Male duets are where it's at

For fans of: The Wooden Sky



OK, so I'm a few months late on this one. But AIdan Knight is worth waiting for.

The Victoria, BC native has proven himself. After dropping his first full-length album in March, he has gone on to win one of this year's CBC Radio 3 Bucky Awards, he came fifth in a prestigious BC talent contest and he'll wrap his nationwide tour Dec. 11. Not bad for a 24-year-old.

The kid keeps good company. In 2007, he took a 10-day bike tour with the likes of Said the Whale, Hannah Georgas and Jeremy Fisher -- a motley crew of musicians who have all seen their stars rising since that voyage.

I won't go into details describing his soothing and rhythms and folk sensibilities. I will, however, say his single "Jasper" absolutely makes a tight, warm ball of pride rise within my chest. Glad to see that this year's Bucky Award for "Most Canadian Song" had nothing to do with arbitrary nationalism and everything to do with the visceral experience of our landscape.

He's got a lovely version with female harmonies on the LP, but I can't get enough to the male vocal harmonies in this version with Vancouverite Dan Mangan (winner of Bucky's Best Live Performance -- a must see). Check it above.

Can we all acknowledge that male vocal harmonies are hugely underrated?