The Rural Alberta Advantage

Arms of Alberta would also be a great name for a band

Have you listened to The Rural Alberta Advantage yet? I'm writing about them for two reasons. One reason is the NHL playoffs, which start today. It's a long standing tradition for Detroit sportswriters to pick on the Lions quarterback and the Red Wings goalie, and around this time of year Chris Osgood gets put under a ton of pressure. So in Ozzie's honor, here's a band from a place somewhat close to his hometown of Medicine Hat, Alberta. Maybe those naysayers won't have a newspaper to write for anymore by the time he retires?

The second reason is that I have a feeling some people listened to the first song on their album Hometowns and dismissed them. They write really great rhythm driven songs, but their one weakness is the singer's schizophrenic vocals. It seems like he hasn't found his style yet, wavering from whiny on the first song to an angry punk, then on to an apathetic frontman's facade and finally into a gentler crooning. For me personally, this doesn't bother me at all. The female backing vocals remind me a little of The Anniversary, and I will always take a xylophone solo any time I can get one. The two songs I have for you below are super catchy.

MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage - The Deadroads
MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage - Frank AB

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