At first I had a really hard time selecting this months album – mostly because I have so many albums in mind that I want to feature.  However, after learning a little about Woodpigeon and listing to their latest (or rather, two latest, packaged together), Treasury Library Canada c/w Houndstooth Europa, it became clear that it would be my pick, for a number of reasons.

First, they are Canadian.  And this being Canada day, it seems appropriate.  In fact, they are from Calgary Alberta, which is also cool.  There is not much good music coming out of my home province, but Woodpigeons is certainly an exception.

Second, although I have previously mentioned my growing infatuation with folk music, we have yet to feature any in the album club.  Now, you may be able to argue that Woodpigeon are not actually “folk,” but rather something akin to orchestral pop.  OK, you may have a point, but really, with all the blending of genres out there, its hard to classify bands in any one style anymore.  Therefore, I think Woodpigeons are folk enough for me to call them so.

Third, I feel really bad because Brittney wrote to me requesting I choose Swan Lake next, and although I appreciated the request and would have loved to comply, I ultimately decided against it.  (Sorry Brittney, I just had too many other bands I wanted to pick!)  In making her pitch, though, two reasons why she thought Swan Lake would be a good choice were, “They are Canadian and I feel that we should feature more Canadian indie bands because they don’t get enough time in the spotlight a lot of times… and it would continue with the Animal theme (Animal Collective, Super Furry Animals & Grizzly Bear)”.  So, I would like to point out to Britteny that Woodpigeons are also Canadian, and they continue the animal theme.

Brittney certainly has a point that Canadian bands often do not get the attention they deserve, especially south of the border.  This is especially true with Woodpigeons, though, since they are still quite unknown even in their own country.  And this is a shame, really, since they have received some really fantastic reviews, many from Brittish sources (The Sunday Times called the album “Bloody Marvelous,” which is about as good as praise gets in the old country).  And, based on my priliminary listen, I think I would have to agree – this is really good stuff.

So please join me in giving one of the most underrated bands in Canada the attention it deserves.  And since we are talking Canada, you can stream the entire album for free over at CBC Radio 3.

Download an MP3 of the song, Oberkampf here.

Visit their myspace page here.

Starting this month, the Album Club will feature a poll, where you, our loyal readers, can let us know what you thought of last month’s album with a simple click.  I invite everyone to participate on the poll, which is now on the sidebar.  However, we would still like to hear what you have to say about the album, so please leave your thoughts in either the comment section of any analysis post, or on your own blog.

This album is beautiful.  I think this is the first album club pick where I can say this.  I mean, we’ve featured a lot of really good albums, but I don’t know if I’d call any of them beautiful, until now.  Each of the songs on this record is a meticulously created piece of pop perfection.  You can tell that a lot of time and effort went into this album, and it certainly paid off, since all of the songs here are absolutely lovely.  If I had to choose a favourite track, I guess I would probably pick “Two Weeks,” but every song on here is amazing – any one of which could become my new favourite with just a few more listens (except perhaps, “Dory,” which I don’t really care for.)

I must say, despite the insane about of pre-release buzz and exclamations of “best album of the decade!,” I was a little hesitant about the album.  I had been underwhelmed by GB’s last album, Yellow House, even though it too received a lot of good press.  Frankly, I found it boring, and I was afraid that Veckatimest would be boring as well.  But it isn’t.  Grizzly Bear has managed to turn their intricate slow burn melodies into a more interesting collection of songs this time out.  Sure the songs are still slow and intricate, but they seem to have so much more life blossoming under the surface.

One of this albums strengths is what has seemed to become the latest craze in indie rock: harmonized vocals. Three of the most highly praise albums of the last couple of years (this one, Animal Collective, and last year’s Fleet Foxes) employing layered, harmonized vocals, it certainly appears that late 2000 indie rock has moved from the cacophonous intensity of the nineties scene to the more melodic.  All of a sudden the band that everyone wants to be, and every critic wants to name drop is the Beach Boys.  I’m not complaining, and neither is Theresa, since I think it is safe to say that Veckatimest is her favourite album club selection to date.

But what about the question I posed in the introduction?  Which album do I like better, Animal Collective or Grizzly Bear.  Oh, don’t make me choose.  They are both exceptional albums in their own right.  Although I might have overstated their differences a little in the intro post, these albums are quite dissimilar, and not prone to easy comparison.  At this point I think I may be leaning a little towards the AC camp, but this is because that album has grown so much for me during my repeated listens.  So the comparison is a little unfair, since Grizzly Bear has not had as much time to make as deep of an impression on me.  I’ll have to wait until December to see how my year-end list shakes out – honestly, it could go either way.

The bottom line: buy this album.  It is stunning, and I can find little if anything to criticize it for.  Destined to be remembered as one of the greatest of the decade.

Download the track, Two Weeks here.

]]> http://garneaualbumclub.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/analysis-veckatimest/feed/ 0 Randal http://garneaualbumclub.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/wheres-peter/ http://garneaualbumclub.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/wheres-peter/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:22:30 +0000 Randal http://garneaualbumclub.wordpress.com/?p=77 ]]>

If this blog is supposed to be authored by both Randal and Peter, as it has been written, then why have there been absolutely no posts from Peter?  Well, the answer to that, my friend, is that Peter has been a little busy preparing for his upcoming nuptials, which have just recently been planned and announced.

So, on behalf of the Garneau Album Club – CONGRATULATIONS PETER!  So, it may be a little while before our fellow album clubber will be posting here, but he is excited to start sharing music when he has time.  Although his presence is missed here on this blog, he has more important and exciting things going on, so I guess I we’ll just have to wait.

It is at a time like this that celebratory music is in order.  I don’t know about you, but I have always had a song or two that I just love to play whenever something fantastic happens.  A joyful, exuberant song that perfectly captures in audible wavelengths the exact happiness I am feeling at the time.  We something truly wonderful happens, I love to crank up my stereo and blast my celebratory anthem.  For a long time during my teenage years, the song that I used was Today by the Smashing Pumpkins.  These days, however, I have grown out of my infatuation of the Pumpkins not in the least due to the fact that Billy Corgan is the biggest douche this side of the Atlantic.  So now, one song that always gets me feeling happy  is My Children, Be Joyful, (MP3) by Rock Plaza Central.

And speaking of Rock Plaza Central, they recently dropped a new album called …at the Moment of our Most Needing, or If Only They Could Turn Around, They Would Know They Weren’t Alone. Yes, that is its actual title.  I am really digging their new stuff, and am seriously considering selecting it for a future album club pick.

Oh how I wish I were in Toronto right now.  As part of the Arts & Crafts showcase at the NXNE festival, Broken Social Scene played a surprise gig where they debuted some new/unreleased material, such as New Country (download a radio performance of the song here).  Apparently it was a throwdown – even Feist, who hasn’t toured with BSS for years, was there.  And they are doing it again tonight.

NXNE 2009: Broken Social Scene live like a #*&$#&*& suicide at The Courthouse

The Polaris Music Prize is a competition where various music critics and bloggers across canada choose the best album from last year (Jun 08 – May 09). Today, the long list of nominees was announced. So if you would like to hear 40 of the best albums Canada has to offer, head over to the Polaris Website for the list, as well as links to each nominee’s myspace page.

Of note, Bruce Peninsula, our March Album Club selection, is on the list. Also, a number of my favourite albums of 2008 has made the list, namely Hey Rosetta (my #4 favourite album), Land of Talk (#6) and Wolf Parade (#7).  The list also includes a number of albums that I have been actively thinking of selecting for our club in future months.

The short list (top 5 nominees) will be announced on July 7.

Calling an album “weird” is not very useful, since there are so many different ways in which music can be weird, that the adjective doesn’t provide much guidance.  The description does, however, provide a sort of warning – it advises the reader that the music may not be for them, it may be an acquired taste.  But on the other hand, it may an amazing foray  into territory that is not often tread.  So when I hear that an album is weird, I generally like to give it a listen, since it is only by leaving your comfort zone that you can find something completely unique.  So, I present a new feature: From out of Left Field.  In it, I will present albums that I enjoy or that intrigue me, or that I would just like share for one reason or another, but that are just a little to weird to choose for a proper album club selection.

Today, I would like to feature Swan Lake.  Swan Lake is a supergroup comprised of three Canadian west coast indie rock phenomena, Dan Bejar (Destroyer, New Pornographers), Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown), and Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes, Blackout Beach).  Now, each of these respective artists have produced some pretty crazy music on their own, but when you throw them all together you get a vortex of sometimes creapy, sometimes melodic, and always dynamic indie rock.  I really enjoyed their newest album, Enemy Mine, but when I asked Theresa what the music sounds like, she said “terrible.”  That reaction was enough to prevent me from officially selecting Swan Lake for this club, which we are still trying to expand in membership (don’t forget to recommend the Album Club to any of your friends who like to find new music).

But I invite you to check out Swan Lake, and you may enjoy it, as I do.  Their Label has been generous enough to give away 3 of Enemy Mine’s 9 tracks:

• Spanish Gold, 2044
• A Hand at Dusk
• Spider

Or try these from their first album, Beast Moans

• All Fires
• The Freedom

In case you were wondering why this site is called the Garneau District Album Club, let me explain.  Garneau is probably the trendiest neighborhood in Edmonton AB, the city where I grew up.  Even though neither Peter or I are still in Edmonton, we decided to name the Album Club after the area since this was where we lived together, in a old apartment building near the University of Alberta, and this was where I developed my current musical sensibilities.

Now, Edmonton is probably not the coolest city in North America (unless of course, you mean cool in the literal sense, in which case, Edmonton probably is the coolest city in North American), but there are certainly trying their best.  For one thing, the city recently named Cadence Weapon, and independent rapper of some repute, to be their new poet laureate, much to the chagrin of his predecessor, a man who makes his living through the occupation that is more traditional for holders of this post.

Further asserting its cool, Edmonton has commissioned an event called That’s Edmonton For You.  It involves a free concert put on by the most prominent members of the Edmonton Indie Rock Scene as part of the 2009 ICLEI World Congress - a global conference on local action for sustainability.  Its this Sunday, so if your in town, it will probably be a great event.  Or, if you, like me, are not in town, the organizers are offering a free album download of original songs.  Check it out.

My very first album club post began with a rant about the book club I was in for school.  Although I rescind none of my comments, I want to assure you that I actually do quite enjoy books.  One book I am currently reading bears mention on this pages, since it is actually pertains to the topic of this blog – music.  For my birthday I received: This Book is Broken, the story of Broken Social Scene, which I recommend to anyone interested, not just in Broken Social Scene, but in the Canadian Music Scene in general, since the book covers both extensively.  It’s first chapters nicely chronicles the rise of independent music (and insults pretty much every band I used to listen to as a teenager).

But anyways, I would just like to take this opportunity to impress upon you how much you need to listen to Broken Social Scene.  My Indie Rock fandom essentially began with them and the other bands in its circle.  In fact, I remember listening to BSS and Stars on a mini-disc player (do you remember those things) I had before I got an iPod.  In my humble opinion, You Forgot it in People should be essential listening for all members of the album club.  Seriously – you have to listen to it.

Needless to say, that I was quite excited to learn a little while ago that after a long hiatus, BSS are recording a new album with Post Rock mastermind John McEntire.  Lets hope he can help the band record a few more amazing tracks like this one, one of my absolute favourite tunes, and one that doesn’t get the attention it deserves:

Having decided that an independent website is in the best interest of our fledgling album club, Peter and I are proud to present garneaualbumclub.wordpress.com.  One this site, co-authored by Peter and I, we will continue posting the introduction and analysis posts at the beginning and end of each month, but also, in the interim, publish other entries about music and music-related topics.

New members are always welcome, so if you would like to participate in the Garneau District Album Club, please introduce yourself in the comments.  For a description of the Album Club, see the “About” Tab above.