The Continental Divide is highly polished, paint-by-numbers guitar rock that takes no chances musically and is slathered in a sheen of production endorsed by the most up-to-date market research. Lyrically the album looks to the past as much as the music, reveling in themes of regret, loss and starting over.
Reminds us of: The Killers but without the keyboards | Interpol | Sugar before we heard Hüsker Dü
War Tapes: (Official / MySpace)
Previous Review (Phoenix - "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" - Buy It)
Next Review (K'naan - "Troubadour" - Borrow It)
Four Tet - 2/26
Doug Fir Lounge
The Builders And The Butchers + Federale + Dr. Helicopter - 12/31
Mississippi Studios
Quasi performs The Who + The Shaky Hands + Inside Voices + DJ Safi - 12/31
Doug Fir Lounge
The Roots + Orgone + Lilla D’Mone - 1/2
Roseland Theater
Grass Widow + White Fang + Hornet Leg - 1/7
Artistery
The Moondoggies + Sera Cahoone - 1/8
Doug Fir Lounge
Steve Earle + Hayes Carll - 1/19
Aladdin Theatre
I’m leaving AC out of this. Ok wait, I can’t. Beach Boys and AC can never be used in the same sentence ever again. If I were mayor, that would be the rule 
Loving that The Rural Alberta Advantage found it’s way up here. I discovered that record WAY late in the year but it’s taken only days of listening to agree with it’s spot in the top 10.
by dirkler on Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 12.13 pm from the entry: Top 10 Best Albums of 2009!
awesome stuff guys. great photos and the sentiment about backspace is on the nose.
by steve on Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 12.02 pm from the entry: The Rural Alberta Advantage - Backspace (Portland, OR; December 18, 2009)
Yes! can’t wait for the new Radiohead album. There’s some more details about it here http://bit.ly/4Byzn7
by Chris on Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 11.21 am from the entry: Radiohead is going into the studio next month!!!
also would a band ever write a letter like this to a venue? seemed like a joke to me from the get go.
by colin on Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 02.50 am from the entry: The Rural Alberta Advantage - Backspace (Portland, OR; December 18, 2009)
If you had only read the first three paragraphs, how would you have known it was from the Rural Alberta Advantage?
by Josh on Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 01.47 am from the entry: The Rural Alberta Advantage - Backspace (Portland, OR; December 18, 2009)
While fair criticisms of a bigger band in a smaller venue, writing a review posing as a band saying they had a bad experience is so, so out of line.
Throwing a “jay kay!” at the end doesn’t really count. What if I read only the first three paragraphs on my rss reader or phone?
Pretty bogus. Save it for McSweeney’s.
by Ben on Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 01.05 am from the entry: The Rural Alberta Advantage - Backspace (Portland, OR; December 18, 2009)
glad to hear it beth!
by colin on Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 08.47 pm from the entry: Present # 6: Sufjan Stevens soundboard - Live at the Crystal Ballroom 2006
