Tops – Sugar at the Gate [Review]

Tags

2017, Album, Album Review, Arbutus Records, Canada, David Carriere, Jane Penny, Montreal, Music Video, pop, Review, Riley Fleck, Sugar at the Gate, Tops

Montreal Tops seems the be the most underrated band at the moment.
Having three albums under their belt through Arbutus Records.
Their recent being Sugar at the Gate which was recorded in California than in Montreal.
Sugar at the Gates is 10 tracks of moody laid-back 80s poppy rock vibe.
I felt like this album had a sadder tone lyrically since some of the songs had a break-up feel to it.
While their last album Picture You Staring had a mix up of upbeat and slowness of Pop music.
Since they don’t have a track similar to Outside where you want to do some dance and think Top Gun.
Sugar at the Gate is a stronger album with it’s output with their musicality and lyrics.
One of my favorite albums to get in a sunny dreamy mood.

Best tracks:

• Further
• Petal
• Dayglo Bimbo
• Cutlass Cruiser
• I Just Wanna Make You Real

I’d give Sugar at the Gate:

Hard Science – Dreaming in Stereo [Review]

Tags

2017, Album, Album Review, Canada, Dance, Dreaming in Stereo, electronica, Hard Science, indie, Music, Ottawa, Review

Ottawa musician and visual artist Hard Science has finally dropped the long awaited full-length album called Dreaming in Stereo.
The album was 9 years in the making and all the all blood, sweat and tears has come out.
Lots of great vocal collaborations from Theaterina and Olexandra from The Peptides.
It is a mix of DIY experimental Electro-Dance and 80s New Wave pop music.
Sometimes I felt like listening to background music to some video game.
Nice album to get on vinyl which you can get on analogkitchun records
Best tracks:

• Dreaming in Stereo
• Summer’s Over, Autumn Begins
• Worthy Companion
• J.P.4.A.R.P.
• When Things Just Don’t Go Your Way

I’d give Dreaming in Stereo:

Bonnie Doon – Dooner Nooner [Review]

Tags

2017, Album, Album Review, alternative, band, Bonnie Doon, Canada, Dooner Nooner, Group, Music, Musicians, Ottawa, punk, Rock

Finally, the wait is over!
Ottawa’s all female group Bonnie Doon has released their first full-length album called Dooner Nooner via The Record Centre Records.
Nine tracks filled with high energetic, angsty post-punk, surfy-rock and no wave music.
Most of the songs I’ve heard live like Sandy’s Song with the clapping part, catchy countdown on Now or Neverish and experimental craziness on Panty Twist with Aymara Alvarado Sanchez on saxophone.

Thank goodness this album couldn’t come out at a better time when everyone is getting ready for the summer.
Get this album and take it to the beach, poolside, park or wherever!!

Best Tracks

• Pants and a Face
• High Noon
• Sandy’s Song
• Now or Neverish
• Panty Twister

I’d give Dooner Nooner:

Kelly Lee Owens – Kelly Lee Owens [Review]

Tags

2017, Album, Album Review, artist, British, Dance, electronica, Jenny Hval, Kelly Lee Owens, London, Music, Music Video, Musician, pop, Review, singer, UK

While trying to find whatever music to play on my radio show.
I accidentally found this artist on this site and when I listened to this album.
I was blown away by the music!
This is the British artist Kelly Lee Owens with her self-titled debut album.
Heare is the details:
“An album that bridges the gaps between cavernous techno, spectral pop, and krautrock’s mechanical pulse, the 27­ year ­old Londoner has made a debut album brimming with exploratory wonder, establishing a personal aesthetic that is as beguiling as it is thrillingly familiar.”
With the popularity of EDM from the likes of The xx, Austra and Grimes.
This album is a mix of dreamy electronic sounds to hard-pulse electronic dance beats.
The standout track is Anxi which features Jenny Hval.
I call her the British version of Jessy Lanza, Caribou, Blue Hawaii and Austra mixed into one!
This one of the surprising albums to check out in 2017!

Best tracks:

• S.O
• Anxi feat. Jenny Hval
• Lucid
• Evolution
• Throwing Lines
• Keep Walking

I’d give this album:

del bel – III [Album Review]

Tags

2017, Adam Hindle, Album, Album Review, alternative, band, Canada, Christopher Sandes, del bel, Dustin Seabrook, folk, Group, Guelph, III, Ira Zingraff, Jason Rule, Joe Ernewein, John Corban, Karen Ng, Lisa Conway, Mike Brooks, Music, Music Video, Musicians, Review, Rock, Tyler Belluz

Guelph band del bel recently dropped their third album simply called III.
It is filled with dark creepy cinematic mix of trip-hop, jazz, funk and orchestral folk-rock music.
One track that caught my attention is Only Breathing, which reminds me of the throwback trip-hop sound to early Morcheeba.
The rest of the album has that dark mystic swampy scary vibe that is sort of used to with del bel.
Great album to listen to on vinyl with the lights off but with candles lit up.

Best tracks:

• Do What The Bass Says (feat. Clairmont The Second)
• Crookcrank
• Only Breathing
• Katie
• Maybe There’ll Be Lightness

I’d give this album:
/10

Reminder playing this Saturday at Black Squirrel Books.
Details are on here.

CO/NTRY – Cell Phone 1 [Review]

Tags

2017, Album, Album Review, alternative, band, Beaver Sheppard, Canada, Cell Phone 1, Co/ntry, Dance, David Whitten, electronica, Group, indie, Montreal, Music, Music Video, Musicians, pop, Review

Co/ntry is a Montreal band consisting of Beaver Sheppard and David Whitten and they are a staple in the indie Montreal scene and Pop Montreal.
Mostly because of the eccentric lead singer Beaver Sheppard, if you don’t notice him wearing whatever whacky costume in and around the city of Montreal.
In the times I’ve been to Pop Montreal (Attending about 8 years), I’ve only seen them once at a day show and it was a normal set because it was early and they seemed tired from the night before.

Anyways they released their second album called Cell Phone 1.
It is filled with crazy upbeat electro-pop new wave rock music.
Crazy at times with tracks like Second Life and Gold Standard.
While moody 1980s new wave dance vibe in Beyond Believe, Too Much and Living in a Body.
You can say Cell Phone 1 brings back the 1980s new wave sound!

Best tracks:

• So Get a Baby
• Cash Out
• Too Much
• Beyond Belief
• Living in a Body

I’d give this album:
/10

Timber Timbre – Sincerely, Future Pollution [Review]

Tags

2017, Album, Album Review, alternative, band, Canada, Group, indie, Mathieu Charbonneau, Montreal, Music, Music Video, Musicians, Olivier Fairfield, Rock, Simon Trottier, Sincerely Future Pollution, Taylor Kirk, Timber Timbre

Yay! My “favorite” artist returns with a new album!
I’m talking about Timber Timbre‘s Sincerely, Future Pollution.
This is the sixth album and it is an 180 to synth rock/pop from what are used to with the typical gothic folk rock.
To be honest I don’t feel connected to this record like I have with Hot Dreams from it’s steamy sleazy feel from it’s title track to the trip-hop vibe of The New Tomorrow.
The only redeeming thing is the drumming of Olivier Fairfield.
Remember talking to Boyhood last year that she heard some of the new material and how it was going to blow your mind.
Mentioning how one track sounded like Stevie Wonder, that happens to be the song Grifting.
It is kind of funky lit track and get you groovin’.
Overall I feel this album is mix between Dirty Beaches and Scattered Clouds and TOPS.
Think of this as a beautiful toxic dream to what Taylor’s future of the world will be visioned.

Best tracks:

• Velvet Gloves & Spit
• Grifting
• Moments
• Sewer Blues
• Sincerely, Future Pollution

I’d give this album:
/10

You’ll Never Get To Heaven – Images [Album Review]

Tags

2017, Album, Album Review, Alice Hansen, Ambient, band, Canada, Chuck Blazevic, electronica, Group, Images, indie, Music, Music Video, Musicians, pop, Yellow K Records, You'll Never Get To Heaven

Today’s the day that ambient pop due You’ll Never Get To Heaven drops Images.
The first time I caught them was a few years, they peaked my interest the way they made their music being ambient and moody.
The band has partnered with Yellow K for the release of ‘Images’ in a break from their otherwise staunchly independent ethos.
Images is more of a departure from their last effort Adorn.
While Adorn was lo-fi with sample beats, Images is more like a dream state world when you are either floating in clouds.
Images is a great output from the Canadian duo.
Best tracks:

• White Light
• Images
• To Be Fair
• Slow Garden
• Beyond the Clouds
• Exquisite Tension

I’d give Images:
/10

The xx – I See You [Review]

Tags

2017, Album, Album Review, band, electronica, England, Group, I See You, Jamie xx, London, Music, Music Video, Musicians, Oliver Sim, pop, Review, Romy Madley Croft, The XX, UK

So 2017 has started with a big bang with the release of The xx‘s third album called I See You.
I have to say this is a step up from their last album Coexist which felt minimal, spacious and cold.
I See You is the exact opposite which is more upbeat, vibrant and sample driven.
Probably due to Jamie xx who went on his own with 2015’s In Colour (My favorite album that he has produced).
You can tell that parts of In Colour seeped in I See You.
While they can’t achieve the overwhelming success from their debut xx.
This is a great welcome back for the band.

Best tracks:

• Dangerous
• Say Something Loving
• A Violent Noise
• Replica
• Brave For You
• On Hold
• I Dare You

I’d give I See You:
/10 Camera flashes!

No Filter – January 2, 2017

Tags

2016, 2017, Album, Albums, alternative, band, Basia Bulat, Bernice, Best Of, Best of 2016, Canada, CHUO FM, Dance, David Bryne, DIIV, electronica, Experimental, folk, Group, Holy Fuck, indie, Instrumental, James Blake, Japanese Breakfast, Maggie Rogers, Mitski, Music, Musicians, Nadia Rose, Ottawa, Podcast, pop, Porches, Preoccupations, punk, Radio, Radiohead, Rock, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Shura, Sonic Avenues, St. Lucia, The Avalanches, The Luyas, The XX, Tom Grennan, UK, USA, Wet, Wild Nothing

HAPPY 2017!
It was the first show for 2017 on No Filter.
So I was revealing the Top 10 Non-Canadian albums of 2016.
Have a listen to the show!
HOUR ONE:

HOUR TWO:

Playlist:

1. James Blake – I Need a Forest Fire feat. Bon Iver from The Colour In Anything (10)
2. Wet – Weak from Don’t You (9)
3. Wild Nothing – Life Of Pause (8)
4. DIIV – Under The Sun from Is The Is Are (7)
5. Porches – Pool (6)
6. Shura – Kidz ‘N’ Stuff / Indecision from Nothing’s Real (5)
7. Mitski – My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars / Thursday Girl from Puberty 2 (4)
8. The Alvalaches – Because I’m Me from Wildflower (3)
9. Japanese Breakfast – In Heaven / The Woman That Loves You from Psychopomp (2)
10. Radiohead – Glass Eyes / True Love Waits from A Moon Shaped Pool (1)

• Nadia Rose – Tight Up (feat. Red Rat)
• Sonic Avenues – Dead Faces

No Filter’s Top 5 Songs of 2016

1. Holy Fuck – Tom Tom
2. The Luyas – Says You
3. Preoccupations – Degraded
4. Preoccupations – Anxiety
5. Basia Bulat – Fool

Movie scores!

• Ryuichi Sakamoto – Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
• Shigeru Umebayashi – Yumeji’s Theme
• Xavier Cugat – Jungle Drums / Perfidia
• David Bryne – The Last Emperor

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• Bernice – St. Lucia
• The xx – Say Something Loving
• Tom Grennan – Something In the Water
• Maggie Rogers – Alaska
• St. Lucia – Love Somebody