It's still unclear to me if all three members of The Rural Alberta Advantage are ex-pats from the Princess Province (that's the nickname, really) or just songwriter Nils Edenloff but whichever it is, they've all embraced his upbringing and experiences which inform every nook and cranny of their debut full-length, Hometowns.

Edenloff's lyrics are rich with tales of Alberta both from the personal perspective of his upbringing in the northern region of the province and his wistful reminiscences of such from his new home in Toronto and from a more historical one with tales of its history such as the rockslide that buried the town in "Frank, AB" and frequently intertwining the two. The personalized historical travelogue is a concept that's been used to great effect by Sufjan Stevens but the similarities end on paper - where Stevens' projects are lushly orchestrated and more than a little precious, The RAA favours an aesthetic that's spare, dry and a little brash. If you were to remix the record and pull every track besides Edenloff's plaintive, Jeff Mangum-esque vocals and crashing acoustic guitar, it wouldn't sound miles away from the finished product.

But those miles - or the few inches travel for the faders on the mixing board - are a crucial distance for within them lies the real magic of the record. Most songs are built around Edenloff but the contributions of his bandmates - drummer Paul Banwatt and vocalist/keyboardist Amy Cole - can't be understated. Banwatt's drumming brings just the right amount of energy, forcing the songs out of the folky vein they might otherwise settle into without overpowering them (though letting the folk in where appropriate) and Cole's sweet harmonies are the ideal counterpoint to Edenloff's rough edges. Add in the extra instrumental touches - the bright flourish of a trumpet, the low swell of a cello, the sleepy whirr of a combo organ - perfectly placed like colourful landmarks out the window of a long road trip, the sort you only see for a few seconds in passing but leave an indelible impression in your memory, and you've got an album that's simple and simply wonderful.

Hometowns is still seeking distribution so there's no precise release date at the moment but the band are setting out on a east coast tour starting tomorrow in my own hometown of Waterloo, Ontario and bringing a little bit of the prairies to the Maritimes over the next week and a bit. Their next Toronto show isn't until March 27 at the Drake as part of this year's Pitter Patter Festival.  I Heart Music also gushed about the record this week, and has a copy to give away.

MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Don't Haunt This Place"
MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Luciana"
MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Frank, AB"
MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Sleep All Day"
MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage - "In The Summertime"
MySpace: The Rural Alberta Advantage

Originally published at chromewaves.net  

So this past Tuesday was the day that British Sea Power asks North Americans, Do You Like Rock Music?.  I offered up my thoughts on the record last month when the record was released in the UK so I won't rehash that, sufficed to say I still love the album. Instead, I'll point out that they've marked the occasion by announcing the second string of North American tour dates, covering the midwest to the east coast and wrapping up in in our neighbourhood, the penultimate date coming May 16 at Lee's Palace with support from The Rosebuds.

This, of course, does me no good since I'm landing in Dublin early that morning, but it should be a riotous show for those of you able to attend. I will have to make do with trying to see them at Noise Pop and/or SxSW and hope that they bring the tour machine back for a second go-around in the Fall, perhaps.

The creepy puppet footage from their performance on Later… With Jools Holland which I tried to link a few days ago is now back up but far more interesting are the actual performances from the show, linked below, and the interview portion of the programme.  You think it's too much to hope that they'll tour with the Cumbrian wrestlers?

And if you're still uncertain as to your position on rock music, you can stream the album in its entirety at Spinner, but I'll save you some trouble. The answer is "yes". Four out of five critics agree, though Pitchfork (aka the fifth dentist) thinks they're being clever again.

Stream: British Sea Power / Do You Like Rock Music?
Video: British Sea Power - "Waving Flags" (live on Jools Holland)
Video: British Sea Power - "No Lucifer" (live on Jools Holland)
Video: British Sea Power - "Canvey Island" (live on Jools Holland)

Originally published at chromewaves.net. 

Chief Radar Bro, Jim Putnam, stopped by the Aquarium Drunkard show, upstairs at the Little Radio loft, for a little chit-chat, and a few choice tunes on his acoustic. You can download the second half of our conversation and the three in-studio, acoustic, tracks below.

Download:
MP3: http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2008/02/10/ad-show-radar-bros-little-radio-jan-2008/
———–
Amazon: Radar Bros. - Auditorium

www.radarbros.com ++ www.mergerecords.com ++ www.myspace.com/radarbros

Continue reading "Soul Jazz 171 :: Jamaican Funk & Soul 45’s"

The co-headline tour must be a tricky proposition. The "co-" implies that the acts are of an equal stature and that one should take no higher billing than the other, but pragmatically when it comes to showtime, someone opens and someone closes. When the Keren Ann/Dean and Britta tour was initially announced, it was Ms Zeidel who appeared to be getting the nod as far as getting to pick songs for an encore but as Saturday night's date at the Mod Club drew near, listings appeared to flip the order and give Mr and Mrs Luna the top billing, possibly causing issues for people planning out their evening. For me, it was academic. Though I thought it a bit of an odd pairing, it worked for me and I was there well early enough to catch the whole show, whatever the order.

Continue reading "Back Numbers"

Continue reading "Stepping In A Rhythm To A Kurtis Blow…"

Continue reading "The Cardinals :: January 30th, Los Angeles, CA"

So as everyone and their dog has already blogged, the official SxSW 2008 lineup was released yesterday. In the past, they've parceled out the lineup in smaller bundles but this looks to be the whole thing. Of course, it'll change some between now and mid-March - there's acts on there that I've been told aren't going to be attending and other acts absent that I know will be in Austin. But by and large, that's it.

Continue reading "South By Spring Break"

The mention of Athens, Georgia in a musical context tends to bring to mind a certain sound or aesthetic - be it the jangly college rock of R.E.M. in the '80s, the whimsical psychedelia of the Elephant 6 movement in the '90s and since the late '90s through today, the blistering Southern rock of the Drive-By Truckers (though some, myself included, tend to think of them more as an Alabama band).

Continue reading "Right Hand On My Heart"

Continue reading "Crystal Moustache"

Saturday night wasn't done with the Weakerthans, no sir. After a quick pit stop at home to change into some dry socks and shoes, it was back out the door to Sneaky Dee's to catch The Airfields' release show for their debut album Up All Night (officially out today), which I previewed last week.  Most of it, anyway.  I arrived too late to catch Terror Lake and based on the number of people who told me I missed out, I was under the impression that I'd missed out. Alas. Next time, Lake of Terror. Next time.

Continue reading "Up All Night"

Continue reading "Echoplex Residency :: Sermon On Sunset Boulevard"

I don't understand what there is to celebrate about Winter. It's a cold, dreary season that seems to last far longer than the time allotted to it by the calendar and the only sensible way to spend it is indoors, with double-paned windows and central heat. So, of course, the city decides that it's the perfect time to throw an outdoor festival and to make sure that it can't simply be ignored (from indoors), they get The Weakerthans to play a free show.  Outside.  Of course. 

Continue reading "Reunion Tour"