My Unconnected Recent Faves - Shout out Louds, Hold Steady, Jason and the Scorchers, JP Hoe, Scott Hinkson, The Shins, Ryan Dahle...and more

Illustration by Gustaf

Shout Out Louds continue to send sublime pop from Sweden. The Cure meets Billy Joel maybe? I haven't found a lot to get excited about lately, but I wouldn't mind if this band became as a popular as ABBA.

Shout Out Louds - Show Me Something New from Merge Records on Vimeo.

The Shins would like to give you their cover of Squeeze's Goodbye Girl, and it's good good good. Go here.



The Shins aren't doing much lately, but mainman James Mercer is doing all right with Broken Bells.



The Hold Steady do The Sweet Part of the City, which seems like a southern rock ballad to me...and I like it.



Winnipeg's Scott Hinkson has decided to hand over the digital keys for his entire album The Torrent Sessions, at least for a short period of time. Go here to grab it before it's gone.



Scott Hinkson-A Miracle Complete by scruffy the yak

Ryan Dahle's video for Agoraphobe. I think this guy is amazing, please give him a listen.


Find more videos like this on R Y A N D A H L E


Nada Surf, you gotta love 'em, here's their cover of Electrocution followed by the original.



Bill Fox - Electrocution



The original, record label-approved video for Jason & the Scorchers's White Lies is a prime example of why the 80s are called cheesy, go here if you want to see it. This Chinatown-White Lies mash-up is more interesting, but it's really the song I adore. Recently the genius at Music Ruined My Life posted some cool live Scorchers you can grab, and the band's brilliance is lighting up my days once more.

Jason & the Scorchers - White Lies



One of my favourite tunes by Peg City's JP Hoe. Featuring the nimble Rob Pachol (with last post's Telepathic Butterflies and Sanfordand songs, that makes 3 plugs for Satch in a week - does he have to be so ubiquitous? When's the solo record arriving?). Hoe is working on his new album, which I gather will come out with a live album he recently recorded.



I missed the Hank III show the other night, sold out before I snagged a ticket. But I do think he's one of the most intriguing characters out there, pure country one sec, balls-out metal the next, or raging punk. Can anyone else do that? Anyone want to?



I think my next post will be my 100th. Any ideas about how I might commemorate/celebrate/desecrate that Scruffy the Yak birthday? Please leave a comment below.