Koushik - Out My Window

My second release tonight is from a Canadian, simply named "Koushik" (which is this DJ/producers first name... last name Gosh). I stumbled across this album and was greatly impressed. In the same vein as fellow Canadian Caribou (FKA: Manitoba) and Four Tet, Koushik has made his mark with this album. Falling under what I would consider to be the electronica/funk/ambient genres, this album is perfect for those chill evenings in doing some work (well it seems all I ever do is mark these days)... or if you're entertaining for a dinner or drinks, this could be a great soundtrack to impress.

Check out some of these reviews to help whet your appetite:

• Filter: In brief, it's one of the grooviest albums you'll hear--Saudi Arabia, here, or anywhere else.
• Mojo: A hypnotic and original treat, an utterly timeless futurist retro symphony.
  

  Pitchfork: The end result is a delectable pop record, with Koushik's heavy ambiance and amorphous production combining to nudge his songs to their tingling crescendos.

So, with this... I encourage you to check Koushik out!

• Koushik @ MetaCritic
• Koushik @ AMG
• BitTorrent Download: "Koushik - Out My Window"

Patrick Watson - Close to Paradise

The jury has spoken! Patrick Watson wins Canada's 2007 Polaris Music Prize! Up against some majorly stiff competition (such as Feist and Arcade Fire), Montreal's Patrick Watson (the name of the singer/songwriter, but also his band) wins the $20,000 award and more importantly the respect of music critics across Canada (ahh hopefully the prize has begun to pick up some steam outside our borders... akin, but not nearly as well known or popular as the UK's Mercury Prize). And massive props to the Maritime Connection -- The Joel Plaskett Emergency as well as New Brunswick's own (and former Eric's Trip'er) Julie Doiron were both nominated. Watson, often compared to Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright has a very luscious and melodic sound -- this is a record you can just put on and go to another place, definitely worth checking out.

Here's the mission statement for the Polaris Prize:

MISSION STATEMENT
The operation of a not-for-profit organization that annually honours, celebrates and rewards creativity and diversity in Canadian recorded music by recognizing, then marketing the albums of the highest artistic integrity, without regard to musical genre, professional affiliation, or sales history, as judged by a panel of selected critics and experts.

Nab the torrent here! This torrents picked up a lot of attention, shooting to 200+ seeders in the last few days.

Click here for AMG's review of Close to Paradise. And here's their bio on the band.

Check out the video for "Drifters" off of 2006's "Welcome to Paradise" album:

Tokyo Police Club - A Lesson in Crime EP

Well I must say this is one of the biggest releases in Canada in a while. Tokyo Police Club has taken the indie scene by storm, with appearances on Letterman and extensive US touring, these guys are huge. However they don't have a full length album... yet! This 7 song EP will have to hold you over until they release their full album (which is rumored to drop MAYBE in 2007). Anyway, stop what you're doing and get this meow! These guys rock it, with an edgy punk-rock flavor. This is a band to watch, they will go to the top in 2007-08, guaranteed. If I could buy stock in these fella's I would do it TODAY. Download it HERE!

Check out their Nature of the Crime video from the EP:

Cuff the Duke - Sidelines of the City

This is the third album from the Ontario Alt.Country/Rock band! Give them a try, they produce solid records and their live shows are amazing. I am working on finding cover art!

Don't think --- just download!





Here's the video for "The Ballad of Poor John Henry" from their 2004 album:

Wintersleep - Welcome to the Night Sky

Oh joy! This albums dropped early, it's not due out in stores 'till October 8th! So nab it now... For those of you unaware of the Yarmouthtonians (?) by way of Halifax, check'em! The headlining act of Dependent Music releases its 3rd disc and has built a lot of buzz and momentum over the past few years (opening for Pearl Jam in St. John's!). So go ahead, download it now!

Check out their CBC Radio 3 page here.

Oh and here's a WICKED video/song off their untitled 2005 album: