The Weakerthans coming on strong

Judging from the blogs and buzz, The Weakerthans will be the next Canadian band to take the US by storm. Following in the paths of Broken Social Scene, The Arcade Fire, and The New Pornographers, The Weakerthans are poised to be "discovered" by American indie-music hipsters. Their albums are critical hits, their live shows are infectious fun, and the fan following is strong and devoted. We've seen bands from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver embraced by the music bloggeratti, so it's about time these boys from the Canadian prairies got some attention.

I must have played their third album Reconstruction Site to death. I mean, how could you not love "Plea from a Cat Named Virtute" (mp3 from Epitaph Records), a song written from the perspective of a depressed person’s cat? Or “I Hate Winnipeg”, about the city they simultaneously love and hate? They sing about the prairie winters, curling, hockey, sadness, and joy. You get that sense of national pride you used to have listening to 90s era Tragically Hip albums.

The Weakerthans have a sound that sets them apart from indie exports like Arcade Fire and BSS, covering all the bases from rock to punk to a touch of folk and country. There are ballads and power-chords and melodies. They make albums you want to listen to at the cottage or on the road. And the songs are really well written: I just like the stories they tell and the images they illicit. It’s as simple as that. With The Rheostatics more or less finished, The Weakerthans have my vote for “Canada’s National Band”. There’s this indescribable…. “Canadian-ness” to The their sound, that ability to connect with everyone spread out across this vast country. I listen to them and I remember how good it feels to love music, and I have that comfort of knowing someone in Calgary, Moncton, Dawson City or Victoria feels the same thing when they're listening to The Weakerthans.

They’ve just released their fourth album Reunion Tour to positive reviews, and they're making the rounds in the press. Minnesota Public Radio's the Current features the Weakerthans with an interview and in-studio performance, while NPR's All Things Considered profiles the band. (via Largehearted Boy) There’s also a good Q&A write-up in Exclaim and there is a great CBC Radio 3 Podcast that features The Weakerthans.

The Weakerthans play in Toronto on November 8 at The Phoenix

The Weakerthans (official site)
The Weakerthans (MySpace)
Epitaph Records – The Weakerthans (mp3s and album info)