Its been a few days since I’ve been back from Vancouver. I had a 24 hour adventure in the Terminal City to check out one of my all-time favourite bands, Interpol.
The show was pretty magical because I love their music… but especially the first two records (like everyone, I guess). The set was heavy on most of the best from Turn on… and Antics. The show also featured lots off the critically underwhelming Interpol. And was exceptionally light on Our Love to Admire. In fact, I think they just jammed out “Rest My Chemistry.” Which is cool as I personally think that song is the stand out from the record.
Interpol – “Rest My Chemistry”
There was not much of any “show” in the sense of lasers, devil worship, girls flashing their tits. Just four guys on stage in suits sounded great. The Orpheum Theater made the sound of their songs sparkle. A great audio environment. It didn’t hurt that @Nucksgrl got us 6th row! It definitely was a fan’s show.
I loved the song selection. I am weakest on their new music so it was great that they paced the new songs in with so many great “hits” from the beloved first two albums.
Interpol has been a favourite band of mine for a number of years and this show helped build on the sonic lust. Good times.
I was up late reading about the ancient Christian philosopher St. Augustine.
Augustine of Hippo grew up in North Africa where Algeria is now and lived during the actual last days of the Western Roman Empire.
Like many people of the Dark Ages (or Early Middle Ages), he believed that they were in fact living in the time of Apocalypse.
And like college kids today, he also went off to college where he got up to (or lied about) all sorts of sex. And he’s the patron Saint of Brewers… of course you are Augustine.
Since the times of antiquity, young gentlemen have gone off to college, had sex and believed that their generation would be it. The end.
Fast forward a whole bunch college toga parties (some actual toga parties, others ironic) to the 60s and whole other generation believing that this will be it. War, civil unrest, Woodstock.
Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone magazine in 1995 that their 60s jam, “Gimme Shelter” wrapped all these ideas up in a song. “It’s Apocalypse.”
I am not too down with whole dubstep phenomenon so I wouldn’t be able to tell you if low bass warble is any better or worse then the next glitched out production… but I did enjoy the Stone’s hooks thrown into the mix.
I check out some comments on the youtube view and not surprisingly, many people thought the remix was an abomination. You can check it out for yourself… if you dare! muhahahahahaha
Rolling Stones – “Gimmie Shelter” (Zed’s Dead Remix)
I am pretty liberal on my view of a remix or cover. Remixes or covers don’t go back in time and erase the old classic. They always have the ability to generate excitement for the original and enable discussion and reflection.
I enjoy this song for what it is… dubstep but with the Stones. In fact, that is why I like. If I had to be at a dubstep party, I might as well get some Stones in there. I could also imagine this cut being a real banger on the dancefloor.
Mick says the song was created in a time of unrest and uncertainty. Nothing amplifies that feeling of dred more than the post-industrial noise of dubstep.
I an appreciate the challenge of trying to merge the two conflicting styles into a cohesive song. For the most part I think it works alright. It does feel a bit like the Rolling Stones vocal track floats over a dubstep base. The “gun click” sound was a little heavy fisted for my personal taste as well.
One of the best parts of Gimmie Shelter is the end when Mick sings, “Love sister… its just a kiss away, its just a kiss away.” But I don’t recall hearing that in the Zed’s Dead version. Maybe that was intentional in their reinterpretation or maybe they didn’t fully appreciate the context of the original? I’ll hope for the first.
Either way… if “Gimmie Shelter” was Apocalypse before, its Armageddon now.
Generally when I read or hear about some hipster jam and its not reviewed or mentioned on Pitchfork, my bullshit meter goes off.
One of two things must be true about this song:
01) Its a corporate construct like Paramore or Taco Bell “Beef”
02) Its too enjoyable and accessible for the “Dictators of Taste” in Chicago.
The story is bizarre and wonderful and strange.
LA scenesters record one ice-cool song. Share it for free on their website. One friend tells another down the grapevine and presto-bingo-bango, internet phenoms.
Foster the People‘s “Pumped Up Kicks” reverberated around the internet tubes this past summer and with a discography that includes… uhh, “Pumped Up Kicks” they are now off to do a little tour of Australia and will be at this year’s Coachella.
What’s going on? Is the song really that good? I dunno… lets have a listen.
The LA Times had all sorts of positives to say about the song, I mean, if you think sounding like Phoenix or Empire of the Sun is a positive.
I’ve listened to the song a half-dozen times at my desk today. I like it. Is it changing me world? not really… so maybe I don’t fully appreciate or understand why this particular track got touched by the fickle hand of the viral internet. But I will download the the free MP3 and include it in my set at Veneto for sure.
Go with yourself.
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Years ago now… maybe 2004 or 2005 or 2006? Wow, James Sutton (the Zone’s music director) came across a song from a Vancouver band called Northern Alliance or NA.
The song was called “Take Me Higher” and we played it a bit on the radio here and like tons of feature songs before and after, it was played and drifted away into obscurity.
The funny thing about this song is that it still gets requested from time to time on the radio despite the fact the band was a story of never was.
What happened to Northern Alliance?
Searching the internet and there is a smattering of circa 2005 websites that are big on promises. A band full of bravado and breaking the status quo and how we’re all Sheeple but they have the answer to break the cycle and blah blah. One website, their shtick is to end every paragraph with “f*** Northern Alliance.”
I always find it adorable when counter-culture types edit themselves.
Its really too bad, they had an awesome song that I still remember and listen to and is still remembered by some Zoners to this day.
The song “Take Me Higher” is a pretty impressive Nu-metal rap/rock dealio. remind me of Linkin Park if I took them seriously (maybe how Linkin Park sounded when they were hungry).
Its a song about cogging your way through the day, through life. A great anthem for the people out there maintaining life but wanting a little more.
Musically, its not changing your world. Rap verse, soaring chorus, huge hooks… back to rap and repeat. But where I like this song compared to say something from most early 2000 nu-metal bands is that I believe the hardship from the singer. Its just hard to take the angst from millionaire douche-bags. But from Vancouver skids, its real.
Time and reflection add to the drama of the song. We now know they had designs on rock stardom to escape the deary madness of life… and it failed ( that I know of, perhaps their lives are in good places, and I hope they are).
This song is full of bravado and optimism. Their website screams the same. But we, the world of 2005-ish… weren’t buying it. And so fade to black on the chapter of music that was NA (METAPHORS!).
Who knows, maybe the band will google themselves and find my blog and smile that someone remembers their music. They’ll drop me line, let me know they’re still grinding and rhyming. Until then, download this old song that I think me and James ripped off MySpace many moons ago.
She talked about how when she was young, her life maybe wasn’t so much different, or better… but uncertain. The uncertainty is what made it all bearable I guess? I don’t want to put words in her mouth, but that was the vibe I took from it.
Funny, though… you can’t go back in time… and kids take your uncertainty from you, but at the same time, they also give you back a lot of that wonder. Mine does for me at least.
I love watching cartoon movies with Madelyn and the cartoons blow her mind. I watch way more cartoons now than I ever did when I smoked pot. So that has to be something right?
We watched Astro Boy last night (and its on again this morning with our breakfast while I blog). The film is a silly computer animation based on the original Japanese Anime from the 50s. Nothing too special for a grown up but as a music nerd my ears perked up during the only scene where there is an actual pop song. The rest of the movie is a score, but the scene where they paint the ZOG features an old song that I so recognize.
I thought maybe David Eleanor punched it up on the Modern Rock Inbox… but it turns out that I probably heard it during a TV commercial.
Supergrass – “Alright”
What a cool song. About being 13 or 14 and discovering girls and beer for the first time. Hey Supergrass, I like girls and beer too.
I can’t believe I didn’t remember this song from 1995. It apparently was a number 1 hit in both the UK and North America. Supergrass’ only one. Neat.
The boys don’t like it being called an anthem… but uh… its pretty anthemic? I’ll be singing it all day hoping for a little uncertainty.
I vaguely remember when my old man bought our first CD player.
I think it was a Boxing day maybe? or around Boxing Day… part of me feels like it was winter.
We drove out to the A&B sound in Burnaby. This was before there an A&B Sound everywhere and obviously before the chain closed down.
If I remember, he bought the player and then needed a CD so he bought an Elton John Box-set that had four discs of hits. I listened to a lot of “Crocodile Rock” as a young’n. I don’t know what it cost, but I think it was pretty expensive for the late 80s or early 90s. I can’t really remember, its a bit of hazzy remembrance.
I read today that Sony is closing one of their last two CD plants in America. Its a warehouse in New Jersey that employs about 300 people. It seems most the people that work there know whats up. They stopped making Blu-Ray discs last year and one worker said his own daughter steals music off the internet despite the fact the roof over head and food in her belly comes from him pressing CDs.
Then I read some facts about the CD.
Invented in 1979. Which makes it older than me… which means… I’ll be discontinued soon. sad face. Do not disassemble.
The first test pressing happened in Germany. It was Richard Strauss‘ “Eine Alpinsinfonie.”
The first public demonstration happened on BBC television and featured the Bee Gees 1981 record Living Eyes.
The first record to be pressed in the manufacturing plant in 1982 was ABBA’sThe Visitors. The first CD album to be released for sale was Billy Joel’s52nd Street.
By 1983 you could buy a CD player in America and there were 16 titles (all from CBS Records) you could buy to play in it.
The first record to sell 1-million compact discs was Dire Straight‘s 1985 classic Brothers In Arms. Wait a minute, that song “Money For Nothing” says “faggot” a bunch, maybe I need to edit history to make a more politically correct record the 1st ever?
First artist to release their entire catalog on Cd was Mr. David Bowie when he took all 15 of his albums and 4 best of’s… and pressed them also in 1985.
First CDs I bougth with my own money were… Metallica’s…And Justice for All, Alice in Chains s/t and Seven Mary Three. I think it cost me close to $80 and was almost all of one of my first paycheques from the job I got that summer. making sandwiches at Subway in the summer of ’96.
Then I bought a lot of CDs. I do remember my Dad getting mad at me for wasting my paycheques on CDs. What did I need so many for? So I need to find an excuse for having so many… so I became a DJ.
Now, I’ll always love you Beat 94-5, you have superior DJs and generally a better broadcast experience compared to most radio stations.
That said, Sirius Hits 1 plays this song pretty much twice an hour. No sane radio station should be burning songs this mental, but I am sure glad Sirius doesn’t care about convention and plays this song over and over and over and over… and you get the idea.
I don’t know why I love it so much. I was going to post the single cover for this song on my blog… but then I saw Nelly on the cover and I hated myself.
I guess the song makes me think of Coral. That is nice. I was thinking about her today in fact while the song played and she phoned me. Whoa, kismet. I told Coral about my cosmic experience but she didn’t look impressed. She said, “You know the song is about breaking up with your wife right?” hmmm.
02) The Daylights – “I Hope This Gets To You”
The cover art at the top is for this LA band that I also heard on Sirius Hits 1 between Nelly. I like that Hits 1 plays some modern rockish type songs between the pop. This is one of them.
They give me the expansive melodramatic feel of the Airborne Toxic Event. Speaking of the Airborne Toxic Event, I should put that song on. Damn they were good. Why they aren’t major rock stars is a tragedy.
Was it just me, or were you also pretty let down when Peter Sarsgaard asked to see Jenny’s tits and the camera angle was so artistic as to not actually show anything? It was just me? oh.
Coral heard this song during the film and we had to add it to the collection. now it lives during my sets at the Veneto Lounge.
04) The Killers – “Leave Your Bourbon on the Shelf”
I says to my iTunes the other day, I says, “iTunes, do I have any songs about bourbon?”
Yup, I got one.
The companion song for my video that I made yesterday.
05) Fitz and the Tantrums – “Moneygrabber”
Fitz & Company like the soul music of the 60s. I like soul music from the 60s. Despite your gimmicky name, we can be friends.
What’s that? No guitar? You don’t say.
This song is currently my ear candy song on the Zone. Its a good song, but sounds GREAT on the FM stereo sound of 91.3 FM.
The video gets viewed a bunch… and now they get played on the radio a half world away on the Zone. My bones tell me to not like this song, but I always sing along when I hear it. Whatever, I’m weak sometimes.
The distillery where Buffalo Trace is made in Kentucky is one of the oldest in America dating back to the late 1700s! mmm history that I put in my mouth.
Last night, I braved the rain and hit Cascade Liquor store in the Quadra Village to buy a bottle. Beside it in the store was a bourbon called Baker’s 7! SWA? I should have bought that, but I was on a mission and decided to stay focused. Next bourbon will be Baker’s.
I am trying to learn to make better media at home so I thought it would be fun to try and make a “How To” video for one of my favourite cocktails from the Veneto, The Old Fashioned!
The Old Fashioned is a bourbon based concoction with bitters, sugar, water and fruit. This recipe is loosely based on what was taught to me by Simon Ogden at the Veneto Lounge in Victoria. The cocktail is fun and easy to make, will impress your friends and lovers… and get you drunk. Enjoy.
Thank you for watching my video. One day I’ll buy one of those fancy HD SLR things… for now… hit play.
A girl called up the Zone today during the Picks @ 6 to request the January Band of the Month, On Call Heroes.
The song “That Guy” (mp3) is a neat song. Its about d-bags that end up with the hot girl. A story all us nice guys who finish last can relate too.
And of course… do they? What’s a “hot girl” and why are the nice guys being so defeatist… maybe a little confidence and the pole would get waxed? but yeah… that’s another debate.
Lets pretend then, that yes, the nice guy gets dumped on and the hottie is running around with the dude that has a neck tattoo.
Its a popular theme in movies, books, TV and of course music.
On Call Heroes the latest in a fine line of songs wondering aloud and with melody… “WTF hot girl, why do you waste your time with Johnny Daterape… I mean his last name is daterape, c’mon man”
Lots of 90s punk rocker dwelt on the subject… I am thinking songs by The Offspring (Self Esteem maybe) or Blink 182 (Dammit) or Green Day (Nice Guys Finish Last).
Green Day – “Nice Guys Finish Last”
My favourite jam is a little ditty by a gentleman that recorded music under the moniker The Mr. T Experience. His 1993 song “Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend” nails it down perfectly. If you’re currently suffering through virginitis, this shit is the remedy for the lonely night (and the internet I guess).
The Mr. T Experience – “Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend”
“Even Hitler had a girlfriend, who he could always call. Someone to be there despite of all his faults. Hitler was the worst guy ever, despised and reviled… even Hitler had a girlfriend, why can’t I?”
Holy shit, if that doesn’t make your loneliness worse, nothing will. Hitler man…Hitler was getting laid. And you gotta think that back then, some German bureaucrat was pushing pencils in Nazi HQ thinking to himself… “WTF, douche bag gets the chicks. Every time, every time.”
This song is pretty magical… but I didn’t hear the MTX version… no this song was made popular (to me) at CiTR by a one Mr. Plow.
One of (if not) the first Mr. Plow records is a home burned creation called Shut Your Legs and Open Your Ears. 6 songs recorded in Vancouver circa 2000. Track 6 is a cover called “Even Hitler…” and 20 year old Jeremy’s mind leaked out through my ears after hearing it. The song was a hot rotation on the old Morning After Show. I would end up becoming half decent friends with Plow for a few years in Burncouver (or was it Vanaby?).
Mr. Plow – “Even Hitler…”
Plow introduced me to the other bizarro-acoutic-punks in Vancouver. We did some shows together at the Cobalt or the Java Joint in Surrey. He stayed up late and jammed out my radio show. He took me around with him to pick up dead bodies one time. Good times, great reflections.
Plow has put out quite a few records over the years and continues to perform to this very day. I think right now he might be in Portland hosting a weekly night at some bar? That’s the last I heard on the Facebook at least.
Right… what was the point of this? Oh, a girl requested On Call Heroes and it got me thinking of my old friend Plow and one of my favourite songs, “Even Hitler…”
The Morning After 
