Damn right, she's cool.

Yes, that’s right. There’s no question that Ms. Swift would get top honours on my list. And yes, Fearless came out in late 2008, but the Platinum Edition was released this past October. With six new songs, I deem it capable enough to make it in for 2009. Key tracks: Untouchable, The Other Side Of the Door

1. Taylor Swift – Fearless (Platinum Edition)

2. Magneta Lane – Gambling With God

3. LIGHTS – The Listening

4. Tegan & Sara – Sainthood

5. Alexisonfire – Old Crows/Young Cardinals

6. A Fine Frenzy – Bomb In A Birdcage

7. Silversun Pickups – Swoon

8. La Roux (Self-Titled)

9. John Mayer – Battle Studies

10. Die Mannequin – Fino + Bleed
Also, to continue with last year’s tradition, here’s my top played artists on Last.fm:

1.) Taylor Swift (1,674)

2.) Magneta Lane (754)

3.) Stars (607)

4.) City and Colour (582)

5.) Alexisonfire (464)

6.) LIGHTS (422)

7.) Metric (383)

8.) Tegan & Sara (379)

9.) Arkells (370)

10.) Lenka (359)

Honourable Mentions also go to She & Him (353), A Fine Frenzy (344), and Explosions in the Sky (329).

An Horse

The Singing Lamb: So you guys are currently on tour with Silversun Pickups; how’s that going?

Kate Cooper: It’s great! We’re about a week and a half in and they’re awesome, great people and good friends so we’re having a lot of fun!

The last time I saw you guys was at the Horseshoe with Telekinesis and that was an awesome show.

Kate: Well Telekinesis is awesome, so yeah!

Well I’ve noticed that you’ve been constantly on the road since the release of your album.

Kate: Pretty much!

Have you had time to sit down and take it all in yet?

Kate: Before this tour, about a month ago, we had about two months off and we had a month off earlier in the year but yeah, it has been hectic!

I read somewhere that you and Damon used to work at a record store.

Kate: Yes, that’s correct!

I was just wondering, the way that people have been discovery music now, it’s not so much going into record stores but online or blogs or whatever. Do you miss the days where you would go into a record store to find out about new music?

Kate: Well personally, I miss going into a record store but that’s because I’m broke and I have no money and if I go into a record store I spend money! I mean, it’s changed so much so quickly. I worked there for two years but the whole time it was comfy; the weekends were crazy and it was just a place where kids hung out and it was awesome. When I was working there, there were probably eight shoplifters but near the end, the reason why we stopped working there was because the store closed and we were the last two employees standing. Definitely when I get time off I go to record stores but I know that the new generation of people don’t go. There are upsides and downsides to it because, yeah the record stores are going out but I still think people are competing just as much if not more. I know people steal my album and trust me, if more people bought it instead of stealing it my life would be a whole lot easier but its just reality and you’ve got to move forward and figure out ways around it. But that being said, it will never beat going into record stores and buying records.

I agree! I just like the human interaction more; they’re just so much friendlier than reading a blog or something.

Kate: Well, not always! I agree; I feel like everyone has a blog, but I don’t give a fuck what you want to say, I don’t care. I go into a record store and figure it out for myself. Everyone has something to say but that doesn’t mean they should publish it.

There have been a lot of end-of-the-decade lists recently. What are some of your favourite records of the decade?

Kate: Whoa, I’ve never been asked that question! I was just thinking to myself, ‘Oh my god, it’s 2009!’ Wow, that’s huge! It’s so hard; it’s like asking me for my favourite book. I mean, most of my adult life was in that decade listening to music, so hmm that’s tricky!

Were there any albums in particular that inspired your record?

Kate: No, actually! I don’t think so. There was no album in particular in mind when we were writing the record. I think I was listening to a lot of Against Me but that doesn’t reflect at all. I wish it did but it doesn’t!

Working at a record store must’ve been like having a home library to listen to whatever you wanted.

Kate: And talk about it, pretty much!

After this tour, do you have any plans for recording a follow-up?

Kate: We have a tour in January with Tegan and Sara and after that we’re not too sure. We have 20 songs written but it’s just a matter of figuring it out where, when, why and how. There’s still a little bit of live left in this record!

Do you have any artistic ideas for the new one though?

Kate: We’re actually playing some new songs live and I guess we do. I don’t want to be the same, I want to grow with every record and I think with the songs that have already been written have lent themselves to a different sounding version of us which is exciting. I don’t have any grand plans that we’re going to be a techno band or anything like that but all I want to do is make honest music.

That’s what I like about your music though; you’re a two-piece band and you sound like a two-piece band. It doesn’t sound like there are too many overdubs or anything. I hear that the new Tegan and Sara album has no overdubs.

Kate: Well I think it has some! We got a chance to be there while they were recording it and it’s a great sounding record, Chris Walla did an amazing job.

Awesome! And finally, if you were a singing animal, what would you be?

Kate: I guess I would like to be a shark. I know they don’t sing, but they make people scream. I guess dolphins kind of sing. I’m also sitting by the beach at the moment so I feel like I’m kind of influenced by the beach atmosphere!

Interview By Kyle Sikorski

***

For more An Horse,

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

Don’t forget to catch An Horse opening for Tegan and Sara on January 19^th and 20^th at Massey Hall and Kool Haus, respectively. Tickets are on sale now! For more info, go here.

Both Tegan and Sara and Do Make Say Think have begun working on new albums. According to Chart, Tegan and Sara are currently in Los Angeles with Howard Redekopp and Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla (who are co-producing the record), whereas Do Make Say Think frontman Charles Spearin is planning for the band’s new record to “be either four songs or one big song.” Exciting!

Billy Talent, on the other hand, have finished recording a new album and will be releasing III (obviously a follow-up to II) on July 14th. Here’s the tracklisting:

III
01 Devil On My Shoulder
02 Rusted From The Rain
03 Saint Veronika
04 Tears Into Wine
05 White Sparrows
06 Pocketful Of Dreams
07 The Dead Can’t Testify
08 Diamond On A Landmine
09 Turn Your Back
10 Sudden Movements
11 Definition Of Destiny

See them live at this year’s Edgefest on June 20th!

Neko Case returns to Toronto on July 14th at the significantly bigger Massey Hall. Tickets go from $29.50-40.50 and they go on sale (to the public) this Friday. This show is all-ages.

An updated list of bands have been posted up on NXNE’s site. Read here!

Jack White’s new band, The Dead Weather will be at the Kool Haus on July 22nd. Tickets also go on sale this Friday (not clear on prices yet) and it will be all-ages. Their debut album, Horehound, will be out on July 14th.

Caribou will be at the Opera House on September 10th as the Caribou Vibration Ensemble, which will consist of Kieran Hebden (Four Tet), Koushik, John Schmersal, Kathryn Bint, Ahmed Gallab, a four-piece horn section, a choir and four drummers.

Other show announcements:
The Walkmen, Cass McCombs @ Lee’s (July 24th, $16.50, 19+)
Michachu and the Shapes @ El Mocambo (July 14th, $12.00, 19+)
Frightened Rabbit @ Horseshoe (July 22nd, $13.50, 19+)
Moderat @ Circa (May 29th, 19+)
Team B, New Numbers @ Horseshoe (June 22nd, $8.00, 19+, *tickets at door only)

Congrats to Toronto’s Timber Timbre for signing onto Arts & Crafts Records! His recently released self-titled album will be re-released on A&C on June 30th, in Canada.

Lily Allen recently released a b-side from It’s Not Me, It’s You entitled “Why”. Click here to listen.

And last but not least, I would’ve killed Santa Claus for this.

Happy listening!

Musically,
Melody

Spin Magazine, circa 2001

Fatboy Slim? Papa Roach? Erykah Badu?!

Oh the sweet, sweet times of February 2001. I’ve recently developed quite the addiction to selling my old magazines to the wonderful world of BMV. Yes, I’m just a tad (and by tad, I mean VERY) poor and just knowing that I’m sitting on a goldmine of cash in my room is giving me a glimmer of hope. Anyway, in addition to my selling addiction, I’ve also developed a new buying addiction – old issues of magazines at BMV. Very complimentary to each other, no? So a couple of days ago, I picked up a Feb. 2001 issue of SPIN and the second I opened it, nostalgia hit me. It’s weird to think that 2001 was seven years ago, but it’s more weird to see that some things haven’t changed. According to that year’s reader’s poll results, Radiohead was voted best artist, best live act and best song (for “Optimistic”). Just shows how timelessly amazing Radiohead is.

Okay, now back to 2008…

Halloween is just around the corner and I’ve finally figured out what to dress up as! Do not fear if you haven’t decided yet though as Stereogum are here to save the day! Here are some of their suggestions. I personally recommend Rivers Cuomo and M.I.A. so if you end up choosing those, please send me some photos and I shall post them up in some sort of special Halloween blog! Random fact (if you didn’t know already), I dressed up as Feist from her “One Evening” video two years ago… people just assumed that I was a nurse.

Ever wondered what happened to the Pipettes since two-thirds left earlier this year? Well the remaining member, Gwenno, talks to Pitchfork about new members and new music.

The Octopus Project will be in Toronto on October 28th… but according to Chromewaves, the location is a mystery.

Also, feeling some Tegan and Sara withdrawal since the end of their whacky MySpace video-adventures? Well Tegan is apparently keeping a temporary blog thing with Spinner for the next few weeks. Read it here!

Must See Shows Tonight:
Lykke Li + Friendly Fires @ The Mod Club
The Common Dears + Beekeepers Society + Great Lenin’s Ghost + Flying Eyes @ Silver Dollar
Crystal Castles @ Circa
Foals @ Lee’s Palace

I would kill for tickets to Lykke Li. “Breaking it Up” has been my song of the week; I’ve literally listened to it 20-30 times a day. It’s ridiculous. Also, I’m currently listening to Friendly Fires for the first time and I quite like what I hear. Its part pop, part disco, but not enough cowbell. Haha!

I know I promised that the shows page would be up but Tech Nerd is busy at the moment being all nerdy and such so please bear with us. I will also sporadically disappear from time to time to tend to educational duties. But for now, I shall finish sorting through my next stack of magazines to sell…

Musically,
Melody