andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

The best way I can describe Spiral Beach’s music is “ghoul punk”. Yes, that’s ridiculous, but I stand by my claim. Considering how young the members of this band are, they have an impressively well-developed sound and style. Spiral Beach puts on one of the craziest live shows in Toronto, and their recent album “The Only Really Thing” is a great listen. Check out our interview and hop on the bandwagon.

Ko is a particularly unique artist, with a particularly interesting story. Not only was he able to defeat his drug habits and turn his life around, but he has fulfilled his wildest musical dreams, creating his eclectic debut album “Let’s Blaze” and sharing the stage with hip-hop giants like De La Soul and Snoop Dogg. Oh, and Ko likes smoking a lot of weed.
If you like what you hear, be sure to check outhttp://www.ko-nation.com/

His party anthems were once radio mainstays, but where is he now? Andrew W.K. is alive and active, having recently released 55 Cadillac – an album of solo improvised piano – as well as Gundam Rock, which consists of covered music from the Gundam Series. Additionally, Andrew hosts a show called “Destroy Build Destroy,” where he helps kids destroy things, build things, and destroy things again Yeah, that sounds about right. As you can imagine, I was thrilled to speak with the explosive Andrew W.K. and find out what the hell he is up to.

Don’t forget to watch my interview with Gonzales to hear more about the piano duel.

Supervillain. World record holder. Piano Dueler. Piano Virtuoso. Rapper. Gonzales is obviously more than just a musician. His musical output went from alt-rock to electronica to rap to piano improvisations to 70’s throwback pop, and his next album is a collaboration with Boyz Noize. Obviously, this is a fellow you should be learning about. Check out his challenge to Andrew W.K. here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEBfkh_Dstg And you can see the final round of the duel (you can decide if he cheated) here: http://vimeo.com/6944245

I haven’t listened to ‘rock’ music for years, but there’s something about Band of Skulls that I can’t get enough of. Baby Darling Dollface Honey has the same rawness and musicality of a White Stripes record, but with a unique and irresistible charm. Add to that a very attractive female bassist and I’m sold. Band of Skulls is featured on the new Twilight soundtrack alongside some of my other favourites like Thom Yorke, Bon Iver, and Grizzly Bear, so clearly they’re doing something right.

Canadians: Want a quick 20 grand? Make an amazing album.

The Polaris Prize awards $20,000 to the Canadian artist or group that creates the best album of the year, based solely on artistic merit. Sales don’t count, marketing doesn’t count. The ten nominees – Elliot Brood, Fucked Up, Great Lake Swimmers, Hey Rosetta!, K’Naan, Metric, Joel Plaskett, Malajube, Patrick Watson, and Chad Vangaalen – all attended and performed at the Polaris Prize Gala, so I made sure to snag a few interviews before the award was given out.

The winner of the $20,000 prize? Well, check out the video and I’ll tell you.

If ‘alt.country’ (as the kids call it) is ‘your jam’ (as the kids call it), then look no further than Cuff the Duke. I’ve been a fan of these boys for years, and I’m really impressed by their latest LP, Way Down Here. The footage in this video is from their in-store performance at Criminal Records in Toronto. Check out www.myspace.com/cufftheduke to hear more of these good Canadian kids.

Well perhaps saying they don’t care what you think is a little bit of an exaggeration. However Young Galaxy has been doing this so long that they are making music that makes them happy and proud. If you like it, great. If you don’t that’s completely cool with them also. I sat down with them to talk about the past, the future, and their newest release “Invisible Republic”.

The Dodos! This was an interview that I was extremely excited for. The two-piece (now a three-piece) is releasing their highly anticipated album, “Time To Die,” this fall. Last year’s album “Visiter” garnered a great deal o…f praise for its aggressive – albeit beautiful – tunes. It was great to chat with the band and hear all about their upcoming album, and I’ve also included some video of their set. Check out myspace.com/thedodos if you like what you hear.

It’s been difficult to ignore all the buzz about The Antlers, especially after their album “Hospice” was awarded the “Best New Music” title from Pitchfork. Well, the album deserves all the credit it has received. Hospice tells a cryptic and despairing tale through songs that are as delicate as they are powerful. Here’s a taste of my interview with two of The Antlers. If you like what you hear, check out www.myspace.com/theantlers Footage courtesy of LuxuryWafers.net - take a look!