I'm preparing tomorrow's show (a tribute to Canada) and while seeking through my mp3 library I stumbled upon Apollo Ghosts. Needless to say they were immediately added on our playlist. This three-piece from Vancouver play simple but amazing indie rock that reminds me of the good old Seattle days. A quick search revealed an album (Hastings Sunrise) and an EP (Forgotten Triangle) along with some new material coming up on Geographing Records. Here are a couple of videos and tracks for you to enjoy. Check them out...they're worth it!
How on earth did we miss this one? Our fellow blogger Zeugolator did warn us last year but we somehow still managed to oversee it. Winter Gloves are an indie band from Montreal that make incredible indie songs. Their debut About a Girl was released last year and should have been on our top list...but I guess it's never to late. Their track Invisible is just playing endlessly for the last couple of days and the rest of the album is equally briliant. Don't miss it (like we did)!
Reverie Sound Revue are a unique case in the indie scene. The band from Calgary (Canada…what else?) released an EP back in 2003 which quickly became very popular on the radio and the alternative scene. However, instead of moving forward, the band quickly decided to call it a day in 2004. Lead singer Lisa Lobsinger continued singing as the female voice of Broken Social Scene, while the rest of the band members endured their own musical journeys. Fortunately for all of us, they decided to get back together and just released (June 23rd) their self-titled debut.
Their debut continues exactly where their EP abruptly stopped. Catchy tunes, melodic pop and endless reverb embraced by Lisa’s haunting voice. The closest match to their sound is probably Stereolab at their best (although the comparison may be too much for Reverie). The album sounds like a fresh explosion of melodies that makes you want to foolishly sing along. Each listen to the album is a journey that you just want to take again and again. Finally…Canada came to the rescue again!
Fellow co-blogger BLR publicly promised never (or at least for sometime) to post again about Canadian bands. So when I got my hands on the new album from Wolf Parade, there was no choice than to post a review myself (the non-Canadian expert). Originating from Montreal, the band was formed in 2003 when Spencer Krug was asked to open for the Arcade Fire. The original lineup consisted of Spencer (prior Frog Eyes and currently involved in Sunset Rubdown), Dan Boeckner (prior Atlas Strategic and currently also in Handsome Furs) and Arlen Thompson. A year later they got Hadju Bakara on board and yet another year later Dante DeCaro (formerly in Hot Hot Heat). After a couple of EPs, the band was signed to Sub Pop by Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse and finally released their debut Apologies to the Queen Mary in 2005. The band was an instant success story (as most Canadian bands) but despite this they decided not to instantly follow up with a second album but rather wait for 3 years (although most of the band members and especially Spencer and Dan were kept busy during this time with their side projects).
The wait however is over (or almost) as their sophomore album At Mount Zoomer (originally titled Kissing the Beehive but later named as a reference to their recording studio instead due to copyright infringement) will be released on June 16. The album follows the same ingredients as their debut, with Spencer and Dan taking turns in both composition and vocals. However, the sound is much different this second time around. First of all, the album is much deeper and darker than the first (which had an uplifting feeling).The instantly likeable hit melodies have now also been replaced with more complex themes and a retro feeling of grand-rock compositions. This is more evident in their extended tracks such as the superb California Dreaming and Kissing the Beehive. To me, these are signs of Spencer and Dan blending more as a band (along with the rest of the members) and avoiding repeating themselves. One of the best things about the album is the quality of the songs, with all nine tracks sounding amazing and also unique. It should have been expected after their debut (or just because they are Canadian). This is one of those albums which I instantly know it will get into my list of this year’s best releases (although some people may be put off since it requires more time and effort than their debut). Enjoy some of their tracks and be sure to check out Sub Pop for pre-orders..
*For God's Sake, Somebody Turn On the F*cking A/C!
River is enjoying the summer breeze in San Sebastian, pretending to work as always. We are stuck here, on the other hand, melting away, suffering from the unbearable heat in our cramped office spaces:( That Bastard ! ! !
I want to relax and listen to some cool pieces - and by saying cool, I mean songs made by people that rarely experience above 0C environments. Canadians, for example. This might help a bit :D I've compiled a string of my latest favorites (mostly older songs) to help us appreciate this great nation via back-to-back listening.
Oh I promise, this will be my last reference to Canada! You ain't gonna hear no more the 'C' word from me now on, people... Never ever again!
I must be passing through my 'Canadian' phase in music taste... Bands like Broken Social Scene, the Stars, Metric, and of course the everlasting Arcade Fire, dominate my musical preferences for the time being. I must say that these guys and gals know about innovation and especially about ROCKing!!!
This clip is dedicated to a friend who arguably believes that 'he lied about death' is the best that the Stars have to show off at the moment. And she is quite right, if I may say! Please forget the video, it's the audio that counts!
Athens66 started off as a common project by a bunch of friends but quickly turned into almost a personal blog (although some remains of previous posts can still be found). Currently, the Team has been narrowed down to two members, who besides being old friends and schoolmates share the same joy for Music, Movies, Alcohol and Pro Evolution sessions.
The sole purpose of this blog is to shout out whatever comes in mind about movies, music, reality, fantasy and all the rest. Nothing posted here is to be taken seriously, but then again what is? Since this blog is still quite fresh, we are definitely open to suggestions and directions (although most of them will just be ignored)
If you want to recommend us a new group, advertise on our blog or just bitch about the things we post, just send us an email at martdnv [at] gmail [dot] com and we'll get in contact with you!
Disclaimer
The content provided on this blog is for promotion purposes only. If you like the music, please support the artists and purchase the CDs of the music you like. Files should be deleted within 24 hours. Athens66 is not responsible for anything you may download. If you find any content that is violating the copyright law, please send us an email at martdnv [at] gmail [dot] com and the material will be removed.
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The highly anticipated follow-up to Oracular Spectacular is here and free! Congratulations may not be groundbreaking, it may be a rip-off from old Bowie tracks, yet it's still quite fun.
Tunes of the Week
A few more songs for you this week. From Great Lake Swimmers to Pearly Gate Music. Enjoy!
