(Toronto) I’d heard of this Woodpigeon band for the past few months but didn’t pay much attention to them because I kept getting them confused with another *xylem rich band, Woodhands. Now that I know the difference, these two totally different bands will never to be confused again.

Woodhands = electric, keytar duo from Toronto
Woodpigeon = wood, wires and whisky orchestra from Calgary

Yep, if you are a fan of Iron and Wine or that Sufjun guy, you will definitely be into Woodpigeon. Although I haven’t even laid eyes on a cottage this summer, this is the CD I would put on Sunday morning as I sipped my coffee on the dock and dagnled my feet in the cold water. The entire CD actually remindes me a lot of the Reindeer Section. Listed as a friend on the Woodpiegeon website is Sandro Perri. Yep, the Panic Manual loves Sandro Perri. I asked Woodpigeon front man, Mark Hamilton, about his connection with Sandro.

Sandro Perri’s one of the main reasons I’m a musical performer. The first ever Woodpigeon show came about when I helped Sandro put on a solo show in Calgary. I’d seen Sandro do the singing / strumming thing he’s so amazing at in Europe, while I was living in the UK, and asked if he’d do it here too during his day off on tour. He agreed, but said the only way he’d sing solo was if I did too.

The night of the show I was so nervous I could barely function. It was in a tiny theatre in the basement of a church called Birds & Stone. When it was time for me to get up there, I had Sandro empty out the theatre, close the door, turn off the lights, and close his eyes while I tried to sing a song. Sandro never treated this like an inane request, but rather something that I needed to build up the courage to actually go through with it. Since then, we’ve shared the stage once more in Calgary, and I’m forever hoping to share more stages with Sandro around the world.

A stand out track on Treasury Library Canada is Now You Like Me How? Although this is probably the least Reindeer Section sounding song, it is the one I remember most. Wait for the 1:11 mark when the drums kick in.

Upcoming Canadian dates:
October 8th, MACEWAN BALLROOM w/ Iron & Wine - Calgary
October 9th, 2MEYER HOROWITZ THEATRE w/ Iron & Wine - Edmonton

* xylem - In vascular plants, xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue, phloem being the other. The word “xylem” is derived from classical Greek (xylon), wood, and indeed the best known xylem tissue is wood, though it is found throughout the plant. Its basic function is to transport water (Wikipedia)

 

 Woodpigeon - Now You Like Me How? (2008): Play Now

It’s taken six years, three EPs, two twelve inch split singles and a handful of appearances on compilations for Detroit based Pas/Cal to finally release their very first LP, ‘I Was Raised On Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura’.

I first came across Pas/Cal in 2003 at ‘A New Architecture’ one of the better indie nites in Toronto at the time. I got to know one of the DJ’s and he lent me a copy of their first EP ‘The Handbag Memoirs’, consisting of upbeat pop gems like ‘The Bronze Beached Boys (Come On Let’s Go)’ and ‘I Wanna Take You Out In Your Holiday Sweater’. I remember asking him what their name was and all I heard was ‘Pastel!!’ over the loud music and beer-clogged ears. I stumbled away confused thinking he was talking about ‘The Pastels’ as they are more of a melancholic synth band. I was tempted to send a drunken email to Stephen Pastel saying ‘You’ve changed man, it used to be about the music’ but luckily the DJ was kind enough to clarify the name and handed over a copy of the EP.

Subsequent EP’s,’Oh Honey, We’re Ridiculous’ and ‘Dear Sir’ followed in 2004 and 2006 respectively. Both of them were Viktically acclaimed but they always left me wanting more, like that half eaten packet of Whoppers I just stole from my coworkers drawer.

When Pas/Cal announced they were releasing a full LP earlier this year, the news was almost bittersweet as I’ve been waiting for this news for a long time, but at the same time weary of the fact that they may not have it in them to create a full album of stand out tracks.

Although I Was Raised On Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura constitutes Casimer Pascal and Co.’s trademark high pitched vocals and up-tempo ’60s pastiche, after a few listens you’ll feel this LP isn’t something you can just throw on in the background while you’re doing something, you’ll need to sit back and pay attention to the story it has to tell. From the opening track IWROMMLL rocks and bounces along at an unpredictable pace but beneath the surface it compels the listener to pay attention every chord struck and word sung during it’s whimsical journey.

There is a track on IWROMMLL called ‘Ballad Of The Ignored’. Perhaps a cheeky attempt at an apology for making fans wait so long for a full length album, but it’s really not necessary guys, I for one am glad you took your time.

4.5/5

I Was Raised On Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura is available July 22 on Le Grand Magistery Records

1. The Truth Behind All The Vogues She Sold
2. You Were Too Old For Me
3. We Made Our Way, We Amtrakked
4. Summer Is Almost Here
5. Glorious Ballad Of The Ignored
6. O Honey, We’re Ridiculous
7. Dearest Bernard Levine
8. Little Red Radio
9. Cherry Needs A Name
10. Cherry Tree
11. O My Cherry
12. Citizen’s Army Uniform

 

 Pas/Cal - You Were Too Old For Me: Play Now

 

 Pas/Cal - The Bronze Beached Boys (Come On Let's Go): Play Now