Tag: vancouver

Species Traitor Drop Self-Titled LP

Leave a comment

Over the years, Vancouver’s been delivering some quality acts, so let’s go ahead and add Species Traitor to that list of rad bands from the area. Having just released their self-titled LP, I wanted to point folks ears in their direction, particularly for those in love with the sounds of Silver Jews. A great many of the tracks have that playful folk style, drawing on heavy vocal tones and the ambiance of the accompaniment. I tossed up the song below as it gives a bit of a glimpse of the band’s capabilities when they put their foot on the pedal, as it picks up a bit more flare and drive. Something I reckon you oughta check out now that we’re back in it!

Dan Mangan Shares Fire Escape Video/Single

Leave a comment

A quick search for the name Dan Mangan on our site will return a massive amount of posts from the Vancouver based songwriter over the years. Simply put, I am a huge fan. As a follower of Mangan’s work, I am excited to be sharing his latest single “Fire Escape” which features an incredibly well shot video featuring Steven Ogg (you may recognize him from The Walking Dead). If for some reason you have yet to check out the music of Dan Mangan, this should be a perfect entry point.

Mangan is also heading out on tour this fall. Check out dates here.

Twin River Share Over and Over

Leave a comment

Vancouver based group Twin River has really impressed me with this new single called “Over and Over” and I had to share my enthusiasm with the ATH readers. The track features this sort of rustic, countryish theme but with super bright guitars, nice vocal harmonies, and a tight as hell rhythm section. All things I love to find in my Monday morning playlists. I think you’ll also enjoy the accompanying video which features some lovely visuals from in and around Vancouver.

This track will appear on a new EP from Twin River entitled When We Think About Time due out on August 12th via Light Organ Records.

Listen to Spilling Yr Guts from Apollo Ghosts

Leave a comment

Vancouver’s Apollo Ghosts are a band I’d definitely like you to get into, particularly as I myself just recently discovered the band and their new LP, Pink Tiger. Taking on the latest single, the band hit hard with this sound that’s reminiscent of Sonic Youth, using that snaking guitar line to set up the central melody for the vocals. That voice, takes on a more soothing tone, something that certainly wouldn’t have been out of place on a Pavement album. And you’re reading this, thinking its all nostalgia, but the execution and mixture of various 90s guitar sounds feels as fresh as a batch of daisies. Plus, they get bonus points for using “fuckall” as a lyric. Check out Pink Tiger today!

NOV3L Share Stranger Single

Leave a comment

There’s just something about the nostalgic re-envisioning that NOV3L are working with as they prep the release of their new LP, Non-Fiction. Soft piano notes set the listener up, before the band gets rather frantic due to the sharp vocal delivery; I love how the piano sticks around, adding a bit of discord to the sound. The more the song unfolds, the more you get little glimmers of pop melody seeping through; they’re small moments, but when you’re gifted this incredible little rhythm section on a tune, you take what you can get! The band release Non-Fiction next Friday, May 28th.

Girlfriends and Boyfriends Share Dirty Words Video

Leave a comment

The great thing about the cycle of an album is that you sometimes need a little reminder to go back and enjoy things, like when this video popped up from the recent Girlfriends and Boyfriends LP. Earlier this year (February to be exact) the Vancouver outfit released Fallacy of Fairness, a record drenched in nostalgia, but the sort you don’t mind revisiting. Synth stabs and jangling guitars abound, giving you this sort of middle ground between the Smiths and the Go-Betweens. The video seems fitting for that nod, with shots of the band spliced with the antics of what I can only assume is the most dangerous moped gang in Canada. Put your dancing shoes on folks; its time to swing and flail about your home office with a big old grin upon your face!

Olivia’s World Announce New EP

Leave a comment

A few days behind on the world, but who really cares, as I’m always on board for a good tune from Olivia’s World. The first minute and beyond seems more like an intoxicating drink, seducing you into the song before the group decide to let you in on their joyousness. Alice’s voice has this natural pop embellishment, which sits perfectly in the song’s fuzzier moments that are crafted in the song’s latter half. Those of you hunting for a song that feels heavy yet somehow is uplifting will take note of this number. Tuff 2B Tender will be released on April 23rd via Lost Sound Tapes.

Pleased to Meet You: The Pierce Kingans

Leave a comment

The role of the small label is to throw support behind something you truly believe in, something you think will rise to top, something you want the whole world to hear…at least that’s how I see it. I think Subjangle Sounds it taking the same approach with the release of Pierce and Love to all the World, a compilation of sorts from The Pierce Kingnans. In this collection, you’ll find yourself enjoying 20 pop ditties, just on the right side of weird. Some tunes, like “No One Owns You,” carry the intimacy of bedroom pop, though you can get crisp rocking ditties like “It’s Bleed Too Long” too. For me, there’s just so much to digest, which is why I’m glad that the record’s a great introduction to an artists that currently has my tastebuds intrigued. What say you?

Be Afraid Share Automatic Worry

Leave a comment

Vancouver act Be Afraid have their Remember Fun EP on the horizon, so they’ve shared this fun track to grab your attention. The band are fusing elements of punk and classic rock with a pop sensibility that you’d likely find in any modern pop rock outfit; the sound is ultimately familiar, with just enough wrinkles to make the band stand out amongst peers. I love the chorus where female and male vocals share the stage to maximize the melody while keyboard wizardry gallops through the background. If you dig what you’re hearing, as you should, then you can grab the cassette on May 8th via Hidden Bay Records.

Woolworm Announce New LP, Awe

Leave a comment

The opening five seconds of this brand new Woolworm track definitely got me; that drum roll moving into those ringing riffs really set me up. I love how the verse came in and offered up a certain softness, especially when that backing vocal sparingly enters the picture. Moving fast, it quickly jumps towards the chorus, where the notes get downshifted ever-so-slightly, taking on more melody and giving off an even softer mood. They call this “Vancouver blanket rock,” and they’re spot on because I just want to snuggle up next to this song and kick back into Tuesday. Awe will be out on November 8th via Mint Records.

 

1 2 3 4