Rodney DeCroo: video for "Like Jacob When He Felt the Angel's Touch"

Late night Sunday blues stomp, some Nick Cave, some Jerry Leger, Some Leonard Cohen, some Whitehorse and all poet Rodney De Croo from the valleys of Vancouver - "Like Jacob When He Felt the Angel's Touch" is all of his album Old Tenement Man - Rodney DeCroo is West now but came from East, Pennsylvania, he's written an one-man play, three books of poetry and has 8 albums behind him. Dude has a gig at This Ain't Hollywood in Hamilton July 16, the Barfly in Montreal and The Garnet in Peterborough July 22. Full dates after the break.

RODNEY DECROO TOUR DATES:
July 13 Kaffé 1870 in Wakefield, QC
uly 14 Phog Lounge in Windsor, ON
July 16 This Ain't Hollywood in Hamilton, ON
July 18  The Cornerstone in Guelph, ON
July 19  Miner's Tavern in Temiskaming Shores, ON
uly 20 Burdock Music Hall  in Toronto, ON
July 21 Barfly in Montreal, QC
July 22 The Garnet in Peterborough, ON
July 23 Orchard Bar in Toronto, ON

Moby and the Void Choir release Steve Cutts' video for 'In This Cold Place'

"I looked so hard for a saviour but then there was nothing left to save"

Washed Out brings waves of soft-house to the Danforth Hall Aug 26

its a soft exit, a whole lot of a rainy day drives through Manchester with Simply Red and Sade vibes over a warpy house beat, thats the all of Washed Out's "Hard to Say Goodbye." Its from his visual album on Arts & Crafts, Mister Mellow. Dude, aka Ernest Greene, has a gig at the Danforth in TO Aug 26. 

VanCity roots from Jon and Roy, tracksuits are the new double denim folks

Is there anything more Vancouver than running?  Take the seaside early morning jog, add Wes Anderson yes that Wes, and then the beauty that is the West Coast cream of the dream and top it off with a red cherry called Bob Dylan. And you are close to the Jon and Roy. Yes Jon and Roy already seven albums deep. Who knew? Now you do.

2017 Polaris Music Prize Long List announced, BA Johnston, Dan Romano, Lisa LeBlanc, Weaves among the nominees

The annual Polaris Music Prize has been announced with one standing above all others, a clear winner is Gord Downie's "Secret Path". I can see the Polaris judges even awarding the prize to both Downie's solo album and to the Tragically Hip's "Man Machine Poem" - no one's works alone after all.

"Secret Path" is not just a sentimental choice it is the only true artistic choice. The album, the graphic book, the story, the concerts, the awareness, the fund, the documentary, the TV special all add up to single-minded purpose, an action undertaken just to act, an action that underscores the idea of being and how to be in the world, it is a way to understand the world and a way to express one's own path to understanding, it is in the most simple terms and in the most complex, ART. It stands as the single most important music related artistic achievement of the past year and perhaps even since the Prize's initial winner,  Final Fantasy's "He Poos Clouds."

For the record here is the full Long List. It will be pared down to a shortlist announced July 13 and then down to the final ten. The winner will be announced at a gala September 18.

A Tribe Called Red - We Are The Halluci Nation
Alaclair Ensemble - Les Frères Cueilleurs
Anciients - Voice of the Void
Arkells - Morning Report
Philippe B - La grande nuit vidéo
BADBADNOTGOOD – IV
Louise Burns - Young Mopes
Chocolat - Rencontrer Looloo
Clairmont The Second - Quest For Milk and Honey
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
Antoine Corriveau - Cette chose qui cognait au creux de sa poitrine sans vouloir s'arrêter
Le Couleur - P.O.P.
Marie Davidson - Adieux Au Dancefloor
Mac Demarco - This Old Dog        
Gord Downie - Secret Path
Drake - More Life
Feist – Pleasure
Figure Walking - The Big Other
Fiver - Audible Songs From Rockwood
Geoffroy - Coastline
Hannah Georgas - For Evelyn
Japandroids - Near To The Wild Heart Of Life
Carly Rae Jepsen - E.MO.TION Side B
B.A. Johnston - Gremlins III
Lisa LeBlanc - Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?
The New Pornographers - Whiteout Conditions
Klô Pelgag - L'Étoile thoracique
Peter Peter - Noir Éden
Lido Pimienta - La Papessa
Jessie Reyez – Kiddo
Daniel Romano - Modern Pressure
The Sadies - Northern Passages
John K. Samson - Winter Wheat
Tanya Tagaq – Retribution
The Tragically Hip - Man Machine Poem
TUNS - TUNS
Leif Vollebekk - Twin Solitude                  
Weaves - Weaves
The Weeknd - Starboy
Charlotte Day Wilson – CDW

Timber Timbre release video for 'Sincerely, Future Pollution', plays River & Sky

People moving in people moving out why because this is time of love and rockets, more love, less rockets, more Timber Timbre, and more more more "Sincerely, Future Pollution" - the best of TT's best. Its so meta its almost its own universe but sign me up for the love rocket that gets you there. Timber Timbre are touring and have some Canadian dates, River & Sky festival in Field, ON July 23 and the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto Nov 9. In between the world gets him. Lucky world.

Dan Mangan, The Darcys; Arts and Crafts host summer show series at the Hayloft in The County

County Pop drew me to Prince Edward County this year and I am looking forward to Sandbanks Festival in the fall but I will take any opportunity to roadtrip the Loyalist Trail into The County south of Belleville.

It was once known for beaches, wine and art and of course it still is but music has been added. Not just by way of musicians moving there, Justin Rutledge for example, and not just because of the line-up at the Regent Theatre in Picton ( Rheostatics on Canada Day) but also because of the shows being presented and by whom.

The Drake Hotel is creating a secondary presence and now Arts and Crafts is establishing a beachhead on the shores of Lake Ontario. The label is curating a series of shows at the Hayloft Dancehall (owned by the same folks who own the Dakota in TO) near Sandbanks with synth-dance two piece The Darcys June 23, the always enlightening singer/songwriter Dan Mangan on July 14 and Reuben and the Dark on Aug 18.

Bow Chicka Wow Wow! Meghan Patrick wins four Country Music Association of Ontario Awards

Bow Chicka Bow-manville wow Meghan Patrick has cleaned up at the 2017 CMAO awards held Sunday June 11, in London, ON., winning four of the seven categories she was nominated in. Patrick won Female Artist of the Year, album of the year for  her debut "Grace & Grit", video of the year for lead single "Bow Chicka Wow Wow and the Rising Star Award. The young singer songwriter's star has been on a quick ascent with tours opening for Tom Cochrane, Dwight Yoakam and Kip Moore as well as charting songs from her debut. Next up is a cross-Canada tour with a local date August 19 at the Havelock Country Jamboree.

Tricky returns with The Only Way, doing it his way

UK triphopper Tricky is based nowadays in Berlin. The musician/producer has been quiet for quite some time but come out with a new track, "The Only Way," which is Portishead trippy, all twisting mellow with a nod to George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and some James Bond symphonics. Its on his own label False Idols via !K7

Lucy Rose "No Good At All" is really quite good actually

Lucy Rose - there's Feist in there but mostly she's all Janis Ian and Alice Doesn't Live Here and gazing out the windows of Greyhounds thinking of the past. They say you can't go back home again but maybe home can find you again, Lucy Rose found her home in music again by walking away from the business and travelling South America.  That journey gave rise to Something's Changing, her third album, available on Arts n Crafts July 7th. She has a gig at the Drake way way way away on Oct 9. The video for "No Good At All"  has LR performing on Top of the Pops circa 1975.

HUMANS release 360VR video for Boys and Girls

Vancity duo HUMANS take a 360 approach to creativity so its no surprise they have created a 360 video for their track Boys and Girls, a languid rubbery lurch of a track that edges around techno without really jumping right in . Everything is an opportunity for these kats, music, clothing, art, its all to be played with. So play along with the video and have fun with the HUMANS.

The Doozies play on and on - CD release party at Copper Brew in Bowmanville

The Doozies are playing a few dates for the release of “Shells”  at the Copperworks Brew Pub & Restaurant in Bowmanville. The began last night and return tonight and Friday. Tickets are $10 (soldout so call ahead), doors open 6, show at 7:30 pm. Shannon Barrill of the Indie Spot talked to the blokes about the album and other things doozie-ish.

North; SlowCity.ca talks to Daniel Lanois about his photo exhibit at Gallery House in Toronto

Daniel Lanois' exhibition of photographs, "North", is currently on display at Gallery House on Dundas West in Toronto. The show opened May 11 and runs until Jun 10 2017. There is a parallel exhibit by Dina Goldstein, "Fallen Princesses". Lanois is well known as an award winning musician and record producer (Neil Young, U2 and Bob Dylan) but he says he has also always taken photographs.  He spoke and performed at the show opening. Steven Frank of Blum Media and Slowcity.ca were there.

Gallery House is located at 2068 Dundas St. W. - check the website for further details about this and other shows.