Sam Roberts Band Drops "Latitude", Featuring Lizzie Powell of Land Of Talk

We don't know a ton about Sam Roberts Band, but apparently they're quite the to-do in Quebec, and we really should be better educated. That being said, we do know that we love us some Land Of Talk. So, when it came to our attention that Lizzie Powell had decided to lend vocals to a track from the band's new record Collider, we decided to check it out.

In our minds, Lizzie can do no wrong, so we weren't exactly surprised when "Longitude" turned out to be a killer rock track, not so far divorced from Land of Talk or Broken Social Scene. Driven by a straight ahead drum beat, the track is a duet through and through, with nice atmospheric layering of synths underpinning a classic guitar rock sound.

The track (which you can check below) is pretty damn engaging, enough so that we're psyched to hear what the rest of the record has to offer. What's more, the band is on tour, and will be making national stops over the next couple of weeks. We may just have to see just want those Canadians are so damned excited about.

Sam Roberts Band Summer 2011 Dates
May 16th Rock N Roll Hotel Washington DC
May 18th Bowery Ballroom New York City, NY
May 20th Brighton Hall Boston, MA
May 24th The Troubadour Los Angeles, CA
May 25th The Independent San Francisco, CA
May 26th Mississippi Studios Portland OR
May 28th Malkin Bowl Vancouver BC
May 29th Sasquatch! Festival The Gorge OR
June 3rd Massey Hall Toronto ON
June 4th Massey Hall Toronto ON
June 6th First Ave Minneapolis MN
June 7th Lincoln Hall Chicago IL
June 8th St. Andrew's Hall Detroit, MI

mp3: Sam Roberts Band (feat. Lizzie Powell) - Longitude

Land Of Talk and Suuns Played Bowery - Pictures, Review, Video

On Saturday night, we swung into a (justifiably) packed Bowery Ballroom, and caught Suuns and Land Of Talk delivering a completely fantastic night of rock and roll. It's hard to convey the visceral, frenetic nature of the awesomeness the show brought forth, but suffice it to say that both bands are nearing (if not at) the top of their game. Unquestionably, there are a lot of rock shows to see these days, but if you miss this one, you're doing yourself a real disservice.

Suuns (apparently pronounced "soons") opened the show with a set that was unquestionably tighter than when we saw them last in San Francisco. Maybe it's because they've been moved up to the number two spot, or maybe it's just that the road has done good things for their chops. Regardless, the band have really tightened up their live sound, and the crowd responded in kind.

The set was loaded with fantastic noise rock, most notably reminiscent of Sonic Youth at moments. Still, the band has a sound that is certainly their own, and it only solidified when they added some extras to the mix. First a bari sax player joined the band and positively killed it. Shortly thereafter, Lizzie Powell joined the band on bass for their last tune.

Clearly, we enjoyed Suuns set. But even more than that, we'll tell you this: if crowd reaction was any indicator, these guys will be headlining their own tour in the very near future. Their sound is accessible but edgy, and their live show is killer. Definitely a win on all fronts.

When Lizzie Powell took the stage around 11, she had changed from her more casual onstage garb with Suuns into a notably dressier white lace getup. She quickly informed the crowd that she had gotten dressed up "just for New York" because she gets so much damn love in the city. And she was right: the room is one of the biggest the band are playing on the tour, and it was packed with fervent admirers.

The rest of Land Of Talk soon took the stage, and revealed themselves to be half made up of Suuns members, which was definitely not a bad thing. Apparently taking a cue from her Broken Social Scene compadres, Lizzie Powell is rapidly expanding the band's live lineup, and Saturday night saw 6 musicians on stage. The result was a lineup that was tightly knit, but sonically diverse.

What followed was a rock show of epic proportions: The band delivered on every track they played, and more. The setlist was a solid mix of new and old material, ranging across Applause Cheer Boo Hiss, all the way to the band's latest Cloak and Cypher. Despite the fact that the records can at times be divergent from each other, the live context gave them a cohesive underpinning that solidified Powell's talent as a songwriter.

Powell was clearly dumbfounded by the size of the crowd and the unbridled enthusiasm. Every song was met with a wave of cheers, and as a result, the band got more and more into the tunes. It would be hard to call what Land Of Talk does "jamming", because it's far more concise and tightly wound than anything in that category. The band's onstage presence is simply one of musical rapport, where all the players are on the same page, and delivering in turn.

At the heart of this, of course, is Powell. On stage she is an exploding ball of energy, dancing, singing, laughing, and clearly in love with playing her music. More importantly, she is the musical core of the band, and acts as the center upon which all the other musicians build. Once that occurs, all bets are off: the other five are quite simply on top of their game, and allow the band to collectively take a creative leap in the live setting that is unparalleled.

In closing, it's always difficult to take in a rock show and put it into words. But in the case of Land Of Talk, it's particularly tough. So much of their onstage presence and excitement is based around an energy release that can only be characterized as magical. While it doesn't completely prove anything, we did snag a video that we think does a pretty good job. The band closed with "It's Okay", and we caught it in its entirety (below). We'd encourage you to watch the whole thing, full screen. But if you can't put aside 7 minutes for rock and roll, at least skip to 4:30. That's when shit gets real.

Many more photos in the HAD Archive

Land Of Talk Played The Independent - Pictures, Review

Last Thursday night we managed to stop by the Independent, and catch a set from a band who never cease to amaze us in every incarnation: Land Of Talk. With two solid openers, and a set that pulled from their latest (fantastic) record Cloak and Cipher, the band delivered a set that was fiercely representative of the tightly intricate rock combo that Lizzie Powell has managed to form around her songwriting.

First opener Suuns started out strong, but ultimately wound up putting a little too much emphasis on an empty drone vibe. We love a good droney rock band as much as the next guy, but by the second half of their set, the band seemed to have exhausted their capabilities to make the drone matter. Still, we wouldn't write them off just yet. They're pretty musically fearless, and definitely one to keep an eye on.

Besnard Lakes followed with a set of dark, psychedelic rock that we really dug. The band has a live presence that's unquestionably killer. Combine that with the fact that their songwriting is an inventive combination of Brian Wilson harmonies and heavy guitars, and you have yourself a damn enjoyable music experience.

When Land of Talk took to the stage we were seriously excited. The band's latest record is a bulletproof wave of awesome rock and roll, and really seems ideally suited for the live environment. Knowing full well just how solid Lizzie Powell is in a live environment, we were expecting a lot, and we were not disappointed.

It's worth noting that Lizzie's not the sole face of Land Of Talk - the rest of the band is a rock solid foundation. Its allows for the eccentricity and awesomeness of Powell's guitar playing to effortlessly ride above the rest of the instrumentation as the songs move effortlessly forward.

And really, it was effortless: The band is such a tightly integrated unit that they managed to create a monumentous wall of sound that was one of the finest things we've heard in a very long time. It felt almost impossible that they were actually generating all the noise being created on stage, and the realization that they were made it all that much more enjoyable. The set was further augmented by the (eventually comically) recurring backup vocals from Besnard Lakes frontman Jace Lasek.

In short, Land Of Talk is in the prime of when a band is "must see": touring for an awesome album, with a well coordinated group of band members, in medium size rooms. It's seriously the optimal time for checking them out, and we couldn't encourage you to do so more strongly. Lizzie Powell is serious about bringing you the rock and roll, and you'd damn well better be ready for it.

Land Of Talk are at Bowery Ballroom November 6th

Photos By Brian Fong

Many more photos at the HAD Archive

Land Of Talk Drops Tracks, Tour Dates, Commentary For New Record

We've been digging on Land Of Talk for quite some time, so when news came around that they had a new record on tap, we waited with bated breath to get a listen to Cloak And Cipher. Luckily for us, the wait wasn't very long, and the band dropped the cover art (above) and started posting a few tastes of the record for free download online.

The first free track, "Swift Coin", does a masterful job of combining the blazing guitars of the band's first EP with the killer melodies of their full length Some Lakes. The last minute of the song is one of the fiercest moments of guitaring that we've heard in quite a while. The second, "Quarry Hymns", is slightly more subtle, relying more heavily on Lizzie Powell's vocals. It does so to great success, and the simple rolling lilt of the instrumentals serves as the ideal backdrop to her cracklingly lovely pipes.

But wait - theres's more! In the wake of the record leaking, Powell sat down with the folks at The Ampersand, let them stream the entire record, and gave her thoughts on each track. We'll be completely frank with you: the two tracks mentioned above are only the tip of the iceberg. This is the best record we've heard from the band yet, and reading Powell's insights on the tracks only makes it better.

We wouldn't think our Land Of Talk love could get much bigger, but then we realized we're going to get to see all these songs live! The band is mounting a North American tour for the fall, and they'll be stopping just about anywhere that your heart might desire. We'll say this: we've told you we love the band live before, but with this new batch of songs, we're thinking it may be a whole new ballgame. You'll be kicking yourself if you miss out.

Land Of Talk Fall 2010 Dates

Sep 16 Lee's Palace Toronto, ON, ., CANADA

Sep 19 Beachland Tavern CLEVELAND, OH
Sep 21 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
Sep 22 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
Sep 23 Slowdown Front Room Omaha, NE
Sep 25 LARIMER LOUNGE Denver, CO
Sep 26 Kilby Court Salt Lake City, UT
Sep 29 Starlite Room Edmonton, AB, ., CANADA
Sep 30 Dicken's Pub Calgary, AB, ., CANADA
Oct 2 Lucky Bar Victoria, BC, ., CANADA
Oct 3 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC, ., CANADA
Oct 4 Crocodile Seattle, WA
Oct 5 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
Oct 7 Independent San Francisco, CA
Oct 8 Culture Collide Festival - Echo Plex Los Angeles, CA
Oct 9 Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, CA
Oct 10 Casbah San Diego, CA
Oct 12 The Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ
Oct 15 The Parish Austin, TX
Oct 16 The Nightmare Dallas, TX
Nov 2 Space Gallery Portland, ME
Nov 3 TT The Bear's Boston, MA
Nov 5 Johnny Brendas Philadelphia, PA
Nov 6 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
Nov 7 The Rock and Roll Hotel Washington, DC
Nov 9 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
Nov 10 The Earl Atlanta, GA
Nov 11 The End Nashville, TN
Nov 18 Cabaret du Mile End Montreal, Quebec, CANADA

mp3: Land Of Talk - Swift Coin

mp3: Land Of Talk - Quarry Hymns

stream: Land Of Talk - Cloak And Cipher

Land Of Talk Headlining At Bowery In November, New Video

Land of Talk at Mercury Lounge, from the HAD Archive

Kids, never say we didn't warn you: Land Of Talk are straight blowing up. The band keeps playing bigger rooms every time they're in New York, and this fall is no exception. They'll be the sole headliner at The Bowery Ballroom on November 6th, and we sure as hell recommend you make yourself present and accounted for.

Not only to Lizzie Powell & Co. have some amazing records, but they also deliver a live set that will completely blow you away. Clearly this is something that the world at large is becoming aware of, and the show is sure to be mobbed. No word on when tickets go on sale, so keep an eye out.

In the meantime, enjoy the sweet vid of the band playing a killer version of "Some Are Lakes" from our friends over at yourstru.ly.

Land Of Talk Coming To Bowery In May

Land Of Talk at Mercury Lounge, from the HAD Archive

You may recall how stoked we were at Land Of Talk's sold out show at the Mercury Lounge back in November. Well, apparently we weren't alone: the band will be back at the end of May (the 28th to be exact) to play a double bill with The Besnard Lakes at Bowery Ballroom. Granted, it's a bigger room, but we're pretty confident they'll do a damn good job at filling it.

Tickets are on-sale now.

Land Of Talk and Surprise Me Mr. Davis Played Mercury Lounge - Pictures, Review

On Saturday night, HAD stopped in at Mercury Lounge to catch a show that was so well attended it could have qualified as a double bill. Granted, the sell-out crowd was targeted soundly at Land Of Talk's return to New York City, but that didn't mean that openers Surprise Me Mr. Davis didn't manage to draw in quite the crowd of their own as well. In short: it was a packed night at the Mercury Lounge, and with good reason.

Surprise Me Mr. Davis delivered a set that both opened and closed with some killer a capella tunes. However, that unique facet was just one of the many that filled the set, which traversed genres of American music in a way that was so rapid that it was almost tough to follow. The band had tunes that ranged from dirge-y folk, to pop songs, to soulful ballads. In short, just about anything you could ask for.

Delving into such a diverse set could have it's downsides, with the potential to come off painfully wedding band-ish. Luckily for Surprise Me Mr. Davis, this was resoundingly not the case: the band not only has obscenely proficient technical chops, but they also have an energy and charisma that completely won over the crowd. Had we not known that Land Of Talk was on deck, we could have been easily fooled into thinking these guys were the headliners. In short: see them live, you'll thank us for it.

Land Of Talk took to the stage as a four piece, but the change was only momentary: within one song they were at their typical three piece lineup to deliver a killer set. Over the course of the next hour or so, the band delivered almost the full breadth of their catalog without a single lag in energy. The band was playing to a crowd that was clearly enthralled, and many of the tracks from their full length LP were even more energetic than on record.

Much of that energy was rooted in the fact that the band creates an extremely vital live sound. Between Liz Powell's electric guitar work, and a completely solid lock in between the bass and drums, the band was ended up far bigger than you might typically expect from a trio. This visceral feel played out extremely well on the tracks from the band's first EP, which lends itself even more readily to a locked in rock show.

Despite the band's clear ability to rock out, the show was not without its tender moments. Powell's vocals are unquestionably beautiful, and the band wisely showed the restraint to let them come rise to the top when needed. Those moments served not only to illustrate the band's dynamics, but also the breadth of the songwriting involved. In short, by any measure, be it performance, virtuosity, songwriting, or crowd enthusiasm, a Land Of Talk live show is a do-not-miss event. While we'll certainly be there next time, we're guessing it's going to be in a much larger room.

Setlist
Many more pictures at the HAD Archive
mp3: Land Of Talk - Troubled
Stream: Surprise Me Mr. Davis - Demo EP

Land Of Talk Delivers New Videos On Eve Of Fall Tour

We'd already mentioned that Land Of Talk had managed to line up a bi-coastal tour and a new EP for the fall. Well now it looks as though they're getting even more gears going by dropping videos for a pair of tracks off of last year's Some Are Lakes. In the past two weeks videos have popped up on YouTube for both "Troubled" and "It's Okay", and both are pretty damn slick.


"Troubled" (above) is a nice film-y walk through the woods, following lead singer Liz Powell as she walks through the woods lighting sparklers. It matches the tune quite well with its quiet simplicity.


"It's Okay" (also above) is quite the opposite, as it delivers an uber-fantasty animation of wolves and horses and skull faced riders. Frankly, we're at a loss as to its connection to the tune, but as an art piece it's positively stellar.

Given the rainy weather, we're thinking that should tide you over here in New York. Meanwhile, the band is kicking off their tour tonight in San Diego, where it is most certainly not raining. Next week the band will be heading north, and hitting San Francisco on Monday night at Cafe Du Nord. They'll be making it to New York on November 21st, when they'll be playing Mercury Lounge. We can't wait.

mp3: Land Of Talk - Troubled

Land Of Talk Fall 2009 Dates
Oct 27 Casbah San Diego, California
Oct 29 Spaceland Los Angeles, California
Oct 30 The Cellar Door Visalia, California
Nov 2 Cafe Du Nord San Francisco, California
Nov 4 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, Oregon
Nov 5 High Dive Seattle, Washington
Nov 6 Nightlight Lounge Bellingham, Washington
Nov 7 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, British Columbia
Nov 12 Segal Centre - CBC Radio 2 Routes Montreal Montreal, Quebec
Nov 21 Mercury Lounge New York, New York

Land Of Talk Adds New York Date

We were already psyched enough when we found out that Land Of Talk were touring in support of their new EP. So, suffice it to say that when we discovered that they quietly added two East Coast dates to the tour, we were completely stoked.

The band has added a date in their hometown of Montreal, as well as a stopover in New York at Mercury Lounge on November 21st. Given that we've been aching to see Land Of Talk live for the better part of two years, we couldn't be more thrilled with the news. We'll see you there.

mp3: Land Of Talk - Weighty Ghost

Land Of Talk Fall 2009 Dates
Oct 27 Casbah San Diego, California
Oct 29 Spaceland Los Angeles, California
Oct 30 The Cellar Door Visalia, California
Nov 2 Cafe Du Nord San Francisco, California
Nov 4 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, Oregon
Nov 5 High Dive Seattle, Washington
Nov 6 Nightlight Lounge Bellingham, Washington
Nov 7 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, British Columbia
Nov 12 Segal Centre - CBC Radio 2 Routes Montreal Montreal, Quebec
Nov 21 Mercury Lounge New York, New York

Land Of Talk: Tour and New EP

We couldn't be more excited about this news. After being thoroughly enthused about Land of Talk last year, we had a bit of the wind taken out of our sails when the band cancelled their tour, announced a lineup change, and basically went into hibernation.

Well, thankfully, it was temporary, and the band are back in a big way. Not only have they arranged a eight date west coast tour (with promises of east coast dates as well), but they've put together a new four track, three video tour EP for our consumption.

The EP , entitled simply EP as far as we know, will consist of four new songs, and videos based on songs from last year's Some Are Lakes. You can check out the video for "The Man Who Breaks Things" above, and meanwhile you'll just have to sit on your pretty little hands til the band hits the road and you can gobble up that tasty new EP. Delish!

Land of Talk Fall 2009 Tour Dates
10/27 - San Diego, CA, Casbah
10/29 - Los Angeles, CA, Spaceland
10/30 - Visalia , CA, Cellar Door
11/02 - San Francisco, CA, Cafe DuNord
11/04 - Portland, OR, Doug Fir
11/05 - Seattle, WA, High Dive
11/06 - Bellingham, WA, The Nightlight
11/07 - Vancouver, BC, Biltmore Cabaret

mp3: Land Of Talk - Weighty Ghost

Land Of Talk Covers Wintersleep, Results Are Awesome

A few weeks back we mentioned just how much we dug Wintersleep's set opening for An Horse at Hotel Utah. Well, given that the band was thus far unknown to us, we wouldn't have guessed they'd pop up this quickly again on our radar. Let us just say, we're glad they did!

HAD faves (and fellow Canadians) Land Of Talk decided to cover the Wintersleep tune "Weighty Ghost", and the results are nothing short of awesome. Granted, we don't keep it any secret that we totally love Land Of Talk round these parts (and were totally bummed their SF show got cancelled), but still, we think it's pretty undeniable: this tune rules.

mp3: Land Of Talk - Weighty Ghost (Wintersleep cover)

Sadness: Land Of Talk Cancel West Coast Dates

Picture From the HAD Archive

It appears that, tragically, Land Of Talk have cancelled their much anticipated West Coast dates. We got the info from a commenter here at HAD, and the band's myspace page seems to validate that the dates have disappeared into the ether. Apparently lead singer Liz Powell needed to have some voice rest time. We respect the need for wellness guys, but please make it out soon! We need some LoT lovin'!

Land Of Talk: New Bass Player, West Coast Tour, Bottom Of The Hill In January

We've really been digging Land Of Talk's latest record, not to mention their debut EP. As such, we couldn't be happier to see that they're finally making it out West! The band will be starting out in their Canadian homeland, and then gradually making their way down the coast before bouncing back up to Vancouver for the final show of the tour. For you locals, that means a January 24th show at Bottom Of The Hill.

We also happened to spy a myspace blog entry from the band dated October 8th this morning. Apparently original bass player Chris McCarron has left the band (on good terms) to play guitar for The Dears, and Joe Yarmush has taken his place. You can get your full up close and personal intro to Joe Yarmush as he intros the video above. Silly times, kids. Silly times.

Land Of Talk Tour Dates 2009:
Jan 14 2009 Ebar (Zeroes & Little Scream) Guelph, Ontario
Jan 15 2009 Horseshoe Tavern (Zeroes & Little Scream) Toronto, Ontario
Jan 16 2009 The grad club (Zeroes & Little Scream) Kingston, Ontario
Jan 21 2009 High Dive Seattle, Washington
Jan 22 2009 Doug Fir porland, Oregon
Jan 23 2009 San Bond’s Eugene, Oregon
Jan 24 2009 Bottom of the Hill San Fransisco, California
Jan 26 2009 Casbah San Diego, California
Jan 28 2009 Spaceland Los Angeles, California
Feb 7 2009 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, British Columbia

Land Of Talk: Applause Cheer Boo Hiss

Land of Talk's new record Some Are Lakes drops today, and as mentioned previously, we've been looking forward to it. In the wake of the new record, we thought it might also be prudent to mention the band's first disc, Applause Cheer Boo Hiss. The seven-track disc is an awesome first taste of the band, and easily worth investing in if you like what you hear on the new record.

Last time we saw Liz Powell, she was helping out Broken Social Scene with vocals, so it's easy to write her off as "another girl from that scene", but Land Of Talk have a voice that's all their own. Powell's vocals, while at first seeming familiar, definitely have their own distinctive tone and edge. The band manages to also carve their own niche instrumentally, delivering a solid mix of influences that combine to create a really tight guitar and percussion interplay. Many of the songs start off feeling like accessible indie-pop, and wind up delivering far much more in terms of instrumental depth and complexity. Marry all of this with Powell's witty, sometimes blunt lyrics, and you have the makings of a very nice EP.

As mentioned, Land Of Talk's new record is out today, and the EP has been in stores for a while. The band doesn't currently have any announced SF dates, but we'll keep you in the know.

mp3: Land Of Talk - All My Friends (YouSendIt, Click Through)

Land Of Talk: Some Are Lakes

You may recall that with last week's Broken Social Scene coverage, we mentioned that Land Of Talk vocalist Liz Powell had held her own on guitar and vocals. As such, we decided to do a little investimigation of her band's stuff, and we found ourselves to be liking it quite a bit (maybe even more than that). Even better news is that their new record, Some Are Lakes, drops on October 7th from Saddle Creek Records. It's sounding damn fine to our ears - we recommend you check it out.

mp3: Land Of Talk - Some Are Lakes