As someone who is also graduating into what might be the worst economic times in the last little while, I enjoyed this. It’s a cover that a college grad/rapper called Nyle made with a 2,000$ grant from the government and some of his fellow graduates. It’s got some hopeful lyrics about making it as a university grad in a horrible economy and some pretty great production.

Nyle – Let the Beat Build [Lil Wayne Cover] (zshare)

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It has been a wonderful week for girl rock. We got new albums from Metric and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and they’re both great. Metric was playing a show downtown at the Apple store on St Catherines street last week and I almost went. I called a few hours before the show and asked what the capacity of the show would be and the enthusiastic employee told me 110 and when I asked how many people were already in line she said about 60. I couldn’t bring myself to wait in line for so long with all those keeners so I decided not to go. If you were one of those keeners; how was it?

Above is a short documentary featuring an interview with Emily Haines. She talks about writing the record in Buenos Aires and it’s got some interesting footage interspliced with an unplugged version of the album’s single Help I’m Alive. Since you’ll probably hear Help I’m Alive from everyone else, I’ll post another one of my favourites from the album. Emily tells us in Satellite Mind that she “heard (us) fuck through the wall”. We’ve all been there haven’t we? Buy the album, it’s well worth it.

Metric – Satellite Mind (zshare)

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If anyone ever tells you that they’ve heard enough songs about oral sex then they obviously haven’t heard this one. It’s a recent collab between Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Common and Lady Gaga. While the entire song revolves the idea that “you” should “poke her in the face”, it’s catchy and lighthearted fun. It’s the summer and the perfect time for all sorts of filth and carnality, why not have some music to get you in the mood? Just don’t do any serious damage if you do poke someone in the face.

Kid Cudi – I poke her in the face [feat. Kanye West Common & Lady Gaga] (zshare)

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Another Canadian electro group releases an album and like the last one, it crackles and simmers. The new Junior Boys album is full of repeating beeps and boops along with the same catchy high pitched vocals we got so used to “In the Morning”. The album is called Begone Dull care and the art is an oldly plain solid background colour with English and French translations of the title. It’s a bit of a short album with only 8 songs but Canadians are all about moderation right?

Junior Boys – Dull to Pause (zshare)

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Junior Boys – Hazel (zshare)

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I got my first press release for a summer music festival today and the honor goes to the Suoni Per Il Popolo festival. It’s taking place for pretty much all of June (3-30) and so I thought I’d post some of the bands that I’ll be checking out. They saved some of the best for last with Jay Reatard being the last show of the festival on June 30 I believe at Sala Rossa (4848 boul. St-Laurent).

Other notable performances include T.V. on the Radio on June 3rd (metropolis) and the Lovely Feathers on the 4th. Most of the shows are taking place either at Casa del popolo or Sala Rossa. Here’s the calendar of all the shows. Not sure if you can get tickets online but you can definitely buy them at the venues.

Jay Reatard – Screaming Hand (zshare)

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Jay Reatard – See/Saw (zshare)

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T.V. on the Radio – Crying (zshare)

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I heard a radio piece the other day that analyzed all the political nuances of the Eurovision song contest. Apparently who enters the contest and who wins bequeaths quite the political fallout. If you don’t know it’s a 53 year old american idol type contest in which european countries enter bands or individual artists to perform an original songs. The winning country also gets to join the EU! I remember 2006’s eurovision in particular because the ridiculous Lordi which scored a record 292 and gave Finland it’s first victory.

Gwar inspired costumes aside, Junior Senior is ridiculous in a completely different way. While the band broke up last september, Jeppe Laursen (aka senior) recently wrote Denmark’s entry into the 2009 eurovision song contest. Here are some of my favourites from Junior Senior’s second and final album Hey Hey My My Yo Yo (2007).

Junior Senior – Hip Hop a Lula (zshare)

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Junior Senior – Can I Get Get Get (zshare)

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