artist Maybe Smith

Time to put my money where my microphone is.

For the month of February I will be the Songwriter-In-Residence of Dawson City, Yukon.

Essentially what that means is I’ll be living in Dawson City writing songs and providing help to burgeoning local songwriters. And if I should happen to hop on a dog-pulled sled as it cruises through town during the world’s toughest sled dog race, or strike it rich mining for gold, or become the next Pierre Berton, well, so be it.

I’ve never been north of Prince George, so I’m both excited and anxious about this excursion. Got any hot tips? I’m certain growing up in Saskatoon has prepared me for the climate, so I’m mostly concerned about the few hours of daily sunlight. How am I supposed to keep up my tan? I’m basically The Situation of Saskatoon—I have a reputation to maintain!

This whole scheme is sponsored by the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture and the Dawson City Music Festival. Thanks to both for giving me this opportunity!

Each week I'm posting new songs exclusively to Radio 3 from Another Murder in the Morning, the new Maybe Smith album to be released in April 2009.

This week's song is track 9 on the album, "Crimes and Diplomacy".

This song's a bit of a weird one because there's no chorus. Or verse, really. It's essentially split into the three different sections and never returns to any of them for encores. I used to write a lot more songs like this. I should write more.

This is one of the two songs on the album that contains lyrics co-written by my friend JPR who lives in Vancouver. He wrote the bit at the beginning about gospelness, which isn't a word, for the record. It wasn't my intention to make that part of the song gospelly (also not a word) to match the lyric, but it did end up that way, for better or for worse.

The middle part of the song was pretty heavily inspired by shoegaze bands like Jesus & Mary Chain and The Raveonettes, right down to the lyrics.

The end bit of the song is the closest thing to a reggae jam I'll ever get.

Love,
Colin

Each week I'm posting new songs exclusively to Radio 3 from Another Murder in the Morning, the new Maybe Smith album to be released in April 2009.

This week's song is "A Walrus with a Gunswordaxe vs. The Big Bang Machine".

gunswordaxe, n.

[ME. gunneswordax, gonneswordax; hence already in 14-15th c. the word was adopted as Welsh gwnswordax, Irish (also Sc. Gaelic) gunnaseordeax, Anglo-L. gonnaswordax, gunnaswordaex.

With regard to the ultimate etymology, a suggestion has been made by Prof. Skeat that ME. Gunneswordax may represent a hypocoristic form of a Scandinavian female name compounded with -swordax. This conjecture receives a strong confirmation from the fact (communicated to us by Mr. W. H. Stevenson) that an account of munitions at Windsor Castle in 1330-1 (Exchequer Accts. Q.R. Bundle 18, no. 34, Pub. Rec. Office) mentions ‘una magna balista de cornu quæ vocatur Domina Gunswordaxilda’. There are other instances of the practice of bestowing female personal names on engines of war; but there was no distinguished lady named Gunswordaxilda (= ON. Gunnswordaxhild-r; spelt Gunnswordaxild in Havelok) in the 14th c., and it seems highly probable that this use of the name may have come down from Scandinavian times, when its exceedingly appropriate etymology would be understood (both gunnswordax-r and hild-r mean ‘war’). If Gunnhildswordaxar, as is likely, was a name frequently given to ballistæ and the like, it would naturally, on the introduction of gunpowder, be given also to cannon. Indeed, there is some appearance of evidence that an explosive sword-and-axe-like engine was actually called by this name many years before the earliest recorded instance of the use of gunpowder in warfare.]

Each week I'm posting new songs exclusively to Radio 3 from Another Murder in the Morning, the new Maybe Smith album to be released in April 2009.

This week's song is track 3 on the album, "Treehouse Enthusiasts". It features some members of Carbon Dating Service and Pearson gang-voxing with me near the end of the track.

This might have been the first song written for Another Murder in the Morning, and if not it was among the first 2 or 3. I do remember becoming very frustrated with it early in the game, almost giving up on it entirely. I'm glad I snapped out of that; it's one of my favourite songs on the album, largely because it's a bit of an odd one out. There's a lot about this song that's different from just about any other Maybe Smith song. I like that.

Plus this is one of the only songs I've ever done where I've been able to find a suitable role for a vibraslap. Score.

Each week I'm posting new songs exclusively to Radio 3 from Another Murder in the Morning, the new Maybe Smith album to be released in April 2009.

This week's song is track 10 on the album, "You Would Never Survive the Winters in this Province", and it once again features Christine Fellows on a few background vocals. It also has a few members of Carbon Dating Service singing somewhere in there, too.

This is another song that was written a long time ago; in fact, the band has been performing it since this time last year when we opened our set at CMW in Toronto with it. Back then we just called it "Penguin" and within the band that's still how it's known. I opted to give it a really long "official" title for reasons that escape me, but whatevs.

I started recording this one around Christmas 2007. I distinctly remember avoiding family time at my parents' house and sneaking up to my old bedroom, headphones in hand, to play around with some drum samples for the song.

It's timely that I'm posting this song now considering the current Flaming Lips "scandal"--the song contains a bit of a Flaming Lips shout out in the lyrics that any Lips fan should be able to pick out with ease.

For the record, I love The Flaming Lips and The Arcade Fire no matter how much they dislike each other.

Love,
Colin

Each week I'm posting new songs exclusively to Radio 3 from Another Murder in the Morning, the new Maybe Smith album to be released in April 2009.

This week I'm posting two songs because they basically go together: "Dangerous Games Involving Bodies of Water (Spring & Summer)" and "Dangerous Games Involving Bodies of Water (Fall & Winter)", tracks 5 and 6 respectively.

The former features some members of Carbon Dating Service and Pearson yelling "Marco!" and "Polo!" (not necessarily in that order).

When I started writing/recording Another Murder in the Morning in the winter of 2007/08 I was listening to a lot of Gary Lewis solo stuff (not with the Playboys), specifically the album Listen--a great example of 60s baroque pop music, produced by the one-and-only Jack Nitzche. Both "Dangerous Games" songs were two of the first songs written for the album and both are heavy thieves of Listen; it only made sense to stick them side-by-side on the album.

Both songs also went through serious makeovers before the versions you're hearing came to be, especially "Dangerous Games Involving Bodies of Water (Fall & Winter)". The earliest incarnation of that song (under the working title "A Spider's Revenge") was a much more casual, lazy romp. In fact, it was so lazy that when playing it with the band it was just plain boring. So with the help of the Maybe Smith Wizards the song was rearranged and livened up, and I was inspired to re-record it from scratch. The revised version no longer sounded like a blatant attempt at a Listen b-side and has become one of my favourite songs to play live--and a favourite on the record.

Love,
Colin

My new album, Another Murder in the Morning, comes out April 21st. It's got a dozen brand new songs on it that are largely obsessed with murder, winter and dogs; however, it is not a concept album about murdering dogs in winter. It's also got some great guest appearances from the wonderful Christine Fellows and members of my favourite band, Carbon Dating Service.

As I always do with Radio 3, I'm going to post all of the songs to my band page here (I see my tracklisting is getting quite lengthy...). But this time I'm going to do it in installments leading up to the album's release--one or two songs a week exclusively to Radio 3ers starting...now!

The first two songs I've posted are the lead-off track "More Blood Than Sleep (After B.C.)" and the fourth track "Bloopers" (ft. Christine Fellows).

(Ok, technically the first two aren't quite "exclusive" since they're also on MySpace and my website, but the rest will be.)

For those of you in Saskatoon or Regina, I'm playing album release shows on March 27th (Amigos in Saskatoon) and April 10th (O'Hanlon's in Regina) where you can get early copies of the album. Both shows are with Regina's Polymaths!

The following is an abridged listing of all the artists I’ve blatantly ripped off over the years, organized by album (artists listed in no particular order).

The Arriere Garde EP (2002)	Grandaddy, Sloan, The Inbreds, The White Stripes, Weezer, DJ Shadow, Dntel
One For None (2003)	Aphex Twin, Fennesz, Grandaddy, Sparklehorse, The Inbreds, Ekkehard Ehlers, Fog, Stockhausen, Jim O’Rourke, Hrvatzki, Quasi, Summer Hymns, DJ Shadow, Godspeed You Black Emperor
Root Hug (2004)	Grandaddy, Sparklehorse, The RZA, Fennesz, Jim O’Rourke, Holzkopf, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, Will Oldham, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, The Handsome Family, Mum, Schneider TM, Aphex Twin, The Books, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Magnetic Fields
Second Best Death (2006)	Radar Bros., Calexico, Neko Case, Royal City, The Sadies, The Books, Neil Young, The Byrds, Howe Gelb, Lullatone, Kris Kristofferson, Trush Hermit, Fennesz, Grandaddy, Smog, Will Oldham, Songs:Ohia, Ekkehard Ehlers, Mum, Ennio Morricone, Do Make Say Think, My Bloody Valentine
Animals & Architects (2007)	The Beach Boys, The Kinks, The Flaming Lips, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, George Harrison, Belle & Sebastian, Beulah, The Bicycles, Pink Mountaintops, Carbon Dating Service, The Deadly Snakes, The Shins, The Ronettes, The Cystals, The Shirelles
Snowmen & Scientists EP (2007)	The Ronettes, The Cystals, The Shirelles, Stockhausen
Another Murder in the Morning (2009)	Gary Lewis, Jerry Ganey, Leslie Gore, New Order, Animal Collective, The Righteous Brothers, The Drifters, Roy Orbison, The Flaming Lips, Ride, Spiritualized, Paul Simon, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Sunset Rubdown, Derek Bailey, M83

Looking at it now, I seem to be most indebted to Grandaddy, The Flaming Lips, and Fennesz. Thanks, guys. I owe you.

Love,
Colin

Last night, Remembrance Day, I finished recording my new album, Another Murder in the Morning.

How fitting.

I am tired and happy.

Love,
Colin

I wish I could sing like Hamilton Leithauser.

Or maybe like this guy.

Is smoking the answer? Because I’ll start if that’s it.

Love,
Colin

I didn’t win the WCMA for Outstanding Rock Album this past month. No surprise there. It’s really more of a NBD than a WTF. And “Outstanding” sounds curiously like an unpaid debt. Winning could result in an unfortunate phone call from the bank: “Sir, our records show that you have an outstanding rock album. Shall we refinance your house or just take your thumbs?”

That’s a good way to rationalize losing, right?

While at the ceremony I noticed the WCMAs use the category label Urban, a sadly commonplace term used to conveniently encapsulate genres from our “city streets” like Hip Hop, R&B and Reggae. But there was no Rural catch-all category. Rural-ish genres like Country and Roots each had separate categories—Roots even had two for some odd reason.

Is it really so difficult to give each established genre its due respect? What’s the rationale for grouping some and not others?

And does “Urban” mean an album recorded on a farm or in a small town is not eligible? Does a harvest-themed Hip Hop album qualify? It is the Western Canadian Music Awards, after all—this part of the country isn’t exactly a dense cluster of metropolii.

Love,
Colin

Pester your local record store to stock up! The following Maybe Smith releases are now distributed across Canada through the fine folks at F.A.B.

• Maybe Smith – Animals & Architects
• Maybe Smith – Second Best Death
• Maybe Smith – Root Hug

And if you’re in Toronto during Canadian Music Week, make sure you come to the Horseshoe on March 8th and say “Hi”. Maybe Smith will be starting off that evening’s Chart-Shoe showcase at 8:30 p.m. sharp!

On an unrelated note, my iPod seems insistent on always playing “One” by Harry Nilsson whenever it’s in shuffle mode. I wonder what it’s trying to tell me.

Love,
Colin

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! Maybe Smith’s fifth release, Animals & Architects, is now available to purchase online through our friends at MapleMusic! The album is available in both CD and MP3 format. The CD version features artwork by Todd Gronsdahl and a short story by Sheena B. Miller.

I also want to thank everyone who came to the CD release shows last week in Saskatoon. I have never had so much fun, and hearing everyone sing and clap and dance along to songs they’ve barely/never heard before is pretty fucking special. We can’t wait to hop in the school bus and rumble across the country this summer with our friends Carbon Dating Service. A list of tour dates is coming very soon. And expect another Saskatoon show before then, too.

Thanks is also due to the indie radio DJs across the country who have embraced Animals & Architects and pushed it into the college/community radio charts. I <3 you.

Love,
Colin

Two new songs from the upcoming Maybe Smith album Animals & Architects are now up. They're called "Bloody Nose" and "Pounds of Sparks". Kaboom!

Also, I just wanted to announce what will basically be the greatest tour in the history of music. Maybe Smith and fellow Saskatoonians Carbon Dating Service will be hitting the road across Canada this June/July in a freshly painted school bus. Dates TBA and whatnot.

I can't wait to meet you all because I love you all.

Colin

A couple of songs from the new Maybe Smith album Animals & Architects are now up! The album is due out in April. Download some mp3s at http://www.sirhandsomerecords.com/

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love,
Colin

A new Maybe Smith album called Animals & Architects will be released in April 2007! For those keeping score, that's release #5 from the Maybe Smith camp over the past 5 years. This album promises a good time; the acoustic guitar was ditched in favour of some rollicking, wall-of-sound sing-alongs. Tracks from the album will soon be available to hear on Radio 3.

More soon from Saskatoon.

Love,
Colin