(photo: wearethedrums.com)

When you mention Factory Records and Pelle Carlberg all in one sentence, my ears prick up and take notice.  Apparently so do those of Brooklyn Vegan and a number of others who witnessed the debut performance of best friends Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham, aka The Drums, who made their live debut at Popfest.  Described as a blend of 80s dance pop, 90s indie rock, and 50s surf sounds, The Drums certainly are beating a different drum then most the acts out there right now. They’re influenced by the sound of 80s Factory Records and a current fascination with surf music, and they’re also really damn cute.

The Drums are working on an EP set for release at the start of August, but have gotten the ball rolling with a pair of exclusive tracks that won’t be featured on any future releases.  You might have been able to hear these tracks when they opened for Pelle Carlberg last night at Brooklyn’s Union Hall (see I was getting to how he fit into all this).  Instead, try catching them at their month long residency at The Annex in NYC.

MP3: The Drums “I Felt Stupid”
MP3: The Drums “Instruct Me”
Myspace: The Drums

Remixer Telemitry finally has some original music for dance music fans to sink their teeth into.  “Get Up” features a “new talent” going by the name of Future, and is one crackerjack dance tune.  At points I hear Dead Or Alive’s “You Spin Me ‘Round”, and that’s not a bad thing in my books.

MP3: Telemitry (featuring Future) “Get Up”
Myspace: Telemitry

Also on the remix tip is a new one by Dr. Rosen Rosen (who did a bang up job of reworking Department of Eagles a while back), who mold Phoenix’s “Lisztomania” into a mellow, haunting slow jam.

MP3: Phoenix “Lisztomania (Dr. Rosen Rosen Remix)”
Myspace: Phoenix
Myspace: Dr. Rosen Rosen

On the other end of the musical spectrum, Canada’s beloved Skydiggers are celebrating 20 years together with a career-spanning retrospective called The Truth About Us.  22 tracks get remastered and packaged in a lovely edition that features a DVD and 16 page booklet full of reminiscences from Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy, Sarah Harmer, and The ‘Hip’s Gord Downie.

MP3: Skydiggers “Slow Burning Fire”
Myspace: Skydiggers

(photo: Hardwood Records)

I remember when Hayden was being touted by some (sad sack) Canadian music press journalists as “Canada’s Beck”.  The comparison did him no favours.  A two-year old would have been able to tell you that, A) Heyden Desser sounds nothing like Beck Hansen, and B) why on earth would we need a “Canadian Beck”?  While initially Hayden’s albums sounded like a rag-tag collection of grunge rock and alt country, over the years he’s grown to be far less an experimentalist than his so-called American counterpart, and more akin to the traditions of the singer-songwriter than anything approximating Odelay.

In the 14 years since he first gained widespread prominence with the release of Everything I Long For, Hayden has amassed an impressive canon of music that has mellowed and settled into a comfortable maturity.  On his new album, The Place Where We Lived, he explores the more painful side of love.  An album of break-up songs is never going to be a party record, but there’s still a joyful bounce to tracks like “Let’s Break Up” that almost make you forget the heart-wrenching lyrics contained therein.

The Place Where We Lived is out now on Hardwood Records, Hayden’s long-time home.  While his official site doesn’t list any upcoming performances, I would imagine that sooner than later, he’ll be out on the road visiting the places where we live with this impressive collection of songs.

MP3: Hayden “Let’s Break Up”
Myspace: Hayden

(photo: Leigh Righton)

I’ve been sitting on the latest release from Vancouver’s Japandroids for a while now waiting for a chance to listen to it when I figured I’d be in a suitable mood.  Their brand of fast-paced, fuzzed-out power anthem doesn’t lend itself well to relaxing evenings with a cup of tea, but I was mistaken thinking that I would somehow have to psyche myself up to listening to it.  Once on deck, Post-Nothing surprised me with it’s melodic undertow, dragging the listener into its chaotic clatter.  While they’re just a duo, Japandroids manage to sound as if there’s an army of guitars and drums behind blistering tracks like “The Boys Are Leaving Town”.  I expected something akin to DFA 1979, but instead found a band who are clearly blazing their own trail.

It goes to show young up-and-coming bands that persistence and consistency are the keys to making it.  Japandroids have been plugging away at their unique sound for a number of years, touring and playing all around the B.C. area without gaining much notice outside the Vancouver scene.  When they were invited to Montreal for Pop Montreal and then a series of dates in New York, they figured that this may be their last hurrah, figuring it would be great to have their last gig take place in New York.  Their night in Montreal changed things drastically; they met Greg Ipp, from Unfamiliar Records, who wanted to put out Post-Nothing (the band had already started releasing it independently) and get the word out on Japandroids.  From that point on, Brian King (vocals, guitars) and David Prowse (vocals, drums) had their world turned upside down.  After toiling in Vancouver for two years, there first performances outside the city lead to a record deal.  Sweet.

The eight-song Post-Nothing is one of the fastest, loudest, and most infectious albums I’ve heard in ages.  You don’t have to be in any particular mood to enjoy it, either; as long as you want to hear great music, you’ll get a kick out of Post-Nothing.

MP3: Japandroids “Young Hearts Spark Fire”
Myspace: Japandroids
Facebook: Japandroids
Buy: Japandroids Post-Nothing

(photo: Jody Rogac)

Up until just yesterday, I thought Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks” was going to be my favourite song of 2009, but just when you least expect it, cupid shoots his arrow straight into your ass and makes everything woozy and fuzzy.  Such is the feeling you get when you finally get to “Closer To Heaven”, the last of the 10 songs on Outside Love, the latest album from Pink Mountaintops.  On it’s own, it’s a stunning track, but as the closer of this fantastic collection of songs, it gives notice that Stephen “Black Mountain” McBean is a big softie inside that gruff, bearded exterior of his.

Those who are familiar with the Black variety of McBean’s Mountain songs may appreciate the softer, sentimental side on display here.  “While We Were Dreaming” features vocals by McBean’s Black Mountain band mate Ashley Webber, set against a hauntingly beautiful tune reminiscent of Mazzy Star singer Hope Sandoval’s work with The Jesus & Marychain.  “And if I could find your heart/I would pull it from your chest/and smash you with my fist til it was beating…” she croons, making your knees buckle, and your heart melt.  McBean’s co-writer Sophie Trudeau (a member of A Silver Mt. Zion and Godspeed You! Black Emperor) adds an epic lushness and delicate feminine touch to these sentimental love songs.  The two met when the were maid of honour and best man at a wedding in Montreal for mutual friends.  At the bride and groom’s insistence, they worked together to write and perform a song for the wedding, and from there the partnership expanded to working on this new album.  While influenced by the wedding ceremony, Outside Love isn’t all about mushy romantic love; there’s still enough grit, dark edges, and “Vampires” to satisfy Black Mountain and Pink Mountaintop fans alike.

Outside Love is by far McBean’s best albums, Pink, Black or otherwise.  Polaris shortlist?  I’d bet my arrow-shot ass on it.

MP3: Pink Mountaintops “While We Were Dreaming”
Myspace: Pink Mountaintops
Buy: Pink Mountaintops Outside Love

(photo: Tobin Photography)

Funny things happen in the suburbs.  You think the city would be a hotbed of talent and creativity, but leave it to bored suburban teenagers driving around in their mom’s Pathfinder to come up with some of the coolest sounds on record.  Black Hat Brigade fits that shoe, in some respects, seeing as pals Robert Haughey, Justin Myler, Adam Peterson, Bryan David Ward, and Dan Hurst hail from Brampton, Ontario (Toronto’s crude younger brother, for those of you not in the know), and sound like all the best parts of Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire and Grizzly Bear combined.

The band is celebrating the release of their second EP, Fathers, this Friday at Toronto’s El Macambo, before gearing up for an appearance at this year’s NXNE Festival June 18 at Toronto’s Drake Hotel.  Fathers sounds like a post modern record of sea shanties (most notably “Signal Fire”), or long lost folk songs that have been resurrected and recorded by not-quite-so-angry young men.  It;s quite the addictive little sampler, and a harbinger of great things to come, and from Brampton, none the less.

MP3: Black Hat Brigade “Zombie City Shake”
Myspace: Black Hat Brigade