said the whale

The Dunce Cap: April 19, 2010

in: heavy rotation

Image courtesy of chrispartida.com.

The Dunce Cap, Vol. 4: It’s good having somebody good for a change.
(mix via 8tracks)

  1. “Heroes and Villains” – The Beach Boys
  2. “Kiss With a Fist” – Florence + The Machine
  3. “I Just Love You More” – Kate Nash
  4. “Sleep All Summer” – St. Vincent and the National
  5. “Cannibal Queen” – Miniature Tigers
  6. “Suzanne” – Weezer
  7. “Pachuca Sunrise” – Minus the Bear
  8. “Holiday” – The Films
  9. “A Well Respected Man” – The Kinks
  10. “The Light is You” – Said the Whale

As promised, The Dunce Cap presents this week’s second spectacular playlist, courtesy of RTVF 230. An intimate look at subcultures inspired this particular mix, with a number of familiar artists who once straddled the cusp between popularity and utter obscurity. Among these tracks are my favorite Kinks single (and a plug for Do it Again, the documentary which seeks to reunite the Kinks and has me beyond excited!), a beloved Weezer B-side, a new Kate Nash song and a very Brian Wilson-heavy Beach Boys tune. I love the Florence + the Machine track, and, in re-listening to her voice, I realized I’d been digging her for a while. Who knew?

Check out the mix, and look out soon for a profile on the excellent Downtown Sound free summer concert series.

Happy listening, and happy weekending!

A.V. Club: Said the Whale

in: viewing room

We’d be buried in the water in the summer
We’d be leaning on lake tides and lilies

We’ve got the biggest hearts

— “Strong Swimmers,” Said the Whale

Vancouver-based indie rock  band Said the Whale released their second full-length album Islands Disappear in late 2009. The band, begun as a collaboration between songwriters Ben Worcester and Tyler Bancroft, raises bubblegum folk to an art form and creates ukulele love songs. In its current incarnation, the band is a five-piece line-up.

Islands Disappear, from description on the band’s website, “draws on the experience of driving across Canada, from the van breaking down in Manitoba to camping in Alberta.  With stylistic forays that include backwoods folk and danceable ukulele/glockenspiel rave-ups, it’s the sound of a band coming into its own, delivering on the promise of its early recordings.”

The first single from the album, “Camilo (The Magician)” is a conglomeration of traditional rock n’ roll power chords and a sunny power pop chorus. The track is a catchy sing-a-long for romping in the summer sun. The video is positively adorable and is the perfect pairing for the single’s pleasant and finger-snapping disposition.

In February, the band released a five track EP of acoustic songs recorded in guitarist/vocalist Ben Worcester’s bedroom. The band emphasizes audience interaction and called earlier this year for cover art designs for the EP. The winner, pictured below, came from Abbi MacDonald from Ontario. The artwork links to iTunes purchases cache for “Bear Bones.”

"Bear Bones" EP

Said the Whale recalls Miniature Tigers‘s gruff swagger, the self-assured chutzpah of pretty boys knowing they make the girls swoon. It’s an eager album and each of the tracks are alternately captivating and emotionally trite. The depth of sentimentality is shallow, and the emotions the band grasps at are meager. It’s certainly not the world’s best album, but it’s definitely one to give multiple spins.

Happy listening!

(editor’s note) Embedded below is the video for “The Light is You,” the Said the Whale track I am most digging currently. The band is great Earth Day fodder – they sure do seem to revere nature! This video was filmed in a picturesque apple orchard.