A bit last minute — the result of disappearing for a week in a half into cottage country– but Dawn Landes, who was featured here a few months back with her bluegrass take on Peter, Bjorn and John’s Young Folks, is just wrapping up a week-long tour with one of my current favourite bands, Midlake, so if you have an opportunity to get out to see them, it is sure to be a really great show.
Sept 9 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA Sept 11 – Grog Shop – …

Homewrecker by Illuminea
Planet New Year by Sarah Blasko

It is not often that you receive a CD in the mail on a Monday morning and after playing the first 3 tracks you suddenly have everyone at the studio fully shaken of their weekend slumbers and demanding to know what the hell they are listening to. But this was exactly the effect that Calvin Harris’ “I Created Disco” had this past week. I dare say…the place was going off.
With the official US release of the album not until Sept. 4th (seems you can already buy it in Canada), I …

Fields’ “Everything Last Winter” is possibly the best album that you haven’t heard this summer. They remind me a little of The Stars in the way that the male and female lead vocalists seamlessly trade off between tracks but their sound is its own distinct cachophony of folky acoustics merging with showgazer white noise, dead catchy riffs and ethereal harmonies. Highly recommended.
Anyway, they seem to be getting some due attention from the current crop of hipster dj’s running the circuit including Ewan Pearson, Sebastian of the Ed Banger crew and …

Below is a link to the video of Dawn Landes’ beautiful bluegrass cover of Peter Bjorn & John’s “Young Folks.” Dawn recorded the song with WST (We Sorta Tried) Bluegrass Band from Austin, TX. Kind of ironic as apparently, the youngest “folk” in WST is 67.
More on Dawn Landes: She hails from Kentucky but she lives in NY, performing and recording with the musicians from Hem and The Earlies. She’s supported José Gonzalez, Suzanne Vega, Shannon Wright, Feist, Le Tigre and Andrew Bird and she has worked as …

It is still early. The shades at the Commodore have been drawn to hide out the May late evening light. The opening band, Photo Atlas, pours its heart out on stage to a dozen or so kids swaying back and forth on the dance floor while others bide their time sipping cocktails in the shadows of the surrounding booths. It is the first night of the tour. Headliners, the Bravery have a new album coming out in a week’s time, so in the interrim it is all about gaining momentum …

New York rockers, The Bravery are going to be at the Commodore in Vancouver this coming Monday toting their yet-to-be-released sophomore effort, The Sun and the Moon (in stores May 22nd). Chances are if you were deep into the “nu-rock” wave that washed through a couple of years back with the Icarus-like rise of Franz Ferdinand, The Stills and The Killers, then you may have picked up The Bravery’s self-titled first album in the process. It was a listenable collection of tracks, with high points arising typically when the song …