Posted in politics, radio, tagged Esquimalt, Police, The Dead Weather, Western on October 19, 2011| Leave a Comment »
“The Township of Esquimalt wants to ditch the Victoria police in favour of the RCMP, Mayor Barb Desjardins revealed Tuesday afternoon.”
That’s what the Times Colonist newspaper read today.
I don’t know how wise of an investment this will be for Esquimalt considering the RCMP might be pulled out of BC over the next few years.
I do know, that if I were Mayor, I’d be doing things differently in Esquimalt.
Mixcloud: ZAS >> No Law in Esquimalt
Download MP3 >> No Law in Esquimalt
Go with yourself.
Posted in Capital Rock City, tagged Acres of Lions, Maurice, Noverdubs, Quoia, Rocky Mountain Rebel Music on October 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »
The Capital Rock City podcast makes its return today!
Listen: Capital Rock City #96
CRC96 fires up its third season with music from Acres of Lions. My favourite song off their new record ‘Collections‘ is the title track and last cut. Maybe its about hording? Jeff, are you trying to tell us you need an A&E intervention? Acres of Lions leaves tomorrow for Nova Scotia to perform at the Halifax Pop Explosion. http://halifaxpopexplosion.com/
JP Maurice teamed up with a who’s-who of Victorian artists to record a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” as the Noverdubs. Watch the video and documentary about the project at http://wearemaurice.com
Rocky Mountain Rebel Music teamed up with their friends in Everybody Left for a song Jesse describes as, “insane Dancehall/Blues.”
Lastly… Quoia released a new record a couple weeks ago… the promotion brought them to my studio to record their single live off the floor.
Thank you for listening.
Go with yourself.
Posted in ...this is your father speaking, Dave Babych, life or something like it, music, neat-O gang, tagged Gowlland Tod Park, Intro, M83, Madelyn, Midnight City, Victoria Royals, Zola Jesus on October 17, 2011| Leave a Comment »
New M83 record is out tomorrow… I hope the iTunes download goes hot tonight, I am going to buy it for sure. Actually… if Ditch has the vinyl tomorrow… I’d really like that. I wonder?
Initial reviews have been promising. I adore the first single “Midnight City.”
Today I have been jamming out track one/side one, “Intro” Easy right… first song should be called intro.
Pitchfork loves this cut… I’m a little more meh on it… I am sure, in the context of the whole double album, this song serves well. As a stand alone single or song, it doesn’t have the payoff that I enjoy in a 5 minute ditty.
This is an epic, building, bright cut that you can imagine really crushes down for the next song… have a listen. It features vocals from Nika Roza Danilova of Zola Jesus.
M83 – “Intro 9feat. Zola Jesus)”
Download MP3 >> M83 – Intro
Its alright, but not changing my world. What I did enjoy… M83 remixes!
If I ever get my shit sorted and learn to make beats and samples… I’ll glitch out all night.
***
Finally made it to a Victoria Royals hockey game.
I brought Mads so I couldn’t stay the whole time… but I will say that Madelyn is finally getting to an age where she can enjoy the process. She sits in her chair. Loves to clap. Pays attention enough to know that Victoria is the “Purple” team (the jersey is more blue-ish but shhhh). Yells “Go ‘Toria!” And loves her treats.
The Royals played the Kelowna Rockets (Grandpa Rob’s team) and gutted out an overtime win!
We also got to see super-stud #9 Kevin Sundher assist a Soudek goal. He is tied for the top scorer in the WHL right now. Nice.
I hope that I am fortunate enough to get another pair of tickets to take Madelyn again this season.
In other hockey news… Coral and I will be heading to Van for a game verse CBJ in November. Fun attack!
***
It was an eventful weekend. I kinda like not working my weekends away. I get that whole mantra that to be successful you gotta be working and creating all.the.time… but I’ll save that Radio Stars of the world. I’ll take some pleasure in a glorious Fall hike.
My brother CJ is turning into a true weekend warrior on the trail. I had to miss out so much on the hikes because of work, but this weekend was about living Island Time and having fun. CJ and Caitlin and I hit Gowlland Tod Park for an “easy” assent up to a lookout that offered an amazing picnic spot. We spied the Saanich Inlet and Malahat Mountain.
I kinda want to do it again next weekend… but I think CJ already has designs on East Sooke. Though, my bro will need a rain coat as we won’t always be so lucky to hike in the glorious sun in our temperate rain forest.
Do you have any favourite hiking spots that are an easy drive from the city?
Go with yourself.
Posted in history 101, music, tagged Grand Archives, Henry Bellinger, World War One on October 14, 2011| 1 Comment »
I like to consider myself a Grand Archives fan. On more than one occasion of exalted the virtues of the song “Swan Matches.” That song has taken an almost mystical or religious place in my heart.
But scratching surface, the paint will fleck off and reveal, I’ve been a poor fan.
I’ll tell ya, it can be hard staying up on everything in music. I enjoy indie rock, classic alternative, chillwave and 60s music mostly on my own time. I work at a modern rock radio station, so I need to be up on whatever Dave Grohl is up to. I DJ weddings, lounges, clubs… and well, where ever someone feels they need a DJ. So I then need to have at least a passing grade of top 40, electro, dubstep, and new country knowledge… sometimes my brain gets full.
People call me on the radio or email wanted to talk bands. That makes sense. You’re sick; call the doctor. Need meat; call the butcher. Like music; call the DJ.
That is groovy and I appreciate being the friendly neighbourhood DJ. Occasionally someone says, “hey man, you should play the Bingo Bongo Band on your show.” I make the mistake and say, “never heard of them.” And then someone gets mad and says, “SWA? Never heard of the Bingo Bongo Band! They’re the greatest EVAR! What kind of DJ are you?”
Zoinks, I was the DJ born with a human brain that has to live on a planet that has a measly 24 hour day.
My homeboy Two sent me an MP3 today from the Grand Archives. Said the song was performed live for the Sub Pop 20th Anniversary Party a few years ago when it was new. BEFORE it was included on 2009’s Keep In Mind Frankenstein.
WTF mate… they had a new record? Heck they’ve had two since their most excellent self titled debut.
This is beyond DJ failure; this is a total fan breakdown.
I guess fortunately? the good news is the buzz on the subsequent records was poor, so maybe I didn’t miss much… the track that Two sent me is pretty pleasant like GA tend to be. Have a listen.
Grand Archives – “Dig That Crazy Grave”
Download MP3 >> 13 Dig That Crazy Grave
***
Voolmezeele Enclosure 3
I’ve been thinking about Henry George Bellinger again. Long time readers of this here blog may recall tat I occasionally like to talk about World War One. Mr. Bellinger is often cited as one of the, if not THEE first Canadian killed in action on the Western Front.
For some morbid or bizarre reason, the story of being the first guy killed in a war intrigues me. Months ago I told Simon about Bellinger.
Basically, it would be the anti-war epic. The story would center on 35 year old, married father tailor man Henry living in Eastern Ontario. The call comes that there is war and he enlists.
He trains, gets shipped over. Sits around for awhile. Cracks a few japes with the boys, smokes some cigarettes… then gets blown up in the first few moments of the first battle. Roll credits.
No heroic bayonet charge, no dragging his injured bro to safety… just sitting around, attack begins and a shell catches him. The end. And that is Bellinger’s War.
Obviously, I am having hard time envisioning the commercial appeal of this endeavour… but perhaps it could be a powerful short film. The ultra real war film.
There is not much information about this tragic footnote in Canadian history. He was born in 1876. He was married to who I can only imagine was super babe, Mary Ann. He was a tailor. He enlisted in the army in Levis, Quebec. He is buried in Belgium. He may have had a daughter named Mildred. Killed by enemy shell fire along with Norman Fry on January 8th, 1915. He was 36 or 39 when he died. The end.
Go with yourself.
Posted in music, tagged Bloodbuzz Ohio, cover, Download, MP3, Oh Land, The National on October 13, 2011| 1 Comment »
One of my heroes in rock & roll is The National‘s Matt Berninger. He was talking to the AV Club about the measured rise of the band. “We slowly crack; it’s never been a big explosion.”
I love the imagery of that little quote, like how I love almost all the pictures painted in their songs.
The National are great because they write smart sexy music that requires a little investment in time from the fan to appreciate. The band stays pretty consistent and on point with creating new work and has very methodically grown. Really earning the success they have. Its inspiring.
The first single from 2010’s High Violet was a song called “Bloodbuzz Ohio.” (download an MP3 here)
The song is interesting for a lot of reasons to me.
It begins with a sensual scene. The intimate and gritty real sort of life that you get up to when you’re married or in a relationship or basically not a porn star having sex. Getting ready for bed with someone you get ready for bed with everyday. Its mundane, but its also pretty.
The song then delves into the trials and stresses that we all… ok, well I do, you’re probably more financially astute than me.
“I still owe money, to the money, I owe.”
Then he escapes or has a dream where he travels back to the place where he grew up, Ohio. Neat.
On the weekend, a cover version of “Bloodbuzz” bounced around my twitter feed from Brooklyn-by-way-of-Denmark singer Oh Land. (what is it with cover songs lately? I’m really on a kick)
Oh Land’s version keeps true to the prodding pace of the original. But Oh Land has a sugar sweet voice and adds some echoey crashes and electronic bee-boops. When she sings, “Stand up straight at the foot of your love/I lift my shirt up,” its positively adorable… or it might be more so if the picture I found wasn’t some sort of fembot with feathers. Before I saw a picture of her however, I imagined some lithe hipster lovely nerd getting naked and it was a good thought.
Her version soars and is definitely lighter by the simple fact, she has a light female voice singing the words and not Berninger’s baritone saddening it up.
Oh Land – “Bloodbuzz Ohio”
Download MP3 >> Bloodbuzz-Ohio
The National make me happy, this cover makes me happy… OK good talk.
Go with yourself.
Posted in music, tagged Chipotle, Karen O, Yeah yeah Yeah's on October 12, 2011| 5 Comments »
Trolling Pitchfork today, I read a neat article about US fast-food hotspot Chipotle’s annual fundraiser for their Cultivate Foundation and Farm Aid.
They created a short-film about the perils of industrial farming and the music comes courtesy Karen O. She does a nifty job tackling the Country & Western classic, “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.”
Spooky and sweet… I needed to add it to my collection. I do loves me a fine cover song.
Karen O – “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys”
Download MP3 >> Karen O – Mammas Dont Let Your Sons Grow Up To Be Cowboys
Go with yourself.
Posted in neat-O gang, tagged instagram on October 12, 2011| 2 Comments »
Posted in music, tagged MP3, Something I Can Dance To, The Knocks on October 11, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Yesterday I posted a video from Dave Wallace. A great wrap-up video from the celebrated Rifflandia festival.
The video features a repetitious, 90s-esque sounding club banger. The song is from a production duo called The Knocks.
The Knocks are from New York City (of course) and have shared the stage with a smorgasbord of elctro-popsters.
The song Dave used in his video is a sample of an Alphabeat song called “DJ” sped up to warp-speed, with some vocals and a little pixie dust.
The Knocks – “Something I Can Dance To”
Download MP3 >> Something I Can Dance To by The Knocks from HEAVYROCMUSIC
Glow sticks Go! and go with yourself.
Posted in neat-O gang, tagged Dave Wallace, Innovate Imageworks, Rifflandia on October 10, 2011| 1 Comment »
Local hidalgo Dave Wallace captured some pretty great moments of 2011’s Rifflandia. Check out his video (may or may not contain me and Mads… super briefly).
Posted in music, The Zone @ 91-3, tagged Chicken Fried, Dylan Willows, Jason Lamb, Jon Williams, Zac Brown Band on October 6, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Zone DJ Jon Williams got real sick after Rifflandia (so many GERMS!) and rolled into work last week all sniffily with aches and pains. Poor little guy.
The Zone studio is a shared work environment with mics, and keyboards and coffee mugs, and CANDY! So when one of us gets sick, much like a daycare, we all get sick.
Dylan and Jason from The Morning Zone called him out on it! Jon took exception and wrote a dis-rap.
Listen>> Jon’s First Rap
DW and Jason replied with…
Listen >> Jonny’s Rhapsody
Then Jon answered that!
Listen >> Jon’s second rap
… now I just wish these two would get along.
The Jeremy Baker Band – “Get Along“ (mixcloud stream)
Download MP3 >> ZAS-GetAlong
***
Go with yourself.
The Morning After 