by Chris Dowbiggin
Mac Demarco http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Mac_DeMarco.JPG
2013 was a special year for popular music.
There was no shortage of highly anticipated releases from high-profile artists among the likes of Daft Punk, Arcade Fire and Kanye West, accompanied by brand new, actually existing, find-it-at-your-local-store recordings by groups that were LONG overdue for an album (My Bloody Valentine, Boards Of Canada).
It was a significant year for Canadian music in general as well. Aside from Arcade Fire hyping up their new album all year long, A personal favourite of mine, Godspeed You! Black Emperor snagged the Polaris Music Prize in September for their stunning 2012 record Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! (an honor they politely declined to endorse themselves with http://cstrecords.com/statement-from-godspeed-you-black-emperor-on-polaris/) .
On the downside, Canada said goodbye to national country music icons Stompin’ Tom Connors and Rita MacNeil in March and April.
2013 was also a year I began to discover some really compelling Canadian bands. In this article, I’ve selected a few that caught my ear and listed them (in no apparent order) with the hopes of passing along some good vibrations from north of the border to whomever happens to be reading this (thanks for tuning in, by the way).
Folly And The Hunter:
I originally discovered this indie-folk foursome from Montreal sometime in the early summertime while tuned into The Signal on CBC radio 2. Maybe I was feeling overly sentimental at the time, but I found that the melodies in their music evoke certain emotional qualities, especially romanticism, which combines well with the lyrical content. It wasn’t until I looked up the story behind their sophomore release, 2013’s Tragic Care, and discovered the albums origin and subject matter is embedded in a personal romantic struggle (that’s like, so deep, man). In conclusion, Tragic Care is an awesome listen when driving lonely country roads on warm summer nights (dismal thoughts over past failed relationships may follow).
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan:
YT//ST are an experimental Montreal/Toronto collective that started out as a performance art showcase when founding members Kato Attwood and Alaska B were attending Concordia University in 2007, but evolved into an eclectic mash-up of multiple alternative genres, aiming to bring an ‘east meets west’ cultural clash to their performance style. YT//ST seem to have most of the spectrum covered. While parts of their music are somewhat raw, with a driving, throbbing beat, other parts are tender, leaning more towards a progressive style. Sometimes in the same track. To be honest, It took me a few days to figure out that this band wasn’t from Japan, but truth be told, they’ve seemed to have nailed down the ultimate coolness synonymous with Japanese alternative rock bands. Check out their most recent release, UZU.
Pawa Up First:
Ok, so I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a little late to the party on this one. Montreal instrumental post-rockers Pawa Up First have been kicking around since 2004, but have spent most of their existence completely under the radar. Their 2013 record Missing Time is an imaginative effort. The dreamy synthesizers, mid-tempo guitars and spoken-word samples let the music represent itself as an unofficial soundtrack to a possibly dystopian future metropolis (if that’s what they were aiming for, the album art is a dead giveaway). These guys deserve a lot more attention then they are getting right now. “Visitors” is a current favourite track of mine.
The Strumbellas:
Over the last few years, The Strumbellas have emerged and established themselves amongst the cream of the crop for Canadian indie folk. They garnered a Juno nomination in 2013 in the Roots & Traditional Album of the year category for their 2012 debut My Father and the Hunter. They returned in 2013 with We Still Move On Dancefloors. Despite branching out of Toronto, The Strumbellas’ music has that blue-collar country quality to it that makes them sound like they migrated out of the back woods lake country of Muskoka. The future is only getting brighter for these indie darlings.
Matt Demarco:
A disciple for lo-fi garage band hopefuls everywhere, Watching multiple interviews with the guy, I’ve come to realize that Matt Demarco would probably be the coolest guy to hang out with. Demarco kick-started his career in Vancouver, recording and performing under the moniker of “Makeout Tape”, but relocated to Montreal where he continued his progress. His 2012 full length debut 2 is more than just a simple collection of slacker anthems - with tracks about a mother’s intervention on drug use and an ode to his favourite brand of cigarettes - it’s a testimony for genuine surf/psychadelic rock, with maybe a hint of early-70’s sleazy glam thrown into the concoction. Demarco has been touring incessantly world-wide since the release of 2. I would strongly suggest to attend one of his live shows, which are notorious for being quite wild.
Wilderness of Manitoba:
Another band from the big city composing music for a rural setting. But WOM are only beginning to make ripples in the pond (They don’t even have a wikipedia yet!). The Toronto quintet are a gathering force in the Canadian music scene, describing their style as “chamber folk”, although they are not afraid to add in a grooving riff here and there. Frontman Will Whitwam (I wonder how many times he’s been accidentally addressed as Walt Whitman? Oops, getting off track here) admits to the constant change of scenery and atmosphere while on tour being a major catalyst for the songs he writes, primarily the ones on WOM’s most recent release, 2012’s Island of Echoes, as the band finds little time to hunker down and write music in an non-rushed manner. When it all comes down to it, WOM’s music is delicate and pretty, but doesn’t lack intensity. A perfect balance.
