Old Friends, Back Again...

A brief post on some past Ear To The Sound favourites that have recently released new records worth a listen:

I guess we'll take this alphabetically and start with the Bowerbirds.
Upper Air was released on Dead Oceans July 7th and it is a strong follow-up to Hymns For A Dark Horse. None of the songs have stuck in my head the way "Bur Oak" did, but it's still a solid collection with the same blending of folk and indie as on the prior record.

Have a listen to "Northern Lights"


Next up is Victoria, B.C. band the Paper Cranes who followed up Halcyon Days with Chivalry's Dead - an album that came out on my birthday this August. When I spoke to Ryan McCullagh from the band recently, he explained that the title isn't a statement about the state of manners in contemporary society or the impact of feminism on notions of chivalry. "[The phrase] just stuck in my head from Archie comics when I was a kid. Archie wouldn't hold a door open for Veronica and she would say "oh, chivalry's dead." I wish I could say there was some deeper meaning to it than that, or I had some sort of social commentary but it was Archie comics."

You can listen to the title track, and many other Paper Cranes songs here.

Lastly, we've got Geneva - the follow-up to Station from Chicago's Russian Circles. Still with Suicide Squeeze, they have grown from a duo to a trio adding bassist Brian Cook to the official lineup after he guested all over Station. The album will be released on October 20th, but I've had a couple listens to an advance copy that just landed at the station and Geneva is every bit as monstrously beautiful and punishing as my #1 record of 2008. Good god - could they repeat the feat in 2009??!!

Feast your ears on the Suicide Squeeze stream of the entire album while I go watch my Twins feast on the Tigers.

Thanks for reading, now start listening...

Sadako and Victoria's Paper Cranes

Now I don't know if they're named after the famous story of Sadako and the thousand Paper Cranes, but I do know that Halcyon Days provides a good follow-up to my last entry about the Airfields' Up All Night. Though where that record was a wash of shoegazey pop-rock, this one is power-pop through and through. The rollicking piano that propels some of the Paper Cranes sugary sweet tracks would have a hard time being heard over the Airfields' wash of guitar work. (Interestingly, The Airfields are fourth among The Paper Cranes top friends and the two bands played an Unfamiliar Records/Musebox showcase together in March).

One other thing I don't know is just how new Halcyon Days actually is. The band mentions in an entry dated May 10, 2007 on their Myspace blog that they're planning their full length release for the first week of August, and a later entry dated February 26, 2008 indicates the CD is "available now," yet the album arrived just a couple weeks ago at the station. I can only presume that it was released locally and via the net in February and is only now being serviced to radio. Thank heavens they finally got around to sending it though as it's a fantastic listen and a great addition to the UMFM playlists.

Here's a live performance of "laughing sickness" from their CD Release Party, dated August 07, 2007, which leads me to believe this album's been out for a dog's age but is only now being serviced to radio. About time!



Victoria! Have you been keeping your treasures secret from the rest of the country? Take the ferry and come join the rest of Canada - we love your Chet, your Himalayan Bear, your Aaargh! Records, and now your Paper Cranes.

Don't forget to check out The Paper Cranes' Myspace page, where my favourite cut, "applecore manticore" is streaming. There are also a few tracks available on their New Music Canada artist page as well.

Thanks for reading, now start listening...