Over the course of three albums now, Kathleen Edwards has shown she has a way with edgy songs about the hard knocks of the loved and lost. Her 2003 debut Failer appeared from out of nowhere, seemingly ready-made for the down and out who nevertheless insist on coming out swinging. Songs like "One More Song the Radio Won't Like," "Six O'Clock News, " and "Hockey Skates," established Edwards as a writer of songs populated by characters who are at once vulnerable AND not to be messed with. Fast forward five years to her latest, Asking For Flowers, and the writing has become more sophisticated. Socially and politically themed songs like "Alicia Ross" and "Oh Canada" suggest a less inwardly-directed artist, to be sure, while "I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory" addresses a relationship imbalance by referencing Fogerty, Elvis in the 70's, and her old favorite: hockey. Don't let the delicately-themed cover art and album title fool you, though-- Edwards has been known to rock out like Joan Jett on stage, check the occasional AC/DC cover and guitarist Colin Cripps' penchant for wearing MC5 t-shirts for proof. Edwards and her band play the Aladdin Theater on Thursday night. Our advice: don't ask her why no Canadian teams made the Stanley Cup finals yet again this year.
Listen: Kathleen Edwards' opbmusic in-studio session
Elsewhere this week on the Portland-Canada front, Vancouver, B.C.'s own Destroyer (aka Dan Bejar) plays the Aladdin Theater on Friday night. Astoundingly prolific and nearly as obtuse, Bejar released his eighth full-length as Destroyer, Trouble in Dreams, earlier this year on Merge. Oh, but that's not even the half of it-- if you've been keeping score at home you know that Bejar is also one of the major songwriting cogs in the New Pornographers' pop machine, one half of the coyish duo Hello, Blue Roses (along with girlfriend Sidney Vermont), and one-third of the other Canadian super(ish) group Swan Lake. Dude is busy. He brings the Destroyer bit to the Aladdin Theater on Friday night.
MP3: Destroyer, from Trouble in Dreams- "Foam Hands"
Also this week, a double dose of the Mates of State. First they release their fifth album, re-arrange us, Tuesday on Barsuk; then they play Saturday's bill as part of the Memorial Day music festival at Bend's Les Schwab Amphitheater alongside Death Cab for Cutie and The Decemberists. Before The Raveonettes, before The Rosebuds, before Beach House, before The Kills, before Dean & Britta, there was Mates of State-- like Sonny & Cher before them a couple united in love and music. Want to see cute? See the Mates live, it's almost too much cute. Indeed, Kori Gardner (keys, lots and lots of keys) and Jason Hammel (drums) tend to look at each other with the eyes of lovebirds while they belt out their mini manic pop masterpieces, charming even the most hardened of hipsters in the process.
MP3: Mates of State, from re-arrange us- "My Only Offer"
Other new releases this week include efforts from Mason Jennings (In the Ever), Islands (Arm's Way), Scarlet Johnasson (Anywhere I Lay My Head), The French Kicks (Swimming), and Blue Skies for Black Hearts (Serenades & Hand Grenades), among others.
So what are your musical plans for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend? Going to Bend? Sasquatch? The thread is open....
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