While cellist Rebecca Foon leads Montreal-based collective Saltland, her instrument rarely is the centre of attention on the band’s initial offering, I Thought It Was Us But It Was All of Us.  As a matter of fact, there’s no singular focal point to this immense, dense record; with each listen you will find yourself fixated by another element to the recording you didn’t notice the previous times.

It might be the sexy, synthetic percussion, the modern beats that breath life into opener “Golden Alley” that catches your attention the first time out.  The next, you’ll find yourself   lost in the horns and prog-rock drone of “I Thought It Was Us”.

Foon (a founding member of Esmerine, and former member of A Silver Mt. Zion, Set Fire To Flames), along with collaborator Jamie Thompson (of Unicorns and Esmerine) and producer Mark Lawson Arcade Fire) have crafted a record that swallows the listener whole.  “Unholy” swirls with intensity, like a unsettling dream so vivid it startles you awake.  The whole record exists as a dream, an ephemeral high lasting 38 minutes, that you will find yourself chasing time and again.

And there will always be a next time.  I defy anyone who hears I Thought It Was Us But It Was All of Us to only listen the one time.  It will be impossible to resist.

I Thought It Was Us But It Was All of Us is available now on Constellation.

Buy: Saltland, I Thought It Was Us But It Was All of Us
CBC Music: Saltland
Facebook: Saltland
Twitter: Saltland

Tom Avis and Odie Ouderkirk are names not unfamiliar to QBiM although you may be more familiar with the names of their other projects: Ouderkirk was a member of Powers and The Ghost is Dancing, and Avis is essentially Farragoes.  Together, they’ve been working on Miss Elizabeth’s brainy beats, a blending of youthful innocence and literate and pop, releasing their debut EP tomorrow, May 18, 2013.

Bandcamp: Miss Elizabeth
Facebook: Miss Elizabeth
Twitter: Miss Elizabeth

These things take time, don’t they?  Happily for all concerned, these thing worked themselves out in time, bringing Lopez-Aguilar and Oldfolks Home to a good place where his ex-wife can contribute the artwork for Black & Blue, friends are joining him as he prepares to take to the road with a “three dimensional” live show.  To top it all off, Black & Blue truly is a first-rate record that charts and graphs personal transformations through its musical metamorphosis.  Effortlessly sliding along the scale from understated folk rock to sweetly purred indie pop, tracks like “Garland’s Moving to Vancouver” and “Cut the Seams Pt. 1″ are delivered with a tension and sincerity that communicates to the listener the roller coaster ride of emotions Lopez-Aguilar has been on these past few years.  With highs come lows, and with sorrow comes the softening of the heart, and he has been honest and true to the music as he has to the experience.

Joining Lopez-Aguilar on Black & Blue are a number of friends from his hometown of Winnipeg, including Shaun Gibson of The Details, Michael P. Falk of Les Jupe, and Keri Latimer of Nathan.  Black & Blue is available now from Head In The Sand Records.  Oldfolks Home head out on the road this month and next, with stops in the U.S. alongside the following Canadian dates:

May 21 – Hamilton, ON – The Casbah
May 22 – Waterloo, ON – Maxwell’s Music House
May 23 – Toronto, ON – Silver Dollar
May 25 – Montreal, QC – One Man Band Fest
May 29 – Halifax, NS – Gus’ Pub
May 30 – Moncton, NB – Plan B
June 1 – Fredericton, NB – Lava Vodka Bar
June 17 – Vancouver, BC – The Railway Club
June 18 – Kelowna, BC – Fernando’s
June 21 – Edmonton, AB – Wunderbar
June 28 – Winnipeg, MB – Park Theatre

CBC Music: Oldfolks Home
Facebook: Oldfolks Home
Twitter: Oldfolks Home

Toronto’s Program (formerly known as Volcano Playground) have been diligently working away on their LP for three years now, after having trashed an EP that they say they “were never happy with”.  Before the new LP sees the light of day, though, Program have re-recorded one song from the EP, “Waiting”, with production help from Dave Newfeld (of Broken Social Scene repute) as a one-off single for Newfeld’s new label Stars and Suns.  Watch for news of the new LP in the coming months, and get a taste of “Waiting”, the Canadian contribution to this month’s Music Alliance Pact, below.

CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
Program – Waiting
Program’s wall of sound is not insurmountable but it’s far from an easy climb. It will challenge you to find a familiar foothold (Is it shoegaze? Is it drone-rock? Is it disco or dance?) but ultimately leaves you breathless with its brilliant audacity. It is a mountain you’ll climb over and over again, never once following the same sonic route to its summit.

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 36-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Paula y Los Besos – Bailar
Paula y Los Besos is the new musical adventure of singer, songwriter and poet Paula Trama. The band just released eight songs in the form of two EPs that range from acoustic-punk upbeat tunes to tender folk ballads. Bailar is a cover of T. Rex’s Cosmic Dancer, with Spanish lyrics adapted by Paula herself. You can hear and download both EPs from their Bandcamp page.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Swimming – Triplebrie
Adelaide’s Swimming are sisters Katie and Angie Schilling and friend Sam Reynolds. Triplebrie is the first single from their new record Yes, Tonight. There are plenty of layered vocals and looped sounds on the album, but Swimming’s simple outlook on a capella really does its best in an acoustic setting. The trio also sell tea towels as merchandise, so we can’t really say anything bad about this band right now.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
Fijuka – Behave (From Now On)
First a drum machine, then a Billie Jean-style bassline and finally synthscapes that embed the voice of Fijuka’s Ankathie singing one of the weirdest declarations of love we have ever heard. Fijuka stands for DIY pop with an art school touch. Watch the music video for some Rhönrad wheel action.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
FAROFF – Brazilian Star Wars
Can you imagine the Star Wars troopers having fun in a slum in Rio de Janeiro, listening to funk carioca in the summer and surrounded by girls? This is not a new track, but Brazilian Star Wars shows one of the best moments of DJ FAROFF, the name used by Leo Bursztyn, PHD in economics and former guitarist of Brazilian band Móveis Coloniais de Acaju.

CHILE: Super 45
Lainus – Montañitas
Lainus is the solo project of Alfredo Ibarra who, after returning from New Zealand, has devoted himself to writing music and rediscovering his country. The Andes is the source of inspiration for his single Montañitas (“Little Mountains”), a catchy electronic pop breeze that links him telepathically to the new pop wave (Passion Pit, Phoenix), the Chilean psychedelic tradition and the now very trendy world music. It’s a taster of his next album, due for release in the second half of the year.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Lina Patiño – Plena Luz
With roots in classical singing, Lina Patiño has been experimenting with jazz, ballads, R&B and classical music. Proof of this is the endless number of projects of different genres she has participated in. But now, in her solo guise, her range takes her a step further than usual. We invite you to listen to Plena Luz (“Full Light”), produced by Eblis Alvarez (Meridian Brothers), in which Lina’s vocals are confused and intermingled between bambuco and dark experimental pop.

CUBA: suenacubano.com
Adrian Berazaín y Mauricio Figueiral – Por Una Camarera
This month we cover the association of two young artists: Adrián Berazaín and Mauricio Figueiral. Por Una Camarera (“For A Waitress”) is a song in which Cuban rhythms are fused with extraordinary results and will be included in the upcoming releases of both artists separately. Follow these two songwriters closely as they are sure to surprise us with their future output.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Lulu Rouge – Grey Heron Man
Five years on from their awesome debut Bless You, electronica legends Lulu Rouge (aka DJs and producers Buda and T.O.M.) released their second full-length, The Song Is In The Drum, at the end of April. If you’re into deep, dark and excellently melancholic dub this is one not to miss. Grey Heron Man, one of three instrumentals, is a MAP exclusive download.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
Nelson García – La Bomba
Veteran singer-songwriter Nelson García (formerly known as Nelson Poket) went solo and is now making music under his real name. La Bomba is a rock song with a classic attitude that ticks with new energy and prepares us for his new album release on June 15.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Guanaco – Crónico
After 15 years on the road, Guanaco, one of the most important independent music icons in Ecuador, presents his most ambitious and mature album, Raíz. The record has 16 versatile tracks that blend hip hop with a wide range of urban and Latin sounds. The lyrics of Crónico provide a deep reflection on the use of drugs.

ENGLAND: Drowned In Sound
Ghosting Season – Time Without Question (alternate version)
Ghosting Season are a techno-loving duo from northern England. Until recently, their music was a marriage of glacial post-rock and warm late-night electronica as Worriedaboutsatan. Under their new guise, Gavin Miller and Tom Ragsdale are already readying a second LP of brooding bloops that spiral into something you could call evil party music. This track was featured on our DiS community podcast.

ESTONIA: Rada7.ee
Kannabinõid – Karistus
Kannabinõid are a deafening stoner/doom band from Tallinn. Obviously there are plenty of (Nordic) metal/rock bands but these guys are particularly good. They just received some really good feedback from the international music industry delegates of showcase festival Tallinn Music Week.

FINLAND: Glue
Phenomenal Creature – Perfect Impression
Phenomenal Creature play (mostly) acoustic folk with an intense bluesy feeling, creating songs that are beautifully arranged and decorated with a myriad of little instruments and harmonies.
Perfect Impression is the opener of the band’s recently released debut album.

FRANCE: Yet You’re Fired
FAUVE – 4000 Îles
FAUVE appeared from nowhere in the French music scene at the end of 2011, and after only a few months and four songs, offered for free, they became what many French critics called “the voice of our generation”. With beautifully crafted instrumentals, marvellous choirs and words that touch and speak to our feelings and soul directly – putting a finger on our many life problems and crises – they deserve to be known all over the world, even if only using spoken word in Molière’s language. Their first EP, Blizzard, is released on May 20.

GERMANY: Coltran
HELMUT – The Tribe
Voice, guitar, loops. More and more artists focus on these instruments to make versatile songs to dream, cry or dance to. HELMUT has the talent to build up a song layer by layer, motif by motif, and then slowly start to variate and deconstruct everything. The live experience of this guy is simply amazing.

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
No Clear Mind – Morning Rain In June
No Clear Mind is an unconventional musical experiment that has been evolving constantly from 2004 till now, an open platform of expression, bringing together people who tint everyday inertia, cancelling its discreet yet lingering nature. Borrowing its name from the old neighbourhood of Athens where it was created, Mets, their second album, is a magnificent set awash with texture, atmosphere, strong autobiographical elements, past memories and emotions that provide a hypnotic, surreal soundscape suitable for both day and night dreaming.

INDIA: NH7
Big City Harmonics – Ennio
A former alt-rock band guitarist, Big City Harmonics is Rohan Hastak, a soul-infused, downtempo electronic music producer. Sampling a variety of instruments and vocals, Big City Harmonics offers a fresh take on electronica.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Muchos Libre – Romusa
On Muchos Libre’s press release they declare: “In surf we trash! In stage we wrestle! Give us one show, so we’ll give you the beast!” They’ve perhaps watched too much Mexican wrestling as the two vocalists often grapple on stage during their ferocious live shows.

IRELAND: Harmless Noise
Rachael Boyd – Aim Too High
From playing in side-project math rock and pop bands to her own contemporary, improvised solo efforts, the broad strokes of Rachael Boyd’s taste in music have gifted the Belfast multi-instrumentalist with a keen grasp of melody and timing. Aim Too High is the title track of a new EP, alternative neo-classical pop with enchanting, urgent piano and strings. Freely flowing with ambition, the slight underlying jitter is calmed by a reassuring vocal intercession. It feeds the need for pop sweetness yet still sounds like substantial brainfood.

ITALY: Polaroid
Wildmen – Zero Generation
Wildmen are a garage rock duo from Rome. Guitar, drums and a lot of raw energy. More than a lot. Their debut album is called Haters Gonna Hate and someone wrote that it sounds like a grungier version of Black Lips. Uhm, well, OK. What if we stop talking and just dance to these marvellous and mighty songs? You will have fun, trust me.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Metoronori – v_v
The boom in bedroom-based music makers in Japan over the past few years has produced a lot of great artists operating on a very DIY level. Tokyo-based Metoronori is one of the latest in this tradition. She makes discombobulated lo-fi pop where every element falls just into place. Her song v_v demonstrates this well – the sounds she makes seemingly out of step with one another, but the whole thing comes together to create an inviting track.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Bletchley Park – Calendars
Bletchley Park is an indie/alternative band who draw influences from post-punk and fuse them with dark rhythms and lyrics. In 2010, they released From Bletchley, With Love, a collection of their first works. Last year’s debut album, My Body Fighting, resulted in three nominations at the 2013 Malta Music Awards – Best Album, Best Song for Tight Red Dress and Best Band.

MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
Apocalipsis – Jihad
It’s easy to behave in a nihilistic way when you are a Mexico City dweller. With no frills other than being raw as reality can get, Apocalipsis delivers a hybrid that borderlines on the ridge of post-rock, math-rock, hardcore and neocrust, without being too loyal to any of those. Grip zealously to the soundtrack of riots, burning flags and a society on the fringe of collapse… it’s not the Arab spring, nor the Mexican spring. Actually, it’s nothing but part of the Apocalypse.

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!
Spilt Milk – Funeral Blues
For an album which boasts death as its central theme, Spilt Milk’s Funeral Blues is not as morbid a listen as you may think. You may recognise the lyrics as a W.H. Auden poem, used in that harrowing funeral scene from Four Weddings And A Funeral that I’m still getting over. But thanks largely to Brenda Bosma’s beautiful vocals, the Amsterdam quintet does an impressive job of giving a soft yet jangly, folkish spin to what must be some of the saddest lyrics bouncing around.

PERU: SoTB
La Tornado Lost Band – Wake Up
La Tornado Lost Band is a folk/rock/country duo formed by Gabriel De La Piedra and Rodrigo Melgar. Their warm voices and nostalgic guitar sounds create an atmosphere of loneliness and calm. If you like Wilco, Bon Iver or The Replacements, you will love this duo. Wake Up is taken from their debut EP, Pastores On Strike, a collection of six beautiful songs available for free download from Bandcamp.

POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz Weblog
How How – Pinkery The Knight
No, this isn’t Animal Collective and we aren’t in 2004. How How is a four-piece from Warsaw who play experimental music. Or, as they describe it, “electroacoustic free pop”. Pinkery The Knight is taken from their latest EP, Knick-Knack.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Dear Telephone – That Violin Lesson Sucks
Dear Telephone, whose band name was inspired by a Peter Greenway movie, appeared on MAP in August 2011 with their song Providence, from their first EP. This month they released their debut album Taxi Ballad which continues their path through mildly electronic music ripe for reasoning and wonder, which will please fans of bands like The xx. Dear Telephone is releasing videos for each track on their album, such as this one for That Violin Lesson Sucks.

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
Ikol Santiago – Tampoco Tanto
Having spent his teenage years and part of his adult life living in the United States, Ikol Santiago returned to Puerto Rico in 2004 and quickly became part of the island’s underground hip hop scene. His commanding vocal style – cool yet stern, clear and precise – developed through numerous collaborations with many of the island’s greats. Ikol’s solo debut, Iguacas, named after the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot, is a deeply personal journey through the MC’s experience growing up and trying to find his footing in life. Tampoco Tanto takes a look at our increasingly desperate society, turning anger and anxiety into something closer to wisdom – and perhaps a bit of hope.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Quantum Drive – Echoes (redone)
Quantum Drive, a project from Cluj, started with two guys who found that a shoegaze/indie/60s-revival approach to music fit them very well. Later on, other friends joined them in this journey. They draw their inspiration from bands such as Deerhunter, The Horrors and Tame Impala, and are definitely an act we’ll keep our ears on.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Prides – Out Of The Blue
Prides are probably the most talked-about new band in Scotland since CHVRCHES. In fact, one listen to the fiendishly addictive Out Of The Blue – a staggering piece of dynamic pop that proclaims the arrival of a hit-ready proposition – proves the two groups share common ground, with Prides’ debut single informed by current trends for 80s-leaning electro. It is also reminiscent of MGMT hit Kids, with its distorted, organy synth sound.

SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
Beast – Smoke Swig Swear
New supergroup Beast consists of some of the most well-known members from various bands in South Africa. The band’s raw, organic sound has captivated audiences and their ‘no boundaries’ ethos is reflected in their honest rock ‘n’ roll that is best played at high volume.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
Gage – Your Night
Gage is a band featuring members from heavy rock MAP alumni Apollo 18 and The Quip. A complete contrast to the music of those two groups, however, this quintet has a much more acoustic orientation, playing on current trends in Korean music while still creating an original sound. Your Night is taken from Gage’s recent self-released and self-titled EP and is a new take on the sort of melodies Apollo 18′s Kim Daeinn would create under the alias Jelly Boy.

TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
The Free Licks – Hang On
The Free Licks are getting ready to share their Exit Plan EP, which is inspired by the best variations of rock music since the 70s. Although The Free Licks could be categorised as an alt-rock band, its members’ varied styles and influences make it much more than that.

UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
Carousel Beach – Ayahuasca
Carousel Beach’s impressive self-titled debut runs the gambit of genres as folk bleeds into a 90s rock sensibility, which moves into piano ballads and then makes a turn with grandiose harmonies that bounce around tribal percussion lines. A satisfying listen for anyone and everyone.

VENEZUELA: Música y Más
Andreazulado – Alto
Andreazulado is one of the most prominent rock bands in the Venezuelan indie scene. The trio have toured Argentina, Spain, Colombia and the United States and now they are preparing for the release of their fourth album, Apolo, from which first single Alto is taken.

You’ll have to wait some time in order to complete the series though, as each single will be released in two month intervals, and appear on four separate Canadian labels: Pleasence, Leaning Trees, Hosehead and Mammoth Cave.

The first single in the series, “All the Colours of Your Heart b/w Turning You On” hits the streets next Tuesday.  Their new LP, You Can’t Serve Two Master, is due for release on July 15 via their own Mammoth Cave Recordings, and U.S. based Southpaw.

Bandcamp: Ketamines
CBC Music: Ketamines
Facebook: Ketamines
Twitter: Ketamines

There’s a song on Jim Guthrie‘s new album called “Difference a Day Makes”, and whenever I hear it now, I think about the difference a decade can make, as it’s been exactly 10 years between his last record and Take Times, his latest.

I know Guthrie from his work with Islands and Human Highway, and have absolutely zero familiarity with his aforementioned solo record, 2003′s Now, More Than Ever.  Nor do I want to go back to see what difference that much time passing makes, for in this case, I think ignorance is most definitely bliss.

Take Times has taken no time whatsoever to endear itself to me with stately pop smarts, playfully whimsical melodies, and eclectic blend of musical esthetics.  At turns steadfastly folk, at other radically indie and experimental, Takes Time never takes itself too seriously, thereby allowing the music to follow whatever path it desires.  Guthrie has the astuteness to allow his muse to guide him along the way, and so every song on Takes Time become its own little opus.  For instance, “The Rest Is Yet To Come” is a self-contained symphony that could easily stand on its own.  Though it stands out as one of the highlights on Takes Time, it is in good company, as not one of the record’s 11 tracks falls below the standard it sets.

It’s taken Jim Guthrie some time to bring Takes Time to fruition.  The results are definitely worth the wait, whether you’re a fan who’s been patient for this day to come, or a new fan who didn’t know that you were waiting for this record at all.  Take it from me, after one listen, Guthrie’s going to have you waiting breathlessly for whatever he has coming next.

Takes Time is out now on Static Clang Records.

Buy: Jim Guthrie, Takes Time
Bandcamp: Jim Guthrie
CBC Music: Jim Guthrie
Facebook: Jim Guthrie
Twitter: Jim Guthrie

Some, like Valleys, the Montreal-based duo of Matilda Perks and Marc St. Louis, can leave you temporarily bereft of making any coherent statements at all, much as they rendered me when hearing “Micromoving” for the first time.  That song, the opener of their new LP, Are You Going to Stand There And Talk Weird All Night?, is a masterclass in the slow build.  A plaintive organ gives way to sizzling synths and guitars that slowly creep up in the mix alongside St. Louis’ effected baritone.  By the time Perks joins in, there’s a skittering beat and a marked change in tone, as this potential funeral dirge turns into a cacophonous  hot mess.

There is a dark, brooding seriousness to Valleys that echoes melancholic-minded acts like The National, but their use of synths and overtly cinematic arrangements keeps things very airy and dream-like on the album’s 10 tracks.  I hate to pick favourites, but stand out moments on Are you Going… are the St. Louis-led “Absolutely Everything All The Time” and the aforementioned “Micromoving”.  Those tracks aside, I still get the feeling that Valleys are a work in progress, given that on 2009′s Sometimes Water Kills People, there wasn’t really a synth in sight.

Are You Going To Stand There And Talk Weird All Night? is a giant evolutionary leap forward for the band, and one that’s pointing them in the right direction.  It is released on Kanine Records, and available now.

Buy: Valleys, Are You Going To Stand There And Talk Weird All Night?
CBC Music: Valleys
Facebook: Valleys
Twitter: Valleys

I’m in the music business, albeit casually and without compensation, but I’ve waded into the discussion/debates/disagreements about what it means to be a musician in Canada, a fan of Canadian music, and a consumer just by the very act being here.  While there’s been lots of fodder for talk about the weakness or strength of the support systems Canada has in place for the arts and culture in the past month or so, there’s been a celebration of arts and culture taking place that worth noting: Arts & Crafts is celebrating its tenth anniversary as a music label.

A history lesson on A&C would probably require this post to be broken into chapters, so suffice it to say that, with the 2003 re-release of Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot It In People, Arts & Crafts began building branches on its family tree that would later include Stars, Jason Collett, Apostle of Hustle, Feist, Dan Mangan, Timber Timbre, The Dears, Chilly Gonzales, and Cold Specks, even crossing international borders to bring Los Campesinos!, Ra Ra Riot, and Sally Seltmann/New Buffalo into the fold.

For all the You Forgot It In People and The Reminder‘s Arts & Crafts have released these past 10 years, what I love about the label are the smaller, but no less stellar records that have come to be permanent parts of my record collection.  Their first ever non-Broken Social Scene related signing was The Most Serene Republic, whose Underwater Cinematographer still gets a lot of play ’round here.  I have to credit them for introducing me to my favourite band by releasing the first Young Galaxy record, and helping to expand my indie rock musical palette by etnfold with Bell Orchestre’s As Seen Through Windows.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the affinity I have with the Arts & Crafts aesthetic and brand design.  If I could go back and do these past 40 years over, I would have been a graphic designer, and my style would be very much akin to the delicious consistency that A&C produces record to record.  You know when you’re holding an Arts & Crafts record in your hand, and I love that.

That’s also why I am loving Arts & Crafts: 2003 – 2013, the label-curated retrospective released last month to help commemorate their tenth anniversary.   The release is available as a four LP special edition boxed set, or deluxe double CD, and of course available in digital formats. CD copies are complete with a 24-page colour booklet including liner notes written by Stuart Berman, noted journalist and author of Broken Social Scene oral biography This Book Is Broken, which is a great place to start if you’re in need of some A&C/BSS refreshing.  This compilation features some very familiar songs from the A&C canon alongside some never before released rarities that no completist would be without.  Arts & Crafts: 2003 – 2013 precedes Arts & Crafts: X, a collection of original collaborative recordings by artist pairings from the A&C roster, due out later this month.

In the imaginary heaven that all my favourite bands go to when they break up, I envision a bright, spacious airport style lounge, with a bank of windows facing the eastern sky (or what I imagine would be the eastern sky if this were on our real earth and not in my fake paradise), with lavish contemporary furnishings.  Picture oblong tables made of glass and NASA-grade, polished alloys , abutted by chairs built as strong as Andrew Christian underwear models, and equally well endowed. You could order anything your heart desires, and it will be served to you on gilded platters.  Well, not so much “served” as just magically materialize out of thin air just thinking it.

In a discreet booth near the back, away from prying eyes, sit Dan and Alexei from Handsome Furs, as they were in less acrimonious times,  basking in the glow of the candle on the table between them, Dan excusing himself from time to time to check in with his Wolf Parade buddies who are three booths down and four beers in.  Attack In Black would be there as well, at a banquet table big enough for anyone and everyone they invite to join them for a spell.  This is an international lounge so  LCD Soundsystem would of course be handling the entertainment duties, as everyone agrees their going away party at Madison Square Gardens was just too incredible to ever end, and since this is broken-up band eternity, it never has to.

It’s a pretty hopping and happening place, with people coming and going as word of reformations and one-off reunion gigs pull folks back and forth from this world to ours (see Suede), but the newest arrivals to check in with the hostess do so without fanfare, without pomposity.  The Rest, the Hamilton band who this week announced that, after 10 years together, they were ending their run as a band, are not showy in that Liberace kind of way.  Perpetual “indie rock stalwarts” as the CBC called them, The Rest look like your average Joes and Janes, but make music that is anything but ordinary.  Their small but powerful canon of work (three albums, three EPs)  is full of epic anthems and impassioned songs that are as original as they are unrelenting as musicians.

When a hard drive containing their nearly finished third album crashed and deleted all the work they’d done on it up to that point, they didn’t panic (publicly), but quietly and determinedly got to work trying to salvage and recover the music, or finding anyone with the know-how to help them do it.  Thank god they did; SEESAW eventually saw the light of day, quickly becoming one of my favourite albums of 2012, and its creation story a permanent part of anecdotal repertoire. It’s a story I tell often, as it’s usually accompanied by a heartfelt recommendation to anyone who’ll listen to pick up SEESAW and experience it for themselves, or 2007′s Atlantis, Oh Our Saviour, an album I checked out after having discovered the band through 2009′s album Everyone All At Once.

But if you hold my head under water and force me to pick a favourite, it would be SEESAW. As unbelievable as its story is, it wouldn’t be so interesting a tale if the music on the record wasn’t as equally impressive.  Delayed as it was, I hoped that its recovery and release would spur on their creative energies further.  Still, saddened as I am to hear that their musical collaboration will not spawn any more great records, I not mourning the loss of The Rest today.  I want to celebrate their accomplishments instead.  I want to tell anyone who’ll listen to me about this amazing band from Steel Town, Ontario, whose creativity, ingenuity, and sheer enthusiasm for their craft has made me a life long fan, and one of their biggest champions.

As saddened as I am that they have called it a decade, I am not mourning their loss today.  For I would rather there have been a band called The Rest that has come and gone than to not have ever had the pleasure of knowing The Rest at all.  No hokey “rest in peace” sentimental joking, then; just a simple and sincere thank you to Adam Bentley, Blake Bowman, Dwayne Brydon, Matty Buzanko, Anna Jarvis, Steve Jones, and Jordan Mitchell. See you in the next life, if not at your fianl show as The Rest, The Last Anniversary: The Rest Say Goodbye and Celebrate 10 Years on June 8, 2013, 8:00pm, at the Dundas Valley Montessori School in Dundas, Ontario.

CBC Music: The Rest
Facebook: The Rest
Twitter: The Rest

News of Braids‘ return was very welcomed ’round QBiM HQ when it appeared on Sunday afternoon.  A new 12″ single, In Kind // Amends will be out on June 11th via Flemish Eye Records in Canada, featuring two singles from their forthcoming sophomore album (scheduled for release in Fall 2013).

Much has changed since 2011 and their drop-dead gorgeous debut album Native Speaker, primarily the departure of band member Katie Lee and a move away from writing in a live, organic setting.  This time out, Braids are exploring more electronic songwriting, as you can hear on the sweetly sublime “Amends”, debuted through the embedded YouTube clip above.

While Flemish Eye was the label Braids began their musical journey on in Canada, Montreal’s Arbutus Records is handling the as-yet untitled sophomore disc in the U.S.  (which is home to Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s Blue Hawaii project).

CBC Music: Braids
Facebook: Braids
Twitter: Braids