well, so hopefully see y’all there!

Visit Mojave on their Website, MySpace, @Twitter and label page at Black Canvas Records.

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2009/08/25/calgary-concert-alert-mojave-tonight-august-25th-2009/feed/ 2 http://slowcoustic.com/2009/07/19/akronfamily-another-reason-to-go-to-the-calgary-folk-fest/ http://slowcoustic.com/2009/07/19/akronfamily-another-reason-to-go-to-the-calgary-folk-fest/#comments Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:46:22 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=2420

So Akron Family are on tour.  They are on tour and stopping at the Calgary Folk Fest for a couple of shows.  I know I am thinking of hitting up the Twilight stage on Saturday to see about the show (it lists them last, so I assume a 8:00pm start??).  Regardless, I have been listening to Akron/Family ever since their self titled album came out in 2005 on Young God Records – kicked my ass – soo good.  They have had a few albums since, some better than others (not a huge fan of Meek Warrior) but the newest is getting back on track and they are coming into form.  They also don’t tour too much to Calgary, so people, get out there – hit Prince’s Island park and show some love for A/F.  Tickets for Calgary Folk Fest HERE.

Additional dates for those of you who don’t happen to be in Calgary next week:

7/22/09 Cleveland, OH – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
7/23/09 Detroit Lakes, MN – 10,000 Lakes Festival 20097/24/09 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
7/25/09 Calgary, AB – Calgary Folk Festival
7/26/09 Calgary, AB – Calgary Folk Festival
7/29/09 Steamboat Springs, CO – Ghost Ranch Saloon
7/30/09 Vail, CO – The Sandbar
7/31/09 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
8/02/09 Jersey City, NJ – All Points West Music & Arts Festival
8/09/09 New York, NY – Other Music – Free In-store – 7 PM
8/11/09 Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel
8/12/09 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
8/13/09 Atlanta, GA – E.A.R.L.
8/14/09 Birmingham, AL – Bottletree
8/15/09 Asheville, NC – Transfigurations at Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
8/24/09 Santa Monica, CA – Morning Becomes Eclectic (89.9FM KCRW)
8/28/09 San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands Music Festival w/ John Vanderslice
8/29/09 Los Angeles, CA – El Ray Theatre
9/07/09 Seattle, WA – Bumbershoot Festival
9/08/09 Portland, OR – Bagdad Theatre
9/10/09 Baltimore, MD – Talking Head Club
9/11/09 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
9/12/09 Monticello, NY – ATP NY – Kutshers Country Club w/ Animal Collective, Panda Bear and Atlas Sound
9/14/09 Hudson, NY – Jason’s Upstairs  w/ Jeffrey Lewis, Slaraffenland
9/15/09 Williamsport, PA – Site: B  w/ Jeffrey Lewis, Slaraffenland, Doc Mach and the Field Surgeons
9/16/09 Ithaca, NY – Castaways  w/ Jeffrey Lewis, Slaraffenland
9/17/09 Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place  w/ Jeffrey Lewis, Slaraffenland
9/18/09 London, ON, Canada – LOLA Festival
9/19/09 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick  w/ Jeffrey Lewis, Slaraffenland
9/20/09 Louisville, KY – 21C Museum Atrium Gallery w/ Jeffrey Lewis, Slaraffenland

Check a video from earlier this year as a preview;

Fiume Night 09 _ Akron Family _ williamsburgh, march 2009

Also find the lead off track “River” from “Set ‘em Wild, Set ‘em Free” below.

River (MP3) – Akron/Family – from 2009′s “Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free”

Visit Akron/Family over on Dead Oceans HERE.

~Smansmith

Another show at the Marquee room tonight, this time it is Sunset Rubdown on their new album tour for the June 23rd released album “Dragonslayer”!

The new album “Dragonslayer” is still too new to make comment as SR are not a regular listen for me.  There definitely is that signature sound and panicked delivery that Krug & Co. are known for on projects – I do admit every once and a while the energy is undeniable.  EVEN being a proud Canadian, the band has some chops, but I am not hitting the concert, but many of you readers from Calgary might want to check it out.  Doors open at 9pm and advance tickets were $15.00 – you may still be able to get them at Sloth Records here (the best store for vinyl here in Calgary if I may say so).  As only one track is cleared for promo at the moment, check out a previous track from their 2007 release below as well.  Pick up an album from Jagjaguwar HERE!  Visit their “under construction” website HERE.

Sunset Rubdown
“Stadiums And Shrines II” (mp3)
from “Shut Up I Am Dreaming”
(Absolutely Kosher)

More On This Album

~Smansmith

Watch:

Watch:

Visit Jenn Grant & Visit Dan Mangan.

~Smansmith

Share, the latest band I have found from Halifax, Nova Scotia is set to release their new album this August.  What is happening in the East Coast of Canada?   These people are ridiculously talented, it could be our version of Portland/Seattle, me thinks.  If I were you, I would start counting the days, as it needs to be on your must have list – hey, Polaris Prize folks…ideas for next year??

The new album (the band’s third) was created from the essence of Andrew Sisk (vocals, guitar) with Nick Cobham (guitar, vocals), Kyle Cunjak (bass, vocals), Dennis Goodwin (synth, guitar) and Zach Atkinson (drums) when they retreated to a cabin in the backwoods of PEI (Prince Edward Island for you non Canadians) with producer and Slowcoustic favourite Daniel Ledwell (In-Flight Safety & awesome solo stuff).  This was a new experience for the group who now find them as such…an actual group instead of a part time project they were all working on, see below description from frontman Sisk:

“We wanted to make an album that captured Share as a band,” claims Sisk. “It was the first time that Share was a band rather than a recording project so it was an entirely different process.”

My first experience with Share was their “Ukelele Tragic” album – a bit more of a lo-fi affair by title alone.  While a pretty darn good album in its own right, the new album shows a lot of growth to a band and possibly more “mature” sound.  Whether that is something you are looking for or is something that doesn’t mean anything to you, Share are growing and you should take the trip along with them.  From the beauty of “Maybe and Always” with fellow East Coaster Jenn Grant to my current favourite “Horse & Rider” and back again to a great lead off track with “Penmanship”, this is one to watch folks.

Check out some dates for the band (starting TONIGHT):

• June 15 – Toronto, ON @ The Cameron House w/ Julie Fader
• June 16 – Kingston, ON @ The Livingroom
• June 17 – Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks w/ Grand Theft Bus, and The Olympic Symphonium
• June 18 – Toronto, ON – NXNE @ Clinton’s w/ Grand Theft Bus
• June 19 – Calgary, AB @ Dickens w/ Grand Theft Bus, and The Olympic Symphonium
• June 20 – Canmore, AB @ The Canmore Hotel w/ Grand Theft Bus
• June 22 – Banff, AB @ Rose & Crown w/ Grand Theft Bus
• June 23 – Kananaskis, AB @ Woody’s w/ Grand Theft Bus
• June 24 – Edmonton, AB – The Brixx w/ Grand Theft Bus
• June 25 – Jasper, AB – The Athabaska w/ Grand Theft Bus
• June 26 Vancouver, BC – Jazz Festival @ The Media Club w/ Grand Theft Bus
• August 6 – Montreal, PQ @ Cagibi
• August 7 – Toronto, ON @ Cameron House
• August 8 – Kingston, ON @ The Artel

Visit Share on their Forward Music Group Page, Website and MySpace page!

~Smansmith

Julie Dorion w/ Dog Day and Miss Quincy and the Ramblers

Watch & listen to some performances – maybe convince you to go?  Just that last push over the edge?

~Smansmith

p.s.  Visit my post on Doiron’s “Wintermitts” here, tell me it isn’t one of the most incredible things you have heard in the last while.

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2009/06/11/tonights-calgary-concert-alert-julie-doiron-dog-day-miss-quincy/feed/ 0 2:03 Tonight, June 11th, 2009 at Broken City here in Calgary! Julie Dorion w/ Dog Day and Miss Quincy and the Ramblers Watch & listen to some performances ... Tonight, June 11th, 2009 at Broken City here in Calgary! Julie Dorion w/ Dog Day and Miss Quincy and the Ramblers Watch & listen to some performances - maybe convince you to go?  Just that last push over the edge? ~Smansmith p.s.  Visit my post on Doiron's "Wintermitts" here, tell me it isn't one of the most incredible things you have heard in the last while. Calgary Concert Alert, Canadian, indie no no http://slowcoustic.com/2009/05/16/calgary-folk-fest-hits-the-bigtime-with-talent-galore/ http://slowcoustic.com/2009/05/16/calgary-folk-fest-hits-the-bigtime-with-talent-galore/#comments Sat, 16 May 2009 19:17:31 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=2084

So the full line up and schedule for the Calgary Folk Fest hit the public this past week, and wow I am pretty excited about the late July event.  For me the city has two premier festivals each year and they are the previously mentioned Sled Island Festival (see here for my post) and then followed up a mere month later is the Calgary Folk Fest.  Let’s look into the event shall we?

So I am always torn when it comes to “festivals” as I always want a more intimate and personal connection with great and favourite artists, but if you must share that time with more than a few thousand of your closest friends, then a “Festival” it is.  This festival happens to take place about a 4 minute walk from my place of work, so overall it is a breeze to hit the location and enjoy the massive amount of talent that the organizers have brought into Calgary this year.  For example, let’s start with the biggies…..

The Decemberists
“The Rake’s Song”

Iron & Wine
“Lovesong of the Buzzards (alternate)”
“Peace Beneath the City (alternate)”

Chad VanGaalen
“City of Electric Light”

Okay, now you are salivating and wishing you lived in Calgary as well.  I can tell you it doesn’t end there my dear friends – I personally have additional favourites that will be making appearances, such as:

Akron/Family
“Before and Again”
“River”

The Deep Dark Woods
“The Gallows”

Jolie Holland
“Old Fashion Morphine”
“Springtime Can Kill You”

Justin Rutledge
“Greenwich Time”
“Everyone’s In Love”

Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few
“Pretty Little Bird“

Mirah
“Sweepstakes Prize”

So a bit of talent, ya think?  There are other great examples, but I just can’t go on inserting photos!!  My selections tend to stick fairly close to the indie highway, so the amount of selection that includes non-indies (Mavis Staples, Arrested Development, Glen Campbell, etc, etc, etc.) keeps this festival attractive to a wide range of festival goers.  I think this is a great way to expose artists across a spectrum of ears and creates new fans and I am sure this is what the artists themselves rely on to grow their own following.  There are also bands that I am intrigued by and will bring in more and more fans as well – can you say The Acorn, Bell Orchestre, Apostle of Hustle, Mekons and Alejandro Escovedo?!?!?

~~~

~So pick up tickets Here and ensure you get the “Early Bird” special – $130.00 for 4 days!!!
~Check out the Mainstage Schedule Here – ensure you scout out a good spot and get your lawn chair etiquette in order!

~~~

~Smansmith

So this coming Thursday, Calgary get ready – Lightning Dust will be touching down on their recent tour with a stop at Broken City.  The Jagjaguwar recording duo is in Wildrose Country for a couple of shows (May 5th in Edmonton at the Pawn Shop with May 6th being the Calgary show).  It has been a while since I last listened to their self titled album that released back in 2007.  With discovering the Vancouver gothic folksters coming to my side of the Rockies, I took another listen and it still has what first caught me.  It has the all the lamenting background of country seance, but with keyboards.

They are expecting a new album from Jagjaguwar this summer/fall which is a good thing – you know us “indie bloggers” loose focus after a while…  Seriously, should be a great show this Thursday and the fact that they are bringing along another Vancouver talent in the form of Slowcoustic favourite Jon-Rae Fletcher should elevate this great concert into the stratosphere (check out my post over on You Crazy Dreamers for some Jon-Rae, here and here).  So, kids, where are you going to be this Thursday….Broken City – show starts at 8:00pm!

~Smansmith

p.s.  For all you non-Albertans, you can also check out the tour as it crosses off more destinations across Canada and the US with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Cotton Jones.  Dates are available on their MySpace page and Label page. Do not forget to visit their own website while you are at it.

Sled Island is an “annual independent multi-venue music and arts festival” in Calgary, Alberta, Canada: of which I reside.  This is the 3rd year and first year I am going to truly break out of my shell and attempt to bombard the venues with extreme malice.  The event is set up like a mash between classic festival and city wide music week (a la SXSW, etc.) as there is a main festival stage plus numerous locations in churches, Legions (Canadian thing…don’t ask), clubs and what they call “alternative spaces” among them.

As I am a music blogger, I have to admit it is the music that hits the forefront for myself, so the line up goes a little something like this…

There are a few that strike me immediately and are going to be in my cross hairs and I think you (if you are a regular reader) will know of which I speak.  So highlights for myself so far are:

• The Rural Alberta Advantage
• Mount Eerie
• O’death
• Women
• Holy Fuck – for the opportunity to see if Brian Borcherdt decides on a solo show

With another round of artists being set to be released for June 1st, this can only get better.  There already is something for everyone and organizer (Zak Pashak) and guest Curator (Colin Newman of Wire/Githead) have done a bang up job.

BUY TICKETS HERE

~Smansmith

So Friday, April 17th, 2009 I am taking the Mrs. to see some good ol’ Saskatchewan Countrified Canadiana (or SCC as we know it) in The Deep Dark Woods.  This is going to be good.  I already think “Winter Hours” is a top 10 album (or top 5) at this point and with the immediate availability of pints of decent lager, there could be no wrong.  This is going to be good.

I admit I love the more mellowed out country ballads by the group, but I am sure after a few pints, me and the little lady will be getting into the Honky Tonk.  So, in order to make you jealous, please take a listen below to a few tracks that I am very much looking forward to, courtesy of their newly launched website.

Ramblin’ Mind
The Straight And Narrow

Five Hundred Meters
River In The Pines

All The Money I Had Is Gone
The Gallows

There you have it, wish me luck as I attempt to accost the band for autographs…

~Smansmith

Sometimes as hard as you look, you sometimes pass over something in your very own backyard.  This is the experience I had with Oliver Thiessen.  With the internet, the world is not soo big anymore and the grasp for music goes fully around the globe.  That is why I am happy to provide more local talent from my current home of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Pending an upcoming official album release from Thiessen, there are more than a few tracks to get the impression that this young talent will definitely provide us with a great debut.  Of this, I am more than sure.  I find his brand of singer-songwriter folk recordings to be very atmospheric – they provide an envelope for his lyrics.  His songs include stories that often describe one’s journey through the world and the relationships that bond all of us.  Thiessen’s songs feel comfortable and with his soft and harmonious vocals drifting around you, you might find yourself getting a bit of a life lesson at the same time.  I think artists that create and perform their own material are more likely to be story tellers as well as songwriters.  With that being said, you will not find much “fluff” in the lyrics while at the same time be able to listen with the intent of just being entertained as well.

While Thiessen is not specifically an acoustic artist, the guitar is definitely the solid base to his sound and it connects all his songs.  Thiessen assures me he is constantly writing new songs, working to get them all recorded and hopes to have a full length album soon .  He also described his song crafting and the methods to his music;

I love trying new and different things with my music, I am constantly buying instruments and musical gadgets, and I’ll always try out 100 different things in a song, before one or two of them works well. I write music because it’s basically what keeps me going in life, it’s an outlet for everything. I love writing songs, recording, playing them.

Two upcoming shows in Calgary (hey you locals, come out and support):

Hope you like the below tracks, I have included the more recent “Crooked Teeth” along with a track not currently online yet “Clap Your Hands”.  As well, I have attached what I am calling a BONUS TRACK, the first song I had ever heard about a year ago – “Flashlight” from his Virb page – take a listen, be his friend and simply enjoy the great music.

~Smansmith