Happy Holidays...

I'm off for the holidays / vacation in only 3 more hours. I thought i should leave some sort of parting gift. If you are a Wintersleep fan... this one's for you: https://www.wintersleep.com/audioplayer.htm

And if you're a fan of Refused. Some old school goodness:



And for Radiohead fans:
videos of the band in the studio can be found here.
Featuring:

go on then, make me your friend...

Ah, Snailhouse. Your songs make me happy. Especially this one, these days.

"Don't leave me stranded. Don't leave me hangin' on..."

postsecret

How did I not know Post Secret (http://postsecret.blogspot.com/) had books out?
Although this is not music related, per say, going through these anonymous confessions

on little pieces of art (4X6 post cards) is highly entertaining. Some are funny, some are heartbreaking, some are shocking, some are uplifting... but mostly it's a great way to pass the time and / or allow ourselves to feel normal in our abnormalness...

buy books here. or check out a whole whack of photos of the postcards here.

In A Sentimental Mood

It could be the sudden onset of Winter, the killer cold I feel coming on, or the fact that no matter HOW much I get accomplished this week the time never seems to move ahead quicker than a snail's pace...but I've been starting to (although i'm trying not to) feel pretty sour. So I went in search of something sweet. And I found this:

Ray Lamontagne & Damien Rice - To Love Somebody



Jolene

Top 5 of 2007

Although there were a number of contenders that didn't end up making my Top 5 Albums of the Year List (I'm looking at you Do Make Say Think, Nathan Lawr, Thurston Moore, Kayne, Common, Blonde Redhead, The Acorn, Bruce, Nate...), I had no problem leaving them out in favour of my top picks. I usually debate my year end list and have a hard time committing, but not this year. Based purely on the number of plays each album has received throughout the year, I give you ... my Top 5 of 2007

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows
2. Wintersleep - Welcome To The Night Sky
3. Dan Griffin - Stars and Satellites
4. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
5. Wooden Stars - People Are Different

BAM. Now more lists... because i love making lists...

My top 5 (.5) most anticipated releases of 2008:

1. Constantines
2. Snailhouse
3. Contrived
4. Hayden
5. MM&ET
5.5 Portishead

Top 3 disappointments of 2007:

1. Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight (no dice. superbad.)

2. PJ Harvey - White Chalk (i still love her because she's PJ... and it's not a BAD album... it's just not the PJ that i wanted or needed at the time. I wanted "50 ft. Queenie" PJ. Not PJ plays Cat Power.)

3. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (speaking of sinking...I actually didn't have high hopes for this one... but it still let me down.)

"Before Your Eyes..."

Tom Fun Orchestra - Watchmaker.
This gets stuck in my head. Really stuck. Stuck like almost no other. it's great, but it tends to start driving me nuts when it's still there 5 days later.... that being said, i just found the album version online and have listened to it 4 times. Now you!

What A Wonderful Surprise

Came across this on another blog. Not that i'm the biggest fan of mash-ups usually, but holy crap... i love this:
Radiohead / Louis Armstrong

Wintersleep Board! New MMET! Danny G Video!

Three things that make me happy:
1) The return of the Wintersleep message board. Come talk to me / us / them / others: http://www.wintersleep.com/forums/

2) Dan Griffin - She's a Drug (LIVE)! Thank you stephanie. This will be played a lot...



2.5)Dan Griffin - The Kings (Live)


3) Matty Mays listening to some roughskies in jolly 'ol England. Updates still coming in from Matt at www.myspace.com/mattmayseltorpedo

MMET Recording updates / Dan Griffin - The Day After

Incase you're interested, Matty Mays has been posting little blurbs about the recording on Myspace. See either the comments section or the blog at www.myspace.com/mattmayseltorpedo. My favourite quote from this week's post is:

"I'm getting ready to start singing soon. I'm ready. I have a tendency to loose my voice, so I'm going to really try to sing right. I have a DVD called 'The Zen Of Screaming'. This women teaches all the hardchore guys how to scream, and not loose their voice. If she's good enough for the guy that sings in ' Lamb Of God' she's good enough for me. "

Aaaaaaaaaaand, yesterday was what from now on will be known as "Dan Giffin Day". I finally saw him play live. And at Tribeca no less, which is like watching a show from the comfort of my own home. And it was amazing. I was a big fan of the record. Now i'm an all around uber fan. Is there something more discriptive and bigger than "uber"? because if so, i'm that fan. Honestly. Please. Check him out Saturday at The Seahorse. 10PM. Opening for The Superfantastics and Shotgun Jimmie. Think of it as an early christmas present to yourself. Don't you owe yourself something nice?

NSMW

It's Wednesday and I'm finally recovered from Nova Scotia Music Week(end), held again this year at White Point Beach Lodge in Liverpool, NS. It snowed a lot which was no fun... And it wasn't just snow, but the wettest of wet snow, which resulted in a cold heavy slush that made walking next to impossible and brought down powerlines, blacking out most of downtown. My pink converse sneakers (complete with holes in the soles) did not enjoy this weather event, but after getting back to the lodge on Saturday night, a couple of drinks by the fire and an incredible set by The Tom Fun Orchestra picked me right up... They were definitely the highlight of the weekend. That, and the fact that David Myles won a few awards (Male Artist of the Year, and a tie for Folk/Roots Artist). Here's a photo of he and his lovely fiance at the Industry Awards Brunch.



I stole that from Grant Lawrence's blog. You can read his account of weekend (better written, but pretty much the same story) and see his photos here: http://radio3.cbc.ca/blogs/2007/11/Nova-Scotia-Music-Week-2007-Beauty-Beaches-Blizzards-and-Blackouts

MM&ET Photos / Dan Griffin is Coming!

If you've been reading this blog for more than a few weeks, or if you know me at all, then you've heard about Dan Griffin. I gush about this kid as much as I gush to people about David Myles, the new Wintersleep record, Mike O'Neil and / or Snailhouse (which, put together equals a hell of a lot of gushing these days). Well, i'm happy... nay, ecstatic, to report that Dan will be IN HALIFAX NEXT WEEK! He's at Tribeca on Wed., November 14 and at the Seahorse on Sat., Novemeber 17th for Shotgun Jimmie's CD release show. I've been waiting to see him play live for a year, and am litterally counting down the days, so I thought it best that I let you know he's on his way.

There are a few other dates around the Maritimes, which you can find on the Dan Griffin myspace page, along with songs. go now. you might also want to check out Shotgun Jimmie (site also contains a receipe for Blueberry pancakes), and The Superfantastics while you're at it.

In other news, I just got some cool pics of the Matt Mays & El Torpedo show at Cunard Centre from a few weeks ago (Halifax Pop Explosion weekend). Thank you Chris Smith of funkfactor.com! More photos from the weekend can be found on his website.

Jivin' w/ Wintersleep on CBC Radio 3

Hear the interview here.

Weighty Video

(Wintersleep vs. Children)

and then there's:

(Liars vs. kittens)

Let's Get Baked / News

While searching for the "Welcome to the night pie" episode of the indie radio show "Let's Get Baked With Matt and Dave"; and thought about what news updates I should blog about on this long birthday weekend (yeah, I stretch it out over 4 whole days, so what? I'm allowed... it's my birthday). In the end, I decided to run artist news and include a link to their individual LGBWMAD episodes for your perusal. This show has had everyone on from Alicia Silverstone to Buck 65, Joel Plaskett, The Golden Dogs, Holy Fuck, Camouflage Nights, Ok Go and so on. Good music and good receipes by some favourite local / Canadian (and beyond) artists. What else do you want!?

Wintersleep: (Welcome to the Night Pie)

Wintersleep is out on the road, starting the western leg of their tour in support of Welcome To The Night Sky (now you get it, right? sky... pie...). They're in Edmonton on Sunday, Oct. 28 (ahem...BIRTHDAY!), and will be out until the show in Halifax on November 24th at the Cunard Centre. Can't wait for them to come home. Not only for the show, but with all of them out at once, 50% of my birthday party party is absent. I will make them celebrate again. All dates and complete ticket information is up at http://www.wintersleep.com/.

Matty Mays: (Tamale Pie)

Matt Mays & El Torpedo has left the continent... The guys are currently in the UK working on new songs the producer responsible for The Tragically Hip's Fully Completely record. He also worked with Ozzy and Judas Preist. bam.

David Myles: (David Myles' Mega Chocolate Cheesecake)

David has a show tonight at Ginger's. He's so great. And funny. I'm listening this episode right now. I just learned a little about tubers. mmmmmmm... .tubers.

Mike Oneill: (Nanaimo Bars With Mike Oneill)

I don't have any news about Mike O. I was just really excited to find this episode. HUGE fan right here. HUGE. If you know me, you already know this, but it's always worth reiterating.

Eric's Trip to Tribeca

(JB and Bob M)

As I've been saying... Bob Mersereau wrote a book. There was a book launch party (or whatever you call a 'cd release show' for books - I don't generally speak in litterary terms) at Tribeca.. and Eric's Trip showed up and played! Having them play there was almost like having them play in my livingroom, as I tend to frequent the establishment often. Alhough I bowed out of the festivities early that night and missed the big marquee show, I still think that this little set marked the perfect end to a busy and exhausting (but all in all really fun) HPX weekend.
Photo evidence below:

Pop Goes Halifax

Halifax Pop Explosion has returned and is now in full swing. Although I hadn't planned on running from place to place chasing bands around the town, I found myself doing just that last night (Meet and drink at Tribeca, Shotgun Jimmie at Gingers and Small Sins in Hell) and suddenly have plans lined up for the rest of the weekend which include Matt Mays & El Torpedo tonight at the Cunard Centre, The Two Minute Miracles at The Attic and Bob Mersereau's book party tomorrow at Tribeca. Eric's Trip is also in town. As is Tom Fun Orchestra. And the fantabulous David Myles is playing at St. Matt's church with Joel Plaskett. It's going to be a busy weekend which is kind of a scary thought considering I'm already tired and half hungover from night 1. In honour of (and to gear up for) night #2, I've found some goodies to share...

- Matty Mays' "top 5 things to do in Halifax" on the CBC Radio 3 site.
- The Two Minute Miracles songs! I recommend listening to "Stall Tactics" on this site or on one of my podcasts.

Also, in honour of my "The Clapper" T-shirt I purchased last night: The Clapper, The Video

The Top 100 Canadian Albums of All Time

Bob Mersereau wrote a book and it comes out today. Having participated in the project, and because I actually know Mr. Mersereau, I feel like it's my duty to inform you of its release. Stop by the release party here in Halifax (with a 'special guest performance' - and TRUST ME, it's a good one) at Tribeca, this Saturday @ 5PM. It will by your chance to tell Bobby how you feel about the book, the top 10 list, or just say to hello. Or you can skip the party and just buy it here right now.

Incase you're wondering what the top 10 is, it's posted below. Compare with my top 12 (i simply couldn't pair it down any further). Let me tell you, it was an agonizing process. And if i had to start it over again, i'd probably have a new order or maybe even a new list altogether. I certainly know of one new album that i'd add...

The Top 10
1. "Harvest," Neil Young (Reprise, 1972)
2. "Blue," Joni Mitchell (Reprise, 1970)
3. "After the Gold Rush," Neil Young (Reprise, 1970)
4. "Music From Big Pink," The Band (Capitol, 1968)
5. "Fully Completely," The Tragically Hip (MCA, 1992)
6. "Jagged Little Pill," Alanis Morisette (Maverick, 1995)
7. "The Band," The Band (Capitol, 1969)
8. "Funeral," Arcade Fire (Merge, 2004)
9. "Moving Pictures," Rush (Anthem, 1981)
10. "American Woman," The Guess Who (RCA, 1970)

MY Top 12

1) Neil Young - After the Gold Rush
2) Constantines - The Constantines
3) The Sadies - Favourite Colours
4) Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
5) Sloan - Twice Removed
6) Snailhouse - The Opposite is Also True
7) Arcade Fire - Funeral
8) Matt Mays - Matt Mays
9) Hayden - Skyscraper National Park
10) The Inbreds - Winning Hearts
11) Gord Downie - Coke Machine Glow
12) Hardship Post - Somebody Spoke

Wintersleep on MTV and Cuff The Duke's New Album

as the title of the post suggests:

- Wintersleep on MTV
- New Cuff The Duke album preview on Myspace. This week only!

Bruce Springsteen + Arcade Fire

WHY does Arcade Fire have all the fun? First Bowie, now this?! wtf...
This would definitely rival my appearance on stage w/ Pearl Jam and Wintersleep...

Bruce Stringsteen and Arcade Fire - Keep the car running
Uploaded by trendwhore

Radiohead - In Rainbows pt. 2

Well, i can't be the only blogger in the universe not talking about the new Radiohead album....

I downloaded In Rainbows as soon as i got to work yesterday morning and except for one spin of Jim O'Rourke's Eureka, i've been listening to it exclusively. Being my favourite band, it would be really shitty if this album were to suck. but it doesn't. not even a little bit. I could go on and rant and rave about it, but i don't think i will. All i can say for sure is that i love it. i love how they released / sold it. i love how it sounds. i love that there are still more songs to come in december. i love thom's vocals. i love johnny greenwood in general. and i fucking adore "reckoner".

Buy it now. you get to choose what you pay so really, you have no choice. it IS radiohead afterall. the best band in the entire galaxy...

For Those of You in Torontonia...

New Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs

Holy moly. October is becoming the month of stellar releases and it's only the 4th day of the month. Wintersleep, Radiohead, Neil Young and so on.

Despite all of the big names releasing records this quarter, there was one released the other day that is quickly growing on me. As a fan of M Ward's Post War, Cuff The Duke and Jim Guthrie, it only took me only one listen to the first two songs on his myspace to decide that Nathan Lawr's new record was my second favourite release last Tuesday.

Check it. Buy It.

CASTING CALL: need kids for wintersleep vid...

Wintersleep is looking for children to be in their video. See here for info.

RADIOHEAD - In Rainbows

i'm so excited i might just throw up (or is that just the feeling left over from the weekend?).... it's monday morning here at Sonic and as i am wading through emails and making my list of what i have to get done this week, i took a little gander and the internet and stumbled upon this message on radiohead's website:

Radiohead have made a record
so far, it's only available from this website
you can pre-oder it in these formats:
discbox and download.
continue

Having recently resigned myself to the fact that i wouldn't get to hear new recorded radiohead songs until 2008, this comes as a total (brilliant) surprise. The download is "pay what you want", the tracklisting is below and i'm ordering mine as we speak. Only 9 more days to wait!

15 STEP
BODYSNATCHERS
NUDE
WEIRD FISHES/ARPEGGI
ALL I NEED
FAUST ARP
RECKONER
HOUSE OF CARDS
JIGSAW
FALLING INTO PLACE
VIDEOTAPE

Updated Wintersleep Sept. 20 Show info.

I reported earlier that this show was $5. I really meant $7. And tickets are available in advance at the Dal Arts Centre box office in person, by phone or online. applicable service fees apply to phone and web orders.

https://kil-dacweb-1.cohn.dal.ca/Dalhousie/seatSelect.asp?WSadmissions::admission::performance_id=733D12EC-D0C2-4A94-8153-93D05E9CFBFA

Phone: (902) 494-3820 or (toll free) 1 800 874-1669

LIMITED tickets available and they're going fast! :) I may also have forgotten to mention that there are a number of coupons to be handed in to those who paid for $5 off of the new record at HMV (Spring Garden Rd. and Dartmouth locations) for the week of release. so essentially, this show is $2. How can you go wrong?

What's been stuck in my head...for like, 10 years

"I got me so down I got me a HEADAAAAACHE"

Wintersleep Halifax show next week!

Tell your friends. Limited admission.

"trying to make sense of the voice I heard..."

I think that I've spoken about my love for Snailhouse (the music, not the dude personally... although mike is a pretty nice freakin' dude) in a podcast before, but you may not have heard me so I'll put it in writing. I LOVE SNAILHOUSE. We've been together for some years now and we're still going strong.

Today, a rainy Tuesday in Halitown, I came across a message alerting me of new Snailhouse songs on myspace. I hope the rest of the office likes the these three new tracks as much as I do... because it's exactly what I'll be listening to for the rest of the day.

What's been stuck in my head this week

It's starting to feel a bit more Fall-like out there these days and I've been finding myself pairing the change in air temperature with the sounds of the newest Blonde Redhead record. I can't stop singing this song. Must be the lalalalalas.

APPRECIATION POST: Raw Power

Everyone has their favourite Stooges record. Mine is Raw Power. Not only because it's solid straight through, but also because it has one of the best side 1, track 1s of all time. "Look out baby 'cuz i'm usin' technology..."

Iggy & The Stooges - Search & Destroy

New Nathan Video

Directed by Sean Wainsteim. Shot in Cuba. I present to you, "North American Dream".

Cirque De Sol-yay

it's been a goal of mine to see a cirque de soleil show at some point in my life. i was going to bring my sister when we were in montreal, but it costs so much to go, that we decided to put it off until we can get to vegas. then the 'Saltimbanco' show came to Halifax. But again, it just cost too much to go. so i covered my ears any time someone mentioned it and tried to not be insanely jealous. then two free tickets came my way out of nowhere and i got to go on Friday night. it was AMAZING. some of these "people" simply can not be human. Maybe that's why they wear masks and heavy makeup. i'm including two videos to show you what i saw, because describing it is useless. Note the guy swinging UP a pole in both videos. who DOES that!?

"oh have you seen my ghost..."

http://www.wintersleep.com/ws3/ghost.htm

Missing Myspace

I may have already blogged about this. God knows I've rambled on about it enough. But I miss Myspace. Why is everyone abandoning Myspace? We were all Myspace friends once. With quirky names and personal one-song-at-a-time-unless-you-have-a-band-profile soundtracks and top 8 friends. Where bands could proudly post their songs and relish in the praise (either deserved or undeserved) from perfect strangers. Where perfect strangers could stumble upon new great bands by clicking through other bands' "friends" and friends-of-friends' profiles. C'mon. Let's love it again. Here's a few good reasons to get back on the bandwagon:

http://www.myspace.com/dangriffinmusic
http://www.myspace.com/snailhouse
http://www.myspace.com/willymason
http://www.myspace.com/theacorn
http://www.myspace.com/hylozoists
http://www.myspace.com/cufftheduke
http://www.myspace.com/tomfunorchestra
http://www.myspace.com/twominutemiracles
http://www.myspace.com/hotcarllovestheladies
http://www.myspace.com/donvail
http://www.myspace.com/ryankcook
http://www.myspace.com/clappist
http://www.myspace.com/wintersleepmusic
http://www.myspace.com/nathanwiley
http://www.myspace.com/mattmayseltorpedo


Come On...

Inbreds News from Chartattack.com

Inbreds Tribute Album Features Sloanies And Halifax Scenesters

Wednesday August 08, 2007 @ 04:30 PMBy: ChartAttack.com Staff

Halifax's music scene is notorious for inbreeding. Consider the latest release from Gooseberry Records' Wanna Be Your Friend: A Tribute To The Inbreds.

Anyone who's anyone is found on this record, including Sloanster Chris Murphy, who teams up with Matt Murphy, Sarah Millman and Rebecca Mendoza under alias The Forum, to cover The Inbreds' "You Will Know."

In-Flight Safety slips in there with a perfectly timed version of the bittersweet classic from Kombinator "Any Sense Of Time. The delightful experimental pop-duo Stephen Kelly and Eleanor King of The Just Barelys roll in with a cover of "Moustache," while The Superfantastics chime in with a version of "Yelverton Hill."

Even former-Guthrie, folk-songstress Ruth Minnikin does a flawless rendition of "She's Acting."
"The irony in that song is perfect," explains Minnikin, while packing for a gig in New York with The Heavy Blinkers. "I heard the song for the first time in April and I knew it was the song for me to record. Mike (O'Neill, of The Inbreds) even played drums on a Guthries song on our album Off Windmill."

The Inbreds found their ever-lasting indie-rock status in the simple, catchy melodies of bassist Mike O'Neill and drummer Dave Ullrich. Unfortunately, after their 1998 release Winning Hearts, the duo disbanded and went their separate ways creating solo material and working on the production ends of music.

O'Neill recently produced Halifax's kittenish songwriter Laura Peek's debut full-length, From The Photographs, accompanied by her band The Winning Hearts, which consists of Dave Ewenson on drums and Joel Goguen on bass.

Here's the track listing for Wannabe Your Friend: A Tribute To The Inbreds includes:

Andrew Glencross "Whitecaps"
International Fall "Attitude"
In-Flight-Safety "Any Sense Of Time"
The Superfantastics "Yelverton Hill"
Bontempi "This Train I Ride"
The Forum "You Will Know"
Share "Turn My Head"
Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees "Amelia Earhart"
Slowlover "Never Be"
Jonathan Inc. "Drag Us Down"
Matt Reid "Reason Why I'm Shy"
Catriona Sturton "North Window"
Alicia Penney & The Excellent Navigators "Cut My Throat"
The Just Barelys "Moustache"
Ruth Minnikin & Her Bandwagon "She's Acting"
The Memories Attack "Everytime I Turn Around"
Stereo Moon "Dangerous"

As an added bonus, The Inbreds have added their own set of covers to the album. They do the following:

The Everly Brothers "Cathy's Clown"
The Super Friendz "Down In Flames"
The Rheostatics "Dope Fiends And Booze Hounds"

—Shannon Webb-Campbell

Youtube Monday

Yesterday, in a field, as the sun was setting... I watched these guys.

Do Make Say Think:

"Have you ever seen a _____ singing with a ____...."

Terri and I used to watch this clip every Friday afternoon. If you've not seen The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne singing "we built this city on rock n' roll" karaoke with a puppet, then you've truly been missing out. Especially if you like Wayne Coyne and puppets. "WAYNE!"



Also, Sloan is back in the 'fax and will be playing the marquee tonight. I would go, but I'm off to Evolve to see the first official show featuring the new Wintersleep line up. I might rethink my plans, however, if I knew this kid would be there...

Welcome to the...

Things are happening here: http://www.wintersleep.com/index.html
scroll around to find surprises!

Podcast: Is This Thing On Ep. 04 (the it's-WAY-too-hot-out mix)

This is a really quick and dirty 'episode', but there are some good songs worth checking out. Track list:

Common - Be
Afghan Whigs - Lost in the Supermarket (Clash Cover)
M. Ward - Right in the Head
Feist - Sea Lion
Billy Bragg & Wilco - Airline to Heaven
Kepler - National Epithet

Download here or from the sidebar. speaking of bar...I have to run. I hear a patio on the waterfront calling my name!

Appreciation Post: Afghan Whigs

Gushing about the Singles Soundtrack brough me back and I suddenly found myself back in love with The Afghan Whigs. I go through phases, revisiting bands that I haven't listened to in a while, but when I find myself in an Afghan Whigs phase, it can get bad...

There was a time in high school where many a boring night in small town Nova Scotia was filled with long drives and singing Afghan Whigs songs with my best buds - and although the stereo in my celebrity eurosport wasn't all that great, we made it work. We'd get so excited about every song, and talk about how sexy Dulli's voice is, and how amazing the chick that sings on "my curse" is, and how we'd love the band for ever and ever and ever. Sadly, the Twilight Singers came along and ruined everything, but at least the Whigs got to retire without sucking.

The Cover: Lost in the Supermarket (Clash Cover)
The Live Song: Blame, etc. (Live)
The Classic:



True story: I met a guy who used to live with Greg Dulli once. Or was his house sitter. I kind of freaked out and ran around telling people who I knew would find that as amazing as I, and we crowded around the guy and made him tell us everything he could about the experience. He thought we'd be put off by the fact that "Greg's kind of an asshole", but we weren't surprised, nor deterred. We gave him our undivided attention and hung on every word he was willing to offer. That man made Gentlemen...and Black Love... please.

Singles and Loving It

Sometimes I forget how much I loved music back in the early 90s. I was part of the grunge generation, and I'm not ashamed to say it. The me that you know today was formerly that 13 year old girl who wore babydoll dresses and doc martins and had an intense hatred for anything and everything unrelated to Pearl Jam, Nirvana or Soundgarden.

Although I feel that my musical tastes are more diverse and perhaps even more refined, I still have an insane and intense love for one specific musical artifact of that period. The Singles soundtrack simply rocks my world. The movie, not so much...eventhough I studied every scene Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell appeared in like it was a picasso painting...and yes I still own it... but what I am trying to say is that this soundtrack is still awesome. Jimi Hendrix, Paul Westerberg, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden when they were awesome, etc. What more could you want? I know what else you might want... videos!

Track 1 - Alice in Chains - Would?


Track 3 - Chris Cornell - Seasons



Track 4 - Paul Westerberg - Dyslexic Heart


Track 7 - Soundgarden - Birth Ritual



Track 12 - Screaming Trees - Nearly Lost You

Eric's Trip @ TBA!

Walking to work in a torrential downpour was shitty, but the following news from chartattack.com made me feel a lot less bitter:


East coast indie rock pioneers Eric's Trip previously revealed that they'd reform for next month's Sappyfest event in Sackville, New Brunswick, but the group have decided to extend their reunion to at least five more shows in September and October.
The band formed in 1990 and became the first Canadian act to sign with Sub Pop Records, for which they released three albums. They broke up in 1996 but have reunited briefly for a few shows since then.

Eric's Trip members Julie Doiron and Rick White worked together on Doiron's most recent album, the Polaris Music Prize-nominated Woke Myself Up, which spurred them on to reviving their former group. White will open all of the Eric's Trip shows with performances of songs from his two solo records, The Rick White Album and Memoreaper.

The group (who also include Chris Thompson and Mark Gaudet) recently launched a MySpace page, which is their first official online presence. The site features archived video clips, rare songs, a discography and the band's explanation of their history.

Here are the dates of Eric's Trip's reunion shows with Rick White:

Aug. 5 Sackville, NB @ George's Roadhouse (Sappyfest)
Sept. 13 Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
Sept. 15 Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
Oct. 5 Ottawa, ON @ Barrymores
Oct. 7 Montreal, QC @ TBA (Pop Montreal)
Oct. 20 Halifax, NS @ TBA

... Eric's Trip!

First Look: Nathan Wiley Video Shoot

Last week Nathan returned from shooting his new video in Cuba. I got my hands on some of the stills and it looks like it is going to turn out really cool. Here's a sneak peak!

When The Angels Make CBC Radio 3 Appearances

Matt and his jolly 9 piece band stopped in to record a CBC Radio 3 session while in Vancouver during the "When the Angels Make Contact Tour" in January.

Hear here: http://radio3.cbc.ca/concerts/Matt-Mays-2007-01-29/

White Stripes Secret Show in Halifax

You'll never guess who made it in to the secret show at Halifax's Locus Bar. Yeah, it was me (with a few of my good friends, which made it all the better). Steph shot some footage for CBC. If it looks like she was extremely close, that's not just because of a zoom lense. it's because she was close. only a few feet away. and i was just behind her.

Let me tell you about this guy I know. His name is David Myles. He's insanely nice. He's a former beat-boxer. He's got soul.

Ok, moving on ("i can move on now...), anyone who knows me probably knows that i'm not the biggest of gospel fans, but David just performed the song posted below at the CBC East Coast Sessions taping with a stellar band and it killed me. After realizing that i abandoned my ipod in favour of whistling it the entire way home, and then danced around my house singing it for another 5 minutes AFTER i got home, i decided that i'd better blog about it. introducing David Myles' "secular gospel song", unknown name.



David's actually not a gospel singer. he's more folk / roots / jazz. check him out:
www.davidmyles.com
www.myspace.com/davidmyles

Wintersleep CBC Radio 3

Wintersleep stopped in to record some live songs for a CBC Radio 3 session back in late 2006 and it's finally up! Featuring new songs including Search Party, Murderer and Archaeologists...

Hear it here: http://radio3.cbc.ca/blogs/2007/06/CBC-Radio-3-Sessions-Episode-18-Wintersleep-Bend-Sinister

Youtube Monday: New Favourites

1) M Ward - Chinese Translation.



2) The Tom Fun Orchestra's Live Show (2 versions)

2a) Good Sound, big room, no crowd up front (the showcase version)


2b) Shaky video. not so great sounds. high energy. dancing crowd (the bar show version aka: "What I Did Friday Night"...)

Sonic Podcast: Is This Thing On? Ep. 03

I finally got around to getting another one of these finished. There were many in the works, but I threw this one together in record time. In honor of Summer driving, I give you, Is This Thing On, Episode 3. Featuring:

The Flaming Lips - Fight Test
Yo La Tengo - Little Eyes
The Got to Get Got - Blood Test
Matt Mays - Under My Senses
The Roots - Baby
Jay-Z - Encore
Rick White - Strange To Be Alive
Sloan - I Can Feel It
Nathan Wiley - Getaway

Youtube Monday

This kid is awesome.



I like this kid too...

'There is A House in New Orleans...'

There was a brief period in my life when the only song I wanted to hear was "House of the Rising Sun". Not only is it fun to sing (you get to yell if you want to) and very easy to play, but it's a stellar classic song that dates back to God knows when. In fact, according to Wikipedia, its origin is up for debate.

Once I realized that I loved the song, I spent many a night by my stereo with the radio tuned in to "GTO: Good Time Oldies" on CJLS waiting for it to come on so I could record it onto a tape (yes, this was back before MP3s existed. I'm not old, I just sound like I am) and although it took several long evenings listening to GTO religiously, I got the song and I listened to it until the tape almost fell apart. I had an old bass but no amp, so I would plug in to my parents' stereo when no one was home and play it, singing along at the top of my lungs. And I thought I was damned good too. Although I never made it to rock superstardom, I never lost my love for the song.

This morning I came across this blog which posted many versions of "House..", and was lead to this page, which hosts different versions by everyone from Hank Williams to DJs to Marianne Faithful, Dylan, Hendrix, and more. Plus tons of people who I've never heard of, but I'm sure they do a good job. Is it possible to listen to just ONE song all day long, you ask? Well, if there are 262 different versions, then I would say it is.

The Animals
David Allan Coe version
Nina Simone
DJ Clone

New MMET Summer Dates

Here's looking at you, Alberta and Ontario (and Grand Falls, NL)...

21-Jun Bourbon St. North, Montreal QC (w/ Blue Rodeo)
1-Jul Fort Henry, Kingston ON
10-Jul Ice Tapps Bar and Grill, Lethbridge AB
11-Jul Coyotes, Calgary AB
12-Jul The Zoo, Brookes AB
13-Jul Cold Lake Agriplex, Cold Lake AB
14-Jul H.O.P.E Volleyball- Mooney's Bay, Ottawa ON
21-Jul Salmon Festival, Grand Falls NL
26-Jul Rock Island Festival - Mac Island Park, Fort McMurray AB
27-Jul Capitol Ex EdFest - Northlands Park, Edmonton AB

Ticket info and updates, as always, posted at http://www.mattmays.com/

SEG on Facebook

I'm starting to feel overwhelmed by Facebook lately. There is so much going on and I can't keep up. And I miss myspace. Remember myspace? I loved myspace.
That being said, there is now a Facebook group for all things Sonic related. If you want to join, just search "sonic entertainment group" and voila! instant friends!
JB
p.s. if you're boycotting facebook in lieu of the wonderful world which is myspace, you can hang out with us there also. www.myspace.com/sonicentertainmentgroup

Youtube Monday (on Tuesday)

Best concert film in history. From The Last Waltz...


The Band - It Makes No Difference

What's been stuck in my head this week:

I'm suddenly finding myself addicted to two completely different albums. And neither are Rock records. The following have been in extremely heavy rotation on my ipod this week. Check it.

Ray Charles - Lonely Avenue

Jay-z - 99 Problems

Wilco - AOL Sessions

Matty, if you've not found this already, here's a treat for you...

(click photo)

You Tube Monday

I've moved right past denial into acceptance; this lovely lady is not only cuter than me, but she's also a better piano player. Someone sign this cat already.

Grif-fans Unite!

I meant to post this a while ago, but forgot until now. My buddy Matt (did I just say 'my buddy'? weird...) over at http://www.thatsfuckingdynamite.com posted a nice little blurb about Dan Griffin last week as his choice for "best song of all time... this week". I believe that I am one of the Grif-fans to which he refers. You should be too. Thanks, Matt for 'letting' me steal another stellar blog post. What can I say, you're a better descriptive writer than I. Oh, and you'd better heed Matt's advice and 'listen alot'. You don't want him to come over to your house and punch you in the nose, do you? Because he might.

Matt’s Pick

Two really good friends of mine have been pushing Dan Griffin on me for a few months now. They bring him up in most conversations we have, and when the conversation goes silent they usually start humming his songs. It’s not a passing fancy either, these cats are pretty fixated with this guy…Grif-fans I call them….maybe I just made that up, either way. Dan is from Hamilton, ON and recently released his debut EP Stars and Satellites. It’s an incredibly accomplished brand of hushed alt-country. Out of the album’s eight tracks it’s hard to settle on one that stands above the rest, but “East Coast” is doing it for me right now. Listen alot.

MP3: Dan Griffin - East Coast

What's been stuck in my head this week:

Unfortunately, I only found a TERRIBLE youtube video version of the song that's been stuck in my head this week. It seems that someone filmed some artwork on some wall and set it to music. The song happens to be Billy Bragg's "Way Over Yonder in a Minor Key", and I challenge you to listen to it a few times and try and not hum, sing or whistle it for the rest of the day. It's catchy, and it's Billy B, so it's worth a listen. I DO suggest you minimize this window while you listen. Unless you greatly enjoy watching 4 minute shaky amature videos of art filled livingrooms...
This is not necessarily recommended for the indie kids out there, but if you appreciate Billy Bragg, you should appreciate this:

She said it's hard for me to see
how one little boy got so ugly
Yes, my little girly, that might be,
But there ain't nobody that can sing like me

Mays Interview from the Road and Feist on a Bus

http://radio3.cbc.ca/blogs/2007/05/Tour-Diary---Matt-Mays

In today's installment of Tour Diary, we found Matt Mays on his way to North Carolina from a show last night in Nashville. He's out on the road with El Torpedo and joined us about an hour outside Raleigh where he is headed for tonight's show at the Hideaway BBQ.

AND just because... Feist on a bus:

SONIC CONCERTS ANNOUNCEMENT

White Stripes tickets go on sale tomorrow. See www.sonicconcerts.com for details.




Dates:
July 13: Halifax, NS @ Cunard Centre
July 14: Glace Bay, NS @ Savoy Theatre*
*10th Anniversary Show!

When the Angels Make Remixes

Matt's given up the tracks for "Midnight is the Time" so that YOU can download them and make your own mix of the song. After you've made your masterpiece, upload it to the mattmays.com message board because we want to hear them! I'm not promising prizes or anything, but I am really interested in seeing how new versions will sound. I've tried to do it myself, but realized that mixing is most definitely not my strong point. Check it out here.

The City Destroyed Nathan Wiley

PSST: Click the photo above for a link to a flash player which will stream Nathan's entire new album, The City Destroyed Me (out May 29). To celebrate finally being able to put the album out there, I decided to conduct my own little Nathan interview just to prep him for the months to come.

1.) If you had to be one character on Lost, who would you be and why?
Probably John. I don't know why, I just relate to him more than the others. I mean, my father never threw me out a window or stole a kidney from me or anything, more just his laid backness.

2.) What exactly do you DO all day?
Stuff. I try and write all the time. And I'm always in the middle of recording friends and stuff...I had to cut up a tree last week that fell in the yard over the winter, and I have to get up on the roof and take some storm windows down...pretty EXCITING STUFF!

3.) What’s your favourite Poison album?
I honestly don't know any Poison record by name...that's probably a good thing.

4.) What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen while on the road?
Oh. That's a hard one. There's a bunch of stuff that's not funny at the time, but is later. Mike Farrington once got the flu and a hangover at the same time. We had a long drive (out west somewhere) and since none of the windows in a 15 passenger van go down except the ones in the front, he kept passing me shopping bags full of hot, brown, heavy vomit for me to toss out the passenger window into the new fresh fallen snow. And...I was trying to eat my soup from Tim Hortons.

5.) What’s the worst prank you’ve ever pulled on someone?
Most of them I can't tell the stories, and some of them are still ongoing, so therefore can't be revealed. I put a bunch of rock from a rock garden in Phil Zwicker's bag once at a hotel. We had thought he had gotten rid of them all until he tried to fly home and a couple of pretty substantial stones showed up on the x-ray in security. They were confused...he was too.

6.) Does Uncle Tom still speak to you since you posted his drunken rant about the new record… and then it was posted on chartattack.com?
Of course he does. He finds it funny too. He should have know if he was going to give me such "A" material, it would be against my nature to not use it somehow. And we're laughing "with' him, not "at" him. Mostly anyway...

7.) Aren’t you happy that “Fistful of Throttle” was added to the record at the last minute?
I am so glad we waited. I don't remember who's idea that was (they should get some kind of medal...don't cha think?) but it was genius. Brilliant...

8.) Is it true you record in a closet? Are you ever planning to come out?
I used to record in kind of a walk-in closet years ago. It was the only part in the little apartment I had where there was any room to setup my recording junk. And even after all that...I still like girls.

9.) Tell me a joke.
Most of my jokes are more offensive than funny...
Ed. note - this is true. I don't know why I even asked...

10.) Have you ever ridden a horse?
Yes I have

11.) Facebook or Myspace?
Facebook I think...

12.) What’s your own favourite song?
Probably the one I'm working on at the moment. Until it's done, then it's the next one I'm working on at the moment.

Fill in the blanks:

If I could win an award for anything, it would be for: being awesome.

I *hate* Nickleback. I tried to come up with a stronger word, but hate is so to the point and direct.

If I won the lottery, the first thing I would buy is: a house maybe? Or a really good sandwich.

Do you have any questions you’d like to ask me? How come you don't watch Lost anymore?

The reason I don’t watch Lost anymore is because you are just so great at typing out the summary on Thursday. I don’t have to put up with annoying characters and ridiculous ‘oh look, there’s a polar bear’ or ‘how is Charlie doing to die this week’ bullshit when you do that. And I like how you name the new guests. Eyepatch guy, parachuter chick… it’s good stuff.

Feist - 1234

wow.

SONIC PODCAST: "Is This Thing On?" Ep 02

I've finally gotten around to making another episode of "Is This Thing On". Thanks to Alan Carr at Darkhorse Radio and my good friend Matt Charlton at That's Fucking Dynamite for the inspiration. You can download it from the "podcast" section in the side bar or just click here.

Track List:
Is This Thing On Theme (By Nathan Wiley)
Wooden Stars - Orphans
The Superfantastics - Oh! How You Used to Know Me Well (Back Then)
Wintersleep - Fog
The Sadies - Why Be So Curious (pt. 3)
Golden Dogs - Yeah!
Indio Saravanja - Northern Town
Neil Young - Don't Cry No Tears
Elvis Costello - Waiting For The End of the World
Willy Mason - Our Town
Belle & Sebastien - This is Just a Modern Rock Song

Rainy Days and Things to Say

We've been getting harassed by rain and wind here in Halifax for the entire week. I realize today is but Tuesday, but weeks that start off in such a way make for longer weeks and work days. That being said, there have been a few things that are getting me through:

#1) My upcoming trip to London to visit one of my greatest friends for her birthday. I understand that going to London England to escape rainy days is ridiculous, but as soon as I find enough money for the airfare, I'm booking the trip anyway.

#2)Dan Griffin's new album Stars and Satellites. I've been playing this record for a little while now (loudly so that the office can hear it), and decided that for everyone's sake, I'd retire it for a bit. But then the rain came, and I put it back on. On repeat. All Day. Sometimes I switch to the (wicked) new Wilco, and sometimes to Dylan or Low, but for the most part, it's DG all the way. Pure pretty singer-songwriter goodness.

#3)I got word today that Sonic Concerts is bringing DJ Champion to The Marquee on Sept. 14. This could very well make history as our first Sonic Concerts dance party. yeis.

#4) The Wintersleep guys are hard at work recording songs for their new record. From what I can hear coming through the floorboards, it should be pretty great. Listen for my guest appearance on handclaps. It wouldn't be a proper Wintersleep record without me weaseling my way onto it somehow, now would it? Also, I'm proud to announce that they will be going back on tour with The Tragically Hip next month. Dates are here.

#5) The release date for Nathan's new record has been finalized (May 29, 2007). And although I've been taking the blame for holding up production, I'm proud to announce that 'Fistful of Throttle' has been mastered and added to the end of the album. Oh shoot... did I just post a not-yet-released Nathan Wiley song? And am I about to do it again? Damn straight. (North American Dream)

SONIC CONCERTS ANNOUNCEMENT:

THE TRAGICALLY HIP!




WITH THE SADIES!!




DATES (more info)
Sept. 8 - Mile One, St.John's NL
Sept. 11 - Aitken Centre, Fredericton NB
Sept. 12 - Harbour Station, Saint John, NB
Sept. 13 - Metro Centre, Halifax NS

El Torpedo Announcement from Matt Mays

Hey all,

I regret to announce that singer, guitarist Jarrett Murphy has decided to leave El Torpedo. His departure is on good terms, and we all support the decision he's made. We've had an incredible five years with Jarrett. He will be missed both on and off stage. He was a huge part of this band. His leaving will no doubt send this band in a new direction. Jay Smith from Sydney Cape Breton's Rock Ranger has signed on to be the new full time member of the band. The rock gods themselves could not create a better guy for the job. Jarrett has gladly passed the torch to Jay with confidence. We look forward to our future with Jay Smith. He's a perfect fit. We're hittin' the studio soon to start work on our new record. I'm really exited about it. The jam's are shaping up, and the new Chapter is taking shape. Time to move forward.

Thanks for your strong support folks, we're such a lucky band to have you all as fans.

Thanks,

Matt

Wintersleep in Atlanta Videos

Jud posted two pretty sweet videos that were shot at Atlanta's Roxy Theatre (on the night of the fist Tragically Hip show) on the Wintersleep website.

Matt Mays & El Torpedo Graceland / Sun Pics

Robbie gave me permission to post some of his photos from the band's tour of Graceland and Sun Studio (info / virtual tour here) in Memphis. He also promised me stories to post along with the photos, but I've not gotten any. Instead of waiting, though, I'm posting the photos anyway. Check back for stories later....
JB

"I'm Goin' to Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee"

(Elvis' house)

SUN, "The birthplace of Rock N' Roll"

Phil, in all of his classy glory, making us sound good and look even better...

Congrats to David Myles!

One of our publicity clients, David Myles, just delivered the news that he won in the International Songwriting Competition for the Folk / Singer-Songwriter category! This contest is open to songwriters and musicians worldwide and the judges for this year included artists such as Tom Waits, Brian Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Pixies' Frank Black, The Cure's Robert Smith, Roseanne Cash and more and a panel of industry pros. Check out the winners page for David's winning track. See his website and / or myspace for more info and stay tuned for a reaction to his win!

UPDATE: I just read the press release, and According to competition officials, they received almost 15,000 entries from 88 countries worldwide, representing all genres of contemporary music.

In response to my "Holy shit! Way to go!" email to David, he wrote “i'm pretty excited for sure. it's pretty crazy. next stop is to get Willie Nelson to sing that bad boy. "

SONIC PODCAST: "Is This Thing On" Ep. 01

I've made a new podcast featuring songs that I have been listening to in anticipation of Spring. The volume issues are somewhat better, but not totally resolved. Other than that, I'm feeling good about it. Here it is...enjoy!

The Songs:
Songs:Ohia* - I've Been Riding With A Ghost
The Constantines - Thieves
Rocky Votolato - White Daisy Passing
Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running
Nathan Wiley - Fist Full of Throttle (demo)
Mike O'Neill - We Live Happily
Led Zeppelin - Boogie With Stu
Matt Mays - Wasn't Meant To Be (unreleased)
Rilo Kiley - A Man / Me / Then Jim
Loose Fur - The Ruling Class
Evan Dando - It Looks Like You
Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio

*"Right off the bat we need to get one thing straight; it’s pronounced ... be Oheea for those who are more phonetically inclined) and not Songs:Ohia" (source)

Also... HAPPY CONSTANTINES DAY: