Wow. Here’s a track to listen to over and over again. Stream Del Bel (ft. Bry Webb)’s nostalgic, boozy “No Cure for Loneliness” (B-Side) above, and download it for free over on Soundcloud.

Recorded in a lofi environment on a 4 track cassette tape player to capture the aesthetic of a 1930’s recording, Guelph-meets-Toronto collective Del Bel offers their new free tune featuring former Constantines frontman Bry Webb singing alongside Del Bel frontwoman Lisa Conway.

So, a few musical news of note happened over the last three or so weeks while I was on vacation, one of which was the death of Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch. Toronto emcee D-Sisive has released a bumpin’ and apt tribute track to Yauch’s life and music named “Adam,” which you can stream above and download over on Soundcloud.

I knew I had to create something for him. I didn’t want to record the typical tribute song. MCA wasn’t typical and deserves better. I wanted to take it back to my childhood. The childhood they had impacted so heavily. I wanted to take it back to me, rapping Pass The Mic in a comb in front of a mirror in my bedroom, hat backwards, in my father’s work jacket. These were the moments that drove me to become an artist. And MCA helped me steer.

Thank you, Adam.

Album Review: Kalle Mattson find a happy medium on Lives in Between EP

Kalle Mattson, a five-piece folk pop group hailing from Sault Ste. Marie, tap into the purgatorial space between the shining goal in the distance and the disappearing horizon from which one has arrived. Their Lives in Between EP, which follows two full-length albums, sounds like the lament of a weary traveler, but more so, the exploration of a band that has found themselves exactly where they should be at a moment in time.

Bookended by “Someday” and “Miles in Between,” two melancholy acoustic numbers, Mattson and his band probe their goals— home. The homes they will make and the homes they’ve left. For a man “who’s sick and tired of bars and shitty rock & roll,” and sick and tired of watching the sun set, knowing it’s yet to rise on the face of his lover’s. These two tracks are adorned with some lovely plucked guitars, strings, and harmonica, making for beautifully layered folk-pop gems.

Mattson and his band are not content with dwelling in either longing or nostalgia, however. Nor do they dwell in the easy category of folk/singer-songwriter. The five-track EP have plenty of playful and experimental twists. “Sun Is Gone” has a Matt Costa-ish vibe, using horns and the tinkling of a xylophone to great effect. “The Shore” is the biggest departure in the EP, pairing distorted vocals with spacey yet jarring guitars, all driven by some insistent drumming. It’s definitely the most cacophonous and experimental of the bunch.

Kalle Mattson are recording their third full-length this year, and the Lives in Between EP serves as an excellent teaser and road marker for where their sound is going. Good places. But lives are all about the journey— and they sound fantastic right now.

Kalle Mattson are offering up all three of their albums, Whisper Bee (2009), Anchors (2011) and Lives in Between, for free download on their website. Go and grab it and do your ears a favour. Then make sure you catch them on tour. Dates are below.

May 9 - Sudbury, ON - The Townehouse
May 10 - Sault Ste. Marie, ON - Loplops
May 11 - North Bay, ON - TBA
May 12 - Sarnia, ON - Paddy Flahertys
May 15 - Montreal, QC - Le Divan Orange
May 17 - Moncton, NB - Plan B Lounge
May 18 - Sydney, NS - Govenors Pub
May 19 - Fredericton, NB - The Capital
May 20 - Halifax, NS - The Carleton
May 22 - Kingston, ON - TBA
May 23 - Toronto, ON - The Supermarket
May 24 - London, ON - The Brass
May 25 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks
May 26 - Peterborough, ON - The Spill

Wind Up Radio Sessions - “Little Bird.” This Montreal quartet will be releasing their sophomore album Bird Eyes on May 22nd. Stream the single above, grab it for free over on Soundcloud, and check out the album and the band on tour if you like what you hear!

The Crackling - “Keep Me Drunk.” Loving his gritty voice, and the angelic accompaniment by the Vancouver Children’s Choir near the end. Kenton Loewen, best known for being a part of Dan Mangan’s band, will be releasing Ashen to follow his debut album under this moniker. The EP will be released on May 22nd. In the meanwhile, listen to the single streaming above, and download it over on Soundcloud.

This is really lovely. Winnipeg’s Jenny Berkel has a warm, inviting voice. Coupled with skilled and gentle guitar plucking, “Love Is A Stone” is a folk gem. Stream the single above, and grab a free download of the track on Soundcloud. Berkel will release her debut Here On A Wire on May 1st. 

Jenny Berkel will be touring across Canada with another prairie gem, Demetra Penner. See the tour dates below:

Upcoming tour dates:
May 5th – London, ON – The Brass*
May 6th – Guelph, ON – The Cornerstone*
May 8th – Hamilton, ON – Homegrown*
May 9th – Windsor, ON – Phog Lounge*
May 10th – Toronto, ON – OCAD Student Gallery*
May 12th – St. Catharines, ON - The Mansion*
May 14th – Montreal, QC – Casa Del Popolo*
May 16th - Woodstock, NB - Fusion Cafe
May 21st - Antigonish, NS - House show
May 25th - Fredericton, NB - Charlotte Street Arts Centre
May 24th – Halifax, NS – The Company House
May 26th - Montreal, QC - Le Depanneur
May 28th - Toronto, ON - The Gladstone Hotel
* w/ Demetra Penner

Well this is a fun one. Charlottetown’s North Lakes will be releasing their sophomore album Grand Prix on May 15 after receiving much acclaim for their debut Cobra in 2011. Stream the punchy pop rock single “Grab Me By The Lapel” above, download it over at Soundcloud, and catch them on their east coast tour. (Fredericton: no excuses; they’re playing three times!)

Holy epic. Lioness have released one heck of an expansive, moody and bass-heavy dance track with “They Clip the Wings of Birds.” Stream it above, grab it over at Soundcloud, and keep your eyes peeled here for more words about The Golden Killer, their recently released debut album.

Vancouver’s Apollo Ghosts have announced the release of their upcoming album Landmark via You’ve Changed Records. The 4-piece recorded the tracks in their own practice space, and from the sound of single “What Are Your Influences?” (streaming above; download here), the sloppy, fun aesthetic that the band is known for is captured quite well. Landmark will be out in May, and you can see the track list for the album below. 

Apollo Ghosts - Landmark

01. What Are Your Influences
02. American Joint
03. I’m in Love With the USA
04. Why Can’t I be the Man On-stage
05. Violet Margaret
06. So Much Better When You’re Gone
07. Landmark
08. Weekend Fantasy
09. Day of Glory
10. For What They Do, They Do
11. Paralysis of My Long Clerkship
12. I Followed the Rules and I Got Everything
13. Guitar Brother
14. Newcastle
15. Will You Forgive Me