Hello friends, I am back for another edition of Big Sound. Perhaps Monday is my blog/vlog catch up day. I'm finding more and more that the work I end up doing on Monday is usually lighter stuff, I am lucky that I basically get to choose how my week breaks down with work, and right now I'm editing the next INTERLUDES episode (part 2 from the Bonfire Ball with Bahamas) and writing this from a list saved this week. Starting to see a pattern on when the more fun blog posts happen.

Moving on...

How was your long weekend? Thursday night I went to a birthday/house/holiday party for/at Danielle's for a bit, saw some of you there, and was once again re-invested in part of the expanding Kelowna scene. It was a great opportunity to see some friends I hadn't seen in a while, have a beer or three with new acquaintances & dance our faces off. I do have to make a point and say I was thrilled to meet some new folks with fantastic music taste. Walking into the party and hearing Neon Indian was the first big tip-off this would be a good night, and indeed—except for a McDonald's mishap around 1am—everything went smoothly.

This is all a precursor of course to what would be the next top-10-you-sorta-hafta-live-with-whether-you-want-to-or-not list for Big Sound! I am also going to start to label Canadian musicians by making the link red.

  1. The Temper Trap - Fools
    • The Temper Trap first came to my attention the same way they did most of the world on the trailer for (500) Days of Summer and I couldn't resist getting the album when it finally launched. More great Aussie chunes... I am unabashed in my unequivocal love for Modular Records, but this gem proves how many other talented artists are developing down under. This is shameless pop music and I love it.
  2. Kingdom Cloud - Rainbow Road (local!)
    • Kingdom Cloud have more talent than their combined ages should allow, they are also the sweetest kids ever. I feel honoured to have picked up a physical copy of this release and am currently unsure of where one might pick up a copy these days. If you're lucky, maybe Laura, Jaedan or Evan can help you out. Support local music!
  3. Boards of Canada - Dawn Chorus
    • Boards are my rainy-day/3-am-design music. I have two or three specific times of day or specific weather patterns where I play this music consistently. Always perfect in context. The PBS styles and off-harmonies are unlike almost anything I've heard, with the exception of Tycho.
  4. Fleet Foxes - Quiet Houses
    • I am still pretty unfamiliar with Fleet Foxes except for reading an article at some point about their selection of cover art for their eponymous album. I know a few of the songs from hearing them but could honestly not tell you a single title from the album. What I can say is I have heard a great cover by some young ladies during our Open Mic nights...
  5. Nottee - Control
    • I can't possibly consider any musical list complete without some Tropical Pop sounds, find them on Kitsuné, another of my top 5 favourite labels.
  6. Hot Chip - We Have Love
    • Every album Hot Chip produces is steadily better than the last. My first encounter was a 'And I Was A Boy From School' on a mix CD from my boyfriend at the time (and yes, mix CD's were already pretty unusual but still really adorable in a pre-ironic way). I was only a fan of a few songs off that album, but the next one I was a fan of a few more songs, and now for "One Life Stand" can basically listen to this whole album on repeat.
  7. José González - Heartbeats
    • Happy every time this song comes on, this is beautiful & calming cover is a product of fellow Swedes, The Knife and actually helped them gain notoriety around the word after its release on his 2003 album "Veneer". Even though the words are nonsense, they reach me and I suppose most other people. In my experience, it would seem this cover is more well-known than the original.
  8. Nine Inch Nails - 2 Ghosts I
    • One mistake that's easy to make is to discount Trent Reznor as a hack instead of the incredible artist he is. Coming out of his angsty 90's, he really seemed to truly begin experimenting on his music as an art-form. The 2000's have seen some incredible creative output from him. Reznor has consistently refused to be labeled, embracing new media and pioneering a new model for delivering music to the masses including free downloads and pay-what-you-want services before many bands at that level even considered the concept. His Ghosts albums (I-IV) were completely instrumental and came with some fantastic artwork, they keep me transfixed. Reznor has not lost his edge, simply the immaturity surrounding it.
  9. Pantha du Prince - Asha
    • First experience for Pantha du Prince was over lunch at my friend Ryan's house and I was so intrigued by the sound coming out of his speakers that I had to see who had created it. I soon found myself even more impressed by the cover art. It wasn't until two weeks later, shortly after interviewing Trevor Neill from Mosaic Books—whilst nerding out over electronic bands—that he asked me about Pantha du Prince. I didn't recognize the name at first but once I saw the album cover remembered I meant to pick it up. Recommended for fans of Air France, Four Tet, Fuck Buttons, Sébastien Tellier, or Telefon Tel Aviv.
  10. The Impressions - I've Been Trying
    • "You say you love me, so sincere that I believe you love me. Yet I can't understand why can't I be your only man?" Classic doo-wap and soul music, the 50's and 60's were over too soon.

Hmm, well... ...thought there would be more Canadian artists... ...next time?