Shout Out: Friends In Bellwoods 2.

On 25 August, Out of This Spark records will be releasing the Friends in Bellwoods Compilation 2, a double disc of musical treats featuring some of the city's---and the country's---best bands and musicians. The compilation was edited by Casey Mecija and James Bunton from the band Ohbijou, and many of the tracks were recorded at Casey's bungalow near Trinity-Bellwoods Park.

The big parties happen next weekend (details below), but pre-release celebrations for the discs are happening tonight (Wednesday) at the Gladstone Hotel (Melody Bar). The weekly Granny Boots series is hosting the free party, starting at 7:30pm, with a promised end time of 11pm, so you can get home and into bed and back out to work tomorrow morning without losing any sleep. (Isn't that nice of them?) The show will feature performances from Gentleman Reg and Katie Sketch ("delicious duets"), Diamond Rings (AKA John O'Regan from OOTS band The D'Urbervilles), and Casey Mecija, Ohbijou's frontwoman. There will be video screenings, too. Look for new videos from Ohbijou, Diamond Rings, Kids on TV, and Katie Stelmanis.

To get you in the mood for the parties tonight and next weekend, here are a few tracks from the compilation:

Download: The D'Urbervilles, "Magic Arrow" (Timber Timbre cover)
Download: The Phonemes, "April, Let’s Send His Colleagues An Email"
Download: Tusks, "New To Old Money"

Some of the other rare, unreleased, and new songs on the discs include ones by some of my favourite acts: Forest City Lovers, Basia Bulat, The Acorn, Timber Timbre, Gentleman Reg, Great Lake Swimmers, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Hooded Fang... and so much more! There are some great new finds in here for me, and some great tracks from these and other bands I already know and love. The songs tend toward the folky, rootsy, acoustic-y, though there are plenty of more rocking tunes. Proceeds from the compilation's sale go to the Daily Bread Foodbank, so you can feel charitable in your purchase. Copies are available from iTunes, Sonic Unyon, or Zunior. Head over the Friends in Bellwoods website for more info and links.

The compilation will get some fitting release events. The big party is next Friday, 28 August, at Lee's Palace. The lineup includes Bocce, Ohbijou (special set w/ guests), Forest City Lovers, and Evening Hymns. Promises to be a great night of music. Tickets are $12 in advance (from Soundscapes and Rotate This) or $15 at the door. I predict a sell-out. Special guests include Sylvie Smith (from The Magic), Rolf Klausener (The Acorn), Nils Edenloff (The RAA), Gentleman Reg, and The Wooden Sky.

On Saturday, 29 August, there's a full day of music starting at noon at the Tranzac. Tickets are $10 (or $8 with a non-perishable food donation), and the event is all ages. The lineup is crazy-good, beginning with Bruce Peninsula and ending with The Acorn. This event is also a BBQ. Awesome.

Here's the full track listing for the compilation:

Disc One

1. Forest City Lovers – Minneapolis
2. Le Pigeon – Freezing Rain
3. Basia Bulat – My Heart Is A Warning
4. The Acorn – Slippery When Wet
5. Canadian Wildlife – Winter’s Moon
6. Double Suicide – Touch The Sun
7. Great Bloomers – Find My Way
8. Lisa Bozikovic – The Letting Go
9. Bellewoods – Kneel On The Apron
10. Kate Rogers – The Same Party
11. Timber Timbre – Water
12. No Kids – All That Heaven Allows
13. Snailhouse – Don’t Go Anywhere
14. Final Fantasy – Red Sun (Demo Version)
15. Sylvie Smith – On Our Own
16. Bruce Peninsula – In Parallel
17. Gentleman Reg – For Trust
18. Evening Hymns – Cedars
19. Kite Hill – Tom Thumbtack
20. The Bellwoods Crew – Staten Island Waltz

Disc Two

1. The Dinghies – The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
2. Bocce – Inspiration Bellwoods
3. Kids On TV - Poison
4. Katie Stelmanis – Believe Me
5. The D’Urbervilles – Magic Arrow
6. Sebastien Grainger – Home Is The Light
7. Violence – Living Off The Land
8. Ohbijou – An Ode To An End
9. Great Lake Swimmers – Send Me A Letter
10. The Low Notes – Glory Glory
11. Snowblink – When Pushed From A High Branch
12. lice - yggdrasil
13. Emma McKenna - Happiness
14. Richard Laviolette – Media Song
15. The Adam Brown – Joy Rider
16. The Phonemes – April, Let’s Send His Colleagues An Email
17. The Rural Alberta Advantage – Rough And Tumble
18. Tusks – New To Old Money
19. Hooded Fang – Highway Steam
20. The Wooden Sky – My Old Ghosts