November 19, 2009
- Patrick thought that the title "Living The Dream" was asking for trouble. Turns out it is the title of Miley Cyrus' bio.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sloan Facts
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Detroit Hot Dog Walk (continued)
Detroit Hot Dog Walk part 3 - Lafayette Coney Island hot dog guy - uploaded on November 28, 2009:
--this SlnVdOfThDy was shared on Twitter via @Sloanmusic on the date above it
--this SlnVdOfThDy was shared on Twitter via @Sloanmusic on the date above it
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Detroit Hot Dog Walk
Detroit Hot Dog Walk part 1 - uploaded on November 28, 2009:
Detroit Hot Dog Walk part 2 - uploaded on November 28, 2009:
--these SlnVdOfThDy videos were shared on Twitter via @Sloanmusic on the date above it
Detroit Hot Dog Walk part 2 - uploaded on November 28, 2009:
--these SlnVdOfThDy videos were shared on Twitter via @Sloanmusic on the date above it
Friday, November 27, 2009
RIFFS: Sloan’s ‘Hit & Run’
--taken from: The Washington Times
by Andrew Leahey
Those who still subscribe to the old adage that “too many cooks spoil the broth” haven’t been to Sloan’s kitchen. For nearly 20 years, the band has cooked up some of Canada’s most memorable pop songs, and it has done so with four songwriters clamoring around the pot.
“That’s our dynamic,” admits Jay Ferguson, whose band duties run the gamut from songwriter to rhythm guitarist to intermittent bassist. “I’m still the worst drummer in the band, but that’s the fun part about being in Sloan. The whole weight of the band is equally shared, and we all get to play multiple roles. I can’t imagine being in a band when you’re just the bass player and you never sing. Adam Clayton — I don’t know how he does it!”
Sloan’s members now live in Toronto, where they operate their own studio and rehearsal space. Being in close proximity enables the group to continue releasing albums at a steady clip, issuing approximately one studio record every two years. On the other hand, working together has never been a big priority for Sloan.
“We’ve made very few records where we all play at the same time,” Mr. Ferguson explains. “Our band is sort of backwards. We usually work on our own or in small couples, and sometimes one person will play most of the instruments on a song. Once a record has been made, everybody has to sit down and learn how to play it before we tour.”
Harmony and pop-influenced melody are mainstays of Sloan’s sound. They hold the band together, ensuring that Sloan maintains some sense of cohesion despite its four active songwriters. Like any band with multiple contributors — particularly the Beatles, to whom Sloan is often (not unjustly) compared — the band has covered a wide swath of ground, even issuing an expansive double album in 2006.
Lately, though, the band has narrowed its focus. Released earlier this month, the “Hit & Run” EP is just five songs long. Its title ostensibly refers to a recent accident in which Sloan co-founder Chris Murphy was hit by a car (he has since recovered), but the disc also hints at a new direction for the band.
“Hit & Run” was created to coincide with the opening of an online store on Sloan’s Web site, a virtual marketplace where fans can purchase digital copies of the band’s catalog. Faced with an injured band mate and a number of touring commitments, Sloan decided that recording an EP was more appropriate than creating an entire album. Upon its completion, they realized that such projects definitely have their merits.
“Having an online store really frees you up,” Mr. Ferguson explains. “You can go record something, mix it the next day and put it online by the weekend. You’re not tied up by manufacturing times, delivery times and distribution times, which generally weigh you down in the recording business. It’s just fun and very immediate.”
As for the title itself — it’s growing on him. “At first, I didn’t want it to be referring to the accident,” he says of “Hit & Run.” “I was there, and it was pretty frightening. But then I realized it sounded like some generic Stones song from the mid-‘80s — something off of ‘Undercover’ or ‘Dirty Work,’ where all the songs have names like ‘Hittin’ Hard’ or ‘Kick to the Curb’ or ‘Fight!’”
Laughing, he adds, “We also found a really nice ampersand to use on the title. So I couldn’t say no.”
--taken from: The Washington Times
by Andrew Leahey
Those who still subscribe to the old adage that “too many cooks spoil the broth” haven’t been to Sloan’s kitchen. For nearly 20 years, the band has cooked up some of Canada’s most memorable pop songs, and it has done so with four songwriters clamoring around the pot.
“That’s our dynamic,” admits Jay Ferguson, whose band duties run the gamut from songwriter to rhythm guitarist to intermittent bassist. “I’m still the worst drummer in the band, but that’s the fun part about being in Sloan. The whole weight of the band is equally shared, and we all get to play multiple roles. I can’t imagine being in a band when you’re just the bass player and you never sing. Adam Clayton — I don’t know how he does it!”
Sloan’s members now live in Toronto, where they operate their own studio and rehearsal space. Being in close proximity enables the group to continue releasing albums at a steady clip, issuing approximately one studio record every two years. On the other hand, working together has never been a big priority for Sloan.
“We’ve made very few records where we all play at the same time,” Mr. Ferguson explains. “Our band is sort of backwards. We usually work on our own or in small couples, and sometimes one person will play most of the instruments on a song. Once a record has been made, everybody has to sit down and learn how to play it before we tour.”
Harmony and pop-influenced melody are mainstays of Sloan’s sound. They hold the band together, ensuring that Sloan maintains some sense of cohesion despite its four active songwriters. Like any band with multiple contributors — particularly the Beatles, to whom Sloan is often (not unjustly) compared — the band has covered a wide swath of ground, even issuing an expansive double album in 2006.
Lately, though, the band has narrowed its focus. Released earlier this month, the “Hit & Run” EP is just five songs long. Its title ostensibly refers to a recent accident in which Sloan co-founder Chris Murphy was hit by a car (he has since recovered), but the disc also hints at a new direction for the band.
“Hit & Run” was created to coincide with the opening of an online store on Sloan’s Web site, a virtual marketplace where fans can purchase digital copies of the band’s catalog. Faced with an injured band mate and a number of touring commitments, Sloan decided that recording an EP was more appropriate than creating an entire album. Upon its completion, they realized that such projects definitely have their merits.
“Having an online store really frees you up,” Mr. Ferguson explains. “You can go record something, mix it the next day and put it online by the weekend. You’re not tied up by manufacturing times, delivery times and distribution times, which generally weigh you down in the recording business. It’s just fun and very immediate.”
As for the title itself — it’s growing on him. “At first, I didn’t want it to be referring to the accident,” he says of “Hit & Run.” “I was there, and it was pretty frightening. But then I realized it sounded like some generic Stones song from the mid-‘80s — something off of ‘Undercover’ or ‘Dirty Work,’ where all the songs have names like ‘Hittin’ Hard’ or ‘Kick to the Curb’ or ‘Fight!’”
Laughing, he adds, “We also found a really nice ampersand to use on the title. So I couldn’t say no.”
--taken from: The Washington Times
Vancouver Pop Maestro Jay Arner Drops Solo EP Featuring Sloan's Jay Ferguson and Japandroids' David Prowse
--taken from: Exclaim! (listen to the song here)
by Josiah Hughes
As a producer, songwriter and multi-tasking musician, Vancouver's Jay Arner has kept restless with innumerable projects, from the indie pop of International Falls and the Poison Dart to the icy synth anthems of his current band, Fine Mist. He's also managed to sneak in a few solo releases as well, from tongue-in-cheek remixes to fully formed songs. Now, Arner is set to drop a brand new solo EP called Bird of Prey.
In an interview with Exclaim!, Arner discussed the four-track offering, explaining how he how found time to write more solo songs amongst his increasingly busy schedule. "They're just songs I've written since the last EP [2008's Jay Division]. I'm making music non-stop, but most of it went to Fine Mist this year," he says. "Bird of Prey is the loose songs. They're about the desire to start over and live simply, dread, summer and fall 2009, and feeling shallow because you wish you knew your friends better. In that order."
While the songs were written, played and recorded by Arner, he did manage to sneak in a few guests. Because he couldn't record drums at home, he sampled individual drum sounds from Japandroids' drummer David Prowse and formed them into beats featured throughout the EP.
"It sounds great, but at the same time, it's like a conceptual sampling joke: getting a 'cool drummer' on your song but stripping all his style from it," Arner says.
He also managed to lock down an appearance from Sloan's Jay Ferguson, who lends his vocal cords to the track "Uncoverers." For Arner, working with Ferguson was an important rite of passage.
"I started playing music right when Sloan was getting going, so Jay is very much a formative influence - not just musically but in a DIY way too," he explains. "People have always compared my songs to Jay's; when I was younger I would get defensive about it, being like, 'No way man, I listen to Can 100 percent of the time.' That's a lame way to be. I'm a bit less insecure now, so no duh Can is awesome, but so is Jay's band. It's weird and great to hear us singing together and we sound beautiful."
In terms of a release for the EP, Arner plans to go the self-release route and put out the album via his website. "This is going to be free and digital and I'm going to release it, like, right now, as soon as it's mastered," he explains. "A lot of my favourite things were done similarly this year so I feel like I'm in good company - R. Kelly, Lil Wayne, Drake, me?"
--taken from: Exclaim! (listen to the song here)
by Josiah Hughes
As a producer, songwriter and multi-tasking musician, Vancouver's Jay Arner has kept restless with innumerable projects, from the indie pop of International Falls and the Poison Dart to the icy synth anthems of his current band, Fine Mist. He's also managed to sneak in a few solo releases as well, from tongue-in-cheek remixes to fully formed songs. Now, Arner is set to drop a brand new solo EP called Bird of Prey.
In an interview with Exclaim!, Arner discussed the four-track offering, explaining how he how found time to write more solo songs amongst his increasingly busy schedule. "They're just songs I've written since the last EP [2008's Jay Division]. I'm making music non-stop, but most of it went to Fine Mist this year," he says. "Bird of Prey is the loose songs. They're about the desire to start over and live simply, dread, summer and fall 2009, and feeling shallow because you wish you knew your friends better. In that order."
While the songs were written, played and recorded by Arner, he did manage to sneak in a few guests. Because he couldn't record drums at home, he sampled individual drum sounds from Japandroids' drummer David Prowse and formed them into beats featured throughout the EP.
"It sounds great, but at the same time, it's like a conceptual sampling joke: getting a 'cool drummer' on your song but stripping all his style from it," Arner says.
He also managed to lock down an appearance from Sloan's Jay Ferguson, who lends his vocal cords to the track "Uncoverers." For Arner, working with Ferguson was an important rite of passage.
"I started playing music right when Sloan was getting going, so Jay is very much a formative influence - not just musically but in a DIY way too," he explains. "People have always compared my songs to Jay's; when I was younger I would get defensive about it, being like, 'No way man, I listen to Can 100 percent of the time.' That's a lame way to be. I'm a bit less insecure now, so no duh Can is awesome, but so is Jay's band. It's weird and great to hear us singing together and we sound beautiful."
In terms of a release for the EP, Arner plans to go the self-release route and put out the album via his website. "This is going to be free and digital and I'm going to release it, like, right now, as soon as it's mastered," he explains. "A lot of my favourite things were done similarly this year so I feel like I'm in good company - R. Kelly, Lil Wayne, Drake, me?"
--taken from: Exclaim! (listen to the song here)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sloan “Hit and Run” EP Out Today!
--taken from: Green Shoelace
by Melissa Nastasi
The Canadian Godfathers of indie pop, Sloan, are back at it again to provide you with some sugary tunes. Today the band has just released via their official website their newest EP titled Hit and Run (Murderecords). The name is pretty self explanatory, as singer/bass player/sometimes drummer Chris Murphy was involved in a hit and run this summer when a car plowed into him crossing the street in Canada. This is a surprising yet clever title to the record.
One of the most interesting things about Sloan is the fact that they switch instruments and vocals. This creates the ultimate diversity within the band, but somehow they seem to bring it all together. The album starts off with the “Take it Upon Yourself,” which is a Murphy penned song that begins with the classic Sloan keyboard sound and handclaps that automatically want to make you dance around the room. This is a great way to start off the record. For the track “Midnight Mass,” Jay Ferguson takes over lead duties as his voice croons over the piano. The rest of the band comes in filling the song with stellar harmonies that also add a 60’s nostalgia feel. Patrick Pentland heads to the front for the track “It Is Never,” which is filled with sonic guitar sounds and brilliant melodies that he always successfully brings to the table. Murphy returns with another song in tow, “Oh Dear Diary,” which at first glance of the title has the potential to be foolish, but turns out to be a sincere song which brings a bit of old school Sloan back into the mix. With the mixture of voices, piano and the retro sounding drums this is one track that will be stuck in your head for days. Andrew Scott comes from behind the drum kit to take on “Where Are You Now?” which is perhaps his strongest song since the band released Between the Bridges in the late 90s. Infectious guitar riffs fill the song with Scott’s strong voice prominant in the song. Hit and Run takes on a life of it’s own and proves that Sloan shows no signs of slowing down.
Sloan is also embarking on a short North American tour in support of the EP that starts on Saturday. Check out the dates below and come back to Greenshoelace.com for coverage of their show in Brooklyn next week!
--taken from: Green Shoelace
by Melissa Nastasi
The Canadian Godfathers of indie pop, Sloan, are back at it again to provide you with some sugary tunes. Today the band has just released via their official website their newest EP titled Hit and Run (Murderecords). The name is pretty self explanatory, as singer/bass player/sometimes drummer Chris Murphy was involved in a hit and run this summer when a car plowed into him crossing the street in Canada. This is a surprising yet clever title to the record.
One of the most interesting things about Sloan is the fact that they switch instruments and vocals. This creates the ultimate diversity within the band, but somehow they seem to bring it all together. The album starts off with the “Take it Upon Yourself,” which is a Murphy penned song that begins with the classic Sloan keyboard sound and handclaps that automatically want to make you dance around the room. This is a great way to start off the record. For the track “Midnight Mass,” Jay Ferguson takes over lead duties as his voice croons over the piano. The rest of the band comes in filling the song with stellar harmonies that also add a 60’s nostalgia feel. Patrick Pentland heads to the front for the track “It Is Never,” which is filled with sonic guitar sounds and brilliant melodies that he always successfully brings to the table. Murphy returns with another song in tow, “Oh Dear Diary,” which at first glance of the title has the potential to be foolish, but turns out to be a sincere song which brings a bit of old school Sloan back into the mix. With the mixture of voices, piano and the retro sounding drums this is one track that will be stuck in your head for days. Andrew Scott comes from behind the drum kit to take on “Where Are You Now?” which is perhaps his strongest song since the band released Between the Bridges in the late 90s. Infectious guitar riffs fill the song with Scott’s strong voice prominant in the song. Hit and Run takes on a life of it’s own and proves that Sloan shows no signs of slowing down.
Sloan is also embarking on a short North American tour in support of the EP that starts on Saturday. Check out the dates below and come back to Greenshoelace.com for coverage of their show in Brooklyn next week!
--taken from: Green Shoelace
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sloan's new Hit & Run EP for sale, launches new Music Store NOW
--taken from: Sloan Music's Facebook
Sloan's new five-song Hit & Run EP is available now on our brand new online music store & archive at www.sloanmusic.com. You can listen to all of the new songs online, add the EP player to your own website, or buy your choice of high-quality, digital files for only $3.99. Hit & Run features a digital booklet with all of the lyrics & original artwork.
The EP cover & booklet were created from one of a kind hand-screened shirts designed by Sloan. We will be giving away the original t-shirts as prizes to some of our lucky fans who purchase the EP during the first week of sale. Each day we will draw one lucky winner from the day's sales to receive one of the original screen-printed shirts.
Welcome to the new Sloan music archive & store! Enjoy the EP, & we hope to see you at a concert soon.
Team Sloan
--taken from: Sloan Music's Facebook
Sloan's new five-song Hit & Run EP is available now on our brand new online music store & archive at www.sloanmusic.com. You can listen to all of the new songs online, add the EP player to your own website, or buy your choice of high-quality, digital files for only $3.99. Hit & Run features a digital booklet with all of the lyrics & original artwork.
The EP cover & booklet were created from one of a kind hand-screened shirts designed by Sloan. We will be giving away the original t-shirts as prizes to some of our lucky fans who purchase the EP during the first week of sale. Each day we will draw one lucky winner from the day's sales to receive one of the original screen-printed shirts.
Welcome to the new Sloan music archive & store! Enjoy the EP, & we hope to see you at a concert soon.
Team Sloan
--taken from: Sloan Music's Facebook
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Moby Dick @ The Rivoli
Andrew Scott of The Bicycles and Andrew Scott of Sloan
--taken from: Tunes In TO (see here for more pictures)
--taken from: Tunes In TO (see here for more pictures)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I Am The Cancer cover
I Am The Cancer (German fan cover) - uploaded on November 8, 2009:
--this SlnVdOfThDy was shared on Twitter via @Sloanmusic on the date above it
--this SlnVdOfThDy was shared on Twitter via @Sloanmusic on the date above it
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Underwhelmed cover
Underwhelmed (clip of fan cover) - uploaded on February 16, 2007:
--this SlnVdOfThDy was shared on Twitter via @Sloanmusic on the date above it
--this SlnVdOfThDy was shared on Twitter via @Sloanmusic on the date above it
Monday, November 2, 2009
Everybody Wants You
Chris dances to Everybody Wants You @ "Times Square, NYC" - uploaded on June 15, 2007:
--this SlnVdOfThDy was shared on Twitter via @Sloanmusic on the date above it
--this SlnVdOfThDy was shared on Twitter via @Sloanmusic on the date above it
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