I have a crush on Luke Lalonde. I don’t know, it’s his name. Luke. It’s a good name. Lalonde is the frontman for the band Born Ruffians, and he’s apart of the Bellwoods community in Toronto that I posted some videos of sometime ago.  I’m excited for the new Born Ruffians album, it’s entitled ‘Say It’ which is a reference to ‘being a dick’ and saying what you mean. It’s out May 31st but until then we’ve got the track, ‘Sole Brother’. He really says what he means when he goes, “You never ask sister to help with the chores that are physically straining and sometimes I wish I was a sole brother.. I wish I was an only child”. 

Tracklist–

01 “Oh Man”
02 “Retard Canard”
03 “Sole Brother”
04 “What To Say”
05 “The Ballad Of Moose Bruce”
06 “Higher & Higher”
07 “Come Back”
08 “Nova-Leigh”
09 “Blood, The Sun & Water”
10 “At Home Now

The track won’t upload for now so you can grab it off hypem HERE

Freelance Whales have been making their presence known to me steadily for the passed few weeks. It started when my talented friend Andrea Nakhla put together this video for Swapdoodles, our friends’ project, set to a Freelance Whales song. Since then I’ve been putting them on mixes, and just got the latest Porchswing mix and noticed they were sitting quite comfortably in between Wild America and True Womanhood. (Yes, I’ve linked it, but it’s members only so.. sorry). Anyway, I just came across this Stereogum exclusive video and it’s beautiful. Lyrically, they are unrivaled. The chorus for Generator Second Floor goes something like, “dont fix my smile, life is long enough, we will put this flesh into the ground again”. Weaving a dreamy tapestry of narratives, citing childhood stories and fantasies. With soft vocals and layered instrumentation it reminds me a little of Annuals, Beirut, or Broken Social Scene.

Immediately, I knew I’d like this band. And then I found out they’re from my hometown of Toronto. They’re called Mathemagic, and as far as I know their EP ‘Breaststroke’ hasn’t even been released yet. Before I go any further, did you know that Mathemagicians are real? Mathemagic is a real thing, as demonstrated by Arthur Benjamin in his TED talks about “lightning calculations and other feats of mathematical agility”. Back to the band- they’ve got that shimmering, hazy sound that makes everything steady along a slow-motion pace. It steadies your breathing. I’m two songs in and already in love. The repetitive phrase ‘it’s alright’ makes you believe that, hey, it really is. Toronto, sometimes I adore you.

Mathemagic- Breaststroke

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Mathemagic-High

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Hey friends, 

Exciting stuff here at FWBA, we’re in the beginning stages of completely revamping this space. I’m so excited about partnering with Cameron Woodward- social media guru/technology wizard/dude from Rushmore. Soon you’ll be able to connect with us on a new level, we want your feedback, we want you to hit us up, write us love letters, give us your thoughts and get involved. This may take some time but stick with us, we’ll be posting regularly like we always do. 

As we slowly transform this space into a more accessible, relevant forum for cool ‘ish and other projects we’re excited about, we want you on board with us. Thanks for keeping with us and sending us sweet messages. We love them. Feel free to write us at friendswithbotharms@gmail.com

Love, 

Nada and Andrea

La Strada- My New Home

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Fruit Bats are playing in LA on the 26th and of course the show is sold out and of course I can’t go anyway. I love their album ‘The Ruminant Band’ mostly because I just think ruminant is one of the most fantastic words, oh and that the collection of songs is spectacular.  They’re melodic, 70s country-jams that sound a little like Fleetwood Mac or Zeppelin or something. On their recent Daytrotter session they covered a Neil Young track about Charles Manson called ‘Revolution Blues/Union Blanket’ that’s super rad and a little creepy. I’m playing their album in my new car (yes new car) okay, well borrowed from a friend. This car has a name, and it’s called Skeletal Lightning, you’ll notice by the giant ‘Skeletal Lightning’ decal on the front, and Skeleton head in the backseat, oh and it’s also got lightning bolts on the side and it’s bright purple. This rules. Thanks David Young.

Fruit Bats- My Unusual Friend

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Fruit Bats- Beautiful Morning Light

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

So you open for acts like Coldplay, Amy Winehouse, and Boy George..NBD. Sure, they’re like any swing cover band, borrowing (okay, robbing) from another era, but they do what they do really well. It’s authentic, and there’s a real sense of nostalgia that makes you wonder how on earth teenagers can conjure up the roots of soul and rock and blues in it’s pristine state, with hardcover vinyl, fuzzy recordings and super catchy songs. Also, three names rule, it makes me think of Sharon Lois and Bram- you know, the Canadian singing group that had that Elephant Show. No?  It just rolls off the tongue, you know? SharonLoisandBram..

Anyway, this group is brilliant. It’s like hey- do you like R&B, country, swing, Hawaiian, Gospel, Fifties? They’ve got that, oh yeah, and these three siblings have also mastered drums, harmonica, piano, lap steel, banjo, ukulele, accordion, xylophone, trombone etc etc. Oh right, and Kitty is 17.I’ll go so far as to say if you don’t like them, or at least appreciate what they do- you don’t like music. There, I said it. 

Kitty; Daisy & Lewis- Honolulu Rock-A-Roll

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Kitty; Daisy & Lewis- Buggin’ Blues

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Kitty; Daisy & Lewis- Goin Up The Country

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This isn’t new, I’m just listening and wanted to share.

Bobby Birdman- Only For A While 

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Bobby Birdman- Perfect for Light

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Gil Scott-Heron hasn’t released a thing in 13 years. He just released an album called ‘Im New Here’. He’s spent the passed decade in and out of prison for drug charges. He’s an activist, a poet, a musician, and a spoken-word artist. And now his voice carries the grittiness of age, weathered and strained- but he’s still got a few words to say. The first song off the album that I heard was ‘New York Was Killing Me’ which evokes that Tom Waits/ William Elliot Whitmore aesthetic, a plea to return to the South- much like his musical resurgence, he’s searching for something to keep him alive, to keep himself away from his own demons. He brings us back to America in his era, the days when he reigned- making us wonder how much of it has really changed, or if we’re still in a desperate societal unrest. The solidarity we feel in collective strife, or hopelessness is powerful in song, especially from the songwriters who’ve lived to tell about it. 

I thought his spoken word track ‘running’ was pretty poignant, maybe it was the distinctive narrative, the tone of his voice, but I really love it. 

Because I always feel like running 
Not away, because there is no such place 
Because, if there was I would have found it by now 
Because it’s easier to run, 
Easier than staying and finding out you’re the only one…who didn’t run 

Gil Scott-Heron- Running

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Gil Scott-Heron- New York is Killing Me

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Thunder Power are releasing their fourth EP March 2nd. Woo! Is there a more enigmatic voice than lead vocalist Kacynna Tompsett? She’s all things that are wonderful and raspy about Cat Power or Heartless Bastards but a bit sweeter. I’ve always loved the track ‘(Why don’t you go) take a hike’- a song that was described as:

“The smothering affection of a friend/lover who is clueless to hints to maybe back off a bit. Either that, or maybe it’s time s/he ought to just take a fucking hike and never come back. It’s the kind of dichotomy played out in so many relationships: the one who loves too much versus the one who loves not enough”

The backing of her seamlessly breezy voice makes this request all the more nonchalante, she’s got reserves of collected coolness that we could all use some more of. 

Thunder Power- (Why Don’t You Go) Take A Hike

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Thunder Power-Bite Marx

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Thunder Power- Heartifact

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Sometimes you need the uncomplicated songs. You want things to sound easy and soft, you can leave it on in the background and not have to think too much about it. It makes things like sleep and love and the great outdoors seem simple, like things you can methodically untangle in an afternoon- like it all has a formula anyway, and we’d all do good to take a step back and see it that way. It’s youth and young manhood. This is Two Bicycles, maybe I was so drawn to him because of his affiliation with Andy Shauf, (I’m almost positive they’re from the same hometown or are friends, at the very least- they’d exchange hellos if they ran into eachother) a beloved Canadian songwriter that I think is just lovely- or maybe its the general Canadian-ness of him. Even songs like ‘Violence’ are mild mannered and whispered. Anyway, his name is Jamison and he just released an EP entitled ‘The End’ and he seems like a real nice boy, don’t you think?

Two Bicycles- Violence

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Two Bicycles- Tonight

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

For good measure- check out Andy Shauf too..

Andy Shauf- Your Heart

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Andy Shauf- Crushes

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.