December

I don't think I'ver ever posted about London [ON] - via - Toronto's Basia Bulat before so I will remedy that right now. She's an artist that I'm looking forward to in 2007. She first caught my attention back in July of this year when she played the Silver Dollar in Toronto. I didn't go to the show, but I believe I read about the show on Stille Post. I think I was intrigued by her name and when I checked out her MySpace, I fell in love with her charming, low-key, recorded live-off-the-floor version of The Strokes' "Someday". Like another of my favourite new female artists, Jenn Grant, vocally Basia Bulat draws comparisons to Feist - jazzy overtones, but with an indie-rock casualness. While Basia seems to be an obscurity here she's drawn the attention of UK label Rough Trade who will be releasing her debut album "Oh, My Darling" in February of 2007. Her MySpace is streaming a couple of tracks from the album currently: "December" a lovely chamber folk-pop tune that melds acoustic guitar, piano, and violin against Basia's pretty melodic vocals, and a more recent MySpace offering "I Was A Daughter" that starts off tempo-wise where "December" left off and adds sped-up guitar, drums, violin, and handclaps to the composition. Basia's been the topic of sporadic blog postings(like from Sixeyes), but I'm sure things'll pick up when the album's released in February. For the interested, Basia will be at The Drake Hotel on January 4 to play her first ever headlining show in Toronto, with openers Barzin. Tickets are a measly $5. Basia's excited and you should be too. I know I am.

Basia will also apparently be taking part in a Raffi vs. Jonathan Richman (A Tribute Battle) show at the Silver Dollar this Saturday December 30.

For the purpose of stirring up more interest for her, I've gathered some Basia Bulat-related links below for your pleasure:

MySpace: Basia Bulat

Review/Photos: BlogTo (@ The Silver Dollar - July 20, 2006)
Review/Photos: Chromewaves (@ Pop Montreal - October 5, 2006)
Photos: Bramptonboi (@ Pop Montreal - October 5, 2006)
Photos: Edemore (via A Momentary Division)

Video[YouTube]: Basia Bulat - "Someday" (Strokes cover) @ The Silver Dollar - December 1, 2006
Video[blip.tv]: Basia Bulat @ Sala Rossa (Montreal, Quebec) - July 26, 2006 (via Midnight Poutine)

Podcast: iNdie6 - episode 10.07.05 (featuring Basia's "Snakes and Ladders" around the 23:00 mark)
Podcast: PopCast - episode #23 (featuring Basia's "December" around the 26:30 mark)
Podcast: Poutine Pix - episode 6.0 (featuring Basia's cover of The Strokes' "Someday" around the 9:02 mark)

MP3/OGG: Basia Bulat and the Poche Orchestra - Live at Zeke's Gallery - August 7, 2005 (via Zekes Gallery)

ps. Anyone know where I can purchase her self-titled debut EP?