This “world bacon shortage” makes for an adorable headline because every meat eater (and few vegetarians) I know, sing its praises. At our home, Coral and I like to make up a nice breakfast on at least one weekend day with Mads… and bacon tends to be part of it. The other day I went into the grocery store and noticed that all the mainstream brands were floating around $7.50/500 grams. YIKES!
There may not be a shortage, but meat prices are expected to raise a bit. The price was a powerful motivator to once again think about food. At $7.50, the factory meat just doesn’t make sense. I traditionally buy it because its cheap, but $7.50? might as well get some delicious locally produced stuff. Same price, infinity better product.
Also got me to think about an article that came out in MacLean’s back in September.
Ugh… fun. This band is just so bloody uplifting. I try to not let the music in my head but then…listening to the Peak this morning and there it is. In my head.
How was that for a wet weekend? I made the most of it on my day off. Maddy and I went for a soaking monsoon bike ride along the Lochside Trail. Our goal was Nana’s house at Elk Lake. We did make it. It took us just under two hours…me hauling a bike trailer, Madelyn sitting there getting wet. We took some time-outs to explore interesting parts or splash in puddles. When we finally got to Nana’s were were soaked to the bone (and exhausted). We chucked out clothes in the dryer, watched 21 Jump Street, then had Nana drive us back into town in her pickup.
Mads then decided she wanted to wear a Princess Dress. Like one of those full on Disneyfied numbers. Sure. Nana decked her out in the all the accessories afforded to someone of that rank… and Madelyn and I went downtown, first to the record store, then to Cactus Club for wings. I’ll tell ya… you wanna have 800 conversations with complete strangers downtown, walk around with a four-year-old dressed as a Princess.
The record…. Metallica‘s first full length… 1983’s Kill ’em All. I went window shopping at Ditch last week and saw this classic on the shelf for under $20! I hummed and hawwed about it for a few days then yesterday pulled the trigger.
As a snot nosed kid growing up in the wilds of suburban Vancouver I used to love Metallica. Sure enough, I dropped the needle on the vinyl and surprised myself by remembering the words! Let’s have a listen to side one, track one.
Well how ignorant of me…. I didn’t post my acoustic songs from the Gaslight Anthem‘s Brian Fallon. One week ago today, Mr. Fallon stopped by the Zone for a chitchat and live performance.
Gaslight Anthem – “45” (acoustic)
Gaslight Anthem – “Desire” (acoustic)
Very pretty.
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I got an email from the distant and savage wilds of Northern Canada… Edmonton. Brandy Taylor was saying she can’t play Christian Hansen‘s new song “C’mon Arizona” enough on the radio. Let’s have a listen.
Christian Hansen – “C’mon Arizona”
Brandy says, “Seriously, fave song we’re playing right now. And he says ‘bosom.’ Sooo……”
punchy!
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Um what? Nice. Coral and I got married on this day in 2009. Yay us.
New Deftones came down the pipe here at the radio factory. The feature song is called “Tempest” and its from the upcoming record Ki No Yokan (Nov 13). Loudwire has a nice write about the song and points us to an interview on NME from KROQ.
“It’s not a super fast or slow record. It’s very dynamic. Some of my favourite things about Deftones are the dynamics. Yes, we’re a heavy band, but we’re not just in-your-face aggro the whole time, punching you in the face. There’s a lot of aggression in some of the music, but there’s also this very soothing element where there’s a lot of soundscapes rather than attack, attack, attack the whole time.” – Chino Moreno
How did Thanksgiving work out for you this weekend? Coral and I made a delightful turkey and ham feast with her Mom. Her sister and boyfriend came over to share in the good times.
The weekend had wonderfully few pressing appointments and no DJ gigs. That meant so much time to hang out with Maddy, and sleep!
Back to the grind this weekend with MOAR MUSIC!
I got an email from a Toronto band called the Couriers. Fun, retro sounding vintage pop-rock. The NXNE festival described the music as “perfectly formed sixties surf quintet in the classic 12 bar, ‘wipeout!’ style, and kiss-‘neath-the-glitter-ball sweetheart ballads.”
There were a couple songs I liked on the 7 song ep/baby record. And that was my fave. But “Lies” is cool, “All I Had” and so is the first song.
Generally I like this style, but prefer a little more grit. The songs were all good, but I haven’t heard one yet that was great. Still, I enjoyed the record Having Friends.
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A very pretty edit of Deadmau5‘s “Telemiscommunications” came in the inbox today from Alex McGhee.
Deadmau5 and Imogen Heap – “Telemisscommunications (Alex McGhee edit)
Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem will be on the radio show this afternoon. Handwritten is a solid record. I remember buying this album while the family was on our roadtrip to Alberta.
I am pretty sure my copy of Handwritten does not include the deluxe covers! The record ends with Nirvana’s “Sliver” and Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky.” I did track those songs down for us to listen to, but I want to start with the single “Handwritten” which is my favourite song on the record.
The Gaslight Anthem – “Handwritten”
The Gaslight Anthem – “Sliver” (Nirvana cover)
The Gaslight Anthem – “You Got Lucky” (Tom Petty cover)
Beauty. if you’re going to the Arena tonight for the show… I’ll see you there. Save me a high five.
I got a pile of bills sitting on the table. Ugh, giving me heart palpitations. Its my own fault. I let shit slide in the summer and its coming home to roost. Need to man-up and just dump my hoarded cash on it. Bummer man, I hoard cash like an Orc chief, but thus is life in Victoria.
More remixes came across the inbox today. One that grabbed my attention is another xx remix. This sexy rework comes courtesy Libations and Oscillations. I really smooth and easy take on The xx song “Sunset” from their latest album Coexist.
The xx – “Sunset” (Libations and Oscillations Remix)
The article talks about the life and finances of a “big indie rock band” and puts into perspective just how hard it is to make it. So good.
There is lots of talk of the importance of radio (what? nobody listens to the radio anymore)
The commercial system, he says, is “utterly fascinating and infuriating at the same time,” particularly the unwritten rules governing what is and is not deemed playable on the radio, and his sense that radio is still about the only way to reach people who don’t spend time actively seeking out new music. “I’ve always thought we write pop music,” he says. “I think songs of ours could be on the radio. They’re not.” The question of which bands get traction in the smaller indie world strikes him as a bit arbitrary and mysterious, too, but that’s a hurdle the band’s already cleared. Now it’s poised somewhere between rock-critical acclaim and genuine crossover. “There’s a ceiling that independent artists hit,” he recently told NPR, “and the only way past it is radio.” And radio “still feels very much controlled by major labels’ ability to use leverage—you still have to have the muscle. Very few indie acts actually have breakthrough radio hits.”
Interesting perspective from their side.
Well Grizzly Bear… lets have a listen to your song “Yet Again.” They play the shit out of “Yet Again” on SiriusXM U (god Sirius has the most tragic branding).
Last weekend, I traveled to Sequim, Washington. What a crazy and wonderful adventure. I didn’t know you HAD to make a reservation for the Coho Ferry that goes from Victoria to Port Angeles. I arrived two hours early Saturday morning and it was already full. Well that fucking sucks Black Ball. So it was a race to the BC Ferries, across the border, down the I-5. West at Burlington, over a bridge, along a windy Whidbey Island road, another ferry to Port Townsend, around a bay and on to Sequim. I arrived at 5PM, just in time for Stacy and Les’ wedding! What a drive.
Their wedding ended earlier than I thought and there wasn’t much going on… so I went to Seattle. I drove to Bainbridge Island, took another ferry and got to Seattle at 12:30AM!
I drove around Seattle for a bit then went, ahhhh I’ll just drive home. Stopped around Mount Vernon and slept; woke up… and back home on the ferry 24 hours after I got on BC Ferries. Good adventure, good people.
I woke up on Sunday to a couple emails alerting me to new comments on my blog. Some chick going off on an old blog post about Puscifer. Weird. But that’s the internet, people that don’t know you, can discover an old blog post, take it out of context and shit on you.
Maybe I should delete the post? She’s the second person to send me an angry tirade over a couple sentences.
The Morning After 