John K. Sampson is currently supporting the release of both his book, Lyrics and Poems 1997-2012 and his new solo album, Provincial, so to keep the momentum going the Weakerthans frontman has put out... Click on the headline to read the rest of the story.

I started collecting vinyl in January of 2008.  Here is what I have amassed. (updated January 2012) AC/DC Back in Black American Football American Football Andrew Bird Armchair Apocrypha Band of Horses Everything All the Time Infinite Arms Battles Gloss Drop Mirrored The Beach Boys Endless Summer The Beatles 1962-1966 1967-1970 Abbey Road Hey Jude Let it Be Magical Mystery Tour Rubber Soul Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Beck Modern Guilt Odelay The Bee Gees Best of Bee Gees Vol. 1 [pre-disco] Saturday Night Fever Ben Folds Five Ben Folds Five Blackalicious A2G [EP] Blazing Arrow The ...

I listen to so much pop music that I’m impervious to humming all but the catchiest of tunes. But even my melodically jaded self can’t stop from singing along with “When I Write My Master’s Thesis” by John K. Samson. The leader of the Weakerthans’ new solo album is called Provincial, and it includes the [...]

John K. Samson – Provincial | CD Vinyl MP3 John K. Samson, the lead singer of The Weakerthans, released his full-length solo debut. Six of the twelve songs are rerecordings of the tracks from Samson’s two solo EPs, City Route...

John K. Samson is the singer-songwriter for the acclaimed indie rock band The Weakerthans and he just released his highly anticipated full length solo album, 'Provincial', this January 24th via Epitaph-Anti Records. 'Provincial' contains newly recorded versions of songs from Samson's previous two EPs, 'City Route 85' and 'Provincial Road 222', alongside a collection of beautifully evocative new tracks. The songs traverse four routes woven into the prairie landscape of Manitoba, the Canadian province where Samson lives. They are hymns for the departed and rockers for the living, songs about dying villages, Icelandic longing, snowplows, broken glass, satellites, hockey ...

John K. Samson ’s songwriting was the driving force behind four albums by Canadian indie-rock band The Weakerthans , so it’s no surprise that his prosaic lyrics sit front and center on his first solo full-length, Provincial . Ditching The Weakerthans’ folk-rock amalgam in favor of more delicate, orchestral-rock arrangements, the album collects songs from a pair of EPs and supplements them with a handful of new tunes. True to its title, the album takes listeners on a tour of points both familiar (Winnipeg) and obscure (Riverton and Ninette) as Samson provides slice-of-life glimpses of small-town life. The A.V. Club ...

John K. Samson is the singer-songwriter for the acclaimed indie rock band The Weakerthans and he just released his highly anticipated full length solo album, Provincial , this January 24th via Epitaph-Anti Records. Samson has also released an intensely evocative cinematic clip for the song “Longitudinal Centre” from Provincial . The footage provides a perfect visual companion to the poignant up-tempo track. To watch the video please go to IFC.com . Provincial contains newly recorded versions of songs from Samson’s previous two EPs, City Route 85 and Provincial Road 222 , alongside a collection of beautifully evocative new tracks. The songs traverse ...

Frank YangThough his punk credentials are beyond reproach thans to his tenure in Propagandhi, John K. Samson has always cut a bit of a curious figure in front of The Weakerthans. While his bandmates are more than willing and able to play the part of rockers in turning out muscular guitar riffs and solos, Samson [...]

John K. Samson , Provincial ( ANTI- ) WHO Weakerthans frontman out on his own. DISCOGRAPHY Provincial ( ANTI- , 2012) IN A NUTSHELL January is certainly too early to declare anything Album of the Year...but Provincials makes it awfully hard to avoid that hyperbole. THE STORY If you're looking for an objective analysis of Provincial , John K. Samson's first-ever full-length, you've probably come to the wrong place. I mean, I've been a massive fan of his since the first time I heard the opening chords of "Everthing Must Go!" on Left and Leaving , and I've liked pretty much ...

It’s hard to say exactly why John K. Samson isn’t an instantly recognizable name, why this solo album has to be promoted as “John K. Samson of The Weakerthans.” Maybe part of it is that he’s just so darn Canadian. Some bands and songwriters from Canada make it easy to forget they’re our northern neighbors; there’s nothing particularly American about them, but there’s nothing particularly Canadian about them, either.

After fronting the explosive agit-punk band Propagandhi in the ’90s, John K. Samson settled into a holding pattern with his subsequent indie-rock group, The Weakerthans . That pattern doesn’t let up on Provincial , Samson’s first solo full-length. Where his jump from Propagandhi to The Weakerthans was dramatic and unexpected, Provincial ’s transition into a hushed version of The Weakerthans’ folk-inflected pop seemed all but predestined. It also underscores just how much Samson, as a songwriter, has come to rely on sturdy, unremarkable, workmanlike tunes—and how much of a load his wit alone can carry. Granted, Samson’s wit ...

Here's a nostalgia trip that never tires -- Let's Say We Did happily reminds of all things flannel, Big Muffs and youngsters paying dues to the 'Youth. This 7-track album has some killer easy songs, and its straightforward songwriting style minus shoegazer ripping makes it an endearing choice of recent Nordic 90's revival bands. This sound definitely had its time in the American indie underground -- hoarse, mumbling vocals like Cap'n'Jazz or The Weakerthans, and heartfelt choruses (avoiding the evil "E" word) of early Jade Tree acts. I could probably list a million bands from this era ...

Provincial is John K. Samson’s first full-length solo album. Collecting re-recorded versions of songs from his previously released EPs City Route 85 and Provincial Road 222, along with a few extras, the Weakerthans’ frontman finds himself able to explore a bit musically and indulge in a bit of weirdness. Not that anything here would be [...]

Filed under: News , Exclusive , New Music , New Releases ANTI- It's hard to imagine Bruce Springsteen being from anywhere other than New Jersey, and in much the same way, John K. Samson 's affiliation with his home province of Manitoba has become the stuff of CanRock legend. As frontman for the Weakerthans since the band's formation in 1997, Samson's lyrics have often exposed harsh truths about life in and around Winnipeg. But over the past two years, Samson has been edging even closer into Springsteen-themed territory with solo recordings directly inspired by Manitoba roads. These now provide the ...

Welcome to 2012! Now that the new years parties and holiday dinners are out of the way, it's about time we started to get excited about Canadian music! The year ahead already looks promising! March will see the release of a new record from everyone's favourite jam band Zeus . Their new record Busting Visions is sure to be packed with the feel-good folk fuzz rock anthems they have become so well known for. With their stunning debut, Say Us, it didn't take long for Canadians to claim them as main-stays in the Canadian music scene. The new ...