Douniah & High John - "Neighbourhood / I Miss"

I'll admit it. I haven't been on here in ages. COVID did a number on my life and schedule and seeing as how this is something I do for fun, it didn't so much as take a backseat as get put in the Thule on the roof or left by the side of the highway while my family took up all the space in the car.

That said, I have continued to listen to new music and heard some great stuff which you can hear on my weekly radio shows. 

But I wanted to hop on here after checking "Neighbourhood / I Miss" out this morning and encourage you to give it a listen / watch. As of posting, there are only 66 views on this track and I hope it blows up because it has an incredible vibe and sound.

Douniah is a Hamburg-based artist with Moroccan roots and has a voice that contains a weight and sadness when she sings in the lower register, but can really lift off and brighten up as she ascends the scales. Producer High John provides her with some languid beats and does some interesting stuff in the interlude as this track and video move from the "Neighbourhood" portion to "I Miss."

Don't miss out on these two.

My Polaris Prize Ballot - 2020 Round One

First off, it's been a while.

I've of course been listening to new music since my last regular post in March as I continue in my role as PD / MD at UMFM, but while there's been stuff I'm digging, I just have not had the time or energy to share things here on RR as I've also been home with four children full-time since March 13th. If you want to hear what I'm digging week-to-week for the time being, I'd recommend checking out my showlogs here and here as I continue to program new broadcasts.

The other reason I haven't had the time to post on RR is I'd been busy listening and re-listening to a slew of recommendations by my fellow Polaris Prize jurors before the longlist voting deadline.

Which was yesterday, June 5th.

As I have done every year, I'll once again be sharing my personal longlist and ballot here and when it comes time to whittle the longlist down, I'll be posting that ballot as well.

Before I get to my "first final five" directly below are the albums I had the hardest time not including (and as always with my attempts at being internally consistent, anything released in since January 1 2020 is also on my longlist for the best albums of the year).

Anachnid - Dreamweaver
Andy Shauf - The Neon Skyline
Begonia - Fear
Bon Enfant - Bon Enfant
Catherine Major - Carte mere
Caveboy - Night in the Park, Kiss in the Dark
Ellis - Born Again
Emie R. Roussel Trio - Rhythme De Passage
Flore Laurentienne - Vol. 1
Fortunato Durutti Marinetti - Desire
Junia-T - Studio Monk
Kaytranada - BUBBA
Little Scream - Speed Queen
Peripheral Vision - Irrational Revelation and Mutual Humiliation
Sarah Harmer - Are You Gone
Songs of Tales - Life Is A Gong Show
Super Duty Tough Work - Studies In Grey
TOPS - I Feel Alive
Wares - Survival

Should any of my five not make the cut for the actual longlist, but something from the personal longlist does, that will be considered first.

With that said, here's what I voted for (screenshot from the actual voting page):

I don't believe I've done this before, but here are hyperlinks to the albums or artists.
1. Loving
2. Men I Trust
3. William Prince
4. Raphael Weinroth-Browne
5. Witch Prophet

Good luck to all of these great artists and fingers-crossed I'll be voting to put you on the Shortlist in a few weeks.

Benjamin Gordon - "Take Me Home"

It's important to note that the real strength of this cut is the magnificent vocal work of guest Adeleye Omotayo, who has such emotion is his voice that it is at times gutting. From the restrained growl of the first few lines to the naked emotion as he quavers "felt the water falling from my eyes / hold me closer let me see / take my hand and hear me cry" at the mid-way point, Omotayo is a force throughout and a name I've now added to my musical radar.

This is the latest single from UK producer Benjamin Gordon's forthcoming Where Did We Get Lost? and if "Back To You" and "Walls Fall Down" didn't already have you marking April 3rd on your calendar maybe the third time's the charm.

Courtney Marie Andrews - "If I Told"

The closest Andrews will get to my hometown of Winnipeg on her upcoming tour is Minneapolis for their Basilica Block Party (July 10th) which lands in the middle of Winnipeg Folk Fest so I won't get to see her, but I'm circling my calendar for June 5th as that's the day her new album Old Flowers comes out on Fat Possum.

She just dropped "If I Told" last night and it is another stunner from the singer-songwriter.

KOKOROKO - "Carry Me Home"

So Brownswood just dropped a new track from KOKOROKO (previously featured here) who were inspired by Dele Sosimi to write "Carry Me Home." Sosimi was the subject of a post here on RR back in 2015. With both Sosimi and KOKOROKO on the RR radar, hopefully they're on yours as well and you enjoy this joyful track that features a bubbling bass-line, warm vocals and exuberant horns.

A Tribe Called Red - "Land Back"

I'm going to be leading off tonight's TGIFR with this new track A Tribe Called Red released yesterday in support of the Unist'ot'en 2020 Legal Fun and in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en people and their hereditary chiefs.

I wish there was a better reason for new material from ATCR.

John Moreland - "Terrestrial"

WOW.

That was the first thought I had when this track started up midway through John Moreland's latest album, LP5 (coincidentally his fifth). "Terrestrial" just unfurls over the course of its near-four-minute runtime, beginning with an acoustic guitar alone before it's joined by the bass, drums, electric guitar and a piano.

OH THAT PIANO.

So wonderfully recorded - you get the warmth of the low notes and the sparkle of those chords the right hand is forming. Focusing on just the piano on this track is a rewarding exercise, particularly when it goes on a little vamp at the 2:41 mark in the upper registers of the keyboard. Plus there's friggin' percussive clapping flitting around those notes.

AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT MORELAND'S VOICE.

Did you ever have an old blanket that was thick, a little bit coarse and not the best to snuggle up in but damn if it wasn't the perfect thing to pull over your legs on a cool evening outdoors? Maybe you kept it in the trunk of your car for a picnic or an emergency? That's Moreland's voice - it's not fleece soft, but it is secure and comforting nonetheless. I can picture taking a drive out of the city, pulling out that blanket to cover up with my back against a tree and a view of the stars in the night sky with "Terrestrial" wafting out of the open window.

This is one of those perfect songs and is a front runner for my favourite of 2020.

Testiculo Y Uno - "Wasabi Terraces"

Honestly, the entirety of Two, by Testiculo Y Uno is worth a listen, but if you need a taste of the beat-tape before you consume the entire thing, start with "Wasabi Terraces." It's from the first half of the album, produced by Twit One.

The Immaculate Beings - "Come In (Space Control)"

I'm not sure which of The Immaculate Beings - Trevor, Griffin, Joe, Christian, Casey, Staurie or Michael is the one singing this song, but what a great showcase for their voice. Particularly when they ascend on "I'm an extra-terrestrial human" and during the scoop and drop on "come in space control / is there anybody there." It's a gymnastic line they hit like Simone Biles.

The entirety of Mental Space is worth a listen as the band "promote the importance of self-love, self-care, and self-validation through their music" and "create a safe space that reuminds you how much you matter in this world. You are so loved."

As I post this, the day happens to be a corporate-sponsored national discussion of mental health in Canada, but as I am learning, every day is the right day to talk about these things and this record might help.

Veronica Fusaro - "Rollercoaster"

The nice thing about taking a break over the holidays is coming back to the station and finding some great new tunes in my inbox as I play catch-up.

Swiss songwriter Veronica Fusaro's Sunkissed EP is pretty solid front-to-back, but lead off track "Rollercoaster" is an inside-the-park homer. It's just so ebullient and speeds along at a pace that will take your breath away.

It's a contemporary recording that draws on the classic sound of soul music in a way that Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse have achieved and you can practically hear the smile on Fusaro's face as she belts her way through the song.

Top 20 of 2019

So....

about the longlist.
Normally I do several posts detailing the entirety of the longlist of albums I considered for my year-end Top 20, but I'll be honest, the demands on my time over the holidays was just too much to carve out time for the entire 180 that were great but not-quite greatest. I did post about the ones that were cut last (and clearly from the title, hoped to chronicle the rest).

I was also away over New Years' so I failed to post my Top 20 in concert with the countdown show on UMFM, so here now is the rundown/recap:

20. Hania Rani - Esja [Gondwana]

19. Ryan Dugre - The Humors [Birdwatcher]

18. The Quiet Temple - The Quiet Temple [Point of Departure]

17. Carlton Jumel Smith - 1634 Lexington Avenue [Timmion]

16. Men I Trust - Oncle Jazz [Self-Released]

15. Aldous Harding - Designer [4AD]

14. Moonchild - Little Ghost [Tru Thoughts]

13. Ryan Porter - Force For Good [World Galaxy]

12. Bedouine - Bird Songs Of A Killjoy [Spacebomb]

11. Theo Croker - Star People Nation [Sony Masterworks]

10. Helado Negro - This Is How You Smile [RVNG Intl]

09. Jamila Woods - Legacy! Legacy! [Jagjaguwar]

08. The Comet Is Coming - Trust In The Lifeforce of The Great Mystery [Impulse]

07. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow [Jagjaguwar]

06. Andrew Bird - My Finest Work Yet [Loma Vista]

05. American Football - LP3 [Polyvinyl]

04. Royal Canoe - Waver [Paper Bag]

03. Julia Jacklin - Crushing [Polyvinyl]

02. Resavoir - Resavoir [International Anthem]

01. Maggie Rogers - Heard It In A Past Life [Capitol]

*** IMPORTANT UPDATE ***
I shared my longlist with longtime friend Donna Lowe and she created a Spotify playlist so even though there's no blog entries for the entirety of the albums I considered, you can (provided you use Spotify) listen to selections from all the titles that are available within their service.

2019 Longlist Part 1

It's that time of year again. I just finished whittling an extremely long longlist down to my Top 20 albums - which I'll be revealing on December 31st on UMFM as part of the 15th annual countdown show that Station Manager Jared McKetiak and I host.

But before that, I'll be posting the rest of the albums I considered before arriving at that Top 20. Pivoting from how I've done it in prior years, where the longlist has been somewhat randomized, or alphabetized, the first post this year carries a touch more weight than the rest. THESE are the final 10 records I removed from consideration. And while they are not presented in a rank order below, if I was doing a Top 30 these are the titles that would occupy the 21-30 spots. I was particularly hard-pressed to cut these ones and it came down to the wire.

Consider these my most honourable mentions.

**Where possible I have linked to the Bandcamp for these artists so you can support them directly if you dig the preview tune. Not every artist has a page though, so you'll get the occasional Soundcloud and Youtube link.

Tiny Ruins - Olympic Girls [Milk! Records]



The Cactus Blossoms - Easy Way [Walkie Talkie]



Haviah Mighty - 13th Floor [Self-Released]



Sudan Archives - Athena [Stones Throw]



Emma Elisabeth - Melancholic Milkshake [Ferryhouse]



Black Pumas - Black Pumas [ATO Records]



Joel Ross - KingMaker [Blue Note]



Durand Jones & The Indications - American Love Call [Dead Oceans]



SPAZA - SPAZA [Mushroom Hour Half Hour]



Sarah Tandy - Infection in the Sentence [Jazz re:freshed]

ephemerals - "Electricity"

This second taste of forthcoming LP The Third Eye from European duo ephemerals has a beautiful feeling of yearning as singer Wolfgang Valbrun intones "if you want it to be" repeatedly as the music fades out.

Looking forward to hearing the rest of this when it drops on Jalapeno Records on January 10th, 2020.

Will Samson - "Ochre Alps"

English ambient/folk musician Will Samson is set to release his album Paralanguage on Wichita Recordings December 6th and the whole album is quite lovely, but "Ochre Alps" with its slow build, delicate vocals and string flourishes is the standout track.

If you're having a stressful day, put this on and feel your muscles loosen and your thoughts lighten.

Basia Bulat - "Your Girl"

YESSSSSS!

Basia Bulat has a new album due out next year - produced by Jim James (!) - and she'll be hitting the road in support of it with a lengthy list of tour dates that includes my very own Winnipeg (the West End Cultural Centre on May 5th). I've posted the full dates below the first single / video. Are You In Love? comes out on Secret City March 27th.

Dec. 13-14                  Ottawa, ON                 National Arts Centre

Dec. 28 - Jan. 1          Woodford, Qld             Woodford Festival

Jan. 2-3, 2020             Sydney, NSW             LOW 302

Jan. 4, 2020                Melbourne, Vic            Welsley Anne

Jan. 5, 2020                Melbourne, Vic            Esplanade Hotel

March 18-22                Austin, TX                   SXSW

April 1, 2020                Madison, WI                High Noon Salon

April 2, 2020                Minneapolis, MN         Cedar Cultural Center

April 3, 2020                Milwaukee, WI            The Back Room at Collectivo

April 4, 2020                Chicago, IL                  Lincoln Hall

April 6, 2020                Louisville, KY              Zanzabar

April 7, 2020                Nashville, TN              The High Watt  

April 9, 2020                Washington, DC        Union Stage

April 10, 2020              Brooklyn, NY                Music Hall of Williamsburg

April 11, 2020              Philadelphia, PA        Johnny Brenda's

April 13, 2020              Cambridge, MA           The Sinclair

April 16, 2020              Moncton, NB               Central United Church

April 17, 2020              Charlottetown, NS     Confederation Centre of the Arts

April 18, 2020              Halifax, NS                  St Matthews Church

April 19, 2020              Fredericton, NB         Wilmot United Church
April 23, 2020              Quebec City, QC        Palais Montcalm

April 24, 2020              Montreal, QC              Theatre Fairmount

April 26, 2020              Burnstown, ON          Neat Coffee Shop         

April 28, 2020              Peterborough, ON     Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

April 29, 2020              London, ON                Aeolian Hall

April 30, 2020              Toronto, ON                Danforth Music Hall

May 1, 2020                Guelph, ON                 Royal City Mission

May 2, 2020                Waterford, ON           Waterford Old Town Hall

May 5, 2020                Winnipeg, MB             West End Cultural Centre

May 6, 2020                Saskatoon, SK            Broadway Theatre

May 7, 2020                Edmonton, AB           Station on Jasper

May 8, 2020                Calgary, AB                 Knox United Church     

May 10, 2020              Kamloops, BC             Sagebrush Theatre

May 11, 2020              Vancouver, BC          Commodore Ballroom

May 12, 2020              Victoria, BC                 Capital Ballroom           

May 14, 2020              Seattle                         Sunset Tavern

May 15, 2020              Portland                      Doug Fir Lounge

May 17, 2020              San Francisco             The Chapel

May 18, 2020              LA                                Largo at the Coronet

Bill Fay - "Filled With Wonder Once Again"

By the time of its release on January 17, 2020, it will have been five years since Dead Oceans last released a record from English folk artist Bill Fay (that was Who Is The Sender?). Known for being a bit enigmatic and letting his music speak for itself, I can't say for certain what Fay's been up to, but after five decades of releasing music (his self-titled album came out in 1970) it's promising to hear a hopeful track such as this first taste of Countless Branches. A beautiful way to ease into the new year and new decade and such a simple sentiment expressed directly.

Teebs - "Mirror Memory"

So apparently this was initially an Adult Swim single last year? Either I missed it or forgot, but it's one of the standout tracks on Teebs new full-length, Anicca, which came out on Brainfeeder October 25th. I was just wrapping up UMFM's Pledge-O-Rama so am still playing catch-up on a glut of music I backburnered but I am a little stuck on this particular album. Special shout-out to Sudan Archives who makes an appearance on a track and whose Athena is another fantastic release.

Jazzanova - "Little Bird (Feiertag Remix)"

While my favourite track on 2008's Of All The Things is "Let Me Show Ya" featuring wonderful vocals by guest Paul Randolph, but with the 10th Anniversary reissue of the album on vinyl, Jazzanova let pal Feiertag remix one of the cuts from the album and he made "Little Bird" a really dark version of the original, with haunting, echoed vocals from the great Jose James.

Joe Henry - "Bloom"

So apparently the video for the track is called 3'40" to reference the duration rather than the song title, "Bloom," but regardless of what it's called, the new song from Joe Henry's forthcoming The Gospel According to Water just dropped today. As I've come to expect from him, it's another literate heartbreaker with great turns-of-phrase and Henry's evocative delivery.

The very first lines are "there's very little / we can leave behind / will truly mark this Earth / but treachery and love / are ours to keep / for all they're worth." - if you're not digging it by 0'40" then chances are you won't go the full 3'40"

For more info and to pre-order Henry's album - out November 15 on earMUSIC - head over here.

LOONY - "Dare You"

Just got word this morning that Scarborough R&B act LOONY will be opening for Rhye this Sunday at the Garrick here in Winnipeg.

LOONY just dropped a new video for the track "Dare You" (below) and listening to the loping beat and delicate vocals, it's no surprise they'll be serving as the opener on all the Western Canadian dates.

My interview with Mike Milosh - aka Rhye - will air tomorrow night just after 6:30pm CT on my show TGIFR, and I'm pretty sure I'll be kicking things off with this cut.