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