Ryan Dahle, Hawksley Workman, and Steve Bays (Hot Hot Heat) are collaborating ona new thing called Mounties, supposedly. Could be interesting. Workman has been comfortable veering from indie pop to trashy gutter electro-rock, and I've always felt he could dive into cabaret music like Rufus Wainwright if he wanted to do so. Dahle did some good stuff with Age of Electric, then sparked some criminally-under-rated tunes with Limblifter and the one album under his own nom de plume. Hot Hot Heat I must admit I mostly stayed away from, too much hype for me. The following new tune/video Headphones feature footage from old francophone educational vids, some groove-y rhythmic guitar, some ragged vocals and some vox as pretty as a picture - nothing that points towards the members' previous work, which is at least interesting.
Stumbled into this track the other day, and though I've never been a Matt Good fan, I love this song. It's free for you, hit the download button if you like it as much as I do.
Shout Out Louds continue to send sublime pop from Sweden. The Cure meets Billy Joel maybe? I haven't found a lot to get excited about lately, but I wouldn't mind if this band became as a popular as ABBA.
The Shins would like to give you their cover of Squeeze's Goodbye Girl, and it's good good good. Go here.
The Shins aren't doing much lately, but mainman James Mercer is doing all right with Broken Bells.
The Hold Steady do The Sweet Part of the City, which seems like a southern rock ballad to me...and I like it.
Winnipeg's Scott Hinkson has decided to hand over the digital keys for his entire album The Torrent Sessions, at least for a short period of time. Go here to grab it before it's gone.
Nada Surf, you gotta love 'em, here's their cover of Electrocution followed by the original.
Bill Fox - Electrocution
The original, record label-approved video for Jason & the Scorchers's White Lies is a prime example of why the 80s are called cheesy, go here if you want to see it. This Chinatown-White Lies mash-up is more interesting, but it's really the song I adore. Recently the genius at Music Ruined My Life posted some cool live Scorchers you can grab, and the band's brilliance is lighting up my days once more.
Jason & the Scorchers - White Lies
One of my favourite tunes by Peg City's JP Hoe. Featuring the nimble Rob Pachol (with last post's Telepathic Butterflies and Sanfordand songs, that makes 3 plugs for Satch in a week - does he have to be so ubiquitous? When's the solo record arriving?). Hoe is working on his new album, which I gather will come out with a live album he recently recorded.
I missed the Hank III show the other night, sold out before I snagged a ticket. But I do think he's one of the most intriguing characters out there, pure country one sec, balls-out metal the next, or raging punk. Can anyone else do that? Anyone want to?
I think my next post will be my 100th. Any ideas about how I might commemorate/celebrate/desecrate that Scruffy the Yak birthday? Please leave a comment below.
I've been trying to get around to posting about Vancouverite Ryan Dahle. He recently released his first solo album, Irrational Anthems, and now there's a new video for Beta King Stilts. Dahle may still be better known for his time in Age of Electric (remember Remote Control? Ugly?) or his time fronting the under-appreciated Limblifter, but his new record is a different animal. (An aside: a relative of mine once appeared in an Age of Electric video swinging her red tresses around shamelessly; were any of you in that one too?) More art-rock or quirky pop than his other vehicles, some of the songs are reminiscent of a a bizarro-world New Pornographers, which is interesting considering that brother Kurt also played in Age of Electric and Limblifter before hooking up with the New Pornos. I'm not big on video, but the song's a fine example of the new Dahle (New Deal?); an arrangement that lets each instrument have its own space (dig those trumpet sparks!), vocals that seem wickedly strong and preciously fragile in the same breath, melodic bassline, perfectly underplayed piano, propulsive without going over-the-top geetar...Scruffy eats this up.
I don't think this is an official video, some fan just posted it on YouTube. Neverthess, Chop Chop is a good indicator of the kind of sleeper Dahle seems to be able to write in his sleep. I can imagine him waking up with a fully-realized track in his head, and the more he tracks in the studio, the more it hits the bullseye. "Okay, just THINK of Keith Moon, don't play exactly like him...brighter guitar sound, check, exquisite backing vocals, check, clearly-audible inscrutable lyrics, check..." Listen to it three times and it will live with you forever.
mp3s will be posted for a limited time and are for promotional purposes only. If you like it, buy the albums, go to the shows, buy the t-shirts - support the artist so they can keep on keepin' on. Artists - if you would like an mp3 or video removed, please contact me directly at chrisyakchart@hotmail.com.
If you've got something Scruffy should hear, same email. Snail mail is cool too.
Scruffy the Yak 34 Allenby Cres Winnipeg Mb R2C 3J4
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