Loading ...There are a few things I’m partial to when it comes to music.
I love a good rock and roll band that makes me want to dance, I love a great hip hop beat that makes me nod my had, and I love a great singer/songwriter who makes me want to sing along.
Now, while the things I like don’t change, those who bring it to me do change. Right now my favourite rock and roll band is Danko Jones, where a few years ago it was The Datsuns. My favourite hip hop beats are coming from Cadence Weapon (peep his new mixtape), where it used to be Atmosphere.
Well, that brings me to my singer/songwriters. These shitheads are few and far between. The last one that really made me sit up and listen was Iron & Wine, and I mean, christ, The Creek Drank the Cradle came out in 2002. 7 years ago! Goddamit!
Anyhow, The Auditor General was a guy from the Thunder Bay area of Ontario up here in Canadia. He wrote some songs and then got a band. I’m not gonna lie here, cause that’s not my style. It reminds me a lot of The Weakerthans. But how the fuck can that be a bad thing?
I can’t. That’s how. This Jamie Smith kid, he seems to be the ring leader of this pack. His lyrics are great, and his delivery is fantastic. The songwriting is similar to the Weakerthans, like I’ve already said. I repeat myself. I repeat myself. His voice, took me a while to pinpoint.
A few years ago I used to date this girl name Hilary. She lent me a Weakerthans CD which I loved, and actually ended up breaking. Literally. In half. By accident, of course. Anyhow, we were both music geeks and spent most of our time on MSN sending songs back and forth to each other. One song she sent me was “You Remind me of Home” by Ben Gibbard who is in The Postal Service (which I hate) and Death Cab for Cutie (which I pretend to hate even though I haven’t really heard anything by them).
Anyhow, Jamie sounds like Ben Gibbard a lot. It works for him, though. It’s a pretty voice. It’s not a strong voice, so don’t expect him to start screaming at you, but it’s definitely a pretty voice.
Club Anthems for the Slightly Disenfranchised is a neat little EP. It’s catchy as all fuck. It’s well produced and well written. I know that if Jamie were singing those songs by himself, it’d sound a fuck load like Ben Gibbard. I’ve never heard Death Cab for Cutie, so I don’t know if the full bands equal out as well, but I hope not. This is a talent that deserves out of Thunder Bay.
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