Joel Plaskett and You

This week's video features Canadian Indie rocker Joel Plaskett. I've been listening to him and his band (The Joel Plaskett Emergency) pretty intensely for the last year. I still remember the night I first listened to him.

It was quite early in the morning (around 2 or 3 AM) and I happened to come across one of those rare occasions when you actually catch music videos on Much Music. The whole occasion was one serendipitous moment because I quite clearly recall thinking earlier that day that I hadn't seen any decent new music videos in a while. So as I was watching away, Fashionable People by Joel Plaskett came on and I was hooked! What a fantastic music

video and catchy tune! The clever lyrics, the infectious beats, the simplistic yet ingenious video all combined to make one unforgettable song. I immediately went out to pick up the song's album Ashtray Rock which turned out to be full of real gems.

image courtesy of Maple Music

Being that it's a concept album it has something of a story arc, and I personally prefer the front half of album to the latter, but make no mistake, the whole album rocks from start to finish.

I really should have hotlinked Fashionable People on the weekly video rather than Come On Teacher, but that would have made too much sense for me to even consider doing. Come on Teacher is from his 2006 album 'Make a Little Noise.'

Plaskett definitely has a style all his own and for the most part is completely unlike anyone else I've heard. Billboard.com lists Wilco and Anders Barker as similar artists; Wilco is somewhat understandable, especially when compared to an Album like La De Da, but Wilco and I aren't good friends, I don't care much for their music either. Anders Barker is completely unknown to me, so some research on the topic will have to be done.

As I was browsing around comments on Youtube about him I noticed that somebody mentioned he reminded them of Franz Ferdinand. Well, as far as tall skinny guitarists go, I can see where that comes from, but last time I checked being tall and skinny does not a good musician make.

Anyway, be sure to check him out, albums Ashtray Rock and La De Da are a great place to start; particularily La De Da, it gives a good spread of what Joel Plaskett can do, and comes with a bonus disc with 3 of his other popular tunes.

PS. I'd give my left nut to see him play live.

Video of the Week:

Joel Plaskett Emergency 

Come On

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f9I2Pl0MUM