Happy Halloween with Emily Haines

Anyone who has bothered coming back to my blog is probably bored with the lack of "content" and the excess of "form" (ie. music). Right now its a convenient way of expressing my right-brain as my left is trying to prevent information overload from the books and philosophies its juggling.

Besides, these are great songs so I'm hoping its not just me who is listening to them. You're getting the very best of Canadian indie music served straight-up with a slice of lime every week(ish). Now, without further ado, here's a Halloween track from Emily Haines's (the popular front-women of Metric) solo side-project.

The song of choice is Dr. Blind a piano-driven haunting number from her equally dark album Knives Don't Have Your Back. The faint strains of strings in the orchestric backing by the Soft Skeleton provide the type of eerie semi-silent ambience one might expect in an Edgar Allen Poe film. Haines' raspy almost-spoken-word vocals intwine with her unique brand of seemingly random imagery for lyrics helps complete the picture.

Emily Haines is an artist that defies labeling. Frontwoman for Metric, she is proud to release her debut solo album, Knives Don’t Have Your Back this fall on Last Gang Records. Written and recorded over the past four years in Los Angeles, Montreal, Toronto and New York,the record sites contributions from the likes of Scott Minor from Sparklehorse, Broken Social Scene’s Justin Peroff, Stars’ Evan Cranley and Metric’s Jimmy Shaw. A distinct contrast from Metric’s bold, danceable sound, Knives is an intimate and subtle collection of mellow, piano-driven tunes complimented by soft string and horn arrangements.

The song is Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Doctor Blind.

More information about Emily Haines and her new solo album.

The music video for Doctor Blind.

Devil's Paintbrush Road

The Wailin' Jennys have been a staple of Canadian folk/country scene for a number of years now. I didn't listen often, their sound generally too country for my tastes. Their latest album, Firecracker, is no exception and it wouldn't make it on my personal list for best albums of 2006. Devil's Paintbrush Road, the intro track to the album, however, could easily make my top ten for best songs of the year. In the style of Copperhead Road this piece has a rocking pace despite being nestled in the same acoustic countrified instruments that normally accompany the Jennys' signature sound.

The lyrics also separate Devil's Paintbrush Road from the rest. Unlike Blood Meridian's Get Someplace Else which was motivated by the anguished vocals of its lead singer which often times obscured the words, D.P.R. rests solidly on lyrics about straddling the line between life and death. Warning: this song is addictive, from the harmonica riffs to the seductive chorus of Ruth, Nicky and Annabelle.

Once more, the song is Devil's Paintbrush Road.

Give it a listen and tell me what you think.

More on the Wailin' Jennys:

The Wailin’ Jennys are Annabelle Chvostek, Nicky Mehta and Ruth Moody—three distinct voices that together make an achingly perfect vocal sound. Winning fast fans all over the world with their powerful singing and thoughtful rootsy songwriting, they have become “one of the most exciting new folk bands” (Barnes & Noble). The Wailin’ Jennys have toured throughout North America, Europe and Australia, and their first full-length album 40 Days won a 2005 Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year. The Wailin’ Jennys have a fresh folk-pop sound with stunning 3-part vocals and an eclectic mix of accordion, banjo, harmonica, mandolin, violin, guitar and percussion. Coming from a wide variety of artistic backgrounds, they embrace many musical styles including alt-country, Celtic, rock and traditional. The Wailin’ Jennys are all established singer-songwriters in their own right and unique in their individual expressions, but together their voices forge a unified sound that is unforgettable, breathing fire and grace into each note.

New Music Canada

The Wailin' Jennys homepage: http://www.thewailinjennys.com/

Amy Millan "Top Ten Artists To Watch"

You might know Amy Millan from her day job singing and writing in dreamy indie-rock band Stars, or from her moonlighting gig in fellow Canadian collective Broken Social Scene, or perhaps from the nifty little profile we did on her in our special “Ten Artists To Watch” issue. But last month, Millan stepped out on her own, releasing a stripped-down, countrified album called Honey From the Tombs (which we reviewed in this very magazine and talked up on Rock Daily previously). Ms. Millan brought her show on the road and played Joe’s Pub in NYC last night.

Rolling Stone Rock and Roll Daily » Blog Archive » Why We Dig On Amy Millan: An Un-Edited IM Concert Review

Now that I'm back on the wagon, may as well mention that Amy Millan's Honey From The Tombs, one of my top 10 favourite albums from 2006, was mentioned in Rolling Stone. I kinda thought Amy would be flying under the radar for most mainstream mags so I'm happy that she not only got covered but spotlighted as one of the "Top Ten Artists To Watch".

I couldn't even pick one song as the best on her record as I rotate between 3/4 of them, but I'd recommend:

• Losing You
• Skinny Boy
• Baby I
• Headsfull
• All The Miles

Amy Millan's website is: http://www.arts-crafts.ca/amymillan/
Two of the aforementioned songs are available to be streamed at: http://newmusiccanada.com/

Back in the Saddle Again... with Blood Meridian

So its been a few months since I added anything to my regular blog. Still trying to get the tremendous amount of photos I took in Europe off my chest and into posterity on the Travel Journal (www.jasonharman.com). In the meantime I've been visiting and re-visiting this blog trying to come up with some idea of what to start posting with. I don't want to bore people with the usual details of my life if I can help it. Suffice it to say for now that I've moved to Toronto and am having a good time in the Social & Political Thought program at York University.

Back in the Spring I tried doing album reviews but I'm notoriously lazy and genuinely don't like reviewing/criticizing music in particular (entire genres or industries are fair game though). However, I would still like music to play a part in this blog, especially the discovery of new music which constitute some of the best moments of my day/week/month.

So what I plan to do is share with you in quick posts any song(s) I find and hopefully be able to post you a link to that song so any interested individual can post their feedback. I intend the music to be non-mainstream (I want to bring something that other people might not have already heard to the table).

I've been doing this on the side through emailing my favourite tunes spontaneously to three or four friends but this will save the space on gmail!


Blood Meridian - Get Someplace Else
from Kick Up The Dust (2006)

It wasn't until I checked their bio on newmusiccanada.com that the final piece fell into place. Prior to that, I had heard of Blood Meridian on and off via CBCRadio3 and the first time this song came on the air I wasn't paying any attention, in fact I was reading a book on Deleuze or maybe Hegel or Adorno for class. I went to mute it when I suddenly stopped to give it another listen. The voice seemed so reminiscent, a pained and haunting sound with lyrics, which I didn't follow but nonetheless seemed sad and anguished. A voice from the grave was stirring in this melancholy number which made me search it out (it turns out I had actually downloaded the album but had yet to give it a listen. Blood Meridian is friends with or perhaps even made-up of two other great indie Vancouver bands called Pink Mountaintops and Black Mountain which are already personal favourites).

I won't blow the moment of realization for any of you like I did for those poor few I emailed (probably the same poor few who read my blog :(). I will add though that the last piece of the puzzle was this:

we like sailing....and the meat puppets... and the
13th floor elevators.....and the stones....and
whiskeytown...and other stuff...

Their song is Get Someplace Else and is hosted here.
To read more about Blood Meridian their webpage is: http://www.bloodmeridianmusic.com/

Comments welcome.