Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Happy Rifflandia-ing

September 22, 2010 by morningaftershow

Last night was the first meeting of the newly inaugurated Victoria Record Club.

If you love vinyl or think one day you might… or like hanging out with music nerds… join the group!

Not sure how many of us packed down a used shopping bag of vinyl to Talk’s Cheap on Pandora Street… but I’d imagine there were about 12 or 13 of us standing around awkwardly in Tiemen’s store.

I met a music blogger named Michelle and wanted to share her blog with you: Eh B Sea Sides

By some accounts, it was kinda fun… so we’ll do a second meeting in October.  Can’t wait.  I already know what record I am going to bring. But shhhhh… its a secret b/c I am going to buy it for Coral.

***

Rifflandia starts tomorrow! ahhhhhhhhhh

Have you checked out the schedule to draft your map or zig-zags around the beautiful Capital of British Columbia to see your favourite bands and discover new ones?

I will be broadcasting from Market Square all afternoon tomorrow as the bands roll in to set up and sound check.  Then at 7PM I am free to party (probably, need to see if Nana will watch Mads… or else Coral is free to PARTY! and I’ll be watching Parenthood on my PVR  and colouring).

Having Coral in tow does change my idea a bit of what I want to see.  I am interested in the punk rock going down Thursday at Rehab, but Coral is probably not as inclined.  She hasn’t seen the magazine yet, so this all subject to change… by her… but here’s my dream plan:

Thursday

7:30 Sunday Buckets – Market Square
8:30 Acres of Lions – Club 9one9
9:30 We Are The City – Club 9one9

*maybe grab some food or a cocktail at Veneto, or some noodlebox or something to sustain me*

11:30 JFK (MSTRKRFT) – Touch Lounge

Conversely… I could stay at Market Square all evening… or stay at Club 9one9 and be happy.

If Coral is feeling some more aggressive rock, I’d love to hit Rehab.

Sadly, I have to work Friday and Saturday (DJing at Veneto if anyone Rifflandia-ing needs a time-out, come see me for a cocktail). I might sneak to a 7:30 show… or join the party at 1AM if people are still out and about.  Razer (Acres of Lions) and Scott (Dojo Workhorse) … I’m looking at you.

Sunday… maybe Ball Gag and Chain Gang at Club 9one9 then Big Muff… then fly over to Lucky Bar to see DJ Siclife then back to Club 9one9.  Sunday depends on childcare/money/energy for sure.

It’ll be fun!

What’s your plans and where should I meet you for cocktails?

(Zone dot FM slash Jeremy readers click here to comment)

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Record Club 01:: Conan O’Brien – “And They Call Me Mad”

September 21, 2010 by morningaftershow

I love mail, but I hate bills.

And most mail is bills.  That is the worst.

Every so often, my Uncle Visa will allow it, I like to order something online and then it gets mailed to me!

At the end of summer it was announced that Conan O’Brien recorded a spoken word single with Jack White at his Third Man Records (home of the Triple Decker!) in Nashville.

Pol Plastino was excited because Conan is his hero.  I was excited because… well it was being pressed on 7-inch vinyl!  Then the best… it was just $5 to order ($6 something after shipping and tax).

After ordering online, then it is the waiting game.  Pol and I pre-ordered so we knew it would be weeks before shipping.

At the end of August it was time to ship and by early September Pol had his.  FUN!

Mine will probably come in a tomorrow.

And I waited by the mail box.  And I chatted up every mailman. And it did not come.

I sent a sad sack email.  The reply (which came quickly) said I should exercise patience.

And fortunately, before the first record club meeting… it came!

Conan’s single is part of Third Man’s ‘Green Series.’  The green label records are their spoken word records and I think Conan is their second.  The point is to have random people come into the studio and tell their story.

Conan and Jack White have a little history and when his stand-up rolled through the South, jack had him in.

Side A features Conan doing a spin on the Frankenstein saga.  Its funny, starts strong but panders out a bit.  I might have heard in an interview with the producer that it is improved.  Which makes sense.  Its funny… but not well structured or written.  And doesn’t really have a strong punchline, conclusion or ending.

Side B is more interesting to a Conan fan as it is a back-and-forth between Conan and Jack.  There were more than a couple lolz on buried in there for the listening fan.

I love owning this interesting single as Jack White is one of my rock & roll heroes and Conan is a comedy great.

It was pressed at a weird time in entertainment history and does make some mention of the whole Leno/Tonight Show debacle.

I’d love to read Pol’s take on the record has he is a true Conan fan and might have some more insight into the performance.

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Interview: Guilty About Girls

September 17, 2010 by morningaftershow

Remember that band Pure? We used to play (used to? still do!) on the Zone.  Like that song “Denial.”

Yeah good song.

The principle artist from that Vancouver heritage modern rocker is Jordy Birch and his new project, Guilty About Girls, is one of my favourites on the Zone right now.

Jordy took a few moments to talk about The Nails, his old band; Pure, how the song “Candy Candy” is not as sexual as I thought it was, and how New Westminster is a bit of a dive.

Check it: Guilty About Girls’ Jordy Birch on The ZAS

Posted in music, radio | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Interview: Neon Trees

September 17, 2010 by morningaftershow

Neon Trees are a massive popular rock band.

The radio feature cut we’re jamming on the Zone is called “Animal” and it currently sits at #2 on the Billboard Alternative Rock Charts, #8 on The Zone’s Modern Rock Countdown and #23 on Billboard’s Hot 100.  Not bad for a little band outta Provo, Utah.

Tyler Glenn is the lead singer and he took a few moments to do a quick interview and talk about their cover of The Bieb’s “Baby,” coming from Utah and their show September 22nd at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver with 30 Seconds to Mars. He also says something about admiring the lead singer of INXS.  Sure.

Check it: Interview with Neon Trees’ Tyler Glenn on The ZAS


Posted in music, radio | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

First Listen: Linkin Park – “A Thousand Suns”

September 15, 2010 by morningaftershow

If I went into yesterday’s listen of the new Brandon Flowers CD with hopeful expectations… today’s endeavor with Linkin Park was met with trepidation.

Actually, trepidation might be the wrong word, but I like it…

Linkin Park’s A Thousand Suns is LP’s forth studio record and likely destined for a billion-trillion copies sold and numerous radio hits.  It seems to be the way of this band.  Generally speaking, I don’t care much for Linkin Park.  I don’t hate them, but I don’t go home and get jacked to throw their music on.  For me personally, its kids music.

Now here’s the thing, the new record in kind of interesting.

From what I’ve been able to gather from LP fans; they are disappointed in the direction… but as an outsider that has always wished there was more to Linkin Park’s facade, I like all the audio textures.  I punched the record up last night and enjoyed all the weird little sonic interludes that intertwine around all the cuts.

Even the second single, “Burning in The Skies” which I generally hate on the radio, sounds good in the context of the record.

Lots of weirdness and samples and meandering between the songs.

This record will probably not be something I focus on too much when it gets buried by something newer and shinier in a week or two… but then again, no Linkin Park record ever has for me.

Linkin Park is sounding very adult contemporary with their style these days.  Pleasant.  Maybe they are growing up and getting old?  Not so much rage or anger.  The last song soars with some babble about love being the answer or something and there is a song in the middle with a hackneyed, “the weight of the world will give you strength to carry on.”  No it won’t Chester… it’ll crush you into the ground.  I think they’ve been millionaires too long.  Some songs don’t resonate with me at all.  Weird middle school kid lyrics.  But whatever, when he sings it with a dainty little guitar, it sounds pretty.  I guess that is what Linkin Park is all about.  And tattoos.

I’ll give the record a “download it for free” recommendation.  It’ll be cool for a few listens then you’ll move on to something meatier or graduate middle school.

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

jabbered their hearts out

September 15, 2010 by morningaftershow

I read a great editorial today that got me thinking about music.  Writer Steve Guttenberg asked; why can’t you listen to music?

Basically the man talked about the idea of the act of enjoying music.  Setting aside a unit of time for the sole purpose of consuming music.  He talked about people that go to rock shows and talk through the music sets or get locked into their phones texted away.  I must say that that is both a major pet peeve of mine and also something I have been guilty of.  Strange but true.

I am fortunate that my line of work surrounds me in music. I am not terribly funny or any more interesting than anyone else.  I got into radio because it was one of the few jobs I could think of that paid me to do the one thing I loved to do.  Listen to music. I was like, “they pay people to sit in a room and jam out rock & roll all day… and fucking people still fight wars?”

As a kid in highschool, I’d fire a CD into my discman every night before bed and listen to a whole album, often twice before going to bed.  The same record would live on my bedside table for weeks.  CDs were like $25 back in the mid-90s!

I have a vivid memory of laying on the floor of the living room in my parents house one hot summer afternoon and listening to Big Wreck’s “That Song” over and over and over.

The hobby or habit of listening to music for the sake of the experience continued into adulthood except girlfriends put a real crimp into music time.   they always want your undivided attention at bedtime.  Hard to bury my head into headphones when there are breasts to bury that head into.

Now that I am married guy with kid… everyone goes to bed and some nights I get left to my own devices.  Believe me, internet porn was fun again for awhile… but the call of the record has crept back into my life.  Lately I have been finding myself decompressing to music as I lay on my couch at some weird hour.

Some nights I pull out old favourites, others, something totally random or new.

If you love music, and you’re not setting aside music listening time… you’re doing yourself a major disservice.

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | 5 Comments »

First Listen: Brandon Flowers – “Flamingo”

September 14, 2010 by morningaftershow

Here is a post for Vancityrockgirl… the new Brandon Flowers’ solo record Flamingo is out today.

First listen and I must say, I do enjoy it.

The man is having a pretty good couple days.  His record has already gone #1 in the UK and it was also announced that he is expecting another young’n to his family brood.

I have always loved the Killers and so far so good, the solo stuff is as good… or maybe better than some of the Killers songs.

If you’re a Killers fan, you’ll easily get into the solo stuff.  Flowers has stated that many of the songs were destined to be Killers tracks but when the band went on hiatus, the Dad had to stay working, so solo it is.

The Zone is jamming out the lead single right now, “Crossfire” (number 1 on NME).

Picking a favourite album cut is a challenge right now during this first listen as I have enjoyed all the songs.  The opener is pretty cool… I could see it being a travel theme song for my favourite Rock Travel Agent, “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas.”

“Hard Enough” is sexual as its a duet with Jenny Lewis and she’s hipster cuteness.

“Playing with Fire” isn’t doing it for me.  Maybe he’s singing about being a Mormon or something? I don’t get it.

Skip.

Skip again.

“Magdalena” might be another religious song. maybe he is singing about a Spanish sweetheart?  Lots of different southern Mexican sounds mixed into the epicnessisms of Brandon Flowers.  Songs builds into an expansive Western Film sounding song.  go Mexico!  I think A Perfect Circle rocked this subject matter harder.

Near the end of the record we get to the hit, “Crossfire.”

You already know this cut and have an opinion on it.

The record ends with “On The Floor” and “Swallow It.”

“On the Floor” calms it right down after the more energetic radio single.  trying to like it but sadly… skip.

And now the closer, “Swallow It.”

Brandon are you singing about a young lovely swallowing your knob?  Maybe its a metaphor for life, but it seriously sounds like forcing your wang down someone’s throat who might be performing oral for the first time.

Well there is no “Parental Advisory” on the cover, and he is a married family man… so I guess its a metaphor for life.  Sorry to take this to the gutter, but come on… listen to the song.

OK lets add it up.

10 songs.

3 skips.

I’ll give the record 7/10.

Brandon, you won’t be getting into UVic with that grade… but a couple years at Camosun, keep your nose to it, you might make something of yourself.

The record is overall enjoyable and if you’re already a Killers fan, I’ll put a recommend on this record.

Hey remember that time I interviewed Brandon Flowers?
Brandon Flowers Website

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

The secret ingredient is love. love.

September 13, 2010 by morningaftershow

Last weekend, the rained stopped just long enough to allow Cassie, Chef Chris and myself the opportunity to head out to Sooke and take part in the Sooke Lions’ 4th Annual Great Chili Challenge.

Their esteemed judges handed out only ONE 3rd Place Trophy and I am so happy to say that team Zone claimed the honour.

SWAG'd from Cassie's Facebook

The chili challenge was a ton of work and would not have been possible without the hard work of Team Zone’s Cassie Price and Veneto Lounge’s sous chef Chris Thrift.

Also Graham Caddy from 100.3 The Q! helped shovel chili in waiting bowels and Justin “Fresh-Pots” was there to fetch me pop and came in clutch wrangling up a can-opener when our first one crapped out.

Tindy from the Q! and Boitano from The Zone both put together our supplies for the booth and Zone Ranger Cuervo-Loren brought out a tent to Sooke and set it up for us.  Thank you guys.

The Veneto’s head chef Tod Bosense lent us his propane stove and also pilfer through the kitchen for food and supplies.

Cassie has been getting some requests for the recipe so I will try to re-create it here:

The Zone @ 91-3 #11 Chili

* 2 pound(s)  boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
* 2 pound(s) boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
* 2 teaspoon(s) vegetable oil
* 20-ish clove(s) (garlic) crushed into a paste
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 1 tablespoon(s) ground coriander
* 1 tablespoon(s) cumin
* 1 tablespoon(s) paprika
* 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) chipotle chile paste
* 1/2 tablespoon(s) ground cinnamon
* 3 can(s) (15 to 19 ounces each) pink beans and/or red kidney beans
* 1 can(s) (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
* 1 can(s) concentrated tomato
* 1 cup(s) water
* 2 packets of hot chocolate powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
* pepper
*Tabasco
* 1 pineapple
* Corn tortillas, (optional), warmed
* Shredded unsweetened chocolate and fresh cilantro chopped to sprinkle on top.

***

Brown the meat in the oil…add salt and pepper… add the onion… add the tomato… let that stew together for a bit.  then add the spices.  Little at a time, constantly taste and season. Add the garlic. Add the hot chocolate powder.  If it doesn’t taste right, it needs more salt.

Add the chipotle paste till you get the heat you need. Tabasco will help with the heat too.  Be BRAVE… let this yummy concoction stew for a bit.  You can serve it when its all hot… but it excels at delicious if you let the meat get nice and tender.  Right before serving, add the chopped pineapple.

To garnish… shave some rich, dark chocolate on top and hit of fresh chopped cilantro.  Prepare to come in third place!

Madelyn got her fingers all over my camera so it wouldn’t take pictures and needs a cleaning.  So this evidence comes from Cassie’s facebook.

Cassie is so silly.

Justin Fresh-Pots and Me.

Chef Chris doing his thing and Cassie choppiong the pineapple.

These two giant pots of chili were not enough. We head a steady line all afternoon. Many second helpings.

So busy out in Sooke.

Chef Chris and I adding the "sex" right at the end.

Go with yourself.

My camera

Posted in food | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Download: “475-0913/Zone DJ”

September 6, 2010 by morningaftershow


Download: “475-0913/Zone DJ”

The Zone will be unleashing some crazy devil science during our back to school crawl.  Some sort of “push” technology. We’ll be up at the University and College campuses over the next week or two and asking people if they want to add some content to their phones.  The experiment will be Tuesday, 11AM-1PM at Camosun Landsdowne.  The first bit of content will be a ring-tone.  The above spin on the Tommy Tutone 1982 hit anomaly, “867-5309/Jenny.”

I was looking for some help brainstorming ideas for a ring-tone when a facebooker named Alexandra sent the link for the song.

The next day, I hopped in the studio with Cassie and she banged this out with the help of Megan, Tess and Kim.

***

A gorgeous rainy day.  Its Labour Day and so to celebrate, I labour.  Its started pouring rain last night and to have an honest moment, I enjoyed it.  After watching the Kurt Cobain documentary, “About a Son,” I went out on my deck and just sat watching the rain.

Today I was excited to dig my rain pants out of the closet: “CORAL! Where are my rain pants?”

“I don’t know, have I ever wore your rain pants?  Where did you leave them?”

“NO! You must have moved them because they are not… oh, here they are.”

And off into the rain I go.


Go with yourself.

Posted in Jeremy Baker, music | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

this is out of our reach

September 6, 2010 by morningaftershow

“The most exciting time for a band is right before they become really popular. I’d love to just be in bands that just do that every two years.  Every time I look back at the best times in this band it was just right before Nevermind came out. It was awesome.

“Without my choosing its become a job, whether I like it or not. Its something I love doing and I’d always want to do. But I have to be honest I don’t enjoy it nearly as much as I used to when I was practising every night… imaging what it would be like. And its nothing like what it was like the first couple of years actually playing in front of a few people. Loading up the van going to a rock show to actually play. The privilege of that can’t be reproduced after doing it for 10 years.” – Kurt Cobain

***

I finally got a chance to check out Aux TV tonight.  I had heard Dylan Willows talking about the channel on the morning Zone sometime ago.  I never thought I had the channel…but I guess I do, as I was searching around and came across the documentary, Kurt Cobain: About a Son.

The documentary was amazing, sad, tragic and insightful.  In 1993, Kurt Cobain gave his time for a series of audio taped interviews with a journalist he trusted (maybe the only one he did as he was found of tearing into journalists during the interview).

The interview was very thorough and talked about Kurt’s growing up, forming a band, moving to Seattle, becoming famous, meeting and marrying Courtney Love and the birth of their daughter before getting into some of his plans for the future (like how he planned on breaking up Nirvana and his goals on life for providing for Francis Bean).

It was interesting to get into the mind of Kurt Cobain in his own words and listen to him share his stories.  It was at times hard to watch as we know the outcome of the story, especially when he talks about how much he loves his daughter and how he was so excited to provide a family for her.

If you have the time or energy, the documentary is on Youtube in 9 or 10 parts.  You’ll have to get started at part 2 as Warner Music blocked the audio of part one because of copyright or some bullshit: About a Son part 2

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged , , | 3 Comments »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »