|
|
|
|
|
|
All Natural Great Lake Swimmers
By Rob Bolton
Tony Dekker takes acoustics very seriously. His haunting, sombre ballads emit an otherworldly quality, due in no small part to the natural environment in which they’re captured. His self-titled debut as Great Lake Swimmers was notoriously recorded in a grain silo, so it’s no surprise that his follow-up, Bodies and Minds, follows suit. “It was recorded in an old church on the beach near where I grew up called Saint Teresa’s. It was a much quieter space; there was nothing to deal with other than the odd car going by.”
Natural reverb and folkie arrangements complement Dekker’s soft voice perfectly, sure to draw similar comparisons to his debut (Will Oldham, Mark Kozelek). “The first album, I went into completely blind. I didn’t know any of [those artists]. I understand why people compare things — it helps create a narrative, and it gives people context. And I’d like to think that there’s some kind of collective subconscious that we’re all drawing from.”
Despite creating a quiet, melancholic listening experience, Dekker’s first passion was punk. “Punk music doesn’t necessarily have to be loud and heavy. It’s more the ethic that anyone can do this: pick up a guitar, play, write songs, get your point across. Growing up on a farm, I did hear a lot of country music, so that’s in my bones too. Country and punk rock are not really that different.”
Although the instrumentation is fuller, the fragile beauty of his songs remains. Dekker’s music has always touched on themes of duality — love and pain, nature and modernity — and the struggle to achieve balance. “It’s the disparity between being human and being a human animal, finding a type of holiness in the harshness of nature. Those are probably the two main themes that I’d like to think run through the album. Not just a connection, but a respect for nature.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
DJ Serious Leads the Pack
 Since Toronto producer DJ Serious dropped his debut five years ago, the Toronto hip-hop scene has dipped below the radar. But with his new album, Cold Tea, he might just be the man to lead its return to form. By Kevin Jones
...Read More
|
|
|
Strapping Young Lad's Catharsis
 After battling his label, his bi-polar disorder, establishing himself as one of the underground's premier producers and almost calling it a day with Strapping Young Lad's last record, insane musical genius Devin Townsend returns. By Jill Mikkelson...Read More
|
|
|
Latin Funk Brother Joe Bataan
 Mr. New York, the original Latin funk brother Joe Bataan returns with his first album in 20 years, just in time to lay claim to his historic place in the history of Latin soul. By David Dacks...Read More
|
|
|
Bloc Party's Rockin' Beats
 Forging a sound out of the ashes of Britpop and the current boom of disco-punk, London’s Bloc Party have been tipped as 2005’s Franz Ferdinand. Their debut album, Silent Alarm is a powerful, all-encompassing tour-de-force that crosses all sorts of boundaries presenting their all-access passion for emotional music-making. By Cam Lindsay...Read More
|
|
|
Brendan Benson's Big Break Bid
 Brendan Benson made a good record and got dropped from his record label. He made a great record that didn’t sell. He’s hoping that the third time’s a charm. By Cam Lindsay...Read More
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | 
|
Check out the hottest new releases in the country this week, including: Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare, Best Coast Crazy For You, The Dream Radio Killer, Lil Wayne Gone Till November, Of Montreal The Past Is A Grotesque Animal 12", Young Jeezy So Jeez...
Read More
|
|
|
 |
|
Crafting their most dynamic album, Arcade Fire explore big concepts from fascinating, impassioned angles, critiquing normalcy on The Suburbs. On Funeral and Neon Bible, the band dealt with alienation and impending doom via songs that were married together, cohering for battle an...
Full Review
|
|
|
|
|