Fun Fun Fun Fest Spotlight: Austra.

Morning!

Today's post comes from my very dear friend Amy, who is like my personal little Pandora.com.  We'll be on a walk, or drinking, or eating, and suddenly she'll cry: "WAIT. TOLLY. Have you heard the new [name of hip band?]"

"Yes?" I'll lie.

"Oh HELL no," says Amy, who can tell when I am lying.

"We are going to listen to [hip band] RIGHT NOW."  

Amy has an astonishing mental library of up-and-coming groups, and I end up adoring everyone she recommends.  Do you have a music-obsessed friend in your life like that?  It's really helpful.  Also, this may or may not be relevant, but Amy owns my second favorite cat in the world, and her name is Babette!  Isn't she darling?  (This is Amy on the right).

Anyway, today I asked Amy to write me a post about Austra, who is playing this weekend at Fun Fun Fun Fest.  

Photo via AustraMusic.com.

She discovered them on a recent trip to Toronto, gave me some of their music, and now I am obsessed too!  So I hope you enjoy them.

here's amy:

Readers, friends, peers and confidants.  Have you ever loved some band, album or silly piece of music to the point of physical exhaustion?  Listened to it with such frequency and intensity that it impedes your sleep?

Recently, this happened to me. And it happened with Torontonian wunderkinds, Austra.

Frontgirl Katie Stelmanis has trained with the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus since age 10 (yes, 10). She has the power-house quality of Florence and the Machine or Bat for Lashes, and coupled with the group's bewitching lyrics, the result is pretty magical. Austra's sound is generally categorized as new wave, but that doesn't mean you'll suffer synth exhaustion listening to them: In the liner notes of their debut album, you'll notice quite the orchestral contribution, from violins, cellos, trombones.  

Photo via Austra Tumblr.

The core trio however includes Katie, lady drummer Maya Potepski, and bassist Dorian Wolf, and it'd be totally cool if I got to be BFF's (i.e. date) all three.

The three-talent, two girl, one boy, lineup reminds me of Austin band Follow that Bird!, and speaking of which: Friends, have you heard about “three” being a symbolically, universally perfect number? For example (from someone far smarter than I):

* The three divisions of time - past, present and future.

* The three persons in grammar - me, myself and I.

* The three kingdoms of matter - animal, vegetable or mineral

And I just made three points, so boo-ya.

Anyway, I think you should really listen to Follow that Bird! And Austra. Even if you don't like the number three.

Where were we? Oh yeah: Music. Let's listen to some! Here are three (!) of my favorite tracks from Feel it Break, Austra's debut album.

That's "Lose It," their main album single.  Here's "Beat and The Pulse" and "Spellwork:"

  

Beat and The Pulse

Spellwork

what did I tell you?

I hope this immensely talented trio dominates your iTunes, and makes you as infinitely happy as it has me! 

Photo via DapperLifestyle.

May Austra stir your passions, and rouse your love for music.

Austra graces our fair city on the blue stage at 4:20pm, this Sunday at Fun Fun Fun Fest.