M ORE L IVING A What Goes On? More Music Seasonal Special: Ho-Ho-Homegrown! A Personal Choice Of 15 Stocking-Filler CDs By Canadian Acts By David Morrison I love lists. Love them! And there is no time when lists are more visible than Christmas, recommendations of this or that product as the ideal gift in list form just about everywhere you look. Regard- less of my available budget, I can’t help but scan them all! What’s more, I’ve decided to join in this festive season with New Lines at Maliah’s – I’ll check the internet for logos? a few (alphabetically presented) recom- mendations of my own from homegrown musical talent you should know about if Roxy Girl – 6 months to 7 years you don’t already. Mark Berube & The Patriotic Few Ghost Bees Tasseomancy However, I must stress, firstly, that this is What The Boat Gave The River (Youth Club Records) a personal choice uninfluenced by anyone (Redux/KBM) Quicksilver Boy 12 months to 7 years or anything beyond my own ears and Any fans of such as Joanna Newsom and Co- tastes. Secondly, I could’ve included many, A companion release to 2007’s equally fine corosie yet to encounter Halifax twins Romy many more than just these fifteen; the What The River Gave The Boat, this exquisite al- and Sari Lightman’s bewitching debut, here’s DC Runner from Crib to 3 years list could have been three or more times bum should appeal to fans of Rufus Wainwright, your cue. Quirky, creaky and kinda freaky, longer. There’s a whole mess of extraor- Duke Special, Hawksley Workman and balladic Ghost Bees’ idiosyncratic folk songs and dinary talent in this fair land and 2008 Tom Waits. Based in Montreal, Berube is on this arcane lyrics seemingly belong to another has been another great year for Canadian evidence surely destined for greatness. time, long before now. music, so arriving at this final cast took www.markberube.com / www.myspace.com/ www.myspace.com/ghostbees quite some pruning. You will see that I have markberubemusic Jeff Healey Mess Of Blues (Stony Plain) leaned both locally and in the direction of some personal favourites I believe deserve It’s so fitting that Jeff Healey’s final release more exposure. contains renditions of classics from Canadian Finally, you need to know that you musical icons The Band and Neil Young, might have to dig a little to unearth some as it cannot really be disputed he was one of this treasure. While several will be easily amongst them even before his untimely obtainable, others listed here—tagged passing. The most incendiary blues guitarist ‘independent’—are self-released titles, I’ve ever seen play. Period. meaning only available in limited numbers www.jeffhealey.com through selected outlets or from the art- Kill The Buddha First Know What ists themselves through their websites or You’re Dealing With (Shack Records) MySpace pages. It’ll make your Christmas shopping just that little bit more fun, but I A wonderful solo debut from Nanaimo assure you each and every title included in duo Old Phoebe’s Erin O’Brien, a talented this roll of honour is worth that extra mile. songwriter profiled in our second issue of A Happy Christmas to you all! 2008. Lyrics of raw autobiographical honesty Copilots Copilots (Independent) married to lo-fi acoustic tunes make for Vancouver’s Copilots entered my life this year a compelling, though often emotionally “Does your granny always tell you that as a superb live act. They were so good on the wracking listen. the old songs are the best, then she’s up night that the intelligent, complex indie epics www.myspace.com/killbuddha and rock ‘n’ rollin’ with the rest... ?” on this audacious debut disc already sounded —Noddy Holder & Jim Lea, 1973 like classics the first time I played it … and they still do countless airings later. Riveting stuff. www.myspace.com/copilotsmusic 35 M ORE L IVING Divine Glow No Horses No Horses (Independent) Justin Rutledge Man Descending It’s rare an out-and-out rock band affects me in (Six Shooter Records) the way Vancouver’s awesome No Horses has. Like his brilliant debut, No Never Alone, this Attitudinally vintage Rolling Stones and “hell, third album from Toronto’s fast rising, Juno and yeah!” Southern rock, their country-fried barroom Polaris-nominated alt.country pin-up is an ex- anthems are intense, euphoric and just plain ercise in understated elegance. His poetic lyrics thrilling. My hands-down album of the year. are worlds apart from traditional roots fare, www.nohorses.com / www.myspace.com/ highlighted by the stately sonic landscapes in nohorses which he places them. The Pack A.D. Funeral Mixtape www.justinrutledge.com / www.myspace. com/justinrutledge (Mint Records) The Sojourners Hold On (Black Hen) If work ethic alone determined fame, Vancou- ver’s relentlessly touring Becky Black and Maya Now forging ahead with a career in their own Miller would already be global megastars. right, this spine-tingling gospel/blues trio was They’ve simply not stopped in 2008 and their originally assembled to provide vocal backing West Coast Classic Floral Design brand of fiery blues is rightly winning legions on Jim Byrnes’ House of Refuge CD. Ap- West Coast Classic of fans crazy for their Janis Joplin-meets-The proaching traditional material and soul classics White Stripes sound. with equal gusto, the world is better for their Floral Design www.thepackafterdeath.com / www.myspace. accidental arrival. com/thepackad www.myspace.com/thesojourners From Simple Elegance to Formal Beauty ~ Gerbera to Orchids... Royal Wood A Good Enough Day Subway On The Right Track (Six Shooter Records) (Independent) Toronto’s Six Shooter is a splendid label whose Featured in May/June’s More Living, Nanaimo- excellent 2008 releases from Christine Fellows, Elli- based Albertan Steve McGruther, aka Subway, has ott Brood and NQ Arbuckle I could’ve happily also chronicled his life’s struggles in this powerful hip- included here. But Royal Wood’s second offering hop release. Already an accomplished songwriter 250.754.1015 of soaring, piano-based pop is as fine an example and rapper at just 21, Subway has a bright future if 309C Wesley Street of the label’s quality as any. Lovely. he can maintain such devastating form. Nanaimo’s Old City Quarter www.royalwood.ca / www.myspace.com/royalwood www.myspace.com/subwayscf 36 M ORE L IVING Falconer Books Books Your Independent Bookseller Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. ~ Joseph Addison Books to suit every taste. Swank Campfire Psalms Chad Vangaalen Soft Airplane Special Orders Welcomed! (Independent) (Flemish Eye Records) Read Why this stunning Vancouver 5-piece is not Calgary’s home-recording maverick returned in any good massive is simply beyond me. A consistently August with his third widely distributed release, books lately? potent concoction of rockabilly, country, 50s R&B and it’s as eccentric, inspired, edgy and uncate- and punk rock with occasional gospel and surf gorizable as ever. Heartbreaking acoustic ballads flourishes, they have created a veritable roots rub shoulders with pumping electro-pop and off- masterpiece with this third full-length release. kilter rock, but the overall effect is breathtaking. http://iwantswank.com / www.myspace.com/iwantswank www.myspace.com/chadvangaalen • Port Place Shopping Centre • 650 Terminal Ave., Nanaimo 250.754.6111 e-mail: [email protected] House of Indigo Vancougar Canadian Tuxedo (Mint Records) Young And Sexy The Arc (Mint Records) No CD received more spins in the Morrison This fourth platter from Vancouver’s sophisti- household this summer than Vancougar’s spar- cated indie royalty is a sheer delight of dreamy, kling sophomore effort. These four spunky ladies progressive folk-pop. Lush arrangements, gor- meld garage and punk rock to 60s girl group geous melodies and mysterious lyrical imagery and doo-wop dynamics for a resultant indie pop combine for an epic, yet chilled-out listening gold. Every irresistible track is a showstopper. experience. Utterly beautiful. www.vancougar.ca / www.myspace.com/vancougar www.youngandsexy.org / www.myspace.com/yands Walkabout Clothing WALKABOUT Company Coming SOON to Nanamio: Royal Robbins Outdoor & Adventure Clothing! Royal Robbins Icebreaker Woolrich Ex Officio Columbia Sportswear Tilley Endurables 87 Commercial Street in Nanaimo (across from the Convention Centre) Also available at #2—177 W 2nd Ave Qualicum Beach www.walkabout.ca • 250.752.4565 37.