--- Capable Of More ---

2011-05-08T14:11:00.000-05:00

Everywhere you go, kids wanna rock.

2011-03-21T22:39:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I'll get my shit together and get things up and running soon enough... had several failed attempts with file hosting and looking for something that works better but will likely just go with mixes of some sort.

In the meantime I thought I should share the story of a dreamer... a young man with aspirations to make it as a rock star... aspirations I never had. I just wanted to play and make something I could listen to without cringing, this guy wants to change the face of music and create a "new style". Well, in this day and age where it seems that everything is derivitive of something else, an hommage, a mash up or maybe just ripped off; this man and his band will create something new. How can you do this? Well his plan includes the frequent use of falsetto, a drummer that plays good beats on time and for people who don't think the bassist is important? Well, he's gonna make them think twice.

HERE is the kijiji ad from a 17 year old in New Brunswick who will work harder than anyone to make his dream come true.

Now, I in no way think he'll "make it", maybe he won't even get to the point of having a somewhat decent band that has more than a few local fans but I do hope this comes together for him in some way cause it'll be a hell of a learning experience. I mean, can you imagine getting 5 guys together in a house, fresh out of high school, without jobs and having them actually focus on making music and becoming this great new band? More likely they'll realize the drummer is a screw up (law of averages says it's the drummer), the singer thinks he's the star or maybe they'll just get sick of each other in a good old fashioned roommate kind of way. Either way, when this dream comes down they'll either give it up or get stronger (mroe delusional?) from it.

They should know that the bar has been set pretty high:

Holiday (un)cheer...

2010-12-22T13:15:00.004-05:00

The Harlem Children's Chorus - Black Christmas
Centro-Matic - Christmas 83
Rocket From The Crypt - Cancel Christmas
Rheostatics - Aliens (Christmas 1988)
Supersuckers - Call It Christmas
Murder City Devils - 364 Days
Kal Calhoone - Winter's Womb

2010-12-21T00:23:00.000-05:00

Pixies Live

2010-10-27T20:21:00.002-05:00

The Pixies are offering a free download of their 2004 set from Coachella. They'll have some more great goodies to come at their website

the simpsons...

2010-10-11T00:37:00.002-05:00

this is a pretty dark opening for sure... courtesy of Banksy

Blackbird and the Fox

2010-10-01T14:32:00.003-05:00

New song from the upcoming Twilight Singers album...

so that was summer...

2010-09-26T18:24:00.006-05:00

I am a neglectful one when it comes to this blog... I've been doing lots of stuff though. Seen some great shows (Teenage Fanclub, Breathe Owl Breathe, Kiss, Jon Spencer, Autolux), a crap load of movies at the Toronto film festival, went to Hamilton, ate some great things, spent time with great people, wore some leather, biked lots and many things I'm either not at liberty to discuss or just don't feel like making public. But anyways, as usual my intent is to put more stuff up on here... I repeat, my intent.

Well, here are some songs old and new at least

Weinland - Sunken Eyes
Reid Paley - Take What You Want
Neil Diamond - I'll Come Running
Joseph Spence - Brownskin Gal
Karen Dalton - Same Old Man
Mel Dune - Time Hangs Heavy On Your Hands
Standard Fare - Secret Little Sweetheart
The Heathens - Sucker Or A Lover

This is what you miss if you don't go see Breathe Owl Breathe... a snorkling mask. Somehow they make it work.

This is possibly the best video ever (and not safe for work at all unless you have a really great job)

up and running

2010-08-20T22:02:00.005-05:00

After some misfires I found a file hosting site for now... so here are some tunes.

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Come Undone
From the new album Hawk (out this Tuesday), they're also hitting the road in sept/oct.

Land Of Talk - Blangee Blee
Their official website is pretty amazing right now... Cloak & Cypher is also out Tuesday and in some special formats here

Boris & Ian Astbury - Rain
Not sure what I was expecting, but the BXI ep just kind of sounds like mediocre stoner rock msotly. Either way this sludgy version of Rain is worth a listen.

The Sight Below - No Place For Us (Eluvium Remix)
Droney spacey guitars meets droney spacey piano...

Fanfarlo - A Minor Place (Live Bonnie Prince Billy Cover)
A nice cover from a band with some of the ugliest merch I've ever seen.

2010-08-19T09:15:00.000-05:00

world cup

2010-07-06T07:54:00.005-05:00

I am by no means a soccer fan but the world cup is pretty fun this time around. Anything that gives me an excuse to be out drinking at 10am and have it be socially acceptable (Germany vs Argentina on Saturday) is okay with me. Also this year my neighborhood is much quieter since Italy, Portugal and Brazil got knocked out.

Netherlands are playing today and I'm just hoping the TSN website can top the headlines they came up with for the last game...

UPDATE... here are some of the headlines from the game... shame on them for re-using headlines. I guss there's only so many puns they could think of.

a new mix

2010-07-01T14:31:00.005-05:00

Well, figured I'd start off the month right by posting something. Now, my fileden account is dead so all the old links won't work anymore... looking for a new hosting solution now but in the meantime here's a mix of stuff I'm liking for strolling around in the sunshine.

Get it HERE

1 Lilium - Right Where You Are
2 Woven Hand - His Rest
3 Delta Spirit - Salt in the Wound
4 Chère Françoise - Coeur Volage
5 Voxtrot - The Dream Lives Of Ordinary People
6 Walter Schreifels - Reqiuem
7 Unkle - Joy Factory feat. Autolux
8 Cate Le Bon - Burn Until The End
9 We Were Promised Jetpacks - With The Benefit Of Hindsight
10 Stafraenn Hakon - Tætir Rækju II
11 Television Personalities - Diary Of A Young Man
12 The Black Keys - These Days

scary

2010-06-07T17:38:00.002-05:00

this is scary for a couple of reasons... both her opinions and that way too close camera work.

Also scary is to think what would have happened had there been no helmet:

a hobo and a shotgun

2010-05-13T18:15:00.005-05:00

Wendall Davis is Swell

2010-04-16T09:59:00.003-05:00

I've posted stuff from Swell a few times before and I was very happy to get a link in my inbox to download a new album from the man behind that band, David Freel. This one is being released under the name Wendall Davis and if you go to their website you can download the album... I suggest you make a donation so more things like this can happen, it's completely worth it too. Here's a track from the album: Powers To Please

and some other stuff....
Nina Nastasia - You're A Holy Man (new album Outlaster coming June 7th from Fat Cat)

The Drums - You're The One That Makes Me Happy

Besnard Lakes - Glass Printer

Best Coast

2010-04-13T10:14:00.003-05:00

Playing Toronto tonight... make it out to The Garrison if you can.

Best Coast - The Road

sweet sonofabitch...

2010-04-12T13:58:00.002-05:00

The Double Down sandwich from KFC
540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1,380 milligrams of sodium

Sadly this will not be available in Canada. God Bless America for having the things I don't actually want (and slightly repulsed by), but am happy to know they exist.

This is Pop

2010-04-10T10:32:00.003-05:00

here's an assortment of tunes... mostly decent I'd say.
Dr. Dog - Where'd All The Time Go
Feathership - The Waterwell
Land Of Talk - May You Never
The Radio Dept - You Stopped Making Sense
Standard Fare - Dancing
The Novels - Big Run
The Leisure Society - We Were Wasted

And here's a little clip someone put together for a Leisure Society song...

Which then led to this...

Taxidermy....

2010-03-28T20:54:00.000-05:00

Priestess are great and this video is awesome.

Reminds me of the third act of this movie...

Alex Chilton

2010-03-18T13:47:00.001-05:00

Because you never travelled far, without a little Big Star...
Take Care
September Gurls
Mod Lang (unissued single mix)

RIP Mark Linkous

2010-03-08T09:44:00.002-05:00

"It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear friend and family member, Mark Linkous, took his own life today. We are thankful for his time with us and will hold him forever in our hearts. May his journey be peaceful, happy and free. There's a heaven and there's a star for you." - The Linkous Family

Very sad news... Sparklehorse were an amazing band and Mark Linkous wrote some devastatingly beautiful songs.

Sick Of Goodbyes
Happy Man (Memphis Version)

parting of the ways

2010-01-30T14:27:00.002-05:00

I was tempted to include Greg Kihn here, but this will do for now.

The Knight Brothers - I'm Never Gonna Live It Down
Jean Stanback - I Still Love You
Tindersticks - Tiny Tears (BBC Session)
The Afghan Whigs - When We Two Parted (Live, Philadelphia 1996.05.28)
Soulsavers - You Will Miss Me When I Burn
Centro-Matic - For New Starts
Gerald Collier - Boozin' Time

Death Comes To Town

2010-01-12T17:19:00.003-05:00

This starts tonight on CBC.... I can't believe dave Foley still looks good* in drag.
Trying not to let me expectations get too high.

*looks like a woman

closing out the year...

2010-01-02T15:21:00.002-05:00

So, in no particular order here are some of this year's tunes that floated to the top of my playlists

Lee Fields & The Expressions - Do You Love Me Like You Say You Do
My Latest Novel - The Greatest Shakedown
Obits - Fake Kinkade
New Ruins - Lake
Priestess - Lady Killer
The Motorleague - Fossils
John Vanderslice - D.I.A.L.O.
I Was A King - Norman Bleik (can Teenage Fanclub sue for this?)
Hildur Gudnadottir - Erupting Light
Fanfarlo - Drowning Men (acoustic version)
Dead Man's Bones - Name In Stone (Live Version) (stuck in my head more than any other song this year)
Dark Night Of The Soul - Daddy's Gone
The Breeders - The Last Time (Best Mark Lanegan appearance of the year)
Black Moth Super Rainbow - American Face Dust
Benjy Ferree - Fear
Big Star - Life Is White (Demo) (Keep An Eye On The Sky is pretty much the perfect box set)
Bear In Heaven - Deafening Love
BEAK> - Blagdon Lake

For 2010 I'm looking forward to these:
Tindersticks - Black Smoke
Ted Leo - Even Heroes Have to Die

And hoping for something new/touring throught my town by the reunited Rival Schools - Accept The Compliment (and the reunited Soundgarden for that matter)

eve of destruction (or maybe christmas)

2009-12-24T10:26:00.004-05:00

I'm drinking on the job and wanted ot post a few more songs before the day... also a picture of one of the best houses in downtown Toronto. Just down the street from the Gem.

Cracker - Merry Christmas Emily
Buffalo Killers - Xmas Time
Jimmy Witherspoon -How I Hate To See Christmas Come Around
Floyd Dixon - Empty Stocking Blues

holly jolly christmas

2009-12-17T21:27:00.002-05:00

Well, a few tunes in the spirit of the season...

Big Star - Jesus Christ
Murder City Devils - 364 Days
Rocket From The Crypt - Cancel Christmas
Supersuckers - Christmastime
Junkyard Dogs - Brand New Bike
Bruce Cockburn - Joy To The World

I'll have some of my favorites from the year coming up soon.

scotch

2009-11-29T22:57:00.004-05:00

well, I have to say that I am by no means a scotch connoisseur but I certainly enjoy them from time to time. the right ones anyway... I usually just ask the right people
I little while ago I was lucky enough to attend a couple of scotch tastings hosted by Glenfiddich & Macallan repectively. Likely the two most popular widely available brands and both certainly have their strong points... Glenfiddich is affordable, quite easy to drink and is perfect to pour in the flask for some sipping to spice up/make bearable an event or a family gathering. Macallan is a much nicer scotch and the price reflects it, putting it out of my usual bargain bin/airmile point buying range for sure. The 12 year old isn't too bad at $90 but the much tastier 18 year old is deathly at $290 (especially when it sells for $100 less in Nova Scotia) and makes it a bit hard to swallow... if I could afford it I'd keep it stocked regularly.
My only issue was with Macallan pushing their ice maker to put ice in the scotch. It would create a ball that would melt slower than a cube but would still dilute the scotch and the cold would trap in the flavour, maybe a good idea for some cheap booze, but not if you've got the good stuff. Glenfiddich was also pushing a mixed drink using their single malt, I guess it's in trying to bring new people to scotch who find it a bit harsh. I say just give everyone a rusty nail (made with a blend, not a single malt) and take them from there. Regardless, it's always good to encourage people to drink the good stuff. Go check out a tasting of some sort if you can (go HERE and maybe you'll get lucky) or just talk to a bartender with a good stock... it's definitely nice to have a bottle at home when you need it though. What do you think?

the line up...

the aforementioned ball of ice maker... and some Balls Of Ice (courtesy of 3 Inches Of Blood)

a new moon rising...

2009-11-20T17:09:00.003-05:00

Just got a bit older.... so here's a couple tunes.
Heartless Bastards - Done Got Old
Furnaceface - I'm Getting Fat

Also, New Moon opens tonight and while getting panned critically here's what a co-worker said about it.

"OMG!!!! Loved it..
Although they could have lengthened more shots with the werewolves and the Volturri.
The script was way better, as well as the overall color of the film.. More reddish brown this time compared to the blue/gray of Twilight.
The music is great too!!
Edward was just dreamy!!
I think 2 hrs 10 mins was just not enough.. Although there were some scenes they could have shortened.. like Bella pining over Edward when he left her.
Its gonna be a sure hit for the teen agers and twi-moms!! :)"

So yeah.... this one is critic proof.

But not satire proof:

Devil's Night

2009-10-29T16:01:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite holidays since it involves alcohol and stupidity (for me at least), here are some tunes in tune with the theme.

Elvis Perkins - Stay Zombie Stay
Migala - WWW (Searching for the Wicked Witch of the West)
American Music Club - I Know That's Not Really You
Wax Fang - Halloween (Misfits cover)
Dead Man's Bones - My Body's A Zombie For You
Heartless_Bastards - Witchy Poo
Afghan Whigs - Big Top Halloween
Grandpaboy - Vampires And Failures
Holly Golightly - Devil Do
Turbonegro - I Walked With A Zombie
Venom - Live Like an Angel (Die Like a Devil)

this made me smile...

2009-10-07T16:07:00.002-05:00

Here's a new Dog Day track from a limited edition 12" they've got coming out....
Dog Day - Synastry

And here's a couple of bands I saw in Montreal on the weekend, I was very excited for Woven Hand, they were the reason for the trip after all. It lived up to expectations and somewhat made up for never being able to see 16 Horsepower. I caught Treasure Hunt as well, knowing some of the guys in teh band it was worth checking out, two drums & two bass make a heavy band. I hope they play more and do some touring/recording... this video doesn't do the show justice, but it's all I could find.

2 months...

2009-09-09T22:30:00.003-05:00

Funny how time slips away... Oh well, I've been keeping busy.

Got to see Beyonce, Obits, Rural Alberta Advantage, The Breeders, Elvis Costello, Irma Thomas (still sounded amazing) and more... went to Niagara and drank lots of wine, generally enojyed myself and neglected this poor little page once again. Way to build the excitment and momentum I know...

Anyway, I've got some other stuff I've been meaning to post, will get some of it up soon. Also the film festival is starting up again so hope to see and report lots about that but for now here's some lovely little tunes to get you on your way.

Soulsavers - Some Misunderstanding

Dead Man's Bones - My Body's A Zombie For You

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Gold Splatter

video time

2009-07-07T11:52:00.001-05:00

a couple of great videos... an old classic and something I just saw today.

actiekatten
by filiafloep

getting up to date (with visual aids)

2009-07-03T22:51:00.008-05:00

So, since the last post I saw Dead Weather as the Horseshoe, went to Halifax where I found out about Spiderman's secret life and enjoyed the company of a cute climbing goat (as well as some family) and when I returned to Toronto I hosted a delicious Carlsberg* party which involved quite a large consumption of Carlsberg topped off with some scotch.
I also found out that Lou Ferrigno & Bruce Campbell will be coming to Fan Expo next month, and this fall Hauschka, The Butthole Surfers & Jesus Lizard are playing here (though not together). It's been a good time.

For the hell of it here's Malcolm Middleton & The Hold Steady together from a radio show. I love Malcolm Middleton but everytime the guy from the Hold Steady opens his mouth it makes me cringe... awful, just awful. Here it is anyway

* I have a fondness for Carlsberg partly based on when they used to sponsor all those great late night movies on Showcase...

FREE STUFF!

2009-06-10T07:27:00.006-05:00

I know that in the days of the internet you can (and many do) find pretty much any album, movie or tv show they want for free. It's a bit nicer though when that artist actually wants you to have it for free rather than getting it by causing them a lost sale. (Insert moral dilemma here...) And while I do go the bad route myself I also love sites like the Free Music Archive where you can fill your mp3 player free of charge of some great stuff. Emusic is still cheaper than iTunes and without all the Apple-assimilating propaganda and hell you can even get my old album there.

As for some free music, there's some lovely piano tunes to download from the artist.
OCDC - Piano Suites For Ella & Piano Suites for Kristin

Not music at all but I figure if anyone want's a Carlsberg poker set you can get one for free HERE (provided you're in Ontario or Quebec).

And while not quite free Fanfarlo are offering their latest (and sigur ros approved) album Reservoir for free via their website. As seen below:

Dark Night Of The Soul

2009-06-04T16:01:00.003-05:00

This is a great album, figured I'd provide another "means" to get the music...

“Danger Mouse’s new project Dark Night Of The Soul consists of an album length piece of music by Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse and a host of guest vocalists, along with a collection of original David Lynch photography inspired by and based on the music.
The photographs, which provide a visual narrative for the music, are compiled in a limited edition, hand numbered 100+ page book which will now come with a blank, recordable CD-R. All copies will be clearly labeled: ‘For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will.’
Due to an ongoing dispute with EMI, Danger Mouse is unable to release the recorded music for Dark Night Of The Soul without fear of being sued by EMI.
Danger Mouse remains hugely proud of Dark Night Of The Soul and hopes that people lucky enough to hear the music, by whatever means, are as excited by it as he is.”

Dangermouse & Sparklehorse – Dark Night Of The Soul (NEW LINK)

Much Worse Lieutenant

2009-05-31T12:47:00.002-05:00

This just sounded like a mistake from the start...
Werner Herzog taking on Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant with Nicolas Cage in the lead.
The first footage is out now and this is just looking insane. It looks like a great comedy but a slap in the face to the original. Either way, I'll have to see it.

Behold the wackness that is, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

some new stuff

2009-05-22T12:36:00.003-05:00

Saw The National last night, they were okay but the shows haven't been as good as the first time I saw them at the Horseshoe after Alligator came out... more chatty hipsters and less energy from teh band it seems. The show was awesome however for getting to see Colin Stetson, nto the best venue for his music but I've never seen anything quite like what he did with a saxophone or two... it was up there with seeing Nels Cline for just all out crazy musicianship. Check it out.
Colin Stetson - Nobu Take

And some other stuff...

Dangermouse & Sparklehorse – Dark Night Of The Soul - Jaykub (click HERE to buy the best CD-R ever)

Dinosaur Jr – I Want You To Know

An ex member of the Stills and some other folk making very Pavement sounding music:
Feathership - For Once

Tortoise – Monument Six One Thousand
and in that vein...
The Hylozoists - Bras d’Or Lakes

back to mine for some late night tales...

2009-05-08T15:53:00.000-05:00

Was talking with a friend about good late night music, to play while you have the last drink at home or whatever you do before you figure out what you’re doing next...
These songs seem to work for me, maybe you’ll like them too...

It's Right HERE

1 Bat For Lashes - Glass
2 Contrived - Celebrate
3 Magnetic Morning - The Wrong Turning
4 My Jerusalem - Under Your Skin
5 Knight Bros. - Temptations 'Bout to Get Me
6 Intramural - Nights Are Long (with Josh Dawson of Slender Means)
7 Spain - Every Time I Try
8 Migala - La cancion de Gurb
9 Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Everytime I'm With You
10 Mogwai - 1% of Monster
11 Rodriguez - I Wonder

the ashes of an arab strap

2009-05-01T16:06:00.002-05:00

Usual excuses for not posting... oh well, had to go fetch some stuff from the east coast.

The new Malcolm Middleton album, Waxing Gibbous, is coming out on June 1, here’s a tune now though.
Malcolm Middleton - Carry Me

And the other half of Arab Strap continuing to write his own brand unforgettable and romantic lyrics.
Aidan Moffat + The Best Ofs – Living With You Now

And for some reason after listening to that I though of this: Phoebe Snow - Two Fisted Love

The Story Of Anvil

2009-04-10T16:43:00.004-05:00

Anvil have been around forever... They were once among the top metal bands in the early eighties and then just kind of slipped into obscurity only to be remembered for Metal On Metal.
Anvil: The Story Of Anvil screened last year at Hot Docs in Toronto and Sundance, I saw it at Canadian Music Week last month and now it's had premieres in New York and LA.

There's not much I can say that hasn't been in some of the other reviews out there... When you see it you really do feel for a band that has worked so hard and just haven't been able to break through and get back into the world scene again. Well, looking at the pictures from the L.A. premiere it looks like they'll definitely be getting lots of attention... hopefully it'll get them back into the metal world and give them a little more recognition for their contribution to that scene.

Either way, it's a great movie... unintentionally hilarious and surprisingly touching. Go see it.

great interviews...

2009-04-09T17:54:00.003-05:00

You may have heard about the Billy Bob Thornton interview from yesterday, I just watched it and it is gold.

Reminds me of this... though Sigur Ros are at being pleasant, just not very good at elaborating.

Dogs

2009-04-07T23:28:00.002-05:00

So, I saw Dr. Dog again on the weekend... I saw them back in October and it was a great show at a small venue with a good crowd. This time around a less inspired performance (they've been playing straight since, so it happens) at a bigger venue with a bunch of hipsters who were just there cause it was a Saturday night and they've heard of the band playing. You know the type, the ones who are more interested in telling their friends how great the song is rather than listening to it... At least they play loud enough to drown out most of them. I'll just have to go to more shows by obscure bands or by old ones that the cool folk have moved on from or were never into (that was a good thing about Primal Scream a couple weeks ago).

Anyway, my favorite dog band, Dog Day, has a new album called Concentration coming out later this month. It was produced by John Agnello (Buffalo Tom, Dinosaur Jr, Screaming Trees, Raging Slab, Son Volt, etc...) so I'm excited to hear the results considering Night Group blew me away a couple years ago.

Here's a sneak peek: Dog Day - Rome

2009-03-20T00:29:00.002-05:00

a visit from my lady, trip to Montreal, two Tindersticks shows, Canadian Music Week, some Rock Of Love and that brings us up to date for the most part.

This is some good new music:
Contrived - Attention (black ops)
Elvis Perkins In Dearland - I Heard Your Voice In Dresden
Benjy Ferree - Fear
Bat For Lashes - Siren Song

This is tomorrow night... Iron Giant
featuring this guy on bass....

Lover's Day...

2009-02-14T14:05:00.003-05:00

or at least that's what we're told. It's great to be in love and have someone you care for without a doubt. I still think designating one say to express that is a bit lame. Regardless it can be a good topic for songs so here's a few of those with varying takes on the theme.

Bill Janovitz - My Funny Valentine
Martina Topley-Bird - Valentine
Steve Earle - Valentine's Day
Ron Hawkins - St. Valentine's Day Massacre

Buddy Holly

2009-02-07T12:02:00.000-05:00

Buddy Holly died 50 years ago this week. So in tribute...

Exciting things...

2009-01-27T23:10:00.004-05:00

So, Tindersticks are touring in North America and are going to make me very happy in March since I'll be seeing them in Montreal and Toronto. They're a band that I slowly grew to love and now can't find wrong in anything they do... I kind of figured that I'd never get to see them live and was thinking about flying to London to see them when they were playing all of II at ATP. That didn't pan out and I'm already setting my expectations ridiculously high for the shows. The Montreal show could be extra fun since there's a good chance Lhasa De Sela will make an appearance, I know she did when Stuart Staples was touring solo. Anyway, here's some good stuff from them... there's been a fair bit peppered throughout this blog in the past too if you go digging.
Tiny Tears (BBC Session)
A Sweet, Sweet Man
No More Affairs (Instrumental)

Heartless Bastards have a new album called The Mountain coming out next Tuesday (feb 3rd). I'm looking forward to this though I'm not too happy that they're not coming to Toronto on the first run of touring for their album... Here's the title track that leaves me wanting to hear the rest of the album right now. The Mountain

And here's some other goodies that put a smile on my face...
Mickey & Sylvia - Dearest
The Night Marchers - Who's Lady R U
Mark Eitzel - No Easy Way Down

And this is insane... thanks for turning me onto this sweet girl Dave.

blahg

2009-01-23T21:19:00.002-05:00

I don't come around much anymore. I guess I'll just have to make sure when I do that it's a sweeter deal to get people to drop by.

Anyway, I'm curious to hear more of this...

another year

2009-01-06T18:51:00.003-05:00

Well, it's 2009 so it's time to put up a bunch of my favorite stuff from the last year...

Woven Hand - Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars
Tindersticks - The Hungry Saw
The Saturday Knights - Patches
The Rural Alberta Advantage - Frank, AB
The Gutter Twins - The Stations
The Breeders - Night Of Joy
The Black Keys - Remember When (Side A)
South San Gabrel - Kept On The Sly
Sigur Ros Við Spilum Endalaust
She & Him - Sweet Darlin'
Portishead - Magic Doors
Menahan Street Band - Make The Road By Walking
Magnetic Morning - Out In The Streets
Land Of Talk - Got A Call
Kyle Fischer - Thousand Points Of View
Hayden - Where And When
Hauschka Ginsterweg
Frank Black - When They Come To Murder Me
Fantasy Bar - Much Drinking, Little Thinking
Dr. Dog - 100_Years
DeUS - The Vanishing Of Maria Schneider
Calexico - Man_Made_Lake
Breathe Owl Breathe - Sabertooth Tiger
American Music Club - Decibels And Little Pills
Adem - To Cure A Weakling Chile (Boy Girl Song)

Tis the season

2008-12-20T15:13:00.002-05:00

I posted these last year, but I've got a special someone with me I've had no time for the old blog..

Murder City Devils - 364 Days
Rocket From The Crypt - Cancel Christmas
Supersuckers - Christmastime
Junkyard Dogs - Brand New Bike
Bruce Cockburn - Joy To The World

Also, here's the last Fireman album, I like it better than the new one...
The Fireman - Rushes

Dulli on Doug Sahm tribute

2008-11-30T17:59:00.003-05:00

(from Tripwire.com)

On March 24 of 2009, Vanguard Records will release Keep Your Soul: A Tribute To Doug Sahm to celebrate the Texas Tornado's unique career and influential legacy. This collection will include new renditions of Doug's most indelible songs from his days as "Little Doug" through his time with the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Texas Tornados, performed by artists such as Levon Helm, Delbert McClinton, Los Lobos, Dave Alvin, Augie Meyers, Jimmie Vaughan, Alejandro Escovedo and Doug's son, Shawn Sahm. As a first look of what we can expect from Keep Your Soul, here is Greg Dulli's (Afghan Whigs, Gutter Twins) take on "You Was For Real"

MP3 Stream - "You Was For Real"

thirty

2008-11-21T18:47:00.003-05:00

I turned 30 yesterday. Not a big deal really, but boy do people like to make you feel like it is.

Heartless Bastards - Done Got Old

It's a good time to remember to age gracefully and don't try and cling to your youth... and don't show up to Twilight screenings alone.

the end is near...

2008-11-17T22:31:00.003-05:00

For the sake of not putting things off any longer... and to get one under the gun before I sneak into a new decade...

Woven Hand - Not One Stone
Land Of Talk - It's Okay
Kyle Fischer - Hey, Sweetheart
The Whispertown 2000 - Mountain

And a little something I came across today...

novembre

2008-11-05T18:08:00.002-05:00

That's how the French say November...

So, Obama won to my surprise... I guess I expected a stronger showing for the ignorant portion of the US population, though it was McCain & Palin all the way in the south. Looks like the US made up for that huge mistake 4 years ago and picked the right Mr. November

Anyway, that's the whole of my political commentary cause there's a couple new releases that I've been waiting for. They both aren't going to win too many new fans but will play well for those who've already bought in...

Greg Dulli - Tonight
From the first official live release he's ever put out Live At Triple Door. At times his vocal limitations are put in the spotlight but it's still a pretty great collection with Petra Haden and Shawn Smith showing up....

Matthew Sweet - Feel Fear
I loved Living Things and Kimi Ga Suki Raifu a few years back, I think they were showing him at his best in terms of songwriting. There's some songs up to that par here but there's a few very weak links and the production sounds pretty amateur at times.

all hallow's eve

2008-10-30T23:26:00.002-05:00

since I've slacked off I figured I'd do a big dump of Halloween themed tunes to try and make up for it... there are some gems here for sure.

American Music Club - I Know That's Not Really You
Wax Fang - Halloween (Misfits cover)
Afghan Whigs - Big Top Halloween
Primal_Scream - Zombie_Man
margot & the nuclear so and so's - vampires in blue dresses
Dog Day - Zombie
Grandpaboy_- Vampires And Failures
Ponty's Camper - Astro Zombies (Misfits cover)
Holly Golightly - Devil Do
Turbonegro - I Walked With A Zombie
Supersuckers_- Sleepy Vampire
Low Pop Suicide - Zombie
Venom - Live Like an Angel (Die Like a Devil)

a special mix

2008-10-20T17:50:00.003-05:00

In the days of manning the counter at a used CD store a guy who was a bit slow once tried to sell me a mix CD he made. I told him I couldn't buy it but he left it anyway... and I now present it to you. Enjoy.

Melvin's Music - Rock Line
1 Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell
2 Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me
3 Heart - Barracuda
4 Santana - Black Magic Woman
5 Kansas - Carry On My Wayward Son
6 Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes
7 Ram Jam - Black Betty
8 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Love Struck Baby
9 Boston - More Than A Feeling
10 Guess Who - American Woman
11 Trooper - Raise A Little Hell
12 The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go
13 April Wine - I Like To Rock
14 Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper
15 Doucette - Mama Let Him Play
16 Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever
17 Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild

Also, Here's some RFTC from All Systems Go 3 that later showed up on the Free The West Memphis 3 cd with some different lyrics
Rocket From The Crypt - Total Bummer
and to answer a question: The Four Tops - What Is A Man

a mix for the fall

2008-09-29T15:38:00.002-05:00

October's looking like it's gonna be a good month... I kick it off with Nick Cave, Dr. Dog a couple days later, then I've got a trip, some company and a bunch more shows (Asobi Seksu & Birdmonster included). Figured I'd bid adieu to September with a mix since it's been a little while.

You can get it HERE

01. Birdmonster - Iditarod
02. Pela -Tenement Teeth
03. Centro-Matic - Strychnine, Breathless Ways
04. Land Of Talk - Some Are Lakes
05. Maritime - For Science Fiction
06. The Night Marchers - Closed For Inventory
07. dEUS - Oh Your God
08. School Of Language - Poor Boy
09. The Weakerthans - Civil Twilight
10. Ida Maria - Drive Away My Heart
11. The Dirtbombs - Sherlock Holmes

Sigur Ros

2008-09-23T13:01:00.002-05:00

There's something great about seeing a funny group of men in funny outfits playing huge sweeping melodies in a historic concert hall. Throw in the best confetti canons I've seen since the Van Halen show last year and it's a pretty memorable experience. They definitely put on a hell of a show and unlike when I saw the Supersuckers on Saturday, it never felt like they were just coasting and going through the motions to get paid... also, their new songs don't suck.

Enjoy:

Sir Ben Kingsley... punk icon.

2008-09-18T11:26:00.002-05:00

I have no idea how something like this comes about but it's pretty fucking cool.

Sir Ben Kingsley STOMPS into the shoes of Minor Threat's Ian MacKaye from Mean Magazine on Vimeo.

TIFF rundown

2008-09-17T12:45:00.004-05:00

Last week was the Toronto International Film Festival and I ended up catching 20 movies. It was a fun 10 days, now I have to get caught up on laundry, The Shield and ANTM but here’s a wrap-up of some of the movies I saw. (I had to do some quickie reviews for work anyway so here's some highlights to fill up some space and a song to start things off: Brightblack Morning Light - Oppressions Each)

Tears For Sale (aka Charleston & Vendetta) - I already posted the trailer for this movie because I absolutely love it. It's a vivid fairytale similar to what we see from people like Gilliam, Jeunet and Del Toro. A world grounded in real life but with fantasy all around including curses, ghosts of lovers from the past and dancing in a vineyard full of exploding mines. Breathtaking scenery is abound in this one, using the same palate as A Very Long Engagement and Perfume. I hope this gets out so more people can see it.

Detroit Metal City – A trendy Japanese pop singer ends up fronting a pre-fab death metal band; he wanted to sing about making cake with his sweet heart but ended up singing about raping his mother today and raping his father tomorrow. It's completely absurb and possibly the funniest thing I saw all year.

Jean Claude Van Damme is Jean Claude Van Damme in JCVD; a not too far from the truth story about his life and career mixed in with a Dog Day Afternoon style robbery that he a part of. Jean Claude carries some emotional depth in his native tongue, it’s an unexpected turn and a highlight of the fest.

The Good, The Bad & The Weird is an Oriental western... The story is weak but it really doesn’t matter here with great action and superb cinematography. A gunfight in the town involving a bounty hunter swinging over the rooftops rifle in hand and the large scale chase at the climax with multiple groups of bandits and the Japanese army facing off are sure to satisfy.

Acolytes is a twisted and tense little thriller from Australia that follows three teens as they cross aths with a serial killer and try to blackmail him into taking care of one of their problems. It really has the same tone as a movie like frailty with a slow steady build up and a big pay off in the end.

Pontypool - The new flick from Bruce MacDonald (Hard Core Logo, Highway 61) is sort of a zombie/virus movie but presented in a novel way sort of like [REC]. We learn about a strange hysteria that's sweeping a small town in Ontario through reports that come into the local radio station and the three people inside the station are left to decipher what the hell is going on as the reports get stranger and more horrific. Horror hasn't felt this fresh (or Canadian) in a long time.

Sexykiller - It's American Psycho mashed together with Clueless in the form of a sexy little Spanish girl who loves clothes almost as much as killing. It's fun but could have been so much better. I mean how can you have zombies crash a Halloween party, introduce a chainsaw into the mix and not have it turn into a bloodbath?

I mostly shied away from Hollywood movies, but I did catch Danny Boyle's new one Slumdog Millionaire and Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler. They're both great movies that don't feel entirely fresh or original but are great pieces of storytelling. They'll be hitting the theatres this fall, well worth checking out.

resting up

2008-09-15T15:56:00.002-05:00

After a week of seeing over 20 movies (including several at midnight) and still working I'm kind of tired. Throw in a Goldfrapp show last night for the hell of it and I'm badly in need of sleep.

Heres a few newbies to the world that are worthy of a listen.

The Gutter Twins - Duchess (Scott Walker Cover)
from the Adorata ep which is only available from iTunes shows a bit more of a solid sound from the group... whever album number 2 comes out it should be a heavy.

Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines
the Stand Ins is out now... the follow up to Stage Names is really more of the same but there's nothing wrong with that in the least.

TV On The Radio - Halfway Home
coming soon...

Tears For Sale (aka Charleston & Vendetta)

2008-09-11T01:52:00.001-05:00

Amazing! Could be my favorite movie I've seen this year.

Toronto International Film Festival

2008-09-06T18:04:00.002-05:00

I've already seen 5 movies and have at least 10 more to go this week, very fun times.

Here's two of the great ones I saw:

JCVD, Van Damme in his best movie ever, I know that's not saying much but it is awesome.

Detroit Metal City, more crazy Japanese goodness and absurdity.

2 days in a row

2008-08-26T14:34:00.002-05:00

Been a while since I've done this, but it means I'm making amends as I go back into my burrowing lifestyle.

Mogwai's Batcat is coming out in 2 weeks and here's a track:
Devil Rides (featuring Roky Erickson)

Geekfest

2008-08-25T13:22:00.005-05:00

I went to Fan Expo on the weekend, a place for fans of sci-fi, comics, anime and horror to leave their basements and congregate in one place. It was horribly overwhelming and full of people like in these pictures but I did get an autograph from Tura Satana so it was certainly worth while (even though she's 73 and not looking up for a faster Pussycat sequel).

Someone who was famous a long time ago has an opinion we all need to hear....

2008-08-22T09:58:00.006-05:00

I just love uninformed judgements passed on things, especially by people no one really cares about*. Maureen McCormick has spoken out against Tropic Thunder. She says "I haven't seen the movie and I won't go see the movie because of what I've heard" but still knows enough to tell the world about it. I saw it, it's funny and ridiculous. I'm still not a huge fan of Stiller these days but Downey Jr. is amazing in it, worth the price of the show. The people who come out and dismiss something before they see or hear it are the true retards, not the mentally challenged.

People need to lighten up or there will be nothing funny left in the world.

Oh well, here's a song. The Heelwalkers - Open Season

Brady Bunch Star Boycotts Stiller's Thunder
21 August 2008 6:28 PM, PDT

Former Brady Bunch pin-up Maureen McCormick has pledged to boycott Ben Stiller's war comedy Tropic Thunder as part of a protest about the film's use of the word retard.

In a blog post, McCormick writes, "I haven't seen the movie and I won't go see the movie because of what I've heard, but I want to add my two cents to the opinions on whether it's offensive to the mentally challenged.

"I know Ben Stiller has said that he's making fun of actors, not people with disabilities. Still, the movie is geared toward a younger crowd and I fear a lot of those teenagers and college students will leave the theater thinking 'r**ard' is (an) okay word to use. It's not. It's taken years to get people to stop using that word."

* I realize I'm very much a person no one really cares about as well and I'm voicing my opinion, but it's not going to be carried by

I'm still here... are you?

2008-08-19T15:12:00.003-05:00

Not going to bother with a catch up, just throw a few crumbs out there for now... I'll get in the swing of this more in the fall when I'll be flying solo when my lady hits the books again.
I'm going to see Dog Day tonight, always good time.

Been listening to this: Dr. Dog - From it is as good as the reviews say.

And Rob Dickinson re-released his last album with a bonus disc of acoustic stuff featuring a couple of my favorite Catherine Wheel songs like Black Metallic

There's lots of other stuff around I'll get to at some point... new Calexico, new Westerberg, Gutter Twins b-sides & covers coming soon. I'll start my digging to see what I can find.

I notice that the files are still being downloaded, but I do wonder just how many people pass through these doors...

highlights

2008-07-28T15:53:00.002-05:00

So since the last post I went to the air guitar finals, saw Hellboy 2, said goodbye to commuting to Brampton and started working downtown, had my folks in for a visit, went to the botanical gardens, celebrated my lady's birthday, saw The Dark Knight in IMAX at 8:30 in the morning since every other showing was sold out, been using my Zune (which is working well for me though I have yet to use the "social" aspects), ate lots of good food and drank on occasion.

No real reason there as to why I couldn't muster a post or two but it just didn't work out somehow.

I'll dig up some treasures to post soon but to tide you over take this:
Calexico - Two Silver Trees

a midsummer's night mix

2008-07-09T09:42:00.002-05:00

Time for another mix.

There's another Adem track from Takes; covering The Breeders with his voice reminding me a lot of Glen Hansard on this one. "Quality Strange" sounds a bit like Suzanne Vega's "Luka" but still works just the same. Pela, Gang & Fantasy Bar are new ones in my library that are getting a fair bit of play. Kyle Fischer from Rainer Maria has his solo disc out online, I recommend it highly. The new Mogwai doesn't grab you by the balls the way some of Mr. Beast did but they're still far from making a miss. Really I think it's all good and you should go buy it from emusic, iTunes, Amazon or your local record shop today.

Get it HERE

01 Adem - Invisible Man
02 The Diableros - Left from the Movies
03 Centro-Matic - Quality Strange
04 Pela - Rooftops
05 Gang - Fits & Shadow Fights
06 Frank Black - Garbage Heap
07 Afterhours - E' solo febbre
08 Dog Day - Zombie
09 The Black Keys - Strange Times
10 Thalia Zedek Band - We Don't Go
11 Kyle Fischer - Fallen Chandelier
12 Fantasy Bar - Interstellar
13 Intramural - Needle Point (feat. Teresa Eggers Of The Evening Episode)
12 Mogwai - The Sun Smells Too Loud

prep time

2008-07-08T12:28:00.004-05:00

I've been back from BC for over a week now. Had a great trip filled with family, sunshine & whiskey and I got to see lots of junkies and The Incredible Hulk. Now I'm getting everything straightened away for a change in jobs that will have me working within the city limits... very nice. My last day of heavy commuting is Friday, which will be capped off with afternoon drinks and the Canadian Air Guitar Finals

Now as promised here's a huge sounding cover of PJ Harvey alongside a much quieter one...
Redd Kross - Oh My Lover.mp3

Adem - Oh My Lover

And since I'm talking about covers and lovers...
Blue Mountain - Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair

This Friday is not only my last day at work but it's also when Hellboy opens.

On The Road

2008-06-26T13:31:00.002-05:00

I'm on vacation in BC but I still felt bad about neglecting my blog... figured I'd send it a little love and a promise to spend more time with it soon.

The Ms - Big Sound
They opened for Centro-Matic a couple weeks ago, mostly the set was pretty flat and a bit of a yawn but I do love this track. It was a peak in their live show, too bad it was the second last song.

Adem - Oh My Lover
A prettied up cover from Adem's new album "Takes". It's quite nice but when I get back home I'll post a much beefier cover of the same song that makes it an arena rock classic.

wiped

2008-06-12T18:52:00.002-05:00

The combination of four nights out for NXNE, a company picnic and heat stroke left me tired. I took a day to recoup and went to see Emmylou Harris last night. I need a big post to catch up on things but for now here's a couple of highlights from shows I saw.

Centro-Matic - Love Has Found Me Somehow

Afterhours - Tarantella All Inazione

I don't know what they're saying...

2008-06-03T22:14:00.003-05:00

but I like the way it sounds.

I usually find it harder to listen to pop & rock music in other languages because that connection with the lyrics is lost. This doesn't really matter in the case of Sigur Ros since the voices are used more as an instrument anyway but it's nice to know what the hell people are saying. I mean, just think of all the people who sing along to English pop music and think that the lyrics mean something when it really could just be "my hands are small I know..." or "I like your pants around your feet..."

I'm fairly certain neither of these tracks are in that category.
Afterhours - Tutti Gli Uomini Del Presidente
Became a big fan of these guys for their last album got to see them live a couple times and looking forward to seeing them next week as part of NXNE

Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook
Surpisingly poppy, catchy and short for these guys but I like it just the same.

mix time

2008-05-26T19:52:00.002-05:00

Yes, the blog does not get too much attention but my lady is home, patios are suitable for beer drinking and the computer doesn't hold the same allure as when it's cold out and I had a shitty roommate.
I watched Rambo again, it's great. Watched the old Indiana Jones flicks, they're fun except Temple Of Doom just doesn't cut it for me anymore. I'll still be seeing the new one.

Anyway, HERE's a new mix.

01 Clinic - Corpus Christi
02 Autolux - Audience No. 2
03 The Notwist - Gravity
04 Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Jesus Of The Moon
05 Devastations - As Sparks Fly Upward
06 My Brightest Diamond - Inside a Boy (Son Lux Remix)
07 dEUS - The Vanishing of Maria Schneider
08 Tindersticks - I Want You
09 Emak Bakia - Forever (How Much Time Means)
10 Playing Dead - Breathe Owl Breathe

neglekted

2008-05-15T17:45:00.003-05:00

So the blog and my online life have beenon hold since my lady has come waltzing back in town. I'll try and get some decent posts together but here's a taste of some good things

Kyle Fischer (ex-Rainer Maria) - Sweet Suspense (feat. The Blow) (you can get the whole album HERE)

Fantasy Bar (ex Migala) - Up & Running

my lady has returned

2008-05-01T10:08:00.002-05:00

So, I'm a bit preoccupied since she just got in yesterday and is back for the summer so here's some songs I posted earlier. And I'll dig up some new treasures for here soon.

Nancy Sinatra - Baby's Coming Back To Me
Jellyfish - Baby's Coming Back
Lee Hazlewood - Your Sweet Love

And the new Tindersticks album is on Emusic right now, go get it.

a bit overdue

2008-04-24T23:07:00.005-05:00

I'm overdue for a post but it was a busy week again.

The Dirtbombs on Wednesday. Fucking great show. The stuff from the new album sounds great live. Kelly Stoltz was some easy rock with some lovely theramin. And local openers and Old Soul members Steamboat were really good. I love the 70s AM radio feel of the band but I feel like the singing is a bit forced, not the smooth gold of say Local Rabbits' This Is It, Here We Go.

American Music Club was on Thursday, Mark Eitzel happens to write amazing songs that he almost manages to spoil by giving away what they're about. Unexpected stories of Celine Dion taking it from behind with a ball gag in her mouth are a nice touch to any show as well.

Saturday took me outside inthe sun for most of the day and to the Destroyer show that night. I'm not a huge fan of Destroyer at all, Dan Bejar's voice just doesn't do it for me but I went because Anemones were opening up and it was good to see a friend of mine who's in the band. Good stuff, check them out.

I saw a few other bands and a few movies mixed in there too including Harold and Kumar 2, which is on par with the first one. Take that as you will. I enjoyed it though.

Now by going to American Music Club, I did miss the famed Jay Reatard show that night. I don't regret the decision at all. From what I saw on you tube I think he was being a baby. The crowd was a bit rowdy but they were into it... all he had to do was get through a decent set and they would have spread the word about it being a crazy show and word would have spread. Instead by refusing to deal with such conditions (which most rock bands have to do) he comes off as a primadonna who thinks way too much of himself an little of his fans. I've been to many shows that were crazier that this and even played a few. I remember a packed to the brim Halloween show at Cafe Mokka in Halifax where some of the guys from Proskates were wearing devil horns and smashing beer bottles on them, the shards of which ended up in (bass player) Dave's legs. The stage, the gear and all of us were soaked through with beer, blood and sweat but we didn't think of stopping at any point. I think if he hadn't of been so macho agro he could've handled shit way better. Whatever. I don't think he's anything special anyway.

Anyway here's some great new music.

Thalia Zedek - Lower Allston

Tindersticks - The Turns We Took

My Brightest Diamond - Inside A Boy

The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour

Do you have to Pii?

2008-04-13T22:10:00.002-05:00

What the hell can I say about this?

I haven't played Wii yet but Super Pii Pii Brothers sounds like the game to make me break down and buy a system. Amazing!

Original article HERE

(I was trying to think of a good song to accompany this but nothing quite does it jsutice.)

Charlton Heston was made of people.

2008-04-06T10:14:00.001-05:00

One hell of a life...

multiple identities

2008-04-05T08:10:00.004-05:00

Will Johnson writes some great songs... He's going to release a double album of Centro-matic and South San Gabriel songs called Dual Hawks. Here's I, The Kite from the Centro-matic side of it.

Read an interesting Pitchfork article about Norah Jones and how she has a crazy new band called El Madmo. Reading the article and seeing the suprehero personalities they've created for themselves I expected to band to be fun, artsy cock rock type stuff... not so much though. It's not going to hit the AC charts but it's still sweet and poppy. It sounds good but as far as departures are concerned it certainly doesn't measure up to this: Peeping Tom feat Norak Jones - Sucker

a conversation starter...

2008-03-29T16:16:00.003-05:00

This came up in conversation so figured I'd let it fill in a little history to the origins of Desmond Troyer. Enjoy.

Hell City Love - Forced Entry (buy some!)

Swell things in the mail...

2008-03-27T22:35:00.003-05:00

Swell (myspace page) are one of my favorite bands... and they're horribly underappreciated. I think I like having bands like this who never really bubbled up to the masses, that way I can feel like it's something special to me... but whatever the reason, I think they're amazing. Ever since I saw the video for "Forget About Jesus" on Citylimits I liked them and 41 (as I've said before) is among my top albums of all time.
A while ago Pitchfork they mentioned a new album and "lost" collection but I sort of forgot about it until a friend reminded me. I ordered them and they arrived today in the mail putting me in a good mood despite also finding my roommate home. The Lost Album is made up of tracks that were recorded in the Too Many Days Without Thinking period, I have most of them as b-sides but they're all great. While I've only had a quick listen to the new album; South Of The Rain And Snow, it still has all the elements I love from classic Swell. It's made up of more raw recordings that remind me of the early days, I can't wait to get more acquainted. Go Buy Them NOW!

Easy from The Lost Album

Saved By Summer from South Of The Rain And Snow

Here's the video that got my attention.

just a little longer

2008-03-25T18:21:00.002-05:00

I'm waiting until my dumb roommate moves out on Saturday...
Genesis - Counting Out Time

...then wait a bit longer and my lady gets back in town.
Ron Hawkins - Waitin' On My New Heart

In the meantime, I'm keeping busy with various pursuits.
Reid Paley - Never Drink Alone

been a while for a mix....

2008-03-20T13:55:00.005-05:00

Okay, figured I'd do a new mix.

Features the new Portishead single (quite exciting), new Tindersticks and bunch of other goodies. Love the School of Language (Field Music guy), Martina is great, Breeders shows promise for the new album, a Malcolm Middleton b-side, PJ Harvey live... etc.

Enjoy it HERE

1) Tindersticks - Intro
2) Sea Wolf - The Cold, the Dark & the Silence
3) The Breeders - It's The Love
4) The Gutter Twins - Bete Noire
5) Ken Reaume - In The Day
6) Martina Topley-Bird - Valentine
7) Malcolm Middleton - Pick Me Up
8) Portishead - Machine Gun
9) The Big Sleep - Bad Blood
10) School Of Language - Disappointment '99
11) American Music Club - I Know That's Not Really You
12) DeVotchKa - Along the Way
13) Tom Waits - Little Drop Of Poison
14) The Weakerthans - Sun In An Empty Room
15) PJ Harvey - You Come Through
16) Great Northern - Low Is A Height

Also, reposted a couple of old ones:
Total Lee: The Songs of Lee Hazlewood (original post)
Ex-Drummer soundtrack (original post)

I seen a bunch of punx

2008-03-17T20:27:00.002-05:00

First off, The Gutter Twins show was great (as I expected), I won't give a full review since there are already some that get the point across. However there were some surprises at this show.
I had expected much like with The Twilight Singers that the setlist wouldn't deviate much between towns, especially since there's just one album's worth of material to play. It kind of works for Dulli as he almost aims for that soul revue kind of format going from town to town; some bit sof the show may be rehearsed, but it's only to make it more entertaining. Since I've been listening to the show from Paris I expected pretty much the same thing. It was true for the proper set but when the encore started with I'm Ready it was a welcome surprise. And in lieu of No Easy Action they pulled Hit The City from the Lanegan catalog with Dulli hitting the PJ Harvey parts. Great stuff.

Saturday was when the punks came into the picture. First off with Doomsday, which is a perfect big screen b-movie. Don't expect anything too new (unless you've never seen Road Warrior, Escape From New York and the likes) but it's good for a fun night out.

Sunday was when it was time to be among the punks and see The Vandals. Never been a huge follower but the show was a really fun time. A tight, melodic and very funny band having a good time with a very enthusiastic crowd. I know, that review is generic as shit but it's all I feel like writing. let the music do the talking I guess.

The Vandals - Girls Turn 18 Every Day

And I was there with a good friend of mine who used to be in a great Vandals-influenced band...
The Dean Malenkos - I Just Wanna Make A Fuss

Gutter Twins tomorrow night

2008-03-13T10:13:00.007-05:00

I've been waiting for the The Gutter Twins album for quite some time. I'm very happy with it and I'm very happy that the tour has also come this way. Tomorrow night is the big night. I was thinking about making the trip to Montreal to see them the next day but it looks like that isn't going to work into the plans this time. When the Twilight Singers came through here last I followed along to Montreal and had an amazing time at the show and out drinking with the Afterhours boys after the show.

There's a very succinct and kind of funny interview with Mark Lanegan HERE.

And a slightly longer interview with Greg Dulli HERE.

So, here's that live show from Paris in one convenient file:
The Gutter Twins - Live In Paris

Also, the album The Screaming Trees were working on before they called it quits...
Screaming Trees - Unreleased Album

Unrelated, but I've just re-uploaded this one from a much earlier post. It's an amazing album, my favorite by him by far.
Tim Buckley - Blue Afternoon

The Wire

2008-03-09T21:02:00.003-05:00

So the final episode of The Wire is airing tonight.
There's really no other show quite like as far as the quality and the scope of the storylines. The characters all have their own importance and there is no clear "hero" or lead in the show. It's a far cry from crap like 24 and even a step up from shows like the Sopranos.

I've seen the hour and half finale and it's certainly a fitting and worthy and to the show. There are only a few storylines that seem a little contrived in how they tie them up and what they do with them, but it's still a wholly satisfying end. Ok, more satisfying would be for it to keep going, because of course the stories won't actually stop here.

Here's a few versions of the theme song and the opening credits from Season 2 (feat Tom's original recording from Frank's Wild Years).

Tom Waits & Kronos Quartet - Way Down In The Hole
Blind Boys Of Alabama -Way Down In The Hole
Steve Earle - Way Down in the Hole

CMW

2008-03-08T19:15:00.002-05:00

CMW or Canadian Music Week is a happening this week in Toronto. Sadly this year it's a bit less impressive to me than in the past as most of the bands playing ome through town regularly or are from here. The only thing that really caught my eye is The Breeders but it's already starting and I'm just not into trucking across town and paying $30 for a show that I'm only half into. So tonight I will venture out into the blizzard that's hitting and go see Dog Day and few other folks from my old stomping ground.

Here's a couple of new tunes that excite me.

The Notwist - Good Lies I loved Neon Golden, been waiting patiently for a proper release to come along. Not much longer now.

dEUS (feat Karin Drejer) - Slow They've always been floating under the radar, were kind of hit and miss for me at first, then I sort of ignored them for a while until I heard Pocket Revolution. The first track from that, Bad Timing, was this epic song that just builds and knocks you on your ass. Slow is really great too, very promising for the new album. I love the contrast of Karin's (from The Knife) voice. Good shit.

And in my early prep for next Friday's Gutter Twins show, here's The Twilight Singers live with Mark Lanegan.
Live With Me
Where Did You Sleep Last Night

the past two weeks.

2008-03-03T18:12:00.008-05:00

It's been a while again, this time due to being away and spending time with a special lady. Here's a recap of the past little while.

I saw Be Kind Rewind, which was good, but not the home run I was expecting. The "Sweded" bits were lots of fun, and there were some great moments but the story lacked anything resembling heart or an emotional draw. I may have laughed my ass off from time to time but when it was over I really didn't take anything away from it.

I managed to check out some good rock n roll (Cuban Assassins, The Hot Springs) and some cute indie pop (The Superfantastics); they were good but I didn't stay for the whole set, I guess a guitar being in tune is just a big thing for me.
Cuban Assassins - Baby C'mon

The Oscars happened, the people I really wanted to win did (Marion Cotillard for La Vie En Rose/La Môme, Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová for best song) but I would have liked to have seen Lars and the Real Girl win best screenplay.

I ate some delicious beef and pork.

I watched episode 9 of The Wire's 5th and final season. Pretty great stuff, have to say possibly the best show on TV and sad to see it ending, but better than having the quality dive like in Rescue Me or Saved By The Bell. It's great to see stories span beyond seasons and things roll out in realistic timelines (fuck you 24). It's an investment to get into but completely worth it. This is the perfect show for DVD. Now if only The Shield season 7 would hit the air.

I found out what Sarah Silverman was doing with Matt Damon a little while ago... but what Jimmy Kimmel was doing with Ben Affleck really caught me by suprise (details here)

The Big Sleep's new album is out now.
So is R.I.P.; Rocket From The Crypt's last show ever in recorded bliss. Of course, you're better off going HERE or to your local indie record shop and buying the actual disc as it comes with a DVD too. There's a couple songs and some info at The Choir Croaks
Lastly The Gutter Twins is coming tomorrow. It'll be in stores and on iTunes.
I've got mine already and it's all I could want from the parties involved. Something familiar but yet still very much new. You can download a full live show over at Captain's Dead. And be sure to check them out on the road if you can.
The Gutter Twins - I Was In Love With You

Figured I'd mention the new Goldfrapp ... I really liked Felt Mountain, then they went all shiny disco... the new album is good but reminds me too much of other things. At times Janis Ian or Phoebe Snow, sometimes Martina Topley-Bird, and at its worst Lisa Stansfield. Also, synths are never going to the job strings do with the same effect.
Goldfrapp - Little Bird

Black Mountain are playing in a couple days... I may go, the new album is good and I love this song.

remember me?

2008-02-19T22:16:00.004-05:00

I have been piss poor at posting lately.

It's not because I've been incredibly busy or anything, just pretty lazy. I've been seeing some fun shows, listening to some good stuff and getting ready for a great week.

A bit of catching up...

Started the month helping a friend move in the midst of a blizzard. Next day I went hardcore with Sick Of It All and Madball in a sweaty little mess of a show on a snowy night. I'll freely admit I'm not a huge hardcore guy or anything but it's always good to see impecably tight musicians playing to a full house of fans who know all the words and go nuts for every song on the set list, showing off all the ways they know to dance. There are so many shows these days with lifeless crowds who just sit and stare, which works for some music, but really sucks the life out of something as visceral as a good rock show.

I ended up sick in bed after that which led me to watch the first season of Damages. It's a great show, there's plenty of twists and plot devices but they're far more credible than anything you'll see in the movies these days (Fracture, I'm looking at you). It's not going to replace The Shield in my must watch list, or contend with The Wire as far as being completely mindblowing but with those series ending I have to keep my eyes open for new things.

I know I did some other stuff, likely drank a bit much sometimes and eventually had Valentine's sneak up on me. I spent it with a lovely lady... while she is not my lady it was a nice evening to see a long awaited Nina Nastasia show. Local boy Ken Reaume opened the night in a very nice way, reminds me subtley of Elliot Smith, but with nylon string guitar as the weapon of choice. His style and approach really manage to make him really stand out from the usual guy with a guitar singer/songwriter, highly recommended by me (for whatever that's worth). The main problem with Ken and Nina's sets were outside of their control, they were playing the El Mocambo which had another band playing upstairs and when you have so solo singers with acoustic guitars you can't drown out the bleed through of crappy music. In spite of that, Nina's set was still a very beautiful thing, there's just something in her voice that makes you feel like she means every line she sings and never considers going through the motions. It sort of feels intrusive to be watching her as it appears she is simply playing, and not for the sake of those who came to see her but more in service of the songs. Definitely a different crowd from the Sick Of It All show but the performances were equally intense.

I'll be heading East to see my lovely lady very soon, so I may or may not be around here. Either way, here's some tunes.

Ken Reaume - I Had A Love

Nina Nastasia - Why Don't You Stay Home? (Daytrotter Session)

and in honour of Valentine's past The Rentals - The Last Romantic Day

Tindersticks return

2008-01-31T20:12:00.000-05:00

The Tindersticks slowly became one of my favorite bands... and it really snuck up on me when it happened. I guess mostly because I was introduced to them quite slowly, a few tracks on compilations here and there and the second album (which was the first thing I really listened to) didn't grab me right away. I eventually realized it's a masterpiece from start to finish and pretty much everything that came after it grew onto me just as much.

They're also one of those bands I have dreamed of seeing live but living in Halifax really meant that wasn't going to happen. But now they're getting a new album together, so there is hope of a tour and I will do what I can to see one of the shows. I got to see Stuart Staples about a year ago and he was great, but it lacked the intesity the a Tindersticks album usually carries for me. The new album, The Hungry Saw, is coming out April 28 (likely the 29th in North America), The Flicker Of A Little Girl has been posted on their Myspace page and through Pitchfork.

Also here's a live show from Amsterdam, 1994

The Gutter Twins

2008-01-24T03:27:00.000-05:00

I've been waiting for this for a while now... the song sounds good, I'm giving it time to grow. The verses don't kill me, but the chorus has it's charm.

The Gutter Twins - Idle Hands

And the tour is coming around. I'll be hitting one, maybe two of these.

March:

01 San Francisco CA/Bimbo's 365

03 Portland OR/Wonder Ballroom

04 Seattle WA/Showbox

07 Chicago IL/Metro (Late Show)

08 Minneapolis MN/First Avenue

09 Madison WI/High Noon Saloon

11 Newport KY/Southgate House

12 Cleveland OH/Beachland Ballroom

14 Toronto ON/Mod Club

15 Montreal QC/Cabaret du Musee

18 Boston MA/Paradise

19 New York NY/Webster Hall

20 Washington DC/9:30 Club

21 Atlanta GA/Roxy Theater

22 New Orleans LA/One Eyed Jacks

26 Austin TX/Antone's

27 Dallas TX/Cambridge Room @ HOB

29 Boulder CO/Fox Theater

One of these days this blog and myself will be in the swing of things... one of these days I tell you.

Looking back on 2007

2008-01-15T12:40:00.000-05:00

Okay, been a bit out of the picture with shit going on over the holidays...

Here's a quick round up for the year:
TV - I've given up on pretty much everything except America's Next Top Model, The Shield and The Wire. I still enjoy The Office, Extras, Heroes (though not as much as S1) and there's lots out there that sounds good but I have no cable so it'll just have to wait until DVD.

Movies - There's the ones I completely enjoyed: Lars & The Real Girl, Once, No Country For Old Men, La Vie En Rose, Sunshine, Superbad, Hot Fuzz, Eastern Promises... Also, the three movies I saw at the film fest; Dai-Nipponjin, Ex-Drummer & A L'interieur, all blew me away.
The ones that I feel are everything a blockbuster should be, entertainment that takes your mind off things for 2 hours and that you don't feel guilty about: 300, Transformers, Bourne Ultimatum, Hot Rod & Shoot Em Up (okay the last two bombed, but they served the purpose)

As for music...
I saw some great live shows.... highlights were My Brightest Diamond, Ween, Van Halen, Swell Season, Blonde Redhead, Walter Schreiffels, Urge Overkill, Watson Twins, Fucking Champs

And here's some of the stuff that was in high rotation or at least made an impression on me:

Dog Day - Great Pains
I dare say this was my favorite album of the year. I threw it on because they're from my hometown but I didn't expect to fall in love with it right away. It hit me the same way the first Voxtrot EPs did, just pure great pop. The difference being that this is a solid album start to finish, Voxtrot didn't seem to pull that off for me.

Malcolm Middleton - Stay Close Sit Tight
I saw Arab Strap on their last tour and was disappointed to hear of their break up, but when this album came out it helped me move on. It's up there with the Dog Day for the year, another album that's great from start to finish and chock full of singles.

Ween - Your Party
I've been a fan of the last few Ween albums, even more so then the early stuff. La Cucaracha picks up smoothly after Quebec, sounding again like a great mix tape. I can't think of many bands who could pull off adult contemporary and make it sound as good as this song.

PJ Harvey - The Devil
She's always had so much power in her voice and performance, it's stil there even with all the distortion and percussion stripped away. Too bad she only played like 3 shows on the entire tour for this one.

The Afghan Whigs - I'm A Soldier
8 years after calling it quits The Whigs get a well deserved best of. Missing some of my faves but a good intro overall and with a couple new tracks including this one. It's no Going To Town but it stands on its own for me.

A couple of great bands from the same time as the Whigs stepped back up to release new material, in both cases they put out material as strong as in their heyday without sounding like a throwback or a cashgrab.
Buffalo Tom - Bad Phone Call
Dinosaur Jr. - Back To Your Heart

Nina Nastasia & Jim White - How Will You Love Me
If I could marry her voice I would. I'll have to settle on spending Valentine's Day with her at the El Mocambo.

Wintersleep - Miasmal Smoke & The Yellow Bellied Freaks
When East Coast boys get the magic touch from Mogwai's producer things end up sounding quite good.

Bionic - Q: Is There A TV In Heaven? A: Yes, Yes There Is
Bionic are one of the best rock bands in the world, but very few people outside of Canada (and not enough inside) really know that yet.

Turbonegro - Back In Denim
They were one of the best rock bands in the world but the last two albums have left something to be desired. Still, this is a great song and it was a great show.

Hot Springs - Fog And The Horn
Yet another band from Montreal and yet another "Hot" band.

Son Volt - Methamphetamine
Since Wilco spent the year trying to write the best 70s AM Rock album since the 70s (they failed, it was already done by the Local Rabbits with This Is It Here We Go) Son Volt had a chance to shine... The Search wasn't the best thing they've done but the songs that worked were as good as anyhting they've done.

Bat For Lashes - Horse And I
You know, it's nothing new and it sounds so much like Bjork at times, but at least it sounds like really great Bjork.

Blonde Redhead - 23
Picks up where Misery Is A Butterfly left off, sucked me right in.

Candie Payne - One More Chance
If you want a 60's girl revival I'd say forget The Pipettes and get Candie Payne.

Holiday

2007-12-21T12:01:00.000-05:00

Been busy with holiday goings on and lots of other stuff. I plan on putting together a best of 2007 sort of thing sometime but for now here's some good Christmas music.

Murder City Devils - 364 Days
Rocket From The Crypt - Cancel Christmas
Supersuckers - Christmastime
Junkyard Dogs - Brand New Bike
Bruce Cockburn - Joy To The World

Okkervil River Daytrotter Sessions

2007-12-09T20:05:00.001-05:00

Daytrotter Sessions always has some great performances to check out (Small Sins and Emma Pollack were there recently). Okkervil River were there a little while ago and did some covers of some really great songs but I don't feel they really did them justice. Still very much worth a listen but they don't come cloise to the beauty of John Phillip's original of "April Anne" and for "No Easy Way Down" I personally don't think anyone can touch Mark Eitzel's version. Here's the session, and as a bonus there's a cover that I think they nailed thrown in as well. (it's just like Simon Cowell always says, song choice is everything)

April Anne (John Phillips cover)
No Easy Way Down (Carole King cover)
Do What You Gotta Do (Jimmy Webb cover)
You Can't Hold The Hand Of A Rock And Roll Man
O Dana (Big Star Cover)

The Big Sleep

2007-11-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

The Big Sleep have a new album on the way...
I discovered Son Of The Tiger earlier this year and find that it's a bit inconsistent at times but when it hits the right notes it's gold. They've got a new album Sleep Forever coming out Feb 19th and leaked a track from that... I am loving it and am waiting patiently. Can't wait till they come to my town too.
The Big Sleep - Pinkies

a swell evening

2007-11-25T23:39:00.000-05:00

Friday night was a concert by The Swell Season (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) with Mary Margaret O'Hara. I will expand on this later, but I'll just say for now it was pretty freaking great; Glen & Marketa were great, the crowd was strange (made up mostly of fans of the movie Once, who cheered as soon as they head the songs they knew from the film) and Mary Margaret O'Hara was like nothing I've seen before. She has an amazing voice but almost seems scared or self concious about using it, often just sort of half singing the lines or throwing a few random notes & noises throughout. Here's a sample of why the show was great:

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova -Drown Out
Mary Margaret O'Hara - Keeping You in Mind

And the girls from this video were there front row & center.

an emotional rollercoaster of a mix!

2007-11-21T16:13:00.000-05:00

Okay, it's that not big of an emotional rollercoaster but I couldn't think of much to say otehr than "A new mix" or something. Anyway, this mix has some great new stuff and some old goodies too. The last thing released by Lee Hazlewood kicks it off so it can only go downhill from there, or maybe not when you've got Intramural w/ Greg Dulli, a great Emma Pollock track and one of my favorite soul songs ever from the Knight Brothers. I'd say it's worth a download.

Get it HERE.

01 At The Top Of The World - Amiina (ft. Lee Hazelwood)
02 Elephant Gun - Beirut
03 I'm Never Gonna Live It Down - The Knight Brothers
04 Life Without A Brain - The Rentals
05 On The Line - Small Sins
06 In The Morning - Candie Payne
07 Middle Distance Runner - Sea Wolf
08 At The Finish Line - Jenn Grant
09 This Is A Landslide - Intramural (featuring Greg Dulli of The Twilight Singers)
10 Florida's on Fire - Superchunk
11 Zeros and Ones - Francine
12 Depressed Friends - Walter Schreifels
13 Ball of Yarn - Birdmonster
14 There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - Neil Finn
15 Bathtime Tindersticks
16 Fortune - Emma Pollock
17 Rehearsals for Retirement - Mark Eitzel

a couple of great label samplers

2007-11-18T19:59:00.000-05:00

I just got a couple of label samplers that are both pretty great.

The first is Binky Griptite's Ghetto Funk Power Hour which is a mix of stuff from Daptone Records. It's divided up into sections but not by track, so you'll have to buy the stuff at your local shop or go here to download some of it.

I've also got a great Light in the Attic Records mix HERE. I really love this label and this disc makes an easy case for why. They've got a great mix of classics with Betty Davis, Karen Dalton & Jackie Mittoo and some new stuff like The Black Angels. I really recommend the Jamaica to Toronto compilation, not just because I'm living in Toronto now but because it's a vibrant collection of music you never really hear about. The Summer Records follow up is great too, fantastic dub from a shitty part of town near where I work. You should really go download more now.

a load of shows and some other stuff.

2007-11-13T19:02:00.000-05:00

I saw Lars And The Real Girl this week; it's by far the funniest and most touching movie I've ever seen featuring a life-like sex doll. I highly recommend it if you want to laugh and get all emotional... it happens to the best of us.

I also had two epic nights out seeing bands on Thurs & Fri. Thursday started with the reunited Police, who I have always been a fan of but have to say I was unimpressed with. They played great and all, but there was just no fire in their belly really so the whole thing felt sort of uninspired to me. I ran up to the El Mocambo after that to catch Bionic ; they're always great and the new album is one of the best rock records I've picked up in the last couple years for sure. Caught the tail end of fellow Haligonian Rebekah Higgs' set that night too, quite nice. You can check her out here.

Friday night I caught the tail end of The Drones (kind of reminded me of a rough version of The Frames mixeed with Teenage Fanclub or something), they were alright. They were opening for Band Of Horses who were good but they never really took to that place where I get lost in the show. I knew I was watching a great band and they were playing amazing but it just didn't connect. On the other hand.... I saw My Brightest Diamond after that and it was everything that was missing from the Police & Band of Horses shows. Shara has one of the best voices I've ever had the chance to see live and just everything about the show put a smile on my face. She's quite coy and cute in between songs and would be totally pretentuous if she weren't smiling at everything she's doing. Get some HERE and enjoy these tunes...

The Police - Fall Out
The Police - Be My Girl (also makes sense with Lars & The Real Girl)
Rebekah Higgs - Parables
My Brightest Diamond - Magic Rabbit

another decent rock mix (if I do say so myself)

2007-11-10T12:57:00.000-05:00

HERE'S a mix of some rock and/or roll that I meant to post before. I had started the post but hadn't finished it... It's all basically jsut rock n roll, some fun stuff though.

01 You Don't Break My Heart - The Testors
02 Reaction - Catheters
03 Mongoloid - Millionaire
04 Gabrielle - Ween
05 Every Single Line Means Something - Marnie Stern
06 Rana (Frogs) - Pitchfork
07 Circuits to Circuses - Centro-Matic
08 The House - Bonk
09 The Ending Is the Greater - Afterhours
10 The Whip (Ultra-Static Mix) - Rocket From The Crypt
11 Don't Mind If I Do - Dead Low Tide
12 All Is Not Lost - The Afghan Whigs
13 Stumped - Goblin Cock
14 Gps - The Black Heart Procession
15 She Comes To Me - Burning Brides
16 Cold Wars - The Rezillos
17 Suffragette City - Turbonegro
18 Hard Knox High - The Vikings
19 No Generation Gap - Wipers