Between Ryan's impending wisdom-teeth removal and the -40 wind chill that wreaked havoc on me on my walk to the studio, we managed another 2 hours of radio. Here's the playlist:
Decemberists - "Cuyahoga"
Slam Dunk - "Do the Slam Dunk"
Les Jupes - "Mathematics"
Aidan Knight - "Fighting Against Your Lungs"
Slow Down, Molasses - "Late Night Radio"
Cold Cave - "The Great Pan Is Dead"
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - "Promise"
PS I Love YOu & Diamond Rings - "Leftovers"
Rebekah Higgs - "Wilderness Girls" (A.A. Wallace remix)
Kavsrave vs Joy O - "Untightled"
Radiohead - "Morning Mr. Magpie"
One Hundred Dollars - "Waiting On Another"
Drive-By Truckers - "Used To Be A Cop"
Meat Loaf - "Heaven Can Wait" *this week's slice of cheese
Hey Rosetta! - "New Sum (Nous Sommes)"
The Details - "Underground"
Peter Elkas - "Cruel Thing To Do"
Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Travelin' Band"
Plants and Animals - "Kon Tiki"
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Today's Tune: Peter Elkas - "Anticipation"
The winter in Canada can be really frakking cold. It's a long season that can have people forgetting to spend time together, opting instead for the comfort and solace of their warm homes.
Enter Peter Elkas, who's bound to warm a few hearts, stir a few souls, and (dare I say) help a few more babies get conceived with his latest album, Repeat Offender on Joel Plaskett's New Scotland Records. This future classic, chock full of blues, soul, and funk elements will shoo-bop it's way into your record collection thanks to it's great production, and Elkas's recognizable buttery croon.
The title of this post simply mentions the lead track "Anticipation". I'm pretty sure by the end of that compelling slow jam, you'll either be excited for track two or be moving on to something more to your liking. Here's hoping for the former. Take a few minutes, if you like, to stream the whole thing.
Enter Peter Elkas, who's bound to warm a few hearts, stir a few souls, and (dare I say) help a few more babies get conceived with his latest album, Repeat Offender on Joel Plaskett's New Scotland Records. This future classic, chock full of blues, soul, and funk elements will shoo-bop it's way into your record collection thanks to it's great production, and Elkas's recognizable buttery croon.
The title of this post simply mentions the lead track "Anticipation". I'm pretty sure by the end of that compelling slow jam, you'll either be excited for track two or be moving on to something more to your liking. Here's hoping for the former. Take a few minutes, if you like, to stream the whole thing.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Jonathan Franzen Calls It Like He Sees It
In my experience, there are 3 different kinds of concerts (not including festivals).
1) The Arena
Fairly self-explanatory, these are the over-the-top, extremely popular stadium and arena shows that are the realm of the world's biggest performers. These are concerts that put spectacle above music, lights over sound. The only remaining enabler of the status quo in our current marketplace. They're also really fun, although not very cost effective for show-goers.
2) The mid-sized venue
More and more, bands are outgrowing small club shows but they aren't achieving enough success to go all the way to an arena or stadium. These mid-sized shows are the perfect fit. Many people who would never be caught dead at a category 1 show (read: hipsters) can settle for a category 2. They can be really fun, though they tend to house the most tiresome form of music fan, the kind who only go to category 2 shows. They only see band live that are trendy, but command sincere ownership of their fandom.
3) The Local Band
At the bottom end, we have the "local band" or bar/club show. These aren't always the forum for strictly local bands. Any band that has instruments and will travel is welcome to try their hand at a tour of these venues. In the audience, you will often see people (read: hardcore hipsters) you will never see at either category 2 or category 3 shows. These are the most rough-around-the-edges, most unpredictable concerts of all. However, the crowd can be very hard to impress. The less money on the line for the audience member, the less they have to convince themselves they are having a good time if they, in fact, aren't. On the other hand, the fewer people in the crowd, the more the fervent admirers can congratulate themselves on their own sense of discovery. If the band graduates to category 2 (or even 3!), this is the time that will be cited as the great "before-they-were-popular" period.
I lay this extremely obvious information out simply because the hipster cachet that comes with being in a crowd at the "right" concert, and being the "right" kind of earnest and dedicated fan irks me to no end. There is no need to worry about whether you've heard of the band before seeing them, how many times you've seen them, if you have all their albums (or EP's, or 7 inches), who your favourite band member is, or even why you like them. There is also no need to judge others if they don't experience the show in the same way as you. Our current culture of live music as a way of living was recently observed very succinctly in Jonathan Franzen's book Freedom. The following is an excerpt.
"...and here...all around him, were hundreds of kids...with their sweet yearnings, their innocent entitlement--to what? To emotion. To unadulterated worship of a superspecial band. To being left to themselves to ritually repudiate, for an hour or two on a Saturday night, the cynicism and anger of their elders. They seemed...to bear malice toward nobody. Katz could see it in their clothing, which bespoke none of the rage and disaffection of the crowds he'd been a part of as a youngster. They gathered not in anger but in celebration of their having found, as a generation, a gentler and more respectful way of being. A way, not incidentally, more in harmony with consuming. "
1) The Arena
Fairly self-explanatory, these are the over-the-top, extremely popular stadium and arena shows that are the realm of the world's biggest performers. These are concerts that put spectacle above music, lights over sound. The only remaining enabler of the status quo in our current marketplace. They're also really fun, although not very cost effective for show-goers.
2) The mid-sized venue
More and more, bands are outgrowing small club shows but they aren't achieving enough success to go all the way to an arena or stadium. These mid-sized shows are the perfect fit. Many people who would never be caught dead at a category 1 show (read: hipsters) can settle for a category 2. They can be really fun, though they tend to house the most tiresome form of music fan, the kind who only go to category 2 shows. They only see band live that are trendy, but command sincere ownership of their fandom.
3) The Local Band
At the bottom end, we have the "local band" or bar/club show. These aren't always the forum for strictly local bands. Any band that has instruments and will travel is welcome to try their hand at a tour of these venues. In the audience, you will often see people (read: hardcore hipsters) you will never see at either category 2 or category 3 shows. These are the most rough-around-the-edges, most unpredictable concerts of all. However, the crowd can be very hard to impress. The less money on the line for the audience member, the less they have to convince themselves they are having a good time if they, in fact, aren't. On the other hand, the fewer people in the crowd, the more the fervent admirers can congratulate themselves on their own sense of discovery. If the band graduates to category 2 (or even 3!), this is the time that will be cited as the great "before-they-were-popular" period.
I lay this extremely obvious information out simply because the hipster cachet that comes with being in a crowd at the "right" concert, and being the "right" kind of earnest and dedicated fan irks me to no end. There is no need to worry about whether you've heard of the band before seeing them, how many times you've seen them, if you have all their albums (or EP's, or 7 inches), who your favourite band member is, or even why you like them. There is also no need to judge others if they don't experience the show in the same way as you. Our current culture of live music as a way of living was recently observed very succinctly in Jonathan Franzen's book Freedom. The following is an excerpt.
"...and here...all around him, were hundreds of kids...with their sweet yearnings, their innocent entitlement--to what? To emotion. To unadulterated worship of a superspecial band. To being left to themselves to ritually repudiate, for an hour or two on a Saturday night, the cynicism and anger of their elders. They seemed...to bear malice toward nobody. Katz could see it in their clothing, which bespoke none of the rage and disaffection of the crowds he'd been a part of as a youngster. They gathered not in anger but in celebration of their having found, as a generation, a gentler and more respectful way of being. A way, not incidentally, more in harmony with consuming. "
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Green Eggs and Ham: "Enter the Hyper edition"
This was my first show since the epic closure of CD Plus 7035, so as a result of my search for a new routine I relied on a certain product (that gives the drinker 5 hours of energy) to get through the show; bad idea. I was a little bit scatterbrained, almost giddy. It may or may not have been good radio. Highlights include the epic slice of cheese and my thoughts on the Arcade Fire Grammy win (simply me reading from this here blog). The playlist:
Wild Nothing - "O Lilac"
Beach House - "Holy Dances"
Jenn Grant - "Paradise Mountain"
The Deadly Snakes - "Work"
Economics - "Spoiled Brats"
Braids - "Lammicken"
The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Eye of the Tiger"
Los Campesinos! - "You! Me! Dancing!"
My Dad Versus Yours - "Ghost Horse"
Panurge - "Black Box"
Tiga - "Mind Dimension (Bloody Beetroots Remix)"
Young Galaxy - "Cover Your Tracks (Teen Daze Remix)"
Arcade Fire - "Modern Man"
Superchunk - "Hyper Enough"
Traci Lords - "Outlaw Lover" *this week's slice of cheese
The Dears - "Galactic Tides"
Shuyler Jansen - "Wedding Band"
The Drums - "I Need Fun in My Life"
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - "A Teenager In Love"
Modern English - "Face of Wood"
Wild Nothing - "O Lilac"
Beach House - "Holy Dances"
Jenn Grant - "Paradise Mountain"
The Deadly Snakes - "Work"
Economics - "Spoiled Brats"
Braids - "Lammicken"
The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Eye of the Tiger"
Los Campesinos! - "You! Me! Dancing!"
My Dad Versus Yours - "Ghost Horse"
Panurge - "Black Box"
Tiga - "Mind Dimension (Bloody Beetroots Remix)"
Young Galaxy - "Cover Your Tracks (Teen Daze Remix)"
Arcade Fire - "Modern Man"
Superchunk - "Hyper Enough"
Traci Lords - "Outlaw Lover" *this week's slice of cheese
The Dears - "Galactic Tides"
Shuyler Jansen - "Wedding Band"
The Drums - "I Need Fun in My Life"
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - "A Teenager In Love"
Modern English - "Face of Wood"
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Today's Tune: Shooting Guns - "Black Hand"
Regardless of whether or not the band has a space in their name, Saskatoon's Shooting Guns will mess with your headspace. This blistering instrumental force is quickly taking the local music scene by storm, and for good reason; call it psych-prog, stoner rock, or just plain good. Live, these guys showcase an absolutely massive sound, with enough low end to make one bystander at a recent show declare them to be his "butt's favourite band". Prepare thyselves for Shooting Guns.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Now Our Lives Are Changing Fast
It seems The Suburbs, the fantastic 3rd album from the Texas/Montreal conglomerate Arcade Fire has won the "Album of the Year" Grammy.
Just take a moment for that to sink in.
While it would be really easy to hold up this information as proof of the "mainstream" embrace of a decidedly "non-mainstream" band, and I'm sure there will be many who do just that, this actually has caused this blogger to lose some long-held cynical thoughts on the subject of indie-vs.-popular. As has been observed many times already in various forms of media, thinking of music in terms like "indie" and "mainstream" is an increasingly outdated mindset. What many think of as "indie" music isn't always independent, and is increasingly popular (how else do you explain Arcade Fire's successful stadium tour?). The term seems now to exist only as a way of denoting perceived quality; if it's good, it must be okay to call it indie.
With this Grammy win, we are now able to completely commit to our new reality. The Grammys are still a bloated, overwrought, self-important ego-fest that amounts to not much more than a televised concert with way too many commercial breaks, but now they're OUR bloated, overwrought, self-important ego-fest. Hopefully, given the show's recent forays into booking more groundbreaking artists (M.I.A., Janelle Monáe, and of course Arcade Fire, to name a few), we the people will be able to more effectively cast off the shackles of music-taste-based judgement.
Even though lots of people started to leave the Staples Center while Arcade Fire revelled in the glory of their Grammy win by playing "Ready To Start", it's probably not because they were disappointed. The show was really long, and on a Sunday. Regardless of what kind of music people like, they still have more important things to do than analyze those preferences. And in our new reality, the disposable music that has always been the opiate of the masses (and continues to be a driving force in the record industry) is just another option in the diversified musical landscape.
INDIE IS DEAD - LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL
{The following is my original review of The Suburbs, written for the CD Plus Facebook newsletter}
I'd like you to think back for a little bit. Think back to March or so of 2007. More than 3 years ago. A relatively insignificant quantum of linear space/time, this 3 years. But in the world of popular music, quite a large portion indeed. 3 years ago the world barely knew the names of the Jonas brothers, Miley Cyrus, or Taylor Swift (not to mention couldn't have known the names Lady Gaga, Susan Boyle, Justin Bieber, LMFAO, Drake, or Ke$ha...or even Vampire Weekend who wouldn't release their debut album for another 10 months). Lil Wayne had yet to release his massive cross-over success "Tha Carter III", an album lauded from every side of the music press, and the lift-off point for the global superstardom of spaceship Weezy. George W. Bush was president of the United States, and it would be another 7 months before a young Senator from Illinois named Barack Obama announced his intention to run for that position. The world was a different place.
At that time, the Arcade Fire released their much-anticipated sophomore album "Neon Bible". They had achieved so much acclaim from their debut that they had already galvanized the record-buying public. You either cared about Arcade Fire, you didn't care as a reaction to their fame, or you didn't care simply because you had never heard of them (which is still a sad segment of the populous). Despite what their detractors have to say, it's my opinion that as opposed to most other acts in music today (including all of those mentioned in the previous paragraph) Arcade Fire have something increasingly rare: staying power.
My point has been proven by their fantastic 3rd album "The Suburbs", available now. While not as immediate as some of their earlier work (I'm looking at you "Keep the Car Running" and "Rebellion (Lies)"), this music is by no means difficult to understand. From the opening foot-stomper of the title track, to "Half Light II (No Celebration)" (a song which sounds wistfully reminiscent of Bowie's "Heroes") to the raw rock of "Month of May", the band are proving their prowess at crafting classic tunes. They will soundtrack your epic summer nights this year, and your bitter regret next year (and your eventual reconciliation in the years to come). It's music to listen to, it's music to live to.
Thematically and lyrically, this album has a lot to do with being young, with being modern (try the new drinking game of taking a chug each time that m-word pops up in a song), and with the forces that drive our culture. The tune "Rococo" laments the ignorance and conformity synonymous with youth, deriding a culture where kids "eat right out of your hand" with "their colours all the same". In "We Used To Wait", however, Win Butler captures the yearning so typical of teenagers, wishing that "something pure can last".
With "The Suburbs", Arcade Fire have proven that their brand of anthemic music is that something.
Just take a moment for that to sink in.
While it would be really easy to hold up this information as proof of the "mainstream" embrace of a decidedly "non-mainstream" band, and I'm sure there will be many who do just that, this actually has caused this blogger to lose some long-held cynical thoughts on the subject of indie-vs.-popular. As has been observed many times already in various forms of media, thinking of music in terms like "indie" and "mainstream" is an increasingly outdated mindset. What many think of as "indie" music isn't always independent, and is increasingly popular (how else do you explain Arcade Fire's successful stadium tour?). The term seems now to exist only as a way of denoting perceived quality; if it's good, it must be okay to call it indie.
With this Grammy win, we are now able to completely commit to our new reality. The Grammys are still a bloated, overwrought, self-important ego-fest that amounts to not much more than a televised concert with way too many commercial breaks, but now they're OUR bloated, overwrought, self-important ego-fest. Hopefully, given the show's recent forays into booking more groundbreaking artists (M.I.A., Janelle Monáe, and of course Arcade Fire, to name a few), we the people will be able to more effectively cast off the shackles of music-taste-based judgement.
Even though lots of people started to leave the Staples Center while Arcade Fire revelled in the glory of their Grammy win by playing "Ready To Start", it's probably not because they were disappointed. The show was really long, and on a Sunday. Regardless of what kind of music people like, they still have more important things to do than analyze those preferences. And in our new reality, the disposable music that has always been the opiate of the masses (and continues to be a driving force in the record industry) is just another option in the diversified musical landscape.
INDIE IS DEAD - LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL
{The following is my original review of The Suburbs, written for the CD Plus Facebook newsletter}
I'd like you to think back for a little bit. Think back to March or so of 2007. More than 3 years ago. A relatively insignificant quantum of linear space/time, this 3 years. But in the world of popular music, quite a large portion indeed. 3 years ago the world barely knew the names of the Jonas brothers, Miley Cyrus, or Taylor Swift (not to mention couldn't have known the names Lady Gaga, Susan Boyle, Justin Bieber, LMFAO, Drake, or Ke$ha...or even Vampire Weekend who wouldn't release their debut album for another 10 months). Lil Wayne had yet to release his massive cross-over success "Tha Carter III", an album lauded from every side of the music press, and the lift-off point for the global superstardom of spaceship Weezy. George W. Bush was president of the United States, and it would be another 7 months before a young Senator from Illinois named Barack Obama announced his intention to run for that position. The world was a different place.
At that time, the Arcade Fire released their much-anticipated sophomore album "Neon Bible". They had achieved so much acclaim from their debut that they had already galvanized the record-buying public. You either cared about Arcade Fire, you didn't care as a reaction to their fame, or you didn't care simply because you had never heard of them (which is still a sad segment of the populous). Despite what their detractors have to say, it's my opinion that as opposed to most other acts in music today (including all of those mentioned in the previous paragraph) Arcade Fire have something increasingly rare: staying power.
My point has been proven by their fantastic 3rd album "The Suburbs", available now. While not as immediate as some of their earlier work (I'm looking at you "Keep the Car Running" and "Rebellion (Lies)"), this music is by no means difficult to understand. From the opening foot-stomper of the title track, to "Half Light II (No Celebration)" (a song which sounds wistfully reminiscent of Bowie's "Heroes") to the raw rock of "Month of May", the band are proving their prowess at crafting classic tunes. They will soundtrack your epic summer nights this year, and your bitter regret next year (and your eventual reconciliation in the years to come). It's music to listen to, it's music to live to.
Thematically and lyrically, this album has a lot to do with being young, with being modern (try the new drinking game of taking a chug each time that m-word pops up in a song), and with the forces that drive our culture. The tune "Rococo" laments the ignorance and conformity synonymous with youth, deriding a culture where kids "eat right out of your hand" with "their colours all the same". In "We Used To Wait", however, Win Butler captures the yearning so typical of teenagers, wishing that "something pure can last".
With "The Suburbs", Arcade Fire have proven that their brand of anthemic music is that something.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Green Eggs and Ham: "Everything Is Broken" Edition
Somehow between hosting RCMP at noon yesterday and GEAH at 6 this morning, the main mic became inoperable, and the 2nd CD deck decided to be kind of eccentric. Despite these drawbacks (and the normal state of not working at full capacity brain-wise), we had a fun time. The double-team of songs about growing up by Sloan and The Ramones caused Ryan to muse, "It'll suck when we're old". What a poet.
Here's the playlist:
The Burning Hell - "Dancer/Romancer"
Contrived - "Surrounded by Genius"
The Dum Dum Girls - "He Gets Me High"
Wax Mannequin - "Something So"
The Morning Benders - "Mason Jar"
Christine Fellows - "Mlle. Sténo"
The Kissaway Trail - "Beat Your Heartbeat"
Wilco - "You Never Know"
Sloan - "I'm Not a Kid Anymore"
The Ramones - "I Don't Wanna Grow Up"
Cut Copy - Pharoahs and Pyramids"
Simian Mobile Disco - "Fugu"
Danny Michel - "When I'm You"
David Vertesi - "Broadcasting"
Surfer Blood - "Swim"
Kelis - "Emancipate" *this week's slice of cheese
Young Galaxy - "We Have Everything"
Pop Winds - "Drowning in the Dark"
The Thermals - "I'm Gonna Change Your Life"
Thrush Hermit - "I'm Sorry If Your Heart Has No More Room"
British Sea Power - "Living is So Easy"
Here's the playlist:
The Burning Hell - "Dancer/Romancer"
Contrived - "Surrounded by Genius"
The Dum Dum Girls - "He Gets Me High"
Wax Mannequin - "Something So"
The Morning Benders - "Mason Jar"
Christine Fellows - "Mlle. Sténo"
The Kissaway Trail - "Beat Your Heartbeat"
Wilco - "You Never Know"
Sloan - "I'm Not a Kid Anymore"
The Ramones - "I Don't Wanna Grow Up"
Cut Copy - Pharoahs and Pyramids"
Simian Mobile Disco - "Fugu"
Danny Michel - "When I'm You"
David Vertesi - "Broadcasting"
Surfer Blood - "Swim"
Kelis - "Emancipate" *this week's slice of cheese
Young Galaxy - "We Have Everything"
Pop Winds - "Drowning in the Dark"
The Thermals - "I'm Gonna Change Your Life"
Thrush Hermit - "I'm Sorry If Your Heart Has No More Room"
British Sea Power - "Living is So Easy"
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