The Big Three of Canadian Indie Rock (TM, Vague Space) -- Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, and Broken Social Scene -- are all rumored to be coming out with new albums in 2010, which is pretty super-amazing incredible shit, because (a) they each are all kinds of awesome, (b) it's been a couple years since a new Wolf Parade album, more since an Arcade Fire one, and an unbelievable 5 years since Broken Social Scene's self-titled second CD, and (c) did I mention how all kinds of awesome they are, and how incredible this year in music is going to be? Well, BSS are the first to jump the gun with a release date, an album cover, and a leaked single, for May's forthcoming Forgiveness Rock Record. You have to type in an email in the little widget below and from that you can get the mp3 for the song "World Sick." I could just post it for you but I figure you have to go through just a little effort for something this cool. New Broken Social Scene. It's been just a shitty weekend and a shitty first two months of 2010 for me (non-musically) but damn it if my day didn't get just a little bit brighter with some new Broken Social Scene. Check that shit out.
Sweden's finest little indie pop group The Radio Dept. are releasing a new album Clinging to a Scheme, which has all kinds of excellent gems, including the pretty song below. It seems like forever since I first heard the band on their wonderful Pulling Our Weight EP (it is, it came out in 2005) and it seems like I've long since given up on them, even after their kind of cool "Freddie and His Trojan Horse" single came out in 2008. But it's all back together again and their new album -- I think only their 3rd full length -- is absolutely brilliant and it's being released on April 21st on Labrador Records. The album even includes a slightly altered version of the first Radio Dept. song I ever loved, "I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band," this time called "I Stopped Making Sense" and their fuzzy throwback shoegaze music is just a comforting joy, even this many years after I mistakenly gave up on them.
The Crown Vandals are an up and coming Canadian band out of the flourishing Montreal scene and they had one of my favorite tracks (#47) of 2009, "Guenevere." They have just released a new track recorded in both Montreal and Melbourne titled "Coleander." Their Guenevere EP is available for free download from their myspace page. Check it out.
Mount Eerie stopped by the Daytrotter studios recently to record a few tracks, including this beautiful one below from last year's Wind's Poem.
Field Music -- brothers David and Peter Brewis -- have reformed after each brother put out a separate release in the past two years, and they've released their third album, Field Music (Measure) last week. A track is below.
A Sunny Day in Glasgow is releasing a new EP of tracks presumably leftover from last year's Ashes Grammar. The new EP is titled Nitetime Rainbows and includes the wonderful track "Daytime Rainbows" along with the title track, 3 alternate mixes of the title track, and the song below, which is here in video form.
And finally, four new albums are out today that are each all kinds of brilliant, in their own way.
Eluvium's Similes I talked about in detail last week. Please check it out.
Shearwater's Golden Archipelago is just a soaring masterpiece and "Black Eyes" is one of the best songs of the year to date. I just love the growth of the band through every album and while Rook was an excellent album this latest is their pinnacle, in my opinion, with a maturity and range and flow to the entire collection that is rather striking.
Xiu Xiu has had some hit or miss releases since A Promise and other early triumphs but the latest Dear God, I Hate Myself includes a number of wonderful songs that hearken back to their early wonder.
And Balmorhea have a solid follow-up to one of the Vague Space top 5 albums of 2009 with this year's Constellations. Definitely worth checking it out.
Going to be a good year indeed!
Posted by: Kelly | February 23, 2010 at 11:45 AM