Artist: The Constantines
Songs: 'Hard Feelings'
Album: 'Kensington Heights' [iTunes]
Sounds Like: Spoon, Q and Not U

Download: 'Hard Feelings' (MP3)

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Canadian indie rockoers the Constantines may have suffered a bit of a setback when guitar player Steve Lambke recently broke his hand after slipping on some ice near his home in Montreal, but lead singer/guitarist Bryan Webb seems fairly positive the promotion of the new album, 'Kensington Heights,' won't suffer too much. "We've had a couple of shows we've had to cancel," he tells Spinner, "but we're hoping we can play SXSW and continue on tour after that."

While the band will be trekking across the globe, 'Kensington Heights' finds the band paying homage to Webb's home city of Toronto, and his appreciation of its Kensington Market area. "It's kind of our freak scene," he explains. "We practice in a basement underneath a music shop. It's a good environment, good community to be a part of -- kind of bohemian, although I try to avoid using that word."

The album also reflects a bit of a change in the band's sound since their last record, 'Tournament of Hearts,' regrouping their classic and punk rock influences. "We had a couple of months in the studio, which was a luxury to us," Webb says. "We realized that we're a live band and the closer to that we can get, recording-wise, the better." Though Webb still handles lead vocal duty on most songs, Lambke continues his occasional contribution, which Webb welcomes. "I remember reading about when Paul Simonen sang [the Clash's] 'Guns of Brixton,' and Joe Strummer just stood in the studio, big beaming smile on his face. There's a lot more depth when there are different voices."