Woodpigeon / Peter Fox

Keeping Warm This Winter With Woodpigeon

In continuing my characteristic bias toward promoting Canadian talent to my friends south of the border and across the ocean, (as well as artists NOT on T61... oops) I'd like to bring a band from my hometown of Calgary to your attention.

Woodpigeon is an ensemble of various artists, helmed by Mark Hamilton. I first heard them three or four years ago, at a Christmas show put on at a cozy commmunity church that frequently doubled as a concert venue. The recordings were rough around the edges then, and the performances not as tight, but they have an undeniable charm.

The large lineup has changed a little since then, but perhaps in a similar vein to some other popular Canadian indie bands (Arcade Fire, Stars, Broken Social Scene), their quantity still produces quality with every track. Expect lush arrangements, pensive lyrics and catchy hooks.

Maybe it's because of the circumstances surrounding my first experience hearing Woodpigeon, but I will always associate their music with a warmth that is best enjoyed indoors on a cold winter's day. Hot chocolate is optional.

Their site is linked below. Once you're there, you can visit an online store by choosing the left image, or hear four of their newest tracks by clicking the right image.
http://woodpigeon-songbook.com

Edit:
They have also just announced tour dates in Europe for Feb 2009:

we're excited to announce the following february 2009 tour dates in support of the release of 'treasury library canada / houndstooth europa':

07 February 2009 PERFORMANCE WORKS Vancouver, BC
15 February 2009 BOTANIQUE-ROTUNDE Brussels, Belgium
16 February 2009 PONT EPHEMERE Paris, France
17 February 2009 PARADISO Amsterdam, Nlands
18 February 2009 PRINZENBAR Hamburg, Germany
19 February 2009 SCHOKOLADEN Berlin, Germany
21 February 2009 WESTGARTH SC Middlesbrough, UK
22 February 2009 THE CAPTAIN'S REST Glasgow, Scotland
23 February 2009 THE END Newcastle, UK
24 February 2009 THE DEAF INSTITUTE Manchester, UK
25 February 2009 ICA London, UK
26 February 2009 THE AUDIO Brighton, UK

"we'll also be collaborating with clinton st. john and many others at the 2009 high performance rodeo in calgary, re-interpreting the works of bjork, godspeed! you black emperor, mogwai, and rachael's."

Surely we have at least one T61er in some of these locations!

Hey! Alles glänzt, so schön neu!

Speaking of Berlin... In a different vein entirely, this was a random find I picked up on YouTube. It has a few million hits, and it was either featured or showed up as a "related" video to something I saw. As far as I can tell, it hasn't really been blogged about in the Occidental world. So, I present to you Peter Fox, a Berliner who has recently released a new album.

Alles Neu is a song about reinventing oneself, and though I do not speak German, the drumline and orchestral elements go so well with his vocals. Apparently also the front man of a reggae-dancehall crew named Seeed, Peter Fox and the Cold Steel Drumline are currently on tour throughout Germany.

Peter Fox - Alles Neu


MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/peterfoxxx