Fiona Apple - Every Single Night

Ms. Apple is back!  And dare I say it, she's better than ever!  "Every Single Night" is the first piece of new material to come out since 2005's extraordinary Extraordinary Machine, and I don't think I've been this excited for an album release since Chevelle's latest, or their second last release.  Yes, Fiona, you're that far up on my favourite artists list, and "Every Single Night" maintains the position you keep with the big guns.

"Every Single Night" focuses less on the powerful piano riffs I usually like to associate with Ms. Apple.  Instead, the instrumental side of the song takes the subdued route (and I can't be opposed to that), letting her vocals shine.  It's been seven years since these vocals have been heard with new material, people.  How else would you announce your triumphant return?  And the lyrics?  I'm drooling by the opening every single night I endure the flight of little wings of white-flamed butterflies in my brain.  Fiona knows what she's doing here.  I'm on the edge of my seat for the album release.

Steve Aoki - Cudi The Kid (Mysto & Pizzi remix)

I'm not usually one to post a remix and prefer it to the original.  It's just not how I roll...most of the time.  I've found in the last (almost) twenty years that there is an exception to every rule out there, even the ones I set for myself.  For instance, the run-of-the-mill dance track "Cudi The Kid" by the masterful Steve Aoki (with some help from Mr. Cudi himself, and Travis Barker), can be transformed into something brilliant.  And it can be done by Mysto & Pizzi, two young men about to show the electronic scene who's boss.

The "Cudi The Kid" remix is made into a throbbing, more danceable track (if that's possible) by Mysto and Pizzi.  They inject some depth into it.  Give it a much-needed dose of life.  And don't get me started on the synths.  I have nothing against Steve Aoki, his original just doesn't catch my ear in the way this remix does.  Kid Cudi's vocals are still hanging around, though here it still finds a way to fit in with everything else going on.  I suppose that's what remixes are for: arranging originals to get the new sound, without losing a hint of the original.  That, and to make a bitching dance track.  Amen!

Protest The Hero - To Porter, With Love

With D&D out of commission in the near future, I can still cling on to my other favourite Canadian band.  If it were up to me, Protest The Hero would be releasing new albums every week and I would force the group into slavery so they can record their many albums in my basement.  Until that glorious day is upon us, I'll have to make due with singles released from the Japanese editions of their album.  According the the faithful resource that is Youtube, Japan gets all of the secret singles and whatnot since people over there pay more for albums.  They've got "To Porter, With Love," people.  They've got it.

"To Porter, With Love" makes you wonder if this is what PTH would be like if the great Rody Walker was MIA.  Yes, it's an instrumental track, but still PTH to the bone.  The near-five minutes contain slick guitar work that reminds you hey, what vocals?  Rody needs a break now and again, guys.  "To Porter" was made exclusive for a reason.

The White Stripes - Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)

I've been indifferent about The White Stripes for a long time, only finally coming to my senses recently when I got Get Behind Me, Satan from the library for a third time.  I'm a fan of the minimal style the album was performed in.  I'm not too sure what Jack and Meg White are up to these days, but they need to do something like this again.  It's an album of hidden treasures, in a nutshell, including the 35-second vocal track of Meg White ("Passive Manipulation"), but I'm never going to get over "Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)."

Beginning, I blew it, and if I knew what to do then I'd do it, Jack White breathes a sadness into "Forever For Her" almost immediately.  Then there's the piano, the slight pluck of an acoustic guitar, and the shaking of some sort of percussion instrument.  I always lament that the instrumental side of a song can be just as important as the vocals; here they meld into a perfect balance of music and word.  And can we really go against that?  No.  Jack White, you've done it again.

Richard Cheese - Welcome To The Jungle

I first discovered Richard Cheese when I heard his cover of "Down With The Sickness" play during Dawn of the Dead.  He and his collective have a penchant for covering the likes of the alternative-punk-metal genres in a jazz/lounge act kind of style.  It's something that hasn't been done before, so they've got that monopoly and they're holding onto it.  I'm a fan of a lot of their work, but you could say I hold a soft spot for the cover of Guns N' Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle."

Richard Cheese's "Welcome To The Jungle" is a piano-heavy cover with the horns doing their best to steal the show.  But the real star?  Mr. Cheese's vocals and the way he turns Axl's words into his own.  It's instances like these that make me wish I knew piano, so I could post some crappy vocal covers to Youtube and get my 15 seconds of fame.  But I digress; I'll just live vicariously through other artists and keep listening to what Richard Cheese and the boys have to offer.  C'est la vie.

Shout Out Louds - Very Loud

My first instance of delving into the indie-alternative genre came in the mid-2000s, when I purchased Shout Out Loud's Howl Howl Gaff Gaff.  My preteen self was a bit confused at first.  I was unsure of what I had gotten myself into, but I knew one thing.  I liked it.  I liked it a lot.  They're also Swedish too, so you know, that might have been the early signs of an obsession with the country that would develop further when The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo hit it big.  But that's beside the point.  Though I have a few of the band's newer tracks in my library as well, nothing beats the oldies that got me into indie.  And what could be the best of the best?

"Very Loud."

"Very Loud" is not a very loud song; don't worry there.  It's the way indie was done back in 2003, and it's the way it should still be done.  You've got the almost-folky guitars, clear vocals, and a chorus that will knock you socks off.  Little by little, you're gonna hear my cry, hear me cry "why?"  Why?  This is golden.  "Very Loud" is very good.  The Swedes were on to something back then.  Sure, the indie scene has changed.  Now every young kid with a guitar thinks they can produce their own record  Sorry, boys, but Howl Howl Gaff Gaff is a classic that will outlast your dismal careers.

Courtney Love - Mono

I'm not opinionated when it comes to Courtney Love, because I don't let external reasons keep me from being a fan of an artist.  Like her or not, we can all admit she's a pioneer for female rockers everywhere.  She might have publicly spoken against her solo effort America's Sweetheart, but I'll speak for the lead single, "Mono."  It's reason enough to get Ms. Love back in a studio and recording.

Well they say that rock is dead, and they're probably right.  99 girls in the pit, did it have to come to this?

"Mono" gives you a few things: catchy guitars, chick rock vocals that are indicative of the genre, and lyrics about returning and being better than ever before. Courtney laments, oh god, you owe me one more song so I can prove to you that I'm so much better than them.  You are better than a lot of the girls who call themselves rockers, Courtney.  Don't you forget that, and make sure you start recording new material soon.  This is why she lead Hole.  This is why she's got that potential.  Don't let her personal life overshadow the music, people.  Listen to "Mono" and enjoy it for the masterpiece it is.

Dead and Divine's Top 10

As promised, I'm taking a walk down memory lane in honor of the soon-to-be-defunct Dead and Divine.  We've had a good run, D&D, and there are three albums and a fantastic EP to show for your hard work and dedication.  I can't even put them into order of how brilliant they are, because it is all wonderful in my eyes.  I was a tad melodramatic in my posting yesterday, so I'll just get right down to business; here's the ten best songs I had a very hard time choosing from good ol' D&D.

Dead and Divine - The Bronze Goddess

I'm going to be a it dramatic in my posting today, but it's understandable.  I've been hurt by bands before.  I've gotten over Slipknot, and accepted that they'll likely never release another album, and even if they do, it won't be the same.  But now Dead and Divine?  2012 claims another victim, I suppose.  Today the Burlington natives announced that their May 5th hometown show will be their last.  As long as PTH doesn't decide to disband as well, I'll be okay, but it still saddens me to see another one bite the dust.  Expect tomorrow's Top 10 to be some good ol' D&D, and today's post to be about the song that brought me to one of the greatest bands ever: "The Bronze Goddess."

Say what you want about metalcore, but "The Bronze Goddess" is a flawless execution of what's best in the genre.  Aggressive vocals.  Some cleaner ones thrown in there.  And those guitars...I'm drooling.  I can say the masterful lyrics had a hand in reeling me in as well: I'll play the lover, you play the liar, and we'll lie like lovers do and God said your love would save me somehow, but I've got just one question, where's my savior now? and of course it's impressive how you've managed to destroy my world.  It's just all good.  A story told in lovely proportions, though it's a gritty lovely.  I wish the best of luck to D&D in their future endeavours, as I begin to listen through their complete discography right...now.

Danny Elfman - What's This?

I'm a Danny Elfman fan.  Sue me.  He led The Simpsons through some great years and throws his own flavor into every movie in which he's in charge of the music.  And he can sing too?  Literally, what's this?  A man of many talents, I suppose, and his best contribution to the world of music is probably through the 90's film The Nightmare Before Christmas.  Call it a favourite of emo kids or whatever you want to, but it's a classic movie.  I do like when other artists cover songs from the motion picture (i.e. Fiona Apple, Amy Lee, Flyleaf, to name a few), but nothing beats the originals.  "What's This?" is pure imagination.

"What's This?" is Jack Skellington's response to his discovery of Christmas Town.  Yes, I know it's the middle of April right now, but the cheery wintery feeling in "What's This?" is getting me out of the exam funk.  It's less spooky Halloween, more fun and wonder.  What's this, what's this?  There's something very wrong.  What's this?  There's people singing songs.  Oh Danny, your singing voice can haunt my dreams any night.  He captures Jack perfectly; his confusion, his amazement, his thought process.  The Nightmare Before Christmas might be an emo fave, but the music will always be a Laura fave.

Sam Roberts - An American Draft Dodger In Thunder Bay

First: Sam Roberts is both a man, and a band.  Canadian, too, if you must know.  I don't think I'll ever forget my friend's story (take this as an aside) of her brother making eye contact and having Sam Roberts point at him approvingly after shoving a fellow concert-goer who threw a water bottle on stage.  He's a cool guy, that Mr. Roberts, and I count myself as a casual fan.  Chemical City is my favourite of their releases, and the alt collective with a dash of indie produces wonders such as "An American Draft Dodger In Thunder Bay."

"An American Draft Dodger In Thunder Bay" is exactly what you think it's about: an American draft dodger in Thunder Bay.  A young man is convinced to enlist for the Vietnam War, though second-guesses the choice he made and heads north, across the Canadian border to Thunder Bay.  It's a very literal song, but literal is done well here.  Sam Roberts is full of wonderful storytelling abilities; that's why his beard is so big.  The lyrics do it for me (I've got nothing against the Viet Cong, what did they do wrong?).  It's a compelling story of an American on the Canadian Shield, and I give Sam and the boys an A for effort, an A for execution and an A+ for facial hair.  Come play in Windsor!

Nightwish - The Poet And The Pendulum

I'm still Nightwish's biggest fan, and Annette Olzon and the gang always find ways of surprising me.  Perhaps, the biggest surprise came from the nearly fourteen-minute-long "The Poet And The Pendulum," from the earlier Dark Passion Play.  I usually wouldn't condone for a band to venture into long epics over ten minutes unless they're Iron Maiden (call it bias, if you must), but this is different.  This is how you do an epic.

"The Poet And The Pendulum" begins with a fitting introduction: a whispery and mysterious operatic section that sets the mood for the remaining twelve minutes.  The orchestra picks up, and you get the feeling that this track could fit right in on the more recent Imaginaerum.  It's a medley of all things dark and wild, Annette's stellar vocals, an orchestra plucked straight from a Tim Burton film, and everything symphonic metal stands for.  I've made it through all fourteen minutes 23 times now, so I think you're capable of doing the same too.  Yes, you!

Gossip - Perfect World

What's a happy medium between electro indie and just plain indie?  Dance indie.  Three-piece Gossip holds their own in a genre between genres, the perfect combination between the two.  Okay, enough genre talk.  I'm beginning to sound like a hipster.  But I will say that lead singer Beth Ditto is absolutely once of the fiercest females out there, and there need to be more people like her roaming the Earth.  She's got an impressive set of pipes on her too, showing on the first single from their newest release, "Perfect World."

"Perfect World" is danceable indie rock that has a bit of a disco flair to it.  It reminds me a little bit of Moonlight Matters, but with a strong female lead taking the reigns.  It's just Beth Ditto that does it for me.  She's the complete package here.  Find me someone fiercer, and I'll show you a coward.  I'm also a fan of Hannah Billie on those drums.  This is just the way dance music should be done...differently.  Don't think of it as your parents flashback to the eighties.  Instead, think of "Perfect World" as a modernized way of going about the genre.  Add a little indie, throw in a little rock, and there you go.

Top 10 Adele Covers/Mixes

Adele's music has a quality to it, and that quality makes you want to put your own spin on it anyway you can.  Yesterday I heard the remix "Something About The Fire," which pits the great British chanteuse against the always awesome Daft Punk, I got to thinking, huh, I've already got some good covers and mixes of Adele in my music library, so there has to be enough out there for  Top 10.  I feel like I only scratched the surface with this list, so don't be surprised if it gets updated in the future.  Enjoy!

Evergreen Terrace - Wolfbiker

I used to be a big Evergreen Terrace fan.  I still am, but usually bands need to keep my attention with new releases.  I know, I know...I ask for too much.  The Florida collective's Wolfbiker still stands as their best album in my eyes, and one of my favourite purchases over the years.  It's fun metalcore without being too fun, and rife with good songs.  There aren't any fillers here.  There's "Chaney Can't Quite Riff Like Helmet's Page Hamilton," "Where There Is Fire We Will Carry Gasoline," "Starter," and "Rip This," but the title track is in a league of its own.

"Wolfbiker" is fast-paced metalcore with growling and clean vocal parts that compliment each other, instead of competing.  Dat chorus.  OMG.  I can't start to breathe until the walls, the walls, the walls are coming down; can't make believe that this is all because what's lost cannot be found.  You've done it again, Florida.  Though the song clocks in at less than three minutes, it makes use of the short time by reeling you right into their intricate metalcore web.  Dear Evergreen Terrace, release more music soon plz.

Titus Andronicus - Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape with the Flood of Detritus

New Jersey's indie-alt collective Titus Andronicus (taken from the immortal bard, very nice) is responsible for getting me back into punky-sounding things since I got a hold of their mixtape, Titus Andronicus LLC Mixtape Vol. 1, via rcrdlbl.  It's an interesting collection of covers and originals that has restored my faith in the genre, and has me hopeful other bands that I can find in the woodwork.  These guys know how to have fun with their music, and despite a long title that might be a little too Fall Out Boy for me, I give my accolades to "Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape with the Flood of Detritus."

"Upon Viewing..." is a good three and a half minutes long of punky alternative jamming that doesn't sound like the guys of Titus Andronicus are trying too hard.  You know, some bands get that sound like they want to be alternative and punk when they're not (ahem...Simple Plan...ahem...).  Not these guys!  This is pure punk fused with an indie sound.  Think of "Upon Viewing..." as a basement performance at a small rock venue; the performance you wait until the end of the night to see.  Though I can't say I've read Titus Andronicus, or plan to in the near future, I'll still keep listening to the reverse-namesake band. 

OH ALSO: I'm going to see Iron Maiden at Bayfest this July for my twentieth birthday!  We have VIP tickets too, so I am thismuchcloser to touching Bruce and watching an instant connection pass through our lines of vision.  OMFG.  Expect a full review on their performance, as well as opener Alice Cooper's, three months from now.

Fanny Bloom - Tes Bijoux

Now and again I still like to throw a French selection your way, and today it comes from Ms. Fanny Bloom from Montreal.  Canadian?  Even better?  Though I hate to sound like a broken record, language doesn't matter when it comes to music.  Audio artists only speak in the language that is music; nothing fancy like French or whatnot.  "Tes Bijoux" which according to my crude knowledge of French translates to the jewels is a prime example of such an occurrence.

"Tes Bijoux" has a quality I like to find in music: an instrumental side that reminds me of the video games of my childhood.  This time it's the soundtrack of a good racing game, like Mario Kart or CTR.  It's poppy, a little electronic, and all fun.  At the same time, the background is a perfect compliment to Fanny's sweet and sugary vocals.  If you don't want to learn French after listening to "Tes Bijoux" then something is wrong with you.  Seek help immediately.

IamOMNI - All Over

You should know by now that there's a certain way I like my rap.  Subdued (for the most part).  Interesting.  Unique.  It just has to be something that's not out there yet.  LA's IamOMNI is definitely an artist doing his own thing, which I can commend him for.  I'll say it before and I'll say it again: it's hard to stand out in a genre where everything is slowly melding into one.  With the help of Kassia Conway on the chorus, he achieves exactly what I'm looking for in a rap artist in "All Over."  IamOMNI, I think we're a match.

"All Over" has an alternative feel to it; I know you can hear it.  It might be the electric guitar yawning now and again; though it takes a certain rapper to work their words and beats into a song with that instrument.  IamOMNI's words are spoken in a deliciously low voice, while Ms. Conway croons through the verse in a seductively dark way.  I'm a fan, obviously.  It might be all over, but you'll hope this song never ends.  Why don't more people know about this guy?  That' what I'd like to know!

Ludo - Lake Ponchatrain

You can't really go wrong with Ludo if you're looking for no-nonsense, high energy alternative that you could call "weird."  Sure, Ludo does do things their own way, but we're all a little weird, aren't we?  I'm a fan of their ability to tell stories within their songs; a skill that many bands and artists neglect to nurture in their early years.  Their You're Awful, I Love You has some fantastic examples of storytelling in song, and my favourite of the already stellar bunch just might be "Lake Ponchatrain."

"Lake Ponchatrain" tells the story of the narrator, Darius and Nolan on a road trip through the southern states, discovering the mysterious stories and circumstances that surround the lake.  And there's crawfish 'til the bitter end?  Sign me up for the next tour!  It's upbeat instrumentally, but "Lake Ponchatrain" is dark in content, and that's what I like about it.  It could be the opening number of a musical.  I have always been compelled to write a musical...after failing to make Panic At The Disco's Pretty. Odd into one.  Hmm...

Polica - Dark Star

Hailing from the wondrous land of Minnesota (I actually wouldn't mind dropping in on my way to Fargo, North Dakota) is Polica (sometimes stylized as POLIÇA, but how do you get that weird thing on the C?), and she brings some lovely indie pop with her.  And this indie pop is so lovely that "Dark Star," from the release Give You The Ghost, could quite possibly the best song I've heard in 2012 so far.  You're going to have to listen to it to get the full picture, but I'll try my best to convince you why it's a good choice.

"Dark Star" isn't your older sister's indie pop.  It's unique.  Daring.  And beautifully done.  Polica's vocals are the siren call of a mermaid; I hear something underwater-y in there.  Then there are the instruments.  The drums.  The piano.  The horns.  It's a up-tempo jazzy orchestra come to life and then thrown into the ocean.  This girl's onto something here.  Just do me a favor and listen for once, people of the internet, and listen to "Dark Star."  Some things can't be explained in two paragraphs.  This is one of those things.

Swollen Members' Top 10

Top 10 Mondays are still lurking around, aside from last week's incidental Top 10 Tuesday.  But we're back into some sort of routine now, despite the lack of any routine in my life.  Exams; they'll getcha.  But writing about MadChild's solo work the other day got me reminiscing about a near decade-long affair with Swollen Members.  To think it all started with Monsters In The Closet.  Even in the periods of my musical liking where I was strictly alternative or strictly metal, I still held onto an admiration for the sometimes-duo-sometimes-trio-sometimes-tetrad from Vancouver.  It's another example of a musical act that makes me proud to be Canadian.  I have yet to hear an American rapper who can hold his own to MadChild or Prevail.  Enjoy!

Linkin Park - In Pieces

Linkin Park?  Ehh.  I'll still give them Minutes to Midnight, but everything that came after that was a little too much of the same thing.  They get credit for experimenting on A Thousands Suns, but don't get credit for much else.  Sorry, Chester!  Minutes to Midnight had its moments of greatness, and even almost five years later, I still enjoy a handful of the tracks.  What is the best of the best album from one of the most mediocre bands ever?  "In Pieces," of course.

"In Pieces" is different from a lot of what Linkin Park has done before, the closest thing maybe being its predecessor "In Between," which is also a stellar listen.  It's not in-your-face alternative, and it's nothing too manly to turn off all female listeners, ever (ahem... Nickleback... ahem... Three Days Grace... ahem).  How about I use my favourite word to describe music to describe "In Pieces?"  Subdued.  Chester knows what he's doing here.  I can hear it in his words.  Now this is how you end an album the right way.

There's truth in your lies
Doubt in your faith
All I've got is what you didn't take

MadChild - Dungeon Dragon

MadChild!  He's back!  And ready to rap your face off while he's at it.  "Dungeon Dragon" is the first single from his King of Pain EP.  You might wonder dungeon dragon?  Didn't Nicki Minaj recently take that line for a spin and end it for a while?  The answer is: no.  While Nicki did her thing in 2010, MadChild is doing his own thing now.  This isn't aggressive chick rap.  This is exactly what Vancouver's best does best.  Think Swollen Members with Prevail on a sick day.  Well, that's kind of exactly how to describe "Dungeon Dragon."

"Dungeon Dragon" is Madchild's announcement to the world that he's back, and he's serious.  I'm a fan of the interesting background tunes, as always.  I can't like a good rap song without them.  He also throws in Swollen Members, that's a name to remember.  Can't argue with that.  And the chorus?  MadChild steers clear of the the in-your-face bit and instead chops his words up a bit and does that lovely subdued route.  "Dungeon Dragon" is lovely rap, after all.  You can think of it as a prologue too, of greatness to come.

Eluveitie - Luxtos

I'm feeling particularly metal lately.  Call it the mistress that keeps me from truly committing to any other genre.  If you want to get down to the nitty-gritty, I'm feeling rather symphonic metal, though will always have that special place for the folk and pagan side of the genre.  Which group is more folk metal than Eluveitie anyways?  Their latest Helvetios is a fantastic work of art, already producing "A Rose For Epona" ...some of the best metal I've heard so far this year.  But it's not an album with one hit and the rest filler.  Everything is good, especially today's feature: "Luxtos."

"Luxtos" is half English, half Gaulish, all good.  It's a case of why fix it if it isn't broken?  The verses are done in wonderful growling, and the chorus comes off as a powerful chant of sorts.  Well, I figure that it is, based on the translation of the lyrics.  Eluveitie has putting power and emotion into their music down pat.  "Luxtos" might just be the way metal should be.  Sure, you can go ahead and headbang to it, but there's more to the song than that too.  They better stick around for a while; I'm already anxious for the next album.

Cam'Ron, Vado and McKenzie Eddy - In This Thing

I remember Cam'Ron from back in the day.  I don't remember any songs, specifically speaking, but I remember his name.  Now I have a reason to remember him and compatriot Vado for a longer time to come: the free five-track EP Blu Tops that does one better than stellar and is nothing less than brilliant.  The wonderful McKenzie Eddy helps out on a few tracks too, including the utterly beautiful "In This Thing."

And I don't really care what the people say
Don't understand the things we're in anyway
Inhaling breaths they're forced to take
In this thing here, there's no mistake

I'm a sucker for rap songs set over anything remotely orchestral, and "In This Thing" is just that.  It's also got Ms. Eddy on chorus duty with her dreamy vocals?  Case closed.  Cam'Ron and Vado also inject power into their verses, a reminder that hey, this EP might have been free, but they know you'll be back for more.  "In This Thing" clocks in at less than three minutes, but what a glorious less-than-three-minutes it is.  More, please!

Die Mannequin - Upside Down Cross

I used to be a big fan of Toronto alt quartet Die Mannequin...well, I still am very much a fan, but have been yearning for more material since 2009's Fino + Bleed.  Lead singer Care Failure is a modern-day Courtney Love (if that makes sense, part of me thinks it doesn't) meets Debbie Harry (that one makes sense).  She's a role model for female rockers everywhere, evident on their first full-length album Unicorn Steak, a combination of two previously released EPs and some new material.  Among the old EP material is the subdued "Upside Down Cross," which is a favourite for reasons related to its subdued nature.

Beginning with a quiet guitar and Care's who's there coming up slowly, starting to grow on me, perfect and lonely, "Upside Down Cross" immediately comes across as the sleeper track of the album; one that doesn't get you at first listen but lingers longer than the rest.  A minute in the level of rocking grows and Care's vocals stay consistent over some impressive guitars.  Music like this makes me proud to be Canadian, and it'll do the same for you if you're from this great land.  And if you're not, you'll wish you were.  Holla.

Protest The Hero's Top 10

Yeah, I know it's Tuesday, but to stay on schedule I'm still doing a Top 10 feature.  My internet at home has been marginal at best, though everything seems to be as right as reign now (is that the right "reign" to use?).  So let's get back to it and entertain ourselves with some lovely music courtesy of the best prog metal band to come out of Canada, and quite possibly the world.  It's Protest The Hero, of course.  I'm still dreaming of the day when they return to Windsor and I can finally tell Rody Walker my true feelings, but until then, I've got three albums and an EP to listen the shit out of.  Enjoy!