Swan Lake Ready Enemy

When I was near the end of my run as a college radio DJ, I added a new feature on my show called MP3 of the Week. I was an ambitious radio host, trying to invite new fangled technology and blog stuff in to my show, highlighting a song I found on the internet from an upcoming album. The band to take the maiden voyage was the Canadian indie-supergroup Swan Lake. They really are that, Canadian, indie and a group to the super degree. The trio, Dan Bejar of Destroyer/New Pornographers fame, Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown goodness and Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes banded together to make this album Beast Moans that was all over the place. The song "All Fires", sung by Krug, just blew me away.

The band never toured or anything outside of release the album, but in early 2008 they retreated in the Great White North to record their second album, Enemy Mine, which Jagjaguwar will release on March 24th. The Lake, they don't stray much from the formula of Moans, swapping lead vocals and instruments and meshing it all together like an intricately on purpose woven blanket. It's perfect. Songs like lead off "Spanish Gold, 2044" and "Battle of a Swan Lake, or, Daniel's Song" showcase the finer moments that can't seem to be refined by their alpha projects. On the flipside, songs like "Paper Lace" and "A Hand at Dusk" show a band trying to find an original sound, kind of like they honed in on Moans track "City Calls".

They really should tour. I know other their other bands take up most their time, but if Dio and the members of Sabbath can band up to do Heaven & Hell tours, while can't these guys leave their A team to go on tour as the B team?

Download: "Spanish Gold, 2044" [mp3] // [Buy Here]