Lucky Luke - "Remember Me". A few weeks ago I saw Glasgow's Lucky Luke perform at the Caledonian Backpackers (of all places), in Edinburgh. I reviewed the show for Noise, but I don't think the write-up ever made it to print. The gist of it was that three of the four bands were tedious, but one - Lucky Luke - sent me reeling.

I mean that almost literally. As the band stamped and pushed, drums crackling unpredictably in the back, harmonium pulsing, I wanted to stamp and push along with them, I wanted to crackle and pulse. My feet started marching, my heart started panging, and with Lucy's vocals so strident and alive, I felt like throwing my arms open, inviting in a gale.

Lucky Luke live somewhere between Fairport Convention, Nico and White Magic. They're also a sort of much wispier Okkervil River, all that fury put into a fisherwoman's silken barbs. They're a band that heave. (Oh, look at 'em.)

"Remember Me" is taken from Patrick the Survivor, which will be released in May. It may be the album's throngingest song, those surges of saxophone, the clapsnapping percussion. I think of the sun rising, light raking the ground, setting trees aflame, ravaging the land, making you remember. [order Patrick the Survivor]

Brian Michael Roff and the Deer - "This Yellowed Yield". Gramophone friend BMR will soon be releasing his fourth LP, Inventory. It's his first with the Deer, a top-notch and understated backing band that includes David Michael Curry (Willard Grant Conspiracy, Thalia Zedek's band) on viola, Gregg Porter (Tigersaw, Hotel Alexis) on drums, Jim Reynolds on guitar/bass/banjo, and Casey Dienel on piano.

Okay, so that's the background - now download this song. It's a simple alt.country tune, words wrapped into a dusty circle, but the more I listened to it, the more I was compelled to listen to it some more - the more I need to hear the guitar and the drums, Brian singing with sudden insistence. "And you try to get on." The viola sneaks up on you, faltering. The drums show you the way. And Brian sings better than I've ever heard him before, voicing his resigned truths as if they're things that he's just realized, words that sprang from heart to mind to lips. It grows on you, so let it
play, let it go, and it'll soon be caught in your chest, the song that's always on the tip of your tongue.

(Please do listen!)

MA residents, take note - he'll be on the radio at the end of May, and there's a CD launch in June.

update: Catbirdseat has got another new BMR track (and a new look! ooh-er!)

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Elsewhere:

A new mp3blog discovery (and sidebar addition) is popsheep, with writers from Toronto and Vancouver, who are indie-rocking from coast to coast. Big big big ups to Jay for previewing the new P:ano stuff.

Yet another is Daily Reckless, who have been pointing to some excellent, particularly scottish, tunes. I will have to meet the author!

Relaunch and new writers at Moistworks, as well as a post about sean-fave Washington Phillips.

Finally, Neale's blog-post on the poetic potential for Google Maps is absolutely beautiful, totally brilliant, and makes me so excited. I love the way this brings together a City and its spirit, the way the cultural consciousness gets spread out onto a map. I am desperate to see some other cool work on this.

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Here:

I am STILL waiting for broadband internet to get hooked up at home, and it will be a while yet.. Apologies if my email/blogging behaviour is consequently erratic.

I've decided to set aside my "musical tour of europe" posts and space them out a little. I was getting really frustrated with it, and I think it'll be better if I just post about my european musical adventures when I'm feeling motivated (instead of out of obligation). I wasn't very happy about the quality on several of the entries, and there wasn't much feedback, so I'll put it on the back-burner. Great songs still to come, though - from Bosnian hip-hop to Italian prog-folk.

Very busy this week, as Triptych's come to town. Tonight - The Earlies, Micah P Hinson, Archer Prewitt and Sam Prekop. Tomorrow - Arab Strap and Mugison. Saturday - the, um, Beltane Fire Festival. And Sunday - Cat Power.

Speaking of shows - how were those darn Arcade Fire/Wolf Parade/Final Fantasy gigs!? There was an extraordinary lack of updates from the people I know. What rocked, what didn't? "Dinner Bells" with strings!? Win's mom on harp?! Dish!

update: i see there's been some talk about the first two Toronto shows, but neale's minireview is the only thing i've seen (other than boring forum posts) about Montreal...

Oh, and - what do you think of these songs?