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The Playlist: a journey to Poptopia

January 18, 2011 by morningaftershow


01) Nelly – “Just a Dream”

Hey, be easy… I like this song.

Now, I’ll always love you Beat 94-5, you have superior DJs and generally a better broadcast experience compared to most radio stations.

That said, Sirius Hits 1 plays this song pretty much twice an hour.  No sane radio station should be burning songs this mental, but I am sure glad Sirius doesn’t care about convention and plays this song over and over and over and over… and you get the idea.

I don’t know why I love it so much.  I was going to post the single cover for this song on my blog… but then I saw Nelly on the cover and I hated myself.

I guess the song makes me think of Coral.  That is nice.  I was thinking about her today in fact while the song played and she phoned me.  Whoa, kismet.  I told Coral about my cosmic experience but she didn’t look impressed.  She said, “You know the song is about breaking up with your wife right?”  hmmm.

02) The Daylights – “I Hope This Gets To You”

The cover art at the top is for this LA band that I also heard on Sirius Hits 1 between Nelly.  I like that Hits 1 plays some modern rockish type songs between the pop. This is one of them.

They give me the expansive melodramatic feel of the Airborne Toxic Event.  Speaking of the Airborne Toxic Event, I should put that song on.  Damn they were good.  Why they aren’t major rock stars is a tragedy.

03) Floyd Cramer – “On The Rebound”

We travel back to 1961 for Mr. Cramer’s (RIP) #3 instrumental hit.  This song you might recognize from the opening credits of the film “An Education.”

Was it just me, or were you also pretty let down when Peter Sarsgaard asked to see Jenny’s tits and the camera angle was so artistic as to not actually show anything?  It was just me? oh.

Coral heard this song during the film and we had to add it to the collection.  now it lives during my sets at the Veneto Lounge.

04) The Killers – “Leave Your Bourbon on the Shelf”

I says to my iTunes the other day, I says, “iTunes, do I have any songs about bourbon?”

Yup, I got one.

The companion song for my video that I made yesterday.

05) Fitz and the Tantrums – “Moneygrabber”

Fitz & Company like the soul music of the 60s. I like soul music from the 60s.  Despite your gimmicky name, we can be friends.

What’s that? No guitar? You don’t say.

This song is currently my ear candy song on the Zone.  Its a good song, but sounds GREAT on the FM stereo sound of 91.3 FM.

06) Atomic Tom – “Take Me Out”

Brooklyn hipsters begin career by selling out… basically they perform their song “Take Me Out” (not a Franz Ferdinand cover) on a NYC subway car using iPhones.

The video gets viewed a bunch… and now they get played on the radio a half world away on the Zone.  My bones tell me to not like this song, but I always sing along when I hear it.  Whatever, I’m weak sometimes.

Go with your bad self.

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How To Make an Old Fashioned Cocktail

January 17, 2011 by morningaftershow

The other day I had a good talk on the internet with Hecker’s Bar & Grill bartender Smokey Hell Nelson about the Old Fashioned Cocktail.

We were talking bourbon and he told me about his favourite, Buffalo Trace Bourbon.

The distillery where Buffalo Trace is made in Kentucky is one of the oldest in America dating back to the late 1700s!  mmm history that I put in my mouth.

Last night, I braved the rain and hit Cascade Liquor store in the Quadra Village to buy a bottle.  Beside it in the store was a bourbon called Baker’s 7!  SWA?  I should have bought that, but I was on a mission and decided to stay focused.  Next bourbon will be Baker’s.

I am trying to learn to make better media at home so I thought it would be fun to try and make a “How To” video for one of my favourite cocktails from the Veneto, The Old Fashioned!

The Old Fashioned is a bourbon based concoction with bitters, sugar, water and fruit. This recipe is loosely based on what was taught to me by Simon Ogden at the Veneto Lounge in Victoria. The cocktail is fun and easy to make, will impress your friends and lovers… and get you drunk. Enjoy.

Thank you for watching my video.  One day I’ll buy one of those fancy HD SLR things… for now… hit play.

Go with yourself.  CUT!

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Cruze to Seattle VIDEO

January 13, 2011 by morningaftershow

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Even Hitler…

January 13, 2011 by morningaftershow

A girl called up the Zone today during the Picks @ 6 to request the January Band of the Month, On Call Heroes.

The song “That Guy” (mp3) is a neat song. Its about d-bags that end up with the hot girl.  A story all us nice guys who finish last can relate too.

And of course… do they?  What’s a “hot girl” and why are the nice guys being so defeatist… maybe a little confidence and the pole would get waxed? but yeah… that’s another debate.

Lets pretend then, that yes, the nice guy gets dumped on and the hottie is running around with the dude that has a neck tattoo.

Its a popular theme in movies, books, TV and of course music.

On Call Heroes the latest in a fine line of songs wondering aloud and with melody… “WTF hot girl, why do you waste your time with Johnny Daterape… I mean his last name is daterape, c’mon man”

Lots of 90s punk rocker dwelt on the subject… I am thinking songs by The Offspring (Self Esteem maybe) or Blink 182 (Dammit) or Green Day (Nice Guys Finish Last).

Green Day – “Nice Guys Finish Last”

My favourite jam is a little ditty by a gentleman that recorded music under the moniker The Mr. T Experience. His 1993 song “Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend” nails it down perfectly.  If you’re currently suffering through virginitis, this shit is the remedy for the lonely night (and the internet I guess).

The Mr. T Experience – “Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend”

“Even Hitler had a girlfriend, who he could always call.  Someone to be there despite of all his faults.  Hitler was the worst guy ever, despised and reviled… even Hitler had a girlfriend, why can’t I?”

Holy shit, if that doesn’t make your loneliness worse, nothing will.  Hitler man…Hitler was getting laid.  And you gotta think that back then, some German bureaucrat was pushing pencils in Nazi HQ thinking to himself… “WTF, douche bag gets the chicks. Every time, every time.”

This song is pretty magical… but I didn’t hear the MTX version… no this song was made popular (to me) at CiTR by a one Mr. Plow.

One of (if not) the first Mr. Plow records is a home burned creation called Shut Your Legs and Open Your Ears.  6 songs recorded in Vancouver circa 2000.  Track 6 is a cover called “Even Hitler…” and 20 year old Jeremy’s mind leaked out through my ears after hearing it.  The song was a hot rotation on the old Morning After Show.  I would end up becoming half decent friends with Plow for a few years in Burncouver (or was it Vanaby?).

Mr. Plow – “Even Hitler…”

Plow introduced me to the other bizarro-acoutic-punks in Vancouver.  We did some shows together at the Cobalt or the Java Joint in Surrey. He stayed up late and jammed out my radio show.  He took me around with him to pick up dead bodies one time.  Good times, great reflections.

Plow has put out quite a few records over the years and continues to perform to this very day.  I think right now he might be in Portland hosting a weekly night at some bar?  That’s the last I heard on the Facebook at least.

Right… what was the point of this?  Oh, a girl requested On Call Heroes and it got me thinking of my old friend Plow and one of my favourite songs, “Even Hitler…”

Go with yourself.

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Put candy in my ears

January 13, 2011 by morningaftershow

So I had a birthday the other day and I’m a walking “Touch of Grey” commercial… some grey to let you know I know what I’m talking about.  But not enough that you don’t think I can have erection… ya dig.

My Mom and Dad sent me some money which was clutch because on my birthday I once and for all killed my headphones.

When I started at the Zone, I bought a pair of headphones… that was back in 2003.  And I still had them in something resembling working order till Monday.  Sure, they were down to one ear-muff.  And they used to electrocute me occasionally (nothing dangerous, just a little love buzz to let me know they cared). I got that fixed.  I did love these headphones.

But on Monday, I caught the cable on the chair when I turned my head to answer the Zone phone, and I really ripped the cable out.  Real good.

I am sure Russ the Engineer could fix them, he can fix anything.  But maybe it was their time.  In headphone years… they were like 100.

Sad, I cheered up when  came home to a birthday card with some money stuffed in it .  I bought new headphones.

A brand called “Skull Candy.”  Click <– that link… pretty bad ass right?  OK, not really, I bought them at London Drugs.  They had really expensive home/audio headphones, real cheapo Maxwell and then Skull Candy splitting the middle.  So I bought Skull Candy.  Bad idea for the Zone.  Maybe its because they’re new and different, which… with women is exciting, but for headphones, not so much.  Luckily Coral has the same brand as my old ones… so I brought the Skull candy home and traded.

This is working out great, because for home use, these Skull Candy muffs sound awesome on my laptop.

And the longer tougher cable of the Sony Headphones of Coral’s works better at the Zone.  It like soccer where all the games end in 1-1 ties.  Satisfying.  I now understand why that sport is popular.

Go with yourself.

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The 12th Man

January 9, 2011 by morningaftershow

Holy wow.

Got back around 11PM last night after a wicked and savage 28-ish hours in Seattle.  Bearing  witness to an historic Seattle Seahawks football game. The unlikely 7-9 Seahawks bounced the defending Super-Bowl champion New Orleans Saints out of the NFL playoff during Wild Card week.  If it isn’t the GREATEST playoff upset in NFL history… it is damn near the top.  And I was there with Pol Plastino and a couple of Zoners.

We took the “borrowed” Chevy Cruze on a crazy roadtrip that began Friday night with a bee-line straight to the Coast Tsawwassen Inn.

Wake up time was 6AM.  Wake up Pol!

God bless the complimentary continental breakfast.  Last square meal I’d have all day.  It is now 6:30ish AM.


Seattle!


First order of business… find a party! (and some red plastic cups). Zoners Erin and David brought the high heat with good canadian beer to drink during the pre-game.  Hmm what time is it?  10:30AM maybe?  Sure, beer is a good idea.


Our mission was clear… seek out and destroy street meat hotdogs!  And there were many.

Holy moly that looks good! I wish I wasn’t the designated driver, because the only thing that goes with a hotdog this exact…. is beer.  Pol, Erin and David are in on them.  Funny, red cups repel cops.  Seattle knows how to throw a street party.  The city of Victoria needs to send our leaders to figure out good times.

We head into the stadium around 12:30 for the 1PM start.


The action of the football game was intense.  But the Hawks NEEDED me, I was the 12th man.  Most football teams only field 11 guys, so as you can imagine, the fact the Hawks have 12 is a big advantage. (please don’t make fun of my double chin)


Sitting up in the “Hawks Nest” was rad.  The rowdies up there knew how to party and sitting in front was a woman I used to work with at Starbucks in Saanich.  Weird… she came with her family and took this picture of David, Pol and myself.  This is right near the end, when we could all feel the win!


Pol and I took lots of video clips and we’ll ask Bud to edit them up into something resembling entertainment.  Hope to be able to share that video with you soon.  Lots of of clips of the street party and tailgaters.

Driving the Chevy Cruze to Seattle was the best time.  And these outrageous adventures get put together at the Zone very fast… we don’t know when the next one will be, or to where yet… just that it will happen, and you could be coming with us!  Follow the Zone on Facebook, twitter and LISTEN to 91-3 FM.

Go Hawks! and Go with yourself.

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Jeremy and Pol Cruze to Seattle

January 7, 2011 by morningaftershow

Through amazing twist of fate… the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks NFL football team won their division and made the playoffs!

No team in the history of NFL football has made the playoffs with a losing regular season record.

AND Seattle, being a division champion, gets a first round home football game.

Here at the Zone, we managed to get 4 tickets to the game plus a hotel room from the Coast Twsawwassen Inn and a car for the trek from Dave Wheaton Chevrolet.

This game is a historic event AND the Seahawks will be jamming out their playoff game against the defending Super Bowl champions… the New Orleans Saints.

Today on the show… Pol and I will qualify one more Zoner then we’ll do a draw live on the radio at 6PM.  One couple leaves from the studio with us to the ferry… Two couples go home.

Can’t wait!

Perry Como – “Seattle”

Go Hawks Go! and go with yourself.

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Baby Molly

January 4, 2011 by morningaftershow

My little girl, Madelyn, swiging over the sunny weekend.

Just reading today the story of baby Molly in the Times Colonist.

Molly is the one-month old baby girl that was diagnosed with leukemia on December 24th.  It is exceptionally rare for a child as young as one-month to be stricken with this form of cancer.  The doctors estimate it happens in British Columbia once every two or three years.

Yesterday she began her chemotherapy.  Basically the treatment involves using chemicals to destroy cancer cells in the body.  They also kill healthy cells and make life not as delightful as maybe we’re all used to.  It sucks in an adult who can at least logically understand what’s going on and the cost/benefit of the process. In a five-week old tiny baby?  Yeesh.  It is so heart breaking.

The doctors have told Dave and Rebekah (the parents) to expect 24 hour crying as Molly will experience nausea and nerve pain throughout her entire little body.

24 hour crying.

Coral can barely handle Madelyn if she asks for a treat in a whiny voice…. all day, everyday, without rest? Yikes.

I wonder if I can volunteer to hold the baby?    But I guess it would be weird to have a stranger hold your baby during such an emotional and exceptional time.

The friends of the Campbell family have made a website with news, updates and ways you can help should you feel so inclined.

http://molly-campbell.com

Go with yourself.

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First Listen: In Medias Res – It Was Warm and Sunny When We First Set Out

January 1, 2011 by morningaftershow

Ash Poon is a guy I went to college with.  Ash Poon is also the man that taught me not to judge a book by its cover.

The first time I took a crack at the wonderful world of radio broadcasting I was at BCIT in Burnaby and I jammed out a weekly indie rocker radio show on the Vancouver community radio station CiTR.

The class was full of media wannabe hopefuls. Some I knew better than others.  Some just kids I went to school with.  Ash was for sure, one of the latter.  I knew him, good guy.  I don’t think we were in too many of the same classes, just same program.  The radio class is split into two… A and B.  I think Ash was an A and I was a B… But its all kinda fuzzy.

I worked part-time at CFUN as a board op/slash/infomercial-kinda-producer type.  Ash applied there as well and got hired on.  So we worked together.

I also had a shitty band and was into rock and roll so Ash invited me to check out his band, In Medias Res, sometime.

Ash was this geeky, Asian kid and to be honest… I thought, “hmmm?  I guess.”  Most the Vancouver rockers I knew at the time had nipple piercings, a jam studio in New West, bitchin’ T-shirt logos, and smoked a ton of pot.  Ash showed up to work everyday and I think he is a Christian.  He gave me a burned CD of their first ep and I brought it to my radio show.

In Media Res – “Best Kept Secret”

That song changed my world and remains an all-time favourite of mine.  If I ever made a Morning After Show best of record, that song would need to be on it.

I saw In Medias Res play a show at the Purple Onion in Gastown and the man blew me away.  His band was fantastic and Ash was a rock and roll demon on stage.  Not at all how I had stereotyped him.  Lesson learned… stop being a snobby minger.

I quit working at CFUN in… 2001? to go work at Telus and would eventually move to Victoria in 2003.  I stayed in contact with Ash and In Medias Res through the power of the internets and loved their first full-length LP Of What Was (2004).

In Medias Res – “Shakeher”

In Medias Res played a ton of shows in the mid-2000s and then… you know, people get older, they get married, life, work.  Didn’t really hear too much from them until just the other day I got a Facebook message from Ash.

New record.


On January 4th, 2011 you can point your mouse over to http://imr.ca and download It Was Warm and Sunny When We First Set Out.  Also being pressed on vinyl?  OK Ash… I guess I’ll owe that much and buy that too.

The cover is great.  Nice vintage family shot that speaks to the themes and title of the record.  I like how the title also appears to be a nod to the band, and their journey.  Nothing like getting older and reflecting on what it was like back in the late 90s/early 00s when you first starting thinking about future and how rosey it would/should/might be.  What is that saying, “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step?” awwww.  Maybe their journey begins now?  And it is filled with optimism?  As they’ll say later on the record, “tonight I am new.”

First listen and immediately I like it.  The record feels warm and recognizable as soon as it pops in.  Their first album in almost 7 years and if you know and love Of What Was, you can grab on to this collection of music.

In Medias Res creates an atmospheric, sweeping brand of rock music.  Great slow dirges that build into cascading guitars, fuzz and howling vocals before settling back down into lullabies and echo.

The record is broken up with some spazzy rockers and begins with the ferocious “The Final Flight of the Bees.”  The distortion and reverb are also turned on and up on the aptly named “Fight Song.” Noises….  “Bears” is another savage jam that I hope really is about BEARS!

I like In Medias Res best when the slow it down and then build it up. “Come Back Down” or the most excellent “Tonight I am New.”  “Tonight” is an older song as I know I’ve heard it before.  I think they recorded it as a one off or it was finished sooner in the album recording process so they shared it. I asked my friend Alix what her favourite song on the record is so far, and she said “Tonight I Am New.”  It must have been released before.

What a great song and a stand out on the album so far during my first listen.

In Medias Res – “Tonight I am New”

I don’t really know what Andrew Lee is singing about with this song… but it sounds romantic.  If Coral and I get married again, and we had a first dance song, this one would need to be short-listed.  So Pretty.

Ash Poon is a great guy, we don’t send each other Christmas cards or anything (but damn, we should!) but blessed be the internet and I am thankful he took 4 seconds to write me a message.

I love In Medias Res and maybe you will too.

Go with yourself.

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Happy New Year

December 31, 2010 by morningaftershow


Happy New Year!

I am really looking forward to crushing this night tonight and starting 2011.  I will be busy, DJing at the Veneto Lounge till 1AM then traveling up the road to do an hour and half at the Zone NYE party at Sugar.

I was reading Seth Godin the other day… I loved his blog post about “What are you working on?”

Great question.  If you got asked that question would you be excited to answer?

Gooooo 2011!

No resolutions here…. except Coral said this weekend we’re tearing apart our apartment and pulling a Rozie.  Getting rid of stuff.  Clean lines, clean apartment, happy wife… more sex?  gooooooooooooo 2011! ha.

Go with yourself.

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