"No, yoga. I'm not watching Star Wars. YOGA. Like...some Indian martial art or something. I dunno." - William Darcy, Bride & Prejudice

After hearing "Ageless Beauty" on WOXY, I picked up "Set Yourself On Fire" from Stars, a Canadian indie pop-rock band that's signed to the Arts & Crafts label. I'm glad to say that I wasn't disappointed - it is the best album I've picked up in a year...maybe even longer. Since I acquired it, it's been in constant rotation in my myriad music devices.

The music on "Set Yourself On Fire" is generally guitar based, but also incorporates electronic elements, pianos, strings and brass instruments. The songs are intelligently engaging takes on relationships, loss, lying politicians and beauty. The opening track - "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" - is a prime example: strings, brass, piano & guitar are woven together while the two singers take the roles of former lovers that meet in a chance encounter.

The album has been out in the US since March. You can visit the site and listen to the tracks yourself.

I passed my first 9's today. I got a D on Kakumei and a C on Tsugaru. Both of those songs are doable after you figure out the gallop step. I actually passed Kakumei by accident: I intended to do it on challenge, which is actually easier at 8 feet. After that, I felt pumped enough to go do Tsugaru on heavy. I failed on my first attempt, but did it again because I nailed the gallop section in the middle. The second time I did worse on the gallop, but well enough to just hang on by a sliver through the last section.

I feel rather good right now - I've come a long way since flailing on light.

Update - Just for good measure, I confirmed that it was no fluke: I actually improved my score on Kakumei to C added a C for Tsugaru (Apple Mix).