Bring Back Vinyl: a refuge for music snobs

2006-05-06T10:34:00.001-06:00

brb

2006-05-06T10:34:00.000-06:00

BRB

Clap Your Hands Say Letterman

2006-04-03T10:29:00.000-06:00

Indie rock buzz band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! will be playing this coming Friday April, 7th on the Late Show with David Letterman. What a world.

Sufjan Stevens snags New Pantheon Prize

2006-03-31T19:57:00.000-06:00

"Sufjan Stevens made enough Illinoise with his 2005 album to earn him the inaugural New Pantheon Music Prize.
Beating out artists like Arcade Fire, Fiona Apple, M.I.A., Antony and the Johnsons, and others, Stevens claimed the $5,000 cash prize and New Pantheon Music Prize trophy. The award picks up where the Shortlist Prize left off, honoring albums that have sold less than 500,000 copies in the U.S." - Spin.com <--(click for entire story)

The Flaming Queens?

2006-03-24T10:45:00.000-06:00

The Flaming Lips have posted a cover of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody over at http://www.stereogum.com/archives/002411.html. What a world.

2006-03-17T15:09:00.000-06:00

The final line-up for Warped Tour 2006 was announced the other day. Here is a list of the confirmed artists who (most of whom) will be playing at most of the dates (including Calgary).

18 Visions
AFI
Aiden
The Academy Is
Against Me!
Alexisonfire
Amber Pacific
Anti Flag
Armor For Sleep
ASG
Billy Talent
The Bled
Bouncing Souls
Bullet For My Valentine
Buzzcocks
The Casualties
Die Hunns
Down To Earth Approach
Dropping Daylight
The Early November
Eight Fingers Down (Bbq Band)
Emanuel
Emery
Every Time I Die
The Fall Of Troy
Flashlight Brown
From Autumn To Ashes
From First To Last
The Fully Down
Gatsbys American Dream
The Germs
Greeley Estates
Gym Class Heroes
Hellogoodbye
Helmet
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Less Than Jake
The Living End
Moneen
Motion City Soundtrack
Mute Math
Nofx
Over It
Paramore
The Pink Spiders
Pistolita
Plain White T's
Protest The Hero
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Reggie & The Full Effect
Rise Against
Riverboat Gamblers
Saosin
Say Anything
Saves The Day
Senses Fail
Silverstein
The Sounds
State Radio
Stretch Arm Strong
The Sunstreak (Bbq Band)
Thursday
Underoath
Valient Thorr
Voltera

Things don't add up for MuteMath

2006-03-07T11:05:00.000-06:00

Check out this story about BBV fave MuteMath, who are currently embroiled in a lawsuit that will change the Christian music industry. No joke.

On Sufjan Stevens..

2006-03-04T03:07:00.000-06:00

From stereogum.com: "He likes making music, but says he's going to take a big break from it. He's the anti-artist and very uninterested in keeping up as a musician. He wants to write or work on a book for the next couple of years. He doesn't get the whole fan thing nor does he see or pay attention to any of the accolades and props he's getting. He said he got tired of his big theme shows and is doing the Time Warner center performance sans costumes. He's glad to distance himself from all of that for a long while. I can understand where he's coming from... but c'mon, Sufjan, you KNEW there were 50 states. And the costumes were your idea. Don't leave Delaware hanging. "

Augustana on Jimmy Kimmel

2006-02-18T05:55:00.000-06:00

Augustana will perform on The Jimmy Kimmel Show on ABC on February 21st! Then the next day, they will sell a klab-gillion albums. If you haven't seen their latest video for "Boston", check it out HERE. It's really good. Like, pianos on a beach good.

2006-02-11T15:53:00.000-06:00

Kirk says there's some killer video footy right thur..http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=+I+Sight+Videography. Check it out.

Testify Review

2006-02-11T13:47:00.000-06:00

Taylor Summach has a new review posted for P.O.D.'s latest, Testify. Preach it Taylor!

Emo break-ups all over the gosh darn place..

2006-02-11T13:31:00.000-06:00

First Further Seems Forever breaks up, what next The Juliana Theory? Oh, ok.

Emo-rock act The Juliana Theory have announced that they are broken up. The Greensburg, Pennsylvania-based quintet, together since 1997, posted a lengthy explanation on their website's news page, a portion of which is reproduced below:

"There will be no final tour. Our last show was in Cologne, Germany on January 28, 2006... We have chosen to end the band for practical reasons. There is no fighting between the 5 of us. We are as close as we have ever been. We just know it is time to say goodnight... It's no secret to anyone familiar with the band that we hit the peak of our success around 4 years ago. It's never easy to watch something you built with your heart and your hard work slowly decline."

The band released four proper studio full-lengths -- the first two via Tooth And Nail, one for major-label Epic Records, and their most recent, 2005's Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat, for Abacus Recordings. They also released a number of EPs and splits throughout their career, as well as a live album. As the band said in their statement, there is no final show scheduled at the present time. - Alternative Press

This is worse than the time I stapled my finger twice in one week.

Bring Back Vinyl Productions

2006-02-11T13:11:00.000-06:00

Bring Back Vinyl is pleased to announce the creation of BRING BACK VINYL PRODUCTIONS. We're stoked not only to partner with Zach and Zach in their attempts to bring better live music to Saskatoon, but also to finally put the MySpace site to good use. So if you haven't already done so, go to www.myspace.com/bringbackvinyl and add us as a friend!

P.S. Aren't Casting Crowns the worst?

Stupid Grammies...

2006-02-08T23:07:00.000-06:00

In an astonishing example of rigged awards, both Audio Adrenaline's Until My Heart Caves In and Casting Crowns' Lifesong won in their categories (rock gospel album and pop/contemporary gospel album, respectively). The proof? Both albums were released on August 30! If that doesn't prove that the Grammies are rigged, I don't know what does.
Casting Crowns beat out Steven Curtis Chapman, Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, Third Day, and Out of Eden - a group that is fairly similar in sound and/or genre. Audio A, on the other hand, beat Day of Fire, The Cross Movement, Grits, and Winnipeg's Fresh I.E. (with his second nomination!). Is it just me, or are those last three not "rock," per se. Seriously, Grammies, either cut the "Christian"...oops, "Gospel" categories immediately, or do some serious revisiting of the idea. Oh, and some band named U2 from...umm...Ireland, I think...yeah, I'll say Ireland...won pretty much every award for which they were nominated. Really flew under the table and surprised everyone, they did.

JFH Reader's Choice 2006 Poll

2006-02-01T20:21:00.000-06:00

I will admit that it will seem a little cheesy to ask a favour, but take the time to vote over at Jesus Freak Hideout's Reader's Choice 2006 poll to do your best to make sure junk doesn't get chosen. I have faith in the BBV movement, and that we can bring intelligence to the masses. Tally ho!

More Mute Math!

2006-01-31T23:15:00.000-06:00

BBV faves Mute Math will be appearing on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Wednesday Feb. 1. Of course, they will also be live at YQ 2006 in Caronport, SK, in just under three weeks, so this performance should be a good primer for the real thing!

Artists that look like Jesus?

2006-01-24T23:01:00.000-06:00

Creed wouldn't count as music that many readers of this site would acknowledge as legitimate or even entertaining, but check out this Rolling Stone article if you're interested in reading about Stapp's personal meltdown and the end of the band. Plus, you can see Kanye posing as Jesus on the cover of the new issue! Oh, Kanye, what will you do next?

Adios Audio A

2006-01-20T14:49:00.000-06:00

In an announcement that will make nostalgic '90s Christian rock fans weep bitterly, Audio Adrenaline recently announced that they will be ending their career in 2006 with a final project entitled Adios, which will feature some of the band's hits (and maybe a couple of misses) as well as some new tracks. Granted, few people have paid any attention to the band since 2001's Lift album, but it is the end of an era for the CCM industry, as AudioA were one of the foundational artists that helped the industry through the early 90s and to its newfound prominence a decade later. In related and similarly disappointing news, the Newsboys have recruited fellow Aussie Paul Colman to the band and are still making music. It's a sad sad world in which we live.

Forever seems further

2006-01-20T14:25:00.000-06:00

In an announcement that will make emo kids everywhere weep bitterly, Further Seems Forever has recently announced that they will be bringing an end to their tumultuous musical career early in 2006. They have plans to release some previously unreleased material, as well as a DVD. The world is a sadder place today, but their retirement leaves FSF with arguably the best three-album career ever, and at least of the 21st century (unless Demon Hunter calls it quits soon). We still have Dashboard Confessional, but we will miss you, Further.

Last Call....well not literally LAST

2006-01-10T21:01:00.000-06:00

Make sure to catch Mat Kearney on Last Call with Carson Daly this Friday. Who'da thunk it?

Boycott Everyone

2006-01-10T11:51:00.000-06:00

If you're in the Saskatoon area this Friday the 13th, come to The Bassment for the Boycott Scott CD release party. It starts at 8pm and costs $6. It's all ages, and promises to beat whatever else you had planned for that night. Be punctual so as not to miss Special Guest These Hands .

Mr. Pibb + Red Vines = Crazy Delicious

2006-01-07T00:54:00.000-06:00

If you are one of the twenty people in North America who have not yet witnessed the glory of SNL's "Lazy Sunday" rap, you need to watch it now. Trudat. Double true!

Hundred Reasons to check this out.

2006-01-06T02:50:00.000-06:00

Hundred Reasons have a few new songs from their forthcoming album "Kill Your Own" up on their MySpace site. Just when I was starting to forget why I love them so much...

Best Of The Year - Part 11

2006-01-03T05:08:00.000-06:00

Jordan Kurtz is a book&music store employee/musician/wannabe from Saskatoon, SK. He's been involved in a variety of bands over the years, including: The Uptown Five, Boycott Scott, Autumn Tides, The Absent Chutes, and Tuxedo Mask. Most recently he has turned down offers to play with Up The Bum and Buffet Of Death. He is also editor and co-creator of Bring Back Vinyl. These are the 30 best albums of 2005 according to him.

"Contrary to many people, I thought 2005 was an excellent year for music. Maybe not as good as 2004, but THAT was an above average year. Regardless this is a little late, but I took a few days to reflect on the year and in doing so realized that I almost forgot entirely about a few albums. Better late than never I guess. Oh, and sorry that this is the only list with pictures, I swear I just figured it out tonight. And I would add them to all the others, but it took fricking forever. Anyway, next year things will be more organized."

Ok, enough of that, onto the list. (click to enlarge)

3029282726

25. Project 86 - ...And The Rest Will Follow. A tough album to place. Incredible bursts of creativity and emotion, too many disappointing hooks. Plenty of unexpected curve balls and risk taking, too much presumable contrived genre blurring and over thinking. Sharp as hell lyrics are (as with every Project release) the best part of this record. Example: "We once drew some lines in black, and right now it's about time we took them back." A respectable, ambitious album from a still underrated band, still searching for their sound.

24. The Juliana Theory - Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat. Finally. I've been waiting for a REAL follow up to Emotion Is Dead for almost 6 years. Not that Love didn't have it's moments, but Deadbeat is ALL moments. The Theory were dropped from Epic records not long before this album came out, so as hard as it might be to find, it's worth the digging.

23. Discover America - Psychology. Twothirtyeight was good, Discover America is fabulous. This is everything Chris Staples was meant to be.

22. Coldplay - X&Y. The good half of this album is
more than enough to make up for the weaker half. A wonderful, albeit predictable album judged unfairly and often more for it's context than it's songs. If this was a band none of us knew, and if none of us had unfair expectations, this would be on every Top 10 list of the year. There are songs on X&Y that will outlast many of the ones on the previous two records.

21. Sarah Harmer - I Am A Mountain. Sincere, simple, under-appreciated. If holding back is harder than letting loose, this was a very difficult album to make. Leaving her traditional band and sound by the wayside, Harmer opts for an Emmylou Harris/Johnny Cash sort of stripped down intimacy. Easily one of the best Canadian artists around.

20. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better. You really couldn't have it much better. The most hyped band of the last 5 years have no trouble living up to boiling expectations everywhere. Whatever country they're from, has never sounded so good. "Do You Want To" is the best song of the year.

19. David Crowder Band - A Collision. If ever there was a gray area in music, it's the tightrope walk of reviewing a "worship" album. Conversely, if there was ever an area of the industry where mediocre music was justified in the name of ministry, it's the "worship" "genre". David Crowder Band has done more for the musical credibility of "worship" than any major label artist before them. A Collision was an obvious direction for the band to move in, sounding more like an attempt at an epic, indie, spiritual album than a church-ready corporate worship release. This album is the perfect example of creative worship music, relevant to both the churched AND the un-churched.

18. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm. Bloc Party are sick of American guitar players. They're sick of copy-cat American rock. And it shows. Their slick mish-mashed guitar work, and thick cockney accents are more than enough to keep imitators at bay. Along with wonderfully simple songwriting, and above average indie drumming, they easily swagger their way onto this list.

17. Thrice - Vheissu. Welcome to the jungle. Thrice spent the last couple of years totally isolated from the entire music scene, and in doing so raised the bar for said scene to a wonderful new place. There are pros and cons to an Vheissu. They have effortlessly blown away every band in their scene, but have also set themselves up for a tough next album. Seriously, where in the world do they go from here? I guess it's not so important WHAT they do, as long as they keep doing it.

16. Motion City Soundtrack - Commit This To Memory. Every once in a while I get really pissed off when I listen to a record for the first time. It happens when I stumble across something I knew existed, but didn't know I'd love. And it happens, when nobody takes me aside and says "listen, Jordan, you HAVE to listen to this, trust me, you'll love it." I figure if I have the time to do it, others would return the favor. It happened with Thursday, it happened with Days Away, and it happened with Motion City Soundtrack. I can't believe I almost never heard this.

15. Hot Hot Heat - Elevator. Take a page from the Hot Hot Heat
playbook. If it ain't broke don't fix it. But if you can, try and make it more awesomer.

14. Acceptance - Phantoms. Over-produced, over-done, under-appreciated. Phantoms is unabashed, radio friendly stadium rock, for punk scenesters secretly in love with bubble gum pop. Acceptance is the next/first true contender in the race for emo success and longevity.

13. The Rocket Summer - Hello Good Friend. Hanson meets Dashboard Confessional. Meets Billy Joel, meets Ben Folds. Meets Anberlin. Enjoy it now while you can. In a year everyone will claim that they "discovered" them. And all those people are wrong. I did.

12. Days Away - Mapping An Invisible World. Dear major label that rejected this album. Sucks to be you. This band WILL make a huge name for themselves. Start kicking yourselves.

11. Beck - Guero. There are very few instances where being speechless is justified. What is there left to say? Beck Hanson lives on an entirely different musical planet, where rock is rap, folk is techno, and mistakes can't be made. Why even bother trying to create music? He's so far ahead of the pack that nothing else seems to matter. When I listen to Guero, I forget that there are other CDs in my house, let alone anywhere.

10. Stars - Set Yourself On Fire. I owe many people an apology about this album. More than a few of the top 10 lists we received included this gorgeous album, but I was positive it was released in 2004. I think I was wrong, especially after RollingStone put it on their list of the 50 best records of the year. Anyway, better late than never. The point is, this record is incomparably beautiful. A pop masterpiece to say the least. It's so refreshing to hear an accessible, poppy, over-achieving indie band, that isn't pretentious, and isn't afraid of good production.

9. Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise! If John Mayer was
bigger than his body, Sufjan is bigger than his country. This album is brilliant beyond words, and finds us heart to heart with one of the most talented and insightful artists to call himself a child of God.

8. Death Cab For Cutie - Plans. The riddle of the year: Was Plans so good, because it's so good, or does the true value of this record lie in the fact that it represents the way everyone would love to see their favourite indie band achieve mainstream superstardom. There was no selling out. There was no contrived image makeover. There wasn't even a noticeable improvement in production quality. Death Cab just did what they always do. Avoid the trends, write good songs, and listen to your heart... as it breaks.

7. Sigur Ros - Takk. When was the last time you invented YOUR own language? Or your own genre... yeah, that's what I thought

6. The Academy Is... - Almost Here. It looked like 2005 was going to be the year that the world got acquainted with TAI's unique hook heavy, sing along song, pop/rock sensibility, when out of freaking nowhere two less deserved bands on the same record label, stole the spotlight. Unfortunately 2005 is more likely to be remembered as the year that Fall Out Boy became every eleventeen year old emo girl's new favourite band, and the year that Panic! At The Disco wouldn't get the hell out of the #1 spot on PureVolume (we get it...you've had a lot of plays). Whatever this year is remembered for, don't let Almost Here slip through the cracks. This is one the catchiest albums of the year.

5. Waking Ashland - Composure. Many an untrained ear simply wrote this album off too soon. If that was you, follow these easy steps and you'll be on your way to listening enjoyment. Step 1: Resist the temptation to call them a Mae knockoff, because they are so much more, and contrary to popular belief, Mae did not invent the piano. The piano was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori. Probably a considerable amount of time earlier. Step 2: Get on board. If you do not jump on the bandwagon now, you will be run over by it...many, many times. Step 3: Pick up a copy soon. I sort of stole Phil's burnt copy. And don't expect C-diddy at Parable's to cut you a deal under the table either. That's not how he does.

4. Blindside - The Great Depression. It seems as though Blindside are never satisfied. And it's relatively inconceivable that a group of Christian boys from Sweden could start a hardcore/punk band in the early 90's, gain a fierce, loyal following, get signed to a major label, sell millions of albums, split from said label, and after all that create what could be their best album yet. The Great Depression is proof for the world that they continue to flawlessly tightrope across genre lines with ease, and somehow, without ever losing fans, manage only to pick up more steam.

3. Mae - The Everglow. Just as worthy of the #1 spot when it came to songwriting and arrangement. The sheer scope of it all is so impressive that even though it may not be the most superior album musically or creatively, it took #3 with ease this year. If not the most flawlessly cohesive album, it is inarguably one of the most important.

2. Caribou - The Milk Of Human Kindness. I don't, nor will I ever understand how Caribou isn't the most popular band in the world. The Milk Of Human Kindness is practically flawless. Ambient atmospherics and techno explosions brush carelessly in and out of sometimes incoherent lyrics, while never losing sight of the heart or drive of each song. This is an instant classic, comfortable in the company of high rollers like Lemon Jelly's "Lost Horizons". Caribou makes FatBoy Slim look like a pile of puke.

1. Copeland - In Motion. Contrary to what that Dave Sherin will tell you, this is much better than anything on his list. Truth be told this wasn't the "best" album of the year. It was my favourite album of the year. The one to which memories will be forever attatched, and moments forever remembered. In Motion will become buried treasure for future generations of wide-eyed young lovers who want to enjoy the last gasp of sincere, authentic, emo, before it became the next hair metal. Aaron Marsh has the best falsetto in the pop/punk/rock world.

Best of the Year - Part 10

2005-12-31T11:54:00.000-06:00

Tyler L. Watson is a music store employee/singer/fashion-ista/Avalon fan from Saskatoon, SK. We were part of a Keane sing along once, it was fabulous. And yes, he knows that Hopes And Fears came out in 2004. He doesn't care, he wouldn't change it. These are his picks...

1. Keane - Hopes and Fears
2. Family Force 5 - Business Up Front, Party In The Back
3. Kevin Max - The Imposter
4. Delirious? - The Mission Bell
5. Coldplay - X&Y
6. United - Look To You
7. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
8. Mark Joseph - Scream
9. The Bravery - The Bravery
10. Phil Joel - Deliberate People
11. Millbrook - Confessionals EP

Best Of The Year - Part 9

2005-12-30T19:50:00.000-06:00

Luke "the Cuke" Johnson is a music store employee/husband/white guy from Saskatoon, SK. He is everybody's favourite guy and the creator of many hi-larious tshirts.

"Jordan, here is my Top 10 list. I hope that you agree with most of them."

10. If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something - Rebecca St. James. I know most of you laugh, but honestly give it a chance. This is what we get after almost 3 years of no music. I think she gave us her best release to date! The record does not sound like a studio project of a single artist, it has a full rock band sound. And the drummer is amazing!
9. Healthy in Paranoid Times - Our Lady Peace. I can say I've bought two of their previous albums and was impressed, but what stood out about "Healthy" is the diverse acoustic sound these guys have made. They can perform rock, but this shows an entirely different, more diverse, side to this amazingly successful Canadian band!
8. I Stand for You - Tree 63. The first all worship album by the band that "sounds most like their album" live. If all worship bands had the talent these guys have, wow worship would be totally different. Not to mention there is only three guys in the group!
7. Never Take Friendship Personal - Anberlin. I've overplayed it a little here at work, but the fact that I have overplayed it speaks for itself. This album is a huge step up from "Blueprints". Amazing change a little vocal training can make! Along withthe most catchy alt-rock style I've heard all year!
6. The Great Depression- Blindside. Must admit, I haven't listened a lot to this record, but the three times I've heard it are well worth it making my list. The most diverse, random record of the year by far! These guys continue to amaze me. Listeners will not find as many lyrically catchy songs as "Silence" but it is a musical gem!
5. The Blueprint Dives - Extol. An amazingly talented band. This is honestly metal at its near finest. These guys all have bachelorette in music and put that training towards a career in heavy-kickbutt music. And you honestly get over the European sound pretty quickly. Since I am all about the drummer, it's hard to get any better on this sweet record!
4. The Evolution of HipRockSoul- 4th Avenue Jones. Best Rap album of the year! I think this measures upto the originality of the Black-Eyed-Peas, but holds a totally different feeling then the peas. It could be the drums mixed with organs mixed with DJing mixed with R&B mixed with Hip-Hop. The album title says itall!
3. The Everglow- Mae. Studying paid off. Apparently the band researched how people interact and what they want in music before making "Everglow". This entire album is a treat to the ears (and the eyes, see the album insert). I have not stopped listening to this all year. It just makes you feel good. Making it the top soft-rock/emo album of the year!
2. O God, The Aftermath- Norma Jean. I love that I could not get into this album until the fourth listen. But now I love it. This is, musically, the most creative album I've heard in a while. The scream is very easy to get used to, to the point that it becomes unkowingly catchy. If you don't buy it for the music, buy it for the album art. Which is up for a grammy by the way! WOW!
1. Vheissu - Thrice. Bought this record on one simple recommendation from my friend Greg. I have not been dissapointed since! Lyrically amazing, and very spiritual. Teppei Teranishi (guitars) honestly makes this album very entertaining. Mix of guitar with keyboards with some weird instruments is very diverse. Bottom line, buy this CD! You can't not afford 12.99!

Honourable mentions for 2005:
Life - Andy Hunter. Best christian DJ!
Disappear Here - LA Symphony. 2nd best rap album, much needed!
When Everything Falls - Haste The Day
Unique Like Everyone Else - Deepspace 5

Best Of The Year - Part 8

2005-12-29T12:02:00.000-06:00

Brett Detar is lead singer of a band called The Juliana Theory, a band credited with releasing one of the most important albums of the 90's. He was also once in a band called Zao, a band credited with almost single-handedly putting Christian hardcore on the map. He was also the only artist to return our email.

"jordan this is very very late i know... but hopefully you can use it. thanks for asking,
high five"
- brett

Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyze
The Takeover UK - 57 Demos
White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
System of a Down - Mesmerize
New Order - Waiting For the Siren's Call
Eisley - Room Noises
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Coldplay - X&Y
Metric - Live It Out

Best Of The Year - Part 7

2005-12-27T05:24:00.000-06:00

Derek Turner is a student/writer/music critic from Saskatoon, SK and the co-creator of Bring Back Vinyl. He also found a Further Seems Forever shirt at Value Village for 99 cents once. I kid you not.

"My Top 10 takes two stages. I didn't take the time to investigate all the music I wanted to, so I have left a spot open on my Top 10 to reflect this incompleteness. There are many different albums that I need to listen to in order to complete the list, so here are the albums that I think could have made it into my Top 10, had I listened to them more intently, followed by my Top 10 for the year as they stand now." - Derek

Audioslave - Out of Exile
Copeland - In Motion
David Crowder Band - A Collision
Deepspace5 - Unique Just Like Everyone Else
Foo Fighters - In Your Honor
Mae - The Everglow
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Thrice - Vheissu

TOP 10 albums of 2005 (in alphabetical order)
As Cities Burn - Son I Loved You At Your Darkest
Blindside - The Great Depression
Coldplay - X&Y
Demon Hunter - The Triptych
Emery - The Question
Moby - Hotel
Neverending White Lights - Act I: Goodbye Friends of the Heavenly Bodies
Project 86 - ...And The Rest Will Follow
Switchfoot - Nothing Is Sound
_______________________

Best Of The Year - Part 6

2005-12-25T00:22:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from your friends at Bring Back Vinyl!!!

Nathan Bezoplenko is a Zeller's employee/cool guy/guitarist for Buffet Of Death. He lives in Saskatoon, SK, but most likely not for long. These are the 10 best albums of the year according to him.

"Here it is, in all of its glory, I was sick all this week so I was able to tackle this very overwhelming request of the 10 best albums of the year. A very Intimidating task that asks me to reach deep inside the depths of my soul to unleash the greatest top 10 of 2005 ever. Enjoy...." - Nate

1. I'm Wide Awake it's Morning - Bright Eyes..... (It doesnt get much better than this which is why its at my #1 , It's what this guy was born to do.)
2. The Everglow - Mae.....( I dont have much to say, but at the same time I have so much, It blows me away everytime I listen to it)
3.Plans - Death Cab For Cutie....( I don't Care how popular they get or if its cool to like them, it's a great album. )
4.Broken Social Scene....(Im going to be honest I was undecided if I liked this album at the begining, My goodness did it ever grow on me, man I love Canada)
5.The Magic Numbers....(This is beautiful music, give me a little longer with this album and they will hands down climb my chart)
6.In Motion - Copeland.....(It's a very original album)
7.Silent Alarm - Bloc Party.....( This album gets me stoked and I dont even know why, seriously maybe its the accent)
8.Illinois - Sufjan Stevens.... (i'm not always in the mood for this album, but when I am, I AM)
9.Demon Days - Gorrilaz......(yup thats right I just put the Gorrilaz on my top ten of 2005, you wanna fight about it, Didnt think so, its a good album)
10.No Wow - The Kills.....( I pop this album in when I (A) a tad angry (B) Think Im in a movie (C) Wanna hear a great album)

Best Of The Year - Part 5

2005-12-24T04:13:00.000-06:00

Kirk Trew is a student/baker from Saskatoon, SK. He is an avid turntablist as Mr Universe, and lead vocalist for Buffet Of Death. These are his 10 or 12 favourite albums of the year.

Kanye West- Late Registration. Although not as consistently good. as College Dropout, it is a more diverse collection. The strong songs are probably stronger than the strongest on College Dropout. The songs that are not that good are still pretty dang good. "Gone" is currently my favorite hip-hop song. Collabos on this one, excellent.

Z-Trip - Shifting Gears. It got a 4 star review in Rolling Stone. It features Chester(from LinkinPark), Churck D, Murs, Lyrics Born and more. It is his first major label album and it is not surprisingly DJ friendly. A mixture of new and old-school artists.

Dangerdoom - The Mouse and the Mask. MF Doom is at the top of the underground emcee game. Dangermouse is making great beats. Combine this with having vocal samples from Adult Swim from Cartoon Network and you have a classic.

Quasimoto - The Further Adventures of Lord Quas. Madlib puts together another album of pitch bent vocals, streaofconciosnessss vocals and obscure sampled beats. Med and MF Doom make guest appearances. He made a good amount of these beats on a 303 Dr. Sample, ahi-fi cassette deck and a fisher price turntable in a hotel room. Ridiculousus

Dreddy Kruger presents...Think Differently Music. Wu-Tang meets the Indie Culture. Hard to go wrong with Wu-Beats and underground heavy hitters. The Wu-Tang are a marketing machine and they produced a good one here. Not club music at all. Presents some great emcees that sometimes only need a better beat for their vocals. Well, now they get a better beat for their vocals. MFDoom, Del, Casual, J-Live, Rza, Aesop Rock and so many more...

Motown - Remixed. This is a nuts one. The challenge of taking classic songs and remixing them is dangerous. Well, Z-Trip provided the intro song of a lifetime with "I want you back" and it continues in goodness. ?estlove provides some drums onof Jazzy Jeff, DJ Spinna and more. one of the albums of the year and it's a remix album no doubt.

The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute. Who cares if they continue to be self indulgent. We should not be surprised if the next album ends up only being 3 tracks in even more parts. This one was 5 songs broken up into12 tracks. One song works out to over half anhour. Fortunately it is broken up into sections. Genius to the point of near inaccessibility. If you think this is out there, go pick up Omar's solo release.

Moby - Hotel. He broke out of trying to release Play part 3. Probably one of the most over looked albums of the year. If you got the double disc, the second disc is called Ambient and provides great background meditation style music. Moby gets around to alienating fans and makes a decent but not perfect effort. He does a solid cover of "Temptation" by New Order. A few really good songs but nothing that would be great in a car commercial

Audioslave - Out of Exile. Not as strong as the first album. Some mind bending solos and effects by Tom. It has been said that it seems like Audioslave sounds like a war between Tom and Chris over who should have the spotlight. There are a few awesome songsbut it doesn't have the agression that the first album had. I really wish, ZDLR would at some point release his solo album. I doubt that will happen though.

Beck - Guero. Beck always makes good music. If you were looking for sea change part 2, you would be dissapointed. If you wanted something with a vibe that is some where around midnite vultures and odelay but more futuristic(whatever that means),Guero is the answer. Produced by the Dust Brothers, who have produced for the Beastie Boys, Young MC and even the new Tom Green album. Have to checkout Guerolito before the year is out hopefully. They aren't paying me to talk.

White Stripes - Get Behind me Satan. Jack and Meg make another odd release. Definitely a little different from the others. A little bit of a country feel at times. Some more piano on this one. Some bluesy stuff as usual too. They even made a video for 'The DenialTwist' with Conan O'Brien making a cameo. Don't forget that they are also the first musical guests that Jon Stewart has had on. As far as two-piece groups go, freakin' solid. Wierd and solid.

The Best Delay of 2005 (again).
Mars Ill - Pro Pain. I got a chance to preview the not going to be released version of this recently. Mars Ill don't disappoint. Dust provides some sample heavy beats and ManChild guides the mic through clever rhymes and great flow. The chemistry between the two is like the chemistry between Guru and Premier. That might be a far stretch...but when the new version comes out it will bea must have.

Best Of The Year - Part 4

2005-12-23T14:50:00.000-06:00

So due to an overwhelming response from contributors, it looks like we're going to have to keep posting a Best Of list, every day until New Years. Keep checking back and Keep it minty!

Dave Sherin is an optometry student/emo afficianado originally from Saskatoon, SK, and currently from Waterloo, ON. This is his Top 10 of 2005.

"Hey, I hope no one feels the need to point out that I have the musical tastes of a 15 year old. I've been aware of that for quite some time." - Dave.
1 - Cartel - Chroma
2 - The Receiving End of Sirens - Between the Heart and the Synapse
3 - The Rocket Summer - Hello, Good Friend
4 - Valencia - This Could be a Possibility
5 - The Academy Is... - Almost Here
6 - Boys Night Out - Trainwreck
7 - My American Heart - The Meaning in the Makeup
8 - Gratitude - Gratitude
9 - Motion City Soundtrack - Commit This to Memory
10 - Funeral For a Friend - Hours

Best Of The Year - Part 3

2005-12-22T20:59:00.000-06:00

Zach Lucky is a guitarist/student from Saskatoon, SK. He has been a part of numerous bands including Autumn Tides, Tuxedo Mask, No Innocent Blood, and his current solo project The Content. These are his Top 10 albums of 2005.

1. Sherwood - Sing But Keep Going
2. As Cities Burn - Son I Loved You At Your Darkest
3. The Rocket Summer - Hello Good Friend
4. Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster - (self titled)
5. The Chariot - Unsung EP
6. Sigur Ros - Takk
7. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
8. Copeland - In Motion
9. Jamie Cullum - Catching Tales
10. Norma Jean - O God, The Aftermath

Best Of The Year - Part 2

2005-12-21T15:01:00.000-06:00

Taylor Summach is an artist/student in Otterburne, Manitoba. He is a regular contributor and all around good guy. This is his Top 15 List for 2005.

1. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
2. Sufjan Stevens - Illinios
3. Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
4. Copeland - In Motion
5. Mae - The Everglow
6. Coldplay - X&Y
7. Underoath - Their Only Chasing Saftey (re-release)
8. Bright Eyes - Digital Ash In Digital Urn
9. Blindside - The Great Depression
10. Our Lady Peace - Healthy In Paraniod Times
11. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Be So Much Better With...Franz Ferdinand
12. The Juliana Theory - Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat
13. Discover America - Psychology
14. Hot Hot Heat - Elevator
15. Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness

Extravaganza-Mania

2005-12-19T22:24:00.000-06:00

In an attempt to drag things out as much as possible, we've decided to post one Best Of list everyday until Christmas. It was damn near impossible to make one giant cohesive list, so we opted for a personal list from each contributor, and one or two special guests. So with that said, we kick things off today with a list from Scott Kurtz, photographist, and lead singer of Canadian indie band Boycott Scott.

"Here's my list. Make sure you mention somewhere that
2005 wasn't the most spectacular year in the history
of music. This list is sub-par for a best of the year
list. But that's because it was a sub-par year." - Scott

1. Mae - The Everglow
2. Richard Swift - The Novelist/Walking WithoutEffort
3. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
4. Starflyer 59 - Talking Voice vs Singing Voice
5. System of a Down - Mezmerize
6. Broken Social Scene - Self-Titled
7. Blindside - The Great Depression
8. The Decemberists - Picaresque
9. Sufjan Stevens - Come On, Feel The Illinoise!
10. Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams

Now I've Seen Everything

2005-12-17T13:45:00.000-06:00

Solid State Record superheroes Norma Jean have been thrown the curviest of curve balls. The band has been nominated for a Grammy Award. Say what? Their latest (and incredibly successful album) O God, The Aftermath was nominated for best Album Art/Packaging. If you haven't yet seen the artwork in question, check it out HERE.

Courtesy of SilentUproar.com - Despite having just released a collaborative effort with Iron & Wine, Calexico will be releasing a full-length album on April 11th entitled Garden Ruin. The disc reportedly plays down the Southwestern element of the band and plays up more pop sensibilities, their improvistational skills, and even tosses in a bit of a political slant.

2005-12-12T18:46:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the lack of posts lately, we're working hard on an end of the year Best Of list. So check back for that.

Gray Tuesday...

2005-12-03T00:00:00.000-06:00

Go to http://gray.alt.fm/ to read about your one time chance to hear the Green Day mash-up album since it was banned a week ago. and btw, it is called a mash-up. there is no such thing as a 'smash-up.' i believe a smash-up was something wendy's was serving for a while. i don't know that they are anymore.

After that, check out members of Pedro The Lion HERE. Meet The Soft Drugs. Indie rock's "next big thing". Dammit, I promised I'd never use that phrase.

BBV Year End Extravaganza

2005-12-02T23:53:00.000-06:00

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for the first annual Bring Back Vinyl Best Of The Year Awards. We're already dusting off our Gucci gowns. How'd they get so dusty.

Rootkit Schmootkit

2005-12-02T23:45:00.000-06:00

The Sony 'Rootkit' scandal is about to kick into high gear. Missed it the first time around? Click HERE to read a relatively informative and incredibly one sided article about the looming terror of Music-Biz cyber crime. Brb...

Leaders Of The Indie World

2005-12-02T23:37:00.000-06:00

Elbow have two songs from their new album 'Leaders Of The Free World' on their MySpace page. Click HERE to listen and then go add them.

Queens Of The LateNite

2005-11-28T14:22:00.000-06:00

Queens of the Stone Age are slated to perform 'Burn The Witch' tonight on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. And, I kid you not, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) and Chris Goss will be performing alongside them.

How dare you insult that big-chinned everyman, and his various African American bandleaders!

2005-11-25T19:27:00.000-06:00

Ch' Ch' Check out Switchfoot tonight on The Tonight Show....you WOULD like Leno.

Sondre'd Tomatoes (that was not even cool)

2005-11-25T19:02:00.000-06:00

Sondre Lerche is currently holed up in a recording studio in the midst of multiple projects. SilentUproar reported...'After pulling the details together from posts to his official website (see News/Monologues), it seems there could be a rock record, a "jazzy" record and an 80's-ish record in the works. However, with writing and recording for the soft, "jazzy" release already underway, it seems that's the album that should drop first. More recording sessions are expected in January, with studio time for the rock set being pushed back to post-January.' Basically, nothing is for sure.

Come On Feel The Vinyl

2005-11-19T10:22:00.000-06:00

Sufjan Steven's Illinois is now available on vinyl. It includes a new song, 'The Avalanche.' Indie-folk loving DJs everywhere just squealed with delight

Random Tandem

2005-11-19T09:40:00.000-06:00

After months of rumors, The Militia Group have confirmed the signing of emo-turned-shoegazer act The Appleseed Cast. The band have released albums under both the Deep Elm and Tiger Style labels. They are working on their sixth album and Militia debut, due "in early 2006," according to the Militia Group.

Saves The Day are currently on tour and have finished the follow up to 2003's In Reverie They plan on shopping the album (early 2006 release date) around to various labels.

Belle & Sebastian's new album The Life Pursuit will be released as a CD/LP in February, from Matador Records. Before the album hits stores, the single 'Funny Little Frog' is set to be released January 16th. Here is the tracklisting for said album:

The Life Pursuit
1.Act Of The Apostle Part 1
2.Another Sunny Day
3.White Collar Boy
4.The Blues Are Still Blue
5.Dress Up In You
6.Sukie In The Graveyard
7.We Are The Sleepyheads
8.Song For Sunshine
9.Funny Little Frog
10.To Be Myself Completely
11.Act Of The Apostle Part 2
12.For The Price Of A Cup Of A Tea
13.Mornington Crescent

2006: Taste Odyssey

2005-11-18T12:51:00.000-06:00

The line up has been announced for 2006's Taste Of Chaos tour. Scheduled for the next jaunt are Deftones, Thrice, Atreyu, Story Of The Year, As I Lay Dying, Silverstein, Dredg, the Receiving End Of Sirens, Pelican, the Confession, Greeley Estates, Adair, Millionaire and punk rocks answer to STOMP, Street Drum Corps. Cities and dates have yet to be announced.

Mars Is ill

2005-11-16T19:07:00.000-06:00

In case you're interested in a bit more of the back story behind the constant delays of Mars Ill's long-awaited third album Pro*Pain, check out an interview with Manchild and Dust HERE.

2005-11-16T18:25:00.000-06:00

The Hives will be releasing Tussles in Brussels this coming Nov. 22nd. The DVD will contain live concert footage from Brussels, Belgium, a documentary entitled 'DW Johnson's The Hives, Hinduism & Me', as well as music videos and TV performances. Check it out HERE.

If you're up for a little insight into the life of John Lennon including his time with The Beatles, his time post-Beatles, and what exactly happened with Mark David Chapman (including interviews) and more. It's all set to air on Dateline NBC this Friday. Check your local listings for exact times.

Impressions of The Strokes

2005-11-16T18:22:00.000-06:00

The Strokes First Impressions Of Earth tracklisting:

1. You Only Live Once
2. Juicebox
3. Heart in a Cage
4. Razor Blade
5. On The Other Side
6. Vision of Division
7. Ask Me Anything
8. Electricityscape
9. Killing Lies
10. Fear of Sleep
11. 15 Minutes
12. Ize of the World
13. Evening Sun
14. Red Light

Impressions Of The Earth comes out Jan. 3, 2006

Believe The Hype

2005-11-09T17:20:00.000-06:00

In a surprise and freaking awesome turn of events, mewithoutYou beat out The Arcade Fire, MIA, Matisyahu and Saul Williams to win the MTVU "Left Field" Woodie award. The "Left Field" award goes to the most original band out there each year. You can catch the awards November 10th on mtvU. After today (the 9th) you'll be able to watch the awards show on Uber at mtvu.com anytime you'd like!

New Dangerdoom Review

2005-11-07T02:13:00.000-06:00

Kirk posted a review of The Mouse And The Mask by Dangerdoom, if you can call it a review. Go read it in the reviews section.

Mars Volta Live Album!?!? System Of A Tang?!?!

2005-11-07T01:43:00.000-06:00

Mars Volta Live Album!?!? Check out www.marsvolta.com.

Also, techno fiend John Tejada remixed The Postal Service's 'Such Great Heights.' For real. Go HERE.

System Of A Down will release the second half of their Mezmerize/Hypnotize double LP on November 22 - but bassist Shavo Odadjian is already looking ahead to a potentially fascinating side project he's cooking up with Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and GZA. Click HERE for the full story.

It's an EP world

2005-11-05T13:36:00.000-06:00

Relient K drops their 'Apathetic EP' Tuesday, November 8. It features acoustic versions of 'Be My Escape' and 'Which To Bury, Us Or The Hatchet?', the single 'Apathetic (Way To Be)' that was previous only available on the Mmhmm vinyl release, and four other new songs.
One week later, P.O.D. drops The Warriors EP Vol.2, featuring several new songs from their upcoming album, Testify, due out in stores on January 24, 2006. Only 40,000 copies are being printed, so get them now while you can.

Lucky!!

2005-11-05T13:31:00.000-06:00

Biggest surprise of the day: Ethan Luck, formerly of Supertones fame, is now with Demon Hunter. Wow.

Come on feel the reviews!

2005-11-02T00:59:00.000-06:00

Scott Kurtz has a new review up for Sufjan Steven's latest records 'Come On Feel The Illinoise!'. Smack up the reviews section and take a gander.

Matchbook On Fire...

2005-11-02T00:39:00.000-06:00

Matchbook Romance have posted a brand new song from their upcoming album, 'Voices', out Feb. 14, 2006. The song is called 'Are You Afraid Of Monsters?' listen to it HERE.

Vagrant Records will be releasing one of the more clever split CDs in recent memory on Nov 22. Alexisonfire and Moneen pair up for what will simply be titled Split EP. Alexisonfire will cover two Moneen songs, and Moneen will cover two Alexisonfire songs, after which both bands contribute a new jam. Vagrant has posted an e-card HERE where you can stream a couple songs ahead of time.

Half Handed Remedy

2005-10-25T17:55:00.000-06:00

Indie-folk darling Sufjan Stevens has announced that he will be releasing a five-song EP called the 'What's the Remedy' EP. The collaboration with Half-Handed Cloud's John Ringhofer will only be available online will only be available in the form of 7-inch vinyl. And only in countries that start with *F.

*source not verified.

Misc misc misc

2005-10-22T13:30:00.000-06:00

EMI Canada are officially out of stock of the limited edition Broken Social Scene 2 Cd (plus EP) package of their recent album. EMI will be switching to a single disc version which is not expected to be available until the begining of December.

Click HERE to get a sneak peak at the cover art for the new Strokes record 'First Impressions of Earth'

And last but least Glassjaw has live performance videos up at Glassjaw.net from their August 28th appearance.

Un-freaking-real...

2005-10-22T09:44:00.000-06:00

Proving once and for all that they are the best band in the history of recorded sound, Mute Math have posted a new live video for the song "Reset" at their website. Don't bother typing it though, just click HERE.

From CD to DVD

2005-10-20T14:18:00.000-06:00

The new Mae DVD 'From Toledo To Tokyo' is available now via their Online Store. If you don't know anything about it head on over to http://www.astoryaentertainment.com/ and watch the trailer, as well as footy from the shows Mae did with Weezer and Foo Fighters.

Updates Shmupdates

2005-10-20T13:40:00.000-06:00

Beck is planning to release a remixed version of his latest hit album Guero. The list of possible collaborators include Dizzee Rascal, and the Beastie Boys . The remix project, titled Guerolito, should be out sometime this December.

(International) Noise Conspiracy will be doing a headlining tour with Nightmare Of You and These Arms Are Snakes next month.

The Militia Group have signed LA's Controlling The Famous. Check them out at PureVolume now.

Southern-fried scream-rock

2005-10-18T10:32:00.000-06:00

What would happen if you crossed ZZ Top with Underoath? Why, it's Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, featuring former Underoath lead singer Dallas Taylor. It's twangy, driving rock with a screamo-twist. Think it sounds kitschy, or just don't believe it works? It does. The debut album drops next Tuesday, but you can check out some of the songs here.

The Third War

2005-10-17T22:57:00.000-06:00

If you are not already stoked for the new Demon Hunter album The Triptych dropping on Tuesday October 25, check out the teaser here and tracks posted at their PureVolume page. The Third War begins soon. Are you ready?

A video...for the loveless

2005-10-15T16:07:00.000-06:00

Has anyone ever noticed how much Brett Detar looks like Chris Carrabba? The Juliana Theory have posted the first video from their new album Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat, for the song "This Is A Lovesong...For The Loveless". Please go check it out HERE and please go buy the new CD.

so much good news...

2005-10-15T03:13:00.000-06:00

Wayne Coyne, front man of The Flaming Lips, announced that the group has finished filming their highly anticipated movie, Christmas on Mars. The band plans on releasing the film sometime this summer along with a tour to support their upcoming album, At War with the Mystics

The Futureheads are releasing a new EP on November 28 entitled the Area EP. They are using the EP to tide fans over until they enter the studio with producer Ben Hillier in the coming weeks to record their new album.

If you haven't heard the new song from The Strokes yet, you can listen to it HERE. The single is due out December 5, but you can buy it on itunes now. The new album First Impressions Of Earth is due out January 9.

Thrice have released the much-anticipated video for 'Image Of The Invisible,' the first single from their upcoming album Vheissu. The video was directed by Jay Martin (Burning Brides, Eagles Of Death Metal) and was co-written by Thrice guitarist Teppei Teranishi and My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way. You can view it here. Vheissu comes out this Tuesday, Oct. 18, on Island Records.

Raise Up

2005-10-13T05:09:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder to everyone in the Saskatoon metropolitan area, to scrape together $10 for the Raise Up benefit show at West Portal Church (3134 33rd St. W) this Friday at 7:30pm. Tickets are available at the door and at Scott's Parable on Miller Ave. Just in case you forgot, we should probably remind you of the insane line up.

Captain (www.purevolume.com/captain)
Whittaker (www.purevolume.com/whittaker)
The Reception (www.purevolume.com/thereception)
Silence Through Injustice (www.purevolume.com/silencethroughinjustice)
Means (www.purevolume.com/means)

They're Only Kicking Ass

2005-10-13T05:05:00.000-06:00

This last week Underoath re-entered the Billboard Heatseakers Chart...at #1! Last week they weren't on the chart at all, and this week they hold down the top spot ahead of many artists from major labels. It wasn't reported whether this was the original album release or the CD/DVD Special Edition set.

And the Rest Followed...

2005-10-13T05:00:00.000-06:00

The brand new Project 86 album And The Rest Will Follow... sold over 8,000 copies in it's first week debuting at #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, #2 on New Alternative Artists Chart, and #131 on the Billboard top 200! This is the highest debut in the history of the band. Visit the brand new www.project86.com for tour dates and much more.

the Happiest freaking Christmas EVER

2005-10-13T04:53:00.000-06:00

Tooth And Nail's Happy Christmas Volume 4 have posted three more songs on their PureVolume site.

Relient K - I Celebrate The Day
Anberlin - Baby Please Come Home
and (being added sometime today)...
Mae - Carol Of The Bells

Click HERE to listen. NOW.

News Clues

2005-10-13T00:20:00.000-06:00

This week Victory Records band Aiden sold 5832 copies of their debut 'Nightmare Anatomy', debuting at #196 in the Billboard Top 200. They also hit #8 on the New Artist Chart and #16 on the Independent Chart.

Blink 182's 'Greatest Hits' CD and 'Greatest Videos' DVD are set to hit stores Nov. 1st. The CD includes all the hits you would expect as well as two previously unreleased tracks. The DVD contains 13 of the band's hit videos (even that stupid one for 'I Miss You').

Swedish rockers Blindside have announced an unfortunate tour with Canadian "nu metal/whatever" rockers Trapt. Which reminds me, Swedish metal band In Flames has signed to Ferret Records. Which reminds me, if you haven't heard the new Every Time I Die record Gutter Phenomenon, you probably won't be able to sleep tonight. At the very least, go listen to some clips at their PureVolume site. Then feel free to get some sleep.

And lastly, Common has dropped off of the Kanye West tour; his label announced that he did so in order to take a film role. We're crossing our fingers for Big Mama's House 2.

what-the-heck...

2005-10-13T00:14:00.000-06:00

Possibly the most intriguing band since mewithoutYou, you definitely want to hear the new songs from Portugal. The Man. Their debut album 'Waiter: You Vultures' is set to come out this January on Fearless Records. You can hear two new songs at their PureVolume site by clicking HERE.

Live Eyes

2005-10-13T00:03:00.000-06:00

Conor Oberst announced that his own Team Love Records will release Bright Eyes' first live album, Motion Sickness, on Nov. 15. I have absolutely nothing clever to say. At all.

Constructive Elitism

2005-10-11T03:08:00.000-06:00

"It is true that much of what we call "criticism" is little more than snobby sniping at things we deem "popular." Music lovers want to see their favorite band making just enough money to keep going; film lovers are violently opposed to their "art house" films gaining mass followings. Somehow, notoriety has been equated with artistic degradation. Too often, critics give in to this sentiment, devolving into a kind of self-indulgent snobbery. I indict myself as well. How many times have I looked at my CD collection with a smug little thought that I've avoided popular music in favor of the newest indie sensation?"

> Ryan Hamm, "Confessions of an Elitist" <

Read the rest of the article here.

Goodbye friends of the heavenly bodies

2005-10-11T00:55:00.000-06:00

If you have not yet checked out the long-anticipated Neverending White Lights project spearheaded by Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Victor, you need to do so. The project was two years in the making, and it is one of the most intriguing concepts to come out in years: a different guest vocalist for each track, but all songs written and performed by Daniel Victor. It's ethereal, it's encapsulating, it's beautiful, it's haunting, it's mysterious, it's genius. And it's mostly Canadian.

We update so you don't have to

2005-10-10T02:49:00.000-06:00

Be the first (figuratively) to see the Blackout Pact's new video for We Drink So You Don't Have To, by clicking HERE. It's a pretty catchy little ditty.

But if you only have time for one music video today, go to the MILITIA GROUP website and watch the new video Say What You Want by everyone's favourite Isreali-Punk-Rock quartet Man Alive. It makes that Blackout Pact song look like a pile of puke. It also proves once and for all that everyone sounds American when they sing.

October madness

2005-10-10T02:26:00.000-06:00

This upcoming week is shaping into a pretty good one for Late Night TV. Monday you can catch The Killers on The Tonight Show and Kasabian on Last Call with Carson Daly. Then on Wednesday Last Call rolls out the red carpet for Chicago's Fruit Bats (this will be well worth your time). The newest Fruit Bats CD 'Spelled In Bones' came out in August and you should go check it out HERE.

Take some ZAO and call me in the morning...

2005-10-10T01:54:00.000-06:00

Just in time for Christmas Zao has announced the release of a staggering 2 DISC DVD!

"Available in stores everywhere Nov 15th, 'The Lesser Lights Of Heaven' is one of the single most expansive music DVDs ever. It features a 3.5 hour documentary on the tumultuous history of Zao. The DVD takes the viewer through the life of the band from it's inception, album by album, to Zao today, more than 10 years later. The documentary is completed by multiple interviews with the current band members, previous members (including Brett from the Juliana Theory and Jesse Smith), label people from SolidState and Ferret (those dudes rule) and much more. This 2-Disc set also features over 35 live songs comprised of 2 full live sets from the 'Funeral of God' tours and multiple songs from Zao over the years - including impressive moments like when the band broke up on stage." - Ferret Music

Checkmate.

Unleash the Beastie

2005-10-08T00:03:00.000-06:00

Hip-Hop heroes Beastie Boys are releasing Acapella songs including BPM counts for people to remix, mash-up etc. A new one will posted every friday for some time to come. See for yourself at http://beastieboys.com/remixers.php

The Mouse And The Mask

2005-10-07T23:29:00.000-06:00

Until Oct 10th you are invited to an exclusive MySpace Dangerdoom party at www.myspace.com/dangerdoom where you can preview the new album in it's entirety. In case you missed the hype it's a collaboration album with MF Doom and Dangermouse.

A Collision is here

2005-10-06T16:39:00.000-06:00

David Crowder Band's third national release, A Collision, debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard Top 200, and doubled first week sales of its critically acclaimed sophomore recording, Illuminate, which has sold well over 200,000 copies. Also, the A Collision songs, to date, have peaked at No. 2 on the iTunes Top Albums chart, #4 on the overall Top Internet Albums chart.

Discover 'Discover America'

2005-10-05T03:02:00.000-06:00

Ch-ch-check out the new Discover America video for their song Everything Changes by clicking HERE.

Almost Underoath

2005-10-05T00:50:00.000-06:00

The Almost, a disappointingly named yet potentially enjoyable side project from Underoath drummer Aaron Gillespie, now have their first two songs posted on Purevolume. The songs are titled, I Mostly Like To Copy Other People, and They Say You Can Never Write I Told You So In A Song But Here I Go. Check them out here http://www.purevolume.com/thealmost.

Late Nite with Bono

2005-10-04T22:22:00.000-06:00

After years of trying, Conan O'Brien has been able to land a special treat for Late Nite come this Thursday. The entire show will be turned over to U2. No, that's not a typo.

A letter from Scott...

2005-10-04T00:12:00.000-06:00

From: Scott Fitzsimmons, Music Director, Alive 99.5FM.
Re: Project 86 - And The Rest Will Follow...

I know it's early, but I love the new album! I was so excited for the new songs, and I like all of them. It did take a little sitting down and listening to, but not much. Musically it's more creative, and I like the lyrics from what I can tell. If you ask me this will be a very close second to Drawing Black Lines, if it doesn't surpass it. I also think they're back to where they were when they wrote DBL. There is something on this album spiritually, and it's so exciting! Plus seeing them at HarvestMoon Festival, you can see that they are so much happier with life. I've never seen Andrew smile so much! He seems to be realizing that he doesn't have to put on a face off stage like he does on stage. He can be different on stage while still being the same person. It seems like there is so much joy in his life! I didn't get to talk to him this time, but you could definitely tell! Plus he's started interacting with the crowd a lot more as oppose to just performing, and people are enjoying it a lot more. He still captivates a crowd like no one else! It was such an amazing show! Just give yourself some time to listen through the album, it is WELL worth it. It starts really strong, and does start to fade off near the end, but the beginning songs are strong enough that I think it will stand the test of time like Drawing Black Lines.

It's funny that their first song on the disc 'Sincerely Ichabod' references Drawing Black Lines. 'We once drew some lines in black, and right now it's about time we took them back/So bored of losing ground to the heresy in our hearts.' When I complimented Andrew on DBL being their best album, he kind of chuckled. I think they are proud of it but have gone through SO MUCH since then, that they have shaped into a different band today. It's safe to say that they want people to stop looking back at what they used to be. And if anything can accomplish that, this album can.

Last Call indeed

2005-10-03T23:53:00.000-06:00

Tune in to Last Call with Carson Daly twice this week (if you dare). Wednesday musical guests Keane serenade us with their british swan song, while Friday Carson hosts everyone's favourite unfortunately named Canadian indie band The New Pornographers. Be there AND be square.

The Happiest Christmas ever

2005-10-03T23:38:00.000-06:00

It's Ba-aack...
The track listing has been anounced for the very long overdue, Tooth And Nail's 'Happy Christmas Volume 4'. The compilation is due out Oct 25th and includes (among others) Aaron Gillespie from Underoath and Kenny Vasoli from The Starting Line together at last, in a new Christmas classic called "Yule Be Sorry". You can hear that song at www.purevolume.com/happychristmas

Full Track Listing:
1. Evergreen - Switchfoot
2. (Ho Ho Hey) A Way for Santa's Sleigh - Emery
3. Christmas Baby Please Come Home - Anberlin
4. The Winter Song - Eisley
5. Christmas Time is Here - Starflyer 59
6. Yule Be Sorry - Aaron Gillespie from Underoath and Kenny Vasoli from The Starting Line
7. Carol of the Bells - Mae
8. Do You Hear What I Hear - Copeland
9. I Celebrate the Day - Relient K
10. Last Christmas - Hawk Nelson
11. Mary Did You Know - Spoken
12. Oh Holy Night - The Fold
13. Of Two Bearded Men - Number One Gun
14. Jesus is Real (God is Alive) - John Davis

Nothing Is Sound

2005-09-30T08:59:00.000-06:00

Relevant Magazine provides what is perhaps the most accurate CD review ever, about Switchfoot's Nothing Is Sound. Check it out here.

These Hands were made for playing

2005-09-29T15:51:00.000-06:00

If you're in Saskatoon tomorrow make sure to catch These Hands, one of the provinces most exciting indie artists, at Cafe Vivant - 510 33rd St W. The show starts at around 7.30 and admission is free. But don't tell anyone. It's a secret. Just kidding, tell everyone. EVERYONE. You can hear a few songs at www.myspace.com/thesehands.

They're only chasing success

2005-09-29T00:55:00.000-06:00

If you're in and around the Saskatoon metropolitan area, make sure to pick up a copy of this week's Sheaf, which contains a great spread in the B section featuring some great photography from The Used/Alexisonfire/Underoath concert by Liam Richards as well as a story on Underoath by BBV's Derek Turner. Just thought you should know.

90,000 downloads Break World Records

2005-09-28T18:02:00.000-06:00

Thanks to brand new songs from Radiohead and Coldplay, not to mention a barrage of other amazing artists, the latest charity CD release by the War Child organization has become the fastest selling download album of all time. Help: A Day In The Life was recorded and mastered in 24-hours and features one of the most incredible line ups in the history of recorded sound.

Tracklisting:

Radiohead 'I Want None Of This'
The Coral 'It Was Nothing'
The Zutons 'Hello Conscience'
Elbow 'Snowball'
The Magic Numbers 'Gone Are the Days'
Maximo Park 'Wasteland'
The Go! Team 'Phantom Broadcast'
Emmanuel Jal 'Gua'
Keane and Faultline 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'
Kaiser Chiefs 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine'
Bloc Party 'The Present'
Hard-Fi 'Help Me Please'
Belle & Sebastian 'The Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House'
Tinariwen 'Cler Achel'
George And Antony ft. Boy George 'Happy Xmas (War is Over)'
Gorillaz 'Hong Kong'
Babyshambles 'Bollywood To Battersea'
Manic Street Preachers 'Leviathan'
Razorlight 'Kirby's House'
Damien Rice 'Crosseyed Bear'
Mylo 'Mars Needs Women'
Coldplay 'How You See The World (No. 2)'

The monies raised by Help: A Day in the Life will enable War Child to provide both material and psychological support and rehabilitation to children on the edge of conflict and post-conflict societies through innovative projects across the world.

And for those not so technologically minded, the album is now available as a physical CD through recoed label, Independiente.

For more information visit the War Child site by simply by clicking HERE.

Minus the Bear plus The City On Film equals success

2005-09-28T15:21:00.000-06:00

Polyvinyl Records are releasing a split 7-inch on Oct. 11 between two amazing bands: Minus The Bear and The City On Film. There's more information at PolyvinylRecords.com and you can test the waters at Minus The Bear's PureVolume site.

AP Mention

2005-09-27T20:43:00.000-06:00

The Alternative Press website gave a shout out to Bring Back Vinyl's own Jordan Kurtz, in regards to the new Project 86 record. Check it out near the top of the page HERE.

Updates For Sleep

2005-09-27T20:19:00.000-06:00

On November 15th, Armor For Sleep releases their DVD called A Comprehensive Guide to Touring through Equal Vision Records.

The percussion group at Minnetonka High School in Minneapolis rehearsed for two months and can now play two tracks from DJ Shadow's Endtroducing. Click the link to see them play 'Building Steam with a Grain of Salt' and 'Changeling'.
http://ia300108.us.archive.org/2/items/BrianUdelhofenTheShadowPercussionProject/spp.wmv

Planes Mistaken for Stars have offically signed to Abacus Recordings. The album is due out June 6th, 2006.

Another New Thrice song! Another new Thrice song! Hit their MySpace page to hear it.

Death Cab For Conan

2005-09-27T15:24:00.000-06:00

Make sure not to miss the inevitable Death Cab For Cutie tonight on Late Nite with Conan O'Brien.

New FUGEES Record???

2005-09-27T15:13:00.000-06:00

MTV News reports that Lauryn Hill, Pras, and Wyclef Jean have been working on their new album for two months and now the first fruits of their labour have leaked to the internet. A small clip of the new single "Take It Easy" can be heard at www.thefugees.com. The Fugees long, LONG awaited new record could hit stores on December 27th. The album is still untitled and so far, there are no reports of who the group have been working with on the production side. The hip-hop supergroup first reunited at Dave Chappelle's Block Party, which took place in Brooklyn last summer and featured performances by Kanye West, Black Star, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and Dead Prez.

Together again for the first time...

2005-09-27T15:07:00.000-06:00

Check out this very necessary Lyrics Born/U2 smash up. So necessary.

TV Land...

2005-09-26T06:40:00.000-06:00

Make sure to catch The Like Wednesday night on Last Call with Carson Daly. We recommend skipping the monologue or "yawn-o-logue" as it's also known.

Also, Queens Of The Stone Age. This coming Friday. Jimmy Kimmel Live. We wouldn't recommend Kimmel unless it was going to be good. Be there AND be square.

And if you're still up for it, make sure to stay up on Saturday to see what should be a great episode of SNL. First time host Steve Carell will be joined by musical guest Kanye West.

In A Coma

2005-09-26T06:34:00.000-06:00

Check out Taylor Summach's review of the new Matthew Good record in the "Reviews" section.

Pleasure overload, PLEASURE OVERLOAD

2005-09-24T04:46:00.000-06:00

Image Of The Invisible by Thrice

We're more than carbon and chemicals
We are the image of the invisible
Free will is ours and we can't let go
We are the image of the invisible
We can't allow this, the quiet cull
We are the image of the invisible
So we sing out this, our canticle
We are the image of the invisible

[Chorus:]
We all were lost and we are found
No one can stop us or slow us down
We are the named and we are known
We know that we'll never walk alone

We're more than static and dial tone
We are the image of the invisible
We're emblematic of the unknown
We are the image of the invisible
So raise the banner, bend back your bows
We are the image of the invisible
Remove the cancer, take back your souls
We are the image of the invisible

Though all the world may hate us, we are named
The shadow overtake us, we are known

That is on a secular label? You can listen to the brand new Thrice song at www.myspace.com/thrice The new album Vheissu is out Oct 18th on Island Records. It's possibly the most anticipated album of the year.

Updates up the wazooo

2005-09-24T02:54:00.000-06:00

In a very Tooth And Nail-esque move, The Miltia Group has signed like, 300 bands in the last few months. The newest additions to the MG family include, The Class of '98, Cartel, Let Go, Man Alive, fielding, and The Panic Division. We're especially stoked on Man Alive, the first rock band in...maybe ever, to call Isreal home. Check them out at www.purevolume.com/manalive.

Sept, 27th is shaping up to be a real gas. Panic! at the Disco, David Crowder Band, Project 86, Grandaddy, My American Heart, and Wolf Parade are just some of the great bands dropping albums (figuratively) this Tuesday. The buzz around the new Crowder album is to say the least...necessary. Mark our words that this (21 track) album will raise the bar for artistic minded worship music, like no album before it. A Collision is coming.

Who or what is Family Force 5, how did they get signed to Maverick, and is "crunk-rock" even a thing? Our opinion? Well if first impressions are everything, we're stumped. Our snob instinct says rap/rock should stay in the grave where it belongs, but the loser in us is intrigued. It's a little bit like northern lights, they're cool to look at, but it's mostly pieces of garbage up in space. Business Up Front, Party In The Back is scheduled for release early 2006. Check out the video at www.myspace.com/familyforce5 and make sure it wasn't all a dream.

In a great credibility move, Kevin Max (four-time Grammy Award winner, and member of Christian powerhouse group dcTalk) is set to release his second solo title, The Imposter, on Northern Records, Oct. 11th. The project is the (relatively) anticipated followup to 2001's Stereotype Be. It features 12 songs plus a bonus track.

In a move pretty much proving that they are really NOT breaking up, emo visionaries Thursday have announced that they are entering the studio with acclaimed producer Dave Fridmann (the Flaming Lips, Sleater-Kinney) to work on the follow-up to 2003's War All The Time. They have 16 songs ready to go and hope to have the record out in early-to-mid 2006. For reals? For reals.

Future "mainstreamo" band Taking Back Sunday have also announced that they are entering the studio with acclaimed producer/"fungineer" Eric Valentine (Queens Of The Stoneage, Third Eye Blind) to work on the follow up to 2004's Where You Want To Be. The album (their major label debut) will release on Warner Bros., after sales of two previous albums helped the staff of Victory Records finance...well, everything.

Foo Fighters (maybe you've heard of them) have the new video for their latest single "D.O.A." posted at www.foofighters.com/audio_video.html. I hear the kids are up in arms about it.