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Summer Songs #2

Summer song #2 is a classic tune from The Smiths.

"How Soon Is Now " - The Smiths

Summer Songs #1

First in a series of "Songs for Summer" - my (and soon to be your) favourite tunes for road tripping, patio surfing, and lounging at the beach:

Today's tune is called "Someone Great" by LCD Soundsystem, and it's got me hooked.  The whole album is great, in fact.

"Someone Great" - LCD Soundsystem

What's your favourite summer song?

New Episode of ThisCityRocks

Click To Play

ThisCityRocks talks with Vancouver dance-punk success story, You Say Party! We Say Die!, at the 2007 Exclaim! Spring Fling Tour.

We've got a bunch of new shows in the can, with some amazing musicians such as K'Naan, DJ Champion, The Great Lake Swimmers, etc.  We'll have new shows up on a regular basis throughout the summer - so subscribe in iTunes and stay up to date!  The new shows are also AppleTV compatible.

Best Album of the Year: Neon Bible

I'm calling this one now: The Arcade Fire have released the best album to come out in the past year.  Neon Bible is simply a great, great collection of eclectic, catchy, simple, complex, hooky, unique, fun, serious, and perfect songs.  This album is a little more accessible for those who found their last two albums a little "weird" (not me!), but it still retains their great sense of melody and quirkiness. There's definitely a little bit of an early Springsteen sound on songs like "Antichrist Television Blues".

There is a basic CD or a Deluxe package available with booklets.  Get 'em online at Merge Records or at your favourite local store.  And when these guys come play your town, GET TICKETS.  They are the best concert I've seen in the past few years. So much fun.

To back my prediction up, I just read that their album has reached #2 on the Billboard charts in America, having sold over 90,000 copies in just a couple weeks.  Nice work!

Best Birthday Present! Sebadoh playing Vancouver!

I've been wishing for this for a long time... I spent many hours with my headphones on as a teenager listening to the lo-fi sounds of Sebadoh, and often revisit their albums.  It brings back lots of memories and always leaves me feeling a little nostalgic.  One of my regrets was that I never got to see them play live.

Well, I just found out that the original lineup of Sebadoh is reuniting and playing in Vancouver on March 3 - a day after my birthday!  I'm SO there.  Anyone else listen to Sebadoh?

Some of my faves:
"Forced Love" (m4a) - Album: Bubble and Scrape
"Total Peace" (mp3) - Album: III
"On Fire" - Album: Harmacy

Link: Sebadoh.com.

Lily Allen

Ok, I'm not sure if this is something to admit openly, but in January there is an album coming out by a british artist, Lily Allen, and I think it's great.  I've been listening to a UK version and it's definately catchy. She kinda has a bit of a The Streets sound to her...but with pop hooks and melodies.  Her sound actually covers a lot of genres over the course of the album - from hip hop to reggae to straight up pop.  It's not revolutionary or anything...but I can't stop listening to it.  I should be in denial.  I should go crawling back to my ipod with my tail between my legs and choose some decidedly un-pop indie song.  But I'm not going to.  I like this album.  She's done a good job of promoting herself through MySpace and the internet, and the blog buzz is preceding her North American album launch.  Wait and see...come January you won't be able to go anywhere without hearing her music.

Link: Lily Allen.

Fugazi - "Waiting Room"

One of my favourite bands from way back...Fugazi playing "Waiting Room" live in Washington, DC, sometime in 1988.  Eighteen years ago!  Needless to say, I wasn't at the show, but I love how everyone in the crowd is just rocking out really hard, loving the music, and not caring what anyone else thinks.  You go to concerts these days and nobody wants to yell or dance because they worry about what other people will think of them. 

Link: Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands.

OK Go - Here It Goes Again

Production values?  We don't need no stinkin' production values...

Link: YouTube - OK Go - Here It Goes Again.

Emily Haines - The Lottery

Emily Haines has a solo album coming out this fall - check out a new mp3 from it called "The Lottery" [SPIN].  It's hard not to compare it to her work in Metric because her voice is so distinctive, yet this song indicates maybe this album will be more piano based, and a little more "singer/songwriter" style.  Good tune though, and I'm looking forward to the whole LP.

Feist: Live in Chicago

I've always liked Feist's "Let It Die" album, but after listening to this live concert recording, I have an even bigger appreciation for her talent.  She has a full band behind her which really fills out her sound and provides a groovy, jazzy feel to a lot of the show.  Mushaboom and Secret Heart are fantastic, as is a version of Major Label Debut (BSS).  This was recorded by a radio station, so the quality is great.

Check it: rbally: Feist Live in Chicago