Starting in May I was hoping to provide a new video blog (or “vlog”, but shoot me if I ever say that aloud) on a weekly basis.  Unfortunately I have been unable to do that, mainly due to other work that I’m doing for andPOP (so it’s a good thing!).  So, in lieu of a video this week, here is my first installment of what I hope will be soon be a cherished feature of Side B:  In The Stereo.   This will be my opportunity to tell you, dear reader, what record is currently in my stereo and how I feel about it.  And what a better way to start than with my favourite album of all time?

One Chord To Another by Sloan (1996)

Sloan’s third album is considered to be one of the strongest Canadian albums of all time (#34 of the top 100, by one account).  Some feel that it also marks the peak of Sloan’s long and still ongoing music career, but that’s a separate matter.  During the 90′s grunge era, Sloan caught the attention of Geffen Records (owned by Universal) and landed a major label record deal.  However, like any good major-label-vs.-rock-band story, they were dropped after two (amazing) releases, basically because they weren’t making music that sounded enough like Nirvana.  The band almost broke up, but instead independently released One Chord To Another.  I didn’t buy the record till about 2002, and it was only by mistake.  The clerk at HMV said I’d like it.  She was right.

One Chord is at first very reminiscent of the Beatles circa Rubber Soul, mostly due to the innocent harmonies and relatively lo-fi production quality.   As with most Sloan records, all four members contribute songs, but their collaboration is most successful on this album, producing a cohesive sound and feel that is perfect for the lyrical and musical content.  One Chord features some of Sloan’s cleverest lyrics, especially on Autobiography, which plays on words without compromising its earnest credibility.  The organic, vintage vibe makes for honest and passionate songs of different styles – from rockers like The Good In Everyone to ballads like Junior Panthers to the ineffible A Side Wins.

Needless to say, I love every second of One Chord, and I highly reccommend it.  I think it’s rare for an indie album to be both accessible and artistically compelling, so check this one out and get hooked on Sloan.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Attention aspiring actors/models: Here’s your chance to appear in a Sloan music video!

The Canadian lads are looking for 20 young volunteers to take part in their Dec. 20 video shoot for “Witch’s Wand,” the latest single off their album “Parallel Play.”

The video’s premise is as follows: “In the winter of 1976, a small news crew blew the roof off of a strange and arcane cult that resided in a remote farming community in rural Ontario.

“This video depicts their most sacred ceremony, a rite of passage ritual, which initiates youth into adulthood and to the upper ranks of the cult, as well as the trailblazing news crew who discovered this mysterious group.”

Needed are 10 clean-shaven males and 10 long-haired females, aged 15 to 19, who are “’70s looking.”

Auditions will be held Dec. 15 from 8 to 10 p.m. at Toronto’s Lower Ossington Theatre.

Those interested can find more details, as well as contact info, at Sloan’s website here.

Michael Leblanc, who directed Sloan’s “Flying High Again” video, is once again taking the helm for this video. Co-directing is Scott Cudmore, who has produced videos for the likes of Great Lake Swimmers and The National.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Murderecords, the label that Canadian band Sloan initially set up in 1992 as a means to release their own material, is back in business with two new signings.

After being inactive in recent years, Murderecords has now signed fellow Canuck acts Pony Da Look and Will Currie & The Country French for album releases on April 29.

Pony Da Look, an all-female group from Toronto, will be releasing “Shattered Dimensions.” It’s the group’s third album after their self-titled debut in 2001 and “The Forcefield Weakens” in 2003.

Will Currie & The Country French, who formed at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2006, will share their piano-infused pop music with the nine-track “A Great Stage.”

They join the ranks of other Murderecords signees which have included Thrush Hermit, Eric’s Trip and The Super Friendz.

The two new signees will perform with Sloan and the Meligrove Band at Toronto’s Supermarket on March 6 for Canadian Music Week.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Almost 15 years after their first proper album came out, Sloan is set to release their eighth studio LP — and it’s massive.

The 30-track set, titled “Never Hear the End of It,” has been tagged for release on September 19. The first single, “Who Taught You to Live Like That,” is already available on the band’s MySpace, and was featured on iTunes last week.

Though the album seems sizeable, the band plans to jam it all on to a single CD. The vinyl version, however, will be doubled up.

A full tour will be announced soon, but until then, fans can catch Sloan at Stratford, ON’s Ovation Festival on September 8, opening for the Rolling Stones in Halifax on September 23, and at Kitchener, ON’s Rocktoberfest on October 8.

Here is the giant track list for “Never Hear the End of It,” courtesy of Jam! Music:

“Flying High Again”
“Who Taught You To Live Like That?”
“I’ve Gotta Try”
“Everybody Wants You”
“Listen To The Radio”
“Fading Into Obscurity”
“I Can’t Sleep”
“Someone That I Can Be True With”
“Right Or Wrong”
“Something’s Wrong”
“Ana Lucia”
“Before The End Of The Race”
“Blackout”
“I Understand”
“You Know What It’s About”
“Golden Eyes”
“Can’t You Figure It Out?”
“Set In Motion”
“Love Is All Around”
“Will I Belong?”
“Ill Placed Trust”
“Live The Life You’re Dreaming Of”
“Living With The Masses”
“HFXNSHC”
“People Think They Know Me”
“I Know You”
“Last Time In Love”
“It’s Not The End Of The World”
“Light Years”
“Another Way I Could Do It”

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance