I can't say that I'm much of a music fan - that's really Mrs. Washcycle's forte. I mean I like music, but I haven't bought a CD in like 10 years - and I've never bought an mp3. I don't own an ipod and never have. I do listen to XM Radio's "The Verge" like it's my job. Love's me some Canadian rock. The point of all this is that you should take this music review with a grain of salt.
I got a CD for the album "bicycle" by local band Nora and One Left last week and I made Mrs. Washcycle listen to it with me repeatedly and we both gave it the thumbs up. Oddly she said the same thing I was thinking: this sounds like a band we would have seen in Austin. It's that music that straddles the rock/folk genre that I used to hear so often there. Not quite Eliza Gilkinson or Lucinda Williams but enough to make me think of them. "So Far Away" reminds me of Concrete Blond. And there are a couple of song, like "The World is a Wonderful Place," that have the same happy acoustics and comfortable lyrics of Poi Dog Pondering. They mostly sound a lot like the act that used to open for Soul Hat at the Black Cat on Thursdays in the early 90's [I wish I could think of their name. Not Two Hoots and a Holler, obviously]. Which is to say they sound like a lot of bands I like, so naturally I enjoyed the CD. I caught myself singing "Big Red Bicycle Christmas" several times this week.
If you're looking to support a local band who names albums after your favorite mode of transportation - with several songs on that theme, it's hard to think of a better one than Nora and One Left.
You had me at Poi Dog
Posted by: Read Scott Martin | August 13, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Eliott Brood is another good band from Canada
Posted by: Tom M | August 13, 2012 at 11:20 AM
Ditto for me, RSM, except swap out for Lucinda Williams.
Posted by: Crickey7 | August 13, 2012 at 11:23 AM
Wow - we've loved WashCycle - but sure didn't expect such a really nice review - and sure didn't expect getting mentioned in the same paragraph with Lucinda Williams, Eliza Gilkyson, Poi Dog and Concrete Blonde!
Thanks so much for listening and for liking it!
See you "Down the Road"
Nora & One Left
PS - you can your readers can stream at- www.facebook.com/noraandoneleft (be sure to Like us ;-)
Posted by: Nora | August 13, 2012 at 04:14 PM
Been streaming it. I like! Some nice bike related songs in there.
Posted by: Ed | August 15, 2012 at 06:47 PM