Briggins 2009 album recommendations (updated Nov 3)

[Briggins]

The last few years I have made this thread and it seems to have been successful and enjoyed. It's basically a thread where I talk about some albums of the year that maybe you haven't listened to or heard of. I usually have a Canadian bias, so you're not just going to see U2/Muse/mainstream crap in this thread.

Maybe some of these will make it into your final album list like Hey Rosetta! and City and Colour did last year.

Timber Timbre (http://coldplaying.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3614408&postcount=21)
Bruce Peninsula (http://coldplaying.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3612435&postcount=2)
The Most Serene Republic (http://coldplaying.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3630578&postcount=51)
Young Galaxy (http://coldplaying.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3641757&postcount=60)

[Briggins]

A band I saw this past week who blew me away right away. Check em out!

Who: Bruce Peninsula
Why: They are a big band featuring a chorus of vocals perfectly harmonizing with a sense of beauty and urgency.
What Songs To Check Out:
Steamroller
Crabapples
Shutters
Where: http://www.bruce-peninsula.com/amiam.html

http://www.bruce-peninsula.com/photos/BPweb1-BrucePeninsula-creditYuulaBenivolski.jpg
Dreamt up by Misha Bower and Matt Cully in the summer of 2006, Bruce Peninsula has slowly mutated, elaborating on the Alan Lomax archives that initially inspired them and taking a new turn every time a new member or instrument is added to the mix. Since their second show, Bruce Peninsula has ballooned out to include a large cast of hoot-and-hollerers. The band mutates often but the last couple of years has seen contributions from Neil Haverty, Andrew Barker, Steve McKay, Leon Taheny, Kari Peddle, Daniela Geshundheit, Katie Stelmanis, Caseey Mecija, Maya Postepski, Isla Craig and Doc Dunn (the latter two no longer perform with BP but are honourary members for life).

The instrumental elements have expanded into new terrain (unlike most folk bands, prog isn't a dirty word for this band), but Bruce Peninsula's focus is devoted to the singing, first and foremost. Singing from the gut, singing with gusto, singing the way we were made to sing…

The early, simple call-and-responses have given way to more elaborate harmonies and compositions over time, but the teachings of those timeless old recordings from the American south remain in tact. There is no denying the power and conviction of old spiritual singers like Vera Ward Hall or Washington Phillips. And while each member of the band may have their own take on the powers that be, the words those legends sang (and, more importantly, the way they sang them) have forever converted Bruce Peninsula into devotees of the church of song.

The surge of experimental music in Toronto has been equally important for Bruce Peninsula, bestowing upon them a wide-eyed, anything-goes mentality. Purists may argue that the blues or folk tradition can't be properly expressed without an old steel string and a slide, but this band has never been too concerned with trying to crack open closed minds.

And so, a march of metalophone, lap-steel, zithers, and bells. Of drums and sticks and any other oddities of interesting and pleasing tone. Voices blaring all the while.

Bruce Peninsula have spent the last year travelling through churches and slums to make A Mountain Is A Mouth, their forthcoming debut LP. They also dropped a 7" somewhere along the way. Recorded by right-hand man Leon Taheny (ohbijou, Final Fantasy, Germans), these recordings took their shape slowly. Now they stand a a mountain range.

[Space Cadet]

so you're not just going to see U2/Muse/mainstream crap in this thread.Oi! Who do you think you are calling Muse mainstream crap! :P I have yet to once hear them on C100. :smartass:

And still can't stop listening over and over and over... it's a sickness I tell you, a sickness.... :uhoh:


On a serious note, glad to see this back again. I've pretty much given up on being really struck by anything new this year at this point. But maybe I'll be surprised.

[Lore]

Muse?

bad boy! :whip:

I like your music threads anyway :wacky:

[Briggins]

And still can't stop listening over and over and over... it's a sickness I tell you, a sickness.... :uhoh:




Sick Muse?

[The Escapist]

Have you heard the debut ablum "Fine Fasination" by Red Light Company? One of the best albums of the year in my opinion.

[howyousawtheworld]

But Muse are sensational.

[deaths_friend]

i dont think briggins was having a go at muse because he has coupled them in with U2, of who he is a big fan.

so is this a thread where briggins recommends albums to us? or other way around? or is everything fair game?

[iPsy]

U2 album is DREADFUL!

However the Muse album is OUT OF THIS WORLD! :D

[Heatseeker]

U2 album is okay, it's just nowhere near U2's prime. They've plateaued for a while now.

Muse's new album is some pretty good music, but it's no different than their previous albums. They need to try some new sounds, because they are getting old fast.

[iPsy]

^ I agree with all of that but you kind of get used to Muse's style! I'd be worried if they changed then they would ruin themselves!

I love Editors first two albums but their new one is an absolute mess, they experimented and it went very wrong!

[Heatseeker]

^ I agree with all of that but you kind of get used to Muse's style! I'd be worried if they changed then they would ruin themselves!

All bands need to grow and evolve some. Even if some think it's a disaster, it's natural to the musical process. If you get into a groove and stay in it and never change your style, you'll end up like U2. They are still okay, but the songs haven't really changed style much since their first 5 albums. Edge uses the same old guitar tricks, the rhythm section never seems to break out, and Bono's lyrics have grown thin and cliched. Muse needs to change up a little but. I like them but using the same vocal techniques, distorted basslines, and arena drum sounds is getting old.

[Briggins]

i dont think briggins was having a go at muse because he has coupled them in with U2, of who he is a big fan.

so is this a thread where briggins recommends albums to us? or other way around? or is everything fair game?

*sigh*
This wasn't supposed to be a Muse and U2 debate thread. I was just making the point that I'm not going to talk about albums here that the majority of people have heard.

And I can't really enforce rules in a thread :P

So I guess anything is fair game.

But it would be cool if people stayed on topic and talked about the bands that are posted here instead of going off on wild tangents about U2 and Muse.

p.s. You're right, I'm a huge U2 fan :P

[violetsparks]

Muse's new album is some pretty good music, but it's no different than their previous albums. They need to try some new sounds, because they are getting old fast.

I know I'm biased, but I have to vehemently disagree with that statement. I find that each album has its own special qualities that you really can't find anywhere else.

[Heatseeker]

I know I'm biased, but I have to vehemently disagree with that statement. I find that each album has its own special qualities that you really can't find anywhere else.
Of course you are biased as a fan. As a music lover who knows a lot of different music and can hear Muse objectively yet still enjoy them, I can tell you any subtle differences you may know are far too subtle for the ears of a casual fan.

[violetsparks]

...That totally contradicted what you just said.

You say they sound the same, and yet you mention that there are subtle differences. Which do you mean? :confused:

[iPsy]

I agree with Violet but maybe that's because I'm a mad Muse fan! :P

[Heatseeker]

...That totally contradicted what you just said.

You say they sound the same, and yet you mention that there are subtle differences. Which do you mean? :confused:
I said they overall sound the same. IF there are any subtle differences, they are too subtle to keep their sound interesting.

[The Escapist]

Have you heard the debut ablum "Fine Fasination" by Red Light Company? One of the best albums of the year in my opinion.

.

[Briggins]

^I'll check it out.

[Briggins]

http://www.midnightpoutine.ca/archives/Tiber%20Timbre.jpg
Who: Timber Timbre
Album: self-titled
Why:Here is another fantastic Canadian album put out by the fantastic label Arts&Crafts (Feist, Broken Social Scene, Stars, etc.)
Timber Timbre is a very haunting artist with spooky yet beautiful songs. Its like the songs are almost too dangerous to be heard by the masses. The first listen to the album may not really strike you as anything special. But I dare you to listen to it a few times, late at night, in the dark, and see what sort of impact it makes on you.

Songs to Check Out:
Demon Host
We'll Find Out
No Bold Villian

Where: You can download his album FOR FREE! until Halloween. Do it up.
http://www.arts-crafts.ca/timbertimbre/

[winigwl]

brigs i think this is one of the first band you've reccomended i didn't love:o (bruce peninsula)

[Briggins]

:P it was bound to happen sooner or later.

[violetsparks]

I said they overall sound the same. IF there are any subtle differences, they are too subtle to keep their sound interesting.

Again, I disagree. However, I don't know if I could ever make my point. As I've said, I'm biased. I'm not gonna lie. I could try to be objective about it, but I don't know if you would really believe that I was trying to portray that in the post, you know?

-siiigh-

[noonsun]

I started listening to the Timber Timbre album, I'll let you know what I think of it :wacko:

[Briggins]

yaya!
I love it. It may take a few listens. But it is exceptionally awesome.

[Space Cadet]

^downloading it now. I'll put it on my mp3 player so even if I forget to listen it should shuffle in and surprise me sometime. Should be interesting.

Just one problem. It's full. I have to delete something to fit it on. And I've already deleted everything I didn't particularly care about. :(

[Briggins]

It can replace that Muse album. :P
Oh wait, don't want to open that can of worms again.

But yeah, I recommend listening to it sometime when you just want to relax and chill.

[Tnspieler1012]

diarrhetic explosions

[Tnspieler1012]

All bands need to grow and evolve some. Even if some think it's a disaster, it's natural to the musical process. If you get into a groove and stay in it and never change your style, you'll end up like U2.

wow, I strongly disagree. There are huge and uncanny stylistic gaps between october, war, unforgettable fire, joshua tree...and the move from JT to AB is imo on par with OK computer into Kid A. zooropa and pop were weak, but they too were completely untrod territory. Only their last few albums have had some certain degree of similarity, but the reason they've remained this huge for thirty years is because they know how to completely reinvent themselves, and far more effectively than most other bands in the past and present.

[guyluvsliz]

The last few years I have made this thread and it seems to have been successful and enjoyed. It's basically a thread where I talk about some albums of the year that maybe you haven't listened to or heard of. I usually have a Canadian bias, so you're not just going to see U2/Muse/mainstream crap in this thread.

Maybe some of these will make it into your final album list like Hey Rosetta! and City and Colour did last year.

Timber Timbre (http://coldplaying.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3614408&postcount=21)
Bruce Peninsula (http://coldplaying.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3612435&postcount=2)

This is why I love Briggs :kiss:

[Space Cadet]

Just listened. It's very well done. Blues seriously isn't my thing though. Never figured out why.

Heh... makes me think they spent too much time listening to that song "I put a spell on you". :lol: (In a good way.)

It can replace that Muse album. :P
Oh wait, don't want to open that can of worms again.

But yeah, I recommend listening to it sometime when you just want to relax and chill.I thought you wanted us to stop talking about them. Can't follow your own instructions, eh? :P

[india rubber]

I hate U2.

[Space Cadet]

I hate U2.
It doesn't end, does it? *sigh*

Hey Briggins- message board hint for the future. Start something like this off with a negative statement, and you'll get lots of negative off-topic replies...

...positive statement, and your message doesn't get lost so easily.

:laugh3::tongue:


Do you have a list of albums to get to for this or are you just posting about them as you think of them?

[violetsparks]

I actually didn't care much for the Timber Timber album. It was something different, though.

[Kite]

Brigs, 3 suggestions for you:

The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
The Leisure Society - The Sleeper
Mumford & Sons - Sigh no More

;)

[iPsy]

Mumford & Sons is VERY good :)

[Briggins]

^Thanks, I'll have to check them out.

It doesn't end, does it? *sigh*

Hey Briggins- message board hint for the future. Start something like this off with a negative statement, and you'll get lots of negative off-topic replies...

...positive statement, and your message doesn't get lost so easily.

:laugh3::tongue:


Do you have a list of albums to get to for this or are you just posting about them as you think of them?

You'd think I'd know better 20 000 posts in :P


And I don't really have a list, but I do have a rough idea of who else I want to talk about. (Jenn Grant, The Most Serene Republic, etc.)

[Lore]

The last few years I have made this thread and it seems to have been successful and enjoyed. It's basically a thread where I talk about some albums of the year that maybe you haven't listened to or heard of. I usually have a Canadian bias, so you're not just going to see U2/Muse/mainstream crap in this thread.

Maybe some of these will make it into your final album list like Hey Rosetta! and City and Colour did last year.

Timber Timbre (http://coldplaying.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3614408&postcount=21)
Bruce Peninsula (http://coldplaying.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3612435&postcount=2)

I love city and colour so much now :heart:

[Briggins]

^ :) Awesome. I got tickets yesterday for his show here in February. Can't wait!

[squareone13]

The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
Mumford & Sons - Sigh no More



These two are both on my 'want' list...just waiting for pay day ;)

[Space Cadet]

^Thanks, I'll have to check them out.



You'd think I'd know better 20 000 posts in :P


And I don't really have a list, but I do have a rough idea of who else I want to talk about. (Jenn Grant, The Most Serene Republic, etc.)Jenn Grant! I forgot about her. Was that this year? It seems so long ago.

And 4 to 1 just means I spend more time around here listening. Much better for watching how thing work. :P



p.s. Have you ever heard of a band called Karkwa?

[Briggins]

I have not heard of Karkwa, what type of music are they?

And yeah Jenn Grant was in the winter. I just got her cd on Saturday (she gave it to me during her show!)

YouTube - Jenn Grant does Ghostbusters live from Halifax Pop Explosion

[Space Cadet]

^:laugh3: That's awesome. Oh, I wish I had known she was doing a show, I might have gone. (Not that I ever seem to make it to any pop explosion shows... bad timing. :()

Well that would certainly make Sailing by Silverships one of my favorite songs this year.

Karkwa are... French (Montreal) and very beautiful. I forgot a CD for the car today and they were on the radio. One of the first times in forever a song left enough of an impression to make me look it up again off the radio. http://www.myspace.com/karkwa It was Oublie Pas.

[noonsun]

Sick Muse?

Incidentally, I think I'm the only one so far who got that.

The Timber Timber album was really good, Briggenz

[Space Cadet]

Incidentally, I think I'm the only one so far who got that.

The Timber Timber album was really good, BriggenzWell it's hard to publicly roll your eyes around here without looking like Mark. :thinking:

[noonsun]

Well it's hard to publicly roll your eyes around here without looking like Mark. :thinking:

Mmmmm. This is true.

mmm, Metric :cheesy:

[Briggins]

Woo Metric love!

Think that album needs to be promoted at all, or do enough people know about them?

[Space Cadet]

^Could always use some more love. But it's better off than many.

[Briggins]

Well just incase some people missed out on the first hype wave, I'll write something up about it at some point for this thread.

[Briggins]

http://www.arts-crafts.ca/images/covers/ac044.jpg

Who: The Most Serene Republic
Album:...And the Ever Expanding Universe

Why: Well other than an awesome band name, album name, and song names, this band has that big band big sound. This album makes me think of Dr. Seuss for some reason. It is an album painted with many musical colours from the pallet that make the mind run wild. Its creative and calculated.

Songs To Check Out: Heavens to Purgatory, Phi, Patternicity

Where:http://www.myspace.com/themostserenerepublic

http://www.knoxroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/The-Most-Serene-Republic.jpg

[chuck kottke]

Cutting edge stuff then?? Time tomorrow, I'll have to check it out Briggins.;)

[Briggins]

Awesome, let me know what you think. If you have time, check out Jenn Grant too. I think you might enjoy her music. :)

[chuck kottke]

I will do that! All those selections sound vaguely Canadian to me. Do you have a bias there??;)

[Briggins]

oh just a slight one :P
Yup, they are all Canadian.

[Cirrus Minor]

I'll be listening to it in an hour.

[Heatseeker]

I recommend the new Swell Season album. It's kind of like a folky Parachutes, so I could see a lot of people here liking it.

[the_gloaming09]

I recommend the new Swell Season album. It's kind of like a folky Parachutes, so I could see a lot of people here liking it.

I agree! It's a really good album. Also the deluxe Edition w/ the live album is really great!

You guys can stream it via NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113630469

[Heatseeker]

^That. It's free to listen to, what do you have to lose?

[Briggins]

http://www.popmatters.com/images/blog_art/i/invisiblerepublic.jpg
Who: Young Galaxy
Album: Invisible Republic

Why: I'm sure some of you have seen me rave about this band on here. Their debut album was my second favourite album of 2007, only being beat by In Rainbows by Radiohead. This album obviously had lots of hype for me personally. I instantly fell in love with this album, the expected beautiful vocal harmonies, spacey ambient guitars, strings, etc. Its great. This is one band who really play like their name.

Songs To Check Out: Long Live the Fallen World, Dreams, Queen Drum

Where: http://www.younggalaxy.com/main/
http://www.myspace.com/younggalaxy

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/51/l_77201c183d53489ebad3bd0f9e2ac6e8.jpg

[iPsy]

^I'll give that a check out! :D

[Cirrus Minor]

The Most Serene Republic album was very nice. Sounded a lot like Arcade Fire to me, especially the feminine voices.