I am blaming Bruce Springsteen

Well last week I professed my love for Gotye, and the show was last night, but guess what............I missed it. I cannot believe it, I was so looking forward to this show.

I blame Bruce Springsteen, yes you're reading this right. I normally tune in to Sonic to listen to Garner in the morning, but yesterday when I got in my car the satellite radio was on and it was Bruce Springsteen's Cover Me. Cover Me is an excellent song. Pure 80's gold, so obviously I wasn't going to turn that off. I think though, had I switched to FM, I am sure the concert would have come up in chatter, and sparked my memory.

Oh well, it's done with and now it's just funny.

On with the reviews:

Fragrant World by Yeasayer. I never gave them a chance before, but this CD really intrigued me early on with it's dashes of R&B and mixed with a bit of synth-pop, it actually made for a decent combination that for the most part, worked. I especially liked the songs Henrietta and Longevity. If you like a mix between Daft Punk and Air, this is worth seeking out.   http://www.yeasayer.net/

Four by Bloc Party. What a great rock record. Lots of guitar and it's a "back to basics" type of release that for me, re-energised a group that I was starting to lose interest in. Tapping into a fuzzed out sound at some points in the record, they push themselves, thankfully back to their roots, with energy to spare. Buy it and play it loud. http://blocparty.com/

Cast the Same Old Shadow by Dylan LeBlanc. Oh woe is me, this album is filled with heartache. I think for the most part it's a natural sound for him but by the end I wanted a hug, I was so blue. Something about this CD stayed with me, it's simple easy lyrics combined with relaxed melodies and it was lovely in it's spareness yet as it progressed I felt like it was manufactured, like following a blueprint. I ended up becoming distracted. I am unsure of my recommendation. There is beauty here for sure, but just not a full album worth.
http://www.dylanleblanc.com/

Earning Keep by Christopher Smith. Very mellow sound but it suits his lyrics and music. I found the CD atmospheric and lovely. This Vancouver based singer-songwriter offers a simple sound that compliments his writing. On a funny/odd note, he looks like his music. It's worth a google. http://boompa.ca/bands/christopher-smith/

All I Did Was Tell Them the Truth And They Thought it was Hell by King of Spain. This duo has produced an incredibly full sound with beautiful harmonies. In parts their voices blend like The Byrds and the momentum, for the most part, moves along at a decent pace. If I had one complaint, I found their songs go a little long. It's not that noticeable at first, but each song I felt could be edited a bit on time. That aside it was a great listen, for the dreary day I was having. http://kingofspain.org/

I also wanted to mention a soundtrack that came past me this week. Lawless, Compiled by Nick Cave and drawing from Mark Lanegan, Ralph Stanley and Emmylou Harris is worth listening to.

That's all I have for reviews this week. Ask your local record shop about these artists and others, they are jewels of the music scene in any city, and it would be a shame if they disappeared. Shop local!