Saturday, May 23, 2009

The Canadian Work Ethic, Eh?


I've been having a bit of a Spotify session today (a Spotifasm?) and most of it has been based around two men.

I mentioned Wolf Parade in the Intro Quiz thread last week and they are fast becoming one of my very favourite bands. Formed, as legend has it, specifically as an act to open for Arcade Fire the band is mainly two men - Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner.

Not content with having one awesomely ambitious, plaudit-riddled band, though, each man also has a side project. For Krug it is the synth-washed, theatrical Sunset Rubdown. For Boeckner (and his wife) it is The Handsome Furs. The work ethic is strong with these two and each year an album has come from either Wolf Parade or a side project. This year, as it goes, is side project year.

I hadn't heard any Handsome Furs til my Spotifasm this afternoon (yeah, I think it works) wherein I fell in love with their new album, Face Control. The whole tight, simple and beautifully crafted thing is on there to enjoy but I wanted to give you a flavour of each project so here, for those who can hear it (apologies immediately to Shoey and anyone McAfflicted) is a small Spotify playlist that I have called Wolf Parade Etc. If Kissing the Beehive isn't your favourite song of all time by midnight tonight then I will understand it and just move on with my life, I suppose...


The new Sunset Rubdown is out in a couple of months, too, and I for one am VERY excited.

Enjoy.

31 comments:

snadfrod said...

Actually, I missed a trick there, didn't I? I should have called the playlist Wolfsburg and themed the whole thing around that...

I suppose there will BE a Wolfsburg Parade now, won't there? Oy.

nilpferd said...

there would have been a Wolf parade had Wolfsburg ever won the Buli under their former coach, a certain Wolfgang Wolf.. I doubt there'll be a Magath parade this evening in Wolfsburg, though, as Felix the fox is off to badger Schalke next season..

saneshane said...

This is my idea of massively enjoyable.. a voice just the right side of being totally wrong.
I got the first Wolf Parade album and love it.. but just haven't got round to buying any more.. Mount Zoomer vinyl pops up on my wish list taunting me to part with my cash all the time.
Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs are doing it for me too, unsurprisingly.. shall listen some more.

@nilpferd
that's easy for you to say.

Shoey said...

Big fan of Wolf Parade, but haven't checked out any side projects, as we can't Spotify on these shores (without tinkering with IP addresses and other such time consuming geeky activity), will just have to take your word for it and track them down. Cheers.

snadfrod said...

@shoey - sorry about the Potify, I mainly wanted to try out linking a playlist, but definitely check out both side projects. They quite clearly but excellently distil the two different elements that make Wolf Parade ace.

@shane - DEFINITELY get Mount Zoomer. Its maybe not as consistent as Queen Mary, but in places it betters it. And I know what you mean about the voice, too.

P.S. I took out Robinho and put in Torres. Big move for the last week...

@Nilpferd - I'd forgotten about Wolfgang Wolf! Genius. Sadly though will it now just be a case that everyone buggers off somewhere 'better' having won the title? Would be a shame.

snadfrod said...

Potify? No that's something completely different...

tincanman said...

If you get out your binoculars and look at the tip of that isthmus/peninsula/jutty out thingee/, you'll see me skinning a fish for my supper. Fresh kipper and pine nettles. Yum

saneshane said...

@snadfrod

just found that I've got Swan Lake 'Beast Moans' another Spencer Krug side project..

Uni-dond league
I was left with just 3 defenders fit or playing.. as that's where my points have been gained, it'll have to be a mid table goal fest for me to have a hope (and keep ahead of DsD) come on Portsmouth and Bolton - that's a statement I never imagined typing!

DarceysDad said...

Shane - we're ten vs ten. I got rid of Lampard 'cause I knew he'd get rested, but Bendtner's only on the bench for the Arse.

I want:

a 4-2 win for Liverpool (Kuyt hat-trick and rare Carra goal as Stevie & Nando go off on hols early, Robbie K getting a brace in return to show up Rafa);

v.Persie to go off injured (when Shawcross brings him down and gets a red card), Bendtner comes on, and Cesc gets the first of his three from the penalty spot;

more penalties to be smashed home by Villa & Fulham's resident takers Barry & Murphy;

Shay Given and Michael Turner to put on heroic rearguard performances;

duller than dull goal-free snoozefests at Sunderland, Wigan & West Ham.

Not much to ask, is it?

DarceysDad said...

Sorry for that threadjack, Snadfrod.

I also meant to say that I'll be checking this music out when I get home as 2007/8 had quite a Canuck feel chez DsD.

saneshane said...

uni-dond update:

final days scores..
Snadfrod 128
Gordon 105
DsD 95
shane 91

obviously I get lessons from Norwich on how not to play on the final day.

Mr.Frod a worthy winner.. probably 80 odd points to the good, the head start forgotten about.. we knew what we had to do in the final days.. and you still stretched out your lead.. Well done that fella!

Uni-Dond inaugural champion please open the celebrations.

snadfrod said...

!!! Excalamtion marks!!! Awe!!!

I'm just back from some M6 hell and a rather jolly win for City and so its been a good day. More exclamation!!

Yeah but, y'know, to be fair, the lads, y'know, they all deserve big credit because... y'know... at the end of the day, as I say, full credit and we all deserve, as I say, to take something from the day and, as I say y'know, we're all winners because the lads played some top top stuff and its, y'know, nice to get some recognition but really, as I say, this is for the team.

So yeah, thanks, as I say. Cheers.

*Raises tiny pewter tankard whilst mouthing 'f***ing get in' and avoiding the glitter cannon*

Now listen to some Canadian Indie. All of you.

ejaydee said...

To be fair, you got the 3 points, and that's what matters at the end of the day.

snadfrod said...

EJ, I'm over the moon and - as I say - we're just going to stay focused and work hard and try to win as many games as we can between now and the end of the season. Y'know.

Shane - forgot to mention that I've not heard any Swan Lake yet. Is it Ricky Sbragia, or is it a bit Gareth Southgate?

ejaydee said...

Yeah but at the same time, I'm sure the lads are over the moon, but you can't take anything for granted in this league, anything can happen, as we've seen time and time again, so yeah well done to the lads.

tincanman said...

Was I relegated?

DarceysDad said...

Nah, tin, we've taken a leaf out of the Rugby League SuperLeague book, and banned any relegation for a three year period.

Congrats, Snadfrod, and obviously I am resolved to getting my team back for pre-season as soon as The Grauniad publishes next season's list, not a fortnight after kick-off!

For what it's worth, The UniDond League gave me the impetus to stay interested all season long, a first for DsD with Fantasy Footy, so I thank you all for that.

Now then ... ejay ... can you teach us all the Thierry Henry songs by Weds, please? And @ Toffee, I appear to have mislaid my Fellaini wig, can ToffeeGirl knit me another one by next Saturday? I only need it for one day, you can have it back by Monday week, obviously.

ejaydee said...

I believe it went something like, THieeeeeryhENry, clap, clap, clapclap, clap, but now you'd have to roll your Rs a bit.

saneshane said...

if he doesn't sort that clap out.. he might not be playing in the final.

DarceysDad said...

You still up, Shane? Congrats on your second place, you Vidic-picking traitor to the anti-Manc solidarity cause, you!

;o)

I owe you and Snadfrod a drink.

Off to bed now.

DsD said...

And I only lost second place because both Barry and Kuyt's goals today were deemed to be OGs!

Sick as a parrot ... gutted ... the lads heads are down ... they're all hurting in that dressing room ... obviously I can't fault them for their effort ... gave 110% ... came up a bit short ... lacked that little bit of quality in the final third ...

DsD said...

And my last tip for the night ... Gerard Houllier will be wearing a striped tie in the North-East by September 2009.

saneshane said...

now that it doesn't get me points.. those lovely UNICEF shirt wearers get my full support in the week.

and toffees lot get a big up next week.

Luke-sensei said...

@Shane - Norwich City eh? Welcome to THE league! (despite appearances in the table, Brighton only stayed up by the skin of their teeth this season)

ToffeeBoy said...

Congratulations snadfrod - a well deserved win - the beautiful game was the winner in the end! Next season I promise to stay in the game until the fat lady does her stuff!

Thanks for all the support for the mighty toffees - just six days to go - the flag is flying proudly at the front of Toffee Hall - the Fellaini wigs are primed (sorry DsD - all four are in constant use!) - and the Drogba voodoo-dolls are on the mantle piece, our pins poised for action.

Abahachi said...

Solidly mediocre performance from my neck of the woods; to match my mid-table position in the Unidond League (while still beating TonNL), 1860 Muenchen and Yeovil both beat the drop - while next season the latter will be playing the teams of each of my brothers (Charlton and Norwich): ha ha ha!

snadfrod said...

You can put me fully in the Barca and Toffee camps this week, too.

@DsD - happy to claim that drink at any available social, thankyou for your graciousness in defeat.

@Japanther/Shane/Aba - someone pointed out just how tasty League One will be next season: Norwich, Charlton, Southampton, Leeds, MK Dons... Its like 1994 all over again.

DarceysDad said...

Back on topic, Kissing The Beehive IS great - reminds me of Besnard Lakes, but I'm not so taken with the Sunset Rubdown stuff.

I generally like my Canadian music at the gentler Great Lake Swimmers end of things, rather than the Arcade Fire joyous-riot corner.

Might just be a function of my picking the wrong end of a busy day to listen; I'll have another go tomorrow.

snadfrod said...

DsD - I can see where you're coming from. Sunset Rubdown is much more at the theatrical, odd end of things and as such can get a bit close to twee/grating. I think that Boeckner shaves off a lot of those edges when he and Krug work together, but the ideas all remain so something like Kissing the Beehive retains many elements of both groupos and ends up almost overflowing.

tincanman said...

This furthers the theory you could live on just Canadian music. I'm being observational rather than patriotic when I say that Canadians create a disproportionate amount of great music for a country of only 33 million people.

tincanman said...

I have a nice recipe for birch bark soup if anyone's interested.