Hey Rosetta!

I love discovering new sounds , especially if they're coming from Canadian bands. My friend was playing the latest Hey Rosetta CD the other day and I took quite a liking to them. The breakout indie rock band from St. Johns, Newfoundland has been around from a couple years now so I'm a bit ashamed to say I only found out about them recently :(

Some of their influences include The Beatles, Jeff Buckley, Arcade Fire and Hope of the State. They were selling out concerts at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto long ago, but Hey Rosetta! gained even more recognition after the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Their song Red Heart was featured in the main montage celebrating Canadian pride across the nation.

The band released their third album titled Seeds in February of this year. Lead singer, Tim Baker, explained in an interview what the album name and title track was all about stating,"...the idea is that we are seeds, traveling from town to town, blowing around, settling down here and there, trying to make something for people", and that "the songs are seeds ... they’re these little things –- four and five minute things — but they have the ability to grow in your brain and be far more meaningful than just what they are."

This album is definitely worth a listen and my ears have already voted Yer Spring and Welcome as favourite tracks. Although both are pretty catchy, I decided to post Red Song on my blog because I love the home made video oh so much. It's simple, romantic and reminds me of what my parents must have been like back in the day.

Road trips, picking berries, picnics and swimming in the lake all seem like things they would have done together when they were young. Whenever I rummage through old photographs of them, I find these beautiful captured moments of my mom sitting on the edge of a canoe with lilies in her hair while my hip dad plays guitar. They used to go on these camping trips with ONLY a guitar and canoe at times. Instead of a tent, they would lean the canoe lengthwise against a tree to sleep under it. I've even seen pictures of them sunbathing on enormous rocks overlooking the lake, somewhat like the picnic scene in the music video.

They have always enjoyed spending time together in the outdoors, so it's no surprise they recently purchased a log cabin all the way up north to retire in. Friends of theirs have expressed concern though, and many are worried my parents may become bored in such a secluded area. My parents however, are more excited than kids in a candy store. They eagerly await boating and fishing their days away. They're actually hoping they won't get many visitors dropping by, so they can spend even more time together.

People often tell me I live in a fantasy land when it comes to the topic of love. I understand a long-lasting and happy marriage is on the verge of extinction, but by growing up in my household, it's difficult to be cynical about it all. My parents are lovers, best friends and just celebrated their 34th anniversary last week. I think they'll be quite content spending their retirement years out in the middle of nowhere because all they really need is one another. In the meantime, i'll continue living in fantasy land.

Hurry Hurry

Jessie Baylin and Nathan Followill are a match made in musical heaven. Followill has had much success playing drums and singing back vocals for Kings of Leon, but it's his wife's career that people may want to start paying close attention to.

I have a list of my favourite Kings of Leon songs, however Baylin's latest single Hurry Hurry surpasses them all. She's a true singer-songwriter with a soothing voice and a knack for creative lyrics. I bet these rock stars probably sing about each other all the time. Do you think it's Followill she's singing about in this specific song? He loves her sipping on his hidden stash of whiskey because she gets a little drunker than she should be?

I’m in your city and you’re nowhere near me


I’m surrounded by the words you told me


Things you love
, things you love

I’m in the middle of your favorite grocery


I’m walking down the street you showed me


Things you love, things you love

What is it all without you


What is it all without you


Oh hurry hurry home my baby


Hurry hurry home my love


Hurry hurry home my baby


Hey hey hey

I’m sippin’ on your hidden stash of whiskey


A little drunker than you know I should be


Things you love, things you love

Imagination is running crazy


All of the things we should or could be


Things you love, things you love

What is it all without you



What is it all without you

Oh hurry hurry home my baby


Hurry hurry home my love


Hurry hurry home my baby


Hey hey hey

What is it all without you



What is it all without you


Oh hurry hurry home my baby


Hurry hurry home my love


Hurry hurry home my baby


Hey hey hey hey hey

Hurry hurry home my baby


Hurry hurry home my love


Hurry hurry home my baby


Hey hey hey hey hey

Open Your Eyes

Sometimes love or lust makes us do the craziest things. Often we disregard the conventional way of thinking, acting or even driving when wrapped up in that special moment. In 1976, Claude Lelouch directed a world famous short film of a high speed drive through Paris where the rules of the road seemed meaningless. Red lights, one way streets, the safety and well-being of pigeons and of course speed limits were of no value when it came to the driver reaching his final destination.

C'était un rendez-vous is an 8 minute film beginning in a tunnel of the Paris Périphérique at Porte Dauphine and ending at Sacré Cœur. Shot in a single take during the wee hours of the morning, one camera attached to the front bumper of an unknown vehicle passes historic landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe, Opéra Garnier, Place de la Concorde, the obelisk and the Champs-Élysées. Much controversy surrounds the making of the film as the actual driver is never unveiled. Some believe he is an unnamed F1 racer, a taxi driver or even Lelouch himself.

The very first time Lelouch granted usage rights to anyone was only a few years ago. The band, Snow Patrol, were the lucky ones using the footage for their music video to "Open Your Eyes". Enjoy and drive safely readers!

Think You Can Wait

OK I confess- I am slightly obsessed with The National. They have easily earned their spot in my top 3 favourite bands at the moment. I'm finding it difficult to listen to anything other than Matt Berninger's sonorous voice lately. Not only has that baritone voice become a defining characteristic of the band, but he has also been referred to as the sexiest voice in indie rock. Berninger's wife is one lucky lady. If I was married to this guy, he would definitely be singing and talking our days away!

The band which formed in Ohio recently recorded a song for the new indie film Win Win starring Paul Giamatti . It has been said that the song "Think You Can Wait" was written after the band saw the movie and became inspired by Tom McCarthy's themes of "very normal and good people trying to do their best and the struggle to be good."

Most National songs are melancholic because they hold a lot of emotion and depth. I can appreciate a really great slow song and although they depress some people, I find them to be quite relaxing. It's the perfect sound to unwind to at the end of any day.

If you like this song I highly recommend listening to their latest album - High Violet. Specifically "England", "Conversation 16", "Sorrow" and "Runaway".

Neon Black

Voila! Officially released last night - Neon Black by the Candy Coated Killahz.

Behind the Scenes

In less than 24 hours, MuchMusic will premiere the Candy Coated Killahz music video to their lead single titled Neon Black. I am ecstatic to have been included in this futuristic video and it's always a pleasure being surrounded by such talented and creative people.

The dynamic duo showcasing urban electro-pop has been hailed by the Globe and Mail as one of the bands responsible for Toronto's emergence as an "electronic music capital". Having already jammed with The Roots, The Gza (of Wu Tang Clan), Pitbull and The Cool Kids, CCK also had their 2009 debut single Playboy appear in a movie and several TV series in North America.

As one of the industry's few female producers, classically trained pianist and multi instrumentalist Tasha Schumann is the frontgirl of the group. Her candy coated partner in crime, Michael Ayodeji Akinlabi (also known as Icon the Anamoli), offers a great deal of artistic edge with his vocals, eclectic dance moves and a background in animation and game design.

The music video that everyone will be talking about is directed by Alon Isocianu. By incorporating a plethora of metallic costumes, wild hair and daring makeup the characters of this video easily fit into a world of flashy buildings and flying cars. Hairstylist Grant Butterworth had no boundaries when it came to my hairdo. He insisted on platinum blond extensions with a heavy set of bangs covering my eyes. The look was topped off with fetish tape wrapped around my head. I could barely see a thing during the whole shoot and was extra cautious when stepping over all the wires on set.

Despite my impaired vision, I was one of the dancers in the club scene. Some may even notice that Tasha gives me a little nudge as she and Icon are walking through the crowd. To let readers in on a little secret - the club scene with hundreds of ravers was actually only filmed with eight dancers in front of a green backdrop. After multiplying all of the dancers a few times over and digitally adding the background, it created the craziest party spot possible. The dancers were specifically asked to use lots of arm movements, which had me busting moves I wouldn't dare unveil even after a few extra cocktails. I bet the cast had a good laugh, not that I could tell for sure due to my lack of vision with the extremely long bangs and all.

Listen and love Candy Coated Killahz and I'm certain your heart will go Neon Black just as mine has. Below are some behind-the-scenes shots courtesy of photographer Michelle Belsky.

Florence + The Machine

Thank you to someone special for introducing me to this song. Everything about it and the artistic video rocks my world right now. You can't go wrong with great costumes, face paint, little drumming ninja men and lyrics like "she killed it with kisses and from it she fled". My best friend and I couldn't stop singing this tune all weekend. The dog days are over my friends!

The Black Keys

CAN'T. STOP. LISTENING. TO. THE. BLACK. KEYS.

If Jimi Hendrix and Muddy Waters created a prodigy child, the bundle of joy would be called The Black Keys. I recently did a photo shoot where The Black Keys just so happened to be cranked over the speakers. The perfect blend of rock and blues set the mood for a mellow atmosphere that day. After four hours of posing, wardrobe changes and hair/makeup touch ups, you would think another TBK song would be the last thing I'd want to hear. Au contraire, I ended up going home and uploading all their albums onto my iPod.

The band is surprisingly composed of only two men. Dan Auerbach is the bearded guitarist with the enticing voice and Patrick Carney is the talented man behind the drum set. The Ohio natives create loose songs oozing with soul and meaningful lyrics.

I find lots of bands slack in the lyrical department. There's an overload of musical garbage out there where artists just fill songs with empty words. However, with the release of their sixth album, Brothers, produced in Alabama's famous Muscle Shoals Sound studio, it's nice to know TBK stay true to the old school blues style with songs revolving around troubled women and classic heartache. The lyrics are honest and very well thought out. I constantly have one of their tunes stuck in my head and this is why TBK has easily become one of my all-time favourite bands.

The band is often compared to The White Stripes as both have similar sounds possibly attributing to the fact both are duos using vocals, guitar and drums. I personally like them much better than the White Stripes though. It's not that often you find a band where you adore every single song they offer. Regardless of a heavier rocker song or one of their soft melodies, they always exude tons of energy into their music and even more in their performances. Seriously though, from watching some of their videos (such as the last YouTube I posted at the bottom of this article) it's apparent they get quite the workout from jamming on stage. They make me want to trade in my gym membership and join a band.

TBK also have a quality following including Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett to name a few. This band is definitely worth checking out. I'm sure if you hear one song, you'll want to hear them all. At least that's what happened to me.

Here's a little taste....

This is a tune off their latest album.

I like this one too!

Local Natives

Sometimes there's a song that cannot escape my repeat button. After a friend played Airplanes for me one night, I was instantly intrigued by the lyrics, melody and calming voices that all I could do was listen to it over and over again. It wasn't long before I was hooked on the up and coming modern worldly folk band, Local Natives. Recently I scored some free tickets to their sold out concert at the Mod Club in Toronto. My repeat button was no longer needed as I had the pleasure of seeing this talented young band perform right before my eyes.

The five piece group from LA delivered just the show Torontonians were anticipating. Although there was word of a broken down tour bus that day and a small mishap at the start of the show when keyboardist Kelcey Ayer announced "Hello Vancouver!", the band still rocked the stage with explosive energy for a rather laid back style of tunes off their debut album, Gorilla Manor. The use of multi instruments including the dual tribal drums were a nice touch. With their catchy melodies and harmonized voices, they left the crowd wanting so much more. Returning to the stage to perform Sun Hands as the encore, fans joined in and sang along to the chorus.

Meeting the band afterward was a treat. They were pretty ecstatic and surprised with how much of a following they continue to get in Toronto. Bassist, Andy Hamm, said he noticed Nikki and I dancing near the front row and I was glad our fierce dance moves didn't go unnoticed that night. We chatted with the rest of the band mates, but then it was time to get to the bottom of who actually created the song I've had on repeat for the last little while.

I was so curious as to who conjured up the lyrics to Airplanes and what the song was actually written about. One of the beautiful things about music is songs are left for individual interpretation. Isn't it interesting that when an artist writes a song for a specific purpose, someone else can use those exact words to relate to their own personal experiences? The band directed me towards Kelcey who told me he wrote the song about the death of his grandfather. To deal with the fact he never got a chance to know his grandfather, he put those emotions into the making of that heartfelt song.

Nikki, Andy, me & Matt

Nikki, Kelcey (the man who wrote Airplanes) and I

As the band moves onto Montreal, Nikki and I instructed them to try a poutine. They had no idea what we were talking about so we explained it was a delicious snack of french fries topped with gravy and fresh cheese curds which was famous in Montreal. Everyone venturing to the city should try one and they promised to give it a go. Overall these Cali boys not only put on a fabulous concert, but they are genuine and easy going people to talk to. They aren't local Canadian natives, but they'll do just fine in my books.

Some of my other favourite songs by this band include...

Who Knows, Who Cares

Cubism Dream

Sun Hands

World News

Here's the song I've been blabbering about!

The Last Beat Of My Heart

I listen to this song every day and I think you will too once you hear it. Thank you nelnel2709, whoever and wherever you are, for posting this video to accompany such a beautiful song.

If you need to press repeat now that you've heard it, you're sure to fall head over heels for DeVotchKa. The band is made up of four musicians, all with eclectic backgrounds, based out of Denver. They fuse eastern European folk, Gypsy and American punk as well as South American traditional styles to create a trademark sound. It's so refreshing to hear artists who dare to be different and I'm in utter awe at how many cool instruments they play.

They jam out with not only guitar, piano, double bass and percussion, but also violin, accordion, theremin (an electronic instrument that produces eerie sounds), bouzouki (a traditional Greek string guitar), sousaphone (a type of tuba used by marching bands) and trumpet.

Like most bands, DeVotchka started off in poverty with their sound constantly being deemed "unmarketable". But hard work and talent never goes unrewarded and the group shot to stardom with the success of their soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine, a surprise hit film.

My top DeVotchKa songs include...

How It Ends
Till the End Of Time
You Loved Me
New World

FYI - The name DeVotchKa translates into "young girl" in Russian.