Brendan Canning

[El_Jeffe]

most of us probably know him as a member from broken social scene, but come 2008 & brendan has released his debut solo album, titled something for all of us. at first it was a little strange to hear canning in a somewhat unfamiliar role on lead vocals, but he fuses his soft whispering voice into the mix of music in such a way that it creates a really wonderful atmospheric vibe. a sense of soft melody always remains clear during this slow-building beauty of an album. something for all of us has some faster paced tunes, to those with a tinge of psychedelic groove, to even a funked-out styling of one of my favourite tunes "love is new”

all up, a really really enjoyable album. i know there's already some fans of this album floating round, but this is an album a lot of people here could become a fan of. when you do check this out & most likely thoroughly enjoy it, don't thank me, thank "chromefox" instead, who got me into this album. any thread you see her in, just quote her with " :thumbup: " & we'll see how long we can keep it going haha

anyway, check out his myspace (http://www.myspace.com/brendancanning). even the album cover is cool as

http://www.mercuryloungenyc.com/u/i/4/0c23a828.jpg


any fans, share some love & discussion?

[Jumpoff]

Based off the first song, I think I like it more than I like BSS.. but that's not really a fair comparison because I Haven't listened to much BSS either haha

[El_Jeffe]

Based off the first song, I think I like it more than I like BSS.. but that's not really a fair comparison because I Haven't listened to much BSS either haha

haha i don't know if i could go there, it's a great album though & one i really enjoy. comparisons between his solo outing & that of broken social scene are natural, especially since canning employs some of the same musical aesthetic qualities. but it's still a great album on it's own merits & that's often overlooked

[El_Jeffe]

it's an album that can appeal to almost anyone, whether you're a fan of broken social scene or otherwise

yea it's been more of a recent (last few months) thing, but i'm starting to really take to them. well parts of their stuff anyway

[NickLopez]

This is super.

[Blake Solomon]

i liked the other Presents album a lot, need to get this one

[joss d.]

i haven't listened to any of the present's albums but i did like bss quite a bit, are they in the same vein?

[El_Jeffe]

i haven't listened to any of the present's albums but i did like bss quite a bit, are they in the same vein?

yea mate, i'm guessing fans of broken social scene would cross over on to this rather well. canning employs some of the same musical aesthetic qualities of broken social scene, like the slow-building atmospheric vibes, etc. worth checking out

[joss d.]

alright, thanks will check out later.

[Chromefox]

Props on the thread!

i haven't listened to any of the present's albums but i did like bss quite a bit, are they in the same vein? Kevin Drew's album is closer to BSS for obvious reasons, but Canning's album doesn't stray far.

[UntilItKillsYou]

I need to get this album. I just got Kevin Drew and the latest BSS LP so Ill get to this one soon. Whats it like?

[Chromefox]

Guilty of not listening.

Didn't know you were a Broken Social Scene fan. So what were you talking about when I asked you if you'd heard them in your thread in General about how music blows in 08 compared to 10 years ago?

Are you a fan of Broken Social Scene? Did you check out the two Broken Social Scene Presents albums?

Yeah they were okay but real BSS is a lot better.

[chipdip18]

The stuff on myspace is pretty good.

[El_Jeffe]

Props on the thread!

:thumbup:

haha to be honest i was hoping a lot of people would quote you in various threads, replying with nothing but that smilie^ & you'd find this thread in a couple days time, when it would all make sense. but alas, we'll just have to agree this is a great album & one more people here need to check out

if i'm lurking again, i should remember to check this guy out because he makes some great music & i just love checking out great new music. next to my odd obsession with jellyfish, new music is my favourite thing ever

[Chromefox]

:thumbup:

haha to be honest i was hoping a lot of people would quote you in various threads, replying with nothing but that smilie^ & you'd find this thread in a couple days time, when it would all make sense. but alas, we'll just have to agree this is a great album & one more people here need to check out Apologies for ruining your fun by lurking most of the time. :-d

I went and paid for my hard copy just the other day. It was completely overpriced (for any CD) where I bought it, but I don't regret it.

[El_Jeffe]

needs more love. a lot of people here might enjoy this one

Apologies for ruining your fun by lurking most of the time. :-d

I went and paid for my hard copy just the other day. It was completely overpriced (for any CD) where I bought it, but I don't regret it.

haha don't worry, cds are between 25 & 35 bucks here, standard price. i'd hate to think what i've spent on music related items over the years

[Chromefox]

haha don't worry, cds are between 25 & 35 bucks here, standard price. i'd hate to think what i've spent on music related items over the years 25 is pretty typical. Anything higher and you're looking at some kind of re-issue with extras.

I definitely feel like this album is accessable to the users of this forum. It'd be a pity for it to go unnoticed.

[Chromefox]

I demand that someone check this album out now, who hasn't already.

[Someone'sCoat]

I'll be checking this out later. I've been meaning to but I always forget.

[Chromefox]

I especially love the more guitar-driven tracks.

[El_Jeffe]

awesome, you got one more listener! the bass work throughout the album really struck a cord with me, it adds such a fullness to the sound, & adds to that flavour of charm that this album is just bursting with

[chipdip18]

I've only got the Greatest Hits. It's pretty good, i respect the man and his music.

[theguy77]

i support this rec. thanks megan! :thumbup:

[theguy77]

right so having heard brendan canning before broken social scene theres a totally fresh, unbiased opinion coming from me. first of all i thought his sound was quite distinctive, very different from anything ive heard. a lot of that has to do with the production, not only does he manage to pull beautiful, organic atmospheres out of a less than hi-fi sound but the recording also breaks a few rules. atypically the bass was actually more prominent than the guitar and i found this to be a driving feature of the more upbeat songs. the guitar itself seemed to be recorded with poor microphone positioning but this is not at all a detriment. it creates an ongoing, subtle fuzzy noise throughout the record which added to the atmosphere, and with the use of various effects, hinted at noise-rock if not shoegaze influences in the sound, even if no such influence exists. another feature is the whisper of his vocals, even in the higher register, sort of reminded me of american analog set in a way. instead of attacking you full force i found that his vocal tones kind of lure you in as you listen more intently and immerse yourself in the humble tranquility that ironically encompasses even the electric tracks on the record.

the album also surprised me with several different musical moods and styles, from the open and atmospheric string and horn arrangements between the snare beats and sparse acoustic guitars that you hear on "chameleon"; to the more driving, almost proggish "hit the wall"; to a mildly folky acoustic yet still contextual sound on "snowballs & icicles"; to, as craig noted, almost funk vibes in "love is new" given the vocal melody and rhythm, one-stroke guitar chord pattern, utilization of unusual percussion (cowbell) and sporadic synthesized sounds in the background. i have to say that one thing which really caught me was the subtle and atmospheric use of trumpets. in most music styles, even in orchestral compositions, the trumpets are given a leading role due to the distinct tones and natural projection from the reverberance of brass, but on this album they were by no means tacked on to create a distinctive or quirky melody. they were given a niche in the atmosphere just like any other instrument utilized on the record, and as unexpected and logically misplaced as they were, in all instances they blended in comfortably. on top of that sometimes i would hear something enter the mix and just have no idea what instrument is making that noise -- at one point it sounded like distorted humming, at another point i heard what sounded like birds chirping, and the use of effects and layers of atmosphere make them nearly indistinguishable. nonetheless i continue to restate my point that regardless how much he put into this sound, it was all cohesive.

overall i'd definitely recommend this album to anyone searching for something that can be modest and ambitious at the same time. its idiosyncratic without attempting to break ground and i found that exceptionally refreshing.

[Chromefox]

For all of it's quirks, it's not an inaccessible album at all. Trumpets and cowbells and guitar fuzz might make it sound like a listening gamble, but none of these elements detract from the individual songs.

Plus, Broken Social Scene, bearded men, and whispercore vocals! It's a hipster hotlist album for sure! :-d

[theguy77]

bump

i didnt post a two-paragraph reflection on this album for nothing come on at least SOMEONE has to be intrigued by what i thought of this excellent album, haha.

[theguy77]

bump again

COME ON GUYS HES GREAT

[IWasaCamera]

Decent.

[Kid B]

right so having heard brendan canning before broken social scene theres a totally fresh, unbiased opinion coming from me. first of all i thought his sound was quite distinctive, very different from anything ive heard. a lot of that has to do with the production, not only does he manage to pull beautiful, organic atmospheres out of a less than hi-fi sound but the recording also breaks a few rules. atypically the bass was actually more prominent than the guitar and i found this to be a driving feature of the more upbeat songs. the guitar itself seemed to be recorded with poor microphone positioning but this is not at all a detriment. it creates an ongoing, subtle fuzzy noise throughout the record which added to the atmosphere, and with the use of various effects, hinted at noise-rock if not shoegaze influences in the sound, even if no such influence exists. another feature is the whisper of his vocals, even in the higher register, sort of reminded me of american analog set in a way. instead of attacking you full force i found that his vocal tones kind of lure you in as you listen more intently and immerse yourself in the humble tranquility that ironically encompasses even the electric tracks on the record.

the album also surprised me with several different musical moods and styles, from the open and atmospheric string and horn arrangements between the snare beats and sparse acoustic guitars that you hear on "chameleon"; to the more driving, almost proggish "hit the wall"; to a mildly folky acoustic yet still contextual sound on "snowballs & icicles"; to, as craig noted, almost funk vibes in "love is new" given the vocal melody and rhythm, one-stroke guitar chord pattern, utilization of unusual percussion (cowbell) and sporadic synthesized sounds in the background. i have to say that one thing which really caught me was the subtle and atmospheric use of trumpets. in most music styles, even in orchestral compositions, the trumpets are given a leading role due to the distinct tones and natural projection from the reverberance of brass, but on this album they were by no means tacked on to create a distinctive or quirky melody. they were given a niche in the atmosphere just like any other instrument utilized on the record, and as unexpected and logically misplaced as they were, in all instances they blended in comfortably. on top of that sometimes i would hear something enter the mix and just have no idea what instrument is making that noise -- at one point it sounded like distorted humming, at another point i heard what sounded like birds chirping, and the use of effects and layers of atmosphere make them nearly indistinguishable. nonetheless i continue to restate my point that regardless how much he put into this sound, it was all cohesive.

overall i'd definitely recommend this album to anyone searching for something that can be modest and ambitious at the same time. its idiosyncratic without attempting to break ground and i found that exceptionally refreshing.
:appl:

[Chromefox]

This artist deserves more attention.

[theguy77]

as does my two paragraphs about his album. hahahahha j/k

[Chromefox]

All the Best Wooden Toys Come From Germany is one of the most accurately named songs I have ever heard.

[xJesusFreakx]

as does my two paragraphs about his album. hahahahha j/k

I skimmed your 2 paragraphs and will probably check this out, just based on that. I have to go to bed, though, and have stuff to do tomorrow... I'll check this out eventually. Just keep bumping this thread as a reminder, lol.

[theguy77]

any command i could think of...

[Chromefox]

Why won't anyone trust me and listen to this album? :-(

[theguy77]

or me? :-(

[Chromefox]

Our votes of confidence, plus Craig's combined should be worth SOMETHING to AP, surely!

[theguy77]

okay, so after watching a few interviews it has become immediately clear to me that my biggest hero in music is not johnny greenwood or teppei teranishi or daniel snaith. it is brendan canning. it's plain and simple, i honestly think that he is exactly the kind of artist at his surprising age as i have found myself developing into more and more every week of this year. i can relate with his perspectives and habits when it comes to the creation of music more than i can relate to anybody else.

a big example is the role that the DEVELOPMENT of his songs plays in his life overall, and not just his career. as described by the other members of broken social scene, hes the member who doesnt just selectively create music when he feels like it, but that his mind is always consumed with a need to create; that he is rarely seen without an instrument in front of him or at least in the same room which he picks up and noodles with periodically on the hour; that 100% of the time even when the task at hand is not to write or record, he is constantly conceptualizing a guitar riff or a piano part that he hears in his head, and mentally assembling it into the context of a song he's written or plans to write, even with the most trivial details of the music; and that, when given the resources and the opportunity, he will incessantly focus all of his efforts on his craft -- developing, demoing, producing old songs with new guitar parts or melodies that constantly pop in his head -- and will continue to play and add onto whatever hes been writing for hours without stopping for any sort of break.

it's that kind of instinctive obsession with, not just the music, but all the tiny little details that contribute to the final product that consumes my mind relentlessly (and has since even before i knew how to play any instruments). no matter whether im in class or hanging out with friends or watching a movie, there's always that new guitar or piano part or melody that spontaneously appeared in the back of my mind, which i keep playing over and over in my head. and i simply cant wait to get back to my guitar so i can play that seemingly insignificant guitar part over and over again off and on for several hours, all the while sitting there contemplating all the possibilities of how they will sound in context of the songs ive been writing. if anyone talks to me on AIM and realizes that ive stopped talking for a solid 10 or 20 minutes without warning, which happens VERY often, it's a good chance that is what im doing -- playing a guitar/bass/piano/drum/xylophone/whatever part that just popped into my head and trying to visualize how it will sound in context. on a regular basis i actually wake up in the middle of the night with a melody or a couple lyrics lines in my head and i get out of bed and write it down or play it until it's been archived somehow in my memory, and then go back to sleep. because of this, i, like brendan, am rarely seen without an instrument within 3 feet of me. even now i've got ian's bass on the couch next to me, my acoustic on the sofa opposite me, and joey's drum pad, tambourine, and congas on the other side of the room, all of which ive brought into the living room myself because i felt inspired by something or other. my telecaster is waiting for me in my bedroom.

i find that brendan and i are alike in that way, and based on my experience working with other musicians, many of whom are no less dedicated than me, it seems to be very rare that the most minute details are on the forefront of their minds to the same frequency and extent. i listen to music that way and i write it that way and it's not something i hear about from other writers, so to hear it articulated so precisely from brendan and from people who have worked with him on music just makes me feel like i can relate to him in a manner that's entirely unique.