I love almost everything I hear these days from Canadian bands.
So many great sounds emanating like auroras from north of the border -- atypical vibes are flowing from every tap, pervading the Canuckian consciousness. This is the country that in recent decades brought us Of Montreal, The New Pornographers, Barenaked Ladies, and the Arcade Fire, to say nothing of legends like Rush, Neil Young, BTO, and freakin' Men Without Hats.
(How does one reconcile a culture that brings you all of this, plus Crash Test Dummies and *gasp* Nickelback?)
But what excites me the most is the verdant Canadiana indie scene. And while some of it is awash with the same UK-sourced shoegazing that saturated the U.S. over the last 10 years, maple leaf rock has a playful, artful aesthetic honesty all of its own.
(I won't lie -- I needed some good shit this week, being among those who have wistfully considered swapping Trump for Trudeau.)
And thanks to Weird Canada, tonight I found this lush band Fresh Snow and their album WON. These dudes catch some serious waves, and each track is a journey through beautifully sculpted landscapes of soft noise and evocative melody, with a spirit both carefully articulated and delightfully improvised.
This track Proper Burial has a sweet goddamn bass part, and an industrial nerve that contrasts with Carmen Elle's sweetly contributed vox. I'm hooked, but hear it for yourself
And how do you ignore a title like Don't Fuck a Gift Horse in the Mouth? Long form pulsing reminiscent of the best Secret Machines, with relentless headbutts of Waitsian wailing courtesy of Fucked Up's Damian Abraham, who seems like a fun guy.
It's extraterrestial, groovy, and raw.
So what do you call an album that's a follow up to an album called WON? How about ONE?
As luck would have it, these talented amis have just released some fresh new snow that rips. Here's one from ONE just to get you started -- listen to it in its entirety and tell me you wouldn't love to catch these dudes live show sometime.
Nice work, Snow. And I love you, Canada.