COLIN MUNROE
“MGMT’s album, Oracular Spectacular, would be my pick for favorite album of 2008. It had just enough art and just enough pop to stick in my head.”
COLIN MUNROE PLAYS THE BOAT (158 AUGUSTA AV) DEC 2.
BRENDAN CANNING
(BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE)
“I’ll stick with Dr. Dog, Fate.... At first I thought, ok, here comes the George Harrison guitar solo, here’s the song that sounds like The Band, and then I thought, who cares? These guys play with conviction and heart and I can hum along to their tunes. That’s enough for me.”
BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE PLAY SOUND ACADEMY (11 POLSON)
THE WORLD PROVIDER
“My favourite record of the year is Laura, by Laura Borealis, on Gooseberry Records. It’s basically in the folky-indie-songwriter genre, which I don’t typically dig as a rule, but her songwriting has the rare combination of being really original while still pleasing to the ear. The lyrics are somehow pointed but abstract, and the chord changes unexpected but strangely perfect.”
THE WORLD PROVIDER PLAYS A CD RELEASE AT THE DRAKE UNDERGROUND (1150 QUEEN W) NOV 29.
LUKE DOUCET
“Sloan’s Parallel Play is my record of the year. That four Canadian boys in their late-30s can self-produce a record that out-rocks anything else on the shelves of Soundscapes bodes well for me personally and just might save our rock ‘n’ roll souls.”
LUKE DOUCET OPENS FOR JAMES BLUNT AT AIR CANADA CENTRE (40 BAY) NOV 27.
CASEY MECIJA (OHBIJOU)
“Katie Stelmanis’ debut album, Join Us, is an eclectic collection of MIDI-driven sounds and melodies that has been a mainstay in my headphones for the past year. Stelmanis manages to create a musical atmosphere that pushes the listener to decipher the details while remaining attentive to her thunderous voice and virtuosic abilities. This lady has only just begun to make her mark in music and I am excited to see where she goes from here.”
OHBIJOU, THE ACORN AND RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE PLAY LEE’S PALACE (529 BLOOR W) NOV 27.