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Featured album: DO YOU WANT TO TALK ALL NIGHT? A SAPPY RECORDS TRIBUTE TO SNAILHOUSE

Snailhouse began life in a diner, the name uttered almost as a joke. Snailhouse also began life in a bedroom somewhere in Canada. It could also be said that Snailhouse began life in a punk band in New Brunswick, in a pop band in Quebec, and in an indie rock band in Ontario. In all of these places, and in all of these experiences, Snailhouse was born. And from very early on, Snailhouse, aka Michael K. Feuerstack, played and performed as if he’d been doing it all his life. From the first full-length release in 1994 (Fine), Feuerstack was writing great songs that belied his relative youth.

Sonically, Snailhouse songs can seem deceptively straightforward. Though it is no secret Feuerstack is an accomplished musician. His guitar playing is elegantly understated; he never wastes a single note. Lyrically, too, the songs are pared down like a poem or a Raymond Carver story: all that is there is all that you need. From that first listen, you can enjoy a Snailhouse song as nothing less than a great pop song; it is only later, after another listen, after a few listens, that the layers start peeling away, and the song opens up in an almost surprising way. And you can then maybe catch a glimpse of how the pieces have fit together so seamlessly to form a cohesive gem.

The 12 songs chosen here by the contributors move from the first Snailhouse release, Fine (1994), through The Radio Dances (1998), A New Tradition, 2001 and The Opposite is Also True (both 2001), and finally, The Silence Show (2005). The amazing and disparate interpretations show us how an accomplished song moves out of the songwriter’s home and into the world, creating a life of its own. Winter is coming. Snow will be falling soon, if it hasn’t already. These are beautiful songs, beautifully rendered and made new, again.

Praise for Do You Want To Talk All Night:

“…in the end, the success of this project is how everyone treated this as a gift to a friend. A shared moment, a conversation on the road or one of those glimpses of inspiration or admiration we all share with those we respect the most.” - Herohill.com

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Underground Railroad - Twisted Trees

Underground Railroad are Marion Andrau, J.B Ganivet, and Raphael Mura. They provide a live show that sends you spinning. Politely devastating, they produce a storm of energy and anger, which demolishes everything in its way. They are a gang of dirty, French mothers coming from the same district as AIR in the Versailles area, with a magnetism you can’t ignore.

The group met in 2003 with a common aim, to gig and gig and then to gig some more. In the past 3 years they’ve played over one hundred and fifty shows all over Europe. The band have just about had time to set up home in London in 2005 and send shock waves of anticipation through Europe’s gigging circuit. They continue to infiltrate the UK and Europe, executing tight live shows with a subtly which collides beautifully with their torrential sound. The trio were approached by a number of record labels in 2006 but finally signed to One Little Indian Records which released their ferocious amazing debut album Twisted Trees in June 2007 in Europe.

After two UK tours and a European tour in early 2007, Underground Railroad was then invited in July 2007 to open for Dinosaur Jr. in Europe in prestigious venues such as the Amsterdam Paradisio, The Berlin Fritz club at Postbahnhof, Effenar in Eindhoven or Frisson in Fribourg.

Ungerground Railroad are leaving for Seattle in February 2008 to record their second album with producer John Goodmanson ( Death cab for cutie, Blonde redhead…) which is due out Autumn 2008.

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Levy - Glorious

Levy, a band that came out of NYC and formed in September 2003. James Levy, the heart of the group, a young balladeer and writer of all the songs and music, started out solo, playing gigs at the Sidewalk in the city’s East Village. James was part of the scene that came to be known as the “anti-folk movement” which included Moldy Peaches Adam Green and Kimya Dawson, Regina Spektor and others that were quickly scooped up by the music industry.

Levy had a quick rise up NYC music scene elite, playing gigs with national bands - Athlete, Razorlight, Adam Green, Regina Spektor, Gene Dreamy, Gary Sincere and The Zutons. Levy’s buzz spread across the city and they became darlings of the hipster clubs. This street cred landed them local press and interest soon spread across the bridges and out of town. Levy’s music was tipped on internet-blog Podcaster playlists: from NYC, up to Canada, back down to Texas, over in Japan, on web radio in France, making personal “best” lists or artists of the month. They were all over the bespoke internet like hand-done embroidery. Podcasters around The States – Chicago now, then LA, San Diego catching up - were podcasting Levy’s music before podcasters became the in thing. That started back in January, at the same time as “Relevant” magazine selected Levy in its music edition as a “band to watch” for in 2005. Levy’s track “On the Dance Floor” can be heard in Scottie Marshall’s feature film “Lucky 13” and “Rivka” can be heard in the French Canadian young adult drama “Love 15”, which airs in France, Canada and Quebec.

Praise for Levy:

“Levy follows in the great tradition of turning heartbreak into perfect two-minute pop songs.” - Tripwire

“Anyone who has a soft spot (possibly hidden under a cardigan) for orange juice or The Fieldmice will be charmed by their C86-like lo- fi pop sweetness and everybody else will just love their catchy-but-nasty combination of gorgeous tunes and bitter lyrics. Tasty” - Lauren Laverne, XFM Radio UK

“James Levy is an intriguing songwriter’- Time Out “They can easily play in the backyard with the stalwarts of New York’s vitalized post punk scene’- The New York Post

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Santogold - Creator / L.E.S Artistes Single

Santogold is a survivor of a half-century worth of living along musical evolution’s most cutting edges. The only live act that can boast of having out-aged Barbara Bush, having outlived Mr. Miyagi and out-styled Liberace, Santogold is here with future flavor.

Already receiving weighty club rotation and airplay in urban Afghanistan and downtown Beirut, Santogold is the first act of the century to boast a post-war following on the International Space Station Mir. Following a live performance broadcast from three thousand miles off the Cape of Good Hope last June, inmates at Leavenworth Penitentiary received Santogold with a celebratory confetti parade. Just another first for the modern super group that knows no bound.

Composed of absolutely no members, Santogold is also the first musical outfit capable of claiming the planet’s broiling collective consciousness as their front woman. Longtime collaborator, singer and songwriter Santi White says of her work with Santogold, “We began trying to write pop songs to sell, which made us depressed, so we started writing songs for ourselves instead.” The results of that self-centered conceit is the songwriting work heard for the first time on the full length Santogold album, as yet untitled, to be released in 2007 on the Lizard King label.

As unmastered tracks leaked over the internet this past November, the request lines of radio stations from Miami to Hanoi began freezing with a flood of calls from listeners eager to hear the new Santogold sound over their frequencies. From his radio show in the United Arab Emirates capital city of Abu Dhabi, Michael Jackson (the King of Pop) played what Santogold snippets he had been able to pirate from a bootleg MySpace page dedicated to the group. Days later, BBC Radio One reported that the unreleased Santogold debut was heard blasting from the iPod shuffle of Libyan ruler Moammar Qaddafi as he entered an international summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja. Recognizing the urgent need to address the uproarious buzz, Santogold released the following statement through their label reps at Lizard King: “The response to our unmastered songs has been both premature and phenomenal! We were happy to hear that the children of Darfur have found hope in our melodic interpretation of life on the battlefield of love! We’re hoping that each and every 20-something from downtown San Francisco to central Mumbai will also learn something from our work! And to the people dropping no-knock fire on old ladies in Atlanta: shame on you! Santogold ain’t with that shit!”

The trajectory of such early successes leading to newfound political clout is nothing new for Santogold, whose debut album, though half a century in the making, is sure to rock glass pipes from the Lincoln Memorial to Buckingham palace. The flavor of the gold is guaranteed: Santogold!

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The Superfantastics - Rites of Spring single

The first single from their upcoming EP, Choose Your Destination, “Rites of Spring” sees The Superfantastics expanding their sound with synths, trumpets and cowbell. While they’ve never shyed away from clever hooks and witty charms in the past, the band has out done themselves with this pop gem.

Made up of Matt MacDonald (guitar, vocals) and Steph d’Entremont (drums, vocals), the band has been performing dates throughout Eastern Canada for over two years.

In March of 2007, the group released the acclaimed Pop-Up Book. Melodic, dynamic and arranged with a unique sensibility, each track harkens back to a school of song craft made famous in the mid to late 60’s. The collection strays between a focused minimalism to a driving wall of sound, all the while keeping songwriting in the spotlight.

Reviews:

“Pop-Up Book could well be one of this year’s best Canadian debuts.” - Eye Weekly

“Pop-Up Book is a fun little record packed to the gills with catchy pop songs and funny lyrics.”- Exclaim!

“Even if MacDonald and d’Entremont had nothing but a beaten-up acoustic guitar in their hands, their irresistible melodies are the main reason why they are considered to be one of the most anticipated Canadian acts of 2007.” - Obscure Sound

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The Aluminum Group - Little Happyness

Named in honor of a line of furniture designed by Charles and Ray Eames, Chicago-based chamber-pop outfit the Aluminum Group is led by brothers John and Frank Navin. These early contributors to the Wicker Park music scene first surfaced in 1983 as members of the hardcore band Women in Love.

Eventually their secret affection for the buoyant music of the Carpenters and Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 surfaced when the Navin brothers formed the Aluminum Group, stubbornly crafting their own singular brand of lushly orchestrated pop long before the genre became newly ‘re-fashionable’ during the mid-1990s. Besides composing and recording their own music, the Navins have begun making short films to accompany their music, available on their website: www.thealuminumgroup.net

“Little Happyness” is the finale to the Aluminum Group’s decade-long “Happyness” trilogy. Beginning with “Happyness” (2002) and “Morehappyness” (2004). A talented mix of artists and musicians helped contribute to the creation of “Little Happyness”, John Mcentire produced and mixed the album along with Prada designer Fabio Zambernardi. Musical contributions also include Rob Kallick and Dave Rothblatt from hit Chicago rock band The Changes, actress Lisa Zane, Amy Warren, Bill Loman and Geri Soriano from Supreme Beings of Leisure.”Little Happyness” blends the light-hearted “pop” orchestration the brothers love with the abstract qualities that keep them endlessly intriguing. Eleven new rapturous songs telling tiny tales of Everyman’s struggle with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!

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United Steel Workers of Montreal - Kerosene & Coal

Kerosene & Coal is the second album by Montreal’s kings of citygrass, The United Steel Workers of Montreal, following up their outstanding debut, Broken Trucks and Bottles. Showing how raucous and affecting this blues-y, urban, alt-country band can be, the songs on Kerosene & Coal start from the grit of Montreal’s south-west neighbourhoods before tearing down truck routes to move past highway pit stops for gas-station melodramas and back-road drag races, with a bank robbery thrown in for good measure. Well stocked with twelve 80-proof tracks that explore true love (both requited and the other kind), the fringes of the workaday life, love’s desperation, redemption, and the camaraderie of a neighbourhood bar at last call, Kerosene & Coal handily captures the infectious draw of The United Steel Workers of Montreal. The six-piece band takes off from varied influences, giving Kerosene & Coal their own unique sound. Gern f.’s gritty voice trades off growls and whispers, providing a boisterous counterpart to Shawn ‘Gus’ Beauchamp’s earnest, emotionally raw vocals on songs such as “Ask Me To Stay” and “Union Man”. But it’s Felicity Hamer who delivers the knockout punch, revealing the emotional power of the Steel Workers as she turns a sultry rasp into a satin-smooth drawl. Gern and Gus have perfected their two-guitar attack, while Matt Watson’s soulful telecaster roots you to the speaker. Roger Dawson’s stand-up bass provides deft backing and Kevin McNeilly plays banjo and mandolin with feverish intensity.The twelve tracks on Kerosene & Coal were written by Gus and Gern, developed by the band, and recorded at Montreal’s artist-centric UrbanHanded Works Studio, where they were able to retain control over recording and production, allowing this album to be a true follow up to the success of Broken Trucks and Bottles.

Reviews:

“Know now that dive-bar roots-rock and taproom alt-country is alive, weird and woolly in Canada. A four-band bill curated by independent label Weewerk showcased a pan-Canadian array of talent, most of which succeeded, at the sooty and venerable Horseshoe Tavern.” - Globe & Mail

“The Steel Workers proved that playing the first set of the night doesn’t need to hold a band back if they have the right attitude. Their catchy country tunes and infectious enthusiasm started winning whoops and cheers halfway through and earned them a huge ovation at the end of the set.” - Chartattack

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In-Flight Safety - The Coast Is Clear

The Halifax-based quartets first full-length album The Coast Is Clear exceeds all expectations. The disc is a superb cinematic pop experiment that tugs at your heartstrings upon first listen.

Starting out in Vancouver, the band began work on five tracks with producer Warne Livesey (Midnight Oil, 54-40), who took the band under his British wing for a month-long recording adventure. On their return to Halifax the band enlisted Laurence Currie (Sloan, Ghandharvas) to help bring the record towards the finish line. But, when it came time to sculpt the album into a satisfying wall of sound, In-Flight Safety opted for the hands on approach.

The groups first release, the 2003 mellow-pop gem Vacation Land, won over countless fans and critics upon release, landing the band two Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia Award nominations (Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album). The same bedroom recording helped score a green In-Flight Safety their first gig in Toronto at the NxNE Festival where the band won 2003s Fan Choice Award which led to a distribution deal with Universal Music.

The disc, which received a four NNNN/Critics Pick review in Torontos Now Magazine, also generated a video for the single Somebodys Watching You that has been featured prominently on MuchMusic’s The Wedge and Going Coastal. The video was filmed in a 1940s movie theatre located in small town Sackville, NB where the band members met as university students who juggled computer, geography, classics and fine arts courses while quenching their insatiable desire to play music.

Reviews:

“… piano backed numbers and rock-out electric guitar tracks… this is music I can get into. In-Flight Safety have already played with Stars and local darlings Broken Social Scene and are definitely poised for bigger things.”
- Now Magazine

“… a solid batch of smartly written pop songs and lush live show. Evoking the spirits of classic Pink Floyd, In-Flight Safety knows how to write a song that captures the ear and the imagination”
- The Coast

“… Bright, ringing little percussive notes punctuate some of the downbeats, paired with more expansive, deeper notes from, say, a guitar or a piano, in the way The Beach Boys did so well… you’ll be mesermerized by Mullane’s effortless vocal delivery”
- The Daily News

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The Bicycles - The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly

After more than 5 years of playing together, Toronto sweethearts The Bicycles finally decide to slate their finely tuned pop savoir faire into music history. The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly, the Bicycles’ debut album, is the product of Matt Beckett (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Drew Smith (vocals, guitar, tambourine, yes tambourine!), Randy Lee (bass, vocals), Dana Snell (drums, vocals) and Andrew Scott (trumpet, guitar, keyboard, vocals).Almost two years in the making, The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly pays homage to the likes of The Monkees, The Kinks, Brian Wilson, Harry Nilsson, The Archies and other bubblegum popsters of yesteryear. Admittedly borrowing from the 60’s and 70’s, their catchy, crush-worthy songs manage to reach a more dynamic sound, with their intricate arrangements, variety of instrumentation and quality production. This album ranges from ball to the wall rockers that make you flail your arms and shake your hair, to dreamy ballads that make you sway side to side with a sad smile.Much of the overall grandiose sound of The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly can be attributed to the hard yards done making it; partly produced by Dan Bryk and engineered by Robert Sledge (Ben Folds Five) in 2002, partly produced and recorded by The Bicycles themselves in 2006, and all rolled up together and mixed by José Contreras (By Divine Right).And while we’re dropping names… Guests musicians on The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly include The Meligrove Band’s Jay Nunes, Hidden Cameras’ Mike Olsen, Golden Dogs’ Dave Azzolini and Jessica Grassia, Jessie Stein, Gentleman Reg, Lindy and John Southworth to name a few. Having shared the stage with well known acts like Of Montreal, The Constantines, Feist, The Flashing Lights and Old Soul in the past, The Bicycles have garnered quite a loyal fanbase that is prevalent at their live shows. Matching outfits, lifesize cut-outs, amusing banter, and choreographed hi-fives make for great reviews…

Reviews:

“The Toronto five-piece is influenced by all the things that make me smile, like girl groups, bubblegum music, and late-’80s indie pop, and instead of just churning out weak copies of those styles, they have some seriously great songs that succeed due to crafty mixing and matching, as well as stellar performances and big as a banana seat hooks.”
- All Music Guide

“Few albums of any generation are as consistently catchy as The Good The Bad and The Cuddly. Comprised of 17 multicoloured, candy-coated tracks, Cuddly is consummate pop sonic bliss. It overflows with rich melodies that make hearts freefall.”
- FFWD

“The big buzz here is that bubblegum music is back.”
- Ottawa XPress