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nobody knows you and nobody gives a damn

February 29, 2012 by morningaftershow


Montreal’s Plants and Animals will come to Victoria on March 20th for a show at Lucky Bar. The same place I saw P&A years ago… and the show was so impressive.

I had heard their music from the acclaimed 2008 record Parc Avenue. But I didn’t know what to expect.  I assumed they were a giant jam band for some reason…well they do have lengthy jams, but I guess I expected more.  When they came to Victoria, there was just three of them.  Very rock & roll looking, in that working class sense of the word.  The show expanded my mind, two times (and I bought the t-shirt… and a t-shirt for my Dad).

Since that time, I have followed along on the band’s journey.  Enjoying 2010’s La La Land, and now getting excited for The End of That.

Today, Lyle at EMI sent some vinyl copies of their LP and a stack of 45s for the single “Light Show.”  How old school, I love it. Thank you Lyle!

I immediately retired to the Zone studio where we keep our turntable (yup… we have a turntable.  I wonderful Technics, plus Boitano’s DJ set up with a pair of Stanton’s and Serato Scratch).  I dropped the needle on the b-side of the “Light Show” single.  Right away the lead singer Warren Spicer sets the stage at a live show…  “This is a cover.  By one of the first bands that took us out on tour. And showed us how to rock as it were. One of the best Montreal bands that there is.”

Plants and Animals – “I’ll Believe in Anything” (Wolf Parade cover)

Download MP3 >> Plants and Animals – I’ll Believe in Anything

The original song was an old Sub Pop single originally from 2005’s Apologies to the Queen Mary. Listening to the P&A version… just makes me want to hear the strained yelp of the Wolf Parade original.  The P&A version makes the song a little more humanistic and easier to digest for sure.  But I do like the weirdo jams of Wolf Parade too…

Go with yourself.

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Somewhere with a hot tub to drink cold beers in

February 28, 2012 by morningaftershow


You can’t help it when you listen to chillwave… you think the beach.  Even if you live on an Island adrift in a cold Pacific sea… people still hit the waves.  Coral is just driving home from Tofino right now and took this picture yesterday of some brave adventurers enjoying the ferocity of the Ocean.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are an indie hipster band out of NYC.   Their music is pleasant for sure… but what I am really feeling today is music from their new remix EP,  Acid Reflex.

One of my favourite chillwavers, Washed Out, remixed the song “My Terrible Friend.”

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “My Terrible Friend” (Washed Out Remix)

Download MP3 >> The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – My Terrible Friend (Washed Out Remix)

Such an easy song to waste away to… I’ve had it almost on repeat while doing my work here at the Zone.

Go with yourself.

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take the power lines back home

February 27, 2012 by morningaftershow


Victoria band The Racoons… moved to Vancouver and changed their name to Jakarta.  But did you know?  There is a place already called Jakarta?  huh.

So change again they did… and got signed to Arts & Crafts… now they are called Gold and Youth.

If you click the link, you can download this song for free!

Gold & Youth – “Time To Kill”

I’d put money on G&Y playing Rifflandia this year.  The boys are currently on tour of the Eastern US showcasing right now.  Lead singer Matt Lyall posted the top picture of their view from the Brooklyn Bridge.  Gorgeous.

From one bridge to another bridge a bit more local.

***


My little girl Madelyn turned 4 on Friday.  Coral and I took Friday off work for a family day.  It began with breakfast at Spoons with Coral’s family.  Then we bundled up into all our rain coats, gumboots, hats and toques and traveled north to Shawnigan Lake.  Our destination was the Kinsol Trestle.

The Kinsol Trestle is a beautifully restored rail crossing and part of the Trans-Canada trail.  You could ride your bike or hike along this path from Shawnigan Lake to Lake Cowichan if you were into it.

It was an easy and fun hike to take a 4-year-old on and we’ll for sure be heading back in the summer with our bikes and a picnic.

Then back to the city for burgers, hotdogs and ice cream sandwiches from Big Wheel Burger.  The best.

Saturday saw my family taking the ferry to Victoria and a big birthday party at PlayZone in Langford with Mads’ friends from pre-school.  Then dinner at home.

Sunday I hung out with my folks while Coral, Nana and Madelyn left for a holiday to Tofino!  What a busy girl and a busy weekend to turn 4!  I am actually excited to be back at work as this three day holiday was a lot of work!  What a great treat to have so much family in town to celebrate Madelyn being on Planet Earth for four whole years.

Go with yourself.

Posted in ...this is your father speaking, life or something like it, music | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

sit back, don’t think, get high. take drink, sit back, don’t think.

February 22, 2012 by morningaftershow


If you are heading to the Sasquatch music festival in may… you are one lucky duck.  The list of bands and artists taking part is once again pretty strong.

My wife Coral will be heading to the festival so I was trolling the website looking at the bands to see which ones I should try and implore her to check out.  I saw that a band that Coral really loves, Electric Guest is playing. How fun! (oh and fun.)

Electric Guest – “This Head I Hold”

Download MP3 >> Electric Guest – This Head I Hold

Must be a lot of the right hype behind this LA band as they have maybe 3 songs for download on iTunes?  And another you get for free if you give them an email address.

Coral jams out a lot of Alt Nation on XM and they often get insight into the next pet-project of the Industrial Record Complex.  Regardless… super fun and catchy jam.

Poking around some more, and I heard the Canadian dark electro pop band Purity Ring.  One half of the band (Megan James) is from Edmonton and now lives in Halifax.  The other half (Corin Roddick) lives in Montreal.

Have a listen to this.

Purity Ring – “Belispeak”

Download MP3 >> Purity Ring – Belispeak

I was reading the interview they had with Pitchfork. I love how the interviewer was all, “you music is so deep and dark…” and Corin just basically says, “yeah I listen to a lot of Soulja Boy.”

***

I lifted this picture from the Frightened Rabbit twitter feed.  It seems the Scottish lads are recording some new tunes. More than that, I just think the picture looks cool.


This is my amp.  I am still learning how it goes and what makes it work.  For being so small… it wails pretty good.

Go with yourself.

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Happy Birthday Kurt

February 21, 2012 by morningaftershow


Yesterday would have been Kurt Cobain’s 45th birthday had he lived.

Growing up when I did… I was 11 when Nevermind became the biggest thing ever.  I wasn’t really too into it.  I was still jamming out whatever my parents listened to, mostly CFUN soft rock on AM radio… or when my folks got me a clock radio (which still have to this day) to wake up for junior high (they had junior highs, grades 8-10 during the age of sail) I listened at first to classic rock on Rock 101.  I was more into Boston or Def Leppard.

When I went to junior high (I think in 1992-ish… how old are you in grade 8?) Grunge and hip-hop were the two biggest things.  All the cool guys were either Coquitlam versions of Tupac or Kurt Cobain.  Actually, my homeboy Dave King had glorious reddish Cobain hair if I remember correctly.

Nirvana was pretty much everywhere.  Talent shows had girls doing choreographed dance routines to like Paula Abdul and shaggy haired burnouts covering “Territorial Pissings” to an auditorium of 14-year-olds.  Oh the times.

Kurt Cobain was dead by the time I started buying Nirvana records.  I for sure had Nevermind and then Unplugged, then little later I bought Bleach.  I didn’t actually get my own copy of In Utero until I was an adult and going threw a Nirvana phase and needed the record to complete the collection.

When I was in my late teens and early 20s my favourite record was (still is I guess) Bleach.  Its a good record.  Loud, gnarly.  The guys are young.  Dave Grohl isn’t even in the band yet and Nirvana put the record out on Seattle’s Sub Pop label.  When I performed in a band, we covered “School” during our practices and sometimes in concert.  I still love that song.

Talking about Kurt’s birthday yesterday on the radio, a Zoner called up to talk about seeing Nirvana at a show in 1991 at The Forge.  An AC/DC tribute band was opener. Hilarious.

The concert was March 9th, 1991… a few months before they’d hop into the studio to record Nevermind.  The Zoner said there were about 67 people at the show in the basement of the Strathcona Hotel (where Club 9one9 is now).  The picture at the top of blog post is the only one I could find online form that show.  It features predominately Krist Novoselic… performing barefoot.  You’ll see Kurt off to the side… and some long-haired bro.  Good for that guy!

I found the setlist online and made a mixtape of the songs in the order played back in 1991.  If you’re feeling nostalgic for some Nirvana and want to hear a set heavy on Bleach era music with a few from Incesticide and even Nevermind, then tuck into this.  Set ends with would would be the mega hit “Lithium” and a cover of “Molly’s Lips.”  Rad.

Mixcloud: Mixtape >> Happy Birthday Kurt

Go with yourself.

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We’re outnumbered by those who take no pride

February 20, 2012 by morningaftershow


Edmonton homeboy Michael (@StopDropandLOL) tweeted at me the other day to check out Swedish twee band The Radio Dept.

He asked me to check out “Keen on Boys” which he said was very avant-garde and almost shoe-gaze-esque.

He also liked “Heaven’s On Fire” for its twee dream-pop vibe.  And ain’t this a pip?  I found the song as a download for you today!

Thank you Michael, new favourite band for this week.

The Radio Dept. – “Heaven’s On Fire”

Download MP3 >> Radio Dept – Heavens On Fire

Glittery good… also, great band name!

Thurston Moore (sample)
“People see rock and roll as, as youth culture, and when youth culture becomes monopolised by big business, what are the youth to do? Do you, do you have any idea?
I think we should destroy the bogus capitalist process that is destroying youth culture.”

Go with yourself.

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Amazing. Bon Iver covers “I Can’t Make You Love Me”

February 17, 2012 by morningaftershow


My heart melted watching and listening to Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon and Sean Carey sit at opposing grand piano’s and jam out some new, classic and cover songs.

This session was recorded at London’s AIR studio back in October.  The video and music is beautiful.  Their cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” is just so perfect. I had to cut it out and make it an MP3 for you.

Bon Iver – “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (Bonnie Raitt cover)

Download MP3 >> Bon Iver – I Can’t Make You Love Me

Seriously… I just want to be 10,000 better at making music after watching this. Why can’t we live in the world of Shadowrunner where you buy “skill chips” and insert them in your brain? c’est la vie.

Happy Friday!

Go with yourself.

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I got a crush on you.

February 17, 2012 by morningaftershow


UK electronic artist Burial has a new EP available called Kindred.  The EP is short on tracklistings, just three… but the songs are long expressions.  The EP will take about 30 minutes to digest in a sitting and it all blends together so nicely.  Especially at bed time!

The music is sad but also sensual.  He made a music video for the second song, “Loner.”

Burial – “Loner”

Great, hypnotic beats to drift away to sleep to… or sit at your desk working away.

***


Pol (aka TK 427) and I were talking about how the greatest song we never added to regular rotation at the Zone was Sleigh Bells‘ “Rill Rill.”  Hot dog that is a great song.

New album, “Reign of Terror” came out on Valentine’s Day and we’ve been flirting with the song “Comeback Kid.”  A good song, but a little abrasive and thus divisive on the radio.  A new single is being feature now and its mighty fun.  “Crush.”

Sleigh Bells – “Crush”

The bleacher stomps set this song off… Derek Miller was talking to some blog about about the bleacher stomps.

“For the stomps, we had a ton of people meet us at this high school in Brooklyn, Benjamin Banneker High, where they have these super-old rickety wooden bleachers, and we had fifty of our friends show up. We mic’d the place up and sat there for four hours, making our own samples. I felt like I was getting away with murder.”

That’s all I got.  Go with yourself.

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And now for something completely metal

February 16, 2012 by morningaftershow


I have fallen a wee bit off the blog train the past week.  Its been crazy busy with work and the stress of life… maaaaaan.

BUT, I did hear something a little different today.  The band is called RoTTen Rails.  Sooke heavy metallers… check out this demo “Gettin The Pit” that will be mastered and included on their upcoming album.

Download MP3 >> Gettin The Pit

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Download the Noverdubs cover of “Dreams”

February 9, 2012 by morningaftershow


Yesterday JP Maurice stopped by the Zone Afternoon Show for a chit chat and live performance.  He played his song “Nothing Like a Good Feeling.”  Have a listen.

Soundcloud >> Maurice Performs “Nothing Like a Good Feeling” LIVE

JP then put in my palm an ep of 7 songs… or I guess small LP? (does it matter in the year 2012? It DOES TO ME!) for the group Noverdubs.

JP put the Noverdubs together as a project for the Peak Performance Project last season.  The session led to a solid 7 songs and a glorious cover of the Fleetwood Mac classic “Dreams.”

I asked JP if I could offer the song as a free MP3 download and he said yes!  Nice.  Thank you Jean-Paul.

Noverdubs – “Dreams”

Download MP3 >> Noverdubs – Dreams

“Dreams” is a hard song to tackle.  You are taking one of Fleetwood Mac’s most iconic songs off one of rock & roll’s most celebrated albums.  I think  this version does justice.  It is by no means a reinterpretation… just a beautiful showcase of talent from Victoria.

Maurice performs this Saturday night at Lucky Bar.  Doors at 8PM.

Go with yourself.

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