Sloan is a bands' band - one of those bands that really smart people like and quote... and not just because they had that really amazing college-radio hit, "Underwhelmed" back in the 90's {although that song is why they always have a firm place in my heart}.

In his recent record recap, Chris Estey astutely wrote:

Sloan, The Double Cross (Yep Roc) is workman-like in the best ways for indie rock. The twelve songs all seem like one cunning extended riff on making a good life in spite of the unforeseen plans caused by caustic partners, and Jay Ferguson, Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland, and Andrew Scott pump it up full of a little-more-rock-than-power-pop, a lot-less-raw-than-punk bang and snap. There's a heavy taste of betrayal salt on most songs' lips, which makes the leanness and levity of the hooks and tempos that much more appreciated. Some of these are definitely my favorite Sloan songs, with very direct "Unkind" being the kind of not-bitter-but-a-broken anthem possibly being the best in the pack, but "Shadow of Love" is thrift store sweater swoony, "Laying So Low" has a keen cinematic-existential loner vibe, and the best news is that it's completely enjoyable from start to finish (and it's neat that you really don't care where you might be in there, from the way it's squash-sequenced). (7.5)

Their show at the Tractor Tavern this Saturday {June 4} is a must-see... just so you can talk about it next time you're at the merch booth of a really smart band you're trying to impress {and as evidenced by the above video, they are also hella-nice}.

I'm going to start this new "album round up" for Three Imaginary Girls with the above recent You Tube video for Sean Rowe's "Jonathan": (1.) Because I think it's the best song off of his recent Magic album (recently given full treatment here) and though it's been out a while the video is new. More-so, it's starting my summer off all rum and cola-sweetly, buzzy and bubbly at dusk-time, and I want to share it with you because the tune still grabs my attention. (2.) That's to help set the tone for a regular column that will primarily focus on the best songs on the albums I'm playing, while taking care of full length business as economically as possible. This doesn't mean I won't be doing more full length album reviews; but they might get the test-run here before they get the full heat treatment. Or, as in Rowe's case, I might remind you dear reader of previously scribed-about music that I think needs further attention, probably due to a bright jelly ear-worm melting in the candy jar of my brain.

Now to a hit and run consumer guide starting in my iTunes, and running into my headphones and down through my fingers briskly with the assistance of a jar of cold, strong coffee and soy milk:

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My favorite Canadians, also known as Sloan, made this entirely rad video near an airport for their song "The Good in Everyone" way back in 1996. Even though the song is only about 2 minutes long, the video is a little over 4 minutes, which makes for an interesting jet engine prelude. It's well worth the wait for the seriously catchy beats of this indie-alt-rock-power-pop foursome.

(psst: I've seen them live SEVERAL times, and they are always awesome! If they make it to Seattle again, I highly recommend.)

There couldn't possibly be a better way to shake off your 3-day-weekend-back-at-work-blues then tonight's show at the Crocodile. There's a kind of showmanship that only comes from multiple decades worth of rocking and being unbelivably famous in your own country but relatively relegated to the indie rock nerds in the country that borders your own. Enter Sloan, a band that has opened for the Rolling Stones in their homeland of Canada and regularly headlines huge venues to thousands of screaming fans, but plays intimate rock clubs in the states.

Despite the smaller venue size on this side of the border, Sloan always brings arena-sized performance to the plate, consistently performing fan favorites from their nearly two decade career of hard hitting power-pop. And, as an added bonus, local alt-country pop favorites the Tripwires are set to open. I swear it's worth the Tuesday night show.

I hope that Sloan plays this song.

at Chop Suey

Sloan truly is one of the best (and most consistent) bands in rock today, both live and on record, but they are also rock’s best kept secret. Sloan truly is one of the best bands in rock today, but they are also rock’s best kept secret.

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Here's a video put out a while back from The North American Halloween Prevention Initiative. It's kinda weird and it was hard to get my brain around it before the morning muffin... but it features a ton of awesomeness in the line-up -- and that's good enough for me.

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I am very anxious to see Sloan live - not the least of which because I have no idea when the next opportunity will be.

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Although some folks couldn't rank their lists {igChar}... which is fine... you know... if you just can't bear to proclaim to the world, "THIS WAS THE BEST FUCKING ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!!" but some of us could. And albums that have such an exclamation bestowed on them deserve a special note. So here they are... the albums that our voters deemed "THE BEST FUCKING ALBUM OF THE YEAR!"

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