April 30, 2013

What an interesting combination...

Here's a very varied bunch of tunes that my smart playlist served up today.

"Wake Up" by Rage Against the Machine

"Grandloves" by Purity Ring, and

"Someone Who's Cool" by Odds

April 29, 2013

Young Galaxy video for Pretty Boy

Young Galaxy just released Ultramarine, their latest long player. I posted this song back in February, and now it's got an official video. Yay!

April 28, 2013

Yuck frontman forms new band called Hebronix

I like Yuck. Great energy. Loud guitars and all that. We recently heard that Yuck was going into the studio, minus singer Daniel Blumberg. Turns out, Daniel decided to pursue something new called Hebronix. Here's a song called "Unreal". The album will also be called Unreal and it will be out July 8-9.

April 27, 2013

Favourites: Radiohead doing "The Bends" for Jools

I've seen a fair number of great performances courtesy of Later with Jools Holland. I hadn't seen this one until now. Killer performance of "The Bends" from the album of the same name by Radiohead.

One of my favourite songs from one of my favourite albums.

April 26, 2013

Frightened Rabbit covers Cheap Trick

I like Frightened Rabbit. I've posted their tunes and went to their show with Wintersleep at The Phoenix Concert Theatre.

I like Cheap Trick. I've played "I Want You To Want Me" live with a band, I've featured Bob Mould's cover of "Downed" and I've posted about my love of power pop.

The AV Club does their cool covers thing AV Undercover and they had Frightened Rabbit in again. This time they chose Cheap Trick's "Surrender" as their cover. They did a great job of staying faithful to the song while definitely making it their own. Listen below.

April 25, 2013

New Camera Obscura

Camera Obscura have a new album called Desire Lines due out June 3-4. Here's a tune called "Do It Again".

Sounding good!


And if you're not familiar with the band, check out a few tunes below.

"Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" from 2006's Let's Get Out Of This Country.


"French Navy" from 2009's My Maudlin Career.

April 24, 2013

The Virgins

The Virgins latest album is called Strike Gently. They're from New York and they sound like this:

"Prima Materia"

"Flashbacks, Memories and Dreams"

"She's Expensive" from their 2008 eponymous début. Is Elvis Costello singing on this track or does it just sound like it?

April 23, 2013

Baby Strange with Pure Evil

The core message of this clip reminds me of the "Disco Sucks" message that rockers everywhere espoused during the late 70s. It's Baby Strange with the song "Pure Evil".

April 22, 2013

Groovy and funky new toon from !!!

!!! (pronounced chk chk chk) are back with a new album called THR!!!ER. Here's "One Girl/One Boy". Get up and dance!


Check out "Must Be The Moon" from 2007's Myth Takes.



And here's "The Step" off their 2001 eponymous début.

April 21, 2013

New tune from Minus the Bear - Walk on Air - and more

I've liked Minus the Bear for a long time, since around 2005 to be more specific. Seems like I've only mentioned them in one lonely post from 2009.

Here's a song from a video game called Injustice: Gods Among Us. I guess that soundtracks of all kinds are becoming more and more of a way to get your music out there since terrestrial radio is so irrelevant to music discovery.



Here are videos for "Steel and Blood" and "Listing" from their latest album Infinity Overhead.



Here's a live version of "Drilling" from 2005's Menos El Oso,


And "Hold Me Down" from the 2010 release, Omni.

April 20, 2013

Frank Turner covers The Killers' Mr Brightside

Frank Turner is a great artist. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers is a great song. Put 'em together and what do you get? Your peanut butter's in my chocolate! Your chocolate's in my peanut butter! Two great tastes that taste great together!

April 19, 2013

These Electric Lives call it quits

I put up a post when These Electric Lives released a cover of Chris Isaac's "Wicked Games". I have been awaiting their new album so I could do another post on the band, and was hoping to catch them live at some point. However, this was not to be.

On March 25, These Electric Lives announced via Facebook that they were calling it a day.

So I guess it's as good a time as any to reflect back on this band's short but great career by listening to some of my favourite tunes by them. They made some great driving and danceable power pop music, highlighted by soaring vocals, solid song writing and tons of energy.

"Hit the Ground Running"


"Called It Off"


"We Should Be Believing"


"Keep Love Safe"


"Soda Water"

April 18, 2013

New video by MS MR - Hurricane

MS MR's début album is coming out May 14. It's called Secondhand Rapture. Here's a track that I posted before, that now has an official video. The tune is "Hurricane".



April 17, 2013

New video from The Whigs - Staying Alive

The Whigs released Enjoy the Company last year. Here's the latest single, "Staying Alive". No, it's not the Bee Gees song.

Fun video. Cool song. Love the horn parts.


And here's the clip for "Waiting". Great song.

April 16, 2013

New Queens of the Stoneage!

Queens of the Stoneage have a new album on the way.  It's called ...Like Clockwork and it will be out June 4. Here's the preview track "My God Is The Sun".

April 15, 2013

The Joy Formidable make a beautiful noise at The Phoenix

I love The Joy Formidable. When I watch them play, I never want the show to end. I feel like I could spend the rest of my life watching them play and hearing their music and never want for anything else. I love the energy, passion and wonder they play with. They perform almost every night yet they play with the energy that I used to feel playing a gig every few months. They project such a feeling of fun. I wish that I could have that much fun at my job every day.

Ritzy seems to want to make eye contact with every person in the venue. She reaches out with her eyes and sings with her hands; she sings such beautiful words and melodies, and coaxes the most amazing roar from her guitar. I'm so happy for them when I see the crowds get bigger and bigger each time they come through town. Of course, getting more popular brings with it certain challenges.

What's the problem with getting more popular, you may ask? One thing is the venues get worse as the bands get bigger. If The Joy Formidable come back and book into Kool Haus or The Sound Academy, I'm not going. No threat, that's just the way it is. The Phoenix is the biggest venue I want to see a band in. Big enough for good production values and small enough to get close to the artist.
The second problem with bands getting more popular is "yahoos". They're generally the people who shout stupid shit at the band. They push and shove, they talk through the quiet songs (or the entire performance) and they're generally obnoxious. Years ago, I remember seeing an interview with a band that spent a long time climbing the ladder of success and building their audience. They complained that most of the people that now came to their shows were the kind of people that they didn't like. I also suspect that these very same "yahoos" in the crowd would have thought the band to be "losers" or some other derisive term had they not formed a band and become popular.

I wish The Joy Formidable the most success imaginable. Their music is uplifting and magical. They seem like genuinely wonderful people that I would love to get to know. And they are getting to the "yahoo" stage. It's a mixed blessing.
Team Spirit put on a fucking good show. No other way to describe it. Tight. Loud. Confident. Energetic. Powerful. All good things. Great set. Way to warm up the crowd. Listen to "Fuck the Beach" from their just-released EP.


Ribs, I apologize. You went on too damn early. I couldn't make it in time. I like what I hear of your music and would like to see you live. Let me know when you're swinging through Toronto next time. K? Here's "Alarm" from Russian Blood.


And now, for a bunch of Joy Formidable videos that I've posted before (and one I haven't).

"Cholla" from Wolf's Law

"Austere" from The Big Roar

"This Ladder Is Ours" from Wolf's Law

"The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade" from The Big Roar

"Little Blimp" from Wolf's Law

An acoustic version of "Silent Treatment" in an NYC hotel room courtesy of The Bowery Presents.

"The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie" from The Big Roar

"Whirring" from The Big Roar

If you were at the show, you'll notice that this follows the set list order.

Check out my other posts on The Joy Formidable including coverage of their shows at The Mod Club and Lee's Palace.

The photos in this post are mine.

April 14, 2013

Another new song from The National - Don't Swallow the Cap

As I mentioned previously, The National have a new album, Trouble Will Find Me, coming out May 21. They let us hear "Demons" and now we can check out "Don't Swallow the Cap".

The National are putting on a free show in Toronto as part of NXNE on June 14.


Love this band.

April 13, 2013

New songs by City and Colour

Dallas Green, also known as City and Colour, has a new album coming out on June 4. The album's called The Hurry and The Harm and the first songs we get to hear are "Thirst" and "Of Space and Time".

The song "Thirst" sees Dallas moving away from the stripped-down acoustic arrangements we're used to from City and Colour to a more full electric band sound. "Of Space and Time" features the acoustic guitar more prominently.

These tunes definitely make me look forward to the new album.

Check 'em out:

April 12, 2013

New music from Phosphorescent

Phosphorescent has a new album, Muchacho, out now. I'm going to check out the live show on April 15 at The Horseshoe in Toronto. It's definitely got a mellower vibe than the music I usually gravitate towards, but I'm looking forward to the show and how this music will grab me live.

Check out the video for "Song for Zula".

April 11, 2013

New Telekinesis video for Ghosts and Creatures

I've featured Telekinesis in a number of posts. I think their brand of three-piece power pop is awesome.

Their latest album, Domarion, is out now and I've got tickets in my hot little hands for their show at The Horseshoe here in Toronto on May 12.

April 10, 2013

Frightened Rabbit and Wintersleep rock The Phoenix


March 31. Easter Sunday, for those that follow such things. A fairly mild night in this cold spring Toronto is experiencing. Frightened Rabbit and Wintersleep are holding court at The Phoenix Concert Theatre.

After their opening track, "Holy", Frightened Rabbit's lead singer Scott Hutchison seems genuinely taken aback by the roar of approval coming from the sold out crowd. "Holy shit!" he exclaims before deciding that this will be a good night.
Frightened Rabbit played a great setlist with tunes spanning most of their discography, including a solo acoustic version of "Poke", and a great version of "Good Arms vs. Bad Arms" which started as solo acoustic and saw the band re-emerging for the second half. Scott's humour shone through and his banter in between amazing music made it a great night. We even got to be accordions.

Check out some Frightened Rabbit music, all of which was played at the show.

"Holy", the set-opening tune, from Pedestrian Verse.

"Backyard Skulls" from Pedestrian Verse.

"The Woodpile" from Pedestrian Verse.

"State Hospital" from Pedestrian Verse.

"Living In Colour" from The Winter of Mixed Drinks.

"Swim Until You Can't See Land" from The Winter of Mixed Drinks.


"Old Old Fashioned" from The Midnight Organ Fight.

"My Backwards Walk" from The Midnight Organ Fight.

"The Modern Leper" from The Midnight Organ Fight.



Wintersleep did a great job of warming up the crowd. They played all their great tunes, starting with "In Came The Flood" from their latest. They laid out a very solid opening set with tunes from Welcome To The Night Sky and their latest, Hello Hum. They may have played some songs from 2010's New Inheritors, but I'm not as familiar with that album. I was looking forward to seeing these guys live and they did not disappoint.

Here's a bunch of music from Wintersleep.

"In Came the Flood" from Hello Hum.

"Resuscitate" from Hello Hum.

"Nothing Is Anything (Without You)" from Hello Hum.

"Archaeologists" from Welcome To The Night Sky.

"Weighty Ghost" from Welcome To The Night Sky.

Yup, those are pictures I took. I'm beaming with pride.

April 9, 2013

Two nights with the incredible Stars!

On March 20 and 21 I did something I've never done before - I saw both nights of a two-night stand. Specifically, I saw both nights of Stars' "Evenings of Sex and Death" at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto. It was beautiful, awesome and incredible. So glad I went to both shows!

When I saw Metric with Stars opening back in November, I wished that Metric was opening for Stars so that I could enjoy more Stars music in the live setting. While my wish for Metric to open the show did not come true, my wish of seeing Stars in their full glory was completely fulfilled. Twice over.

One of the reasons that I wanted to go to both shows is that they were doing "Evenings of Sex and Death" at their shows in Toronto, Montreal, Brooklyn and Vancouver. One evening would feature "Sex" and one would feature "Death"-themed songs. As they pointed out, there's a fine line there, and many of their songs touch on both. They did vary the set somewhat over the two nights. Unfortunately, no one put the set lists for the Toronto shows online that I can find, so I can't be sure how much. From my poor memory I think they mirror the Montreal sex and death sets pretty closely. I guess I'm learning my lesson and I need to be that geek who pulls out his phone every song and jots down the titles.

One thing I did notice, that I would not have been as keenly aware of had I not seen both shows, is that they all wore black for the second night: Death.

And now, time to get down to some music...

I'm not usually big on the whole "lyric video" thing, but I'm not hesitating to put this one up, because the song is so good. It's "Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Give It" from their latest release The North.


And here are a ton of Stars videos for your listening and dancing pleasure.

"Backlines" from The North.

"Reunion" from Set Yourself on Fire.

"Elevator Love Letter" from Heart.

"Take Me to the Riot" from In Our Bedroom After the War.

This was the first Stars song I ever heard. It blew me away. "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" from Set Yourself on Fire.

"Dead Hearts" from The Five Ghosts.

"Fixed" from The Five Ghosts.

Set Yourself On Fire is one of my all time favourite albums. Definitely on the "desert island" list.

They also had two great opening acts. On March 20, Yukon Blonde warmed us up with a solid set of power pop and on March 21, Said the Whale did the same with their rootsy harmonies. Glad I got to see both of these bands live.

Here are a few tracks by Yukon Blonde from Tiger Talk.

"My Girl"

"Radio"

"Stairway"

"Guns"

"Six Dead Tigers"

And a few from Said the Whale.

"Camilo (The Magician)" from Islands Disappear.

"Loveless" from Little Mountain.

"Heavy Ceiling" from Little Mountain.

There are a bunch more Said the Whale clips in this post.

I did opt for seats for this show. This reflects in the overall poorness of the photos I took, since they were taken from the balcony. The photo at the top of the post is the best of the lot. Sigh. Just when I was getting a bit better...

April 8, 2013

New music from The National

Yesterday I tweeted that I was dreaming of the new album from The National, Trouble Will Find Me, which gets its official release May 21. Today I hear the news of the official release of a new song, "Demons".

I've listened to it about 5-6 times so far and it's beautiful, and it's The National. It sounds great and bodes well for the new album. Can't wait!


There are lots more new tunes captured at various live shows. A quick Google should provide you with those clips.

April 7, 2013

Check out Ribs


I'm off to see The Joy Formidable again this week. They're playing on April 12 at The Phoenix Concert Theatre here in Toronto. I decided to look up who was opening the show and thought I'd do posts on these unknown-to-me artists.

Second up is Ribs. They're from Boston and you can listen to their first album British Brains and their latest Russian Blood at their Bandcamp.

Check out "Alarm". It rocks.

April 6, 2013

Check out Team Spirit

I'm off to see The Joy Formidable again this week. They're playing on April 12 at The Phoenix Concert Theatre here in Toronto. I decided to look up who was opening the show and thought I'd do posts on these unknown-to-me artists.

First up is Team Spirit. They're from Brooklyn and their YouTube clip lets me know that "Team Spirit is the latest project from Ayad Al-Adhamy, the synth and samples dude from Passion Pit." So there.

Check out "Fuck the Beach" from their EP, which gets its release April 9. It's an upbeat, rockin', power pop number. Should be a fun band to see live.

April 5, 2013

Marnie Stern and Immortals

Picking up the tempo a bit, here's a tune from Marnie Stern's latest album The Chronicles of Marnia, called "Immortals". So there.


Defying all logic, she states "Immortals don't die". Hmmmm.

April 4, 2013

New Young Galaxy - New Summer

It's been a mellow, female vocalist-focused few days here at One In Ten Words. I guess these things flow in cycles sometimes.

Young Galaxy have a new album, called Ultramarine, coming out April 23. I featured a song called "Pretty Boy" in a previous post. Here's another song, this one called "New Summer". It's good!

April 3, 2013

New Daughter - Human

Here's a new track from Daughter. The song is "Human" and their album If You Leave is out now.

April 2, 2013

New Chvrches - Now Is Not The Time

Here's another new track by Chvrches. The song is called "Now Is Not The Time" and it's on their Recover EP.

April 1, 2013

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yeah, it's like that.

Cracker with "Happy Birthday to Me" 1992 eponymous début.


And while we're at it, the first Cracker song I ever heard, and still my favourite, "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)"