Contest Time: Hayden – Us Alone (Arts & Crafts)

      So I think we all know by now that Hayden has a new record out on Arts & Crafts called Us Alone, and if you have had the good fortune like myself to listen to the album you know how great it is (my review is HERE) and if you have not had a chance to listen to it yet this post is for you.

    Our friends at Arts & Crafts have graciously supplied me with a download code of the new album, so if you want this download here's what you have to do:

1.       Go to the Sonic More Music Facebook Page HERE

2.       LIKE the page

3.       Sit back and wait.
 

      When the page reaches 500 "Likes" I will randomly choose a winner and announce it on the Sonic More Music Facebook Page.

    I guarantee that after listening to the album you will want to go straight to Gallery AC and get a real, in your hands physical copy of the album just for yourself.

    So good luck and here's the video for the first single from Us Alone called "Rainy Saturday".

Joe Cornelisse-SMM

Arts & Crafts on Twitter: @artsandcrafts

Hayden on Twitter: @haydendesser

Arts & Crafts on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/artsandcrafts?ref=ts&fref=ts

Hayden on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/haydendessermusic?ref=ts&fref=ts

Arts & Crafts website http://arts-crafts.ca/

Hayden website http://www.wasteyourdaysaway.com/index.html

Upcoming Toronto Shows for February 2013

   Below's a list of some upcoming shows in Toronto during the month of February, hope you find something you like, I really want to go to the Hayden show on the 22^nd at the Rivoli but it's sold out…so if anyone can get me in I'll be your friend forever.

Joe Cornelisse-SMM

Saturday 9, February 2013

Thomas D'Arcy - Doors: 9:00 pm / Show: 10:00 pm, Horseshoe Tavern, $10.00

The Cameron House - Monday Feb 11th - 6pm Rucksack Willies 8pm Duncan Davies 10pm Graydon James

Wednesday 13, February 2013

Dusted, Absolutely Free - Wavelength Music Festival Thirteen Launch Party Sonic Boom 8 pm, all ages, free wavelengthtoronto.com.

Ghostface Killah, Sheek Louch, Trinity Chris & Charron - Legends: The Hip-Hop Series: Wu Block Tour Sound Academy doors 8 pm, $29.50

Thursday 14, February 2013

The Tragically Hip, Arkells - Air Canada Centre doors 7 pm, all ages, $35-$89.50 

Friday 15, February 2013

Doldrums, Cadence Weapon, Blue Hawaii, Blonde Elvis, Thighs - Wavelength Music Festival: Thirteen The Great Hall Black Box Theatre 9 pm, $18, adv $15

The Planet Smashers, the Creepshow, Rude City Riot, Permanent Bastards -  Opera House doors 8 pm, all ages, $17.50

Rival Sons, the Balconies - Lee’s Palace doors 9 pm, $17.50

Runs with the Kittens, Wax Atlantic, Singapore, William Delray - The Garrison 9 pm, $5

TV Freaks, Big Dick, Neon Windbreaker (punk) - Parts & Labour 10 pm, $8.

Saturday 16, February 2013

By Divine Right, Shotgun Jimmie, Cousins - Lee’s Palace 10 pm, $10.

Do Make Say Think, Evening Hymns, Sarah Neufeld, Doom Squad, Bernice - Wavelength Music Festival: Thirteen The Great Hall Upstairs 9 pm, $18, adv $15, 

Monte Forte, Healthy Libido -  Horseshoe 10 pm, $10.

Passion Pit, Matt & Kim -  Kool Haus all ages, doors 8 pm, $32.50 RT, SS, TM.

Sunday 17, February 2013

Cookie Duster, the Magic, Henri Fabergé & the Adorables, Cell Memory & Castle If, Legato Vipers Wavelength Music Festival: Thirteen The Garrison 9 pm, $10-$13

Devin Cuddy, Charles James, Molly Read, Jason Folwer, Brian MacMillan - Songs Of Love And Hate: Music Therapy Night Benefit Concert Rivoli doors 7:30 pm, $10.

Toro Y Moi, Wild Belle, Dog Bite -  Lee’s Palace doors 8 pm, $20

Monday 18, February 2013

Testament, Overkill, Flotsam & Jetsam, 4Arm -  Dark Roots Of Thrash Tour Phoenix Concert Theatre doors 7 pm, $28.50 TM.

Tuesday 19, February 2013

Enslaved, Pallbearer, Ancient VVisdom - Opera House doors 7 pm, all ages, $20 

Fever City, Taylor Knox, Devolver, Sorry Ok Yes, Young Running - Nu Music Nite Horseshoe 8:30 pm, free.

Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, Intronaut (extreme metal) - Sound Academy doors 6:30 pm, all ages, $28.50 

Ken Stringfellow - Kevin Kane (The Grapes of Wrath), Doors: 8:00 pm / Show: 9:30 pm, The Drake Hotel

Wednesday 20, February 2013

Cousins, Young Mother, Gay (post-punk/garage) - Parts & Labour 9 pm, $6.

Hayden - Dakota Tavern - Sold Out.

Indigo Girls, the Shadowboxers (folk-rock) -  The Danforth Music Hall doors 7 pm, $29.50-$39.50.

Vag Halen (feminist cock rock tribute band) Rhubarb Kick-Off Bash Buddies in Bad Times Theatre 10 pm, free.

Wakey! Wakey!, Doors: 8:30 pm / Show: 9:00 pm, The Drake Hotel

Thursday 21, February 2013

Hayden - Cameron House – Sold Out

 

Radiofree Universe, Liars in the Sun, Holy Roller -  Lee’s Palace $10.

Friday 22, February 2013

Beliefs, Elsa, Revolvers, Daybreak Gentlemen - Silver Dollar doors 9 pm, $6. 

Hayden, Lou Canon – Rivoli-Sold Out

Trust, Diana, Eraas - Lee’s Palace doors 9 pm, $17.50

Saturday 23, February 2013

Huron, the Schomberg Fair, Biblical - Silver Dollar 9 pm, $10.

Sparta, Dirty Nil, Seas - Lee’s Palace doors 9 pm, $18.50

Monday 25, February 2013

The Eels, Nicole Atkins - Phoenix Concert Theatre doors 8 pm, $29.50

Tuesday 26, February 2013

 The Ruby Suns - The Garrison doors 8 pm, $15, adv $12.50

Wednesday 27, February 2013

Fishbone (ska punk funk) - Lee’s Palace doors 8 pm, $22.50 

Beach Fossils - The Garrison doors 8:30 pm, $14.50

Thursday 28, February 2013

Modern Superstitions, Michael Rault, Actual Water, the Costanzas, After the Empire, Danny Marks (rock) Revival Party El Mocambo doors 8 pm, $7. 

Rad Habits, the Cheap Thrills - Bovine Sex Club 9 pm, $7

Get your tickets at

ROTATE THIS

www.rotate.com

 

SOUNDSCAPES

www.soundscapesmusic.com

 

THE HORSESHOE TAVERN

www.horseshoetavern.com

Show info courtesy of NOW Magazine and Collective Concerts.

 

Hayden - Rainy Saturday - Video

   Here's Hayden in his newest music video for "Rainy Saturday" from his new record 'Us Alone' available now on Arts & Crafts.


Joe Cornelisse-SMM

Review - Hayden, "Us Alone" (Arts & Crafts)

     It's been a week now since I first began listening to Hayden's new album "Us Alone", when I first started streaming it I opened up a word document, I do this so as the album plays and I hear something that triggers a thought or feeling I'll type it out, this has become my routine for writing my reviews. I've been listening to his music since the beginning and I can say without a doubt that "Us Alone" is the first album of his that I've really felt the lyrics as they were being sung. Hayden knows a good thing ; so you can tell that he's not going to stray too far from his sound that he's become known for, the gentle voice that I've always felt was more like an instrument on its own,  so distinct among a sea of Auto-Tune.

   The album kicks off with Motel, a song that reminds us Hayden makes music we can always revisit and not feel like a stranger. Just Give Me A Name builds upon itself, starting slow it grows with fire but to be honest I'm still trying to figure out the story of the song…maybe if I can get an interview I'll ask him. With Blurry Nights Hayden is fused with songstress Lou Cannon, the song kicks up the heat of the album to a nice respectable temp, if two voices were ever meant to record together it's theirs. Old Dreams digs a folk/sonic/space love letter.

    "Us Alone" continues its trip with "Almost Everything", its Harmonica & keyboard takes us on a journey back to the early days of Hayden when "music was everything; it was everything" then to the present where he lays out the line "I'm recording once again while my kid is upstairs in bed", it's like the soundtrack to a Hayden autobiography . Oh Memory is a song that a lot of us can relate to, the sadness in not being able to remember that love from long ago (at least that's what I took from it). The album than hits into Rainy Saturday the leadoff single, it's a catchy track that sticks in your mind even after it's over. 

    Then it's the six minute and 40 second opus that is Instructions is basically instructions for what the writer wants done with his ashes after they have passed on, only Hayden could take a song with this subject matter and make it sound incredibly beautiful…"that's how I'd love this to end". 

    As the song Instructions faded away I was left pondering what would I want done with me after I'm gone but before the thoughts started emanating from my mind the music was back…yes there is a "hidden" track on the album; I was told that it's the title track from the album. If there is one thing I have always liked is when artists give you that surprise of a hidden track at the end, so this really topped off what was already a wonderful record, so thank you Hayden for giving us what I would like to announce as the Record of the Year, yes I know it's only February but this is my Blog and I can do what I want.

"Us Alone" is released on February the 5th via  Arts & Crafts

Get it HERE on iTunes

Joe Cornelisse-SMM