Tag: walter tv
New Release: Homeshake – The Homeshake Tape
One of the more endearing elements of Mac DeMarco‘s often endearing rise to prominence has been the proliferation of side projects involving the members of his live band. Walter TV, the spastic psych-pop group fronted by DeMarco’s bass player Pierce McGarry, put out a couple of excellent releases last year, and guitarist Peter Sagar is following suit with his project, Homeshake.
Homeshake’s first release, The Homeshake Tape, is very clearly the work of the same group of people, and to some extent splits the difference between Mac DeMarco and Walter TV, embracing the downbeat, jangly-guitared languor of some of DeMarco’s work, while nodding to Walter TV’s more experimental flourishes. “Northern Man” is perhaps the best marrying of these two aesthetics, with Sagar’s shamblingly intricate guitar playing combining with a likeably lazy vocal into something redolent of the best Elephant 6 recordings. “Moon Woman,” by contrast, is pure DeMarco. All smooth sleaze without the rough edges sanded down, the general creep providing cover for a tightly composed, totally guileless little love song. As with seemingly everything associated with Mac DeMarco, it’s always listenable, frequently interesting, and when all else fails it gets by on charm and personality. Stream/purchase The Homeshake Tape at Bandcamp.
This post originally appeared on our Berlin brethren No Fear of Pop.
Top Songs of 2012: 75-51
2012 has been the strongest year in memory for Canadian electronic pop. Established artists started new electronic projects, amazing new talents appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and one of our shining stars became a superstar recognized the world over. Canada is clearly at the epicenter of the zeitgeist – it’s a testament to the unbelievable talent in this country that we have 100 songs to present to you as the best of the year, and STILL had to exclude so many excellent tracks.
Montreal and Toronto may still have the most representatives of any Canadian city, but dark electro is thriving everywhere, from Halifax to Calgary, Ottawa to Vancouver, and exciting new hotbeds appearing in London, Ontario, and Grande Prairie, Alberta. We’re not too exclusively nationalist here at Silent Shout, so border states (minus NYC) appear too, with artists from Minneapolis, Seattle, and Brattleboro, Vermont making our list.
A huge thank you to all our readers, the folks who attend our events, and the bands that make brilliant music across this land for making 2012 an unforgettable year for us. Here’s to an even bigger 2013 for Canadian electronic music.
Top 100 Songs: 100-76 /// 75-51 /// 50-26 /// 25-1
75. Electric Youth – The Best Thing
74. Elrichman – The Shah and I
73. Grapes Godly – No Storm
72. Le Roi Crocodile – Battles
70. Matthew A. Wilkinson – Skyscrapers in Paris
69. Purity Ring – Bellispeak II feat Danny Brown
67. Blanche Blanche Blanche – Fireworks
66. Renny Wilson – Could’ve it Been Me?
65. Moon King – Only Child
64. The Luyas – Fifty Fifty
63. Shadow Folk – Heaven’s Gate
62. Sally Dige – Doppleganger
61. Chairs – Indestructible Machine
60. New Zebra Kid – Go the Extra Mile
59. How Sad (formerly Goose Hut)- Stockholm Syndrome
57. Desire – Tears From Heaven
56. Rob Crooks – Hey! Hey!
55. Blanche Blanche Blanche – She’s Adopted
53. Grimes – Circumambient
52. Essaie Pas – 514 376-9230
51. Maylee Todd – Baby’s Got It
Top 100 Songs: 100-76 /// 75-51 /// 50-26 /// 25-1
Previously: Top 20 Albums /// Top 20 Videos /// Top 15 Remixes /// Top 10 EPs
Top 20 Albums of 2012
There has been so much amazing music made this year. Most of these albums have been on constant repeat at the Silent Shout office since we heard them. If you’ve been following the blog all year our love for these records won’t surprise you. If you haven’t, we can’t wait for you to hear them! There shouldn’t be so much damn agreement in the critical world. We don’t need multiple lists of the same 50 albums in a slightly different order.
19. Kashka – Vichada – Bandcamp
18. Walter TV – Appetite – Bandcamp
17. Purity Ring – Shrines – Website
16. Karneef – In Error – Bandcamp
15. Man Made Hill – Intercourses – Bandcamp
14. Ghibli – Rare Pleasures – Bandcamp
13. Cabaal – Emanations – Bandcamp
12. Grimes – Visions – Wikipedia
11. Hot & Cold – Border Area – Bandcamp
10. You’ll Never Get to Heaven – S/T – Bandcamp
9. Mac DeMarco – Rock and Roll Night Club – Label
6. Kontravoid – Silent Visions – Bandcamp
5. Renny Wilson – “Sugarglider” – Bandcamp
3. Blanche Blanche Blanche – Wink with Both Eyes – Stream
2. Tenderness – The Axe is Ready at the Tree – Bandcamp
1. Femminielli – Double Invitation – Stream
Previously: Top 100 Songs /// Top 20 Videos /// Top 15 Remixes /// Top 10 EPs
MP3: Walter TV – “Lucky There’s That Beach Babe”
Walter TV – “LUCKY THERE’S THAT BEACH BABE”
New music from our much-beloved Walter TV! There’s another on their Bandcamp too.
Silent Shout Shadow Polaris
So, due to some massive oversight, we were not asked to be judges in this year’s Polaris Prize. That, or the ballot was lost in the mail. We need to ensure that Canadian electro music is properly represented, so in an effort to influence the judges’ decision, we have made our top five albums eligible to win this year.
Handsome Furs – Sound Kaptial
Handsome Furs – Memories of the Future
Chevalier Avant Garde – Heterotopias
Chevalier Avant Garde – Nie Rozumiem
Grimes – Visions
Grimes – Circumambient
Trust – TRST
Trust – Shoom
Phèdre – Phèdre
Phèdre – In Decay
DIGITS
Chevalier Avant Garde – Heterotopias
Chevalier Avant Garde – Young
Tenderness – The Axe is Ready at the Tree
Tenderness – We Lay Our Broken World in Sorrow at Your Feet
Sean Nicholas Savage – Flamingo
Sean Nicholas Savage – My Chances
Phèdre – Phèdre
Phèdre – Aphodite
Mac DeMarco – Rock and Roll Night Club
Mac DeMarco – She’s Really All I Need
FARRAGOES
walter tv – Appetite
walter tv – Africa
Chevalier Avant Garde – Heterotopias
Chevalier Avant Garde – Haircut
Mac DeMarco – Rock n Roll Nightclub
Mac DeMarco – European Vegas
Kontravoid – Kontravoid
Kontravoid – Native State
Cellphone – Cellphone
Cellphone – One Last Shot
And the winner is:
Video: Mac Demarco – She’s Really All I Need
We’re really into this. This track is from Mac Demarco‘s Rock and Roll Nightclub EP and it’s a total killer. Breezy, sloppy, jangly guitar pop that’s tightly composed and slightly unnerving. The video was directed by Pierce Mcgarry from walter tv, and does much to aid the perception that there is something not quite right about these people, probably the same thing that makes them so endearing.
MP3: Walter TV – Africa
This track is off the utterly charming debut album from Vancouverites walter tv. They somehow manage to sound breezy and creepy all at the same time, whilst recalling Sung Tongs era Animal Collective, and (dare I dream it!) the dearly departed Unicorns. The album is available on their bandcamp and will, no doubt, provide a perfect soundtrack to a deeply weird summer.
