Last Wednesday, Daniel Wesley, Ko and The Rebel Emergency all came by the Zone afternoon show. And all three groups laid down a live acoustic cut. Here we go!
The Rebel Emergency – “Up All Night”
Download MP3 >> RebelEmergency-UpAllNight
Ko – “Moving Mountains”
Download MP3 >> Ko-MovingMountains
Daniel Wesley – “Head Outta Water”
Download MP3 >> DanielWesley-HeadOuttaWater
Happy Friday! Go with yourself.
Posted in music, The Zone @ 91-3 | Tagged Daniel Wesley, Ko, The Rebel Emergency, The Zone Afternoon Show | Leave a Comment »
I woke up and serenaded Coral with the White Stripes “I Just Don’t Know What To Do with Myself.” She smiled briefly, but then rolled over and went back to sleep. I’ll need to work on my singing for sure.
I’ve had the song blaring in my head for days. When there is silence in the environment, this song blares in my head like there is a speaker duct-taped to my side. I wonder where it came from, but I think it just welled up out of nowhere because I missed Coral.
So weird, all moments of the day, the song rattles my head.
I am happy its such a great song.
The White Stripes – “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself.”
Go with yourself.
Posted in music | Tagged White Stripes | 2 Comments »
One of my modern rock best friends… Dallas Green from City and Colour and Alexisonfire called into my radio. Here is the complete unedited conversation.
Dallas Green on The Zone
Download MP3 >> 20110531 Dallas Green
The things we talk about: His new record, Little Hell and the maturity of the direction of his sound. hmmm, does that sentence even make sense? The album art (see above) looks awesome, what’s it all about? How the vinyl for Little Hell will be impressive. We talk some fragile bird and breakup songs and his little house in Toronto. And Dallas Green of City and Colour, what about Rifflandia? You playing that this year?
Go with yourself.
Posted in music | Tagged Alexisonfire, City and Colour, Dallas Green, Interview, radio, Rifflandia | Leave a Comment »
stolen without a gun from Summer Stewart's facebook profile.
Four songs that I am having a near religious experience enjoying today. 3 of which come from Esquire magazine? SWA? I know right… they listed my boys in Walk The Moon as the “song of the summer” on their list of 30 Summer Songs for Men.
But I want to start my adventure closer to Victoria. Our May Band of the Month was a gentleman named Mike Edel. His song “Bottom Floor Apartment,” despite being similarly titled to Weeping Tile’s “Basement Apt.,” is such a pretty song.
Some songs resonate with Zoners, some don’t… this one never really grabbed on. Maybe Mike just needs more time. Too bad, such a lovely, romantic song.
Mike Edel – “Bottom Floor Apartment”
I heard this brother/sister duo one time and all I could do was shut-it and listen. As deep as this is… the only word that blasts in my head like a cartoony onomatopoeia is “BOOM!”
The group is called The Belle Brigade. The LA duo sound so lush and in sync. Weirds me out like watching the Sedins play hockey with the sibling ESP.
I listen to this song on repeat. The lyrics start off all depressing, “there will always be someone better than you…” but then gets mighty uplifting. Its about opting out. Like that speech Lloyd Dobler gives in the ’89 film Say Anything: “I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don’t want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don’t want to do that. ”
The Belle Brigade – “Losers”
I’m a sucker for hipster girls. No getting around that. Jessica Lea Mayfield. The name already has me gushing and I haven’t even heard a note.
This Ohio native began performing at 8 touring in her family’s band. She began writing her own music after her brother taught her some chords… and cites Dave Grohl as a major influence. Alright Jessica, I’ll bite.
Have a listen to this jangle… “suddenly I can see blue skies again”
Jessica Lea Mayfield – “Blue Skies Again”
Finally, something sexy for the DJ sets at the Veneto. Back in the olden days you might recall a group called Booker T. and the MGs?
Booker T. Jones is a musical legend earning both a Grammy lifetime achievement award and a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
He is still jamming out music and his new record, The Road to Memphis, features a slinky ditty called “Progress” featuring Jim James. I don’t know if oldies radio station play modern oldies? I wonder if there is a home for music like this in the year 2011 on the radio. It would be a crime if there isn’t… When Madelyn asks me how babies are made, I’ll sit her down and say, ” listen to this.”
Booker T. Jones – “Progress”
Go with yourself.
Posted in music | Tagged Booker T. Jones, Esquire, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Jim James, Lyoyd Dobler, Mike Edel, Say Anything, The Belle Brigade, The Zone @ 91-3, Walk The Moon | 3 Comments »
Yesterday I put my Canucks sweater on and made my way down to Soprano’s for the Canucks Fan Video shoot.
Alex, Chika and Jefe organized a bunch of Canucks fans to come together and make a video to put on Youtube. It was good times standing on stage with other fans and cheers to their Canucks song. A parody to the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Dani California.” The video will be online tomorrow (in theory) before game 1 of the Canucks and Bruins Stanley Cup final. Have a listen to the song below.
Sean & Brayden Ft. Ryan – “Hey Vancouver (Teach me how to Lu)”
Download MP3 >> 01 Hey Vancouver, Teach Me How to Lu
Go with yourself.
Posted in Dave Babych, music | Tagged Boston Bruins, Playoffs, Stanley Cup, Vancouver Canucks | Leave a Comment »
Today is Day 01 of Bike to Work Week… and uh, I drove.
But here is what’s up… I went for a CRAZY bike ride yesterday. And I woke up today at 11AM. I haven’t slept in till 11AM since… 2007? Maybe when I was sick a couple months ago I slept that much.
Its been Daddy (and Nana) Daycare for the better part of a week while Coral is off enjoying rock and roll and freedom in South-Central Washington State. Nana brought Mads home yesterday morning and I asked her what she wanted to do. It being sunny, BEACH PICNIC she screamed.
And yesterday was such a glorious day in Victoria, I thought, we better bike there. I texted Dave Sawchuk to join us, hitched the trailer, filled my cooler full of beer and off we peddled.
Downtown was a bit of a gonger for the Bike Festival. Funny, the bike festival put a crimp into my bike riding? Weird.
I have never rode my bike along Douglas out to Dallas Road before and then along the ocean. Silly. What a most excellent route. So many bikes (and motorcycles) out now that the weather has finally turned.
I met Dave at the beach and Madelyn transformed into beach baby and made for the splashes. Gonzales Beach was ripping with families, skim boarders, sun bathers. Great afternoon. Then back on the bike and across Oak Bay along Foul Bay Road to my brother’s place. Auntie Caitlin and Uncle “JJ” made burgers. Then the LONG uphill up Oak Bay Avenue… down Pandora and back along the Gorge waterway home.
Wow, that second leg KILLED me. Madelyn slept the whole time. Lucky girl.
We both got home after all the sun and peddling and crashed.
Today I woke up late and sore and thought, yeesh, no bike ride to work. Sorry Bike to Work week, maybe tomorrow?
Go with yourself.
Posted in ...this is your father speaking | Tagged Bike riding, Gonzales Beach, Oak Bay, Victoria | 2 Comments »
MUSIC!
I have more than a couple jammers to share. All very bright, booty-shaking, catchy, poptastical cuts. Almost all these songs were recommended to me by quality folks and now I’m passing them on to you.
Our musical journey begins East of the rockies in a little burgh that maybe you’ve heard of… Cincinnati. This fine metro of 2 million folks straddling the Ohio/Kentucky border is famous for WKRP, Ocho Cinqo and soon to be dance-rockers Walk the Moon.
My girl Scotty Fraser said I HAD to check out the song “Anna Sun.”
Walk the Moon – “Anna Sun”
Download MP3 >> 01 Anna Sun
Growing up in Coquitlam…me and my friends would play “guns.” Basically we trolled the neighbourhood fighting an epic war between the righteous and the not so righteous.
What if someone took our imagination and made a music video? My friend Paul tracked this music video down from the band Is Tropical and went, SWA? Holy shit right!?! Did those kids just cut another kid’s head off in cartoony gory violence? I think so.
Do these London cats have it dialed in sans rad music video? I was feeling it. I seriously want to make-out with Paul for sharing this song with me. no wait… errrr. You know what I mean. or do you?
Trolling the net I found this poignant prose in regards to Is Tropical’s music video and quotes George Carlin circa 1988:
“It’s a great country, but it’s a strange culture… This has got to be the only country in the world that could ever come up with a disease like bulimia; gotta be the only country in the world where some people have no food at all, and other people eat a nourishing meal and puke it up intentionally. This is a country where tobacco kills four hundred thousand people a year, so they ban artificial sweeteners! Because a rat died! You know what I mean? This is a place where gun store owners are given a list of stolen credit cards, but not a list of criminals and maniacs! And now, they’re thinking about banning toy guns — and they’re gonna keep the fucking real ones!”
Strange culture indeed.
Is Tropical – “The Greeks”
Download MP3 >> 08 The Greeks
… and because France has it figured out right now in electro-pop, I found out Is tropical is on a record/fashion label called Kitsune Maison. Same label as Zone modern rockers Two Door Cinema Club. There I found this glittery remix of the hot single “What You Know.”
Two Doors Cinema Club – “What You Know (Mustang Remix)”
Download MP3 >> 1-05 What You Know (Mustang Remix)
This party stays overseas in the domain of the Gold Panda from London.
Crystalhead sent me this mighty remix of Gold Panda’s “Marriage (Star slinger Remix)”
Download MP3 >> 01 Marriage (Star Slinger Remix)
I like the song. Its very bright. A little punchier than a lot of other chillwave.
mmmm, cocktails… that’s what pairs nicely with these beats.
Thank you friends for sharing some great new music with me. Go with yourself.
Posted in music | Tagged Gold Panda, Is Tropical, Two Door Cinema Club, Walk The Moon | 4 Comments »
Finished my first little hike with Madelyn today. It went pretty good, considering she is three-years-old and at no time during the journey was there a Treehouse break.
Basically a hike can be summed up as thus:
First 1/4 of the hike, “slow down.”
Last 3/4 of the hike, “hurry the FUCK up.”
We made out way to Mount Douglas Park, but instead of going up the hill, we walked down to the ocean. I dunno what it is with people, but the ocean… rocks… people need to throw them.
Madelyn bee-lines straight for the shoreline and gets hucking. Water spilling over her gumboots, everything soaking wet. I have fantasies of me going all Hasselhoff and Baywatching it into the sea to drag her out. She is a rock throwing machine. When I finally used our picnic food to drag her away some UVic kids wandered down. And they too made a straight line to the shore and started hucking rocks. Funny how that is.
If there is any advice I can bestow after just one little hike it is this; bring snacks. I am pretty sure another Mom told me that, but it works. In my little half sack I packed the trail-mix with the smarties, pepperoni, apple and water. Mads loved the rustic snacking on the shoreline, sitting on a piece of driftwood.
Our day ended with a trip downtown. I have had a mad lust for the Smashing Pumpkins‘ Siamese Dream album. Coral is at the Sasquatch Festival and Madelyn is doing back-to-back sleepovers and during my down time, I actually get to put on a record and just sit for a moment. I had a lot of stress balled up over the past little while, but today during my hike and just now before blogging it evaporated. I could actually feel it unwinding during a few stretches of hide-and-seek in the forest. It was kinda scary actually. Like a reverse panic attack? odd… but ultimately a good feeling.
I can’t wait to free up my Saturday nights (its in the plans for after wedding season) and actually take more than an afternoon to hike and sit.
Go with yourself.
Posted in ...this is your father speaking | Tagged Hiking, Mount Douglas park, Smashing Pumpkins, Victoria | 2 Comments »
Can you believe it? The Canucks aced the Sharks in the NHL Western Conference Final and will be heading to the Stanley Cup vs… ? Bruins? Lightning?
To celebrate I jammed out a little Canucks audio montage to relive the magic. The song threaded throughout is Devotchka‘s “How It Ends.”
“They All Depend on You” Canucks Game 5 audio montage
Download MP3 >> 20110525 Canucks win
Go Canucks Go and go with yourself go!
Posted in Dave Babych | Tagged Canucks, Devotchka, Hockey, NHL, Sharks, Stanley Cup | Leave a Comment »
Back to the grind after an awesome weekend in Vancouver. Coral and I took Mads to Coquitlam to see my sister Andrea, Uncle Matt and Stuphie.
Saturday night, we teamed up with Coral’s sister Alyx and hit the Commodore Ballroom to see Jimmy Eat World.
The concert was my second chance to see JEW. The last time Coral and I went was 2007 when she was pregnant with Madelyn. I remember that show to this day being one of my favourite concert experiences.
This 2011, might go down as even better. Jimmy Eat World were playing songs heavy on classics and also from their album Invented. I love the hits as I do with any journeymen band… but seeing as my favourite JEW records tend to be the later ones, I was happy they leaned on Invented and Chase This Light for some great depth performances.
I loved that Jimmy Eat World brought Courtney Marie Andrews on tour with them to sing the female harmonies. It added a lot to the show and she sounded great on the Invented songs and the older JEW songs. Notably on the Bleed American slow-burn, “Hear You Me.”
All-in-all… such a beautiful concert. Too bad is took so bloody long to get home on the skytrain.
The rest of the weekend was filled with relaxing, hockey, eating and Bridesmaids.
Andrea and I took Madelyn to Dawes Hill Park which is a little playground and urban forest by my folk’s place.
As kids in the 80s… much of the neighbourhood where we grew up was forest. Now its houses. We’d spend hours patrolling our domain, making trails and exploring.
I was very happy that an old trail that we always trekked along in Dawes Hill was still there and that Madelyn was jazzed to wander it.
I wonder how she might take to walking on a trail? Maybe still a bit too young. Even this little adventure required me to pick her up and carry her for a bit when she got “too tired.”
But I was reading my Backpacker magazine and they were talking about kids as young as 5 getting out into the back country and even had some kids packs! O RLY? Kids Pack and a 4 person tent… then I’m gold!
Go with yourself.
Posted in music, neat-O gang | Tagged Camping, Jimmy Eat World | 7 Comments »
The Morning After 