I’m completely sincere when I say thank you, Tegan and Sara Quin, for writing songs that make me feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest and pounded into a pulp on the pavement.”

The Canadian twins have always had an uncanny knack for making everyday, universal heartaches (“I imagine you, body next to another,” Tegan repeats on “The Ocean”) seem particularly poignant and profound, and that trend continues on “Sainthood,” their sixth full-length album, released today.

Musically, “Sainthood” doesn’t live up to the last Tegan & Sara album, 2007′s exceptional “The Con,” but the sisters continue their unparalleled lyrical examination of personal shortcomings, especially in relation to unrequited love.

The album’s title, culled from the Leonard Cohen lyric “I practiced all my sainthood / I gave to one and all / But the rumors of my virtue / They moved her not at all,” refers, according to the sisters, to their practice of being on their best behavior in the pursuit of relationships.

“All I said to you / All I did for you / Seems so silly to me now,” Tegan sings on “The Cure,” while Sara, on “Alligator,” promises herself, “No hissy fits / Mind my manners / Won’t make a scene / Oh, over you.”

From the jarring opening chords of the Sara-penned “Arrow” to Tegan’s hard-hitting “Northshore,” it’s clear that “Sainthood” is a musical leap for the duo. Sara, the quirkier of the two in terms of songwriting, penned the majority of the songs on “Sainthood,” and it shows. Tegan, meanwhile, seems to have absorbed the style of punk artists like Against Me! and AFI’s Hunter Burgan (who co-wrote three of the songs on “Sainthood”) she’s recently collaborated with.

Glaringly omitted from the record are tender acoustic ballads that were strong points on “The Con” and 2004′s “So Jealous.” Bonus track “Light Up,” Sara’s gorgeous homage to her mother, falls into this category, but though it’s included on the iTunes version of the album, it’s regrettable that it wasn’t included on the regular version (though, in fairness, it likely would have felt out of place).

With most of the 13 songs clocking in under three minutes, some feel unfinished, or even that they never had the chance to truly get off the ground in the first place. Album closer “Someday” seems particularly (and surprisingly) directionless.

At 29, the twins aren’t afraid to mock their own adolescent yearnings (“I know it turns you off when I get talkin’ like a teen,” Sara pines on the stellar “On Directing.”) Tegan & Sara joke that they are “committed to obsessively seek and discuss love until the end of time,” but all kidding aside, it’s a dialogue in which everyone can find solace.

Tegan & Sara play the Calvin Theatre in Northampton on February 12, 2010 and The Orpheum in Boston on February 13.

Canadian indie pop ensemble The Most Serene Republic have created a musical buffet with their third full-length album, …And the Ever Expanding Universe, out on July 14. It’s no stretch to connect the title to the group’s musical stylings, as the record touches on classical, jazz, disco, and everything in between. This approach allows The Most Serene Republic to operate less like an rock band and more like a chamber orchestra, with each member’s individual strength given its share of the spotlight.

The band’s musically diverse lineup, which incorporates a banjo and trombone among other more conventional instruments, consists of seven 24-year-old musicians hailing from Milton, Ontario who have been playing together since they were teenagers.

“Universe” certainly incorporates elements of other-worldliness, whether it’s the feeling of floating through space, as evoked by songs like “All of One is the Other” or the fact that the co-ed vocals courtesy of lead singer/trombonist Adrian Jewett and guitarist Emma Ditchburn often get lost in the swirl of instruments around them.

Many of the songs on the record possess a potent air of melodrama. Leadoff track “Bubble Reputation” is a rock opera in itself, opening “Universe” with theatrical horns and later letting the rest of the instruments build to an operatic crescendo. Classically-trained pianist Ryan Lenssen shows off his chops on the excellent dramatic instrumental “Patternicity” a song whose layered strings make it reminiscent of a John Williams score.

But “Universe” also provides an outlet for The Most Serene Republic’s pop sensibilities. Perhaps the most accessible tune is the high-energy, synth-infused “Don’t Hold Back, Feel a Little Longer.”

Casual music fans might not appreciate …And the Ever Expanding Universe. It’s music for the fickle-minded. But while The Most Serene Republic never dwells on one style for too long, they still manage to make their sound cohesive.

NEW YORK — As Canadian quintet Jets Overhead geared up for the U.S. release of their sophomore effort No Nations earlier this month, their live shows debuting the new material took them from tiny clubs on the East Coast to the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee.

Blast spoke with keyboardist/vocalist Antonia Freybe-Smith after a recent show in New York, days before the band was slated to perform on the “Cafƒ© Stage” (“It’s probably gonna be next to some port-a-potties or something” she downplayed) at Bonnaroo. Freybe-Smith said she’s been in a live music drought lately, and was hoping to “de-nerdify” at the weekend-long music festival, where Jets Overhead would be sharing a bill with acts including Bruce Springsteen, Snoop Dogg and Phish.

Jets Overhead is based in Victoria, British Columbia and fronted by husband-and-wife duo Freybe-Smith and Adam Kittredge. Their lineup is a reflection of “a classic Victoria thing where all the bands know each other” according to Freybe-Smith. Lead singer/guitarist Kittredge and guitarist Piers Henwood are cousins who first began playing music together informally at family holiday gatherings. Classically-trained bassist Jocelyn Greenwood was Kittredge’s neighbor, and the two attended the same high school. The trio eventually recruited Freybe-Smith to do backup vocals and rounded out the current lineup with drummer Luke Renshaw, who replaced their original drummer.

Individually, the members’ interests range from psychedelic rock to world music and jazz, with Kittredge in particular harboring a soft spot for Radiohead. (“Adam still cries every time we put on “ËœKid A’ or “ËœIn Rainbows’” his wife said.)

Previously known as The Special Guests, the band re-named itself after realizing that their moniker was often printed on concert tickets and fliers, but in a different context. “People would call and be like, “ËœDude, I can’t believe you’re playing with AC/DC!’” Freybe-Smith recalled. “It happened all the time.”

Kittredge, she explained, came up with the name Jets Overhead while staying in Europe near an airport and seeing a never-ending stream of plans landing and taking off.

Freybe-Smith had only positive things to say about the impact her relationship with Kittredge (the two were married in February) has had on the band. “It’s awesome” she said without hesitation. “We get to travel together and share all these really cool experiences.”

“And save money on hotel rooms” she added.

No Nations was recorded in the midst of a harsh Canadian winter, with the group “squirreled away” nightly in a basement recording space to jam and write songs, Freybe-Smith said. Sonically, the record reflects that “fireside chat” vibe, with slow tempos and laid-back, drowsy melodies.

“It’s a chill, atmospheric record with a good groove” Freybe-Smith said thoughtfully. “We wanted to make a record that our friends would want to listen to over and over, like on a road trip or after a party.”

No Nations will be released Tuesday on Vapor Records.

This is the first in an occasional series of in-depth band interviews by Elizabeth Raftery.

The Rural Alberta Advantage has been creating buzz over the digital airwaves for years now but will be officially releasing their first full length EP on July 7.

Lead singer and songwriter Nils Edenloff named the band when he moved from Edmonton, Alberta to Toronto, Ontario in 2003 and wrote a series of tributes to his hometown. A friend convinced him to begin playing the songs at an open mic night in Toronto and so it began from there.

In 2006, Edenloff and friends Paul Banwatt and Amy Cole became the permanent band members of RAA and recorded a five song EP. The band spent most of 2007 recording “Hometowns”, their first full length album. They began selling the record at their shows in early 2008 without an official release. Via pure word-of-mouth promotion, Herohill.com titled RAA “the best unsigned act in Canada”.

RAA really started catching people’s attention in November 2008 when they were suggested to digital music retailer eMusic by a fan and became an eMusic Selects artist. eMusic also put RAA on stage at this years South by Southwest festival. The gig hooked the Canadian trio up with Saddle Creek Records (Bright Eyes, Cursive). The band will be releasing “Hometowns” officially on the label in July and will then set out on a full North American tour.

Sat, Jun 20, Indianapolis, IN, The Vollrath

Sun, Jun 21, Madison, WI, High Noon Saloon

Mon, Jun 22, Minneapoils, MN, 7th Street Entry

Tue, Jun 23, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, Royal Albert Arms

Thu, Jun 25, Calgary, AB, Canada, Sled Island Festival

Fri, Jun 26, Calgary, AB, Canada, Sled Island Festival

Sat, Jun 27, Edmonton, AB, Canada, Brixx

Tue, Jun 30, Regina, SK, Canada, The Club at The Exchange

Sun, Jul 5, Vancouver, BC, Canada, The Media Club

Mon, Jul 6, Seattle, WA, Sunset Tavern

Tue, Jul 7, Portland, OR, Backspace

Thu, Jul 9, San Francisco, CA, Bottom of the Hill

Fri, Jul 10, Los Angeles, CA, The Echo

Sat, Jul 11, Phoenix, AZ, Modified

Mon, Jul 13, Salt Lake City, UT, Kilby Court

Tue, Jul 14, Denver, CO, Hi-Dive

Wed, July 15, Omaha, NE, Slowdown

Sat, Jul 25, Guelph, ON, Hillside Festival

Sun-Jul-26, Guelph, ON, Hillside Festival

Sat, Aug 1, Montreal, QC, Canada, Osheaga Music and Arts Festival

Sun, Aug 2, Montreal, QC, Canada, Osheaga Music and Arts Festival

Tue, Aug 4, Brooklyn, NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg

Wed, Aug 5, Cambridge, MA, Middle East (Upstairs)

Thu, Aug 6, Ottawa, ON, Canada, Mavericks

Sat, Aug 8, Wolfe Island, ON, Canada, Wolfe Island Musicfest

Mon, Aug 24, Chicago, IL, Pritzker Pavilion

Thu, Aug 27, Mount Pleasant, MI, Rubble’s Bar

Already, 2008 is shaping up to be a banner year for Canadian indie rockers The Stills, and their third album, “Oceans Will Rise,” hasn’t even hit shelves yet. In July, the Montreal quintet was tapped to open for Paul McCartney at Quebec City’s 400th Anniversary Concert and received positive reviews for the performance (“The group rocked for its life during the high-profile gig,” proclaimed the Montreal Gazette.)

When “Oceans” is released on August 19th, there’s a good chance The Stills’ summertime good fortune will continue. It’s their strongest record to date, coming on the heels of 2003′s “Logic Will Break Your Heart” and 2006′s “Without Feathers.”

The band’s official site describes them as a “rock band with an ‘80s sound,” but traces of early ‘90s grunge influences are also scattered throughout.

The album kicks things off with “Don’t Talk Down,” which, after brazenly borrowing an opening riff from The Smiths’ “A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours,” redeems itself by segueing into a bouncy, memorable ditty.

Singers Tim Fletcher and Dave Hamelin have stated that the title “Oceans Will Rise” refers to the fragility of humans as compared to the vast strength of nature. But the album seems to at least challenge, if not defy, that very notion, with several tracks packing a fairly powerful wallop. Take the grandiose first single “Being Here,” for example, which is back-to-basics rock ‘n’ roll, with Springsteen-esque guitar riffs and vocals encircling the repetitive, yet impossibly catchy chorus. Likewise, the surging “Hands on Fire” is structured like a wave, starting small before crashing down with a tsunami of a chorus.

Lyrically, however, “Oceans Will Rise” is a different story, as apocalyptic themes abound. “Dinosaurs” opens with the phrase “The clouds are thunder and lightning / The oceans level will rise / The earth will shake / Your windows will break.” The confessional “Everything I Build” takes things down a notch, with the mournful refrain, “I watched from the hill as it burned to the ground / I can still the smoke from my train out of town.”

Drummer Julian Blais provides highlights on a number of tracks, most notably on the aptly-titled “Snakecharming the Masses,” which mesmerizes the listener with a tribal beat. Rounding out the lineup are keyboardist Liam O’Neil and bassist Olivier Corbeil.

It might be hard to top the being the opening act for Sir Paul, but with “Oceans Will Rise,” The Stills will likely continue riding a wave of success.