tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63952943245893851602024-03-05T04:08:21.118-05:00(London, ON:) Burgeoning Metropolis“... and that's why you always leave a note..."Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger421125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-23459969287594226882011-03-30T13:57:00.005-04:002011-04-01T11:30:31.818-04:00James Vincent McMorrow - Early in the Morning<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegUimFjGtDKKaTLhiHx480sCcucc_uXCBRq77WzHMYcmMsUlWywWZ8rJLx_R4JdlCrXignQvnGWb8-LIJyvurZL_XzKqfUhR8eSR5if8vnHuCSXpqRIzKbAoAl4v7EBDNylZblmLXSZU/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegUimFjGtDKKaTLhiHx480sCcucc_uXCBRq77WzHMYcmMsUlWywWZ8rJLx_R4JdlCrXignQvnGWb8-LIJyvurZL_XzKqfUhR8eSR5if8vnHuCSXpqRIzKbAoAl4v7EBDNylZblmLXSZU/s320/Unknown.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589934697613608338" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>When I got really inspired at the beginning of the year and thought I might get really going writing about music again, I was really blown away by a couple of albums. And now that I'm not looking so hard for new music, it's become increasingly rare for me to come across something that I feel like is really worth sharing. Also, I'm feeling more and more like it's not really worth the time to type out a review that sounds something like "meh, pretty good... I guess". That, and the Beiber fever I've caught is severely influencing my taste in music.</div><div><br /></div><div>Having said all that and based on the title of the post, you may have guessed that Irish singer/songwriter <a href="http://www.jamesvmcmorrow.com/">James Vincent McMorrow</a>'s <i>Early in the Morning</i> has really jumped out at me. Despite sounding a striking amount like John Mayer on a couple of tracks (meaning, if I ever hear anything he does on the radio I'll immediately delete this post and deny ever endorsing this album), McMorrow does a fine job of straddling the line between emotive and melodic without getting overly schmaltzy (with the exception of the John Mayeresque stretches). At his most melodic and commercial McMorrow sounds like some type of Mayer/Bon Iver/Ray LaMontagne hybrid e.g. "If I Had A Boat" and on "We Don't Eat". </div><div><br /></div><div>As the album progresses, McMorrow morphs into more of a Bon Iver/one man Fleet Foxes sort of routine... and the switch is sort of remarkable. To the outside observer (me, for example), it almost appears as though there was some type of intervention where somebody convinced him to make the record more marketable and wrote a few hooks for him, or showed him the list of a-listers John Mayer slept with. If you've decided your anti-John Mayer -- and it's not a <i>ton </i>of John Mayer -- then you'll want to start downloading on iTunes at "This Old Dark Machine". </div><div><br /></div><div>Either way, a great album that's well worth listening to.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wZrrpKEWo6o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ewwFGlNBiq8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-29138375075873969372011-02-09T21:44:00.005-05:002011-02-10T14:57:54.975-05:00Let's Book Club!: The Art of a Beautiful Game by Chris Ballard<img src="http://www.bothteamsplayedhard.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/The-Art-of-a-Beautiful-Game-Chris-Ballard2.jpg" id="il_fi" height="319" width="210" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /><div><br /></div><div>C<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">hris Ballard's </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Art of a Beautiful Game</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is subtitled </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, which in my estimation, is a slightly misleading title. At once the book seeks to detail the nuance of a variety of different parts of the game: Kobe's killer instinct, Steve Nash's passing, shooting with Steve Kerr. However, the book only touches on these subjects in broad, general terms. In essence, it's a "thinking fans" guide to the NBA... if the fan only has a grammar school education. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The chapters, each of which tackles a different aspect of the game, tend to follow this formula: introduction to the subject, a reader's digest background on the subject, a bunch of quotes from other people about the person and subject, summary of chapter/thoughts on the future of the aspect of the game. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My biggest gripe with the book is that it appears the book was written based solely off interviews and personal anecdotes. Now, there's certainly nothing wrong with that, and that's the way that the majority of sports journalism is done, and that works well the two column articles that show up in the local sports pages. But, to qualify as something for a "thinking fan" there has to be some degree of, a) background knowledge of the literature in that area; and b) original research. Even for a mass market book I'd settle for a summary of new original research (see Gladwell, Malcolm), but, unfortunately, Ballard manages to cite exactly one book through the entire 200 pages.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, my recommendation would be that if you are familiar with things like PER, true shooting percentage, a pinch post, then this might be a book to pass on... you're not going to get anything new. On the other hand, it is a well written book with some fun anecdotes, so if you're not planning on attending the Sloan Conference at MIT (or have no idea what I'm talking about), then it may be a fun little read.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Grade: C</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Up next: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After how easy I found this one, I think I'm going to head back to </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size:13px;"><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2011 Book Club Results</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Into the Wild</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> | John Krakauer (207 pages) | B-</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dance Dance Dance</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">| Haruki Murakami (393 pages)| A-</span></span></span></span></div></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History| </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Free Darko (not applicable)|A</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Art of a Beautiful Game</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">| Chris Ballard (228 pages)| C</span></span></div></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-79540018550465848592011-02-07T22:53:00.003-05:002011-02-08T17:33:00.082-05:00When the Devil's Loose by A.A. Bondy<img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSUG3bwUrQ-7wjGabQocs_v5OvwgxwtZvqf2sOL-Mjk0f6sOg0MYQ&t=1" id="il_fi" height="212" width="238" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /><div><br /></div><div>Not breaking news, really. But a really great album that ought to be heard.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can't exactly remember when I first heard of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/aabondy">A.A. Bondy</a>. It might've been on Friday Night Lights or possibly through a friend via Facebook, but in either case I do remember be utterly mesmerized by his sound. The strange thing about this hold he has on the listener (in this case, me) and the way he's able to captivate, is that he doesn't possess any of the tools that would immediately wow you. He has a nice voice, but it certainly doesn't over power. His songs are simple and straight forward -- he's not producing anything approaching a Sufjan Stevenseque opus, and yet, I'm hard pressed to think of an artist I've come across in the past year that I've been affected more by. </div><div><br /></div><div>On his 2009 release <i>When the Devil's Loose</i> Bondy sings like a man who is tired. While there's nothing that particularly stands out about Bondy's music, he emotes, and his fatigue is so tangible that it's hard not to slow down with him. Given Bondy's background, the world weary and fatigued sound seems entirely appropriate. According to wikipedia, from 1994 - 2003 "Scott" Bondy was the lead singer of a grunge rock band called Verbena housed on Capitol Records. After viewing a couple of their music videos on youtube, namely, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxtGePpZL9U&feature=related">My Baby Got Shot</a>", <i>I</i> was exhausted. </div><div><br /></div><div>For many song-writers this might drive them to begin to write some horribly self-absorbed and self-pitying type work, but this is something that <i>When the Devil's Loose</i> is very clear to avoid. The songs are slow and wistful, but the stories seem to serve as more of a cautionary tale rather than a source of out and out regret, though it certainly possible that what sounds like regret to me is actually just a southern, Mississippi Delta sort of thing. </div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VUSkmMAzGdo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lkfJ7-gTiDg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UJeAi6lwhHE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-89113487196659733712011-02-07T11:14:00.007-05:002011-02-07T16:33:00.868-05:00Let's Book Club!: Free Darko Presents The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="http://www.jefferson.lib.la.us/calendar/images_11/freedarko_undisputed_guide_basketball_history.jpg" id="il_fi" height="231" width="185" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In his book </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What is History </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">E.H. Carr distinguishes between "facts of the past" and "historical fact" arguing that, if I remember correctly, "facts of the past" are forgotten and "historical facts" are what historians have collectively deemed important. Therefore, the thesis from Carr is that history is constructed by those that write it, meaning the stories of the marginalized are often under represented or not represented at all. In Carr's view, history isn't an accumulation of facts, history is about how stories are framed into a coherent narrative. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History, </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the Free Darko</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">collective have taken the grand narratives of basketball history and have deconstructed NBA history beyond just dates and facts. For those not familiar with the </span><a href="http://freedarko.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Free Darko</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, their writing is highly literate often drawing on references from the classics to current, and often obscure, pop-culture references. If basketball is an art form, as its oft described, then the latest collection of short essays from Free Darko is art-history. The magic of all this is that they do this without sounding arrogant or pretentious, and they do it in a way that captures the characters in basketball. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While having the appearance of a coffee table book akin to Jon Stewart's </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">America: The Book, </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the writing is much more than reader's digest clips of the past. Stylistically, the book is stunning, with some </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/FreeDarko-Presents-Undisputed-Basketball-History/dp/1608190838"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">graphics that will knock your socks off</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, but the prose in the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Undisputed Guide </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">is what makes the guys at Free Darko some of the most interesting writing in basketball today. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">At the beginning, the pre-history of basketball from Naismith to the beginning of the ABA does read a little like a history text, but without any real source material there really wasn't any room to do what Free Darko does. And what they do, is pick the untold swag out of the history of professional basketball -- they tell the stories that are untold in the popular myths about professional basketball, and they cast a new light on the stories that we do know -- the similarities between Wilt/Russell and the fun of the Duncan/Popovich San Antonio Spurs, for example. While wins and losses are significant, to Free Darko, they are only as significant as the way they make us feel about the dynamics, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">style</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, and players on the team. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Most interestingly, the authors examine how the giants of the game Russell and Jordan, impact how we look at mere mortals like Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson; and Barkley and Malone. They look at the eclectic early 70s New York Knicks (future Senator Bill Bradley, Phil Jackson, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, etc.), the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">similarities</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> between Kareem and Bill Walton, how the 1984 draft (Olajuwon, Jordan, Barkley) transformed the draft from business transaction into spectacle, and the beauty of AI's individual approach to playing a team game. In each section of the book the writers of Free Darko are able to find the art/style/meaning in their subjects (yes, even the Duncan/Popovich San Antonio Spurs). </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The real morale from </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Undisputed Guide </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">is that, there's meaning to the game beyond championships and popular myths of heroism, that often, the narratives that go untold are equally meaningful.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Grade: A</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Upnext: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm reading Dave Eggers </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, which I'm Foster Wallacianly dense, so I'll probably mix that in with Chris Ballard's </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Art of a Beautiful Game</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. I'm expecting the Eggers book to take a little so expect thoughts on the Ballard book next... </span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2011 Book Club Results</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Into the Wild</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> | John Krakauer (207 pages) | B-</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dance Dance Dance</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">| Haruki Murakami (393 pages)| A-</span></span></span></div></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History| </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Free Darko (not applicable)|A </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-49524890842246516832011-02-03T15:18:00.000-05:002011-02-03T15:19:08.239-05:00Destroyer - Kaputt<img src="http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2011/01/Destroyer-Kaputt.jpg" id="il_fi" height="365" width="365" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /><div><br /></div><div>I put on <a href="http://www.myspace.com/destroyer">Destroyer</a>'s newest release in the car the other day, left the volume on low, and promptly forgot about the album. The next day I went out to go pick my sister up at the airport, I wondered how Liz had got a muzak installed in our car over night without me knowing (<i>joke!</i>). But seriously, from the outset of this album it sounds like Dan Bejar has channeled his inner-Will-Ferrel-Yazz-Flute, or was contracted to write the score for a teen drama circa 1985 and then decided to write lyrics over the music.</div><div><br /></div><div>The bizarre part of all this, gentle ribbing aside, is that it absolutely works and this album is certainly a front runner for album of the year. Yes, it's early, but <i>Kaputt</i> is absolutely stellar.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bejar's songs have always been my favourites off all of the <a href="http://www.thenewpornographers.com/">New Pornographers</a> albums, but I've felt like that's mostly because he's been restrained by Carl Newman's pop-sensibility. Most often (with the exception of <i>Destroyer's Rubies</i> and "An Actor's Revenge") his music has gone over my head. I've thought, he's an interesting lyricist, he's got an interesting cadence to his voice, but... meh. Maybe it's just that I'm too low brow and need at least some semblance of a hook or chorus in my songs.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm convinced that at least half my adoration for this album comes from the fact that it's a light, breezy, sort of album which is perfect for the weather here in Durham, NC today: shorts, flip flops, and windows down in the car. The other part, I think, is that the album draws you in with a really easy, steady rhythm at the beginning. The light snare (?), the synth noises, seem like the perfect fit for Bejar to wander with his often bizarre and cryptic lyrics. </div><div><br /></div><div>That steady rhythm seems to permeate through the entire album, and that rhythm gives Bejar the leeway to freelance. And the album has that feel to it, fresh, almost like it's unscripted. Like the way that I imagine great jazz comes together -- where the drummer starts off with a beat, and then the other musicians come in and layer on top of each other. The last layer being Bejar, who's vocals sound like half lounge singer and half poet. </div><div><br /></div><div>The moral of the story is, give it a chance. I always find that these types of albums, the ones that sound like they're going to be terrible -- either by their description, or by your first impression of the first few notes -- are often the ones you become the most attached to. I'm attached to this one.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>... at least the first minute and a half of the video is worth watching even if you want nothing to do with the album... <i>eat your heart out Napoleon Dynamite</i>...<br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Pf-ONpLXzGs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-35127722306667938082011-02-01T12:48:00.005-05:002011-02-01T17:06:05.955-05:00Let's Book Club!: Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami<img class="rg_hi" id="rg_hi" width="112" height="175" style="width:112px;height:175px" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRM6UPkFL2pMYbd7foISR3abFJ2G9EAwMb4CK7Q1mmIqriGTYG2kw" /><div><br /></div><div>I'm not sure whether I have anything really earth shattering to say about Haruki Murakami's <i>Dance Dance Dance</i>. The book is another solid addition in Murakami's rather impressive collection. It doesn't move the reader (me) on the same scale that <i>Kafka on the Shore </i>or <i>Norwegian Wood </i>did, and it's not an epic story like <i>The Wind-Up Bird Cronicle </i>(which may well be one of my favourite works of fiction of all time), but it's good. </div><div><br /></div><div>After looking at Murakami's bookography, <i>Dance Dance Dance </i>falls right after <i>Norwegian Wood </i>a novel which garnered him much unwanted fame in his native Japan<i>. </i><i>NW </i>was a more prototypical novel, without the strange surreal elements that often makes Murakami's work so different, and <i>DDD </i>seems to be a return to the strange.</div><div><br /></div><div>The more I think about it, the more I think I actually really enjoyed <i>Dance Dance Dance. </i>I did, after all, read the entire book in 4 days. But, it's probably not the book I'd recommend first to people who haven't read anything by the Japanese super-star author... I'd check out the other ones I mentioned above first.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Grade: A-</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Up next: </b>Probably Chris Ballard's <i>The Art of a Beautiful Game</i>... I ordered approximately 100 basketball books from Amazon, so, it's going to be a lot of that in the next while. That said, I'm pretty keen on reading Murakami's memoirs <i>What I Talk About When I Talk About Running</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>2011 Book Club Results</b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">1. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Into the Wild</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> | John Krakauer (207 pages) | B-</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">2. <i>Dance Dance Dance</i>| Haruki Murakami (393 pages)| A-</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-50612723506110474302011-01-31T11:20:00.008-05:002011-01-31T16:58:53.482-05:00My Favourite 5 Springsteen Videos/Songs<div>So, I feel like I might not have clearly communicated my love for all the things Springsteen in my last post, entitled "I'm in love with the Gaslight Anthem", or whatever. At any rate, The Boss is one of my all-time, all-time, favourites and since I've been singing "Hungry Heart" to myself for the last 3 days straight, I thought this post might be a way to right myself with the music gods.</div><div><br /></div><div>Having said that, all that stuff I said about him pandering to the working man is so absolutely, unabashedly true. His attire in the videos are, in order: plaid shirt, sleeves cut off; suit jacket and button up shirt; plaid shirt, sleeves rolled up; coveralls; plain white t-shirt, jeans. So, basically, in three of the five videos he looks like he's just been working on his car in the driveway, one he was <i>actually</i> working on a car, and in the other he looks like a professional musician. And, hilariously, in "Glory Days" which just missed the cut, the video opens with the Boss on a construction site running some enormous super drill... I'm just saying...</div><div><br /></div><div>After spending the morning watching these videos, the contrast between the Springsteen videos from the 80s and everything that's being done now is really striking. Most of the videos are done in long form, there's a surprising amount of non-song dialogue, there are almost 'scenes', and you almost feel like Springsteen is trying to sell you on his songs. Not in a sleezy way, but in a <i>I really like my music and you should too</i>, sorta way.</div><div><br /></div><div>In contrast, today, music videos basically don't exist and Much Music and MTV have evolved (or devolved, depending on your point of view) into places for reality shows about rich drug addicted teen mothers celebrating their 16th birthday (or something). But the videos that are being made are either larger than life productions that are symbols of how successful the artist is, or aspires to be (basically every pop/rap/rnb video); or more subversive videos by smaller bands which are deliberate attempts to demonstrate how they don't need an expensive video to enjoy making music (think OK Go). </div><div><br /></div><div>Frankly, I'd take anyone of these Springsteen videos over 99.9% of the actual music videos being produced today. They're simple, straightforward, and just about the Boss selling his tunes. No agent, no building a brand or crafting an image. If smell what the R.O.B. is cooking, you should check out videos by <a href="http://colinmedley.com/">Colin Medley</a>, <a href="http://southernsouls.ca/">Southern Souls</a>, <a href="http://www.laundromatinee.com/">LaundroMatinee</a>, and, of course, the grandfather of these sorts of videos, <a href="http://www.blogotheque.net/">La Blogotheque</a> all of which are more or less in the grand tradition of... 80s music videos... weak ending... </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>5. "Born to Run" <i>Born to Run</i></div><div><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IxuThNgl3YA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /></div><div>4. "The River" <i>The River</i></div><div><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/utVR3EgQkHs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br />3. "Hungry Heart" <i>The River</i><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5lYpokhq_-w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br />2. "I'm on Fire" <i>Born in the USA</i><span style="font-style:italic;"></span><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lrpXArn3hII" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><div><br /></div><div>1. "Dancing in the Dark" <i>Born in the USA</i></div><div><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/129kuDCQtHs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div>... great song... it's my favourite because it's given me my signature wedding dance move: the underbite-shimmy-snap. Also, is that the chick from <i>Cougartown</i>?</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-825472225378459512011-01-27T17:47:00.004-05:002011-01-27T19:25:40.000-05:00The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang<img src="http://www.musicvice.com/files/2010/06/The-Gaslight-Anthem-American-Slang.jpg" id="il_fi" height="333" width="368" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /><div><br /></div><div>Not sure whether this blogging thing is going to take again, but what the hell... </div><div><br /></div><div>On a recent Bill Simmons podcast w/ Adam Carolla they did this bit about Bruce Springsteen and how his music was so overtly, unabashedly, middle-class. They went on about his newest (and most made-up release) <i>Factory</i> about the factory that makes the factories was shutting down... a little over the top... but right on point. The gag being that the Boss would do whatever he could to connect with blue collar middle America. While I don't think his motives are quite as suspect as Simmons and Carolla joked that they were, Springsteen's middle class nostalgia, seems disconnected in the post-internet age. Suffice to say the Boss hasn't been middle class in, say, three decades, so what's he really got to say about losing your job at the steel mill.</div><div><br /></div><div>I bring this up because my first exposure to <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thegaslightanthem">The Gaslight Anthem</a> taps into this blue collar theyreshuttingdownthefactorythatmakesthefactories vibe that Springsteen made famous on <i>Born to Run </i>and <i>Born in the U.S.A</i>. Beyond the obvious comparison between the gruff rock voice of lead singer Brian Fallon and Springsteen, both parties seem to capture the anger/confusion/longing for something simpler, of their respective generations. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>I think what makes the connection between Fallon and the GLA and Springsteen interesting is how, simultaneously, they are so similar and so different. Both the GLA and Springsteen speak the same NJ blue collar language of the working man, but the more than 30 year gap between the emergence of the GLA and Springsteen is indicative of how that language and how that sub-section of blue collar steel belt America has changed.</div><div><br /></div><div>In Springsteen's era the group was more populous, starting to wane, but hanging on. As such, the Boss' music seems longing, but hopeful and the edges of his music are softer, more palatable, and somehow seem less important. Maybe this has to do with The Boss as a rock icon or our/my familiarity with his songs, but in comparison <i>American Slang, </i>doesn't quite have the same sense of urgency, or meaning, or personal importance.</div><div><br /></div><div>For example, when most people (and I've had this argument several times) that most people think "Born in the U.S.A." is a pro-America song, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_in_the_U.S.A._(song)">and while the lyrics are decidedly not</a>, the melody might as well be the new American national anthem. In 2011, Springsteen's music feels as though it should be in a commercial for the newest Chevy Pickup Truck.</div><div><br /></div><div>In contrast, <i>American Slang </i>(the album) and "American Slang" (the song) feels as though without a bigger audience to connect to, that they <i>can</i> speak for downtrodden in New Jersey. <i>American Slang </i>feels as though it's the sound track for the guys who didn't finish high school, and are going to have a tough time of it in a knowledge based economy where manufacturing work doesn't exist in America. Where Springsteen feels like he's selling pickup trucks, the GLA is the soundtrack for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicky_Eklund">Dicky Eklund</a>s of the world. </div><div><br /></div><div>None of this is to say that the GLA is better than Springsteen. Springsteen is, IMHO, one of the greatest rock 'n' rollers of all time, and without the Boss, there is no Gaslight Anthem. What I am saying is that the Gaslight Anthem has taken the torch, and from now on they're be speaking for NJ. </div><div><br /></div><div>"American Slang (acoustic)"<br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0DYPHOuGHfU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The Gaslight Anthem w/ Bruce Springsteen "The '59 Sound"<br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ul0XCTeJx_o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-61595378721405280362010-03-09T21:37:00.003-05:002010-03-09T21:59:51.555-05:00Easily the Best Music Video. Ever.is this:<br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pYU7oG2V7uc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pYU7oG2V7uc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br />It's unclear what, exactly is going on here, but whatever it is it's spectacular. My favourite parts are as follows:<br /><br />1. The way he strolls along (note the exaggerated arm movements on the wide angled shots). <br />2. That he looks confused through a good deal of the song. It appears that they asked him to lip sync without ever hearing the entire song.<br />3. There are no discernible words in any language in the entire song.<br />4. The part where he goes super high, like those old Kia? commercials (1:26). What really solidifies the high pitch notes is the spin and point that goes along with it.<br />5. And when they go low and he looks directly, meaningfully, into the camera.<br />6. The laughing at 1:53. I'm not sure there's ever been laughing like that in a song. For about 5 seconds straight, with the music. <br />7. The decor. Really nice job matching the wall cover with his tie. <br />8. When he gives up trying to lip-sync at 2:14.<br /><br />If you'd seen this before and didn't pass it along... shame on you...The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-91153066284992306302010-03-05T10:35:00.000-05:002010-03-05T10:36:18.892-05:00Sorry K'naan, you DO have a soul<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39xtB3m4Blp5YcrURgI4ar-faXe6-sOxqwM4_p0lSpyhTDDTC969rpPf_H4GXQZfF9wT4VfOFO-X39yl356pQAiJ0W_fssLnNRvpaCDcxv_xsC1hyphenhyphenmYFUCNUpausbPuvD_S0IkIpoCCs/s1600-h/Knaan_(300dpi).jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39xtB3m4Blp5YcrURgI4ar-faXe6-sOxqwM4_p0lSpyhTDDTC969rpPf_H4GXQZfF9wT4VfOFO-X39yl356pQAiJ0W_fssLnNRvpaCDcxv_xsC1hyphenhyphenmYFUCNUpausbPuvD_S0IkIpoCCs/s320/Knaan_(300dpi).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443692656810500770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sometime last year I wrote some thoughts about K'naan's album <span style="font-style: italic;">Troubador</span>, and I was pretty luke warm on the whole thing. My issues with the album were that it was over produced, had no heart, and I pointed to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlBFLuW-_ek&feature=fvw">"If Rap Gets Jealous" ft. Kirk Hammett of Metallica</a> as a prime example of why that was the case. Part of my distaste may come from the fact that the album included a guy from Metallica (douches!) who I'm picturing doing some kind of (douchey) underbite while he plays the guitar, but it also runs contrary to the "my music doesn't need no touch ups" line at the beginning of the song (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4BjKzXL2EI&feature=related">at least the <span style="font-style: italic;">Dusty Foot </span>version</a>). Yes, I do get the irony of me complaining about a song where the message of the song is 'I don't care if you don't get what I'm trying to do here'. But, to be fair, the message is more about the rap/rock genre than it is about <span style="font-style: italic;">artistic integrity</span>.<br /><br />That was the crux of my beef with <span style="font-style: italic;">Troubador</span> -- the unnecessary guest appearances by the Metallica, the Maroon 5 guy, Damien Marley, etc., etc., and the whole aesthetic of 'we need a bunch of guests so that we can reach a wider demographic'. More than anything, I would say that it was disappointing that music that has the potential to be so meaningful gets glossed over so that it becomes "more appealing". I had basically written off K'naan as a pawn of whatever record label snatched him up, until the other morning...<br /><br />... when I watched NPR's 'Tiny Desk Concert' ft. K'naan and friends where he performed "Take A Minute", "Fatima", and "Waving Flag"... which brought me back to all the reasons I thought <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dusty Foot Philosopher </span>was so interesting/moving and really, really, catchy at points. His story and his story telling are so compelling that it seems like all he needs to do is make sure the production on his albums doesn't ruin it. Of course, with a live performance in the NPR office it's pretty easy to avoid over producing, but it'll be interesting to see how K'naan moves forward. Now that he's "cashed in" -- it'd be very interesting to find out whether he's actually made any money, though with "Waving Flag" being the 2010 World Cup song I suspect he's making some serious coin from that -- what route he goes (hip hop or hip pop?). Is this worth even talking about at all, because maybe with his new found financial security he doesn't have anything interesting left to say anyways. I hope not, because when K'naan's production team gets out of his way I feel like his one of the most interesting, charismatic artists of any genre around...The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-85433861749539853622010-03-01T10:43:00.002-05:002010-03-01T10:44:16.102-05:00Beach House - Teen Dream<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVovZzfzfH2B8nl0jYXUePF0WS3FaiR80A-gImNKPqFQsUiAGeT5h6mM4ZHoT_y1uYfB9BUxAwclyi9OplVzkOfY44cCNUrHWgYOTvVinLjxW6nLmrU09Hh9SeaE9IYD501nXBSIgS5-E/s1600-h/beach+house+-+teen+dream.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVovZzfzfH2B8nl0jYXUePF0WS3FaiR80A-gImNKPqFQsUiAGeT5h6mM4ZHoT_y1uYfB9BUxAwclyi9OplVzkOfY44cCNUrHWgYOTvVinLjxW6nLmrU09Hh9SeaE9IYD501nXBSIgS5-E/s320/beach+house+-+teen+dream.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435627289815559218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So, yeah, it's been a while.<br /><br />An explanation/excuse: I've been putting together PhD applications (actually, only one, but still) and it's not that I didn't have time, but more that my mind has been elsewhere. I'm hoping to get back to blogging a little, though I expect I'll be doing less and writing more about a variety of different topics rather than just sticking to music. We'll see how it goes though.<br /><br />I guess the other thing is that I haven't really been keeping track of what's going on in music...<br /><br /><span>Beach House's first two albums <span style="font-style: italic;">s/t</span> [2006]</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span>and</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Devotion </span><span>[2008] really didn't do anything for me.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Teen Dream</span>, the third release by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/beachhousemusic">Beach House</a>, really couldn't have come along at a better time for me, personally. The album evokes some of the nostalgia of those John Hughes movies like <span style="font-style: italic;">Ferris Bueller</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Breakfast Club</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Sixteen Candles</span>, or even <span style="font-style: italic;">Risky Business </span>(not a John Hughes movie, I know, but it feels like it should be) where you just know that things are going to work out. That no matter how far behind the proverbial 8-ball the protagonist(s) get, everyone is going to be happy and learn the lessons that they need to learn.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Teen Dream</span> is just about the perfect title for the album. In conjunction with the whole John Hughes thing, the album just sort of washes over you, one song blending into another (and you may, in fact, not remember listening to the whole album). Nothing on the album really stands out, which is not to say there aren't outstanding moments, because there are on just about every song, but the way the album flows bringing you up so gently and down so slowly you never really notice. I'm imagining this is the way heroin feels. Probably not.<br /><br />But even if it isn't as good as heroin, it is a terrific album, and something I've listened to more from start to finish then I have just about anything else in the past year. <span style="font-style: italic;">Teen Dream </span>never really deviates from that washed over ambient psychedelic sound, and they have enough material that it works, but not so much that you get sick of it. And then there's the closing track, "Take Care" that is like <span style="font-style: italic;">the Notebook </span>level romantic. Even if you're not a huge music dork, there's a pretty good chance you're going to like this album.The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-48357928748468246152009-12-30T18:06:00.001-05:002009-12-30T18:06:59.301-05:00Avatar<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZ2N-_GUDbSq0aXE1OYmE_KFivUu4i33Apr94ZJeAa7BnVW9NeYs8HzIAUqpVKCCInjt1_aRE68OVSlbeHmMxESgI8X16-U7v1TG5fwFHT-udIWvFu56JsK5PWETxnTjhTDKhcPjB6oU/s1600-h/james_cameron_avatar_trailer_poster_banner.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZ2N-_GUDbSq0aXE1OYmE_KFivUu4i33Apr94ZJeAa7BnVW9NeYs8HzIAUqpVKCCInjt1_aRE68OVSlbeHmMxESgI8X16-U7v1TG5fwFHT-udIWvFu56JsK5PWETxnTjhTDKhcPjB6oU/s320/james_cameron_avatar_trailer_poster_banner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420098655658820306" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now, if you want to read something really clever and incisive about James Cameron's <span style="font-style: italic;">Avatar</span>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/26/opinion/26sat4.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=avatar&st=cse">then read this NYT piece by Adam Cohen</a> about how the 3D medium helps the viewer to enter the world of, and thus sympathize with, the Na'vi. Otherwise...<br /><br />I was completely oblivious to the hype surrounding <span style="font-style: italic;">Avatar</span>. I've managed, somehow, to avoid seeing any sort of movie previews ever, since the only thing I watch on TV now is basketball and the news (traffic) -- for whatever reason, they don't play movie previews on TSN, TSN2, The Score, NBA TV or CP24.<br /><br />So, without any sort of bias or expectation going in, I was a blank slate. I didn't really know what to expect, though, given that it was a James Cameron movie, I probably should've expected something epic, or at least something trying to be epic. Cameron, as you may have heard over the past few weeks, was responsible for <span style="font-style: italic;">Aliens, Terminator, Titanic </span>(and also, <span style="font-style: italic;">Aquaman</span>). Of course, as you may have heard via the media, or some type of social media, <span style="font-style: italic;">Avatar</span> definitely managed to be an epic experience and then some.<br /><br />My impression is that most people viewed <span style="font-style: italic;">Avatar</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(3D) </span>as an experience, one that should not be missed, and one that you're going to tell your (real, or hypothetical future) kids about. If you haven't seen it, go see it, but don't be an idiot see the regular 2D version 'cause it's cheaper (though I should talk since my Dad paid).<br /><br />If I have a problem with the film it's all the unrealized thematic material that was left unexplored. There was a vague attempt to cultivate a sort of imperialist vs. natives storyline, but that was never fully actualized, and in the end the movie didn't really <span style="font-style: italic;">say</span> anything. Cameron's take seems to be: nature and people in touch w/ nature = good, and people out of touch w/ nature = bad. But there's nothing more complex than that, no attempt to justify the human's conquest to unearth the super-valuable rock underneath 'HomeTree', and the human/military/mining characters are all two dimensional to have any reason for doing what they're doing. <br /><br />I guess it's just that there's so much potential ground for them to cover in the movie: the avatar in/out body experience, the idea of (human)being vs. nature, "othering" as a justification for genocide, and so on. That said, I feel like there are two very strong mitigating factors for the film missing out on any real deep sort of thematic exploration of, really, anything: 1) much of the unrealized thematic material is only possible b/c the visual elements of the movie were so well done, i.e. the film is so strong in that area it allows for alot of really interesting possibilities; and 2) complaining about a lack of thematic depth in a James Cameron movie kind of feels like complaining that LeBron James hasn't kicked many field goals lately. So, for all the people who were upset that this wasn't <i>Remains of the Day</i> or something, you probably walked in the wrong theatre.<br /><br />In sum, if you haven't seen <span style="font-style: italic;">Avatar </span>in 3D yet, go, it's cool to look at.The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-35259561390644774092009-12-28T10:16:00.001-05:002009-12-28T10:17:45.294-05:00Best Canadian Albums (excluding Toronto) of 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-vLg3TbN-Gsrtsi7yWLARCnfO9CNq1NOJFanUgsPjR9BKJbMC6NUCJuz4UDUy1iCtQFjUCRcPZZ-JNM_CClH29riM56MjZsiM5lWsr1pECSpnwf905znwvVBnX-bCLFAzczcSn0KrNE/s1600-h/Dan_Mangan_album.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 317px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-vLg3TbN-Gsrtsi7yWLARCnfO9CNq1NOJFanUgsPjR9BKJbMC6NUCJuz4UDUy1iCtQFjUCRcPZZ-JNM_CClH29riM56MjZsiM5lWsr1pECSpnwf905znwvVBnX-bCLFAzczcSn0KrNE/s320/Dan_Mangan_album.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416588348913903730" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.myspace.com/danmangan">Dan Mangan</a> (Vancouver, BC)<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Nice, Nice, Very Nice</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Dan%20Mangan%20-%20Robots.mp3">Dan Mangan -<span> Robots</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Elsewhere: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-42-dan-mangan.html">Pick of the Week #42</a><br />A couple of months ago you couldn't go anywhere, and when I say "anywhere" I mean a Canadian based or Canadian music blog, without hearing about Dan Mangan. Now that his album has been out for a while, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRcXULN6mp4">the very clever video for "Robots" has been released</a>, he's done touring for a bit (I think), I've begun to appreciate his song-writing more. I'm not sure exactly how to describe his sound to those who don't know him, but suffice to say he may have become my favourite hobo singer-songwriter (I'm sure someone plays the spoons somewhere on this album).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwLBbOw7f83RXfG_SJRqsItkPqo7IY-MCIBq5Hn-x1HaTMtxqGX21oStLAnTnCJ8BHeakpZ8M0kp4_aGJ2wcmZAsGDTHJLpB-O0A8y2DdA6WGuXZuLbImBiV7_beaZUFfHu29gzAoZfg/s1600-h/coverimage.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwLBbOw7f83RXfG_SJRqsItkPqo7IY-MCIBq5Hn-x1HaTMtxqGX21oStLAnTnCJ8BHeakpZ8M0kp4_aGJ2wcmZAsGDTHJLpB-O0A8y2DdA6WGuXZuLbImBiV7_beaZUFfHu29gzAoZfg/s320/coverimage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416590471970283714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/theliptonians">The Liptonians</a></span> (Winnipeg, MN) <span style="font-style: italic;">s/t</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/The%20Liptonians%20-%2002%20-%20Charlie%27s%20Back%21.mp3">The Liptonians - Charlie's Back!</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/05/pick-of-week-18-liptonians.html">Pick of the Week #18</a><br />I haven't listened to the full <span style="font-style: italic;">s/t</span>ed album by the Liptonians in a good while, but I can say that "Charlie's Back!" is one of my favourite songs of the year. As I mentioned when I wrote about their album, the melody, the story, the instrumentation all remind me of Ben Folds (before he got neutered and started writing children's songs) and the quirky characters that he used to write about. If you ever enjoyed Ben Folds or piano driven poppy sort of tunes, these guys are well worth checking out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvp418pD0AMjnjQfo5hSGMkCvOum5nQ3eDoZuFwft7nTH23J4Cp3vdW69ODneDx-la0d3eis-y3scHVoxe3X0ZMxEqNgEwbrcW05pqSLfy3VK6_HjOImsOVwUBtpSA2csN_gMHRDNsi0/s1600-h/dogday.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 319px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvp418pD0AMjnjQfo5hSGMkCvOum5nQ3eDoZuFwft7nTH23J4Cp3vdW69ODneDx-la0d3eis-y3scHVoxe3X0ZMxEqNgEwbrcW05pqSLfy3VK6_HjOImsOVwUBtpSA2csN_gMHRDNsi0/s320/dogday.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416590469968387938" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/dogdaytheband">Dog Day</a> </span>(Halifax, NS) <span style="font-style: italic;">Concentration</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Dog%20Day%20-%20Happiness.mp3">Dog Day - Happiness</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/07/pick-of-week-26-dog-day.html">Pick of the Week #26</a><br />If Stars wore black, and exclusively black, they would be Dog Day. These songs are every bit as good as <span style="font-style: italic;">Set Yourself on Fire</span>, though they're certainly not as burned into the memory of 'indie' loving hipsters as <span style="font-style: italic;">SYoF</span>.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMv24fhfqfKVj7SRhwWsDOwRNsHMlfBCDnSqOSRhTNJWjhO4-7W4tyWM7BNXXGLWcM9rWCVCn6pkFUkAmy9vXD2l4RAeRQqgAv3iIHm8fpLjXf9VhjGSpCp-noifnIfS-RC5K_8C9wQgs/s1600-h/That's+the+Spirit.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMv24fhfqfKVj7SRhwWsDOwRNsHMlfBCDnSqOSRhTNJWjhO4-7W4tyWM7BNXXGLWcM9rWCVCn6pkFUkAmy9vXD2l4RAeRQqgAv3iIHm8fpLjXf9VhjGSpCp-noifnIfS-RC5K_8C9wQgs/s320/That's+the+Spirit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416590484238924322" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thatsthespirit">That's the Spirit</a></span> (Ottawa, On) <span style="font-style: italic;">Staying Places</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/That%27s%20the%20Spirit%20-%20Orienteering.mp3">That's the Spirit - Orienteering</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-40-thats-spirit.html">Pick of the Week #40,</a> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/exchanging-e-mails-with-thats-spirit.html">Exchanging emails with... </a><br />If you ever read (or saw the movie) <span style="font-style: italic;">The Phantom Tollbooth</span> when you were a kid you should have an idea of what <span style="font-style: italic;">Staying Places</span> sounds like. Of course there's no auditory component to the actual book (unless it's an audiobook), but it (<span style="font-style: italic;">Staying Places</span>) has this whimsical element to it that makes you feel like you're going off to some sort of fantasy land (even if you're not on drugs). This all makes me wonder what listening to this album on mushrooms would be like... if anyone has any answers there's a guest blog post in it for you...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOIGEGxwJyMJgHo9GvEdYrUpLxp_gYAWhl6T5nOF-pYS1E21IWBn2VrPxamj9cIk0Wdj5qv-xmhNj_kfq6HwUcxcrBIoCR4OlyRkc7dRV9cd6Z9RoU3Zk3rnWe-uOMlOKU_dieMKvlcE/s1600-h/juliedoiron.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOIGEGxwJyMJgHo9GvEdYrUpLxp_gYAWhl6T5nOF-pYS1E21IWBn2VrPxamj9cIk0Wdj5qv-xmhNj_kfq6HwUcxcrBIoCR4OlyRkc7dRV9cd6Z9RoU3Zk3rnWe-uOMlOKU_dieMKvlcE/s320/juliedoiron.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416588351048528946" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.myspace.com/juliedoiron">Julie Doiron</a> (Halifax, NS) <span style="font-style: italic;">I Could Wonder What You Did With Your Day<br /></span><span><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Julie%20Doiron%20-%20Consolation%20Prize.mp3"><span><span>Julie Doiron</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span>- Consolation Prize</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere:</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/09/pick-of-week-38-julie-doiron.html"><span>Pick of the Week #38</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>I'm not sure how I'd never listened to Julie Doiron before this year, but I hadn't, though if there was one Canadian-folk music icon (stretch?) that I was going to miss it makes sense that it'd be Julie Doiron. Doiron, and her music, are understated to the point that she doesn't seem like she cares a whole lot whether people are listening or not. If you like folky sort of music, and you've heard Doiron, chances are you've been capitvated by her laid-back, conversational style. And this album, from what I understand, is one of her best.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp_16RENEeqcAhrKQo5M6m0Luo55fPI5J6AwzXxAwGP1Yoa-qkvAJW2YHvfD_POkiWNzhsQ9tKqX-4avWdBV2dQ4CpbDmG_1kzaIsUM9sR_fWaBVndkXGQc3Gzf35y0DfpJRnE4fLqww/s1600-h/Soft_Airplane-Chad_VanGaalen_480.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp_16RENEeqcAhrKQo5M6m0Luo55fPI5J6AwzXxAwGP1Yoa-qkvAJW2YHvfD_POkiWNzhsQ9tKqX-4avWdBV2dQ4CpbDmG_1kzaIsUM9sR_fWaBVndkXGQc3Gzf35y0DfpJRnE4fLqww/s320/Soft_Airplane-Chad_VanGaalen_480.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416588344177498690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.myspace.com/chadvangaalen">Chad VanGaalen</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>(Calgary, AB) <span style="font-style: italic;">Soft Airplane - B Sides EP</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Chad%20VanGaalen%20-%2009%20Corvette.mp3">Chad VanGaalen - Corvette</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-39-chad-vangaalen-and.html">Pick of the Week #39</a><br />Sure, it's an EP full of B-Sides, but it's still really friggin' good. I'm not sure I read anyone complain about <span style="font-style: italic;">Soft Airplance</span> (the A-sides), but all the talk about how 'accessible' read: not weird, probably peeved a few of his more devoted fans. Well, I imagine that the B-sides'd make those people happy. It's more experimental than the actual album, which may explain why they got relegated to the B-sides EP, but if you're a fan of Chad VanG fan the EP is not to be missed. And it may still be free at <a href="http://www.softairplane.com/">softairplane.com</a>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nUZpfyj2vugDZXWz9kLm94SiIBvrrToYOc7y8Ijaz8ZVl-LWsAL3LUwbeHpdtpcjvx4zBPCzkyiokxVVuXlG0g72fW-vunZbDY87-LER96xt4g-jgM8enJFiwFUUmA_QkpGN9u-rIqs/s1600-h/Patrick+Watson+-+Wooden+Arms+%282009%29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nUZpfyj2vugDZXWz9kLm94SiIBvrrToYOc7y8Ijaz8ZVl-LWsAL3LUwbeHpdtpcjvx4zBPCzkyiokxVVuXlG0g72fW-vunZbDY87-LER96xt4g-jgM8enJFiwFUUmA_QkpGN9u-rIqs/s320/Patrick+Watson+-+Wooden+Arms+%282009%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416588335572510834" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Patrick Watson</span> (Montreal, QC) <span style="font-style: italic;">Wooden Arms</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Patrick%20Watson%20-%20Wooden%20Arms.mp3">Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere</span>: <a href="http://awmusic.ca/2009/04/24/patrick-watson-wooden-arms/">Pick of the Week #16</a><br />I've listened to this album a bunch of times over the past few weeks and I'm convinced that <span style="font-style: italic;">Wooden Arms</span> is the most underrated album of the year. It doesn't have the standout Coldplay impersonations like "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc6xbXpMrLU&feature=related">Lucious Life</a>" and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA2h9PrIUxs">the Great Escape</a>", it's more cryptic, more reliant on found sounds (apparently crap found in the Watson household), but the songs and the songwriting are every bit as good as his Polaris winning <span style="font-style: italic;">Close to Paradise</span>... and the more I hear the album the more I think it should move up... maybe this should actually be two... or one... too late now. Also, you should really watch <a href="http://www.blogotheque.net/Patrick-Watson,4867">these Blogotheque videos if you haven't</a>...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaAHbB8Cfu3FgrxdeVdWycqAqzODWKyNlKfj4pWk8eJ81G4xc96kGTztMiTyyA2Us79K8rILuKzpr6JM8mqwJCe2RCzHOKUVeKdzeBS-33Lv_cEyjxj2cvxNKO89Csj-CVUML2v8Uz8Y/s1600-h/pinkmountaintops.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaAHbB8Cfu3FgrxdeVdWycqAqzODWKyNlKfj4pWk8eJ81G4xc96kGTztMiTyyA2Us79K8rILuKzpr6JM8mqwJCe2RCzHOKUVeKdzeBS-33Lv_cEyjxj2cvxNKO89Csj-CVUML2v8Uz8Y/s320/pinkmountaintops.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416590472900120690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/pinkmountaintops">Pink Mountaintops</a></span> (Vancouver, BC) <span style="font-style: italic;">Outside Love</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/pink_mountaintops-axis_thrones_of_love.mp3">Pink Mountaintops - Axis Thrones of Love</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/06/pick-of-week-22-pink-mountaintops.html">Pick of the Week #22</a><br />Given my distaste for Black Mountain, some other incarnation of this band, I was utterly shocked at how much I enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, <span style="font-style: italic;">Outside Love</span>. The album sort of feels like a cross between the Mamas & the Papas and Led Zepplin, which is an unlikely combination that really seems to work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawAj5MGCKwDk00cNU1jxKULICwhLZ1P1U_uaLv9Mo29p1MjsqJpFWjSEhvoE_hhK8JIJ-MoHyoEGqFhhwI3PMN4-emOpNBjwwZ5KgYcKF-e1keRSgTqhjTT8F9MQJFk3NDg6mHWMawSA/s1600-h/STWcover2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 319px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawAj5MGCKwDk00cNU1jxKULICwhLZ1P1U_uaLv9Mo29p1MjsqJpFWjSEhvoE_hhK8JIJ-MoHyoEGqFhhwI3PMN4-emOpNBjwwZ5KgYcKF-e1keRSgTqhjTT8F9MQJFk3NDg6mHWMawSA/s320/STWcover2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416588345329197138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/saidthewhale">Said the Whale</a></span> (Vancouver, BC) <span style="font-style: italic;">Islands Disappear</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Said%20The%20Whale%20-%20Camilo%20%28The%20Magician%29.mp3">Said the Whale - Camilo (the Magician)</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/11/pick-of-week-44-said-whale.html">Pick of the Week #44</a><br />I find myself surprised that a pretty poppy album ended up at the top of this list. On <span style="font-style: italic;">Islands Disappear </span>Said the Whale, while poppy, demonstrate that they are capable of writing more dramatic or introspective songs (like Band of Horses or the New Pornographers), and have put out an album that isn't getting nearly enough love. This was easily the second best Christmas gift I got this year (I got one of those sexy iPhones)... thanks <a href="http://www.mustbesanta.ca/">Santa</a>.The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-60451536596314309472009-12-17T10:08:00.000-05:002009-12-17T10:09:34.890-05:00Toronto's Best Albums of 2009When I started compiling my year end list and trying to rank everything, it became exceedingly clear to me that comparing <span style="font-style: italic;">local Toronto band X</span> to Jay-Z just wasn't going to work. Not that I haven't done that in the past, <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2008/12/best-albums-of-08-part-deux.html">my top three albums last year were Chad VanGaalen's <span style="font-style: italic;">Soft Airplane</span>, Ketch Harbour Wolves' <span style="font-style: italic;">Dead Calm Horizon</span>, and Kanye West's <span style="font-style: italic;">808s and Heartbreaks</span></a>, but it just seemed like this year, there was going to be such a weird grouping of albums that it didn't really make sense to do a single list. So, sadly (or not, I suppose) you're going to have to wade through a series of 4/5 lists... or not...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXxmVZ9frKjnxWmwhewQJK4_6LTlZydcO3j9Wk-vjOLN8aMUOAT4h1Als-kEmJ-I_51MeuWEOECvBtro_hEQ1gPOhNbk0Jwr6MI5QMY1DkvzOZjKpro7vqfxcWQ3NlFugwu7AHeD3khM/s1600-h/wave+north.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXxmVZ9frKjnxWmwhewQJK4_6LTlZydcO3j9Wk-vjOLN8aMUOAT4h1Als-kEmJ-I_51MeuWEOECvBtro_hEQ1gPOhNbk0Jwr6MI5QMY1DkvzOZjKpro7vqfxcWQ3NlFugwu7AHeD3khM/s320/wave+north.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414368201904020754" border="0" /></a><br />10. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thesunparlour">Sunparlour Players</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Wave North</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Sunparlour%20Players%20-%20Battle%20of%20%2777%201.mp3">Sunparlour Players - Battle of '77</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere: </span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/thesunparlour">Pick of the Week #19</a>, <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/summerworks-festival-sunparlour-players.html">Live @ the Theatre Centre Aug. 14. 2009</a><br />One of my favourite bands in the city, one of the best groups to see live in the city, and, I think, one of the best albums to come out of the city as well. There's still the moments of unbridled energy on this album that we saw on <span style="font-style: italic;">Hymns for the Happy</span>, but the story telling "Battle of '77" and "Point Pelee" is something new, and something that makes me really want to hear them put together some type of concept album - i.e. like Sufjan did w/ Michigan, Illinois... I smell an album about Tomato country!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uRzNgJriG5P_ScD7uRwcADlW4XGM3gpZYXpKT2wBA6AD505ttZn_K9f5Uh6OQFHHdFLAqsXttTffT_s7prZ1gpnG-1H3bp8DP4sfLaW7B03wsvNmVB1bifp7S8lPLUXOa8rvES_7AZI/s1600-h/howiebeck.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uRzNgJriG5P_ScD7uRwcADlW4XGM3gpZYXpKT2wBA6AD505ttZn_K9f5Uh6OQFHHdFLAqsXttTffT_s7prZ1gpnG-1H3bp8DP4sfLaW7B03wsvNmVB1bifp7S8lPLUXOa8rvES_7AZI/s320/howiebeck.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414368221854193298" border="0" /></a><br />9. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/howiebeck">Howie Beck</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">How to Fall Down in Public</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Howie%20Beck%20-%20flashover.mp3">Howie Beck - Flashover</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/05/pick-of-week-21-howie-beck-how-to-fall.html">Pick of the Week #21</a><br />If I were to be completely honest, after seeing Howie Beck open for Hayden once, possibly a couple of times, I would've bet very strongly against me endorsing one of his albums. At the time I think I probably felt like he was just another song-writer. This album shows a lot more depth and breadth than I was expecting, and is just a generally well put together singer-songwriter album.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquTHdZTeeoG-PrfEb4fhlHJaRwFIOQN7RJkSp4KvnbGYoQaK1ItgbNv_VBluHNxFlW5kW4PBuduWh5RJBK0Y-gSeMOipmhPmOzSXrKdQ6Tb4IYvIbW-SxmJeDfWy4snMHPfwApmK7pEw/s1600-h/hayden_cover.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquTHdZTeeoG-PrfEb4fhlHJaRwFIOQN7RJkSp4KvnbGYoQaK1ItgbNv_VBluHNxFlW5kW4PBuduWh5RJBK0Y-gSeMOipmhPmOzSXrKdQ6Tb4IYvIbW-SxmJeDfWy4snMHPfwApmK7pEw/s320/hayden_cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414368218162162370" border="0" /></a><br />8. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/hayden">Hayden</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">The Place Where We Lived</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Hayden%20-%20Let%27s%20Break%20Up.mp3">Hayden - Let's Break Up</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/06/pick-of-week-24-hayden-place-where-we_18.html">Pick of the Week #24</a><br />I'm not sure whether I'm more surprised that Hayden turned around and put out two albums in two years or that neither album featured some type of grizzly murder scene, but either way another Hayden record is always a good thing. He's never going to put out anything that'll bowl you over (though "Trees Lounge", the lead song to the Steve Bushemi movie of the same name, was one of my favourite songs ever), but you can always count on him to write songs that mean something. There's never any waste, never anything half-hearted, and I'm just about worked up enough right now to proclaim him the greatest Canadian song-writer ever (I'm not that far off, am I?).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q1: Can anyone confirm deny that Hayden leaves his house more/less than once per week? I have this vision of him being like the Sean Connery character in <span style="font-style: italic;">Finding Forrester</span>. </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDyJGky6zJ575IcVgYKjj6wihE46dZg1Q6n2e0dL31oTjQD6FdnKAOyU5gFKIVgFp8e_xDKStZqUoFY1SKJ938iM5tbi6Iov2rVBPG5KMbwbae0XTDMeq11cIbPnvsMAxWuZ7B0crHKg/s1600-h/timbertimbre.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDyJGky6zJ575IcVgYKjj6wihE46dZg1Q6n2e0dL31oTjQD6FdnKAOyU5gFKIVgFp8e_xDKStZqUoFY1SKJ938iM5tbi6Iov2rVBPG5KMbwbae0XTDMeq11cIbPnvsMAxWuZ7B0crHKg/s320/timbertimbre.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414367199872676338" border="0" /></a><br />7. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/timbertimbre">Timber Timbre</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Timber Timbre</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Timber%20Timbre%20-%20Demon%20Host.mp3">Timber Timbre - Demon Host</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere: </span>n/a<br />After Taylor Kirk was good enough to send me <span style="font-style: italic;">Medicinals, </span>his debut album recorded under the pseudonym Timber Timbre, <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> was good enough to take about 11 months to write about it. It was nothing personal, it was just a record that, while incredibly good (<a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/pick-of-week-13-timber-timbre.html">review here</a>), requires that the listener is in a certain frame of mind to listen to. It's just like, you don't flip on a movie like, <span style="font-style: italic;">Schindler's List</span>, when you want something to watch. Similarly, I haven't written anything about Taylor's<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>new(ish) <span style="font-style: italic;">s/t</span> record since I just haven't been in the right frame of mind to write about it. That said, if you can get yourself to that place, wherever that is, it's a great, haunting, record.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhyphenhyphench2lt2GpPvVt0zVEYxs1ASEWzHzK4kh0RIIPMhoYjcbFGnhv3kCZ7c6VCX0dvWa3C7MeCfUWJt5Ly5o2EKrb1j7JuA7l_YxY5WEC4QFDZZ6nb4lCyA5H4qvy_tcZUJO2p6d6dZuNE/s1600-h/ohbijou-beacons-cover-highres.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhyphenhyphench2lt2GpPvVt0zVEYxs1ASEWzHzK4kh0RIIPMhoYjcbFGnhv3kCZ7c6VCX0dvWa3C7MeCfUWJt5Ly5o2EKrb1j7JuA7l_YxY5WEC4QFDZZ6nb4lCyA5H4qvy_tcZUJO2p6d6dZuNE/s320/ohbijou-beacons-cover-highres.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414367194120592354" border="0" /></a><br />6. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/ohbijou">Ohbijou</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Beacons</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Ohbijou-Black_Ice.mp3">Ohbijou - Black Ice</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/07/pick-of-week-27-ohbijou-beacons.html">Pick of the Week #27</a><br />Ohbijou has been one of the most blogged bands here since the BM's inception in 2007, so I'm not going to beat a dead horse, but this album is beautiful. And beautiful in a sort of Grace Kelly, Mrs. Don Draper, you're worried if you touch it you might break it, sort of way.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeZLLa_ANKl5YXlmz628Qq6EYk7anCFKYaohWOiMiEwYmk_lopfWbBHU_1pQrreMoVkM0vyvF4l1F0JeDdMal5qbn2cvm9z9aQoZLVnvD0MMv2CAZkcCbZVeFzXJ5oFT3DfAI38Vh7fw/s1600-h/bruce+peninsula.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeZLLa_ANKl5YXlmz628Qq6EYk7anCFKYaohWOiMiEwYmk_lopfWbBHU_1pQrreMoVkM0vyvF4l1F0JeDdMal5qbn2cvm9z9aQoZLVnvD0MMv2CAZkcCbZVeFzXJ5oFT3DfAI38Vh7fw/s320/bruce+peninsula.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414367186698889490" border="0" /></a><br />5. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/brucepeninsula">Bruce Peninsula</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">A Mountain is a Mouth</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Bruce%20Peninsula%20-InsideOutside.mp3">Bruce Peninsula - Inside/Outside</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/pick-of-week-4-bruce-peninsula.html">Pick of the Week #4</a>, <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/02/stop2-tom-fun-orchestra-bruce-peninsula.html">Live @ the Horseshoe Jan. 31. 2009</a><br />Initially, I had this album pegged as one of the best of the year, but with no slight directed toward the band, there were a few others (below) that were just that much better. That, and BP fell prey to the dreaded Liz effect, whereby the band doesn't get played in my house b/c Liz is not a fan -- oh, if you could see her face everytime BP comes up on iTunes shuffle. Still, a great, almost movement of an album.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9aBkvQeMYux1ee-Z00JOAHSgFxB8BGKBLu-EE7i_BAvY8gITNdDIesPnkpsmVby5mC00107g8_rLZuSbYNssKv9fK7i4Ubu8Pe55q1tMSjp4tgUDaqaNnTtTSKC8m_m0Dp7rrzIL5Ccs/s1600-h/woodensky1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 315px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9aBkvQeMYux1ee-Z00JOAHSgFxB8BGKBLu-EE7i_BAvY8gITNdDIesPnkpsmVby5mC00107g8_rLZuSbYNssKv9fK7i4Ubu8Pe55q1tMSjp4tgUDaqaNnTtTSKC8m_m0Dp7rrzIL5Ccs/s320/woodensky1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414367183894625042" border="0" /></a><br />4. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thewoodensky">The Wooden Sky</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/The%20Wooden%20Sky%20-%20something_hiding_for_us_in_the_night.mp3">The Wooden Sky - Something Hiding For Us in the Night</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/pick-of-week-30-wooden-sky-if-i-dont.html">Pick of the Week #30</a><br />This album, more than any other this year, really surprised me. I didn't really know the Wooden Sky prior to this album, and I listened to the album a few times and it gradually dawned on me that <span style="font-style: italic;">IIDCHYKIG</span> is a really great album. I'm not sure why it took so long, but I think I started to really become more affected after seeing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze1McxFYQtQ">the video for "The Late King Henry"</a>. The video, resembling something of a religious revival ("save me/take me to the river and bathe me"), had enough soul(?) to make me think about getting baptized... or something... it's early... forgive me... <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwF4WqvVJ2AAJokaLki_7HYygEfuOmFof4UlYx1b2_JwBFc8F7HNIKW463jfeawQMiBsg51aW12E8a3iIdc72PW6e0Unu8dZPw29KOsXBsR9CR5xtHr0AzDwoveGhDFOxtrjFIAx7n7A/s1600-h/bhb.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 315px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwF4WqvVJ2AAJokaLki_7HYygEfuOmFof4UlYx1b2_JwBFc8F7HNIKW463jfeawQMiBsg51aW12E8a3iIdc72PW6e0Unu8dZPw29KOsXBsR9CR5xtHr0AzDwoveGhDFOxtrjFIAx7n7A/s320/bhb.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414368207316551490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1(T)</span>. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/blackhatbrigade">Black Hat Brigade</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Fathers</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Black%20Hat%20Brigade%20-%20Zombies%20%28Basement%20Sessions%29.mp3">Black Hat Brigade - Zombie City Shake (Basement Sessions)</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/05/pick-of-week-20-black-hat-brigade.html">Pick of the Week #20</a>, <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/exchanging-e-mails-with-black-hat.html">Exchanging emails with... the Black Hat Brigade</a><br />The BHB have been one of my favourite bands, not just in Toronto but anywhere, since they release of their first <span style="font-style: italic;">s/t</span> EP last year. Given that the band has, you know, jobs, we haven't exactly seen albums at a Ryan Adamseque clip, but what they have released (the <span style="font-style: italic;">Fathers EP</span>) and <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/black-hat-brigade-zombie-city-shake.html">a video for "Zombie City Shake"</a> has been extraodinary. Here's to hoping that we get a full length next year... <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTbBIVDahztmJBOnMJqKTC0WHWnGj_awEBvlv2VNzDzTSnZqpOIjHLE7BP4_CEkxSeparxed-4pmdIRlYWUHaJc8T0laqGNUj2y7pn_6K8dVxtCMCsC70aOwfn8BEci_7AC2UCOI1N4s/s1600-h/evening+hymns+spirit+guides.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTbBIVDahztmJBOnMJqKTC0WHWnGj_awEBvlv2VNzDzTSnZqpOIjHLE7BP4_CEkxSeparxed-4pmdIRlYWUHaJc8T0laqGNUj2y7pn_6K8dVxtCMCsC70aOwfn8BEci_7AC2UCOI1N4s/s320/evening+hymns+spirit+guides.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414368208676997058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1(T)</span>. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/eveninghymns">Evening Hymns</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit Guides</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Evening%20Hymns_Broken%20Rifle.mp3">Evening Hymns - Broken Rifle</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/12/pick-of-week-48-evening-hymns.html">Pick of the Week #48</a>, <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/12/evening-hymns-cd-release-w-harbour.html">Live @ the Tranzac Dec. 4. 2009</a><br />I've talked about E.H. and the album <span style="font-style: italic;">S.G.</span> alot in the past weeks, so, suffice to say I'm definitely not sick of it! I bought the vinyl last week and that's pretty awesome too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyn8SahPjABNUtnD9JVu33vrnNDBT1waUUUntAuAGkr-6wDRwdDf2Hcugel1wpxy7fEeS3QPOgfwOURu4DIj9QiqoA1Aw3YKaH-Xc4A7A4KRY1azVGYD-IEdj9TifX6TU_byFYt4FfPQ/s1600-h/wildernessofmanitoba.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyn8SahPjABNUtnD9JVu33vrnNDBT1waUUUntAuAGkr-6wDRwdDf2Hcugel1wpxy7fEeS3QPOgfwOURu4DIj9QiqoA1Aw3YKaH-Xc4A7A4KRY1azVGYD-IEdj9TifX6TU_byFYt4FfPQ/s320/wildernessofmanitoba.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414367198792226626" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1(T)</span>. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thewildernessofmanitoba">The Wilderness of Manitoba</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Hymns of Love & Spirits</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/The%20Wilderness%20of%20Manitoba%20-%20Evening.mp3">The Wilderness of Manitoba - Evening</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elsewhere</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/09/pick-of-week-36-wilderness-of-manitoba.html">Pick of the Week #36</a>, <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/olenka-and-autumn-lovers-wilderness-of.html">Live @ the Garrison Oct. 29. 2009</a><br />So, I guess this is a lesson to bands who are interested in getting written up on the BM, write an album about spirits. I'll be sure to enjoy it. But seriously, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hymns of Love and Spirits</span> is probably my most listened to album of the year, and an album that not enough people have heard, yet. This is a band to expect big things from in 2010.The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-2754009060533715662009-12-16T10:13:00.005-05:002009-12-16T10:36:37.792-05:00Let's Book Club!: Race in Play by Carl James<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg931m6Ms8Z7hcSvSIsMjebT5jNtw6TKTET8gCfksHbV33WW9b0auHXcPwJg-NFLDzTE7jq9cyRs0mrxcS7VdT-IwE_nCHe9FT8MZCvvvCM-QEhfZyaI4E6TnyKIWQo7lUlAP4VYdtWvbM/s1600-h/raceinplay.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg931m6Ms8Z7hcSvSIsMjebT5jNtw6TKTET8gCfksHbV33WW9b0auHXcPwJg-NFLDzTE7jq9cyRs0mrxcS7VdT-IwE_nCHe9FT8MZCvvvCM-QEhfZyaI4E6TnyKIWQo7lUlAP4VYdtWvbM/s320/raceinplay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415853492966275666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I suspect that this book is probably not going to be for everyone. It's a very academic look at race, and the student-athlete, or, in many cases athlete-student. So, rather than me getting into my thoughts on students' construction of their athletic identity and so forth, I'm going to very highly recommend that you read <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/lets-book-club-last-shot.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Shot</span></a> by Darcy Frey (cited a number of times in this book), which is like a literary version of <span style="font-style: italic;">Hoop Dreams</span>, but shorter and better.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Up next: </span>I'm just about to order "Miracle at St. Anthony's" (about Bob Hurley and his high school basketball dynasty in Jersey City) -- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hRTlHmxums">see the movie trailer (excellent) here</a> -- though, after reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Race in Play</span> I'm much more critical of Hurley's reputation; a couple of books on sport philosophy/sociology; "Season on the Brink" about Bobby Knight and the '85/'86 Indiana Basketball team; and the "Jordan Rules" about MJ. We'll see which one of these emerges out of the pack... or, if I can finish any of them before the end of the year...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >1. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Inner Game of Tennis </span>| Timothy Gallwey (134 pages) | A<br />2. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Shot </span>| Darcy Frey (240 pages) | A+<br />3. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Road | </span>Cormac McCarthy (287 pages) | A+<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">4</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >. <em>Outliers</em><em> </em>| Malcolm Gladwell (299 pages) | C+<br />5. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Season | </span>Phil Jackson (304 pages) | B-<br />6. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Sunset Limited | </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cormac McCarthy (160 pages)| B-</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Education of a Coach</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | David Halberstam (288 pages)| B+<br />8. <span style="font-style: italic;">Downtown Owl | </span>Chuck Klosterman | (288 pages)| B</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Can I Keep My Jersey?</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">| Paul Shirley| (336 pages)|C-<br />10.<span style="font-style: italic;"> Then We Came to The End</span>| Joshua Ferris| (416 pages)|B+<br />11. <span style="font-style: italic;">Friday Night Lights</span>| H.G. Bissinger|(400 pages)|A++<br />12. <span style="font-style: italic;">Strokes of Genius| </span>L. Jon Wertheim|(208 pages)|B<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13.</span> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Who's Your City| </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Richard Florida|( 345 pages)|C<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">14. <span style="font-style: italic;">Brief Interviews with Hideous Men</span>| (336 pages)|A</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Book of Basketball</span>| Bill Simmons|(736 pages)|C-<br />16. <span style="font-style: italic;">A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again|</span>David Foster Wallace| (368 pages)|A-<br />17. <span style="font-style: italic;">Race in Play|</span> Carl James|(258) pages|n/a<br /></span>The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-31325292414593719312009-12-15T10:47:00.000-05:002009-12-15T10:48:15.730-05:00Best Songs of 2009: "Corvette" by Chad VanGaalen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXF1Ah_3L54q-1X6E5r9pAPuTOsSWxXA2eOC1xvwZPLR1dqF6teTNUGNeFr0YzMH5GDcA_-rfog-sNZ8VY-8xwWdM-zlfosCenoEVnJ1fCn20fkBCziYY0xdWradHt76fLsD22tZW-fvo/s1600-h/Soft_Airplane-Chad_VanGaalen_480.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXF1Ah_3L54q-1X6E5r9pAPuTOsSWxXA2eOC1xvwZPLR1dqF6teTNUGNeFr0YzMH5GDcA_-rfog-sNZ8VY-8xwWdM-zlfosCenoEVnJ1fCn20fkBCziYY0xdWradHt76fLsD22tZW-fvo/s320/Soft_Airplane-Chad_VanGaalen_480.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414733606990800450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/chadvangaalen">Chad VanGaalen</a>, by all accounts, is a pretty weird dude. Not weird because I'm sure the two of us have different hobbies (I think it's unlikely he's a big NBA/Raptors guy), but more because he writes really strange songs that typically surround the topic of death. "Corvette" from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Soft Airplane B-Sides <span style="font-style: italic;">EP</span></span>, of course, is not really a whole lot different. I mean, the song isn't entirely about death, but the song does start out with the premise that "he" got reincarnated as a corvette, meaning, of course, that <span style="font-style: italic;">he</span> died -- unless I'm way off base with my understanding of the basic tenants of reincarnation.<br /><br />Despite dealing with blood/guts/death and other such subject matter, the tone of CVG's music, like in "Corvette", is always is more of a imaginative curiosity about death rather than, say, dealing with the subject in an <span style="font-style: italic;">I want to die</span> sort of way. He kind of reminds me of, and I'm sure I've said this before, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000318/">Tim Burton</a>. Of course, the two generally find themselves operating in two different mediums (<a href="http://video.google.ca/videosearch?q=chad%20vangaalen&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wv#">though CVG has animated a couple of his own videos</a>), but I'm not sure things like <span style="font-style: italic;">Beetle Juice </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Corpse Bride </span>are too far off <span style="font-style: italic;">Infiniheart </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Soft Airplane</span>.<br /><br />The CVG/TB connection, for me, runs beyond even the obvious thematic connections of their work into their ability to create these backwards, bizzare dream worlds of life and death and whatever exists inbetween. So, while I'm not sure I'd want to permanently reside in alternate universes that CVG/TB create, it's a fun visit every once in a while.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Chad%20VanGaalen%20-%2009%20Corvette.mp3">Chad VanGaalen - Corvette</a><br /><br />PS - I'm pretty sure he's still giving away the entire B-Sides EP at <a href="http://www.softairplane.com/">softairplane.com</a>.The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-83810841147698631852009-12-11T10:32:00.000-05:002009-12-11T10:33:28.391-05:00Pick of the Week #49: The XX<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUnx70YNNPUaj72TFZ-58uqFqHYBskK0ZrG9yPcBHE2R_TF37PCQ1_Mik_WwyEZT8EKC2K4hvwb3KNNt_wXKShgBN7MZjJ8cFlJRo6DdlYRXxGc4yke7lZj2ioC74Eu8lQ4yv3gztybg/s1600-h/xx.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUnx70YNNPUaj72TFZ-58uqFqHYBskK0ZrG9yPcBHE2R_TF37PCQ1_Mik_WwyEZT8EKC2K4hvwb3KNNt_wXKShgBN7MZjJ8cFlJRo6DdlYRXxGc4yke7lZj2ioC74Eu8lQ4yv3gztybg/s320/xx.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413440287978452434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/thexx">The XX</a> are of one the biggest, if not the biggest, acts to emerge from the blog-o-sphere this year. Last year we had Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes, and this year we have The XX. And while the three acts sound very different, the common thread between them, as I see it, is that they have all carved out their own very unique sound.<br /><br />For B.I. that sound was sort of an encompassing, straining, falsetto; for F.F. it was the big, choral harmonies; for the XX it almost seems like their trademark is the empty space, the silence between notes, the cryptic electric guitar, and the drum claps that subtly guide the pace of their songs.<br /><br />I think the thing that is the most impressive about the debut album from The XX, <span style="font-style: italic;">XX</span>, is just how simple the album is. The guitar riffs sound like I could've written them (note: I played the guitar for approximately 1 month in eighth grade before I quit), the vocals are more laid back - they don't ever really jump out at you, and the beats certainly aren't anything that's going to make Kanye, Dre, or 9th Wonder worry, but the whole, in this case, is certainly greater than the sum of it's parts.<br /><br />In a way, it's almost hypnotizing, which may sound like a little bit of a back-handed complement, but I mean it in a good way. As Liz pointed out, the beats on everyone of the songs sound roughly the same, there's some sort of variation on the guitar riff, but it's not super different, and the vocals sort of hover in the empty spaces kind of like two people trying to make small talk at a party. The further you get in to <span style="font-style: italic;">XX</span> the more it feels like you just sort of get in to some sort of drug induced rhythm, and by the time you think of doing something else the album is over. And when it's over, like any good drug induced trance, you want more...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/The%20XX%20-%20Crystalized.mp3">The XX - Crystalized</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Oh, and congratulastions to Ryan O. for <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/12/contest-ketch-harbour-wolves-chinese.html">winning the passes to the Ketch Harbour Wolves show tonight at El Mocambo in T.O.</a></span>.<br /><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Pib8eYDSFEI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Pib8eYDSFEI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #1:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/pick-of-week-1-ketch-harbour-wolves.html">Ketch Harbour Wolves</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #2:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/pick-of-week-rah-rah-going-steady.html">Rah Rah</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #3:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/pick-of-week-3-glasvegasanimal_24.html">Glasvegas/Animal Collective</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #4:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/pick-of-week-4-bruce-peninsula.html">Bruce Peninsula</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #5:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/02/pick-of-week-5-antlers.html">The Antlers</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #6:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/02/pick-of-week-6-darcys.html">The Darcys</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #7:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/02/pick-of-week-7-ohbijou-swift-feet-for.html">Ohbijou</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">(Swift Feet for Troubling Times)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Pick of the Week #8: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/03/pick-of-week-8-gentlemen-husbands.html">Gentlemen Husbands</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #9:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/03/pick-of-week-9-chris-whitley.html">Chris Whitley</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #10: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/03/pick-of-week-10-alela-diane-to-be-still.html">Alela Diane</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #11:</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/2009/03/19/knaan-troubador/">K'naan</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #12:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/03/pick-of-week-12-illinoize.html">TOR/Sufjan Stevens </a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #13:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/pick-of-week-13-timber-timbre.html">Timber Timbre</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #14</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/pick-of-week-14-justis.html">Justis</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #15</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/pick-of-week-15-hibiscus-rosehips.html">Hibiscus & Rosehips Compilation</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #16</span>: <a href="http://awmusic.ca/2009/04/24/patrick-watson-wooden-arms/">Patrick Watson</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #17: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/pick-of-week-17-olenka-and-autumn.html">Olenka and the Autumn Lovers </a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #18</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/05/pick-of-week-18-liptonians.html">The Liptonians</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #19: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/05/pick-of-week-19-sunparlour-players.html">Sunparlour Players</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #20: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/05/pick-of-week-20-black-hat-brigade.html">Black Hat Brigade </a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #21</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/05/pick-of-week-21-howie-beck-how-to-fall.html">Howie Beck</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #22: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/06/pick-of-week-22-pink-mountaintops.html">Pink Mountaintops</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #23: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/06/pick-of-week-23-still-life-still.html">Still Life Still </a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #24:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/06/pick-of-week-24-hayden-place-where-we_18.html">Hayden</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #25: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/06/pick-of-week-25-snailhouse-lies-on.html">Snailhouse</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #26</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/07/pick-of-week-26-dog-day.html">Dog Day</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #27</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/07/pick-of-week-27-ohbijou-beacons.html">Ohbijou</a> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Beacons</span>)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #28</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/07/pick-of-week-28-dog-is-blue_16.html">Dog is Blue</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #29: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/07/pick-of-week-29-parkas-you-shouldve.html">Parkas</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #30:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/pick-of-week-30-wooden-sky-if-i-dont.html">The Wooden Sky</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #31</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/pick-of-week-31-bowerbirds-upper-air.html">Bowerbirds</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #32:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/pick-of-week-32-miss-maya-this-refers_14.html">Miss Maya</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #33: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/pick-of-week-33-ben-folds-presents.html">Ben Folds Presents ...</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #34: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/pick-of-week-34-mantis-still-life.html">Mantis</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #35: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/09/pick-of-week-35-diamond-rings.html">Diamond Rings</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #36</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/09/pick-of-week-36-wilderness-of-manitoba.html">The Wilderness of Manitoba</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #37: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/09/pick-of-week-37-asher-roth.html">Asher Roth</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #38: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/09/pick-of-week-38-julie-doiron.html">Julie Doiron</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #39: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-39-chad-vangaalen-and.html">Chad VanGaalen</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #40</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-40-thats-spirit.html">That's the Spirit</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #41: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-41-ghost-is-dancing.html">The Ghost is Dancing </a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #42:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-42-dan-mangan.html">Dan Mangan</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #43:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-43-edward-sharpe-magnetic.html">Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #44</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/11/pick-of-week-44-said-whale.html">Said the Whale</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #45: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/11/pick-of-week-45-noah-and-whale.html">Noah and the Whale</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #46:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/11/pick-of-last-week-46-mos-def.html">Mos Def</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #47: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/11/pick-of-week-47-acorn.html">The Acorn</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #48: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/12/pick-of-week-48-evening-hymns.html">Evening Hymns</a>The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-4079857695020491892009-12-09T14:57:00.000-05:002009-12-09T15:00:53.625-05:00Best Songs of 2009: Ketch Harbour Wolves "Letters"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiP62gzn8qEUI0SGJYBQMWIZXlDqeioWnkGghRPORlbIHr-DhLXwwaIv1ZAjTFaZpye_0xqnkp6JnS1IHr2uPnMTX5wpjQotlW9nTSsVBwy4hhEzJ045BtzZH8G2kvYwi7cgk1jznPYc/s1600-h/ketchharbourwolves.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiP62gzn8qEUI0SGJYBQMWIZXlDqeioWnkGghRPORlbIHr-DhLXwwaIv1ZAjTFaZpye_0xqnkp6JnS1IHr2uPnMTX5wpjQotlW9nTSsVBwy4hhEzJ045BtzZH8G2kvYwi7cgk1jznPYc/s320/ketchharbourwolves.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413029413373754674" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'd like to dedicate this post to <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-songs-of-2009-glasvegas-geraldine.html">the commenter the other day who pointed out that Glasvegas' "Geraldine" was put out in '08</a>. It was... probably, but it ended up on my computer in 2009, so, whatever. And with that, I'll point out one of my other favourite songs of 2009 released in 2008, "Letters" by the Ketch Harbour Wolves. Seems like an appropriate <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/12/contest-ketch-harbour-wolves-chinese.html">tie-in with the contest for KHW tickets for this coming Friday, December 11th in Toronto</a>.<br /><br />I've fluctuated on KHW's album <span style="font-style: italic;">Dead Calm Horizon</span>. Not on whether I like it or not (<a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2008/12/best-albums-of-08-part-deux.html">it was 1c on my Best of 2008 list</a>), but on which song was/is my favourite. Over the course of the last year I've changed my mind a few times, but I've gradually come to a point where, when listening to <span style="font-style: italic;">DCH </span>I'll skip to "Letters" at the end of the album, then play the album from front to back so I can hear it (the song) twice.<br /><br />I think it might be because <span style="font-style: italic;">Dead Calm Horizon</span> is generally pretty dark, but "Letters" sort of feels like the light at the end of the tunnel. The gentle banjo picking (I think), and the more down-tempo nature of the song, the band has created the feeling that <span style="font-style: italic;">it</span> (whatever <span style="font-style: italic;">it</span> is) is over. In the case of the band, <span style="font-style: italic;">it</span>, apparently, is the loss of loved one (to another location, not, it seems, to death). But the underlying message that I take away from the song is one of acceptance -- it reminds you that sometimes you ought to relax and let go of things you can't change... good advice (if that's what they're saying)... and either way, it's a great song.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Ketch%20Harbour%20Wolves%20-%20Letters.mp3">Ketch Harbour Wolves - Letters</a>The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-67050602086238314992009-12-08T10:20:00.001-05:002009-12-08T10:20:29.296-05:00Let's Book Club!: A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again (prt. 2) by David Foster Wallace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUl3TlvF_HRWltPS9HkSYQcdjLUX948mKouNELjT8j38JC53gnp5wKLQGLuceOzymMQRi0MIcm9GYLR6UpUtyZG7XOE_iYeqz8adozmmwWMippcZ44_7Q0bLTbWt_DRyCVytPL-N_Dew/s1600/a+supposedly.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUl3TlvF_HRWltPS9HkSYQcdjLUX948mKouNELjT8j38JC53gnp5wKLQGLuceOzymMQRi0MIcm9GYLR6UpUtyZG7XOE_iYeqz8adozmmwWMippcZ44_7Q0bLTbWt_DRyCVytPL-N_Dew/s320/a+supposedly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410121742552318514" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/lets-book-club-supposedly-fun-thing-ill.html">Part 1, the first three essays</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">David Lynch Keeps His Head</span><br />Not really sure what to say, since, you know, I've never seen anything that David Lynch -- a filmmaker -- has ever produced/directed/acted in/been involved with, I think. Having said that, DFW's descriptions of everything outside of detailed comparisons of his (Lynch's) different films is insanely entertaining.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tennis Player Michael Joyce's Professional... (cont'd)<br /></span>If you don't<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></span></span>have any idea of what <span>goes on behind the scenes at a professional tennis tournament, or don't know what tennis' minor leagues are like (but you care), this is a really interesting read. The essay, for me at least, is significantly more interesting because it's set in MTL during the (now named) Roger's Cup (somewhere I've been!).<br /><br />The part of the essay that leads me to believe that DFW may have been the modern incarnation of Nostradamus:</span><span class="UIStory_Message"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>he describes Agassi's groundstrokes as "like Borg if he were on both steroids and methamphetamines"</span><span>.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again</span><br />... is the best essay of the bunch, but is also the most tragic (though the writing itself is hilarious), which, as I mentioned when discussing "Suicide as a Sort of Present" in <span style="font-style: italic;">Brief Interviews</span>, is how down on life he sounds (in ASFTINDA), or how a vividly he talks about wanting to die (SAASOP). Sad.<br /><br />Sad, yes, but at least he's given us something to smile about -- I mean, his whole interpretation of what a Cruise is, a Cruiseline's attempt to aggressively ensure that you relax and pamper yourself. The way he describes people moving in/on/around the Cruise Ship, "bovine", his interaction with his tablemates and his intense dislike for one of the women at his table as well as his feud with the ship's captain is indescribably funny.<br /><br />Mostly, the essay works so well because going on a Cruise is generally something that people think they want to do; it is, supposedly, fun -- much like, say, going to a concert or sometype of sporting event. But DFW, as is his way, finds and uncovers all that is truly strange, when you really think about it, or, when you spend 50-60 pages analyzing it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >1. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Inner Game of Tennis </span>| Timothy Gallwey (134 pages) | A<br />2. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Shot </span>| Darcy Frey (240 pages) | A+<br />3. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Road | </span>Cormac McCarthy (287 pages) | A+<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">4</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >. <em>Outliers</em><em> </em>| Malcolm Gladwell (299 pages) | C+<br />5. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Season | </span>Phil Jackson (304 pages) | B-<br />6. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Sunset Limited | </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cormac McCarthy (160 pages)| B-</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Education of a Coach</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | David Halberstam (288 pages)| B+<br />8. <span style="font-style: italic;">Downtown Owl | </span>Chuck Klosterman | (288 pages)| B</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Can I Keep My Jersey?</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">| Paul Shirley| (336 pages)|C-<br />10.<span style="font-style: italic;"> Then We Came to The End</span>| Joshua Ferris| (416 pages)|B+<br />11. <span style="font-style: italic;">Friday Night Lights</span>| H.G. Bissinger|(400 pages)|A++<br />12. <span style="font-style: italic;">Strokes of Genius| </span>L. Jon Wertheim|(208 pages)|B<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13.</span> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Who's Your City| </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Richard Florida|( 345 pages)|C<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">14. <span style="font-style: italic;">Brief Interviews with Hideous Men</span>| (336 pages)|A</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Book of Basketball</span>| Bill Simmons|(736 pages)|C-<br />16. <span style="font-style: italic;">A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again|</span>(368 pages)|A-<br /></span>The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-26105816487759833572009-12-07T13:34:00.000-05:002009-12-07T13:39:21.657-05:00Contest! Ketch Harbour Wolves, Chinese Food & The Rest @ El Mocambo, Fri. Dec. 11th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEamfGo7mP58tXCacUfngtW-_h4RcdrDk2dNcyYQk1M0bNhmjaVLzgrR47zFWD7NgXhKfrFJCyQ5NzV33trMJ5YqWbGYFR4eg1VcpHKAPrQA0pkzLJ8HJQHtgYfwHsnef1KGzDVR8t30/s1600-h/khw+el+moc.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEamfGo7mP58tXCacUfngtW-_h4RcdrDk2dNcyYQk1M0bNhmjaVLzgrR47zFWD7NgXhKfrFJCyQ5NzV33trMJ5YqWbGYFR4eg1VcpHKAPrQA0pkzLJ8HJQHtgYfwHsnef1KGzDVR8t30/s320/khw+el+moc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412193491002665666" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ketchharbourwolves.ca/">Ketch Harbour Wolves</a> are a really great band. They put out an outstanding (<a href="http://www.ketchharbourwolves.ca/">and still free!</a>) record last year, <span style="font-style: italic;">Dead Calm Horizon</span>, and they put on an excellent live show. They are playing this coming Friday, and will be joined by Hamilton's <a href="http://www.myspace.com/therestband">The Rest</a>, <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20Rest">who has been discussed on the Burgeoning Metropolis before</a>, as well as <a href="http://www.myspace.com/chinesefoodmusic">Chinese Food</a> (who I know nothing about).<br /><br />At any rate, it sounds like it should be a great show, and you can win a pair of guest list spots for the show this <span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, December 11th @ El Mocambo in Toronto</span>. If you're 19+ and in the GTA e-mail me at londononburgeoningmetropolisATgmailDOTcom and I'll select a winner at random.<br /><br />And if you win, hopefully I'll see you there... the KHW have informed me that there's a new album that is pretty close to being done, so, I'm pretty curious to hear the new material. If you don't win, you can pick up advanced tickets at: <a href="http://www.stubmatic.com/ketchharbourwolves/event/2510" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.stubmatic.com/<wbr>ketchharbourwolves/event/2510</a> for $8. Or, <a href="http://historyjen.blogspot.com/2009/12/ticket-cd-giveaway-ketch-harbour-wolves.html">Jen Polk has a contest running too</a>.<br /><br />If you're looking for more info on the bands see:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/pick-of-week-1-ketch-harbour-wolves.html">Ketch Harbour Wolves - Pick of the Week #1</a></li><li><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/exchanging-emails-with-ketch-harbour.html">Exchanging e-mails with... Ketch Harbour Wolves</a></li><li><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/exchanging-emails-with-rest.html">Exchanging e-mails with... The Rest</a></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Ketch%20Harbour%20Wolves%20-%20Letters.mp3">Ketch Harbour Wolves - Letters</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Ketch%20Harbour%20Wolves%20-%20Words.mp3">Ketch Harbour Wolves - Words</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/The%20Rest%20-%20Walk%20on%20Water%20%28auspcious%20beginnings%29.mp3">The Rest - Walk on Water (auspicious beginnings)</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/The%20Rest%20-%20Sheep%20In%20Wolves%20Clothing.mp3">The Rest - Sheep in Wolves Clothing</a>The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-8539510820881279122009-12-06T12:02:00.000-05:002009-12-06T12:03:28.316-05:00Evening Hymns CD Release w/ The Harbour Coats @ the Tranzac, Dec. 4. 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYs7cNUslOfsiAKrT7TYpXB_c5XdLPCOosMHM8ZbCbhQghbVHSrB0msNPn_6ng1nPDp0LEg7Z-_HIGGVpxiN4ZflD5BiLYXRgCYvH5S3vgzNtQ5tFAMgdld4ZU9SNHY6UzYuwKVEOkhLY/s1600-h/IMGP1352.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYs7cNUslOfsiAKrT7TYpXB_c5XdLPCOosMHM8ZbCbhQghbVHSrB0msNPn_6ng1nPDp0LEg7Z-_HIGGVpxiN4ZflD5BiLYXRgCYvH5S3vgzNtQ5tFAMgdld4ZU9SNHY6UzYuwKVEOkhLY/s320/IMGP1352.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411900502486758962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My experiences Thursday and Friday night really couldn't've been a whole lot different. While <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/12/don-is-campbell-hideout-dec-3rd-2009.html">Thursday night was primarily and friends and family sort of thing</a>, Friday night was a real scenester sort of... scene. I don't go to a ton of shows, but I recognized at least two dozen or so people from other pretty awesome bands. This may have been because there were, according to the National Post, 16 or so of Jonas Bonnetta (Evening Hymns)'s closests friends (I assume) that appeared on his new, <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/12/don-is-campbell-hideout-dec-3rd-2009.html">and excellent</a>, album <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit Guides</span>.<br /><br />When <a href="http://zunior.blogspot.com/">Paul</a> found out that <span style="font-weight: bold;">the Harbour Coats</span> were opening for <a href="http://www.myspace.com/eveninghymns">Evening Hymns</a>, who I was really interested in seeing, he suggested/insisted that we get there early. After the first few bars of the first song I figured out why... and everyone else did too, I guess, because the packed main room at the Tranzac went from being a-buzz to library quiet (note: not the Weldon Library @ Western). So, after the first song I turn to Paul and say something like, "Wow, that guy sounds a lot like Springsteen"; to which Paul replies something like, "Yeah, he's the lead singer of the Constantines, people have been calling him an angry Springsteen for years". Me, "Oh" (if that exchange made Paul sound like a dick, he wasn't, he was very nice about my Constantines ignorance).<br /><br />I thought the Harbour Coats set was outstanding, so I'm pretty anxious to start listening to some old Constantines records, while I anxiously await a release from the Harbour Coats.<br /><br />As I mentioned on Friday morning Evening Hymns is the project of Jonas Bonnetta w/ a little help from his friends. On stage Friday night he brought out a pile of friends. I can remember seeing: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/mikeduguay">Mike Dugay</a>, a guy from <a href="http://www.myspace.com/ohbijou">Ohbijou</a>, the guy from <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thewoodensky">the Wooden Sky</a>, a girl from <a href="http://www.myspace.com/themagiclove">the Magic</a>, and others, I suspect. They weren't out there with him all the time, the Evening Hymns set fluxtuated between singer-songwriter and big orchestral band type music, but the highlights of the night for me all involved the full band. Especially live, from 5 feet away no less, songs like "Cedars" "Broken Rifle" and especially "Mountain Song" -- the ones with the choral parts -- sounded, for lack of a better word, awesome.<br /><br />The only thing I wonder, given how busy all the parts of Evening Hymns are, is whether people outside the GTA are going to get to see this band. I won't speculate, because I have no idea what the plan with the band is, but it'd be a real shame if some form of this band didn't get across the country. In part, because they put together a helluva show, but also because <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit Guides</span> deserves to be in the discussion for next year's Polaris Prize, and I feel like bands without a strong national following (see: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/06/polaris-picks-or-if-i-were-more.html">basically everyone I wanted to win the Polaris</a>) aren't able to capture a broad enough spectrum of voters to end up being short listed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Evening%20Hymns_Cedars.mp3">Evening Hymns - Cedars</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Evening%20Hymns_Broken%20Rifle.mp3">Evening Hymns - Broken Rifle</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Harbour Coats (or, Bryan Webb)</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuNmOiqlbG2LCFDCcw3a6rVXjxDMTWqx_78pCvdWej1WiBCsawwKxythfyqh0MT_96LrLvi3s1Ysc0HchdL7MQoTEbz5PXpCCQLkAL3IotT9G9PDNQNbwAi82M6pQCUzw8dAlhsWlkLY/s1600-h/IMGP1318.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuNmOiqlbG2LCFDCcw3a6rVXjxDMTWqx_78pCvdWej1WiBCsawwKxythfyqh0MT_96LrLvi3s1Ysc0HchdL7MQoTEbz5PXpCCQLkAL3IotT9G9PDNQNbwAi82M6pQCUzw8dAlhsWlkLY/s320/IMGP1318.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411896028836974610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenfThIZ25WgrLHY08-zAdt4m3B0a57aDGRymvyJROP0S39gbww1E5ycFtvDbnhYj1Fey39l2QBQhbrOzLCkLU9dMjnBtLrTxntpgjmivDNbbF57Zj4EXAO5Pe8zeGd_VJs6emd6Y-FYk/s1600-h/IMGP1323.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenfThIZ25WgrLHY08-zAdt4m3B0a57aDGRymvyJROP0S39gbww1E5ycFtvDbnhYj1Fey39l2QBQhbrOzLCkLU9dMjnBtLrTxntpgjmivDNbbF57Zj4EXAO5Pe8zeGd_VJs6emd6Y-FYk/s320/IMGP1323.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411896050270737714" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvnYwCpeDIAOLHklEIuvpwVK5CdC-WpaV3MUDJPzjhvpBOI15mkhyZRxaLbfIlXbl6Z0nYxHmScylmTfYw5HEfv5OwjQ0LjRtZwruomI9ZdZgjfmbQiN29cym8KQsT69yLxp_8CxoR74/s1600-h/IMGP1319.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvnYwCpeDIAOLHklEIuvpwVK5CdC-WpaV3MUDJPzjhvpBOI15mkhyZRxaLbfIlXbl6Z0nYxHmScylmTfYw5HEfv5OwjQ0LjRtZwruomI9ZdZgjfmbQiN29cym8KQsT69yLxp_8CxoR74/s320/IMGP1319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411896045943249810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c-kc2D48xm8NiMjwNOm5rgwhpAdi4KMKeemxxchd1u68CsM_jOGwODSbzyWktfdFmtpCwz9z2i31u9GvwU0gHUJB6XJxYF-YQIlXl1fr6qgeDV7Dtcq9Jld2000lZMXJ4_E5Y5o5vn0/s1600-h/IMGP1324.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c-kc2D48xm8NiMjwNOm5rgwhpAdi4KMKeemxxchd1u68CsM_jOGwODSbzyWktfdFmtpCwz9z2i31u9GvwU0gHUJB6XJxYF-YQIlXl1fr6qgeDV7Dtcq9Jld2000lZMXJ4_E5Y5o5vn0/s320/IMGP1324.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411896039756613186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-Qz4iATudwe_ev0jdZd_EQiK4fttcSudY4PSHZWZDGEdvHJmna7r1uudmzmgy-pl_InA-cCY8OMl7v82TFc6Ye6k_nhbXAAs-2CJOgjZ2dqQbN-rvFJVhVmlQ4AzpnDmiYTmc8GUpS8/s1600-h/IMGP1321.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-Qz4iATudwe_ev0jdZd_EQiK4fttcSudY4PSHZWZDGEdvHJmna7r1uudmzmgy-pl_InA-cCY8OMl7v82TFc6Ye6k_nhbXAAs-2CJOgjZ2dqQbN-rvFJVhVmlQ4AzpnDmiYTmc8GUpS8/s320/IMGP1321.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411896032772362194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A video by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/cmedley">Colin Medley</a><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QXPskhJf5ws&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QXPskhJf5ws&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Evening Hymns<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzcFdBJ3FkohjN4iL0DIE6_7kBeAwyAB8zg2Pb7ZpggVDBqmeBwWXqi2NXPo2UJAaPnu6QO2j3A3sompv4obFbGKVQQtWTqRbyRrdGvyGCqehDyNWTfwA3mjwyBJeLE38QMJHfSrKNKI/s1600-h/IMGP1355.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzcFdBJ3FkohjN4iL0DIE6_7kBeAwyAB8zg2Pb7ZpggVDBqmeBwWXqi2NXPo2UJAaPnu6QO2j3A3sompv4obFbGKVQQtWTqRbyRrdGvyGCqehDyNWTfwA3mjwyBJeLE38QMJHfSrKNKI/s320/IMGP1355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411900516426018162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikObxyMxWp73r1msQJAurqgtwHDZ2092mfKEW1X1aPQ8z6rKsW9HTMNutHF63IzlCOG8kHqTGhyge7-Ksw2gEgZUxAii5DQPWu_lzWv2QvrknIpsAYTVx5055sj4Vg89II7jnl_NhnW1c/s1600-h/IMGP1328.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikObxyMxWp73r1msQJAurqgtwHDZ2092mfKEW1X1aPQ8z6rKsW9HTMNutHF63IzlCOG8kHqTGhyge7-Ksw2gEgZUxAii5DQPWu_lzWv2QvrknIpsAYTVx5055sj4Vg89II7jnl_NhnW1c/s320/IMGP1328.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411900506018260130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFy11SRz5CEplBHECP9HNzYj_wkM9zrByqYrsyuAGL9jYy_kHqZpGoXN0cQjG9r7kixod3J4vElNOJJOON5rHEm_1TqY1A0m5Pfd-Mew4gNCWwpEyGm8eI84gx-KmXa9ybwOwD20DWpg/s1600-h/IMGP1342.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFy11SRz5CEplBHECP9HNzYj_wkM9zrByqYrsyuAGL9jYy_kHqZpGoXN0cQjG9r7kixod3J4vElNOJJOON5rHEm_1TqY1A0m5Pfd-Mew4gNCWwpEyGm8eI84gx-KmXa9ybwOwD20DWpg/s320/IMGP1342.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411900488770357282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9FIVEeSK8LUOO95vbcli-XyvdpgrQX2nLoPKFER8G4f2ZcypVTiTOooTYkAMZjeckBoAcw10YrYkjB6GSE4MHey6dZe7fxqB5i5FCKhezYV2kUVFlYTWagZsoY-i-x46eUcvMyKyG_Q/s1600-h/IMGP1346.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9FIVEeSK8LUOO95vbcli-XyvdpgrQX2nLoPKFER8G4f2ZcypVTiTOooTYkAMZjeckBoAcw10YrYkjB6GSE4MHey6dZe7fxqB5i5FCKhezYV2kUVFlYTWagZsoY-i-x46eUcvMyKyG_Q/s320/IMGP1346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411904648263337410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsiIeHW8z59fMtiLxm7CG36gDyrC8jVjWsE-vUckZ-9AbCc2Bzf2wi9rHEITBtdlKuHmTFZVmXE7NKzRT5RG_47BMgWHRAmzDKC_LuA3RD9IQ1-SMY5OA5N0J4eYiiJG7sYadqbuMX_g/s1600-h/IMGP1339.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsiIeHW8z59fMtiLxm7CG36gDyrC8jVjWsE-vUckZ-9AbCc2Bzf2wi9rHEITBtdlKuHmTFZVmXE7NKzRT5RG_47BMgWHRAmzDKC_LuA3RD9IQ1-SMY5OA5N0J4eYiiJG7sYadqbuMX_g/s320/IMGP1339.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411904642715441058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34daP7FwxhxmiR530hkoayk4s5_8uaAyOc7x1IJ5kpCSoalo8pL5yjJMNS0fIGLhwb2RJptIMbubky5juKqL9_ndryd5yVNgK8-ahrP165nmLwNf3jrkb3VOXM5oCqhNSYPU_XY14xKI/s1600-h/IMGP1354.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34daP7FwxhxmiR530hkoayk4s5_8uaAyOc7x1IJ5kpCSoalo8pL5yjJMNS0fIGLhwb2RJptIMbubky5juKqL9_ndryd5yVNgK8-ahrP165nmLwNf3jrkb3VOXM5oCqhNSYPU_XY14xKI/s320/IMGP1354.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411904634699530674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuamqEEJZaccjNww1aYsv3HIYb5Zr9YJ2Nnlku1wV8A2cPYDi14SWfOQMNxT4oazOOK8luKkjxVEJD2xVejdSeF7xMD50BF5JfTtvwTIVo8gTwgOsDhL16RXGOL-mCA4SJJEIzxkBurUM/s1600-h/IMGP1344.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuamqEEJZaccjNww1aYsv3HIYb5Zr9YJ2Nnlku1wV8A2cPYDi14SWfOQMNxT4oazOOK8luKkjxVEJD2xVejdSeF7xMD50BF5JfTtvwTIVo8gTwgOsDhL16RXGOL-mCA4SJJEIzxkBurUM/s320/IMGP1344.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411903383716311250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqAAg71y3-GocVyUOfTHZmnw3gwNZAZu-4nQaiNYoPQlXnWzAXto-huEgg5v0CVI7Qk9jwo3eNI02RmqVgkMzXV08kF1lTLmGHAyNigzgGAwxs5svS6YvDPZ4CXUBScqD2wdIQ06yq7s/s1600-h/IMGP1349.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqAAg71y3-GocVyUOfTHZmnw3gwNZAZu-4nQaiNYoPQlXnWzAXto-huEgg5v0CVI7Qk9jwo3eNI02RmqVgkMzXV08kF1lTLmGHAyNigzgGAwxs5svS6YvDPZ4CXUBScqD2wdIQ06yq7s/s320/IMGP1349.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411903380450994818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLvQVu29VkbREZQ1u6GBtYzO4WLLPy_sUXHExJyMHIdTYyWXQ2Olqx1-0jJyARx-RC79lzysHA6BhB1IaIoaDHXwEF4rAimhy_etu0vxtTyPuKB5j7LVecT5kwRKR39doXeF-Kc_-nPQ/s1600-h/IMGP1341.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLvQVu29VkbREZQ1u6GBtYzO4WLLPy_sUXHExJyMHIdTYyWXQ2Olqx1-0jJyARx-RC79lzysHA6BhB1IaIoaDHXwEF4rAimhy_etu0vxtTyPuKB5j7LVecT5kwRKR39doXeF-Kc_-nPQ/s320/IMGP1341.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411903375567122322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2NnjJWttUTrE4EHWpmU4M14RvawCE81hpzFSpmaWUPR6J6MQJZxw5uZchu_gcZ4zVIHmdwB-BZapTFRxHJkSIjJVEzPHhWhqQCvTgsltiwMiYlN-naIt-GKwflH4ytDJjxx1SrRaP4s/s1600-h/IMGP1353.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2NnjJWttUTrE4EHWpmU4M14RvawCE81hpzFSpmaWUPR6J6MQJZxw5uZchu_gcZ4zVIHmdwB-BZapTFRxHJkSIjJVEzPHhWhqQCvTgsltiwMiYlN-naIt-GKwflH4ytDJjxx1SrRaP4s/s320/IMGP1353.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411903365648702338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Another video, also by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/cmedley">Colin Medley</a>.<br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J2FTQD9As3M&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J2FTQD9As3M&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object>The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-5443720928412565342009-12-05T11:27:00.005-05:002009-12-05T12:42:46.576-05:00Don (is) Campbell @ the Hideout, Dec. 3rd, 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGBd-eeoFDYSE7ESrTMaDUlkENB8L2MxqQ1tXpcjRv239fnxwvf0MVX3e-eknM-6Xdrwn-m4rchh2_cj__e2ipk0kBX7h4xiKDCSBr4gFNRrXkRnVhC_WIAz-uwOsY0Ecs8skG4cccRY/s1600-h/IMGP1311.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGBd-eeoFDYSE7ESrTMaDUlkENB8L2MxqQ1tXpcjRv239fnxwvf0MVX3e-eknM-6Xdrwn-m4rchh2_cj__e2ipk0kBX7h4xiKDCSBr4gFNRrXkRnVhC_WIAz-uwOsY0Ecs8skG4cccRY/s320/IMGP1311.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411796574576456770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's hard to know exactly what to say about the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/campbelldon">Don (is) Campbell (Experience)</a>. Mostly, that's because Don and I grew up together, are good friends, and there is no sense in which one can provide an objective opinion on the music of someone who is a grade school chum of theirs (and a member of the 1994 London Gus Macker - Toilet Bowl Winning 3 on 3 team!).<br /><br />I can say that among my group of friends there was some sense of trepidation -- what if Donny's originals completely tanked? We've seen him play covers for the last decade, know that he is a tremendously talented guitarist, and we've heard snippets of his song-writing, but, as a parent, you worry. So, basically, Don had somewhere near 50? 100? or so parent, or parent-like figures in attendance on Thursday to see him perform his first set of originals w/ a backing band (which included one of his brothers, another brother as the emcee/hype man, and his sister selling merch). And the first few songs we all sort of sat around, nervously, trying to figure out how this whole Don-trying-to-be-a-musician thing was going to work out. <br /><br />It turns out, it went great. Don's not going to be the next big blog act, that's just not the aesthetic of his music, but given his knack for writing accessible, catchy, hooks; his stage presence, and the fact that Don just has that... look (and you can have him in your bedroom for only $15! -- you had to be there). <br /><br />I guess, to me, what Thursday night proved is that his success is going to be determined not by ability -- there's a market out there for his music -- but whether he's going to be able to get his music to the ears of the right people to distribute that music. So, if you know someone who knows someone, do me a favour and pass along <a href="http://www.myspace.com/campbelldon">Donny's myspace link</a>. After all, this is the best chance I have of living out my Entourage fantasy...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Don (is) Campbell (Experience)</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBryHvJoGS6e8BT5Dfk4qous9tw5CiTlfOKhbPofdGiso71lMt79-aMla6HXTkAWuHGsZWXeAVbzPp2agLIP8HvkLOKd4AwqmCzImfuEdwSzE3KIukqbVq7BheTYypNxXM0TXIMxoLVo4/s1600-h/IMGP1310.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBryHvJoGS6e8BT5Dfk4qous9tw5CiTlfOKhbPofdGiso71lMt79-aMla6HXTkAWuHGsZWXeAVbzPp2agLIP8HvkLOKd4AwqmCzImfuEdwSzE3KIukqbVq7BheTYypNxXM0TXIMxoLVo4/s320/IMGP1310.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411796562963374226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0wOhywjUQwTz5ngmbjgfH6IWau1GfK1KJg50srsMtpsd9YyAYJoQMq_MdKMCWDhRLaSVw-6hRYVEX72-76UdJJ62mlTe_6T0erGpOFHxsKbbQe4YLyA6p_uLQDC9lWIbVu5tz8D96AQ/s1600-h/IMGP1298.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0wOhywjUQwTz5ngmbjgfH6IWau1GfK1KJg50srsMtpsd9YyAYJoQMq_MdKMCWDhRLaSVw-6hRYVEX72-76UdJJ62mlTe_6T0erGpOFHxsKbbQe4YLyA6p_uLQDC9lWIbVu5tz8D96AQ/s320/IMGP1298.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411794116876951474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruybB_TjFlmULP_Txf5g_2XZhDPHkSVs4dCKQvh24gJjaKrP0odIaemBu9yi69UrZM7nz19ZhXiy-1WUB2mQVohR8SXUYWoQV8mtjdeScGJPcKjlBAlaTTJbPJlKy9X0PQx7dciDTTCU/s1600-h/IMGP1294.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruybB_TjFlmULP_Txf5g_2XZhDPHkSVs4dCKQvh24gJjaKrP0odIaemBu9yi69UrZM7nz19ZhXiy-1WUB2mQVohR8SXUYWoQV8mtjdeScGJPcKjlBAlaTTJbPJlKy9X0PQx7dciDTTCU/s320/IMGP1294.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411794103357003906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig04ICCNYl7a_801VV6PKrnR93D-4eSL9Vb4j4M5-wArHB4pS-VFL4Pgi3_af45RjkCrSL0s6A9Q-8BGUgC1A2Q8wn_76_04HpcHCru0N8ypA5fv0D2NfnCZsBNvItoKvoYTRrT1RKxLY/s1600-h/IMGP1301.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig04ICCNYl7a_801VV6PKrnR93D-4eSL9Vb4j4M5-wArHB4pS-VFL4Pgi3_af45RjkCrSL0s6A9Q-8BGUgC1A2Q8wn_76_04HpcHCru0N8ypA5fv0D2NfnCZsBNvItoKvoYTRrT1RKxLY/s320/IMGP1301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411794099321581074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigGczlmlgv_-t8lMXfZh5IB6QP6ktUUFte_WGiRCTOiD9IlKv3e3xbxikOvU1qobrPMtvs5XOZ7pYfjrtTUjJnpsmevlO1WtLtvOLD-XRLT8trl5A5ea2pt_egy05UzIz2FUivfXB_DE/s1600-h/IMGP1309.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigGczlmlgv_-t8lMXfZh5IB6QP6ktUUFte_WGiRCTOiD9IlKv3e3xbxikOvU1qobrPMtvs5XOZ7pYfjrtTUjJnpsmevlO1WtLtvOLD-XRLT8trl5A5ea2pt_egy05UzIz2FUivfXB_DE/s320/IMGP1309.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411794088927940562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-zMGW_MJk33hzTkp7qSVsHcS4ShKPiKFcCP-ZxlEEfDA2Qv4DK-qky0Nzeq_3roO1y_fCuNc3lZz-bC7O8WfsvFCvVlbS5oRPG_sB36E2Q7OJlhrdDyYniWBCrqulXF_ayiLs1A8z8w/s1600-h/IMGP1314.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-zMGW_MJk33hzTkp7qSVsHcS4ShKPiKFcCP-ZxlEEfDA2Qv4DK-qky0Nzeq_3roO1y_fCuNc3lZz-bC7O8WfsvFCvVlbS5oRPG_sB36E2Q7OJlhrdDyYniWBCrqulXF_ayiLs1A8z8w/s320/IMGP1314.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411794106742722626" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpyoTGOZao9UhfZ48KIRMDomD1g7FeuqHQ03SeBKayWahouX2JpH0taPhN13A_NWBuScykOFxYYPLbeKhmsd2P_afTc9hkoMJos9eLKJDS2uQ28jiGL6EyJTO6CamRR0_S6Yyf4p1f8s/s1600-h/IMGP1312.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpyoTGOZao9UhfZ48KIRMDomD1g7FeuqHQ03SeBKayWahouX2JpH0taPhN13A_NWBuScykOFxYYPLbeKhmsd2P_afTc9hkoMJos9eLKJDS2uQ28jiGL6EyJTO6CamRR0_S6Yyf4p1f8s/s320/IMGP1312.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411796575787620258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeCHlzYQclALxAmmjrKEuEEWp5nANY3pkC36vgLzmJmZGYDU99lxhAea4vz5cyVfY46M8HdTYOz9dHo1XFiuTlotfO2OxG2RAmyV5gd38LsNs0Nz6UxupiRyJZi30lXPlDQ05qqdZ-Pw/s1600-h/IMGP1306.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeCHlzYQclALxAmmjrKEuEEWp5nANY3pkC36vgLzmJmZGYDU99lxhAea4vz5cyVfY46M8HdTYOz9dHo1XFiuTlotfO2OxG2RAmyV5gd38LsNs0Nz6UxupiRyJZi30lXPlDQ05qqdZ-Pw/s320/IMGP1306.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411796559469241794" border="0" /></a>The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-2680536993039129332009-12-04T09:00:00.002-05:002009-12-04T09:03:25.255-05:00Pick of the Week #48: Evening Hymns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLfD8MsD5ktLHmk_wU_39UqDexHIdYfHnxqJeNdwVxzSf5YOd4R3mkbl8IYtE35MXKIkmFnqVD3m_3vroAtTp3WWGLTUlnWSyYKOneXVrLHlsKe13pU1uepuDG88sArli0tRlkXVHFgQ/s1600-h/evening+hymns+spirit+guides.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLfD8MsD5ktLHmk_wU_39UqDexHIdYfHnxqJeNdwVxzSf5YOd4R3mkbl8IYtE35MXKIkmFnqVD3m_3vroAtTp3WWGLTUlnWSyYKOneXVrLHlsKe13pU1uepuDG88sArli0tRlkXVHFgQ/s320/evening+hymns+spirit+guides.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410738173060465330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In <a href="http://www.nationalpost.com/related/topics/story.html?id=2286942">a recent National Post article</a>, Jonas Bonnetta explains that he stopped recording under his own name because he didn't want to get pigeon holed as just another dude with a guitar. So, the story goes, Bonnetta began recording under the moniker <a href="http://www.myspace.com/eveninghymns">Evening Hymns</a> -- something that suggests more of a collective effort... maybe it's the use of the plural... I'm not sure.<br /><br />On the album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit Guides </span><span>(</span><a href="http://twitter.com/outofthisspark">Out of This Spark</a>), Bonnetta certainly differentiates himself from the countless other guys w/ guitars that are out there. He employs, according to the National Post, no less than 17 of his closest friends on the 9 song, 42 minute album, which, as you'd expect, gives the album a much deeper, broader, sort of feel. The album, at times, boarders on Sufjan Stevens circa-<span style="font-style: italic;">Michigan</span> territory or a <span style="font-style: italic;">Skyskraper National Park </span>Hayden, mostly b/c of the often orchestral feel and the outdoorsy, nature inspired lyrics, but those just sort of hint at what <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit Guides </span>is about.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit Guides</span> seems deeper or more meaningful, somehow; maybe it just feels more personal. I've only had the album since Monday, so, I'm determined to be less hyperbolic than normal so I should just leave it and say that <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit Guides</span> is easier to connect with -- not better, just easier to connect with. Where <span style="font-style: italic;">Michigan</span>, and Suf Stevens as a song writer can get a little preachy and Hayden can be so aloof, Bonnetta seems much more comfortable talking about himself.<br /><br />So <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit Guides </span>has that going for it, and it is also much more diverse than most guy w/ guitar albums. Part of this is due to the fact that Bonnetta has so much help, but just because people show up to help, doesn't mean that the album is automatically going to be better. In fact, though I have no experience recording or anything, I'd imagine with more people around, you'd have more ideas, and it'd be tougher to manage. Either way Bonnetta manages, and manages well, to put together a relatively diverse group of songs -- the more standard singer-songwriter "Laterns"; the calm then violent "Dead Deer" (if this was more stripped down, it'd be very reminiscent of Hayden); the more choral group efforts on "Mountain Song" and "Cedars"; along with a guitar riff and a piano part that feel like they're lifted out of an Elton John song on "Broken Rifle".<br /><br />Regardless of all the whos and wheres and whys, the result (<span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit Guides</span>, in case you've been sleep reading) is something somewhere near spectacular. Like most of those new premium cable shows, it's tight, there's no waste, and every time I listen to the album I have a new favourite song. And I know I promised not to get hyperbolic, but I promise this isn't hyperbole, this is one of the best records of the year. Not enough people are going to hear it, so listen to it, and then tell your friends.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Evening%20Hymns_Cedars.mp3">Evening Hymns - Cedars</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Evening%20Hymns_Broken%20Rifle.mp3">Evening Hymns - Broken Rifle</a><br /><br />Dead Deer recorded by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/cmedley">Colin Medley</a><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jp0YKV3RUoU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jp0YKV3RUoU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #1:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/pick-of-week-1-ketch-harbour-wolves.html">Ketch Harbour Wolves</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #2:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/pick-of-week-rah-rah-going-steady.html">Rah Rah</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #3:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/pick-of-week-3-glasvegasanimal_24.html">Glasvegas/Animal Collective</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #4:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/pick-of-week-4-bruce-peninsula.html">Bruce Peninsula</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #5:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/02/pick-of-week-5-antlers.html">The Antlers</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #6:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/02/pick-of-week-6-darcys.html">The Darcys</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #7:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/02/pick-of-week-7-ohbijou-swift-feet-for.html">Ohbijou</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">(Swift Feet for Troubling Times)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Pick of the Week #8: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/03/pick-of-week-8-gentlemen-husbands.html">Gentlemen Husbands</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #9:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/03/pick-of-week-9-chris-whitley.html">Chris Whitley</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #10: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/03/pick-of-week-10-alela-diane-to-be-still.html">Alela Diane</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #11:</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/2009/03/19/knaan-troubador/">K'naan</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #12:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/03/pick-of-week-12-illinoize.html">TOR/Sufjan Stevens </a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #13:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/pick-of-week-13-timber-timbre.html">Timber Timbre</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #14</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/pick-of-week-14-justis.html">Justis</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #15</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/pick-of-week-15-hibiscus-rosehips.html">Hibiscus & Rosehips Compilation</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #16</span>: <a href="http://awmusic.ca/2009/04/24/patrick-watson-wooden-arms/">Patrick Watson</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #17: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/04/pick-of-week-17-olenka-and-autumn.html">Olenka and the Autumn Lovers </a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #18</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/05/pick-of-week-18-liptonians.html">The Liptonians</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #19: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/05/pick-of-week-19-sunparlour-players.html">Sunparlour Players</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #20: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/05/pick-of-week-20-black-hat-brigade.html">Black Hat Brigade </a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #21</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/05/pick-of-week-21-howie-beck-how-to-fall.html">Howie Beck</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #22: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/06/pick-of-week-22-pink-mountaintops.html">Pink Mountaintops</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #23: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/06/pick-of-week-23-still-life-still.html">Still Life Still </a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #24:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/06/pick-of-week-24-hayden-place-where-we_18.html">Hayden</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #25: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/06/pick-of-week-25-snailhouse-lies-on.html">Snailhouse</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #26</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/07/pick-of-week-26-dog-day.html">Dog Day</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #27</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/07/pick-of-week-27-ohbijou-beacons.html">Ohbijou</a> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Beacons</span>)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #28</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/07/pick-of-week-28-dog-is-blue_16.html">Dog is Blue</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #29: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/07/pick-of-week-29-parkas-you-shouldve.html">Parkas</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #30:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/pick-of-week-30-wooden-sky-if-i-dont.html">The Wooden Sky</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #31</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/pick-of-week-31-bowerbirds-upper-air.html">Bowerbirds</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #32:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/pick-of-week-32-miss-maya-this-refers_14.html">Miss Maya</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #33: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/pick-of-week-33-ben-folds-presents.html">Ben Folds Presents ...</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #34: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/08/pick-of-week-34-mantis-still-life.html">Mantis</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #35: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/09/pick-of-week-35-diamond-rings.html">Diamond Rings</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #36</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/09/pick-of-week-36-wilderness-of-manitoba.html">The Wilderness of Manitoba</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #37: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/09/pick-of-week-37-asher-roth.html">Asher Roth</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #38: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/09/pick-of-week-38-julie-doiron.html">Julie Doiron</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #39: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-39-chad-vangaalen-and.html">Chad VanGaalen</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #40</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-40-thats-spirit.html">That's the Spirit</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #41: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-41-ghost-is-dancing.html">The Ghost is Dancing </a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #42:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-42-dan-mangan.html">Dan Mangan</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #43:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/10/pick-of-week-43-edward-sharpe-magnetic.html">Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #44</span>: <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/11/pick-of-week-44-said-whale.html">Said the Whale</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #45: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/11/pick-of-week-45-noah-and-whale.html">Noah and the Whale</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #46:</span> <a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/11/pick-of-last-week-46-mos-def.html">Mos Def</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pick of the Week #47: </span><a href="http://londononburgeoningmetropolis.blogspot.com/2009/11/pick-of-week-47-acorn.html">The Acorn</a>The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-27380981216251373572009-12-02T14:33:00.004-05:002009-12-02T18:31:40.093-05:00Best Songs of 2009: Glasvegas "Geraldine"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0Yn5lCi-KAex4wUMV_Iay4lEsPXEiBiL8cwxD-q335OQAII1ZYAKSxGXujQgSDEfIbJ_EusEwhWEgZeXuOe8UGeYddENXukRkqi3C9Pf06aLu_rK8wtSITXubDINTNy5DLMaLZmat9g/s1600-h/Glasvegas-Glasvegas-444390.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0Yn5lCi-KAex4wUMV_Iay4lEsPXEiBiL8cwxD-q335OQAII1ZYAKSxGXujQgSDEfIbJ_EusEwhWEgZeXuOe8UGeYddENXukRkqi3C9Pf06aLu_rK8wtSITXubDINTNy5DLMaLZmat9g/s320/Glasvegas-Glasvegas-444390.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410724711009770690" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Before I get to the songs that're going to end up on ye olde year end album list I'm inclined to give a little attention to the ones that aren't going to be there. And <a href="http://www.myspace.com/glasvegas">Glasvegas</a> and their self-titled album will not be there. <span style="font-style: italic;">Glasvegas</span>, in my opinion, doesn't really do much that hasn't been done, nor do they execute the Brit-Arena-Rock formula well enough over a period of 10 songs to sustain my attention (which, admittedly, is very limited in the first place).<br /><br />Even though the album as a whole isn't something I'm going to put on and listen to from start to finish, "Geraldine" is probably one of the best, most uplifting songs of the year regardless of genre. Between the driving electric guitar that runs through the song which is, at worst, extremely catchy, and at best, something somewhere near a force of nature. There's that, and there's something about the chorus "Al beh tha anghel on ya shouldah/ma nam is Geraldine I'm yo soshal wo-kah", which, in English translates to: "I'll be the angel on your shoulder/ My name is Geraldine I'm your social worker".<br /><br />Maybe it's me, and the production value on <span style="font-style: italic;">Glasvegas</span> is just too much for someone with my tastes, and we may disagree on the quality of the album, but I suspect we'll agree that this is one of the songs Best of 2009.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3]</span> <a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/Glasvegas%20-%20Geraldine.mp3">Glasvegas - Geraldine</a><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uVC8KJKSW20&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uVC8KJKSW20&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object>The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395294324589385160.post-87505728250651959292009-12-01T09:23:00.002-05:002009-12-01T09:27:02.757-05:00Exchanging e-mails with... Tor<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNKoizcLxUTIJfrClhGIxB6dgdoCTibiSAxymvI1DHOzkuTtj1pDgpaU3PzM3sJTfjvW8d6O3f8XOGWV6LetQXPV1crxKsORmn1HBWtPto-4zORprfM5Xrls5JDYkU64uFWFOUV1wCvo/s1600/Illinoize.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNKoizcLxUTIJfrClhGIxB6dgdoCTibiSAxymvI1DHOzkuTtj1pDgpaU3PzM3sJTfjvW8d6O3f8XOGWV6LetQXPV1crxKsORmn1HBWtPto-4zORprfM5Xrls5JDYkU64uFWFOUV1wCvo/s320/Illinoize.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410098695127306738" border="0" /></a><br /><br />At some point at the beginning of the year I came across <a href="http://illinoize.biz/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Illinoize</span> the Tor/Sufjan Stevens 'remix tape'</a> and declared it, somewhat inelegantly, the front runner for album of the year. And at this point in the year, I still feel pretty strongly that it's the best album that I've heard this year.<br /><br />Anyways, long story short (though the rest of this post will be quite long) I got in touch with the author of <span style="font-style: italic;">Illinoize</span>, Tor, and he very graciously agreed to trade some e-mails with me on remixing, mashing-up, his experience backpacking in Australia, as well as offering his opinion on who would win a fight between the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Bill Cosby.<br /><br />Check some mp3s (that Sufjan has now given him the right to use!) that will make you want to throw your hands in the air like you just don't care... or something....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *<br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Tor.</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">So, how does it feel having put out the Best Album of 2009? That's not much of a conversation starter, I realize, but if I haven't said so before (and I have) I think the album is absolutely outstanding.</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">That said, as much as I really like the album it seems like a strange sort of concept at first - Sufjan Stevens and a pile of really great rap songs. How did you come up with the idea? And how long did it take you to figure out that it'd actually work? I guess I'm trying to figure out what the process was like from the inception of the idea to it becoming an actual album.</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">I've got approximately a zillion other questions, but to make responding manageable I'll leave them for now.</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Hope the weather in Montreal(?) is a nicer than it was here in T.O. today... bah...</span> </span> <span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);font-size:85%;" ><br />Rob</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Hey Rob<br /><br />Wow I don't know how to answer that first one! I actually read your article about it back in March when it first came out and you made that claim, stoked you still think so! ha.<br /><br />It is a bit of a strange concept though I suppose - most 'mash-ups' or remixes or whatevers are usually about having a hype track or taking something current or super popular and mixing it with something else either classic or super popular so people go 'holy shit! i know that, and I also know that! now they're together!' So I was a bit surprised that it has been so popular as a lot of Sufjan Stevens fans probably hadn't heard of, say, Grand Puba, and vice versa.<br /><br />I'm also a bit of a fan of super chill music and I was trying to come up with a project I could do to get back into producing music as I hadn't really worked on much for a few years. I had chopped up Sufjan's 'Star of Wonder' when I had my studio set up briefly before heading off on a year long road trip and did a little 5 minute drum loop and bassline to it before I packed up. After I left it was just me and my girlfriend living in a van around Australia in the middle of the desert or on deserted beaches for like 10 months so I had plenty of time for it to simmer in my head. I had my ipod on the trip and went through all his albums and had a few ideas for tracks that might work for it, with 'Star of Wonder' and Aesop Rock being the first and most definite one. When I got back I set up my studio and was able to throw songs in there and chop them up and over the next 3 months I came up with 7 tracks I was digging and about 5 other half finished ones that sounded like ass. I wanted at least 10 all up but a buddy of mine convinced me to cut it down to EP length and I'm glad I did.<br /><br />As for the weather, I'm actually in Vancouver right now, been here since June - but getting home finally in the next few weeks! I'm sure it will be colder...<br /><br />Cheers<br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);font-size:85%;" ><br />~Tor<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">* * *</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Tor.<br /><br />That really wasn't the process I was expecting, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it probably didn't involve a trip around the world. So, when you're in the Australian desert how do you decide or even get an idea of what is going to work? Is it a feel thing or is it something to do with music/timing/time signature sort of thing (note: I am very, very, unfamiliar with technical music speak)?<br /><br />I'm also kind of curious about the songs that didn't work. What songs did they involve and how did you come to the decision that they didn't work? Was it specific to a certain type of rapper? Are some easier to work with than others? I imagine that someone that does a lot of free association (is that what its called) like Lil' Wayne would be a tough guy to work with...<br /><br />And yeah, it dipped below 0 in T.O. last night, so, I'd stay out in Vancouver if I were you...<br /><br />Rob</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">* * *</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Hey Rob<br /><br />Yea it's probably not your standard process is it? Something about being that isolated and having no obligations or distractions I guess gets the ideas flowing. To get an idea of what was going to work while I was out there I mostly had to go off Sufjan's stuff as I really had no idea what acapellas would be available - that's the thing there are only so many songs that have been released usually on vinyl singles with instrumental and acapella versions on them so it can be slim pickings at times.<br /><br />As for Sufjan's stuff i just went through songs that had the right tempo or timing (like a lot of his stuff can be in a swing beat or 3/4 time which is not going to work at all, ever, for hip hop... actually that's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtSzpKiARrI&feature=PlayList&p=4B34D87C5BCDC348&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3" target="_blank">not</a> <a href="http://drop.io/krckpoj" target="_blank">true</a> but it's rare) but a few of the remixes like 'Dumb I Sound' I sped up the song almost a full octave for it to fit in a hip hop tempo. Also, John Wayne Gacy Jr is played really really loosely so I had to chop the hell out of the sample to make it fit, which you can hear pretty clearly near the end of the song. For the most part though while I was out there I just had to go off vibe and vague ideas until I could get home and see what I could actually do with it.<br /><br />When I was back and throwing acapellas at the beats I was working on, yea, there were a few rappers that just didn't work, for instance I really like Common and had a bunch of his stuff but he has this really relaxed way of rhyming (is that free association?) that I just couldn't get to sit right over the beats so I had to scrap him, and of course with other things you can have everything timed up and mixed perfectly but if the vibe doesn't work and the songs don't sound natural together there is just no way it was going on. So definitely some were easier to work with, both with sampling Sufjan and finding the right rappers. I actually had the idea to mix 'Chicago' with Commons 'Chi-City' but it was more of a novelty idea because in theory the brief attempt I made was ear-stabbingly bad.<br /><br />And yes, I'd probably like to stay in Vancouver for the winter (it's where I'm from originally) but my music equipment is waiting back in MTL!<br /><br />Cheers<br /><br />~Tor<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">* * *</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Tor.<br /><br />I love the idea of "Chicago" w/ "Chi-city" as soon as you said that I had a vision (audio-vision) of Suf singing "I drove to Chicago" followed by Common chiming in with "and ya say Chi-City". I think he does do a lot of free association -- when he rhymes something, and connects it with something seemingly completely unrelated, I think -- which is what makes it difficult to mash-up b/c his rhyming isn't in some type of time signature... I could have just made that all up.<br /><br />So, I'm curious how you got into this, beat making, mashing-up, etc? I figured that after a few emails I'd be able to tell if you were an "indie-rock" guy who happened to make beats, or vice-versa and I've gotta say I still have no idea. I'm curious, top-5 Desert Island albums. Have you done anything else aside from the Tor/Suf Stevens mash-up? Feel free to plug anything that you're doing, working on, or whatever.<br /><br />Hope all is well....<br /></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Rob<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">* * *</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;">hoy Rob;<br /><br />Maybe I'll give the Sufjan / Common thing a shot for Illinoize 2! Nah, there won't be an Illinoize 2 - I've got a good idea for my next project but I'm not saying anything yet until I have some more tracks finished, and when it's done I'm going to try some different types of promotional stuff (with Illinoize I basically released it and emailed a bunch of blogs until they started writing about it, and it just snowballed from there). For instance releasing a single and building some interest in the project before it's released and more traditional methods like that, mailing lists, using the twitters and facebooks better, as I really have / had no idea about promotional stuff so far and am just winging it - actually as a blogger who deals with this stuff every day maybe you have some tips for me?<br /><br />As for my history, I started messing around with making music about 7 years ago while I was living in Australia and got the attention of some guys in the Oz music scene. I ended up doing a few remixes for some bands that got released nationally down there. At that point I shifted my focus to running a small recording studio instead of making my own tunes, and had a decent run recording local bands for awhile until I moved to Montreal. Illinoize was my project to get back into making my own stuff again, and the first thing I've really finished and released and it's a good feeling!<br /><br />My top 5 desert island albums would probably be<br />1. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Thank God For Mental Illness<br />2. Bonobo - Days To Come<br />3. Cunninlynguists - A Piece Of Strange<br />4. Rodriguez - After The Fact<br /> 5. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago<br /><br />I don't know if that gives you an idea if i'm an indie-loving beatmaker or a beat loving hipster maybe somewhere in between, it's played out to say but I like whatever is good music and I go through fazes of listening to super mellow acoustic stuff to hip hop to electronic stuff and whatevers going around. I'm trying to take my time with new albums now because with basically every piece of music ever available at your fingertips any time it is kind of overwhelming and it causes people not to really get to know anything and just flip through albums, feeling like if they spend too much time on it they're missing out on something else. Just got to slooww dowwwnn.<br /><br />So yea if you have any tips for me on blogosphere promotion, current states of music, more questions about my stuff, an infamous lightning round or cut me loose, its up to you!<br /><br />Cheers<br /><br />~Tor</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Tor.</span><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Really sorry for taking so long -- it's not that I'm trying to string this out, I swear -- I've actually been sick for the last week or so (which would also explain the lack of blog posts), so, let's finish this off with a bang.</span></div> <div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:85%;">RE: Illinoize 2 (Electric Bogaloo)! and promoting it... I don't envy you. One of my best friends, a guy who's going to be in my wedding party and actually a girl who's going to be my girl's bridesmaid, are both trying to make it as musicians. It's tough. There are so many musicians, blogs, mp3s, mp3 aggregator sites, etc. that the market is so fragmented I'm not sure how and who is making any money in music these days. As far as getting noticed goes, obviously it helps to have awesome music -- usually the cream does rise to the top -- but it's really like any other job: you've got to network, contact people, be nice, charming, personable, and then maybe things will work out...<br /><br />If you're still there, let's try a lightning round... and I'll apologize in advance if these questions get a little ridiculous.<br /><br /><br />1. Favourite TV show (current).<br />2. Favourite Sports Franchise.<br />3. Least Favourite Sports Franchise.<br />4. Best movie of the decade.<br />5. Last album that you listened to and really loved.<br />6. Greatest rapper of all time.<br />7. Favourite book.<br />8. When you arrive at the pearly gates you would like God to say...<br />9. Who would win in a fight between Bill Cosby and the Fresh Prince?<br />10. If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who and why?<br /><br />If you wanna plug anything, or let anyone know about anything that you've got going on please do.<br /><br />Thanks again, and sorry about the delay with this last email... it's been fun.<br /><br />Best,<br /></span> <span style="font-size:85%;">Rob<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" >* * *</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Rob;<br /><br />It's all good on the delay, I've been all over the place as well and am finally getting in a good email session.<br /><br />Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! As for trying to get noticed it is true what you say, I only started getting into the music blog scene earlier this year and holy shit is it scary the amount of stuff coming out. Its like a constant flood of music that seems like most people consume digest excrete and move onto the next thing. But I've been building my networking skills this year with Illinoize so hopefully I've collected enough leads to hit them hard with the next thing!<br /><br />Alright I'll give these questions a shot;<br /><br />1. Favourite TV show (current). - South Park has been absolutely killing it for about the past 3 seasons. I love how they just do not give a shit and will destroy anyone that gets in their way. And the fact that they can make the entire show within a few days always means that it's super current and fully awesome.<br /><br />2. Favourite Sports Franchise. - I am not that much of a sports guy but I'm a fairweather Canadiens fan. And it's a good excuse to go to the pub.<br /><br />3. Least Favourite Sports Franchise. - All of the ones involved in the NBA, NFL or MLB<br /><br />4. Best movie of the decade. - Children of Men. That movie blew my mind and every time I watch it I discover something new, or pick up on a new theme.<br /><br />5. Last album that you listened to and really loved. - The xx's album has been my favourite recently. Their mix of deep bass, MPC beats, soft guitars and vocals is completely working for me. They've got a lot of hype, but I think it is entirely deserved.<br /><br />6. Greatest rapper of all time. - That's gotta be a tie between Q-Tip and Andre 3000. Their deliveries are not at all similar but get me stoked every time. Listen to Andre 3000 on this to see what I mean --> <a href="http://hypem.com/#/track/741704/Fonzworth+Bentley+-+Everybody+feat+Kanye+West+Sa+Ra+Andre+3000+" target="_blank">http://hypem.com/#/track/<wbr>741704/Fonzworth+Bentley+-+<wbr>Everybody+feat+Kanye+West+Sa+<wbr>Ra+Andre+3000+</a><br /><br />7. Favourite book. - Not much of a reader probably because my attention span is too short, but when I read I seem to like dry British humour like Douglas Adams or Ben Elton.<br /><br />8. When you arrive at the pearly gates you would like God to say... - I dont know... Welcome?<br /><br />9. Who would win in a fight between Bill Cosby and the Fresh Prince? - I think Bill Cosby had a genuinely rougher childhood. Fresh Prince only played B ball outside of the school. And got his ass kicked and had to move to Bel Air. Tho they'd probably both try to make each other laugh rather than actually fighting.<br /><br />10. If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who and why? - Probably a successful touring band like Radiohead to experience an audience going nuts right in front of you. It would be surreal. And some good perspective for a studio guy like me about getting out there.<br /><br />As for other stuff I have some exciting news since I last emailed you. I was contacted by Sufjan's publishers and Asthmatic Kitty records and they have extended a license for me to use Sufjan's samples for my remixes, so it's all legitimate and endorsed by them! I think that is such a refreshing change to have the publishers get on board for something like this - usually it's the opposite that the lawyers are knocking on guys doors who do unauthorized remixes. I'm just super stoked by the whole situation.<br /><br />And I'll be sure to let you know when my next mixtape is coming out, which isn't too far away...<br /><br />Thanks for having me Rob, it's been good times.<br /></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><br />~Tor<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">If you made it through all that you deserve, and probably want, to know that the "Illinoize" remixtape is STILL(!) a free download at <a href="http://illinoize.biz/">illinoize.biz</a>.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/TOR%20-%20Night%20Zombies%20-%20Talkin%20My%20Shit%20%28f.%20Brother%20Ali%29.mp3">Tor/Sufjan Stevens - Night Zombies/Talkin' My Shit ft. Brother Ali</a><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">[mp3] </span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/TOR%20-%20The%20Tallest%20Man%20-%20I%20Like%20It%20%28f.%20Grand%20Puba%29.mp3">Tor/Sufjan Stevens -</a></span></span><a href="http://awmusic.ca/1/mp3/TOR%20-%20The%20Tallest%20Man%20-%20I%20Like%20It%20%28f.%20Grand%20Puba%29.mp3"> The Tallest Man/I Like It ft. Grand Puba</a><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div></div></div></div></div></div>The R.O.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08456497656482213086noreply@blogger.com0