The NxNE CD Collection

Written by Adam A. Donaldson Friday, 20 June 2008 07:53

Mia Sable
Self-Titled EP

This Los Angeles chanteuse has an impressive mastery over her sound – a kind of playful alt-folk rock that is very catchy and easy to enjoy. She has a very ready to be heard sound, everything from her hooks to her lyrical content is insanely catchy, with music that’s kind of influenced by pop but isn’t really pop. The third song on the disc “Secret Code” has a modern jazz riff, accentuated by the use of the cello as the song’s bass. The melody is very catchy in “Secret Code,” very Fiona Apple in a way. This is just a really strong compilation that’s such a sampler, you can’t help but want more.

The Tom Fun Orchestra
You Will Land with a Thud

Ian MacDougall’s throaty growl may be the first thing that catches you with Tom Fun, but what really gets to you is the band’s witty and winning combination of jazz, alt-rock and occasional bouts of Celtic delight. It’s almost like someone put Leonard Cohen at the front of Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and sent them to Nova Scotia. The disc opens with the soft-spoken and understated “When You Were Mine” and then bursts out with the frantic “Rum & Tequila,” which immediately, in two songs, demonstrates the range of this 11 piece outfit from Sydney, NS.

David Martel
I Hardly Knew Me

Montreal’s David Martel has a knack for delayed gratification. The first cut off of his new album is purely instrumental, but the way it builds up you’re expecting it to launch into the man’s first song any minute, until three minutes have gone by and you realize that you haven’t heard a lyric yet. The melodic opening is strongly followed by 11 songs that demonstrate an incredible diversity of sound and influence. One minute he’s playing hard and fast, channelling NOFX and in the next his taking it all the way down, like the very romantic and haunting “Yours and Mine.” Hardly Know Me is pure acoustic bliss.

Self-Titled
Danny Echo

I got to know members of Danny Echo quite well at NxNE, so I really wanted to like their self-titled album. All I have to say is thank you for not making a liar out of me. This band from Vancouver plays powerpop rock and they are exceptionally proficient in delivering a sound that’s very easy to get down with. Listen to “Tomorrow Today” and tell me who it reminds you of… If you said Oasis, I’m right there with you. The band’s namesake, the lead singer, has a kind of Noel Gallagher thing going on with his voice and the song very much made me think of “Don’t Look Back in Anger” in terms of its beat and timing. But more than that, the band plays a diverse range of sounds and demonstrates a number of rock influences. The fourth track “Out of Style” played a little too close to pop-punk for me, but the next song “Killing Me” immediately made up for it with a catchy hook and some solid wailing from Echo.

Beekeeper’s Society
First Year Film School

This band takes there name from one of the many extracurricular organizations that Max Fischer was a part of in Rushmore. So already this group’s scored some serious points for being hip. Well, that and their music too. This experimental band from Brampton was got some tremendous skills, delivering their unique brand of electronically enhanced alt rock with incredible flare. The downside? This disc was a little short with only four tracks. But hey, with “Family Tree” you get a taste of Melancholy era Smashing Pumpkins, while “Misshape and Wake” has a trippy Beck kind of vibe. And then the music really gets a little funky with the aptly titled “Douglas Copeland.”

Girl + the Machine
Sui Water

Girl + the Machine share a couple of things in common with Beekeeper’s Society. One is a dedication to experimental electro pop, and the other is drummer Neil. There’s a bizarre, space age, hallucinogenic vibe to their sound and the lead singer hits you with a voice that’s similar to the sweetened siren call of Bjork. As to what this band’s doing in what genre, I leave to the ears of the listener. I almost think that this music is beyond genre and brings together so many sounds and different things that it must be experienced by one’s own pallet. Discerning music lovers will note the guest appearance of Ron Korb on one of the CD’s later tracks.

Ketch Harbour Wolves
Dead Calm Horizon

Cambridge’s Ketch Harbour Wolves make some compelling rock offerings with this, their sophomore album. First blush: the disc has a lot of atmosphere. It’s simple but rich with meaning, up tempo but subtle. Wolves could easily be compared to the Tea Party I think, check out “Leaves” and tell me you don’t hear a bit of “Heaven Coming Down” in the set-up. Still, there’s some East Coast influence in the melody and the band is not averse to adding unconventional sounds like flute or sax in the mix. Moody while being unmistakably hopeful, this act has some serious musical chops.

Self-Titled
The Satellite Nation

Another act from Vancouver brings us pure pop rock bliss with this, their first EP, kicking off with the energetic “Street Parades,” which really does have a single-ready quality to it. You can see this song playing on a radio station near. (Well, not see… you know.) But more than driving guitar rhythms though, Satellite Nation also knows how to get groovy with tracks like “Liars and Thieves,” but mostly they stick with fast guitar work and a driving drum beat. Fans of Gin Blossoms and Foo Fighters will find this band of particular interest, I think. The Satellite Nation is an uncomplicated band, but they make very good music.

Self-Titled
The Brown Hornets

The Hornets (whether they take their name from the Fat Albert character or not) have got a lot of soul. Blues too. But they take these ingredients and add them to high energy rock. Certainly the voice on lead singer Danny Walters belongs in an old fashioned soul revival, the combination comes across as something like Little Richard fronting for Bachman Turner Overdrive. Now, that’s what I call a combination. And if you still have any doubts all you have to do is put on track one, “Rooftop Sniper” and you’ll start thinking about “working over time,” while “Inside Your Headphones” put me in mind of Gold Earring. Even blue grass becomes a variable with the fittingly named “Mini Wheat.” Talk about your renaissance band.

Elder
Nobody Knows

From Dublin, here’s Elder Roche, the kind of poet minstrel you don’t see a lot of unless you discount the aforementioned Leonard Cohen or perhaps Tom Waits. The disc Nobody Knows starts with a lazy, easy going vibe with the tune “Shine” and then carries on into the somewhat more romantic sounding “Heart to Strum.” Things get a little more intense with “Diamond,” which has its 60s rock influences with just the perfect rhythm, but the title track takes things down again with a haunting whistle and soulful delivery. Can an Irish lad do right by a country/blues influenced album? The answer, inexorably in the case of Elder, is a definite yes.

Marianne Turner
Let Her Let Go

Back in pop rock territory is the no frills voice of Marianne Turner, who sounds like singing is just her natural form of communicating. Her soft though confident voice easily leads the music through, with catchy lyrics to sing along to and a tremendous zesty delivery. This eight song EP might as well be a full album as far as I’m concerned. Her R&B influenced sound energizes the simple pop foundation, but other electro trickery adds a little bit of flair, like with the track “One Hundred and Eighty.” Drawing in a lot of influence from other female acts like Jewel, Alanis and Sarah McLachlin, Turner shines as one, bright up and comer.

Stand
Transmissions and Travel Light

Another uncomplicated Irish band that’s worth of a great deal of attention, Stand’s two latest albums (Travel Light is the newest) are tremendous examples of the fact that one doesn’t need gimmicks if you’ve got it where it counts. They’ve got harmony, they’ve got rhythm and they deliver from pretty much the first note. It’s soulful without being soul, it’s got western flavour without being country and it’s acoustic while doing better than just ambiance. The second album shows a band with more confidence as they mix-up their formula and play around with some electronic beats. Strangely it seems like Stand hasn’t given up anything and are rather just giving better. Two wonderful albums from one band with a lot of talent.

Sabrina Korva
Hold Onto Myself

Korva’s CD is produced by a lot of big-named, talented and influential producers and why not? She’s got a big voice that’s able to fill a room in all her melodic glory. But coming down to CD level after hearing Korva live can’t compare I’m afraid, but still the girl’s got talent to spare and that’s still very apparent from the CD. If you want something a little more up beat and pop you can try “Suffocated,” but if you’re in the mood for something more in line with hard rock than listen to “Hold on to Myself.” Would it be too much to compare Korva to the likes of Jett and Joplin? Probably. For right now, anyway. But then again, maybe in a few years.

Fernando Saunders
I Will Break Your Fall

With a stead strum and a soft piano melody, the pure soul of Fernando Saunders begins. He’s worked with Lou Reed, Joan Baez, Eric Clapton and many, many more, so they don’t come anymore professional than Saunders and they don’t come much better either. With rhythm and soul, rock and latin-inspired rhythms, the album has an incomparable quality that’s both eclectic yet still somehow manages to syncopate. His smooth voice allows Saunders to take the listener away with either toe-tapping glee or a velvety jive flavour that takes you away on a sea of bliss. With no sleight of hand, Saunders rocks his acoustic sound and makes a highly memorable album that easily translates to a live venue.