New Gaslight Anthem! How exciting. The record will be called Handwritten and is due out July 24th. Perfect summer rock & roll.
The New Jersey rockers first single is called “45.” Frontman Brian Fallon talking to Rolling Stone says; “This song felt to us like we still had something to say in this long line of rock & roll tradition. (…) It made the path clear as to what we should do next. Sometimes you just have to leave things behind . . . turn the record over.”
Feels good to be back to a kind of regular day at the radio factory. Today I only met Jim Pattison, Canada’s forth richest billionaire. Yesterday I was wandering around East Vancouver in the rain at 7:45AM. Its been a couple of interesting days to say the least.
Monday, I hopped on the ferry with 100.3 The Q! music director Scott James to see Ed Sheeran and Snow Patrol at their sold out Orpheum show.
It was a bit of a whirlwind as Scott and I rushed to the 3PM ferry to discover it full. We walked on and abandoned Scott’s choice 1991 Honda CR-X. We took the PCL into Vancouver and checked into the Rosedale on Robson. No sooner had our bags hit the bed, we were taking the elevator down for a quick pint and then the show.
The Orpheum was packed for the show. Ed Sheeran is a young gentleman from the UK via Hollywood (or vise versa? He was born in the UK, but moved to LA). There was a considerable amount of hype surrounding this folky-hip hoppstery-beat boxer (seriously he does a variety of things). Immediately I ran into a group of girls excited for Ed! His show was exceptional… I’d say my biggest concern was that it was too short. I’d be surprised if he played more than 4 songs. You can tell he is young and enjoying the crowds. He is still learning how to handle the huge audience… Musically; he was on-point.
I personally prefer his folky Damien Rice type stuff over the beat-boxing raps about his ginger hair. That is why I recorded his hit, A-Team.
Snow Patrol headlined the show. I had heard through the hype-machine that Ed Sheeran was blowing SP off the stage every night. I didn’t get that vibe myself. Not because Ed Sheeran was bad, but because Snow Patrol’s sound and stage is just bigger. Ed can’t… he was one guy beat boxing and layering his own music. Impressive trick for sure… but Snow Patrol sounded way bigger and fuller. Plus they had the lights and screens…
Scott was at the Coldplay show the other day in Vancouver and basically likened Snow Patrol to a little Coldplay. Snow Patrol is good, but Coldplay are the masters. And I think what I took from Scott after seeing both Snow Patrol and Coldplay… is that Coldplay is one of the biggest bands in the world for a reason. But we couldn’t quite pin down what that reason is… Scott says a lot of what Snow Patrol does, Coldplay does, but with Chris Martin it came off as more believable?
Gary Lightbody is flying around the stage, doing a humility schtick, talking to the audience and being very flamboyant and upfront. And then there were maybe 6 other guys back in the shadows behind him making the music.
The set also felt light for me, which is probably good… I was never bored or scratching my head during a song selection. They played most the hits from all their records and they played my favourite song “Set Fire to the Third Bar” off Eyes Open. I hit record (a little late) for this song.
Snow Patrol – “Set Fire to the Third Bar” (live 20120430 Vancouver)
After the show, it was a quick beer then bed as we had to be on an early ferry… but seeing as things weren’t going right for Scott and I… we missed the PCL Bus at 7:30 and had to wait till 9:30AM.
Rolling with the adventure, I took the time to wander down Main Street into Chinatown… see the East Van sights as the city was waking up and found a coffee shop.
Go with yourself.
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Have a listen to this! NEW (old) Pantera! The only complete unreleased Pantera song known….
Pantera – “Piss”
Unbelievable. 20 years after the initial release of Vulgar Display of Power… one of the defining groove metal records of all-time… Vinnie Paul uncovered this gem from the vault. He says its the only complete unreleased Pantera song.
This is from the press release.
While combing through the Pantera vaults for the 20th anniversary reissue of VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER, drummer Vinnie Paul made an astounding discovery: “Piss,” an incendiary blast of vintage Pantera from the original recording sessions that had long been forgotten. After 20 years “Piss” is finally making it’s debut.
“‘Piss’ is the only unheard complete Pantera track in existence. It was recorded at the same time as VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER and it’s 100 percent Pantera with attitude and our signature groove!” said Paul. “After mixing it, I can’t believe it didn’t make the record! So it’s 2012 and 20 years later and new Pantera music has been delivered. Cheers!”
Man, my kid looks like a savage warrior. And some nights before bed, or some mornings getting ready for preschool, she acts like one too!
On our way to some swimming last night, I spied this vintage looking Harley. I wanted to take a pic, Mads wanted to be in it… so here we are. Then off to the diving board. She loves to swim in the deep end, which is wonderful and scary, considering she doesn’t know how to swim. The good is that she is actually getting kinda competent and I can now see the day when I won’t have to keep her alive in the deep end. AND I tread a lot of water, so our swimming trips are starting to be a bit of a cardio for fat dad too. Nice.
Back at the Baker homestead we are almost through season 4 of Sons of Anarchy. Well Coral is… I have only watched sporadic episodes, but I think I have the story down pretty good.
The other day i wrapped season 3 and I heard a great song by an artist called Battleme. Battleme is Matt Drenik, lead singer of a band called Lions. But when he is solo, its Battleme. He does a cover of Neil Young‘s Hey Hey, My My… and its pretty awesome.
The new Jack White recordBlunderbuss is finally out there… I had a chance to hear it Monday in Boitano’s car on our romantic drive to Sidney for a meeting… then again today. There are so many great songs. Radio homegirl Brandy really likes the title track “Blunderbuss.” A song I enjoyed was cut 10.
Jack White – “Hip (eponymous) Poor Boy”
Such a fun song.
“A cold shiver comes over me. And it turns me on. When the music takes over me.”
Nice.
Yesterday was Record Club at Smiths Pub. VRC #12 featured some fine tunes as it always does… and a record that stood out for me was Jesiah’s Junius. The album is called Reports from the Threshold of Death. So metal.
Jesiah called it metalgaze. Like shoegaze, but metal.
It was a pretty rad record to lock into. Here is the single.
The Victoria Record Club will be meeting Tuesday, April 24th at Smiths. And I guess we’re feeling pretty basic because it is Top 5: side one, track one night. Everyone in the club is supposed to come up with their favourites…then we’ll play selections from the lists at Smiths for a couple hours.
What does “side one, track one” mean? Basically its a hipster way of saying… song number one on a record or album.
To me, side one, track one is hugely important and needs to do one of (or all of) three things.
01) It should be your best song.
02) It should be ripper.
03) It should introduce the listener to your album.
Breaking this down… rule number 1 is vitally important if your band is new to the world and I’ve never heard of you. Your first song needs to immediately grab my ears or you’re gone. When I hosted the Morning After Show in the days when the internet was still new, it was hard to learn about bands and music streaming was not really out there. I had to actually put your CD in the CD players and in real time listen. If your first song was some artistic fuckery, as rad as you probably are… I just skipped to the next CD. Cold. But that is how it was when I had a pile of wannabes wanting airtime at 3AM on a 1000 watt FM in Vancouver.
Now… if your band has some history, or track one truly is some great studio fuckery… then jam on rule 3 and have the song be a great movie-esque introduction to your band. A song that did not make my list (but was close) was The Appleseed Cast‘s “Ceremony.” Huge jam, instrumental. So perfect and sets the tone for a great album.
Instrumentals and studio fuckery is not your style? I respect that. and what? Your best song is a ballad and maybe not the best side one, track one? OK (if you’re not an indie band… indie bands should still always put their BEST song first) then rule number 2 applies to you. A ripper. Hit my head holes with sonic choiceness. And I will love you and grind through the dip of your shitty song two (and maybe three) to revel in the emotional depth of your stunning ballad. Snow Patrol‘s Eyes Open kinda does this. They want to save the jam for the single and track 2 “Hands Open” then bust your heart open with track 3, “Chasing Cars” so you get the highly energetic and lead single “You’re All I Have.”
wah wah wah…. here is my list. If you’re a regular reader on my blog, there shouldn’t be too many surprises. And actually, maybe you could leave me a comment if you think I screwed up my own list. Keep in mind, the purpose of this exercise was to dig through my collection of records… so my rule was, I have to own the record. if you think, “fuck this guy’s list! Imma make my own!” Awesome, share the link in the comment section so I can check it out.
01) Smashing Pumpkins – “Cherub Rock”
Making a list of favourite music is always a personal experience and so I begin with some personal history. Siamese Dream is a hugely important record for me growing up and a vinyl I only recently added to my collection. “Cherub Rock” invokes rule 2 of Jeremy Baker’s Rules of Side One Track One. Not the best song on the album, but the best song to hook you into the fuzzy reverberated world of Billy and company. “Cherub Rock” is number one on my list because it does an exceptional job of telling the story of the album. You can hear this song… and probably make your mind up whether you wanna stick around. The album is great because if you do, you get rewarded with a collection of interesting and classic alternative songs.
02) Interpol – “Untitled”
The great albums like the great baseball teams have a strong lead off batter. Its a role player who gets on base so the power hitter can drive in a run and the team as whole wins. To me… I am hearing rule number 3… “Untitled” sounds like the opening credits to Turn on the Bright Lights. Its mysterious. Paul Banks barely sings anything… but its so emotional. It reminds me of American Beauty when Kevin Spacey breaks the third wall and talks to the audience and says that his character dies. Then the movie really starts.
“I will surprise you some time. I’ll come around. When you’re down”
What an intriguing promise. Now deliver… and they do with a masterpiece record that to this day remains Interpol’s best. This song is not only side one track one of an album, but side one track one of their discography. whoa…
03) The Replacements – “I Will Dare”
My favourite song from my favourite band. And it happens to be track one, side one off their album Let It Be. This song has done a lot to make my life better. It was the first replacements song I heard that got me to explore more about the band. It has gotten me through some ups and some downs in my life. Repeated listenings as I ride this rock around the sun year-after-year bring me renewed appreciation and different interpretations. I will probably love this song forever.
I’ll say this a rule 1 song. Best song, Right up front.
04) Mission of Burma – “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver”
Another rule 1 song on our adventure of my Top 5: side one, track one. The best MOB song at first listen. The beauty of the great bands… once you’re hooked, other songs emerge as “favourites.” But it is undeniable that “Revolver” is a powerful hook to demand attention. You give it and the song is rewarding. Stay with the record and you’ll quickly find other amazing songs on Signals, Calls and Marches.
I must have the Rykodisc 1997 track listing… not the original and not the Matador reissue in the 2000s. Huh.
Up to this point, it was actually pretty easy. I almost went right to my record pile and pulled these four records out and knew in my heart this was the list. Then the 5th pick.
I hmmmm’d and hmmmm’d some more on a few records. Its pretty late so my kid and Coral are sleeping. I have my headphones plugged in (and I noticed Madelyn was playing ‘records’ because there is some damage to Numark… MADELYN OLIVIA!!!!)… and this was actually fun… playing a whole bunch of record in my pajama pants trying to find the right 5th… in the end, it came down to The Appleseed Cast, Braid’s “The New Nathan Detroits,” Japandroids and a couple Band of Horses and National LPs… but in the end, I could not deny….
05) Bon Iver – “Perth”
Side one, track one off Bon Iver’s Bon Iver record is just so god damned pretty and lush. Another number 3 type of lead off track…. Bon Iver is doing the Bon Iver thing to introduce you to the album. Then he gets to the jam, but only after you eat your bread.
And its called “Perth” and I have a weird romantic fascination with that far off city… that actually know nothing about and will probably never go to. But a song called “Perth” gets my attention…. silly reason to be on my list, but its true. (and not the only reason)
After you listen to this song, you should be pretty primed to listen to the whole album. And if all you hear is “Perth” well… you get the idea of what Justin and his band of merry Wisconsinites are all about.
And that is my list. If you took the time to read this far and listen to some of the songs, thank you for indulging me.
Tomorrow I reckon I’ll get into the new Jack White if I have the time or talk about another great song I heard on Sons of Anarchy.
New Offspring will be coming to the Zone on Friday (if it doesn’t leak sooner.) The record and single are called “Days Go By.”
Offspring – “Days Go By” (clip)
Hard to say whether I love this new song or not based on 30 seconds… I mean, its Offspring. I haven’t loved them as a band since I was 15… but I do have a fond nostalgia for being 15. So its all good Offspring.
Smash was a monster record if you were into rock and roll in the 90s. I mostly remember it being played in the dressing room before and after hockey games. It sound tracked a lot of parties. By Ixnay on the Hombre I was a fan and to this day, I consider “Gone Away” my favourite Offspring song. It was the Ixnay tour when I first got a chance to see them live.
I’ll say I have guarded optimism for the new record.
***
This is a picture of the Quadra Village…starting to feel like summer.
I went for a baby hike on Saturday during some down time at Mount Doug. It started to smell and when I rounded a corner… ewwww, swamp!
This is a picture of a fountain. I love fountains. I went to Tuscany Village last night to meet a wedding couple at a Starbucks. It was so busy I got my Chai, found a patio umbrella and sat in the rain by a fountain. If/when I win lotto max… my home will have a fountain in a courtyard. You can come over any time. We’ll drink Chai.
Today, no rain… Friday sunshine…then DJing at Veneto Lounge. So I need a Friday lounge jam that says tropics, cocktails and friendship. Pretty much the holy trinity of good times. Low-and-behold… Vampire Weekend‘s Chris Baio fancies himself a beat monger and is releasing an ep under his DJ name, simply Baio. And it is a big fat check mark in sharpie on all of the above. Lets have a listen.
My girl Delna moved to Vancouver a few years ago from Victoria. I still cyber-stalk her on the intsagram and follow along on her life. One thing I noticed her taking pictures of was motorcycles. She always seems to be in the shop learning how to repair bikes (and maybe restoring her own too?).
I asked her about it and she told me about a Motorcycle Community Repair Shop called Motomethod. You pay a fee to rent a bay and work on your own bike. Sounds like the perfect solution for an urban hipster living in a apartment or condo. Since we all can’t have giant garages out in the ‘burbs.
OK, so we need something street, something East Van…
We have been watching lots of Sons of Anarchy lately. Coral and her sister are obsessed. Alyx has all the seasons and got Coral into it, now its on at our house all the time.
I have been enjoying the show. There are some silly bits like how their club is called ANARCHY but they vote on everything. Opie keeps telling his wife that everything he does is for the family then proceeds to murder people and spend time in jail…not really Dad of the year type stuff. But the show is entertaining and filled with drama.
Also, for a motorcycle show, show more motorcycles!
We’re all broke but Coral and Alyx keep talking about getting motorcycles. They want little sport bikes… I like the older motorcycles. I blogged a few years ago about wanting a Harley Nightster which looks like a vintage motorcycle.
But my tastes have changed and now I think I’d actually want something vintage.
My first car was a 1969 Triumph Spitfire… and Triumph made motorcycles. (Well different parent company, same brand…its a long British Industry story)
I’ll have to do more research… but Wikipedia says the 1969 Triumph was one of their best years for bikes! That has to mean something right? The pictures on the internet of both restored and modified Triumphs look cool. So I dig it.
ANYWAYS…who cares about motorcycles… music.
Sons of Anarchy, like any modern TV show worth its airtime has an interesting soundtrack using both familiar, undiscovered and cover songs to help tell the story. We’re still in season one, but this song the other night was great. Subtle, but great.
New Gaslight Anthem! How exciting. The record will be called Handwritten and is due out July 24th. Perfect summer rock & roll.
The Morning After 
