Pol was talking on his show about the home stereo the other day. Great discussion about how he still has a home stereo and he called it a “shrine” to music. Neat.
I love my home stereo… and its still a goal to improve it dramatically. I want/NEED a Rega turntable because I love them. A new amp (though I love my old one, its just a piece of temperamental shit sometimes) and maybe new speakers one day.
Right now, it all serves purpose and works (kinda) so its hard to take money to fix it up.
I do love just having it in my home. Like a historic or religious artifact.
***
Yesterday on facebook. I asked friends to send me their wedding “first dance” song or the song they would use… if they ever decided to get married. Lots of wonderful selections were sent in, so I made a podcast with some selections.
It is funny how songs can get rooted in your head. I have a couple currently battling to be played on repeat. Dinosaur Bones, a couple AWOLNATION songs, Blitzen Trapper‘s new record… and this slinky pop song I heard on XM’s Alt. Nation last night.
Adelaide, SA is Australia’s 5th largest city and ranks high up on the list of Most Liveable Cities. Turns out they have the internet or something too… as I was able to hear music from this Adelaidian? band Atlas Genius.
These kids seems all right by me. The song reminds me of the underhanded bright shiny pop rock that’s been so hot as of late. Bands like Phoenix and The Kooks get tossed around when describing.
I can’t believe Rifflandia IV is all done. I woke up this morning with PRD (post Rifflandia disorder). What a spectacular four days in our sleepy colonial outpost city.
I believe that after this year… and looking forward to Rifflandia V, this festival is poised to be Canada’s premier new music/alternative/hipster fest. I can’t really think off too much in the country like it. Actually… is there really anything like it?
The fact that it is able to succeed in British Columbia at all is a triumph against the forces of no-fun-ism. This Province generally has to be dragged kicking and screaming towards anything remotely rage-tastic… and then when we get there, we fuck it up by lighting cop cars on fire and the “rules” get slapped back on.
It seemed like I was everywhere this weekend, and still there was so much I missed! I need a party assistant next year I think. Still… it was an army of many that helped me get through this.
Nick Blasko and Team Rifflandia get a big Thank you! Nick set me up with some wristbands for my lovely wife Coral, sister-in-law Alyx and friend Alix. That allowed me to have some help sorting out Madelyn while I had to work, but be able to have her with me at the festival.
Nick then gave me and Boitano the chance to DJ!
Thank you to everyone that stormed in the Phillips Brewery Stage to see us DJ and for all the kind words after. Christi Wizard and Bud snapping pics and filming. DW for rocking the mic. Pol with the confetti poppers. It all made a difference. Thank you.
Nana and CJ & Caitlin all took a turn having a “sleepover” with Mads which was clutch so I could DJ Friday night with Boitano. Then party on Saturday night and eat the most excellent pita pit wrap. I’ll always remember you chicken/bacon wrap devoured on the steps of Bastion Square with Coral… always.
It was a mighty time with Team Zone at the Zone tent! Bossman John, Tindy, Allie and Boitano had the plan executed to the finest detail. Zone Ranger Shawn, his girl Jessica and an army of Zoners both staffers and volunteers kept the party hopping.
Then there were the Rifflandia volunteers and workers that kept the show moving forward (and beer in my belly… Cara!). Thank you!
Finally… I laid a lot of high-fives, took some pictures, and generally was made to feel like a rock star by so many people over the weekend. It truly was fun. Like the best. seriously, “real life” hit hard this morning.
…
and in the mix, there was music.
I have a lot of highlights and favourites. To stay kinda focused, I want to talk about Dinosaur Bones right now.
Dinosaur Bones were one of the first bands to hit the Zone’s Main Stage on Friday. I had heard of… but never actually enjoyed their sounds. I really dug their style and purchased the 45s they had for sale at the merch booth. the singles are “N.Y.E.” and “Royalty.”
“Royalty” is a little meh, to me… but “N.Y.E.” is mighty. I want to share this single with you.
I don’t know much about anything… I wish I knew more about Dinosaur Bones… but I do LOVE this song. I’ve been repeating it all night on first the record player, but when managing the 45 became old, I fired up the MP3 and filled my ears some more.
The 45 is backed with a remix by Los Campesinos which sounds great too.
So now I am a Dinosaur Bones fan. Good times.
***
There were some other standouts that I witnessed, and I have a sea of pictures I am trying to collect from the billion “official” photogs and the not-so-official assorted paparazzi… perhaps some more pics and stories will leak out on my blog over the week.
Boitano and Me will be at Phillips stage on Friday at 9PM after DJ Anger. And check this… capacity is 800… so says the Times Colonist. Now it would be rad is 800 were in there losing their minds… but I’d settle for half that.
We’ve put together a very fun set of Modern Rock remixes that will blend a strong assortment of Zone hits with dance beats. If you rock the Zone, and love to rock the party… I hope our set will go down nicely with the Rifflandabrau.
A song I want to play badly now that I tracked it down is this remix of a classic proto-alternative jam, “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by The Stooges.
Michelle over at Eh B Sea Sides posted where she’ll be at for Rifflandia this weekend.
That’s awesome… I am a little more liberal… but here is as best as I can commit to right now.
TONIGHT
8:30 Phillips Brewery Stage – DJ St. Christopher
Then I don’t know… (Luck Bar maybe?)
Then I’m scared because I wanna see Braids, We Are The City and The Coup all at the same time… then end the night at Club 9one9 for LA Riots.
I want to keep the wheels on tonight as tomorrow is still a work day for me and I have to wake up with Maddy and get her day started. Hungover Dad is no fun city… so I’ll save the rage for…
FRIDAY
After a hectic morning at the Zone getting the countdown done, one last practice set with Boitano, dropping my gear off at Phillips, eating (I hope), its off to Royal Athletic Park for the Zone’s day of radio programming. I’ll be on the radio 2-6PM but part of the shows all day till our first Royal’s WHL hockey broadcast that night.
I am pretty excited for ALL the bands for the most part on both the ZONE Main Stage and CBC 3 Stage. I’ve seen the Cave Singers before and they’re great.
I’ll likely leave during Broken Social Scene‘s set to eat and get ready for Boitano and my set at Phillips Brewery Stage.
Then? Wood Hall for Lola Parks and Matthew Barber? Or it’ll be Sugar or lucky for dance music… or I might stay locked down at Phillips partying with Ko. Friday will depend on where Coral wants to go I’d imagine. I think there might be a bit of a party entourage by 10PM and so, the mob (or my hottie wife) shall rule me.
SATURDAY
I awake, shake off the hangover, take my cutie wife for brunch (at Shine Cafe? sure…or maybe Mo:le to flash my Rifflandia Riffband for a discount!), pick Mads up from Nana’s house and off to the park for family day at the ZONE’s Main Stage. Once again… no misses. It’ll be a day of running after Maddy, spoiling her with treats from the food vendors and rock & roll. Mads is actually pretty excited. I just hope I can find her concert baby muffs. Maybe Coral knows where they are?
Night time will have this party rumble to life at Phillips for a Rifflandabrau and the Funk Hunters. Maybe seeing Lindsay Bryan at Wood Hall… then?
I WILL end up at the Victoria Event Center to see Acres of Lions at 11:30PM and will end the night hopefully at Sugar if I can get in… to see Glass Candy. But other options are easily Pack AD at Metro or Machinedrum at Lucky.
Radiskull.
SUNDAY
I am actually heading to Sea Cider for Apple Day! Might catch De Le Soul at the Royal Athletic Park. We’ll see how much gas is left in the tank.
See you around at Rifflandia. If you see me, say hi and lets lay down a high five together.
Finished the most mighty of weekends… a couple fundraisers and a couple weddings made for a busy 4 days. Somewhere in that mix I had to try and be a dad and do you know… my actual job on the Zone.
Focus was required, but hard to come by as I have my eyes firmly planted on Friday, September 23rd… Rifflandia!
OK, so Rifflandia actually begins on the Thursday, Friday is when Boitano and me DJ at the Phillips Brewery stage. Friday night at 9PM. After DJ Anger… and later that night; Michael Rault then one of our favourites at the Zone, Toronto’s Ko takes the stage. Boitano says that Broken Social Scene ends just as we start… so I get if you have them as a “must see!” but maybe you’ll truly endeavour to bee-line to Phillips to catch the end of our set. We’d really love to see some friendlies in the audience.
For our set… we are thinking that we’ll mainly try and focus on Modern Rock Remixes (Think Boitano’s Mixtape) to keep us on point for people that come to check us out. That said… well I love my modern electronic stuff from M83 and the new Neon Indian. I’ll try to squish them in if I can… early in the set.
I did fin a monster remix of the True Blood soundtrack! Heavy electronic… and Vampires! Oh My!
I also have a remix of Two Door Cinema Club‘s “What You Know.”
OK so that is almooooooost 30 minutes. Any requests? And before you ask, yes I have made a commitment to end the set with Brian McNight’s 1999 slow jam anthem “Back At One.” (uhhhh if Boitano will let me and the people don’t have a revolution against me).
God bless Radiolab… blowing my mind about Games… and sports.
They have this mucky-muck on the show talking about 3 year olds… and how they are pure improv. Just making shit up and being in a constant state of invention. Being the parent of a 3 year old, I love it. I laugh dozens of times a day because of the weirdness that comes out of Madelyn’s mouth.
By 6 years old… kids are all about games with rules. Playing tag and someone is “it” and when you get tagged… then you’re “it.” Basically mimicking our lame life of laws and rules and signs and all that bullshit.
Now the mucky-muck says the best games, the ones we love and that stick around, are the ones that skirt between imagination and rules.
Crazy right?
So then they get going about Chess. And how mathematically there are a bunch of moves that have a pretty standard series of actions and reactions. But in chess… the players battle and can move past these moves till they get to a chess position where they are in a unique place. Where the series of moves from here on out are not part of any pre-determined pattern. This place is called the “novelty.” When the chess game hits this point… the players are in a state of free form and imagination.
I read a great article in National Geographic the other night on my couch (hmmm fitting I guess)… It was a story about workout music and the studies of sport psychologist Costas Karageorghis.
Basically he says first, what we all know… music during a workout is good. Especially those 120-140 BPM songs (beats-per-minute). A song in that sweet spot is what so much popular top 40 music sits at (great for dancing right… cardio).
But there is so much other insight.
Lyrics help. A song with a message that is uplifting will propel you. (think Kanye West’s “Stronger”)
The beat of a song can make you a more efficient runner. You are able to use music as a metronome to lock in your stride. (think some dubstep)
Silence can work for you. It is helpful during times when there is no music, to imagine music!
You can listen to music when you’re sitting on the couch thinking of working out… you start with a slower BPM and work up as your workout improves. But a great song that inspires you will get you excited to hit that treadmill. (Think the Rocky Theme)
Women and Men use workout music differently (because women are from Venus and Men are from Mars.) Males tend to be more rock & roll and women tend toward pop. Men pick music based on the sub-culture and the image they want to project. Women tend to pick music based on emotions.
For a high intensity work out, you’ll want to ramp up the BPMs… 168 plus. What kind of song sits up there? Try The White Stripe’s 193 BPM ripper… “Rag and Bone.” SWA? really? … really.
Karageorghis was on NPR Radio in the USA to talk about this and he dives into the science.
I go through little phases where I love and then love less… the Arcade Fire‘s The Suburbs record. Right now, it is back to friends on. Friends way on.
Sometimes it just takes a lyric to get me to get interested in a song and I heard it listening to the Arcade Fire’s title track the other day on the radio.
“So can you understand?
Why I want a daughter while I am still young
I wanna hold her hand
and show her some beauty
before this damage is done.”
Wow right?
Listening to that song the other day while driving gave me goose bumps. And its funny because I have listened to not only the record, but that song in particular… infinity times… but just the other day those lines jumped out of my speakers and into my head.
I love the entire concept of this album as a “letter from the the suburbs.” Having spent my formative years trolling the streets of Coquitlam (a suburb of Vancouver) so many themes of the record hold elemental truths for me. Like the ideas of the song “The Suburbs (continued).
“If I could have it back
All the time that we wasted
I’d only waste it again
If I could have it back
You know I’d love to waste it again
Waste it again and again and again
I’ve got to ask
Sometimes I can’t believe it
I’m moving past the feeling again
Sometimes I can’t believe it
I’m moving past the feeling again
Sometimes I can’t believe it…”
***
Some interesting and exciting news today. An artist had to cancel at this year’s Rifflandia Festival and so DJ Boitano and myself were asked to DJ.
We’ll be operating as “Zone DJs Jeremy & Boitano” and you can find us Friday, September 23rd on The Phillips Brewery Stage. I do believe the idea for the set will be modern rock remixes.
We just got added today so that means our set is in a week and half! We’ll be preparing a setlist this week and we’re both pretty jazzed. It should be a great party and I hope that if you’re reading this blog, then that means you’ll care enough to make the time to join us.
Their style definitely borrows from the vintage pop rock sounds of the 60s. Boss Man seemed to think it would make for a great radio single because of the vibe it would set as the soundtrack to whatever you’re getting up to. I’d imagine that an instrumental version of this song could be a future music bed for Pol’s show.
Because they are so darned happy, you can bet your bottom dollar that their music has been used to sell us things… but yummy things like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (mmm I love those).
I found a free download for you… so have a listen to this!
I am a mega Damien Rice fan. Never heard of the guy before I started dating Coral back in 2006. She used to put this record on when I was at her place and through osmosis it stuck. They used to also play it at Starbucks pretty heavy around the time I worked at the Shelbourne shop (the second time).
9 Crimes is a magical record and side-one/track-one is the single “9 Crimes.”
All these years, I never bothered to learn that there is a “hidden” song. A demo of the single. I was listening to KCRW yesterday and this weird version of the song came on the mix. When the jock came on he said that this demo is featured on the True Blood soundtrack volume 3… of course it is.
The Morning After 