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Archive for March, 2009

The Byzantine Empire

Posted in music, tagged , , , , on March 31, 2009| 6 Comments »

I finally get why peolple steal music off the internet.  The companies that take your money punish you for the experience.

I am one of the few people I know left that routinely buys my music.  I use music a lot for my mental well-being and for work, and I have no problem dropping .99 cents on a song from iTunes.  I have multiple Apple products and have spent hundreds thousands of dollars on music in the past couple years.  Maybe I am not a HEAVY user but I think I am more than a casual music fan.

iTunes however has DRM on many of the songs I bought.  I can only play my music on my authorized computers of which I can only have 5 going at any one time.  No worries.  Until I hit my five and then got my hands on a new Mac Book for a work project.  I went to play some of my music and the computer said that I had maxed out my 5 authorized computers.  Dang it.  OK, deauthorize all the old ones.  One of the computers I have since put into long term storage because it is broken and the other is Boitano’s that I authorized to DJ on it one time last November.

Nope, I can only deauthorize all computer once a year!  WTF?  why?  who cares if I want to deauthorize all computers all the time.  My music, my computers, deauthorize please so that I may continue to buy iTunes music on my Mac computer!

On top of that, iTunes has since seen the error of their ways and dropped DRM (digital Rights management) on their music, so let me open up as many computers as I want to be authorized?  or remove the DRM off my already lawfully purchased tracks.  The bastards are “offering” to lift the DRM off my songs for like $300! O RLY, thank you iTunes.  But how ’bout you keep the offer and just work.  just work… that is all I want.

Or how about this Apple and music industry, I take back the Mac to the Apple store and download Limewire and cut all of you out my life?  I tried finding an iTunes customer service number but good luck on that, had to leave an email.  Not acceptable at 2AM when I NEED a laptop to work for my job.

God, I am the last man on earth that buys music and its a Byzantian ordeal.

Sorry for the cry baby rant, but I am upset that I have spent so much money and time doing the “right” thing and I am being punished, but if I’d just ripped off all the music, this would be a non-issue.

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Coffee Shop DJ

Posted in playlist, tagged , , , , , on March 31, 2009| 5 Comments »

Floating woman balloon head on a string?  check… cue up Damien Rice.

oh c’est dommage, those bloody kids sling shotted her!

***

In another life I used to sling coffee for the Starbucks corporation.  Oddly, one of my favourite, favourite things about the gig was the music.  Man, I wanted to work for Hear music so badly.  I used to send email after email to the Seattle office to some senior vice president chick trying to get a gig and god bless her, she returned every email and did her best to steer me in some sort of direction.

Of course, you know the story, I never got some radical music programming job in Seattle picking the coffee shop tracks for Starbucks compilation CDs but I did discover a whole world of music that I had not been introduced to before hand.

Now here I am, years later and I got a gig picking music for a restro-pub here in town.  In a round about way, living the dream.

The manager and owner gave me some direction in the style they want for the different day parts which is groovy and I am almost done, but then I stumbled on Damien Rice and I want to make a coffee shop inspired list.

I have a fond place in my heart for Damien.  When Coral and I started dating, she turned me on the man and that was about the time I went back to Starbucks (for the third time in life!) and Damien’s latest record was in rotation at the cafe.  Every morning, being up at 5:30 AM grinding the coffee of the day, jamming out some Damien Rice.  Good Times.

Maybe I’ll make one anyways, might be too mellow for the restro-pub but I’ll have the playlist for me.  It’ll have Damien Rice for sure… some Frames, Sia cuz she’s adorable… The Black Ghosts (its from the Twilight Soundrack… right at the beginning of the movie… I know I know, but its a really great song).  hmmm… what else?

***

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An Advocate for the Little Old Ladies and Little Old Men

Posted in neat-O gang, tagged on March 30, 2009| Leave a Comment »

My quest to become a doctor got a HUGE boost today.  Not only does my Mom think I should be a doctor, but so does Justin’s Mom!

Listen to Justin: You Should Be a Doctor for Old People

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Dr. Dog Shit

Posted in neat-O gang, tagged , , , , , on March 30, 2009| 9 Comments »

I don’t like too much negative stuff on this blog, but if there is one thing I really hate its dog shit.  I hate it!

I get that 99 percent of dog owners are good 99 percent of the time but it is that one percent of the one percent when they can’t be bothered pick up the shit, then I step in it, not notice till I get home carrying groceries, so I don’t take my shoes off, wander direct into my kitchen then go… “hey wait a minute, that mud looking streak on my kitchen floor is not mud…”

BWOAR… then I am on all fours with the pinesol scrubbing everything.

AND NOW, Coral wants a dog, god bless her.  To complicate matters… Madelyn can’t articulate it, but I can tell by her eyes, she wants a dog too!

I told them, if I can have  a University degree they can have their dog.  Coral said deal… so now I got to get to work on that degree.

I am fortunate that my girlfriend works for the government and knows lots about student loans and Mom is a high school guidance counselor and knows how to spend it.

Last week (almost exactly one week ago today in fact), I had a powerful dream where I became a doctor.  And I was dating Little Grey from Grey’s Anatomy… the point is, the dream was so powerful that I have become obsessed with the idea of changing careers completely and becoming a doctor.

I went on the internet and checked out some websites on how to become a doctor and it was sadly, um, out of my league… or so I thought until I talked to my Mom.  She said that you can get into med school with ANY degree.  Wow right.  Finish my degree in talking and then I could be operating on you!  how fun.  Not that simple really… but the point is, it IS possible.

Coral said that because of my age and the fact I am a Dad and want to upgrade, I should be able to get a loan to finish up so now its like… why not become a doctor?  We figured I’d be about 40 by the time I could finish.  Neat.

***

The short term focus will be a new Capital Rock City.  I might do it today as I have a pile of new music to play back at work but I am waiting on a reply to an email I sent on the weekend.  What is up with bands having websites with NO contact info?  Anyways, if the bands check their email and get back to me I might have some good new metal to try out this week… if they don’t get back to me, no metal but I still have lots of great music to play.  I might play an oldie but a goodie from a group outta Calgary called Darryl’s Grocery Bag.  Someone quoted lyrics of their’s on Jeff of Acres of Lions blog and I went, whoa, I know that song and loved it!

I am still hammering out how to make a compelling history podcast and working on my music project which is coming along nicely.  Should finish this week and the proceeds will be paying for my University application fee.

I better go feed the baby, talk at you at 3PM on The Zone.

Go with yourself.

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Hey Rosetta! Interview and Live Performance

Posted in music, tagged , , , , , , , on March 26, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday afternoon the boys from the band Hey Rosetta! stopped by the Zone Afternoon show for a chit-chat and live performance.  Have a listen.

Download: Hey Rosetta! LIVE on The Zone @ 91-3
Song: Red Heart
Song: Red Song

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Puscifer, Totally Racist!

Posted in music, tagged , , , , on March 26, 2009| 11 Comments »

Sara P asked me today if I had ever actually taken the time to listen to lyrics of Puscifer’s “The Mission.”

I had not.  “The Mission” is arguably the hottest song on the Zone right now with the Zone phone bursting at the seems with requests and queries for more info on the band and song… however, never has anyone dived into the lyrics until Pol Plastino did one day.  He told Sara that the line, “Bought a hot shot gat from a north end guinea” is totally racist!  SWA?

What do you know?

Pol says that “north end guinea” is a racist slang for Italian! wow.  But I think it is is referring to a citizen of Papua New Guinea?

What do I know?

***

neat… just before I hit publish… Tindy and Cassie walked into the studio where I am madly “creating” and asked to kick me out so they can do a little scream therapy.  Possibly the funniest thing I heard muffled through a door all day!

***

The new Silversun Pickups track “Panic Switch” is changing my world right now.  Fire it up!

The Silversun Pickups

***

Go with yourself.

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You have Summoned the Fail Whale

Posted in neat-O gang, tagged on March 25, 2009| 3 Comments »

Just in case you missed it.

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Capital Rock City #50 / Racoons, Acres of Lions, Justin Hewitt, Vince Vaccaro, Paper Cranes, Jon & Roy

Posted in Capital Rock City, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2009| 1 Comment »

crc1

Come get some, the Best of 2009 (so far) on Capital Rock City #50.

Best enjoyed through your ears: Capital Rock City #50

and remember friends, the only way FOX News will take Canada seriously is if you SUBSCRIBE to Capital Rock City from the iTunes podcast section or RSS this bitch from the Zone dot FM.

DJ Notes:

01) Racoons – “Tangiers”
02) Vince Vaccaro – “The City at Sunrise”
03) Acres of Lions – “Working”
04) Justin Hewitt – “Close Your Eyes”
05) Jon & Roy – “What I Need”
06) Paper Cranes – “Telephone”

***

I don’t know what to write here except these are a few of my favourites.  Really, anything from most these bands could go in this space.  All the new Racoons, or Acres is amazing.  I just remembered Vince’s “Costa Rice” which is a shame, because I would have included that track in place of “The City at Sunrise” now that I think about it and hear it again on Vince’s MySpace.

Here is a pretty rad music video that Chucky shared with me.  The artist is Johnny Galactic and the song is “Pink Coat.”  Look out for my man Aran from the Armchair Cynics rocking the bass guitar!

whoa… while typing this, Mads took a header off the couch.  ahhh, Mom will get this one.

That’s all I got.  Please download my podcast and share the link with a friend if you dig it.

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This Will Destroy You

Posted in music, tagged , on March 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »

They are from Texas, they sound just like Explosions in the Sky and its my new fave of the day.  The band is called This Will Destroy You.

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hey Selector, punch up some Shuggie Otis

Posted in music, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »

oops, who is that calling?  My friend ted sent me this…

CBC: Pranksters Convince Victoria Man to Throw Heave TV and Fridge Out His Hotel Window

***

shuggieotis

I have started working hard on my music project.  The project will need me to get familiar with some music that is not necessarily my style and it will need some good jazz, however, finding stuff that isn’t new agey or “smooth jazz” is a challenge.  I am liking a dude named Gil Scott-Heron.  But then I start diving into 70’s funk and soul.  Not so bad… but my explorations always take me away from jazz.  heh, maybe I just don’t like jazz and prefer 70’s soul/funk and fusion?  who knew?  The Shuggie Otis always sounds mighty!

iTunes has some great Jazz primer playlists of a variety of styles (its how I found Gil Scott-Heron) so I might go back there and poke around.  Last FM ain’t doing me any favours right now.

Time to hop into the studio right now, I got to jam out a Capital Rock City podcast.  #50 will be a best of 2009 so far!  Lots of great Victoria rockers to choose from.

The more I think, and the more feedback I get, it looks like my next podcast project will be the farming podcast… I’ll save the history one for a future consideration when the farmcast loses steam.

Go with yourself.

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