Lissie’s “Little Lovin” managed to win my heart on hype machine late last year, but it hasn’t been until more recently that bloggers and other media folk have really taken notice and made a point to write on her. Maybe it’s the mid-February blues I’m feeling, but her music is the perfect fix for one who is longing for summer and is just the thing that inspired this post. Tying nostalgia and hopefulness together with its classic chord progressions and laidback vocals, Lissie’s music will have you lazing in the sun spot of your apartment. Last year saw the release of a five song EP entitled “Why You Runnin’”. Sunday Times said it best by comparing her to “…Jesca Hoop or Neko Case and the commercially copper-bottomed country-rock lilt of Sheryl Crow and solo Stevie Nicks…”

Lissie recently opened for City and Colour with many fans coming to see her as opposed to Dallas Green, and she did not disappoint. Her sound obviously speaks to a wide audience – having already been picked up by TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Dollhouse, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her music crop up in a whole host of those indie-esque awkward adolescence films starring Michael Cera and Zooey Deschanel. On the other hand, her sound maintains a raw and genuine essence, captured by her ‘influences’ (as posted on her MySpace page) of pie, cigarettes, porches, corn hole and waiting in line.

“Little Lovin” is figuratively and literally a knee-slapping good time (listen to the last thirty seconds of this song and you’ll know what I mean). “Everywhere I Go” features vocals with contrasting sections of longer drawn out sections and then staccato bits on certain lyrics. “Wedding Bells” has a really pretty percussion achieved by echoing finger snapping and complemented by some Camera Obscura type oohs and ahs. Overall, her songs fit together with themes of acoustic guitar strumming, ethereal reverb, and a southern feel hailing from Mississippi. Look for the full album circa April this year.

Lissie – Little Lovin’

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Lissie – Everywhere I Go

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Lissie – Wedding Bells

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

At the tender ages of 18 and 15, sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg (First Aid Kit) are an uber-talent to be reckoned with. Having released their debut EP “Druken Trees” last April (a cause celebre in itself), these Swedish young-uns are planning a full album for this September. Although relatively fresh artists, they already seem to have come into their own with music that really sticks to your gut. A lot of that I believe has to do with the vocals. The Soderberg sisters have a deliciously complex “pinot noir” sound – summer berries, barnyard aromas and a long finish. The lyrics and melodies also have a maturity beyond their years. You’re Not Coming Home Tonight is a ballad in the truest sense with tegan-and-sarah-esque harmonies done better. And their cover of Tiger Mountain Pleasant Song is strikingly honest. In contrast to conjuring images of puffy sleeved musicians playing Greensleeves (sorry Fleet Foxes…it’s just that song), First Aid Kit’s version has an interesting almost mysterious quality with stringier guitar, a multitude of crescendos and live-time layered vocals that give a richer quality than would be expected of two voices. This song makes me want to go camping, and I hate camping.

Enjoy!

First Aid Kit – You’re Not Coming Home Tonight

First Aid Kit – Cover of Tiger Mountain Pleasant Song (YouTube)

RiP: A Remix Manifesto is a fairly illegal documentary about copyright and remix culture whose filmmaker is and isn’t, Brett Gaylor. Essentially, hundreds upon hundreds of copyrighted sound and picture bits have been mashed up to support and sometimes indulge the fancies of Gaylor’s thesis: Remix culture should be embraced, not restricted.

As an open source film, it has undergone (and continues to undergo) more than just revisions, but remixes of itself. These mashups are made possible and encouraged by Gaylor’s posting of the source files online. The film was first dropped in Montreal at the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma last October. Since then, I was lucky enough to snag a seat at the sneak preview (although it was a slightly different version than the official one to be released) in Vancouver this past Sunday, which ended in a half hour discussion with the filmmaker. For Torontonians, RiP will be gracing Royal Cinema on March 13th. Read more…