My Favourite Songs of 2011

My favourite, must-hear songs over the past 365, in playlist order are:

1. M83 – Intro
2. Austra – Lose It
3. Cults – Oh My God
4. Destroyer – Kaputt
5. Florence and the Machine – Shake It Out
6. Gillian Welch – Hard Times
7. Lykke Li – Unrequited Love
8. Peter Bjorn and John – I Know You Don’t Love Me
9. Braids – Lemonade
10. Death Cab For Cutie – Monday Morning
11. Dodos – Black Night
12. Louise Burns – What Do You Wanna Do?
13. Imaginary Cities – Don’t Cry
14. The Weather Station – Everything I Saw
15. Young Galaxy – Peripheral Visionaries
16. Fucked Up – The Other Shoe

What are some of your favourite tracks from 2011?

Read more...

My Top Shows of 2011

John O'Regan aka Diamond Rings @ The Lo Pub (Photo by Sarah Gofflot)

Top five Winnipeg shows...

1. Shad @ The Pyramid
2. Ohbijou @ The WECC
3. Diamond Rings, PS I Love You @ The Lo Pub, Winnipeg, MB
4. Austra w/ Young Galaxy, Tasseomancy @ The WECC, Winnipeg, MB
5. Dodos @ The WECC, Winnipeg, MB

A very hairy and very sweaty Damien Abraham @ The Converse Pavilion in Halifax

Top five from my travelling adventures...

1. Bjork @ Harpa, Reykjavik, Iceland
2. Fucked Up @ The Converse Pavilion , Halifax, NS
3. Olafur Arnalds @ Harpa, Reykjavik, Iceland
4. Peter Bjorn and John @ First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
5. The Weather Station @ The Company House, Halifax, NS

Local shows I regret missing...
- Destroyer @ The WECC
- Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers @ Pantages
- The Black Keys @ The MTS Centre
- Prince @ The MTS Centre


What say you? Favourite local shows? Elsewhere? Biggest regrets?

Read more...

My Top Ten Records of 2011

1. M83 -  Hurry Up, Were Dreaming

2. Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting

3. Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest

4. Dodos - No Color

5. The Weather Station - All of It Was Mine

6. Austra -  Feel It Break

7. Cults - Cults

8. Cut Copy - Zonoscope

9. Braids - Native Speaker

10. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

Read more...

The Top Ten Records of 2011, As Voted Upon by Painting Over Silence Readers

First up, many thanks to all Painting over Silence readers who barred their musical souls and submitted lists for judgment this year. They were a pleasure to read, and I’m happy to say I checked out a few albums I overlooked or simply missed.

Second, the winning album completely and utterly obliterated (we’re talking Wings-over-Jets-style) the rest of the competition, with the Grammy-nominated act (hint hint) appearing on around half of the lists while also earning the most first place votes.

Third, there was very little love for Nickelback’s latest album, a record which I’m told is very, er, consistent. Oh, and by very little, I mean none.

Fourth, as with previous years, my personal list was not included in the final tally. That will be revealed tomorrow afternoon and is, now that I think about it, completely different from the one below. In past years, there’s been plenty of overlap, so I’m head-scratchingly surprised.

Fifth, I will not be publishing individual lists; however, please feel free to post your personal top ten under the comments.

And finally, it’s been a banner year at Painting over Silence, and I’d like to thank all the good folk out there for reading and for helping my site place in the top 30 during CBC Radio 3’s Searchlight competition for “Canada’s Best Music Website” earlier this year. You seriously rock the party.

Without further adieu, I present the 2011 Painting over Silence Blog Readers’ poll results, in descending order:

10. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing

9. Wilco - The Whole Love

7. The Black Keys - El Camino (tie)

7. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (tie)

6. Imaginary Cities - Temporary Resident

5. The Decemberists - The King is Dead

4. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials

3. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

2. Destroyer - Kaputt

1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Read more...

Afternoon Headlines: More Concert Rumblings at the WECC

The early 2012 concert season at the WECC continues to fill up swimmingly, and here's two more:

• Folk/Country act The Wooden Sky is touring in support of their third record, Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun, and drop by the joint on March 29th. Look for Every Child when it hits shelves on February 28th.

• Chic Gamine is booked to perform there on February 10th with ticket sales commencing on December 19th.

Read more...

The Painting Over Silence Blog Readers' Poll - 2K11 Edition

It’s that time again, Dear Readers.

Time for this blogger to start compiling and listening to the plethora of 2011 releases I've amassed over the past 365 or so days, then whittling down the albums into a definite, all-mighty, and conversation-starting "Top Ten Records of 2K11 List". And maybe even pen a few comments about why I simply lived for each pick.

Like years past, I invite you to take part in all the maniacal, exhibitionist fun that comes with list constructing.

Here’s how it’ll work:

Email me, by Wednesday, December 21st @ noon CST, a list of your favourite records released between January 1, 2011 and now. I will compile all the results and, on December 23rd, publish the "Top 10 Albums of the Year…as Voted by Painting Over Silence Blog Readers" final results.

And if the gleeful, unbridled bliss that comes with year-end list-making isn’t enough incentive, I’ve got further encouragement: those who submit a top-ten list to me will be entered to win $20 worth of gift certificates to our local music shop Music Trader.

A few things:

1. I realize not everyone will have ten favourite records released in 2011. That’s okay. The minimum number is one and the maximum is, of course, ten. So, if Nickelback's Here and Now is the only album you really liked this year, you may still email it in to me should you wish to admit such a thing.

2. Order matters…to an extent. The top album on your list gets three points; the second best two; 3-10 are awarded one point. If you only liked one album this year, it gets three points.

3. Please do not send attachments. Simply paste your list and the optional comments in the body of an email.

4. EPs may be included.

5. No re-released/re-mastered/re-packaged/re-imagined albums.

6. I won't be publishing individual lists, but please feel free to post yours on December 23rd under the comments section.

6. My email is on the right side, under “About Me.”

Happy list cobblin’!

Oh, and for last year's results click here.

Read more...

Afternoon Headlines: New shows at the WECC - John K; Yukon Blonde

Resident troubadour John K. Samson announced a Canadian tour in support of his first-ever solo outing, Provincial (street date: January 24th). He'll be performing songs at the WECC on Tuesday, March 27th.

Indie-rock road warriors Yukon Blonde plays The WECC on March 24th.

And finally, The Cat Empire drops by the Garrick on April 4th.

Read more...

11 Questions...w/ The Magnificent 7s

On Thursday, December 15th, local act The Magnificent 7s are dropping their sophomore album, All Kinds of Mean, at the West End Cultural Centre. On this new release, these ascending road warriors -- comprised of David Nishikawa (banjo/dobro), Ida Sawabe (bass fiddle/vocals), TJ Blair (guitar, banjo and vocals), Matt Magura (guitar/vocals) and Andy Bart (fiddle) -- seamlessly and judiciously weave together elements of bluegrass, folk, country, and punk into a fully-realized, distinguishable, and galvanizing sound.

I recently tracked down most of the band members recently and threw 11 questions their way. Here's what they had to say...

1. Where is the best venue to catch a show in our fair town?

Ida - the late Albert
Matt - the late Studio 54, The Standard*, WECC on December 15th, 2011
*with Pinball
Dave - on the street

2. Who is the most underrated Winnipeg-based band?

Ida - 77 Guns, Andrew Neville and the Poor Choices, The Lonely Vulcans, The F-Holes
Matt - Ultra-Mega, can’t wait for the new record.
Dave - Big Dave McLean

3. Where is the best place in town to catch a bite?

Matt - Spring Roll (1142 Notre Dame), Deep fried Plantains from Bueno Bros (Isabel and McDermot), with Ice Cream.

Dave - Mondragon: If only they'd use real cream in the vegan coffee

4. Where do you shop for music?

Ida - Pawn shops, thrift stores, my parents record collection, Into the Music
Matt - Shows. I don’t own many records. I’m not into downloading music, or against it for that matter, but there is enough live music.
going on to keep my ears busy.
Dave - Thrift store bargain bins

5. How many Jets games are you attending this year?

We’re not really into badminton

Some hodgepodge…

6. Of the records you own, which has the best album art?

Ida - Osama Kitajima - "Benzaiten"

T.J. - http://www.stevecarter.com/albumcovers.htm

Matt - to pick from something I do own: photographs and paintings over the years on each of Propagandhi’s albums. Also Paul Robles’ paperworks on each of the Crooked Brothers albums. And Evil Survives!

Dave - Spinal Tap (Smell the Glove-alternate cover) and The Beatles (white Album)


7.  What are some albums that completely changed your life?

Ida -
Tiffany(self-titled)
Madonna(self-titled)
Aretha Franklin-"Aretha's Gold,"
Loretta Lynn's Greatest Hits I & II,
Black Sabbath-"Paranoid,"
Van Halen-(self-titled) & 1984,
Patsy Cline-"The Patsy Cline Story,"
Lee Aaron-"Metal Queen" & "Bodyrock,"
Squareheads-"Persona Non Grata"

Matt -
Tom Waits (Rain Dogs)
I-Spy (Revenge of the Little Shits)
Queen (‘Live’ Killers)
Roger Miller (the Genius of Roger Miller)
Dirty Three (Ocean Songs via Paul Guillas)
Bruce Springsteen (Born in the USA)
Wax Mannequin (Saxon)
Stereolab (Emperor Tomato Ketchup) R.I.P. Mary Hansen

Dave -
Tony Trishka (A Robot Plane Flies over Arkansas)

8. What books are you currently reading?

Ida - "Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living"

Matt - Ida reads. We listen.

Dave - Book of the Dead, Men's Fitness





9. What are some of your favourite tv shows at the moment?

Ida - Flight of the Conchords, South Park
Matt - Samurai Pizza Cats, Walking Dead, Dancing with the Zombie-Hoarder-Celebrity-Matchmakers,
post-Bridalplasty in the Dragons Den
Dave - All in the Family (Youtube)

10. Blackberry or iPhone?

Ida -  Payphones
Matt - Had a Blackberry for a while, ended up in a world of debt.
Dave - Phone-e

11. And finally, back to Winnipeg…what’s the worst bus route in the city?

Matt - As a cyclist, Graham Avenue.
Dave - Any, during winter. Build a subway

Read more...

Evening Headlines: Neon Indian Returns; Salinas EP Release @ The WECC

Couple of quick show announcements to pass along this evening:

Chillwave maker Neon Indian returns to Winnipeg for a date at the Pyramid on May 3rd, continuing his tour in support of sophomore release, Era Extrana. 

Local act Salinas is releasing its new EP, All These Choices, at the WECC on January 20th with guests Heartbeat City. 

Read more...

Evening Headlines: Bombay Bicycle Club to play the WECC; John K Samson to release first solo effort

First up, a pair of stellar shows going down at the WECC in the new year…

• London (UK) indie-rock exports Bombay Bicycle Club is there on Saturday, February 25th.

• Montreal trio Plants and Animals returns to town for a date there on March 30th w/ Little Scream.

May 9th brings Ron Sexsmith to town for a gig at the Westminster United Church.

Meanwhile, transgendered indie-electronic artist Rae Spoon plays Gio’s on February 24th.

And finally, a pair of local artists are releasing new recording in 2012:

• Folk artist Demetra releases Lone Migration on January 17th via Head in the Sand.

• Weakerthans frontman John K. Samson drops his first full length solo outing, Provincial, on January 24th via Epitaph. 

Read more...