Patrick Watson [The Great Escape]

pitchforkmedia seems surprised that patrick watson won the canadian polaris prize. i guess i am too... but only because it is probably the album i liked the most out of those eligible. to celebrate, three nice vids from patrick watson.

Patrick Watson [Drifters]

Patrick Watson [Luscious Life]

buck 65 [shutter buggin]

les savy fav [what would wolves do?]

also the equestrian

ukelele session

pitchforkmedia has kept us busy with posts from La Blogothèque & their "take away show". the belgian le soir offers a slightly different take on that same idea, arming bands with a ukelele & sending them out for a stroll. the link above is to malajube but you will also find calexico there. i particularily liked those because joey burns and whatever the malajube singer's name is are essentially sent out walking without any trailing fans - it works especially well with malajube since the singer, well, looks like a bum (like all the young kids today!).

thanks to patrick for sending me the link...

the pandas [solutions]

sandro perri [tiny mirrors]

of polmo polpo & glissandro 70

odd nosdam [fat hooks]

bracken [heathens]

enon [mirror on you]

richard hawley [some candy talking]

not actually from richard hawley's excellent, and soon to be released, lady's bridge but a nice cover of jamc from the former member of pulp.

airiel [thinktank]

maybe not extremely original but it works

japancakes [only shallow]

to cover my bloody valentine seems kinda foolish b/c improving on the original seems almost impossible. but what does that say about a band that covers a whole my bloody valentine album? that just so insane that it is almost cool. apparently japancakes thinks so because they are covering the whole of loveless - albeit instrumentally, replacing the vocals with steel pedal and cello. and no feedbacking guitars, i guess. sounds insane but, actually, only shallow doesn't sound half bad. i'm actually curious to hear the rest of the album, which comes out in november. until then, i'll have to make do with the original.

life without buildings [juno]

reminds me a little of the blue aeroplanes.

frog eyes [bushels]

other men [other people]

other men is essentially heavy vegetable reunited (although elea tenuta is missing). so, yes, another rob crow record - we have already seen a solo album this year and a new pinback is on its way. i actually knew nothing about this band when i first heard it (and not until i googled them today) and while it didn't quite grab me right away it constantly had my checking who it was when i had my playlist on shuffle. and, yes, it is actually quite good. better than crow's solo album, which for some reason i found a little annoying and possibly even better than the forthcoming pinback album. somehow it sounds light and fluffy - sort of sea and the cake like in some ways with some post-rock icing. one of the better albums i have heard this.

minus story [stitch me up]

also: aaron

pinback [from nothing to nowhere]

tapes 'n tapes [cowbell]