Bolster Your Holster

As I have mentioned before, my wife Steph and I had a baby girl on 12.12.12.  Together we had a variety of names that we kept swinging between.  Some she really liked.  Some I really liked.  And a few that we both liked.  We knew that naming your child is an important and difficult task.  We both wanted something that was unique, but not too unique.  Something that was artistic and athletic. Something that was pretty, but not overtly girly.

We decided upon 3 names.  One that stood out.  The others were great names and were there in case it just didn’t suit her. It did, and it does.

Her name is Neko Anne Scade.

Her middle name Anne was in tribute to my Mother.  It was her middle name and it came from her Grandma, and is a classic feminine name. However, we get asked quite often where the name Neko comes from.  Of course it comes from music.

Neko was named mainly after 2 musicians, but ultimately 5 artists influenced it.  Back in University I had a friend name Niko, and since then I thought it was unique sounding name.  There is a variety of spellings, Nico being the most popular.  But we felt that the most feminine version was that of the fantastic singer Neko Case.  For those that don’t know the works of Neko Case, she has been performing solo material since the mid 90′s and is also a member of the Canadian band The New Pornographers.  I have only had the opportunity to see her live once, which was in the 90′s.  She has one of those signature voices, and her 2009 album Middle Cyclone was on my best of 2009 list. She is also scheduled for this years Edmonton Folk Music Festival, so maybe Neko can meet Neko.

The other musician that the name is inspired from is Nico Muhly.  If you have read the music blog before, you will likely know that I am a huge fan of Nico Muhly and his compositions.  He is a prolific classical composer that works with many contemporary musicians.  Nico has released a number of albums/pieces through the label bedroom community and some of his more traditional work through the classical label Decca.  He has also worked with musicians such as Jonsi, Valgeir Sigurddsson, Grizzly Bear, Sufjan Stevens, Bjork, Antony and the Johnsons’s and most recently Usher, among many others.  He also composed the score to The Reader.

The other artists that had some influence on the name is Andy Warhol’s muse Nico who contributed to the self-titled debut album by the Velvet Underground and Nico.  One of the most influential rock albums of all time.  And to a lesser degree, Nicolas Jaar (who goes by Nico sometimes) and Nico Stai.  But they are mostly just supportive.

In the last 3 months we have found that Neko suits Neko.  And that any other name just doesn’t seem to fit.  It’s funny how that works.

So, in celebration of Neko, I have created a playlist that consists of music that inspired the naming of Neko.  Neko Case, Nico Muhly (and some of his collaborative arrangements), The Velvet Underground and Nico, Nico Jaar, and Nico Stai.  It is available for listening on 8Tracks.

The first half concentrates on Neko Case then transitions in Nico of the Velvet Underground, then Nico(las Jaar) and then into Nico Muhly and his collaborations.  8tracks unfortunately limits you to 2 song per artist, so that is the way it has got to be.

You can also check out some more pictures of Neko at our friend’s website Erik Hornung Photography, and a slideshow of her birth at Kelsy Nielson Photographer.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you out there. I wanted to do an all Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Valentine’s mix, but since 8tracks doesn’t allow that, here is the next best thing. Enjoy this mix alone, together or with a bottle of wine.

Valentine’s Day Mix 2013 from kjb1 on 8tracks Radio.

So, it has been a bit of time since my last post. And that is because we spent over 2 weeks travelling. We did a week in Maui, and then, last minute, decided to do a week in England. While Maui was a “work” trip, it was really a great time to relax with some friends and just enjoy one of the neatest places on earth.

As for England, we spent the week in Northern England, ie Sheffield, with my sister for her 30th birthday. This being my first time in England, I was enamoured by the history and the culture. We also, had a fantastic opportunity to see Ryan Adams at City Hall in Sheffield perform an intimate and solo acoustic set. In short, it was fantastic. The best I have seen Ryan Adams yet. The opener Jason Isbell brought his southern charm to the stage and won us over with his Americana songs. Following the show, we headed to my favourite pub in Sheffield, Bungalows and Bears, to watch an amazing set by Niki and The Dove. To say that this show was the antithesis of the Ryan Adams show would be an understatement. It was loud, sweaty, and dancey. A perfect cap to an already brilliant day.

There was a lot of other things going on throughout the month, but obviously, the vacations seemed to be of the most interest. I even ended up missing Record Store Day, but Kris and his roommate Dave got me my Sigur Ros and Tallest Man on Earth specials, and the following week Kris and I went out to grab some extras. So here are 5 things I have been listening to this past month.

5. The Shins – September

This catchy little number has been in my head all month. So simple and great.

“I’ve been selfish and full of pride, and she knows deep down there’s a little child.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHes7yhwIRk

4. Polica – Lay Your Cards Out

Contrary to what Jay-Z said, autotune is not dead. There is something about this track that sucks me in every time. The autotuned vocals over the simple instrumentation build up to each chorus. But then those drums come in, and steal the song. A fantastic song off of a strong album.

3. First Aid Kit – Emmylou

I am not a country music fan. But I just can’t get enough of this song in spite of country-ish folkiness. It is a sweet little song equating past country legends with love.

I’ll be your Emmylou and I’ll be your June
If you’ll be my Gram and my Johnny too.
No, I’m not askin’ much of you
Just sing little darlin’, sing with me.

2. Bastille – Overjoyed

Bastille is a London based pop band that recently released a collection of heartache covers that is rather entertaining. But it is this original that seems to grab me the most.

“And I hear you calling in the dead of night”

1. Tinariwen – Tenere Taqhim Tossam (Four Tet Remix)

I ended up getting this record store day release the following week at Blackbyrd music. On top of the amazing album, there are 4 additional remix tracks, including this great one by Four Tet. Africa Desert rock and electronica blend way better than I expected.

Is it selling out? Moby’s album “Play” was used to advertise everything. He was accused of selling out. But, perhaps it was the best decision he made.

Midnight City, a song featured on my top 111 of ’11, is everywhere lately. I hear it on Satellite radio, in the malls and stores, the bars, and even soundtracking scantily clad supermodels with wings. A Victoria’s Secret ad released a few months ago features the fantastic track, focusing mostly on the instrumental synth parts that pretty much define the song. Some might view the usage, or permission of usage, of a song to sell commercial wares as selling out, however it seems that in today’s music marketplace the placement of songs on TV, whether it be in commercial or a show, is one of the best ways to promote your song. Especially in an era of Shazam and google, it has become increasingly easy to identify a song heard outside of the traditional methods of song distribution.

It is also a great way to promote younger and less popular bands, as purchasing rights to songs by lesser known artists will be significantly less than that of an arena selling artist like Coldplay or U2. Recently Nike used a rather epic portion of the song Snjóljón by by one of my favourite new bands Lockerbie. The exposure that this will give Lockerbie could be invaluable in pushing them forward. Below is the commercial for the Össur Flex-Run with Nike Sole.

And with the recent success of previously (relatively) unknown bands based off of television show placement, it looks to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. THe artist/band gets paid or free promotion, and the show/commercial gets a better scene or a more noticeable ad. In the past several months, bands such as fun. and Adaline have benefitted from these situations. fun.’s song “We are Young” has exploded after being featured in a Glee episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul-pLYo5MJ8&w=560&h=315

And Adaline has received a lot more attention to her debut album after being featured prominently during a very emotional scene during the Fall finale of Grey’s anatomy (and another song again in January).

Selling out? Cashing in? Mutually Beneficial?

When I was younger, I would record Letterman every night. I would then fast forward on the good old VCR and get to the end of the show where the music was. Eventually I would end up watching some of the episodes and growing into his quirky humor. But Letterman always had some great music. Nowadays, the PVR is set to record my fav bands on all the late night shows.

It seems that Ryan Adams and David Letterman have had this special connection for awhile. Ryan has performed on the show numerous times and has done some special webcasts after the show. This week, Ryan Adams performed a 70 minute webcast for the show. The set covers his entire career, from Whiskeytown to Ashes and Fire. The opener “Oh my Sweet Carolina” is nearly as pretty as the version I posted last week, just lacking Laura’s harmony. But the overall set is quite stellar and is a must see for any Ryan Adams fan.

Watch the entire set through the link below.

UPDATE: It seems the link has expired: so here is a link to the first song, click related to watch the other performances individually.

http://www.cbs.com/e/qiJWlKZpwPvK0Y9mo0cUkd2xvzCsPJ9h/cbs/1/

We have been attending several festivals the last few years, and we love the experience and the music and the discovery. One of the festivals that we really want to get to is the Doe Bay Festival. Unfortunately this year we had a contractual obligation to be somewhere else, and their tickets sold out in 3 minutes. Their lineup this had a few newer established bands, and a lot of up and coming bands. One of these bands is the fantastic Pickwick. From their fan videos online, Pickwick is a band to see live. They exude a modern soul vibe that just makes you want to dance and wave your hands in the air. They incite raucous dance parties onstage, and they encourage their concert going fans to bring their own shakers and tambourines.

Check out the Live from the Basement videos (By the great Sound on the Sound) below and then head over to their bandcamp (I love Bandcamp) page and buy some stuff. I did.

As mentioned last year, my wife and I attended Iceland Airwaves in October as part of our honeymoon in Iceland. It is a fantastic festival that awards the opportunity to see loads of great bands and make lots of musical discoveries.

It all started with a little rain and line up. We were in line to go see someone at the main venue. And then it started to rain. Rather than stand in line in the rain for half an hour we decided we would go grab a pint of the delicious brew Viking across the street at the pub. We walk in and there are about 20 people conversing in the lovely local language we don’t speak. We grab a Viking, and then this group of “Kids” take the stage. We move up closer to the stage and 40 minutes later we leave with giant grins on our faces. This band was amazing. They are often compared to Sigur Ros for obvious reasons, but they are not a mere copy. This is Icelandic Post-Rock with purpose. It is sweeping and powerful. It is driving and melodic. It is commanding and beautiful.

Following the show, we get back in line abuzz with what just happened. Right behind us are some other Canadians that are talking about them as well. They had seen them earlier in the festival and had to go see them again. We get back home to Canada to find out they have nothing to buy or listen to. Eventually they release a few tracks on their site to download and listen to, and they are great. But not enough.

This week their debut album Ólgusjór was released on iTunes. A lot of bands recordings can’t live up their live experience, and the opposite is true of many. Ólgusjór is a magnificent album. The only thing it lacks is the sight of these youngsters and their giant smiles as they play along. This is music made by people who love music.

Below is a sample of the album in the form of the track Í Draumi. A piano based number that is driven but the repeating drums and then escalated by those awesome horns and accented by strings. The rest of the album is as good or better, so head over to iTunes and buy the album to support this talented young group from Iceland.

-Shaun

Today Pitchfork Best New Music’d a new track from the Fantastic new Cass McCombs album “Wit’s End”. And as much as I enjoy that track, I can’t stop listening to the opener “County Line”. As with nearly all of Cass’ recordings, Wit’s End is a casual throwback feeling album that rarely picks up the pace. But it is full of melody, insight, and texture. To me “County Line” feels like a journey. Almost as though he is taking a familiar route that he would take to a former lover and he is forced to remember the failures of the relationship with the fortune of hindsight. But that’s just what I get. And when he gets to that sad falsetto that just pours out the pain, wow.

There is a dark and moody NSFW video for the track that interprets it completely differently, but works just as well. Take a watch and a listen and get sad. It’s over at V Magazine. It appears I can’t embed it.

And here is my fav track off his last album. Not nearly as sad.

- Shaun

In the same vein as my last post, this one is about Icelandic music and Sound Cloud. The Iceland Music Export has released a compilation to promote new Icelandic music entitled “Made in Iceland 4″. This collection is a fantastic sampling of music that is a varied as the small country is. And any compilation that opens with “Of Monsters and Men” and close with “Lockerbie” to me is a winner. The opening track is reminiscent of the trends that we are seeing out here in North America with the roots and folk revival and it reminds me a lot of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes.

I am really feeling terrible today, so I am gonna throw this on and take a nap. Take a listen below and as always let us know what you think.

-Shaun

Calgary has really taken off in the last few years when it comes to Alberta music festivals. In recent years their Folk Music Festival has decided to take an opposite approach to the more popular Edmonton one and recruit acts that appeal to a younger generation of fans, while really stretching the interpretation of ‘folk’ in the festival’s name. For 2011, I am more excited to see Calgary’s Folk Festival lineup than Edmonton’s because they seem to bring in more bands that I like and they are willing to take a risk that may upset die-hard ‘folk music’ fans.

The other growing festival is Sled Island, a four day, multi-venue music and arts festival that began in 2007. Artists such as Les Savy Fav, The Breeders, Jonathan Richman, Jose Gonzales and The Melvins have appeared over the years among a slew of Canadian acts, comedians and visual artists. I’ve never managed to make the trip down for it, but this year I’d really like to, especially since a few of my faves are playing. This year the festival runs from June 22 – 25 in many venues throughout Calgary, Alberta. Tickets went on sale in March and cost $179, or $349 to feel like a VIP, for the whole festival. Check out Sled Island’s website for more details.

I’m patiently awaiting the full lineup which will be released later today, but for now some of the headliners have been released including:

The Dandy Warhols
Blonde Redhead
The Buzzcocks
Of Montreal
Kurt Vile
Chad VanGaalen
The Greenhorns
Sleep
The Raveonettes
Chali 2na
Braids
Hunx and His Punk
Alberta Cross

Update! I stole this from Exclaim, don’t tell. Here are some more acts that will be playing:

Adebisi Shank,  Alejandro Escovedo, An Horse, AU, Bare Wires, Barn Burner, the Bellrays, Biblical, Bison BC, C’mon, Cursive, Deer Tick, Demon’s Claws, Dinosaur Feathers, the Donkeys, Dreamdate, Drunk Horse, Dum Dum Girls, Electric Six, the Intelligence, Jeff the Brotherhood, Jenn Grant, Jim Ward, Julianna Barwick, Justin Townes Earle, Keys N Krates, the Lytics, the Lusitania, Man Man, Minus the Bear, Moon Duo, the Muffs, Neil Hamburger, Orgone, Ortolan, Parts and Labor, Pierced Arrows, Pujol, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Red Fang, Skratch Bastid, Sleep, the Soft Pack, Sonny & The Sunsets, Starfucker, Surf City, the Sword, Teengirl Fantasy, Thee Oh Sees, Tig Notaro, Times New Viking, Twin Shadow, Wild Flag, Wild Nothing, Yip Deceiver, Zola Jesus

Rest of the lineup to follow as announced. Stay tuned!