Spotlight: Yukon Blonde

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

As a regular listener to CBC Radio3, every once in a while there’s a song or an artist or an interview that makes me stop what I’m doing and listen intently. This compels me to search out the band and learn all I can about them. Such was the case with the psychedelic pop sound and perfect harmonies of Yukon Blonde.

Yukon Blonde are Jeff Innes, Brandon Scott and Graham Jones. Formerly known as Alphababy, the band’s name change was a result of tour mate Jon-Rae Fletcher’s utter hatred of it. “He said Road, Sky, Dog, anything is better than Alphababy,”- Innes recalled, “Cut your losses, change your name, you deserve better.” Fletcher may have prompted the name change, but the name itself came about when “our bass player’s boss once denied that she had grey hair” said Innes, calling it “Yukon blonde.”

After returning from a cross-Canada tour with Jon-Rae Fletcher, as both as his backing and opening band, Alphababy packed their bags and moved from Kelowna to Vancouver. The band changed their name to Yukon Blonde and set out to write all new material, which they recorded in Vancouver with producer Shawn Cole.

The result was a set of 14 songs. Four songs became Everything In Everyway – the band’s debut EP. Released in Canada and internationally (digital) on October 6th 2009, the EP introduced the new band, the new songs and the new name. The veterans of long stretches of highway and sleeping on floors launched a 37-date tour across Canada which included dates at POP Montreal, Halifax POP Explosion and CMJ, and ended in a triumphant return to their home town of Kelowna on November 8th 2009 – almost two months later, picking up many rave reviews along the way.

The remaining 10 songs will be released as Yukon Blonde’s self-titled debut LP on February 9th 2010 across North America by Nevado Records. The band plans to tour extensively in the US and Canada in the months following the release.

I was able to sit down last week for a quick Q & A with Jeff Innes.

Which song on the new album surprised you? By that I

mean: was there a song that was “average” going in, but sounded

so much better as a final result?

A: I think we were all surprised by Loyal Man the most. It began as an acoustic song just a few nights before and Shawn Cole convinced us it had to be on the record. So Shawn had everyone including himself in the tracking room using whatever percussive instrument they could find while standing on these giant stomping boxes, jamming for like an hour. When that was finished, we made noise from piggybacking all the guitar amps in the studio together. When Shawn showed us the unedited version it just sounded so crazy. About two weeks later, we got the final mix and we were shocked at how amazing the song came out.

CMW is coming up for Yukon Blonde, is this your first time?

A: It is our first time and we're quite excited about it.

What do you fear most about this upcoming two-month long tour?

A: That the tour will end... along with the transmission in our van, (Helicopter).

With the move from Kelowna to Vancouver, was there a change of

allegiance to a favourite hockey team?

A: I think it's always been the Canucks for me, Bran is a Flyers fan (for now) and Graham's an Oilers fan from birth, but I think he's coming around. We're all Team Canada fans though, right?

Touring van: Newer vehicle or a piece of crap?

A: We actually tour in the 429 EMS helicopter which was designed as a medical aircraft. We Are The City just bought it for us because they are mega rich and Graham gets sick all the time.

What are your hopes for this tour? What would make it the best

tour you have ever done?

A: To start the tour off in Kelowna with friends Treelines and Red Cedar for a great album release party, followed by a show in Calgary with Two Hours Traffic followed by showcases at CMW and SXSW somewhere in there. End it all back here in Vancouver, and then take off again a few days later.

Also wouldn't it be terrific if we actually had a helicopter?

Go and experience the 60s-styled rock harmonies and spellbinding music of Yukon Blonde on their current tour.

Feb 19 2010 8:00P

TBC Kelowna, BC

Feb 22 2010 8:00P

The Black Dog Edmonton, AB

Feb 23 2010 8:00P

The Exchange Regina, SK

Feb 25 2010 8:00P

311 Minneapolis, MN

Feb 26 2010 8:00P

The Dark Room Chicago, IL

Feb 27 2010 8:00P

The Phog Lounge Windsor, ON

Mar 2 2010 8:00P

O’Brien’s Boston, MA

Mar 3 2010 8:00P

Pianos New York City, NY

Mar 4 2010 8:00P

Littlefield Brooklyn, NY

Mar 5 2010 8:00P

Le Divan Orange Montreal, QC

Mar 6 2010 8:00P

Zaphod’s Ottawa, ON

Mar 10 2010 8:00P

The Casbah Hamilton, ON

Mar 13 2010 8:00P

CMW Toronto, ON

Mar 26 2010 8:00P

Amigo’s Saskatoon, SK

Mar 27 2010 8:00P

The Palomino Calgary, AB

Lisa Christiansen interview on CBC Radio 3

http://radio3.cbc.ca/play/band/Appetite-for-Distraction/Yukon-Blonde-Jan-19-2010

http://twitter.com/yukonblonde

http://www.myspace.com/yukonblondeband

http://www.nevadorecords.com/

Special thanks to Nick Bernal @nevadorecords

Photo credit – TheRadioHead

Spotlight: Woodhands

One of the country's top electro bands, Woodhands, a duo made up of Dan Werb (vocals, synths) and Paul Banwatt (drums, live vocals), released a new album this past Tuesday. Remorsecapade is a follow-up to 2008's explosive Heart Attack, which led to tours in Asia, the US, and here in Canada. This new release keeps the band rocking the keytar, pounding out the dance hits, and exploring its emotional baggage.

To celebrate the release and help get the word out, the band hosted a secret, invite-only show Thursday night at Toronto's not-spacious Smiling Buddha bar. Slightly north and west of the usual hotspots, and often playing host to bands even I've never heard of, I admit to not having ventured there before. I got there early, and spent a quick hour and a quarter talking with an assortment of local press-types and friends of the band. At around 10:30pm, a smoke machine and two green lasers having created somewhat of a proper vibe, and with photographers assembled at the front, the band started to play. And then quickly stopped. Aw, Woodhands. The technical issues were almost instantly sorted out, and the show really got started. The band performed a few of the songs off Remorsecapade, brought Maylee Todd on to contribute her part to "Dissembler" and "Dancer" from Heart Attack, then seamlessly transitioned into "Coolchanize," the standout track from the new album. The performance wasn't quite the display of musical wizardry I've seen from this band, but that's hardly the point. Experiencing these songs---also "CP24," "Talk," and "I Should Have Gone With My Friends,"---performed live makes me excited for everyone who'll get a chance to see this band on their upcoming tour. And, as a friend of mine told Paul after the set, it was just fun to see them play in a small venue just like the old days. (Read more about that here.)

Remorsecapade is the band's second full-length album. Like the first, it offers up eminently danceable tracks and much artistic interest. Electro isn't usually this smart and fully danceable. The best track, "Coolchazine," grabbed my attention right away. Some of the others took a few listens, but by now I'm quite taken with the record.

The first track, "Pockets," sets the tone, and assures the listener that all the ingredients that made Heart Attack great are still present. Slow builds and quiet moments compete with pounding beats and aborted symbol crashes. The song's both groovy and meaningful. It's a love song, after all. "Talk," next up, is about a girl, too. It has dance hit written all over it, but the angst-ridden, yearning kind, not the bubble-gum version. "CP24" you've all heard (and seen). Here the angst gets aggressive and embittered. "Sluts"---which I just noticed begins with a technical glitch and Dan swearing "fuck this machine"---has a more dance club vibe. The girl problems continue, but there's a resolution. What begins aggressively ends with a much more healthy attitude. Awesome. And then comes "Coolchanize." As Dan himself might say, "Oh shit!" Screams! Grunts! This song takes me through the ringer. Dan---or the man he's singing about---has been done wrong. "Why are you fucking with my focus? Why do you have to be the closest thing to me?" and etc. The man can't get a break, though, deciding next that "I Should Have Gone With My Friends" instead of following his date around. This is another great dance track. After all this "Dissembler" comes as a welcome reprieve. Maylee Todd, whose smooth vocal performance on "Dancer" added so much to the first record, is back, performing a duet on this one with Dan. Much airier, this pop love song is really lovely. Everyone now feeling better about things, it's time to dance (and scream) again. "When the Party is Over," featuring fat synth beats, under-emphasized drumming, and great singing, is another solid Woodhands song. The final track ("I Want To Be Together," followed by the outro "How To Survive A Remorsecapade"), is radically different in sound. It's slower, contemplative, sad---"I want to be together" is the repeated refrain---but also a smart way to end a record that's full of anger and heartbreak and other emotional struggles. A "remorsecapade" indeed.

Download: "Pockets" (Remorsecapade, 2010).
Download: "I Kissed A Girl (Katy Perry cover)" (unreleased, 2009).
Download: "Dancer" (Heart Attack, 2008).
Download: "I Wasn't Made For Fighting" (Heart Attack, 2008).





And the live version:



Pick up a copy of Remorsecapade at your local record store, or order it through Paper Bag Records (or whatever other online retailer you like). You can also get both full-length records on vinyl from Paper Bag, as well as some digital-only releases, including last year's Dancer EP, a must-have for DJs or dance-party hosts.

The band is playing shows throughout Canada, February through April. Go see them if you're able!

2 Feb 2010, MTV LIVE, Toronto
6 Feb 2010, Hillside Inside at Sleeman Center, Guelph, Ontario
20 Feb 2010, Biltmore, Vancouver, British Columbia
24 Feb 2010, Pawn Shop, Edmonton, Alberta
25 Feb 2010, Broken City, Calgary, Alberta
26 Feb 2010, Amigo’s, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
27 Feb 2010, Lo Pub, Winnipeg, Manitoba
2 Mar 2010, Phog Lounge, Windsor, Ontario
4 Mar 2010, Level 3, St Catharines, Ontario
5 Mar 2010, Moon Over Marin, London, Ontario
6 Mar 2010, This Ain’t Hollywood, Hamilton, Ontario
11 Mar 2010, Opera House w/ k-os (Canadian Music Week), Toronto, Ontario
6 Apr 2010, Red Dog, Peterborough, Ontario
8 Apr 2010, Mavericks, Ottawa, Ontario
9 Apr 2010, Le Cercle, Quebec City, Quebec
10 Apr 2010, Club Lambi, Montreal, Quebec

Spotlight: The Rural Alberta Advantage

As we start off a new year, it seems fitting to feature the band whose 2009 was arguably better than any other Canadian outfit's: Toronto's the Rural Alberta Advantage, or RAA. Their story's been told well here, but the short version is that good reviews got the word out a bit and in November 2008 their self-released disc, Hometowns, was named eMusic's album of the month. Soon enough bloggers all over the US (primarily) were writing about the album, giving it more rave reviews. In January of last year, the RAA made their first trip to the US, playing for enthusiastic crowds in NYC. Fast-forward to March, where at SxSW, thanks to eMusic, the RAA opened for Grizzly Bear in a church, to---you guessed it---rave reviews. Soon they were signed to Saddle Creek. After that Paul Banwatt, Amy Cole, and Nils Edenloff started touring more extensively in the US and then went out to western Canada and back. They've been on the road pretty steadily since then, and played wonderful, sold-out shows in their hometown in July and November. This February will see them play during the Olympics in BC!

Sonically, the RAA are known for Nils' strained yet powerful vocals, Paul's intense, driving drum beats, and Amy's sweet backing vocals. Though there's only the three of them, their music isn't under-arranged. They perform with variety of percussion instruments, keyboards, glockenspiel, and acoustic guitar. The band's songs are meaningful, yearning ones about childhood memories, the stories that shape our understanding of the world we live in, and holding onto the past while moving forward in one's life. They've got a folk-pop base, but frenetic drumming gives their melodies an urgency and excitement they wouldn't otherwise have. Plus, they're just so adorable. It all works brilliantly.

Here are a few RAA goodies:

The RAA performing their song "Edmonton" in Chicago for HearYa.com:


Official video for "Drain the Blood":


Download: "Don't Haunt this Place" (Hometowns, 2009).
Download: "Frank, AB" (Hometowns, 2009).

Connect with the RAA:
Official website
MySpace page
Twitter account
Saddle Creek Records

Tour dates:
6 Jan 2010 @ Kungfu Necktie (Philadelphia, PA)
7 Jan 2010 @ Maxwell's (Hoboken, NJ)
8 Jan 2010 @ Terminal 5 (New York, NY)
9 Jan 2010 @ Mercury Lounge - early show (New York, NY)
9 Jan 2010 @ Mercury Lounge - late show (New York, NY)
14 Jan 2010 @ Mad Planet (Milwaukee, WI)
15 Jan 2010 @ The Cedar Cultural Center (Minneapolis, MN)
16 Jan 2010 @ Lincoln Hall (Chicago, IL)
17 Jan 2010 @ Beachland Tavern (Cleveland, OH)
9 Feb 2010 @ West End Cultural Centre (Winnipeg, MB)
10 Feb 2010 @ Amigo's (Saskatoon, SK)
12 Feb 2010 @ Broken City (Calgary, AB)
13 Feb 2010 @ Pawn Shop (Edmonton, AB)
15 Feb 2010 @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Vancouver, BC)
16 Feb 2010 @ The Lucky Bar (Victoria, BC)

Photo credit: Joe Fuda.

Spotlight: Evening Hymns

There are very few first albums I can remember garnering as much aticipation as Spirit Guides, the debut from Evening Hymns (a.k.a. Jonas Bonnetta). That is, in part, due to his friends. Evening Hymns is on Out of This Spark and part of the same Friends in Bellwoods circle that has produced Ohbijou, Forest City Lovers, Timber Timbre, the Wooden Sky, the D'urbervilles (and Diamond Rings), the Magic and others.

It is not, of course, only his friends. Bonatas has an amazing amount of talent and has won over audiences with his previous EPs, his contributions to Friends in Bellwoods and his live shows.

I'll stop there and urge you to check out:

Review on Ear to the Sound

Review at Herohill

Review on Torontoist

Review at the Skeleton Crew Quarterly

Review on Stories from a Small Town

We Shit Vinyl Episode 32 with Evening Hymns and the Wooden Sky

the Snow Suit Sounds Christmas Special with Evening Hymns and the Wooden Sky

Evening Hymns - Dead Deer



Buy Spirit Guides on Zunior

Connect with Evening Hymns at:
Home Page - Myspace - Facebook - Radio 3.

Catch Evening Hymns live at:

Sat Nov 14 2009 - 09:00 PM
with the wooden sky
Hamilton, ON @ Absinthe

Sun Nov 15 2009 - 09:00 PM
with the wooden sky
St. Catherines, ON @ Merchant Ale House

Sat Nov 21 2009 - 09:00 PM
with the wooden sky
Peterborough, ON @ The Montreal House

Thu Nov 26 2009 - 09:00 PM
with the wooden sky
Quebec City, QC @ L’Agitee

Fri Nov 27 2009 - 09:00 PM
with the wooden sky
Wakefield, QC @ The Black Sheep Inn

Sat Nov 28 2009 - 09:00 PM
with the wooden sky and jenn grant
Montreal, QC @ Il Motore

Fri Dec 4 2009 - 09:00 PM
CD Release Party with The Harbourcoats
Toronto, Ontario @ Tranzac

NxEW Spotlight: The Wilderness of Manitoba

Toronto band the Wilderness of Manitoba got their start a year ago, but they're already getting recognized for their lush, melodic, nature-inspired folk songs. The band self-released their 8-song EP, Hymns of Love and Spirits, back in August. The release celebration was a two-parter: first, a rousing performance in a backyard garage; and then, a week later, a packed Sunday-night affair at indie hotspot Sneaky Dee's. Both events were thrilling for me, and for presumably most other people in the audiences. That a band can seem entirely appropriate---and sound amazing---in these two very different venues is, to me, a mark of something special.

With musical influences ranging from Joni Mitchell and other 60s folksters to hot American indie bands like Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver, or our own Great Lake Swimmers, the WOM create soundscapes that draw you in, make you feel at home, and leave you wanting more. It may not be the most original music you've ever heard, but the band's 4-part harmonies are beautiful and stick with you. Or, as Bob Battams just put it, "Folk bands are a dime a dozen these days, but this band's hotness factor lies in their ability to make a semi-tired genre sound fresh and beautiful again." (He listed the band fourth on his list of the hottest Canadian bands of 2009.) The voices---three men and one stunning female vocalist---are a key part of the band's sound. Guitar, ukulele, banjo, cello, bass, and a variety of percussion instruments round things out.

Here's my favourite track, "Evening." This song was originally written by lead man Will Whitwham's mother. (Her version, recorded in the 1960s, is included on the EP, too):

Download: The Wilderness of Manitoba, "Evening" (Hymns of Love and Spirits, 2009).

Look for a Wilderness of Manitoba full length in 2010. In the meantime, grab yourself a copy of the EP from CDBaby (or, if you're in Toronto, from Criminal Records, Soundscapes, or Sonic Boom). You won't regret it.

For more on the band, see the UK's Line of Best Fit, blogTO, and Shawn Clarke's two part interview here and here.Photo credit: Chromewaves' Frank Yang captured the band at a recent show at the Garrison in Toronto. From left: Stefan Banjevic, Will Whitwham, Sean Lancaric (behind the drum kit), Melissa Dalton, and Scott Bouwmeester.

NxEW Spotlight: Great Lake Swimmers

The (Weekly) Artist Spotlight is a new thing at NxEW and there was considerable debate over who should go first. Ultimately the Great Lake Swimmers had the most support. It seems kind of a strange choice - most people already know and therefore love the Great Lake Swimmers. However, maybe that assumption is wrong. The Great Lake Swimmers have had a huge year very quietly. Their album Lost Channels got huge critical acclaim. They were shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize and NxEW's Shadow Polaris Prize but ultimately took neither. They are now up for the Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Album of the Year - So, while they've definitely gotten everyone's attention this year they don't seem to be making it to the top of the list, so perhaps just a little more attention is due.

See the bottom of this page for upcoming tour dates, but if you honestly don't know the Great Lake Swimmers or kinda know them but not really here are a few links to help build the bond:

Great Lake Swimmers on the Canada Live Podcast

CBC Radio 3 Sessions with Great Lake Swimmers

Great Lake Swimmers release Legion Sessions

Great Lake Swimmers at Vancouver Folk Fest

Tony Dekker at City Sonic

Great Lake Swimmers Interview on CKCU

Of course you can also find more atgreatlakeswimmers.com, myspace.com/greatlakeswimmers, CBC Radio 3's New Music Canada, www.facebook.com/greatlakeswimmers and on Twitter @greatLakeSwim.

Pulling A Line



Still



Your Rocky Spine



And Don't Forget Those Tour Dates:

Great Lake Swimmers Fall Tour 2009

The Wooden Birds will be supporting on all dates, except Sept. 28. Their new release is on Barsuk Records

Oct 14
The Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
www.musichallsf.com
Oct 16
The Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA
www.thecrocodile.com
Oct 17
Doug Fir, Portland, OR
www.dougfirlounge.com
Oct 20
The State Room, Salt Lake City, UT
www.thestateroomslc.com
Oct 21
Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO
www.larimerlounge.com
Oct 22
Bourbon Theatre, Lincoln, NE
www.bourbontheatre.com
Oct 23
Memorial Union, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
FREE SHOW
Oct 24
Illini Union Courtyard Cafe, Urbana, IL
www.illiniunioncourtyard.uiuc.edu
Oct 25
The Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN
www.thecedar.org
Oct 26
The Maintenance Shop at Iowa State University, Ames, IA
www.m-shop.com
Oct 28
Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
www.lincolnhallchicago.com
Oct 29
Subkirke, South Bend, IN
www.subkirke.com ALL AGES
Oct 30
Ladies Literary Club for Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
www.calvin.edu/admin/sao/calendar/09-10/oct/
Oct 31
Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
ALL AGES with Serena Ryder, Matisyahu, The Championship, Kid Millions, Will Phalen & the Stereo Addicts
www.radiomilwaukee.org

Great Lake Swimmers European Tour 2009

Nov 11
Komedia - Brighton (UK)
Nov 13
Crawdaddy - Dublin (EIR)
Nov 14
Speakeasy - Belfast (UK)
Nov 15
Glee club - Birmingham (UK)
Nov 16
Deaf Institute - Manchester (UK)
Nov 17
Metropolis - Bristol (UK)
Nov 18
Scala - London (UK)
Nov 19
Glaz'art - Paris (F)
Nov 20
Dialogues Musiques - Brest (F)
In-store performance at 6:00pm, doors open at 5:30pm
Nov 21
Le Vauban - Brest (F)
Nov 23
Molotow - Hamburg (D)
Nov 24
Festsaal Kreuzberg - Berlin (D)
Nov 25
Steinbruch - Duisburg (D)
Nov 26
King Georg - Köln (D)
Nov 27
Friedenskirche - Dachau (D)

Great Lake Swimmers (Tony Dekker SOLO) with Will Johnson & Jason Molina

Nov 28
Toutpartout 15 years @ Botanique - Brussel (B)
Nov 29
Le Guess Who? Festival @ Tivoli - Utrecht (NL)
Nov 30
MC Frits Philips - Eindhoven (NL)
Dec 1
Railway Inn - Winchester (UK)
Dec 2
The Garage - London (UK)
Dec 3
Deaf Institute - Manchester (UK)
Dec 4
Emporium - Rouen (F)
Dec 5
Le Scopitone - Paris (F)