The great country of Canada produces some of the coolest bands… Rush, The Band, Arcade Fire, Sloan, Tegan and Sara, Neil Young and Crazy Horse… and we all know how I just love Triumph…

Along comes The Coast with the kind of sublime pop that feels so familiar, with songs that take you by the heart to the place where it’s fall and there’s a snap in the air and that cute guy/girl you have a crush on is walking you home and suddenly you’re both running because the moon eclipsed and all you see are stars.

Okay, err, back to reality here. It’s my lucky day to bring you Benjamin Spurr, lead singer and guitarist of The Coast. You can catch the boys on Thursday during SXSW Music at 9pm at The Wave.

The LP Questionnaire

Name: Ben Spurr
Pro Wrestling Name: Jack Gravy, apparently

1. Pretend you’re 15 (and tell us what year it is, if you don’t mind). Name three songs you’d put on a mix tape for your girlfriend/boyfriend.
It’s 1998. I’d probably put on “Sonnet” by the Verve, “So Cruel” by U2, and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes", by Paul Simon. She would not appreciate any of them, and then start making out with my brother. ‘98 was a rough year.

2. Which evil villain would make the best president? Stalin.

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? I think it was Bravestarr. He was a space cowboy who policed a small town on a planet where people mined for crystals, and he had a mechanical horse named “Thirty/Thirty,” like the gun. But I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what a 30-30 is, you’re from Texas.

4. What superpower do you wish you had? To be able to write songs in my sleep.

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? Snack Chip: The Ben Spurr Story

Pick Three

Martha Wainwright: I want to see Martha Wainwright because she’s got such an amazing voice and I’d love to hear it live, and I never have before. Hearing a beautiful voice in the flesh is sometimes the best kind of music.

Put the Rifle Down: I’m excited to see Put The Rifle Down, some friends of ours from Toronto who put on a great show. It’ll be cool to meet up with them down there.

(Bummer that Put the Rifle Down are no longer on the sched. As ever, keeping Pick Threes intact is just how I roll.)

R.E.M.: I also want to see R.E.M. The last time I saw them was one of my favorite concerts, an outdoor show on Yonge street in Downtown Toronto. People were hanging out of windows all down the street.

Okay, I confess I have no idea what a 30-30 is and that’s probably for the best. Believe it or not I have three more features scheduled for tonight so ya’ll come on back now, ya hear? Email mittens that are smitten to musicblog@sxsw.com. I loved the smokin’ labbit until I got burned, lp