Top 8 of 2008

Alrighty. It's the end of the year, so if I want to call myself a 'blogger', it's about time I submit the obligatory best albums of the year list. As I sit down to write this, I have NO idea what is about to pour out. I don't think I've listened to THAT many new releases this year. I meant to, but didn't really get around to it. For instance I still haven't listened to the new Mogwai record. Which is ridiculous. So, I'm not sure how exactly I will work this out....

While I'm thinking, I shall distract myself from the task for a little while longer and give you various other 2008 JB favourites lists to look over....

Best 8 Shows, 2008
1 - Leonard Cohen. May. Rebecca Cohn, Halifax (1st night). Best show of the year. and tied for my very favourite show ever. A-MAZING
2 - Neil Young. November. Metro Centre, Halifax. Wilco opened. prettay pretttayyy good. nay, great.
3 - Wintersleep. January. Phoenix, Toronto. Technically, they walked off stage at midnight Feb 1st, which made it Tim's birthday also. I've seen many a Wintersleep show, but they KILLED it this night like i'd never seen before. Runner up Wintersleep show(s): February. Cyclone, Tokyo.
4 - Daniel Lanois. October. Marquee, Halifax.
5 - Boxer The Horse. June. Baba's, Charlottetown. My first time seeing Boxer. I walked in hoping and praying that they were as good as I hoped they'd be. They were better.
6 - The Sadies. May. Marquee, Halifax. Ah, The Sadies. Just so good.
7 - Steve Poltz. July. The Carlton, Halifax. I wasn't even going to go to this night #3 of 3 show, but am I ever glad I did. this dude knows how to entertain. Go for the tunes, stay for the insane stories. including the one that goes with this: http://www.poltz.com/blognews/stevejewel23.jpg
8 - Inbreds. October. Marquee, Halifax. Inbreds. live.

There are a bunch of other good ones... Runners up include Black Keys at Summersonic, MMET at the q104 show and NG Jubilee, Boxer's first Seahorse show, Ryan Cook at NSMW, Hayden at the Metro Centre, David Myles CD release in the casino ballroom, Bloodsport and the Lodge on some wharf in the country, um... oh yeah, and Bob Dylan at the Metro Centre. i didn't really love that show, but I do love Dylan.

Best Trip of 2008.
Most definitely Japan.
"What are you going to do tonight?" "go to karaoke with you..."



Runner up: Junos in Calgary. Just because I liked being there to see the boys win. I jumped up and yelled with arms raised high in the air if I remember correctly. Then came lots of champaign and beer.

Favourite Songs of 2008.
These weren't all necessarily released this year, but they are likely the ones I've listened to the most this year. Or rather, 8 of the ones I've listened to the most this year.

1- Fleet Foxes - Mykonos. From the Sun Giant EP. So very good. see #12 on their myspace
2- Boxer The Horse - Rock n' Roll Band. Smart. catchy. cute. Just like the band. AND it's my ringtone. hear it on sonicbids.
3- The Replacements - Alex Chilton. Honestly, I've been on a HUGE Replacements kick in the past 6 months or so. I have all 8 albums on my ipod (or HAD.. now they are just on my iTunes as i managed to lose my ipod), and listen to 7 of them all of the time. I chose "Alex Chilton" here, but I could have also listed "Seen Your Video", "If Only You Were Lonely", "Buck Hill", "You Lose", "Can't Hardly Wait", "Anywhere's Better Than Here"... you get it. Love the 'Mats. everyone should listen to them WAY more.
4- MGMT - Electric Feel. My summer dance party song.
5-Neil Young - White Line. From Ragged Glory. An oldie but a real goodie.
6-Beyonce - Single Ladies. I became a little obessed with this song. I don't know how it happened, but I don't think I'm really over it yet.
7- Snailhouse - Salvation Army. mmmmm.
8- L'il Wayne - Got Money. I only just started listening to this two days ago. but i like it. i like it a lot.

Others: Black Mountain's "Stormy High", Mays' "Stand and Deliver" (it do), "Oh My Darling" by Basia Bulat, Superfriendz' "Come Clean", "Sometimes" by Lanois...

Best 8 Albums of 2008
1- Boxer The Horse - The Late Show EP (Like you didn't know I was going to say that...)
2- Snailhouse - Lies On The Prize (Love. love love)
3- Contrived - ___,___,___. (Contrived!)
**the other 5 in no particular order**
- The Roots - Rising Down
- Black Mountain - In The Future
- The Streets - Everything is Borrowed
- Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Mostly because i don't want to be the only blogger not picking this as a top record of the year. Just kidding. sort of. "White Winter Hymnal" makes it worth it.)
- Smothered In Hugs - The Healing Power of Injury

Others: Matt Mays & El Torpedo - Terminal Romance, Hayden - In Field & In Town, Lay Low - Farewell Good Night's Sleep (mellow and pretty), Portishead's Third...

Right on. Done. Happy Holidays!
JB

The Archives, Vol. 1

I wannit.

"Enough about us, let's talk about me..."

For the Lemonheads fans in the house... It's About Time:


And now for something completely different (for all the single ladies):

Monday, Nov. 24th

Bonus: Elvis Costello - Watching The Detectives (top of the pops)



Happy Monday...

Tell Me About Her

Image: Anne-Marie Proulx

"Images call to memory and imagination. Everyone will make a different interpretation, will imagine a different story. Tell me about her"

Artist Anne-Marie Proulx has an exhibition coming up in Montreal. Her artwork, drawings of women in various scenes and situations, will be accompanied by printed captions submitted (anonymously) by YOU. Check out her website, browse through the images by clicking on them, and if one strikes you, stop and input your thoughts about the woman or women you see. I submitted a few and found it to be a really fun project. Participate!

Image: Anne-Marie Proulx

Metaform

I just got an email from this guy. Sometimes I will admit that I am leery of checking out random artist sites that have been sent to my inbox, but the email was convincing and the back story was good, so I went to http://www.metaformonline.com/ and found the perfect mix of ambient / electro / hip hop tunes that I was craving on this dark rainy friday afternoon. they're fun but not too over the top. And not too much of one thing. But a lot of good things. "Sunday" has taken the lead as my favourite track. I recommend the click.

BONUS VID - Metaform Live in Japan:

Arkells Can Perform While Driving...

The Arkells = a band from Ontario. they are out on the road with Matt Mays & El Torpedo for MMETs cross country CD release tour. Dan Griffin is in the Arkells band. You KNOW how much i love Dan Griffin, right? well, i now love this video just as much. If you need something to make you smile, this is it:

Happy Halloween from Bruce S

Thanks to Matt Charlton for bringing this to my attention.

A much higher quality version can be found here:

"Jersey Devil"

10 x 10 Interviews

A few weeks ago Norwood Cheek called and asked me to do an interview to use in the 10x10 music video competition at the Atlantic Film Festival. I said ok. I was nervous though as i've never done an interview. He said it was ok, and that other people I knew around here would be participating also. So we went up to the studio and I talked for a bit...



Other pieces:

Tara:


Campbell:


Yo Rodeo:


Charles:


All! http://www.youtube.com/user/polavision

Good Week of Shows...

I had the pleasure of attending Daniel Lanois, The Inbreds and tonight, Boxer The Horse (TONIGHT - Oct 23 at Coconut Grove) all in the same week. How lucky am I? Tired, yes. But lucky also.

This post is really a ploy to remind you that Boxer is great and that you should go see them. 10pm. $8. Jian Ghomeshi called today. He's going to try and make it. So, if you like Jian, or Boxer, or coconuts or groves... come out!

The Coast's write up (one of 10 picks out of the 125 bands playing popex this year):
Boxer The Horse
Coconut Grove, (1567 Grafton), 10pm, $8
Four barely legal PEI boys, Boxer The Horse have been on a slope of success ever since their first demo CD sold out at a Battle of the Bands show put on for Quebec exchange students last summer at UPEI's campus pub. "The prize was beer, which we couldn't even accept," says drummer Andrew Woods. "It was one of the funnest shows we've ever played…it gave us the incentive to make a new CD so people from PEI could hear." Since then, they've opened for acts like Jason Collett, Dog Day, Two Hours Traffic and The Museum Pieces, to name a few. Working classic rock and folk influences in with an upbeat contemporary indie rock sound, it's not bad for a few young musicians playing together for under a year and a half. Woods claims much of the band's music is inspired by "characters, weird people on the street," and chats excitedly about strange encounters on a trip to Montreal he and guitarist Jeremy Gaudet took by bus this past summer. The band is enthusiastic about Charlottetown's music scene and plans to stick around. "There are some nights now when you're like, 'Oh, there are two
options!'" says Woods. (LK)

BONUS: More Lanois.

I've been waiting 14 YEARS to say....

...TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO AN INBREDS SHOW. The real inbreds! mike and dave at the marquee! i can hardly believe it myself. they play at midnight.
The best thing about having to wait the 14 years to see them play is that i'm now old enough to decide for myself that going out for a midnight show on a wednesday (a 'school' night) isn't going to stop me from going out. no matter what my mom might say. and i'm allowed to drink beer now. beer AND the inbreds. yay.

Sorry office, but you will be hearing me play all of my inbreds records very loudly for the rest of the day. the rest of you - catch up with some of these:

You Will Know:


Interview from 1995:


Amelia Earhart vid:


BONUS - A nice Oneill solo song:

Lala Lanois

On Saturday afternoon and evening I had the pleasure of attending two Daniel Lanois events. The first, an interview / question and answer session lead by our friend Bob Mersereau. The second, a live show at The Marquee.

It was during these two events on Saturday, between the hours of 5PM and 11:30PM that I became slightly obsessed with Daniel Lanois. I would marry him tomorrow if he so asked. I'll leave that there...

A fan-in-the-crowd video of the messenger. More for me than for you. 2 minute mark on is my favourite...

"I'm in love with that song"

How long has it been since you've listened to The Replacements' "Alex Chilton". An hour? A Day? A year? Never? ... no matter the answer, here's your chance to do it again (or for the first time). We all know the quality of you tube videos, so if you really want to do yourself a favour, do listen to your CD/ ipod / mp3/ tape / vinyl copy of Pleased To Meet Me really really loud. It's track 2, incase you lost the sleeve/case/digital track names. Happy Friday. And whether it be for the reminder or the introduction... you're welcome.

Best sound quality:


The video:


BONUS - P.W. Live:
"I Will Dare"


"Can't Hardly Wait"

Lay Low

There's a girl from Iceland who has a band called Lay Low. The new album "Farewell Good Night's Sleep" is so good. She's sometimes poppy sometimes folk sometimes country and sometimes that adorable kind of soundscapey weird / pretty that only true Icelanders can be. While the latter sound isn't really represented on her myspace, you can check her out at http://www.myspace.com/baralovisa. There is a nice cover of Dolly's "Jolene" there as well.

live - in a living room with the flu (so youtube says)


live - full band


older video

Vote Ryan Cook

Choose: Ryan Cook for 2008 Nova Scotia Music Week New Artsit of the Year. Love his country tunes, but really, the video below is reason enough.



Also: Vote for the next Hockey Night in Canada theme song. Guest stars on certain themes include members of Rush, The Hip and BNL.

AND: Vote for your next Prime Minister. The pickin's may be slim, but you should still take part.

Drive With Buck 65

Troy, our new Concerts guy, said he was on a drive with Buck 65 through the US and was more than happy to let Rich play DJ because he'd play great stuff. Now we all get to drive with him; every week day from 3 to 6 pm Atlantic on the new CBC Radio 2. He plays a lot of cool artists and tons of Canadian and Nova Scotian stuff. He plays rock and hip hop and soul and blues and folk tunes...and tells some good stories.

Listen online. Learn some new musical things. Dance, groove and / or rock out. Now we can all be cool like Troy...

APPRECIATION POST: Keep It Like A Secret

Built to Spill has released some good songs, true. but album-wise, I really believe that no complete work of theirs is stronger than this one, released in 1999. Pitchfork gave it a 9.3 which is probably the only thing that Pitchfork and I have ever agreed on. That's probably a higher rating than they give their moms and dads. or music in general. In fact, it's the same rating given to In Rainbows, so .... there you go.

It seems that until recently the band never made a video, so see below for another lovely 'video' of a song playing in the background while nothing interesting happens on the screen. While i do make fun, we should probably thank the creator of the 'video' below. without him / her, i'd have nothing to post.

"Carry The Zero"

I'm TOTALLY going to see neil young + cool youtube vid

Seems I haven't blogged since July. Oops. Fortunately I'm back with a piece of exciting personal news. after november i will be able to say that i've finally made it to a neil young show. so cool. even better - wilco is opening. wilco and neil young in one night in my own city. after also seeing leonard cohen, bob dylan and daniel lanois here in the same year. and people say no one ever comes to halifax...

as an apology for being away for so long, I present you with Wilco / Fleet Foxes covering "I Shall Be Released". i like it. yes i do.



And how about some Neil for good measure. And because i'm feeling lucky to be able to see him in 2 months. Don't Let It Bring You Down:

It's A Shame About Ray

I found this sitting on my CD shelf at work. It was exactly what I was looking for.



It's also a shame that early 90s johnny depp can't be in EVERY music video...

Horse, Foxes

The Boxer The Horse EP, The Late Show is now available at Zunior.com! The write up pretty much says it all:

"The new Sloan? The new Pavement? Boxer The Horse! - Tuesday 15 July, 2008
Okay, so we may be laying it on bit thick but we really like a new band from Canada's East Coast called Boxer The Horse. The new ep is like Pavement fronted by Bob Dylan with Jay Ferguson on tambourine. A great band that you can see for yourself right here on Zunior.tv. Their new EP is only $5.55 on Zunior."

I also really love this quote from a review on the Wolves, Hawks and Kites blog: "Simply put, with its six diverse tracks The Late Show exhibits more potential and vivacious know-how than most bands can fathom. " Not. Too. Shabby.

Other than just loving Boxer in general and spreading the good word where ever i go, i've also been listening to the Fleet Foxes Tunes on myspace. They're so pretty...

Best Video of the 90s

Happy Friday. Have Coffee & TV!

Preview The New Matt Mays & El Torpedo Album

Terminal Romance, due out next Tuesday, is streaming in its entirety on the MuchMusic site. If you're curious... http://www.muchmusic.com/music/firstspin/mattmays/

PEI Pop Explosion

I don't know what's in the water over 'on' PEI these days, but there are some fantastic pop / rock bands coming from there as of late. Two Hours Traffic seem to have started the trend, then along came the Danks, Smothered In Hugs and my very very favourite band in years, Boxer The Horse (who I've blogged about before).

Smothered In Hugs - If you like a good indie pop 80s vibe. The songs on myspace aren't my favourite on the record, but you get the idea.
Boxer The Horse* - If you like The Kinks, Pavement, Bob Dylan, music in general, or if you still want to be my friend...
The Danks (see vid below) - If you like cute Strokes-like indie rock.

*More about Boxer The Horse. Since I already blogged about them the day I heard their first demo, I was going to try and refrain from going to crazy on Boxer posts... but I can't help it. I LOVE this band. Their EP, The Late Show will soon be available on Zunior.com. Buy it.

A few of us recently took an overnight road trip to see them play live in Charlottetown and it was WELL worth the trip. The show was great, the guys are so sweet, and finding out that they were only 19 & 20 years old impressed me even more. The band is barely a year old, and they really have nowhere to go but up. Seriously... keep an eye on them. Herohill blogged about them today as well, so it's not just me. Although I do feel like I am slightly obsessed with this band of youngin's, I make no apologies. I am a Boxer cheerleader. And I won't stop until the country takes notice. or until they politely ask me to quit with the crazy...

Concerts Announcement: Summersonic Festival

We're excited about this! I, personally, am excited for Wintersleep to come home and to see Black Keys again. For two dudes, they can certainly make themselves heard. I saw them twice before while opening up for Radiohead in a Montreal theatre and thought they were pretty fun... You?

Black Keys:

Sonic Concerts Announcement: Bloc Party

Sept 14 & 15. Info and tickets: http://www.sonicconcerts.com/

And tonight... The Sadies!
Watch this video of them backing GORD DOWNIE, singing one of my very favourite Iggy & The Stooges songs. This is almost too much goodness. Be prepared... (just pretend the sound was better).

So You Think You Can Do This?

I have a guilty Reality TV pleasure (ok, quite a few - but this one's my favourite) in "So You Think You Can Dance". Although it's still in the kind-of-boring audition stage, THIS was on last night and I can't stop watching it. I honestly have trouble doing a full sit up, and I can't (and never could) bend over and touch my toes. I never ever felt bad about that until now. Check this guy out:

"So Wonderfully Wonderfully Wonderfully Wonderfully Pretty..."

THE LOVECATS

I Just Saw Leonard Cohen

(photo from Halifax Herald)

Leonard Cohen. May 12. Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Halifax, NS. 8-11pm.

Brilliant and beautiful, last night's show was all that I was hoping it would be and more. Spectacular band, lighting, sound, voice, crowd... I've loved Len for years, but now I just might be obsessed. Maybe obsessed isn't the right word. But...either way, whatever I am, that show was UNbelievable. One of the top 3 best concerts I've ever seen. And I've danced on stage with Pearl Jam, watched Radiohead in a soft seat theatre on their last tour, saw the legendary BB King, the White Stripes in a small pool hall with about 60 other people, Wilco on the Waterfront, Do Make Say Think outside in a field at sunset, and my first big show was Bob Dylan in the 1990s.

Set List:
1. Dance Me to the End of Love

2. The Future

3. There Ain't No Cure for Love

4. Bird on the Wire

5. Everybody Knows

6. In My Secret Life

7. Who By Fire

8. Anthem (Ring the Bells)

INTERMISSION

9. Tower of Song

10. Suzanne

11. Gypsy Wife

12. Boogie Street

13. Hallelujah

14. Democracy

15. I'm Your Man

16. Take This Waltz

ENCORE

17. Heart With No Companion

18. So Long Marianne

19. First We Take Manhattan

ENCORE 2

20. Closing Time

ENCORE 3

21. I Tried to Leave You

ObliVideo

Wintersleep - Oblivion (By Darren Pasemko)

Little Radio

Although I sometimes forget about it, I recently rediscovered littleradio.com. For someone who is as terrible at finding new bands these days as I am... it's a great way to discover new things. It's the best streaming 'radio' station online. A sample playlist is below.

Annuals - Around Your Neck / Hayden - Worthy of Your Esteem / Sonic Youth - Do You Believe In Rapture? / Red House Painters Grace Cathedral Park / The Cave Singers - Seeds Of Night / Muse - Citizen Erased / Radiohead - Reckoner /The Hives - Puppet On A String / Holy Fuck -The Pulse / White Stripes - Jolene / Preston School Of Industry - Get Your Crayons Out! / The Detroit Cobras - On A Monday / Pavement - Soul Food /Carbon/silicon - Tell It Like It Is / Gruff Rhys - Beacon In The Darkness / Dinosaur Jr - Back To Your Heart / Grizzly Bear - Knife (coverd By Css) / Califone - 3legged Animals / Andrew Bird - Dark Matter / Neko Case - Blacklisted / The Little Ones - Lovers Who Uncover / The Pink Snowflakes - Our Electric Hair /Yo La Tengo - The Room Got Heavy / Afghan Whigs - Turn On The Water / Pink Mountaintops -Cold Criminals /Band Of Horses - Lamb Of The Lam (in The City) / The Von Bondies - Save My Life / Camera Obscura - Let's Go Bowling / Grizzly Bear - Deep Blue Sea (daniel Rossen Home Recording) / Animal Collective - Cuckoo Cuckoo / The Flaming Lips Free Radicals [the Bird And The Bee Mix]

Annnnnnnnnnnd in other news... new Beginners album on its way!

The Almighty Roots Crew

It's official. The Roots just released my favourite album of 2008.
Guests include Common, DJ Jazzy Jeff, mos def and more. soooooooo sooooooooo good. the perfect addition to your spring and summer. If you like The Roots...even a little bit...go get this now. Buy older albums that you don't have while you're at it.
Choice tracks upon first listen (ok after 3 times through): "Criminal", "I Can't Help It", "Singing Man", ... whatever, screw it, they're all good.


More vids + stuff here: http://www.myspace.com/theroots

"Tall Trees Hangin' Over The Road..."

New Matt Mays & El Torpedo song is up at www.myspace.com/mattmayseltorpedo
New tour dates coming up as well. With Kid Rock. No lie.

Soup and New Stuff

I was all set to "appreciation post" about my love for Blind Melon's Soup (It's easily one of my favourite albums of the mid-late nineties... i don't care what you say Mike G...) - but I got completely distracted by Nick Rose. You see, Danny G (that's 'Dan Griffin' for those of you who don't speak in JB uber fan language)'s touring drummer stopped in today. While talking music, he suggested that I check out Rose on Myspace. And I did. And I love it. Pretty folk/country/indie niceness. If you like Paul Simon, Blue Rodeo, pedal steel... you should really take a spin through the 4 songs on myspace. Thank you Rich Knox (who I see also plays in the band... how sneaky ;) ).

And also... listen to Soup.

SONIC CONCERTS Announcement: MM&ET Return

So I heard some songs off of the new record coming from Mike's office. There's some good stuff about to come out from these guys... Debuting songs from the new album, Terminal Romance... Matt Mays & El Torpedo. Marquee. June 6. Tix at mattmays.com.

Juno Weekend Wrap Up

Highlights:

- Tim "Squirly D" D'Eon scoring a goal for the Rockers against the NHLers team in the JunoCup game. And also watching his fight (resulting in a penalty shot) with Macoun.

From The Calgary Herald: Tim D'Eon of The Rockers gets hit by Jamie Macoun.
Photograph by : Todd Korol, Reuters

- Watching Jim Cuddy and Lanny MacDonald in a sing-off at centre ice

- Staying in the hotel that claims to have created the Caesar (the drink, not the salad...and yes, I had a few). Wikipedia article here.

"The cocktail was invented by bartender Walter Chell at the Owl's Nest Bar in the Calgary Inn (now Calgary Westin Hotel) in Calgary, Alberta in 1969, to accompany the opening of a new restaurant, Marco's."

- Being in the building to see the guys accept a Juno.

Now You Know

I'm off to Juno weekend in Calgary. First, a present from 1990 for you before I go:

"Never trust a big butt and a smile..."

Ryan Cook & Sunny Acres Vs. Wintersleep

Ryan Cook and I went to high school together. He is from Yarmouth like me and Paul and Tim are. Today is his birthday.

Ryan used to sing in a hardcore band. Is that what I call it? Hardcore? Metal?... either way, now he sings awesome old school County & Western songs. WhileI was searching for a facebook wall on which to post some birthday wishes, I came upon a player that allowed me to stream some of the above mentioned awesome old school Country & Western songs, and which also offered up a Ryan Cook & Sunny Acres version of Wintersleep's "Orca". Hear it here. Listen to the other songs also!

More songs, dates, photos @ http://www.myspace.com/ryankcook

Nude Remix

Radiohead are issuing a challenge: http://www.radioheadremix.com/information/
So far Holy Fuck is in the lead. Check it out: http://www.radioheadremix.com

"If I Could Give You Anything..."

...I'd give you these vids of Wintersleep in Tokyo (compiled and edited by mr. L Campbell) and Sonic Youth's "Cinderella's Big Score". Both are posted below.
Now that I have your attention, I also feel compelled to let you know that SNAILHOUSE will be playing at Gus' Pub this Thursday, April 3. Aaaand DAN GRIFFIN will return to the city on Wed., April 9 for a full band set at The Seahorse. yay and yay.

Travels in Tokyo:


Classic SY:

Songs For A Sunday

Will Cookson of Edinburgh requested that I add him as a friend on myspace. Because I think he songs are pretty, I think I just might. Another good myspace find. What have YOU done for me lately, Facebook?

Check out songs on myspace or click on "Listen to some songs..." on his website.

Song of the Week: Come Clean

"10 lbs" is great, "Karate Man" is a classic, but this song is where it's AT. From The Super Friendz' Mock Up, Scale Down (1995)... i give you "Come Clean" (choose from the menu on NMC). As good today as it was 13 years ago...

Friday Songs

I find that on Fridays, I tend to listen to loud hip hop or Bruce Springsteen at least once throughout the day. Today I've been into both. In honour of Friday, coming out of a long week, I give you Jay-Z and a song Springsteen supposedly originally wrote for Elvis Presley (yet ended up being a hit for The Pointer Sisters)...

FIRE



(Holy hell I want to see Bruce live)

DIRT OFF YOUR SHOULDER

Cohen At The Cohn!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"One by one the guests arrive /The guests are coming through /The open-hearted many / The broken-hearted few

And those who dance begin to dance / And those who weep begin / Welcome, welcome, cries a voice / Let all my guests come in..."

- L. Cohen

Just saw a press release saying that Leonard Cohen will play the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium - May 12 and 13. Tickets are expensive but I will pay top dollar to be as close to him as possible. Some brilliance:
"Suzanne" - Isle of Wight (1970)


Cohen Interview clip + Rufus Wainright singing "Chelsea Hotel"

"You told me again you prefered handsome men, but for me you would make an exception..."

"So Long Marianne" - Live (1979)


Reciting "A Thousand Kisses Deep"


Lyrics:

"IF IT BE YOUR WILL"

If it be your will
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before
I will speak no more
I shall abide until
I am spoken for
If it be your will
If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill
I will sing to you
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing (MORE)

"HALLELUJAH"

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
HallelujahHallelujahHallelujahHallelujah (MORE)

Tokyo Eye

A few photos from our trip to Tokyo:

1) Upon landing at Narita...happy to be on the ground after the 10 hour flight from Vancouver.



2) Getting off the bus from the airport in Shibuya...




3) Tomoko at Shibuya Crossing. My first look at the world's busiest intersection. I explored while the guys ate Shushi.



4) Shushi...the aftermath

5) Sake barrels on the way to Meiji Shrine

6) Le Shrine

7) Back at Shibuya Crossing - hanging out with Hachikō


8) Exploring...

Happy Monday

Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays

Appreciation Post: Boxer The Horse

This is a new type of appreciation post for me... usually I wax poetic about records or artists that i've been listening to in high rotation for at least 3 years or more. But today, I will tell you of a band, about whom i know nothing - not even if they HAVE a record. All i know is that they are a band from PEI and that they have 4 GREAT songs on their myspace that upon first and second listen remind me all at once of: Cuff the Duke, Pavement, Shotgun Jimmie, Violent Femmes with a little bit of blur / uk indie pop thrown in on the song "Boneyard". You might totally disagree, and that is more than fine with me... (i'm not a real music critic), but take a listen... just to be sure.... www.myspace.com/boxerthehorse.

SONIC CONCERTS Update / Album of the Week

We're home from Japan, which is both nice and sad. Always good to be home, but Tokyo was amazing. I still can't believe how clean it was in Shibuya. This district boasts the world's busiest intersection and is the entertainment district of Tokyo and despite all of that, it was STILL cleaner than any city (or town for that matter) that I've ever visited. I saw exactly two pieces of garbage the entire time. I'll post some photos when I get a chance to upload them...

On to new things:

More info on this Halifax show and other sonic concerts around Atlantic Canada, as always, can be found at: http://www.sonicconcerts.com/ . (***UPDATE*** This show is now sold out...)

Album of the Week:
Do you like Greg Dulli / Afghan Whigs? Do you like Mark Lanegan? I sure do, and as a result, I can't stop listening to The Gutter Twins.

PODCAST: Is This Thing On? (Feb. 2008)

I didn't realize that I hadn't updated this blog in so long. In light of my neglect and because I'm going to be in Tokyo with the guys until the end of the month, I've decided to provide you with another thrilling episode of "Is This Thing On". My computer mic is angry with me for some reason, so there's only a short introduction and hardly any indication of what songs are featured (see below), but it's a good collection of songs (I think), so check it out. Sayōnara!

1. Sleepless Nights - Got Caught
2. Bonobo - Nitelite
3. Radiohead - Weird Fishes / Arpeggi
4. Wintersleep - Dead Letter & The Infinite Yes
5. Hayden - Worthy of Your Esteem
6. Tom Waits - Big in Japan
7. Sonic Youth - Tokyo Eye
8. The Soft Drugs - Defending the Paint
9. Nathan Lawr & The Minotaurs - Righteous Heart
10. Cuff The Duke - Words (neil young cover)

The Good, The Bad & The Ozzy

The GOOD:
The Soft Drugs - discovered on this blog, who reached out to me re: Wintersleep. The Soft Drugs is brought to you by Pedro The Lion's other half, TW Walsh. Check out the songs on the blog player and read about "why they don't suck" here: http://soundsuck.com/the-soft-drugs/
(Thanks Ryan!)

The BAD:
Finger Eleven's "Paralyzer" - Now I try to use this blog for good. For praise and not for bashing. and NOT that I'm bashing, but I simply can't get over this song. I heard it on the radio on Saturday and couldn't believe the lyrics. It made me really miss rainbow butt monkeys (or maybe I miss 1995?). Come on, Finger... what's going on here? "i should just stay home, if one thing really means one"? what does that even MEAN?

Lyrics:
I hold on so nervously / To me and my drink / I wish it was cooling me / But so far, has not been good / It’s been shitty / And I feel awkward, as I should / This club has got to be / The most pretentious thing / Since I thought you and me / Well I am imagining / A dark lit place /Or your place or my place

Chorus:
Well I’m not paralyzed / But, I seem to be struck by you / I want to make you move / Because you’re standing still / If your body matches / What your eyes can do / You’ll probably move right through / Me on my way to you

I hold out for one more drink / Before I think / I’m looking too desperately / But so far has not been fun / I should just stay home / If one thing really means one / This club will hopefully /
Be closed in three weeks / That would be cool with me / Well I’m still imagining / A dark lit place / Or your place or my place

Song:



Rainbow Butt Monkeys!




The OZZY:
I got some last minute tickets to Ozzy's second, and probably last, Halifax show tonight. I know he's old. I know it's Monday. I know, I know, I know... But it's Ozzy freaking Osbourne. You'd go too and you know it.

CAN I GET A WITNESS

HECK YES.

Constantines. Young Offenders. 2003.

APPRECIATION POST: Baby I'm Bored

Pitchfork might have given it a 3.6 in its 2003 review of Evan Dando's solo effort, Baby I'm Bored... but, really, what the hell do they know?

This is one of the records in my collection that I overplay every once in a while, then shelf for a couple of months. However, when I get back into it, I get WAY back into it. It's sweet and sour - about love and loss and life. It's simple and pretty with lots of tambourines-meet-90s-guitar-distortion and laid back vocals, and I highly recommend that you spend a little time with it while we wait for spring...

Baby Please Don't Bonobo

My friend Chris introduced me to Bonobo. This is my new favourite song:
"Nitelite"

And this one's for you, Mike G. dananananananaaaaaaaaaa....

There Should Be A Radiohead Stamp

You know what I don't really "get"? Stamp collecting. I was just at the post office to mail one letter and was stuck behind a stamp collecter. I stood there for 10 minutes while he went on about stamps, thinking "but WHY stamps? do you use these stamps, ever? do you put them in a binder and flip through daily? why do you need a collection of STAMPS? why stamps?!". The whole thing drove me crazy, so I felt I had to blog about it. Should any of you be stamp collecters, or are close with one, please let me know what's up with that....

On another note: Happy new year, and here's more Radiohead. Note, the yell at 9:32 is my favourite. If it were a stamp, I'd put it on the front page of my stamp collecting book. I'm sure some stamp collecters would find my love of a yell quite odd, or even for Radiohead for that matter. To them, I just have to say...at least it's not stamps.

p.s. This post was not meant to offend any collecters or friends of stamp collecters. it's just something i needed to get off my chest... :)