Novels is a group comprised of Graham Wright from Tokyo Police Club, Luke Lalonde from Born Ruffians, Will Curie from Will Curie & The Country French, Dean Marino from Ex-po, and Jason Sadlowski from Jay Sad. Yes, it’s a Canadian power pop super group.

They have decided to release an album of 5 songs, which were recorded 24 hour recording marathon, and distribute through grassroots methods. They state on their website after free download:

Again thanks for downloading these songs!

Feel free to give the URL to your friends and have them download it too!

After you do that burn it to a CD!
Burn it to a few CDs. Give one to the girl that works at the coffee shop. Leave one in the library. Leave one on the bus seat. Put one in a random mailbox. Find a random address and mail it to them. We just want people to have this music and to share how much fun we have had with it.

If you do end up burning some CDs take a photo and send it to us. We want to see where you have hidden the CD or the people you have given it to.

I’ve done my part by providing FREE downloads of all 5 songs on our Box file share widget (in the right column) for your enoyment.  My favorite songs are No Hard Feelings by Graham Wright and Big Run by Luke Lalonde.

That’s not all.  documentary film maker Wade Vroom put together a 35 minute documentary called, Novels The Movie.   It will be showcased at many festivals, including Pop Montreal.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/6491930]

I read that Vic Chestnutt died on Christmas of a drug overdose. He was 45.  Honestly, I wasn’t too familiar with his work, but I liked what I heard.

RIP Vic Chestnutt – Fence Post – HERE

Vic Chestnutt, Singer and Songwriter, Dies at 45 – New York Times – HERE

Chesnutt had been in a wheelchair since the age of 18, when he was injured in a car accident.

Many considered 2009 a phenomenal and creative year for Chesnutt, who released two albums this year. At The Cut featured collaborations with members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Skitter On Take-Off was a minimal folk release with bouts of sheer brilliance. Musicians and music fans alike have been devastated by the loss of one of the world’s most stunning musicians. -Fence Post

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccy9e6FffzI&feature=related]

BackForty is proud to announce that Kristin Marine will be featuring her artwork at the Dewi Sant show on January 31 @ krEEmster’s spread.  As with any other art show, there will be cheese and crackers.  Feel free to bring wine.

:::Kristin’s Statement:::

“My artwork is an exploration of process and repetition informed by natural processes such as growth and entropy.  My thoughts, my actions, my process… repeat, and through this system I find connections to other systems governed by the same laws.

The similarities between processes in the natural world are real and indicative of deep underlying connections, extending even into our own consciousness.  Our own intelligence has been shown by some scientific models to be nothing more than a complex pattern of electrical activity arising within a cell matrix.  The complexity, like the macro movements of a school of fish, is an inherent aspect of the simple individuals making up that school.

My drawings and paintings explore and reveal the aesthetic nature of these connections and patterns, bound and unbound.  By mirroring nature’s repetitive process through layers and time, I seek to create the patterned forms we see around us.   Within these patterns and connections I am attempting to locate myself in a complex web of life.”

“ONE”

Kristin is (relatively) new to the Boulder area.  After getting her BA at the Columbus College of Art and Design she attended Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.  Then, she decided to leave the mean streets of Philadelphia for Boulder, CO.

Check out more of Kristin’s artwork here!!!

Total Babe is a quartet of teenagers out of Minnesota. What I like about Total Babe is their simplicity. The keys drive the melody. The strummed guitar fills out the sound, but isn’t overwhelming, and Clara Salyer’s vocals are striking and stay with you.

I wouldn’t say Total Babe is unique; quite the contrary.  Their sound comes in somewhere between chamber pop music and indie rock, as you might expect from a group of very talented teens that grew up during a   decade (the 00′) defined by Rilo Kiley and The Postal service.

Listening to Bearbones, Shape Up, and Gary Coleman (songs from their LP Heatwave) I just imagine myself at their live show, standing against the wall, dancing with my hands in my pockets and I love it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcbdURgi2KY]

When I booked Pollination Population I was intrigued by the uniqueness of the sound and I wanted to know more.  Kate Ersing was kind enough to provide a free download of her single Summer Sending (see Box Samples) and answer a few questions:

What instruments do you play?

As of right now I play a parlor guitar, sometimes a casio, and use delay and samples via tape players.

Where are you from?

I grew up in South Buffalo, New York and lived in various parts of New York until I came to Denver.

What were your favorite bands growing up?

Of Montreal and Destroyer were big influences growing up. When I was younger in the 90s, of course it had to be; No Doubt, Ben Folds Five, the Cranberries, 7 Seconds and Weezer.

Do you have a favorite old-time song?

Well, there is a weak spot in my heart for John Prine and Elizabeth Cotten’s “Freight Train.” She was self-taught, playing left-handed, upside-down guitar.


What’s your favorite venue?

I have good memories of the Bug Jar in Rochester, NY, but i really like house shows. They are personal and intimate and are perfect for face painting and cookies.

How do you like to past the time when you’re not playing music?

I spend a lot of time reading up on food politics, women’s health, and feminist zines. There are such beautiful bands in Denver, and that come to Denver, so I’m out at shows a lot, too. I love to bake and write love letters and then send those baked things with love letters to far places. I love pen pals, and guessing birthdays.

Do you have any exciting plans coming up?

Yes! I am looking to start a health collective that gives free lectures on specific topics that are open to the public.  I am in school for nutrition therapy and love talking about health issues. In a time when health care is dwindling, the rich and mindless keep consuming, and sick people are feeling powerless, something must be done to empower the masses to understand their bodies and take the initiative to learn to respect themselves and their environments through knowledge; to take control and make change.  I want to support free education in any way necessary. I’m also starting a sound project with my friend Stephen Wagner called “Cicadas.” I’m really excited about that.

Dewi Sant has posted their songs on Myspace.  Soft and beautiful.  Listen for yourself:

http://www.myspace.com/dewisantmusic

They’ll be playing at kreemster’s spread on Jan 31, so be on the lookout for the invite.  Capacity will be limited to 50.

I was sipping coffee  with Pumpkin and Flapjack and I brought up Willy Mason.  Flapjack was surprised I knew of Willy Mason.  Pancake started singing Hard Hand to Hold, one of his songs.  This morning I thought I’d see what he was up to and found this gem:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5EBJh70gek]

I also found a cool blog, Palestra (PalestraMusic.wordpress.com), that had some delicious shorts of Willy at work.

http://palestramusic.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/willy-mason-live-at-relay-recording/