Tuesday Tunes

Today I'll be looking at some tracks that some local artists contributed to the Friends in Bellwoods compilation:

The D'Urbervilles
"We Are The Hunters"
Finally, a brand new tune from one of my favourite local bands. Except it's not entirely new, since I've had a live recording of it for ages. They decided to formally record it for the aforementioned Friends in Bellwoods compilation, so here it is. I've listened to a few times now and I've come to a conclusion: to me, it sounds very short. The song clocks in at 3:41, which one could argue is a normal length for a rock song, but a third of the song is spent rounding up the instruments before the singing kicks in. Hearing this live, it works very well, and here it still works, but the payoff just isn't as good. The actual recording is an improvement over their EP, but it still falls a bit short. I want those guitars to fuckin' slice through me, while right now I'm only left with a mild bruise. I love this song still, but it makes me want to hear more. Perhaps the remedy for this is another D'Urbervilles song, but in this case the next song is...

Forest City Lovers
"Don't Go, Please"
I was familiar with all three songs I'm writing about today before I listened to this album, but it was this song I knew least about. I'd only heard it once before, live, so hearing it this time was a pleasant surprise. Except it wasn't a surprise at all, really. Since first picking up Kat Burns' debut EP a few years back, I've always been impressed with her songs, and they've only gotten better since she added more players in the form of the Forest City Lovers. Everything works in this song marvelously, and I'd love to see it performed live with an entire backing band.

Jonas Bonnetta
"French Toast"
I was listening to this song through my headphones before bed, and it was at that part in the song when the trumpet kicks in, and I said to myself, "This is so good." The story I heard about this song was that Jonas brought it to the Bellwoods house, just his voice and guitar, and let his friends do their thing. How true this is doesn't matter, because all the additions just take an already brilliant song and just made it that much better. And that's what friends are for, right? The original recording appeared on his album Farewell to Harmony (which you should all buy), but the new version is streaming over at his MySpace so do yourself some good and go listen to it, now!

So there you have it, three fantastic tracks, all by bands that are originally from around here. I must clear something up though, I reread what I wrote about the D'Urbervilles song and I feel it came off a bit too harsh. I really like them, I think they're amazing live, but I want that same energy to blast out of my speakers every time I press play. Maybe that's asking for too much, but I feel they're capable of it and I have high hopes for future recordings.