Music Monday: High Noon

I hadn't actually heard of Arkells before I saw their show at the CBCmusic.ca Music Festival. Everyone around me got really excited when any of the MCs mentioned their name, and I felt a bit out of the loop. So, of course, I pretended that I knew what I was getting into and stood right up there in the thick of the crowd, cheering my lungs out. Not surprisingly, I had a blast.

After that, Arkells just popped up everywhere! A couple weeks later, I got a SnapChat from my friend from university, posing with lead singer Max Kerman at their Calgary show. Someone I knew in high school posted a picture to say she was listening to them. They're everywhere. Granted, I was pretty stuck in my own little slice of the world this past school year, so I'm going to forgive myself for not knowing about them earlier.

My favourite shows are the ones where you're hardly even focusing in just the music; the kind of experience where it's more just an outdoor dance party than a concert; where the fun and energy is what you care about far more than whether every note is right (that's not to say that anything is wrong with the music - you're just not paying attention to that). The show I saw was exactly that. Max Kerman was hardly ever NOT jumping around, they coerced their piano player to play an awesome solo (and had some adorable almost-choreography going on while he did), and even got Jian Gomeshi to come out and sing with them! Add to that their super-pumped beats, and everyone had a great time the whole way through. The best part is that that energy and fun is noticeable in their recorded music as well, even though it's just you and some speakers. I mean, it's not quite (but almost) dance music, but you just have a good time.

Speaking of recorded music, they just released their new album High Noon. Personally, I still prefer their first one, Michigan Left, although that might just be because it takes me a really long time and a lot of listens to really get into any whole album. What I did notice, though, is that the songs in High Noon sound a lot more like what the band sounds like live, which in my book is a cool thing. Especially Fake Money, the first track, sounds practically straight off a stage.

All in all, High Noon keeps all the good things about their overall sound, while still changing it up by trying some different feels and tricks throughout.

Music Monday: Mother, Mutter, Mère

I went on a road trip with my mother recently (only a couple hours, which is a lot for the two of us in an enclosed space) and she was complaining about having only the same couple of CD's in the car, playing over and over (she has many more lying around the car, but most of them are lame and I really need to organize them all anyway). And since the music she does listen to in the car is very much her and not me, I decided to come up with a little collection to give her. Consider it "Good Music My Mom Will Like (And Maybe Yours Will Too)".

The Situation:
My Mom is a very easy listening kind of lady. For example, one time I was playing Spoon and she asked me why I was listening to hard rock. She likes things like Bon Iver, Enya, and Neil Young (although I suspect she wouldn't even listen to the latter if it wasn't for the fact that he was big when she was young). The motley collection in her car even includes a CD by a traditional Irish folk band (granted, we were friends with one of the members).
But! She's already on the right track. She's got some Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers going on, and she even has Beck's Morning Phase, although she always forgets about that one. She has this habit of picking up CDs at starbucks, and so far she's avoided or missed the Shakira and Frozen type ones. One time she got a Mark Berube CD after seeing him live and she didn't mind it! She's also somehow ended up with my copies of Sea+Air's My Heart's Sickest Chord and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros' Here. Every time I mention they're mine she's completely surprised and a little doubtful. Fun fact: she gave me Here for christmas last year.

The Task:
So the idea is to find music that I think is good, and intelligent, and meaningful, that she will actually listen to rather than telling me to turn it down. And hopefully I can keep her away from our local top-40's-from-at-least-5-years-ago station, at least for a little while. Seriously, its name is EZRock. Of all things. (there's nothing rock about it, not even the EZ kind.)
DISCLAIMER: I'm not calling these albums or artists boring, or somehow not good. They're all excellent and have a special place in my heart. I just think my mom would actually enjoy them too.

The Goods:
The xx - XX (2009)

I'm not too sure how much she'll like this one, because their sound is so different and more... contemporary? I don't want to say electronic. But it's also so laid back and mellow that I think it'll balance out.

Dan Mangan - Nice, Nice, Very Nice (2009)

I know for a fact that she's going to like this one. I was listening to this album the other day and she came in and started... grooving? to it in a very mom way. Which kind of made me hesitate to add it - I feel weirdly protective and possessive of this album. I was thinking about giving her Oh, Fortune instead, but in the end I knew she would enjoy this one more. (On an unrelated note, Dan Mangan is still a human teddy bear to me.)

First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar (2012)

This selection is following the vibe of some of my mom's old favourites: Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, and other bluegrassy folky tunes we have lying around. That stuff is great, but there's only so many times you can listen to Harvest Moon on repeat, so First Aid Kit's youthful, melodic sound is a breath of fresh air.

The Paper Kites - States (2013)

Ah yes, sweet mellow Australian angels. I still can't believe they were playing in the city I was in, on their first North American tour, and I couldn't go! Their melodic, soothing sound has been a favourite of mine since early high school. Something about them makes me want to go out adventuring - or maybe that's just their music videos.

That's the list for now! If I ever come up with enough other albums, maybe I'll make a part 2. Who knows.

Music Monday: That Summer Feeling

June is almost over, and we're getting really into summer now! Even the high school kids aren't stuck in classrooms any more. And with the blistering summer heat, there's Romance! Music! Sunburn!

Of course, the music is the highest priority.

I've been obsessed with this Songza playlist for the past couple of summers. In fact, last year I played it at work so often that my co-workers would roll their eyes and tease me. But they actually loved it too.

Summer Fling is a fun, unique mix of songs: there's old, there's new, there's (relatively) obscure, there's popular, hell, there's even Mariah Carey if that sweetens the pot for you. The playlist has changed and grown along the way, and while I may skip over some of the additions made since I first discovered it, I've found some gems added as well.

Here are some of my absolute favourites! They're mostly from the original bunch, but they're all still in there.

Young Love - Mystery Jets
Even though this list is in no particular order, this song deserves its spot at the top of the list. It's certainly the one I've sang along to most often. And that Laura Marling's voice. Damn.

Who Knew - You Won't
Who Knew is without a doubt the sweetest song I've ever heard on this playlist. Listen at least 5 times. (1. Overall 2. Voice 3. Lyrics 4. LYRICS 5. Overall with special attention to lyrics/ possible sing-along)

When You Walk In The Room - Fyfe Dangerfield

Give it a listen. Give it a chance.

Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys
Ah yes. The Beach Boys. Seduce me with your sweet harmonies and summery fun. (The playlist has a 2012 remaster)

When U Love Somebody - Fruit Bats

Everything I picture when I think of summer, but in sound form. Also some solid advice and truth bombs being spilled alllll over the place.

Baby - Devendra Banhart


Beautiful Trash - Lanu

Admit it. It's catchy.

You're In Love - Betty Who

This is a brand new addition, and super poppy. There's something about it though.

Age Of Consent - New Order

You know who likes to have fun (in the sun)? The 80's.

Lost - Scavenger Hunt

Pop: when it's good, it's so good.

Junk Of The Heart (Happy) - The Kooks


Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals

The very best of the really old songs that are scattered around this playlist.

Oceans - Coasts


The Summer - Coconut Records


Jennifer - Little Comets

This was an addition made a while ago. It took me a while, but I've really warmed to it.

Toothpaste Kisses - The Maccabees

Fun Fact: the colour on the cover art is completely different in the playlist.

Radar Detector - Darwin Deez
Your new favourite curly-haired awkward weirdo.

Egyptian Robe - Miniature Tigers

Made famous in the world by skins. Made famous in my heart by its groove.

I may not have a summer romance, but the love I have for this playlist is good enough for me. Happy sweltering in the sun!

New Things

I know it's been a while. I've been busy. Things have happened. I'm the worst I'm not sorry at all.

Some announcements/plans:
This past weekend I was at the CBCMusic.ca Festival in Burnaby, BC. It was an incredible amount of fun, even though I was soaked to the bone at the end of the night. I also listened to 102.7 The Peak on the way there. Point being, I was inspired to start blogging about music a lot more. So far, it's been limited to little song recommendations at the end of posts, which I will continue doing, but I'm now going to actively dedicate posts to music! Exciting! It'll be a lot of features about bands I like, or talking about songs individually, and hopefully even doing some reviews/thoughts about new albums or music content! I tend to be mostly interested in alternative/indie bands, so if that's what you're into as well that's awesome. Of course, that doesn't mean I will never talk about other genres. The plan for this is to make it Music Monday, meaning that I'll post that content on Monday mornings (hopefully), and if I have too much to write about/need to post on a different day for some reason, I'll figure that out as I come to it. Maybe I'll still just call it Music Monday anyway. Because I don't conform.

Wake Owl on the main stage at the festival

Music Monday will probably get a lot more interesting involved once I get more into different music blogs and stuff. Maybe when that happens, I'll have more content to post more frequently as well.

The first couple weeks will probably be mostly related to the CBCMusic.ca Festival because it was awesome and obviously there was a lot of music to talk about.

Apparently it's June.

Also, I'm thinking of posting about fashion/style/girly??? stuff as well. Right now my elbow is recovering from breaking and surgery, but once I'm not in a sling any more I'd like to do legit style and outfit posts. Until then, it'll be more like writing about stuff and things I find or like. I haven't figured out what I'll call that yet. Fashion Friday? Style Saturday? Wear Wednesday? I don't know for sure. But it'll be something alliterated.

I'm excited for these things! I have all of this free time right now because of my arm, and I think this is as good a way as any to get myself doing something again.

This post is (not really at all) sponsored by Kiss Cam by the Arkells because it's so upbeat and dancy.