Wednesday in Words': The Rural Alberta Advantage-"In the Summertime"

Maybe it's just my mind wandering off looking ahead to the Summer, or maybe it's because I caught a live show from these guys recently and they've been stuck in my head ever since. But in today's 'Wednesday in Words' I wanted to take a closer look at the lyrics to the fantastic track from The Rural Alberta Advantage, "In the Summertime." This song is the closing track to their gorgeous album, Hometowns which got re-released in 2009 after the band signed on board with Saddle Creek. A perfect ending to a perfect album.



The Rural Alberta Advantage- "In The Summertime"
In the summertime,
I don't know if the stars were aligned.
We'd stumble onto something we would like
And I'm afraid I lost the words tonight

And in your summer dress, was holding you
But you were holding less
It's not the words, it's the ones you stress
I love as I love you just don't love me less

And once in a while,
I know our hearts beat of time.
And once in a while,
I know they'll fall back in line.

And in the summertime,
I don't know if the stars were aligned
We'd stumble onto something we would like
And I'm afraid I lost the words tonight

And when we're middle aged,
You tell me I loved you like a renegade
And how I say the things that make you sway.
And mostly I tell you you did the same.

And once in a while,
I know our hearts beat out of time.
And once in a while,
I know they'll fall back in line.

Our love is strong.
Our love is strong.
Our love is strong.
While my heart's still pumping blood.

follow the Rural Alberta Advantage at the raa.com

Burn The Bowery's 20 favorite albums of 2009

It's never an easy task to try and put together a year end best of list, as for myself it's an ever changing thing depending on moods, situations and locales. But I know it's safe to say that throughout the past year these were the albums that I came back to the most, and that left the biggest impressions. Without further rambling here's my 20 favorite albums from 2009.


20. Times New Viking- Born Again Revisited
"No Time, No Hope"
19. We Were Promised Jetpacks- These Four Walls
"Quiet Little Voices"
18. White Rabbits- Percussion Gun
"Percussion Gun"
17. Loney Dear- Dear John
"Airport Surroundings"
16. The Bony King of Nowhere- Alas My Love
"Alas My Love"
15. Sharon Van Etten- Because I Was In Love
"For You"
14. Langhorne Slim- Be Set Free
"I Love You But Goodbye"
13. Old Canes- Feral Harmonic
"Little Bird Courage"
12. Dinosaur Jr.- Farm
"Over It"
11. Noah & the Whale- First Days of Spring
"Blue Skies"

10. There Will Be Fireworks- self titled Brilliant debut from this young Scottish band. At times melancholy, sometimes explosive, but a deeply cinematic disc that can leave you stunned.
"Foreign Thoughts"






9. Dark Was The Night compilation (various artists) I was hesitant to include this one on the list being that it's a compilation disc of various artists, but without a doubt the album was stacked with great songs and amazing artists ranging from Bon Iver and The National, to Yeasayer and Arcade Fire. It was truly one of the albums that I went to the most during the course of the year.
"So Far Around the Bend"- The National


8. Fever Ray- self titled
A dark and bone chilling solo debut for the Knife's, Karin Dreijer Andersson. Full of great tracks, but be sure to watch the accompanying videos for an extra creep factor.
"When I Grow Up"






7. Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix An album that I was admittedly very very slow to come around to, but at more than one friend's urging, one that grew on me more and more with each listen. Contained probably two of this years catchiest singles in 'Lisztomania" and '1901."
"1901"






6. A.A. Bondy- When The Devils Loose One of the great underlooked songwriters out there. Expanded his sound on this sophomore disc with a full band, the result of which is a folk album perfectly made for your next road trip.
"When The Devils Loose"





5. Handsome Furs- Face Control An album that I was very late to the party in getting familiar with, as I got turned onto it late in the year. That said, it was a disc that instantly stood out on it's first listen, sounding as original and fresh as anything I've heard this year, and I haven't been able to put it down since.
"Radio Kalininbrad"




4. Matthew Ryan -Dear Lover If you've missed out on Ryans first 11 albums then you have a lot of catching up to do. On his latest disc he continues the trend of crafting intimate songs with stellar songwriting, something that some of todays music is often missing.
"The Wilderness"




3. Fanfarlo- Reservoir Impressive debut from this UK band led by Swedish frontman, Simon Balthazar. Forget all the Arcade Fire comparisons you might have heard, this band stands out well on their own with this warm and uplifting debut.
"Drowning Men"






2. The Rural Alberta Advantage- Hometowns
Born out of the RAA"s singer/songwriter Nils Edenloff's exodus from Edmonton, Alberta to Toronto in 2003 that not only inspired the band's name but led to the fruit of this passionate and energetic disc. For the percussion work on the album alone it's worthy of a top nod.
"Frank, AB"



1. The Wooden Sky- If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone Hands down my favorite album this year, a gorgeous richly textured LP from start to finish. I fell in love with this disc from the minute I heard the lead single, which also happens to be my favorite track of the year, the moody slow building, "Something Hiding For Us in the Night."
"Something Hiding For Us In the Night"

Pitchfork picks their top 50 albums of 2009

The ever influential Pitchfork just released their top 50 albums list of 2009. The number one was pretty much as expected if you follow their site at all, but the top 10 had a few surprises in the placement. You can check it all out below, and to read the explanations on their choices you can go here.

50 Woods - Songs of Shame
49 Cass McCombs - Catacombs
48 DOOM - Born Like This
47 Zomby - Where Were U in '92?
46 Dan Deacon - Bromst
45 The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come
44 tUnE-yArDs - BiRd-BrAiNs
43 Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
42 A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar
41 Baroness - Blue Record
40 Mos Def - The Ecstatic
39 Jim O'Rourke - The Visitor
38 Major Lazer - Guns Don't Kill People-- Lazers Do
37 The Antlers - Hospice
36 Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
35 jj - jj n° 2
34 Passion Pit - Manners
33 Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue
32 Bear In Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth
31 Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions
30 Röyksopp - Junior
29 Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
28 Micachu and the Shapes - Jewellery
27 Various Artists - 5: Five Years of Hyperdub
26 Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
25 DJ Quik & Kurupt - BlaQKout
24 Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
23 Memory Tapes - Seek Magic
22 Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
21 Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
20 Real Estate - Real Estate
19 The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
18 Atlas Sound - Logos
17 The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa
16 Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light
15 Japandroids - Post-Nothing
14 Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms
13 St. Vincent - Actor
12 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
11 Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
10 Girls - Album
09 Fever Ray - Fever Ray
08 Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
07 Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
06 Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
05 Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx... Pt. II
04 The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
03 The xx - The xx
02 Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
01 Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Spin's Top 40 of 2009

It's everybody's favorite time of year again, when all the music magazines, blog's and other sites put their two cents in and compile their best of the year lists. Here's Spin magazine's take on the year in music.

40 Kiss - Sonic Boom
39 Wilco - Wilco (Wilco The Album
38 Rick Ross - Deeper Than Rap
37 Gallows - Grey Britain
36 Brakesbrakesbrakes - Touchdown
35 Miike Snow - Miike Snow
34 Mariachi El Bronx - Mariachi El Bronx
33 The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
32 U2 - No Line On The Horizon
31 Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
30 Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young
29 Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
28 The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
27 Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications
26 The Mountain Goats - The Life Of The World To Come
25 The Big Pink - A Brief History Of Love
24 Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg
23 St. Vincent - Actor
22 Tegan And Sara - Sainthood
21 Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II
20 Paramore - Brand New Eyes
19 Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
18 Antony And The Johnsons - The Crying Light
17 Mastodon - Crack The Skye
16 Japandroids - Post-Nothing
15 Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
14 Amadou & Mariam - Welcome To Mali
13 Jay Reatard - Watch Me Fall
12 Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
11 Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Summer Of Fear
10 The Dead Weather - Horehound
09 Drake - So Far Gone
08 Florence And The Machine - Lungs
07 Mos Def - The Ecstatic
06 Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
05 Girls - Album
04 Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
03 Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
02 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
01 Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

And you can read all the accompanying statements on each here.