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This is the greatest day ever! A brand new 50′s pulp comic-inspired t-shirt, comissioned by Emmy the Great and designed by Henry St Leger. And guess what else? IT GLOWS IN THE DARK! Buy this t-shirt, look awesome, and feel good about helping kids in need. All profits will benefit Kids Company; a London-based charity which helps impoverished inner-city kids who struggle to get the practical, emotional and educational support they need from their home environment. Comes in all shapes and sizes too, you can purchase one here!

Photo by Ana Kraš

The good folks at Verbicide Magazine have put on a little competition where you can win BIG! Three prizes up for grabs: an copy of The Indie Rock Coloring Book, The Indie Rock Poster Book, and a band-t-shirt of your choice. Go here to enter. Bonne chance!

Do you recall our first video session we did last year with Dry the River? Today we’re please to announce our next video with another one of our bands, the venerable Yann Tiersen. Yann performs his newest single in the middle of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) office building, while their employees are seen in the background, hard at work saving the world! You may recall that Yann has designated the profits from the sale of his t-shirt to benefit MSF, so this felt like a good way to raise awareness for their organization.

The song which Yann performs, I’m Gonna Live Anyhow, is about the inevitability of life before death and about appreciating the small things in between. As Yann himself describes:

“The song is inspired by the title of the 1959 Alan Lomax album I’m Gonna Live Until I Die. It focuses on the tiny pleasures of life with lyrics like ‘I love the woods after the rain’ and ‘I love the shore after the storm.’ The song grew out of the thought that you have no choice to live before you die it has to happen in that order and the cycle is inescapable.”

You can see the band, pictured above, wearing the TV on the Radio tee, the YBP scarf, the YBP merch tee, the Devendra Banhart tee,  and of course Yann’s own t-shirt that he is wearing, which he designed.

And a warm welcome to the newest addition of our YBP Gold range — the YBP Montreal Sweatshirt. Illustrated by Maxime Francout and photographed by Maggie Pelude, this sweatshirt will be the most welcoming addition to your Spring wardrobe. It’s warm, but not too hot… just like Montreal in the Springtime!

Click here to find out more!

This month, Beardlesque Brittany is going to commemorate her most memorable beard – not only because he was a ginger (and what better way to celebrate the luck ‘o the Irish?) but because it was outright the most fantastic she has seen yet.

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At a City and Colour concert last year (my favorite indie rock Canadian), Green’s bass player opened, Spencer Burton opened for him. His tunes are mindful of  Green’s calming, but melodic whisper and his gentile manner on stage complement his Americana ensemble. Never mind that, however, and let us ogle his BEARD. Spence Burton is not only a  bass for City and Colour, but a full-time, world-class beard conessieur.

He started a solo project, Grey Kingdom and is releasing an EP on March 20th called The Weeping Suns.

Behold, all, Spencer Burton in all of his facial hair(ed) glory.

Nothing is more musically and facial hair attractive on St. Patty’s Day than a ginger beard and sweet tunes. So, enjoy your green beer with a bit of Grey Kingdom.

Until next month beardos,

February can be defined as follows: Valentine love for our favourite beards. 

Considering that the birthplace of Yellow Bird Project’s is Canada – February’s post is a lover’s ode (although late!) to the facial fuzz of an indie beau that has crooned to all of Canada for many years, and another group that has only now graced the musical scene.

Behold: The Afreard.

Hayden is a picturesque brunette with not only 8 LPs (his first “album” was a cassette put out in 1994) under his belt, but an AFRO. I refer fondly to the combination of his stately beard and afro as the afreard. This facial hair fiends, is your very first Beardlesque Brittany vocabulary word – TAKE NOTE – you may be quizzed in the future.

Hayden’s afread and grainy baritone in complement to his timeless music are a parallel to his lumberjack demeanour. I’m fearful of clichés, but we should lend him some laid.

Nonetheless, Hayden is a heart throb to those who are appreciative of a well-kempt beard, and a long lasting and consistent career in the music business. Listen to one of Hayden’s most acclaimed tracks below, and check out his fantastic Yellow Bird tee, benefiting the Acoustic Neuroma Society.

(^^ Although this video isn’t a good endorsement of Hayden’s beard, it’s an incredible musical feat.)

As we pay our respects to our reliable relationship to Hayden, we also pay heed to the excitement of a new face: The Rural Alberta Advantage. They boast not one, but two very outstanding, and yet understated (much like Hayden’s) beards.

The tri-group consists of Nils (vocals and guitar), Paul (percussion) and Amy Cole. Their first album, Hometowns pays homage to Canada and its glory and their newest album, Departing, has been nominated for two Juno Awards.

In their music video, “Stamp,” an avid fan internally battles with herself as to whether she prefers Nils’ or Paul’s beard (or, I’d like to think their beards were the deciding factor – I may be slightly opinionated). Nils’ facial hair, paired with his melodic wale is quite alright; however, Paul’s brutish stature while playing the drums takes the cake. The avid fan agrees. Decide for yourself below – and enjoy RAA, they’re exceptional in both musical quality and, of course, bristles on the chin region.

Do you have a favourite Canadian beardo?

Until next month,

PS: Take a look see at YBP’s Canadian indie rock tees. They’re prett-ay great.

This week we released this bonus ‘morning session’; part 4 (actually part 1, really) of the YBP Wilderness Sessions, featuring your new favourite band, Dry the River.

In case your curious about what these dudes are wearing, read on brother…

Peter (guitar, lead vocals) – Dry the River tee

Matt (guitar, vocals) – Whispertown 2000 tee

Scott (base, vocals) – YBP Merch Tee

Jon (drums) – Beach House tee

Will (violin) – Of Montreal tee

Photo by Maggie Pelude.

In this light and on this evening, urbanites are invited to unite and escape the brisk, winter chill by helping those affected by poverty, thanks to the newest contribution to the YBP catalogue. British indie rock band, Editors, have created this unique urban oasis teaming with towering skyscrapers and rolling hills especially for YBP in an effort to support Oxfam. Profits from the shirt will go directly to this organization that provides communities with the skills and resources they need to make sustainable changes to dire issues like sanitation, water crisies, education, hunger and health. See your city a little brighter and make a purchase of this specially edited metropolis.

Watch below, a video of the Editors performing ‘No Sound But The Wind’; a song originally inspired by Cormac Mccarthy’s best-selling novel, The Road.

That’s Sam Fogarino from Interpol, wearing the new Jay Reatard Memorial Tee.

Photo taken by Reuben Cox.