Discoggs 21 - BreakOut West Special

I was lucky enough to be in Western Canada last week, as a guest of Alberta Music and as a speaker at the BreakOut West conference. Not only did I get to see dozens of bands perform across Calgary, Edmonton and Victoria, but I also got to get to know lots of the artists as part of panels and mentoring sessions. Here are some that particularly struck me for one reason or another.



Here's a Spotify playlist version (slightly amended - c'mon artists - get yourselves on Spotify!)



Boreal Sons - Coward
Intelligent piano-art-rock from Calgary. With excellent taste in clothes ;)

Attica Riots - Love, Sunshine and Hysteria
Earworm alert. This comes on like Arcade fire having a party with the Vaccines. So much fun live, and lovely folks to boot.

Yes We Mystic - Wood Wheel
A dizzy mix of cello, samples, pedals, synth and folk.

HIGHS - Handsome Man
Regular readers will know about these guys. From Ontario, rather than the West (they played as part of Rifflandia festival, rather than the Western focussed conference). This is the first cut to be released from the new record, as recorded this summer in London with Luke Smith. It deserves to be huge.

Double Fuzz - Big City Lights
The most entertaining drummer I've ever seen live. For sure.

Port Juvee - Revenge
Like The Strokes taking on The Killers in an arm wrestle.

Samantha Savage Smith - Devilman
There's something a bit Billie Holiday going on with this voice, it's got a hint of jazz, but somehow a little slacker-sensibility.

Mabaleka - Crashed Upon The Waves
Young brothers writing pretty, classic country folk.

Isobel Trigger - Dust and Bones
Vocal that reminds me of Katy B, the promise of dancefloor filling bounce and that driving thing that people love when they're...erm...driving. Classic stuff.

Paul Cournoyer - Yukon
Paul's record was nominated for Francophone recording of the year at the Western Canadian Music Awards, and rightly so. Good to hear someone celebrating their roots and proving you don't need to be in Quebec to do it.

Post Script - Dear Marie
Beautiful 3 piece folk band from Edmonton. Steph has just the most beautiful voice. Delicate and multi layered, backed up with stand up bass and a nod to French-Canadian roots. The album's out on October 15th. You should pick it up. Oh, and watch their 'Elevator Sessions' on YouTube too.

JPNSGRLS - Smalls
Insanely good garage pop from Vancouver. These guys have already toured the UK this year but we'd like them to come back soon (please?!?). You know you've found something special when there's a crowd crowd surfing in the rain and taking the mic to sing every word back to the band. A rampaging, squally mess of a show. Just wonderful.

Joe Nolan - Tightrope Dancer
Joe is the real deal. He's got heartworn highways written all over him and he's only in his early 20's. A touch of outlaw, a touch of heartbreaker, an old soul in a young man. Just wonderful.

Chad VanGaalen - Peace on the Rise
Chad's not quite of this planet, which made watching him in a church all the more interesting. A hint of Mac DeMarco, an obvious SubPop link and an asthetic that can only be described as 'on acid'.

Hayden - Troubled Times
I was introduced to Hayden through The National's curation of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival. A multi instrumentalist geniuswith a fascinating history. This is an explanation/introduction: http://news.nationalpost.com/the-reluctant-rock-star-how-toronto-singer-songwriter-hayden-got-famous-rejected-the-spotlight-and-came-to-play-music-on-his-own-terms

The Wet Secrets - Nightlife
6-piece, smart, fun, garage pop, dressed as a marching band and capable of absolutely destroying your house party I would imagine.

Scenic Route to Alaska - Paris
Indie folk power trio from Edmonton. They played as a three piece for the first time last week (having previously been a quartet) and nailed it first time.

Bend Sinister - I'm The One Leaving You
Bend Sinister have the dubious honour of being the only band I saw last week who needed an ambulance rather than a splitter van when they left the show. Poor Matt the bass player valiantly played on after injuring himself before passing out from pain. Now that's what I call rock n roll...

Close Talker - Heads
Beautifully complicated indie rock from Saskatoon. On a sharp upward trajectory.

Nat Jay - Can't Getcha Out
Another nominee in the Western Canadian Music Awards, Nat is a singer songwriter from Vancouver. And a bloody good one too. This is a pretty perfect slice of pop.

Discoggs 18 - the one at The Great Escape

My adventures took me to Brighton last weekend for The Great Escape festival. Like a little SXSW it's the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends from all over the world and find new artists to fall in love with. Here are some of the bands I got to see there, and at other gigs I've been fortunate enough to catch this week:

Listen on Spotify here

Spring King brought out my inner 17 year old in a church hall (yes, really) and Dry the River made my heart soar at the end of Brighton Pier. I thought I might die of heat exhaustion at a sweaty PINS show and became transfixed by Viet Cong as they played a surprise gig in London. I lost my heart to Gengahr (again) and had it soothed by Little May. 

Spring King - Demons 

Viet Cong - Continental Shelf

Gengahr - Bathed in Light

Little May - Boardwalks

Dry the River - Shaker Hymns

John Joseph Brill - Muscle and Bone

Arkells - Leather Jacket

Tei Shi - Bassically

PINS - Girls Like Us

Service Bells - Almost/Never

Fist City - Endless Bummer

Marlon Williams - The Ballad of Minnie Dean

Hein Cooper - What Would You Say

Discoggs 12 - The Canadian Special Edition

I've been in Toronto this week, seeking out great Canadian artists both old and new. Here's a selection for you...



Dancehall Domine - The New Pornographers
Trainwreck 1979 - Death From Above 1979
Nomads - Highs
Waves - Bahamas
Blue Flares - In-Flight Safety
Viet Cong - Silhouettes
Shine A Light - Constantines
Knock You From Yr Mountain - Elephant Stone
The Wooden Sky - The Wooden Sky
You're Out Wasting - Andy Shauf
A Mirror - Aidan Knight
20's - Rah Rah
Sweetest Kill - Broken Social Scene
Dead Hearts - Stars
Help I'm Alive - Metric
You Know Me - Air Traffic Controller
An Angel in White - We Are The City
Sometimes We All Fall Apart - Slow Down, Molasses
Full Circle - Half Moon Run
Grand Optimist - City and Colour
Home As A Romanticized Concept - Woodpigeon
Weighty Ghost - Wintersleep
Penpals - Sloan
Brother - The Organ
The House That Heaven Built - Japandroids
I Was Born (A Unicorn) - The Unicorns
My Girl - Yukon Blonde
Fancy Footwork - Chromeo
Closer - Tegan and Sara
Rebels Of Love - Adaline
Kaputt - Destroyer
4am in Parkdale - Grand Analog
Friends Hurt - We Are The City
Sister Sin - Meanwood
Big City Lights - Amos The Transparent

Discoggs 1 - Are you ready? Or more importantly, am I?

Let's share some music shall we? Here's my first mixtape for you, dear reader...




I'll try to post these regularly, but I'm not going to fall foul of the addiction that is the 'new-music-I-found-it-first' hamster wheel. There are swathes of brilliant writers who can provide that between them, and write about them beautifully. I'll just be posting songs that I like by bands I've seen recently, or hope to see recently, or that I otherwise love.

Here it is as a YouTube playlist, for those that are so inclined...



So, this first one then. Here's some background...

All the Rage Back Home - reminds me of a special weekend. Beers, new friends and belting it out.

Animals - Managed to see these (charming) guys twice on consecutive nights and I'm so glad I did. Their new album, 'Conversationalist' has been on heavy rotation ever since. If it were any more up my street it would have to move in with me.

Changes Are No Good - Woke up with this as an earworm on Sunday. It's somehow connected to something on that In Flight Safety album. And they're originally from Montreal, right, so there's a Canadian connection...

Young Love - this is on here by virtue of the fact that I saw Mystery Jets and Laura Marling perform it at the Transgressive 10th Anniversary show at the Barbican last week. Fabulous.

Alive Alone - Ah, Beth.

The State I Am In - B&S have announced a new album, which had me racing for the back catalogue.

I Turn My Camera On - I saw Spoon at Primavera and thought they had been hit with the same 'forever young' stick that Franz Ferdinand have. And then the lovely Matt Taylor from DtR talked me through the albums in detail and I've been obsessed by Gimme Fiction ever since. Thanks Maffoo!

Dead Flowers - You know what it's like - you have a conversation with a cute guy/girl about what your favourite Stones record is and then you defend your choice and then you realise that they were right all along and Sticky Fingers is definitely superior to Exile on Main Street and now I feel like an idiot...

The West Was Won - I was having a rubbish day at work and thought 'I have to go and see a band RIGHT NOW' and the Bat signal was raised above the Old Queens Head and beneath it were Close Talker. They saved me. Thanks guys. See you again in your part of the world one day I hope.

She's Not Me - Jenny is the poster girl for women like me. You go, girl.

Way to be Loved - More Canadians! This playlist is over-run with them. No bad thing.

Go To Me - I caught Jordan playing in the basement at the Ace Hotel last week. In all his chamber-y gorgeousness.

Song To The Siren - Part of the canon. Sublime.

To be continued...