The Panic Manual

Oh let’s call this the comeback…

Man, this is the week of new record announcements. First BRMC, now Shout Out Louds, both bands being big enough to make me come out of my self-imposed blogging hiatus and spread the good word. We just received an update that Sweden’s finest export since the 15 Meatball Combo at Ikea (Which I tried today for the first time), have announced a new record, ‘Work’, to be released on February 23, 2010. I’ll also mention that it is being produced by Phil Ek (The Shins, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses), but not sure if that makes a huge difference. Maybe you will be able to tell when you have a look/listen to their new tune ‘Walls’ below.

As for tour news, the band will be playing a special album-release show in NYC on March 1st and will be touring for most of 2010. We’ll keep you posted when dates get announced.

Shout Out Louds – Walls from Merge Records on Vimeo.

 

 Shout Out Louds - Walls: Play Now

I’ve never thought of Finland as a country that produces good music, but I also never thought Obama would win, so shows how much I know. But in February that may all change as Burning Hearts may be the band that places the virtual push pin on the Google map of Scandinavian music.

Aboa Sleeping starts off with ‘I Lost My Colour Vision’, a track that sounds like generic Scandinavian pop the likes of The Legends or Honeydrips. But as you progress through the rest of the album you’ll notice that it is perhaps there to cleanse your hearing pallet to prepare you for the remaining 8 tracks, all of them unique in their own way but blend together beautifully thanks to the help of Jessika Rapo’s sweet calming vocals and Henry Ojala’s mix of synth-and-jangle melodies.

Finland’s indie pop scene may be largely untapped at the moment but thanks to bands like Burning Hearts, I’m sure twee fans are going to start taking notice.

Aboa Sleeping is out February 10th on Shelflife

 

 Burning Hearts - Iris: Play Now

There are a few tweepop labels that really stick out as quality music producers. Shelflife Records being one, has always held a special place in my ears (and heart). Started in 1995 by Ed Mazzucco inspired by UK labels such as Factory and Sarah Records, Ed wanted to expose foreign indie pop groups to North American audiences. So from the basement of his Southern California home, he released the tweetastic compilation ‘Whirl-Wheels’ which included tracks by Club 8, Boyracer and La Buena Vida. Shelflife soon became recognized as one of the top indie pop labels and fan favorites with notable releases from bands like Acid House Kings, The Radio Dept. and Ed’s very own band, The Autocollants.

Fast forward to June 2007, Ed and his cohort Matthew Bice relaunched Shelflife where their primary focus has become blending music with design. Breathing new life into a dying medium by giving fans incentive to actually go out and purchase the physical album, each release under the Shelflife label includes exclusive tracks with collectable package designs created by various up-and-coming artists. Perhaps Ed and Matthew noticed how Peter Saville’s designs have become synonymous with Factory bands and wanted to carry on with his legacy.

October 2008 saw the relaunch of shelflife.com giving fans access to their vast catalog of music and design. Matt and Ed have even started a blog which I highly recommend you subscribe to. I lost count of how many pop acts, both new and old I’ve been introduced to over the last few months.

Shelflife Records is a perfect example of what a record label should be: Exposing new artists, caring about the fans and continually showing passion for the genre we love, ensuring their own shelf life will indeed, last well past it’s due date.

Instead of posting an MP3 of one of their artists, I’m going to direct you to a favtape they’ve created of some of their favorite tracks and post a track of a Manchester band called Snowblind I was introduced to on their blog.

 

 Snowblind - Easy Girl: Play Now

I usually let Wade take care of Canadian stuff but today I decided to write up a quick post about Ruby Coast, a great indie pop/rock band hailing from Ontario.

While sifting through the Panic Manual mailbag I came across an email about Ruby Coast describing them ‘a 5-piece jangly indie rock band from the suburbs of Toronto’. Well I likes me some jangle and do enjoy visiting Toronto suburbs (Brampton son, what?) so I proceeded to download promo EP and you know what? It is good fun.

Musically Ruby Coast have that distinct Canadian indie rock sound. By that I mean they sound like Tokyo Police Club complete with all members shouting at the same time during songs. What sets them apart is a more upbeat poppy sound and they ‘caw! caw!’ like a crow on the track titled ‘Brittle Bones’. The EP clocks in at a quick but fun 16 minutes and is sure to please indie pop and rock fans alike.

Their bio on the press release is pretty good. That and I’m too lazy to write one on my own:

It’s pretty certain that Aurora, Ontario’s Ruby Coast are every
guidance counsellor’s worst nightmare. On the day everyone was to
fill out their college apps in home room, Keith, Nathan, Mark and
Corey left theirs entirely blank – meanwhile, Justice’s simply read
“rock n’ roll”. Getting up every morning and getting dressed for work
was lacking appeal; days spent writing music in an old barn in
Toronto’s suburbs was a no-brainer. But the real problem from the
teacher’s perspective is that now they’re serving as an example to
their peers that life as a rock band is a legitimate option.

Ruby Coast are having their EP Release Party at Sneaky Dee’s in Toronto this Friday (Nov 7th). Be sure to check them out and instead of caw cawing along to Brittle Bones, I dare you to do this.

 

 Ruby Coast - Town to Province: Play Now

Three albums in and it feels like The Legends are still trying to define their sound. Being tied to a leading indie pop label isn’t doing them any favors either as it seems to be limiting them to sound poppy whilst trying to incorporate different styles like 80’s electro or shoegazey feedback. Their latest single ‘Seconds Away’ seems to be yet another victim of their attempts at ‘innovation’.

Now I’ve never been one to poo-poo an entire album based on hearing one song, but from what I’ve read on the press release for the single, I don’t expect Johan and Co. to reproduce the success they had with 2004’s ‘Up Against the Legends’:

“Right now Johan is in the famous Summersound studios together with a large number of distortion pedals and broken amplifiers to record a fourth The Legends album.”

 

 The Legends - Seconds Away: Play Now