Artist: Black Mountain

Hails from: Vancouver, Canada

Musical Style: Rock, Indie, Psychedelic

For Fans of: Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, My Morning Jacket

Why you should check them out:

Celebrating the release of their hardest rocking album to date in early 2008, the Vancouver quintet Black Mountain have been modernizing the sound of early psychedelic rock since 2004, gaining generous critical acclaim and media attention within only a few short years.

Background Check: 

Since first hearing Black Mountain a few years back, I have been downright hooked.  Their two full length albums have received hours of continuous play, and their fierce live shows have been thoroughly enjoyed by an ever growing mass of fans equally affected by their current day homage to 70’s stoner jams.

Black Mountain don’t simply emulate the psychedelic rock genre, but rather take it a step further, modernizing the classics with folk and indie rock inspired additions.  Incorporating duel vocals from both Stephen McBean and Amber Webber, the Vancouver quintet fluctuate between dark and delicate breakdowns and classic Sabbath guitar riffs heard throughout their album opener “Stormy High”.

While two previous EPs and their 2005 self titled album introduced Black Mountain with a few electronic beats and mellow numbers, their latest In The Future  is pure rock, with added guitar solos, vocal wailing, and persuasive organ riffs to prove it.  Getting their start as suitable background music, Black Mountain have re-situated themselves to the musical forefront, merging psychedelic guitar solos and riff heavy metal with the indie pop of more recent generations.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

Black Mountain Army homepage

Jagjaguwar.com

Myspace

Where you can find them on tour:

Jambase

Artist: Holy Fuck

Hails From: Toronto Canada

Musical Style: Experimental, Electronica, Rock

For Fans of: Radiohead, The Faint, LCD Soundsystem

Why you should check them out:

It’s not everday that Ed O’Brien and Thom Yorke of Radiohead call a song, “Amazing, Brilliant, Excellent”, but for Toronto based Holy Fuck, it’s just one more word of praise for their highly celebrated track, “Lovely Allen” off their 2007 full length LP.

Background Check:

I’ve often thought how nice it would be if there were always a soundtrack playing in real life like in the movies.  We can be alerted when scary events were about to happen with shrill violins or provided sappy melodic numbers in romantic situations.  And although an ipod may come pretty close, film characters definitely have it made.

Offering up some prime cinematic soundscapes, perfect for picking up the most mediocre of moments, is the experimental electronic collective Holy Fuck. Formed in 2004 by Graham Walsh and Brian Borcherdt, Holy Fuck has quickly earned the status as “Toronto’s evil super group” by fellow musicians in the Canadian scene. Known for their use of everything from a film sequencer to toy phaser guns on stage, Holy Fuck continue to charm audiences with their unique take on electronic music.

In 2007 Holy Fuck released their second album entitled LP, which has since gained unanimous praise from music critics and fans of their self titled 2005 debut. Though both albums offer an innovative sound, Holy Fuck really captivate during their energetic live sets, all of which are heavily improvised. Boosting their credibility through high profile opening slots with M.I.A., Cornelius and Clinic, Holy Fuck back up the hype all without the use of laptop derived beats. And while Holy Fuck’s lively electronic tracks may never come to you in the form of a personalized film soundtrack, they’re still guaranteed to make life’s most monotonous events more uplifting.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

http://www.myspace.com/holyfuck

http://www.holyfuckmusic.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Fuck

Where you can find them on Tour:

Jambase

Artist: Dr. Dog

Hails From: Philadelphia, PA

Musical Style: Psychedelic, Rock, Pop

For Fans of: The Beatles, The Band, Blitzen Trapper

Why you should check them out:

Whether it’s through the lo-fi arrangements of their previous five albums, or the anthemic presence of their live rock shows, Dr. Dog is out to bring 60’s era pop rock to a whole new generation of music fans.

Background Check:

Dr. Dog is a band defined by their influences, and from the sound of their most recent album Fate, they certainly aren’t trying to hide it. Multi-part harmonies, psychedelic solos, and chunky guitar riffs, are all part of the quintet’s contemporary homage to rock and pop of the 60’s and 70’s. And don’t get me wrong, Dr. Dog’s albums certainly aren’t without some current day additions, with songs like “The Old Days” ironically filled with far more indie rock than nostalgia.

Surviving for years under the radar, Dr. Dog finally got their break in 2004 when My Morning Jacket personally selected them to accompany their band on tour. With the added critical success of their third album, Easy Beat (2005), Dr. Dog quickly gained increased national attention and consequent shows opening for the Strokes and Architecture in Helsinki to name a few.

Although the release of their fifth album, Fate (2008) finds Dr. Dog once again gaining high critical praise, the majority of their hype results from seeing the quintet live. Heavy guitar solos and walls of multi-part harmonies are always going to be best experienced live, and with back to back tour dates far into November, you’ll have plenty of time to catch the psychedelic rock adventure that Dr. Dog is sure to bring.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

http://www.myspace.com/drdog

http://www.drdogmusic.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Dog

on tour:

Jambase