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yuuagoBrowsing through Bandcamp for new music has caused me to stumble over so much awesome stuff, so I'm going to take a moment to share some of it with you.
These bands are all Canadian (and man, I really appreciate how easy it is to search by country/region on this site). Many different genres going on here, and it's all great; this list probably has a little something for everyone. I've made sure to select albums that have all of the tracks available as previews, rather than just select tracks, so you can listen to the whole thing without purchase. Okay, here we go.
☆Kamancello by Kamancello. This is a cello + kamanche duo out of Toronto. I'm not all that familiar with kamanche music, but I sure do love cello, so no surprise that it'd appeal to me. This album was just released yesterday, and it's a wonderful fusion of Persian and European stylings. The end results has a certain auditory texture that I really, really like. Give it a listen if you love string instrumentals. <3
☆Legends Never Die by The Dreadnoughts. If you like folk music with a punk flare, or if you like punk music with fiddles in it, give this band from Vancouver a listen. "Antarctica" in particular is the song that got me hooked. Their work is a lot of fun; tons of energy. They have another album coming out in November, Foreign Skies; this one is themed around WWI, and the preview track that's up at this time ("Black and White") is great, so I'm looking forward to the rest.
☆ As Above and So Below by Sea Witch. Doom metal is not typically my subgenre of choice, but this duo out of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is excellent. Highly evocative of storms, ghost ships, and the merciless north Atlantic; give it a listen if you want to try something dark. I wouldn't recommend trying individual tracks - these albums are the kind best taken in full from beginning to end.
☆ Beyond the Sun by Woodhawk. This group is a hard rock band from Calgary, and there's something about their music that just feels so extremely Canadian - I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but it has a certain quality that reminds me so much of all the Canadian hard rock bands I listened to while growing up. A very nostalgic sound, for me, even though the album is brand new, released in April of this year. The title track, "Beyond the Sun", is excellent, but I think my favourite is probably "Magnetic North".
☆ Ulvesang, the self-titled album by Ulvesang. Their music could be described as atmospheric neoclassical-influenced pagan folk, I guess you could say. Their work reminds me a bit of Musk Ox, not necessarily in direct sound (Ulvesang doesn't incorporate cello, for one thing) but more in the general atmosphere/feeling. So, if you like Musk Ox, you might want to give this duo a try.
☆ Mister and Mystic is the self-titled album by band Mister and Mystic, a folksy progressive alt-pop duo out of Calgary, Alberta. Beautiful vocals, easy on the ears. Their sound reminds me a bit of Over the Rhine (can't quite put my finger on it, possibly it's the vocals), which is another band that makes great music. So if you like Over the Rhine's music, you might enjoy Mister and Mystic. "Walk Me Home" is a favourite track, though I also like "Bitter" a lot.
☆ Lost Kids by Stick and Poke. They're a witchy bluegrass duo from Vancouver, BC. I find that bluegrass is one of those genres that people tend to either really love or really hate, but even if you don't usually listen to it, maybe give these gals a try anyway - I really love their lyrics, and find that their tunes keep rolling around in my head for hours after listening. "Distance", "Teeth on a String", and "Lost at Sea" are all great songs, and "Corpse Grinding Woman" is hilarious, and - actually there's only one song on this album that I'm not jazzed about ('Youth Crew'). 11 loves out of 12 is pretty good, y'know?
☆ Lifeblood by Phineo and Loeb. These guys are a duo from Halifax, working in a blend of electronic, hip hop, dance, and other genres. Lifeblood is a collaboration with several other artists, and the end result is pretty fun. Probably my favourite track is "Circles" - smooth and energetic at the same time. If you like both rap/hiphop and fiddles, give "Foggy Dew" a listen - the combination on that track is REALLY cool. (Then again, I do like Ashley Macisaac's work. He's the only featured artist on this album that I'm familiar with.) On the more mellow side, "Made of Glass" is a chill, catchy listen.
That's about it for now. I love all of these, so I hope that you guys found something that you enjoy in this list, too. <3
These bands are all Canadian (and man, I really appreciate how easy it is to search by country/region on this site). Many different genres going on here, and it's all great; this list probably has a little something for everyone. I've made sure to select albums that have all of the tracks available as previews, rather than just select tracks, so you can listen to the whole thing without purchase. Okay, here we go.
☆Kamancello by Kamancello. This is a cello + kamanche duo out of Toronto. I'm not all that familiar with kamanche music, but I sure do love cello, so no surprise that it'd appeal to me. This album was just released yesterday, and it's a wonderful fusion of Persian and European stylings. The end results has a certain auditory texture that I really, really like. Give it a listen if you love string instrumentals. <3
☆Legends Never Die by The Dreadnoughts. If you like folk music with a punk flare, or if you like punk music with fiddles in it, give this band from Vancouver a listen. "Antarctica" in particular is the song that got me hooked. Their work is a lot of fun; tons of energy. They have another album coming out in November, Foreign Skies; this one is themed around WWI, and the preview track that's up at this time ("Black and White") is great, so I'm looking forward to the rest.
☆ As Above and So Below by Sea Witch. Doom metal is not typically my subgenre of choice, but this duo out of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is excellent. Highly evocative of storms, ghost ships, and the merciless north Atlantic; give it a listen if you want to try something dark. I wouldn't recommend trying individual tracks - these albums are the kind best taken in full from beginning to end.
☆ Beyond the Sun by Woodhawk. This group is a hard rock band from Calgary, and there's something about their music that just feels so extremely Canadian - I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but it has a certain quality that reminds me so much of all the Canadian hard rock bands I listened to while growing up. A very nostalgic sound, for me, even though the album is brand new, released in April of this year. The title track, "Beyond the Sun", is excellent, but I think my favourite is probably "Magnetic North".
☆ Ulvesang, the self-titled album by Ulvesang. Their music could be described as atmospheric neoclassical-influenced pagan folk, I guess you could say. Their work reminds me a bit of Musk Ox, not necessarily in direct sound (Ulvesang doesn't incorporate cello, for one thing) but more in the general atmosphere/feeling. So, if you like Musk Ox, you might want to give this duo a try.
☆ Mister and Mystic is the self-titled album by band Mister and Mystic, a folksy progressive alt-pop duo out of Calgary, Alberta. Beautiful vocals, easy on the ears. Their sound reminds me a bit of Over the Rhine (can't quite put my finger on it, possibly it's the vocals), which is another band that makes great music. So if you like Over the Rhine's music, you might enjoy Mister and Mystic. "Walk Me Home" is a favourite track, though I also like "Bitter" a lot.
☆ Lost Kids by Stick and Poke. They're a witchy bluegrass duo from Vancouver, BC. I find that bluegrass is one of those genres that people tend to either really love or really hate, but even if you don't usually listen to it, maybe give these gals a try anyway - I really love their lyrics, and find that their tunes keep rolling around in my head for hours after listening. "Distance", "Teeth on a String", and "Lost at Sea" are all great songs, and "Corpse Grinding Woman" is hilarious, and - actually there's only one song on this album that I'm not jazzed about ('Youth Crew'). 11 loves out of 12 is pretty good, y'know?
☆ Lifeblood by Phineo and Loeb. These guys are a duo from Halifax, working in a blend of electronic, hip hop, dance, and other genres. Lifeblood is a collaboration with several other artists, and the end result is pretty fun. Probably my favourite track is "Circles" - smooth and energetic at the same time. If you like both rap/hiphop and fiddles, give "Foggy Dew" a listen - the combination on that track is REALLY cool. (Then again, I do like Ashley Macisaac's work. He's the only featured artist on this album that I'm familiar with.) On the more mellow side, "Made of Glass" is a chill, catchy listen.
That's about it for now. I love all of these, so I hope that you guys found something that you enjoy in this list, too. <3
Yuu. Fic writer & book lover. M/Canada.