Hello Birdies,

I hope you are all doing well. Those of you that are still in school, as I am, I wish you a good start to the semester. May your tests be easy and your essays short. For those not in school, I hope whatever you are doing is making you happy, and that there is nothing you’d rather be doing. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing than listening to music. So here are 5 songs that I have been listening to on repeat over the past week. I hope you like…

Akron/Family - Before and Again

I just discovered this band last night. Well to be honest I have been hearing about them for awhile, but never gave them a chance until last night. I saw that they were playing in Montreal for the Pop Montreal Festival so I decided to check out their myspace page for a few samples and was pretty blown away. I still don’t know them very well but this song is sounding quite nice right now.

Born Ruffians - Little Garçon

Born Ruffians have been one of my bands of the summer. They make such catchy and fun songs and they are Canadian, so they get extra points. This song is a cute little love song that you can play for your boyfriend/girlfriend/love interest in order to capture their heart. Unless they like rap music, then you should play them this.

Pinback - Wasted (Black Flag Cover)

I have been listening to sooo much Pinback lately, especially after writing that Tribute to Rob Crow. It really got me back into them. I have been listening to this song, which is actually a Black Flag cover, every night before bed for the past week. Not because it is a song that puts me to sleep. Just because I like it a lot. What makes it such a good cover is that it is so different than the original. It just goes to show how talented Zach and Rob actually are, that they can take a hardcore punk song, and make it into something so beautiful. The ending of the song is a fitting tribute to the original.

Human Highway - The Sound

Nick Thorburn is becoming quite the band hopper. From the Unicorns, to Islands, to his other various side projects. He is now teaming up with Canadian Juno Award winner Jim Guthrie, who together form Human Highway. This band is very different from anything Nick has done in the past and just goes to show how versatile he is. They make some really pretty songs, take a listen.

Midlake - Bandits

Midlake has been arguably my favourite band of the past year. I hardly go a week without listening to them. If you are not familiar with their music you are really missing something. There is something about them that makes me feel so at ease and comfortable. I’m trying not listen to them that much this summer just because I love listening to them in the fall and winter. Along with “Roscoe”, this is my favourite Midlake song. They have a new album in the works, which will most likely be entitled The Courage of Others. You can expect to see it in stores at some point before the year is out. Along with Mew’s new album, this is the album I am most excited to hear.

Well that’s all for now. I shall now go out and enjoy my last free day of summer. Is it crazy that I’m really excited for fall?

Untill next week…

-The Middle Distance Runner

Dear friends,

Have you heard of Rob Crow? You may know him better as one half of Pinback. If that is all you know of him then you are in for a treat. Not only is Rob crow one of the two angelic voices in Pinback, but he has been part of more bands than I have fingers. Each of these bands are very different from the next, showing Crow’s versatility. One thing that stays the same across all of Crow’s bands and side projects is his talent, shining brightly in each of his projects. So here is a tribute to one of my favourite artists in the past few years. Rob Crow, here’s to you.

Pinback

Obviously, this is Rob Crow’s best known project. Teaming up with Zach Smith (of Three Mile Pilot), they together have released four LP’s, each as good as the last and a whole bunch of great EP’s and tour EP’s. This is how I first got introduced to the genius of Rob Crow, and I have yet to get sick of any Pinback song for as long as I’ve been listening to them. I have been lucky enough to see Pinback live once in Montreal. They have this huge tour coming up but there is no Montreal date this time around. Toronto lucks out again. If you don’t already listen to Pinback then you really should get on that.

Pinback - Talby

Pinback - Tripoli

(Pinback’s Myspace)

Optiganally Yours

In this band, Rob Crow teams up with Pea Hix to form a band that is miles away from what Pinback sounds like. What makes this band special is that besides Crow’s guitar, the primary instrument is the Optigan, which is a toy organ made by Mattel in the 1970’s. From the two albums that they released the highlights for me are “Oar” and “Gepetto”, among others. They music is definitely different from what you hear everyday.

Optiganally Yours - Oar

Optiganally Yours - Gepetto

(Optiganally Yours’ Myspace)

The Ladies

This band fits into a completely different genre altogether, incorporating elements of metal music, which it seems Rob Crow is a big fan of. This time Crow teams up with Zach Hill to create a sort of eccentric, soft core metal band. Nevertheless, they still have that element that makes all of Rob Crows projects shine. Perhaps that element is Crow himself. In the song “Non-Threatening”, Crow softly sings along with his guitar and Hill’s double bass pedaling about how he wants to kill the president. One thing to really pay attention to while listening to this band is Zach Hill’s incredible drumming. It’s really something special.

The Ladies - Nice Chaps Buddy

The Ladies - Non-Threatening

(The Ladies’ Myspace)

Thingy

This is another of my favourite of Rob Crow’s side-projects. It really boggles my mind how one man could have so many songs in him. In this band, Crow teams up with Eléa Tentuta, Brent Asbury, Cameron Jones, Kenseth Thibideau and Jason Soares to make some of his best music to date. The strange lyrics continue with Thingy, in which he sings in one song about a ballpoint pen and another about how he’s a big dumb animal whose fingers should be put in a fan. This band is as eccentric as it gets. A sort of recurring theme in Crow’s music.

Thingy - Ballpoint Pen

Thingy - Big Dumb Animal

(Thingy’s Myspace)

Rob Crow Solo

As if it wasn’t enough, Crow also writes and records music all by himself, releasing a Rob Crow Solo album entitled Living Well. I guess this is the stuff that doesn’t fit into any of his other bands. Crow’s solo work is probably the closest sounding to Pinback of all of his other side-projects. Here we really see Rob Crow at his best, without any other musician’s influence.

Rob Crow - Taste

Rob Crow - Over Your Heart

(Rob Crow’s Myspace)

This is just a small introduction to Rob Crow. He is in over 10 bands in all. So if you like what you hear, go and buy some of his stuff! And like I said, Pinback is currently on tour all over the US and then Europe, so go check them out.

Until next week…

-The Middle Distance Runner