For the past 20-odd years, Dwight Yoakam has been writing and singing what he calls “Honky-tonk music.” Honky-tonk indeed: his new album, 3 Pears, released last month, has a distinct ‘bang-that-keyboard, strum-that-guitar’ feel. 3 Pears both is and isn’t a typical country album. While Yoakam’s voice is tinged with Southern[Read More…]
Music
The Noble Thiefs: Beyond the 11th Deck
We live in an age of the retrospective—of Adele, sampling, and electro swing. The challenge for vintage-inspired artists is updating oldies to the tastes of the 21st century. The Noble Thiefs, a Winnipeg-based band, are foraying into vintage-modern territory by combining a gaggle of genres. Their debut album, Beyond the[Read More…]
Christopher Smith: Earning Keep
Christopher Smith is more than just a musician. Hailing from Vancouver, Smith began as a visual artist but found the the medium’s boundaries too constricting. Naturally, he transitioned to music, and now works as a singer-songwriter. Moving away from the sound of his previous album, The Beckon Call (2010), Earning[Read More…]
Paper Lions: At Long Creek
Indie-rockers Paper Lions’ new acoustic EP, At Long Creek, is only one of the exciting ventures the Prince Edward Island band is embarking on this year. Other projects include the release of a full-length sophomore album this winter, and the video for their song “Travelling.” At Long Creek is a[Read More…]
Patrick Wolf – Sundark and Riverlight
Although just 29 years old—by many standards a “young” artist—Patrick Wolf’s repertoire speaks beyond his age. After 10 years and five studio albums later–including the much acclaimed Wind in the Wires and the recent 2011 release Lupercalia–the English singer-songwriter has become synonymous with melodic, haunting lyrics, and musical progressions on[Read More…]
Klarka Weinwurm – Continental Drag
Klarka Weinwurm’s newly released full length album, Continental Drag, attempts to demonstrate a folksy ambiance with the precision and steady rhythm of traditional indie-rock. With lyrics resembling the scattered verses of Kimbya Dawson and endowed with an odd feminine huskiness, one is prone to think that the album fits the[Read More…]
Purity Ring: Shrines
The debut album from Montreal duo Purity Ring defies definability. Airy, synth-pop, electro: each label is only a piece of the puzzle. The picture only becomes clear once one listens to their tracks. “Obedear” is a subdued single full of the swirling, jangling pop that Purity Ring is known for.[Read More…]
Mother Mother: The Sticks
Ever since the release of their debut album Touch Up in 2007, BC’s indie rock darlings Mother Mother have been know for their catchy rhythms and haunting harmonies. Three albums and a whirlwind global tour later, they have returned with The Sticks. The Sticks aims for a cohesive theme, a[Read More…]
Iron and Wine: Kiss Each Other Clean
Stepping out of his element, Samuel Beam—a.k.a Iron and Wine—broadens his musical approach on his latest album, Kiss Each Other Clean. As in his previous work, Beam maintains his whispery vocals throughout the album, making it clear that this is an Iron and Wine record. Kiss Each Other Clean should[Read More…]
Talib Kweli: Gutter Rainbows
Alternative rapper Talib Kweli’s Gutter Rainbows displays the best qualities his subgenre has to offer. The lyrical flow is fast-paced, the message isn’t overly materialistic, the production is heavily inspired by neo-soul, and Kweli’s attitude is, as he puts it, “cool like Fonzie.” Throughout Gutter Rainbows, Kweli touches on the[Read More…]
