REVIEW: Patrick Watson - Adventures In Your Own Backyard

Patrick Watson - Adventures In the Backyard

The backyard seems like the place you’d find some sort of oasis from what lies beyond your front door, especially as a kid. But aging has a funny way of making the magic of the backyard seem like child’s play, a distant memory. Times when dreams felt more authentic than reality feel so distant from now. And yet, Montreal singer/songwriter Patrick Watson makes it feel as though this dreamful embrace isn’t all that far-fetched with his new album, Adventures In Your Own Backyard.

SEE & HEAR: Patrick Watson - "Into Giants"

Montreal singer/songwriter Patrick Watson's new album, Adventures In Your Own Backyard, was released today via Domino (Secret City released it in Canada on April 16th), and from the album we have "Into Giants" to share. It's a lovely tune that starts with gentle acoustic guitar and dashes of piano before sprouting into something rather sprawling. It's a song about the infinite possibilities love can provide, capturing both the beauty, depth, and magnitude of love's character. And with the entrance of some triumphant horns in its final chapter, everything sounds all the more wondrous.

DOWNLOAD: CFCF - 'Night Bus II' Mixtape

Over a year ago, Montreal-based DJ and electronic artist CFCF (aka Michael Silver) released a great mixtape entitled Do U Like Night Bus? for free download. It followed up another free mixtape, the smooth, '80s-indebted Slow R&B For Zellers Canada-Wide, and helped to pioneer the Night Bus genre, or feeling. Now, Silver's back with another CFCF mixtape, one that features ASAP Rocky, Oneohtrix Point Never, Fever Ray, Alicia Keys, Notorious BIG, and more. You can download the mixtape below.

LISTEN: The Dears Share "Blood" From New Album Degeneration Street

Montreal indie rock/orchestral rock band The Dears are set to release their new album, Degeneration Street, on February 15, 2011 through Dangerbird Records. The album is the band's fifth overall and the follow-up to 2008's Missiles. Around the time of their last album, core members Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak dealt with a fairly significant line-up change -- I believe at one point, the band was just Lightburn and Yanchak. But with Degeneration Street, it seems as though a number of past members have returned to the band -- all the more encouraging for the success of the record.

And if you needed proof that the band was stronger than ever, check out this epic performance of the expansive, soaring 8-minute "Omega City" from a fairly recent show in Mexico City. This was, apparently, the first time they had ever performed the song live (whoa). Watch out for the guitar solo! The song will be on Degeneration Street.

Definitely watch this with headphones on if you can. It's really well-mixed.

The new album might not be out until next year, but you can hear and download another cut from it right now entitled "Blood" after the hop.