Just listened to the new track from R.E.M, from their upcoming album entitled "Collapse Into Now", being released in early March 2011.
Reading some of the buzz about the new record, I am excited to hear they are collaborating with Patti Smith and Eddie Vedder, and, surprisingly - Peaches!
Hmmmm, indeed!
I love R.E.M., and Peaches, but each in completely different ways. Very intrigued to hear what they are going to sound like together!
December 15, 2010
November 21, 2010
Yr City's a Sucker!
...Whenever I take a trip, I spend hours and hours putting together a playlist on my mp3 player. However - no matter how much time I put into it, it will never be perfect.
This song by LCD Soundsystem has been looping in my head all day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZtHbKk5NWM
Yr city's stoned! My city's in heat!
This song by LCD Soundsystem has been looping in my head all day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZtHbKk5NWM
Yr city's stoned! My city's in heat!
November 20, 2010
October 31, 2010
Painted Thin, and missing the local scene
I found this clip on YouTube and waves of nostalgia crashed over me and pulled me under.
Being 15 years old. Buying this record at The Cellar. Sneaking out of my parents' house to go see shows at the West End Cultural Centre. Spending every spare dollar I had on CD's/tapes/vinyl/concerts/stickers/posters and other music-related merchandise.
I fell in love with local indie music that year. Endearing Records. G-7. The Bonaduces, Painted Thin, B'ehl, The Weakerthans, Evie, Kicker, and all those miscellaneous local bands whose names I have forgotten over time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVKDEg5siN4
(I typed out the lyrics of these songs, which were printed in the liner notes of "...still they die of heartbreak". It's pretty much undecipherable otherwise.)
John Wayne's Wettest Dream
Protectionist hatred, only necessary for the survival
of a reflection that haunts us over and over.
Male sexuality confronted with the fear of itself.
Palms start to sweat right before every fight starts.
"Gay men can't be men, because gay men must not stranger rape". Homophobia does its best to keep men safe.
You're just trying to lay the blame, and fondle insecurities that overshadow your wettest dream.
Piece by Piece
Imperfect hands just aren't enough to please. They need a firm belief, my mind's upon its knees.
It's been made clear I'll be appreciated here
as long as what I say won't illuminate or interfere.
I suffer though:
homophobic,
sexist,
racist sentiments.
And, I grind my teeth through my tongue because my boss seems to encourage it.
Watching a rape-culture play unfold before my eyes with abusive male models and no consequence or reprisal.
Fighting off this atrophy with a dictionary and a magazine,
wondering how to make myself not feel so stupid.
Fighting off this apathy with a bottle cap and a bloated feeling, out of things to do.
I don't think this knife is cutting deep enough,
there's so many bigger things I haven't even touched.
Like the reduction of my life to profitability. I get the table scraps, and the table's set by me.
But, I've got a place ensured as long as I:
#1 - stay within the bounds of these well-defined class lines
#2 - accept my place as disposably employed
#3 - let working FOR not WITH people leave me completely satisfied
#4 - be resigned to a life of drawing chalk lines from side to side
and accepting all related acts of reduction.
Me to my time and imperfect hands, animals to their skin, flesh, or functions. Reduction to your body or your womb. Land is reduced to property,
and all I can think is that we'll all have to be
resigned to a life of drawing chalk lines
instead of looking up to acknowledge our puppet strings,
and working from there to take back our humanity, piece by piece.
Being 15 years old. Buying this record at The Cellar. Sneaking out of my parents' house to go see shows at the West End Cultural Centre. Spending every spare dollar I had on CD's/tapes/vinyl/concerts/stickers/posters and other music-related merchandise.
I fell in love with local indie music that year. Endearing Records. G-7. The Bonaduces, Painted Thin, B'ehl, The Weakerthans, Evie, Kicker, and all those miscellaneous local bands whose names I have forgotten over time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVKDEg5siN4
(I typed out the lyrics of these songs, which were printed in the liner notes of "...still they die of heartbreak". It's pretty much undecipherable otherwise.)
John Wayne's Wettest Dream
Protectionist hatred, only necessary for the survival
of a reflection that haunts us over and over.
Male sexuality confronted with the fear of itself.
Palms start to sweat right before every fight starts.
"Gay men can't be men, because gay men must not stranger rape". Homophobia does its best to keep men safe.
You're just trying to lay the blame, and fondle insecurities that overshadow your wettest dream.
Piece by Piece
Imperfect hands just aren't enough to please. They need a firm belief, my mind's upon its knees.
It's been made clear I'll be appreciated here
as long as what I say won't illuminate or interfere.
I suffer though:
homophobic,
sexist,
racist sentiments.
And, I grind my teeth through my tongue because my boss seems to encourage it.
Watching a rape-culture play unfold before my eyes with abusive male models and no consequence or reprisal.
Fighting off this atrophy with a dictionary and a magazine,
wondering how to make myself not feel so stupid.
Fighting off this apathy with a bottle cap and a bloated feeling, out of things to do.
I don't think this knife is cutting deep enough,
there's so many bigger things I haven't even touched.
Like the reduction of my life to profitability. I get the table scraps, and the table's set by me.
But, I've got a place ensured as long as I:
#1 - stay within the bounds of these well-defined class lines
#2 - accept my place as disposably employed
#3 - let working FOR not WITH people leave me completely satisfied
#4 - be resigned to a life of drawing chalk lines from side to side
and accepting all related acts of reduction.
Me to my time and imperfect hands, animals to their skin, flesh, or functions. Reduction to your body or your womb. Land is reduced to property,
and all I can think is that we'll all have to be
resigned to a life of drawing chalk lines
instead of looking up to acknowledge our puppet strings,
and working from there to take back our humanity, piece by piece.
October 23, 2010
OK Go - White Knuckles
Dogs are great. And, this video by OK Go is pretty great, too.
I'm really impressed with OK Go's creativity when it comes to making music videos and taking advantage of the whole YouTube-internet-viral video scene. The word is that their next video is going to incorporate food and animation - Can't wait to see the results.
I'm really impressed with OK Go's creativity when it comes to making music videos and taking advantage of the whole YouTube-internet-viral video scene. The word is that their next video is going to incorporate food and animation - Can't wait to see the results.
October 22, 2010
Bran Van 3000 - The Garden
Bran Van 3000's fourth album was released on October 19, 2010.
I wasn't crazy about this album on the first listen. It started out slow - where were the beats and funk I had come to expect from this brilliant Montreal collective force? Knowing BV3 had put out three solid albums previous to "The Garden", I replayed the album and my patience was rewarded. Now half-a-dozen plays later - this album is like ecstasy for the ears. It has a flow that must be experienced rather than explained; a sprawling, dreamy, dancey world that consumes you for 61 minutes.
Bran Van is great at blending many styles and genres of music, and making it work seamlessly. Here, on "The Garden", we get tastes of reggae, hillbilly, house, guitar rock, hip-hop, soul, and sugary sweet pop - all coming together to form energetic, upbeat, beautiful positive music. Lovely!!
"The Garden" is a more mature sounding record than their previous releases It explores themes of love, loss, growing up, moving on, and trying to make sense of the world around us. And, it still manages to be super groovetastic while being peaceful and meditative.
Is this the best Bran Van record yet? Not sure I can say that. At this time, I consider all 4 records to be of equal greatness - The Garden is a fantastic addition to the BV3 catalog. Let's hope for some live shows in the near future and that we don't have another 6-year drought, as we did between Discosis and Rose!
First single: Grace (Love on the Block)
Recommended tracks: Oui Got Now (#3), Grace (Love on the Block) (#7), Cowboy Hoot (#8), Jahrusalem (#9), World Party (#10), Saltwater Cats (#15)
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