Feeds:
Posts
Comments

you’re playing you now / take a bow

December 15, 2009 by morningaftershow

Might be time for me to replace the ole’ Kenwood Stereo Amp.  Since I have lived on my own, the Kenwood has powered my sonic journeys.  God bless it but the time has come to find a new/old amp for my turntable.  The Kenwood requires a lot of attention when I fire it up as its connections are wonky.  I lose sound out of the right or left speaker and have to fiddle with the knobs to get it sound full and great.  When it works out, it works out and it sounds wonderful.  But I usually lose half a song fiddling.

I bought the Kenwood Amp some time ago when Paul and I first moved out to a basement suite together on Boundary Road on the Burnaby side of the Vancouver/Burnaby divide.  We lived sorta near Moscrop School and an easy walk to the Joyce Skytrain Station.

A picture of my set up circa early 2007, Fernwood Apartment. Kenwood is on the right, second unit up above the DVD player.

I am sure I have blogged about my amp before.  Paul and I headed out to a fair or flea market in Aldergrove or Cloverdale.  I bought the amp for $20.  Likely, the best $20 I ever spent.

The amp went with me when Alex and I moved to Commercial Drive.  My old man bought me speakers that year for my birthday and I still have those.  I’ve spilt some wax down the side.

When I got the job in Victoria, the amp made the sea voyage.  It was around that time that I foraged in my Dad’s garage for his old Hitachi Record player.

As the seasons changed, I phased the CD player out, but the Amp, record player and speakers have endured, Fernwood to Yates to Esquimalt.  I now run my DJ rig through the amp when I practice at home.

* I just want to stop for a moment to say that Jose Gonzalez‘ Veneer is amazing.

The time has come to think about replacing the Kenwood with something new, but part of me wonders if I should try and fix it?  It is just the connections that are wonky?  Maybe I could order or find the same model on the internet or maybe the answer is rolling the dice on a new/old amp at a garage sale?

The home stereo March 2009

***

The Book of Negroes threw me off my path of John Jewitt’s account of being a slave on Vancouver Island.  I’ll need to finish that book so I can begin my next step in creating my first radio documentary.

I’ll really need to get it done before I get some new books (fingers crossed) from Santa.  I have a couple on my list but one that I am excited to track down (if it doesn’t come down the chimney) is Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music by Greg Milner.

Greg travels through history, Thomas Edison to Auto-tune.  I can dig it.  Might make a good subject for a future podcast.  So many podcasting ideas.  We’ll see how well Coral and I can correct our financial situation in the new year before I can think about anymore audio gear.

That’s all I got, tomorrow we’ll see how my day shapes up but i might try to tackle my top 10 records of 00s.

Go with yourself.

Posted in life or something like it | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

more on the Pirate Radio Station

December 11, 2009 by morningaftershow

Got lots of great comments and feedback about last nights post about the Pirate radio Station in Ottawa.

This one is from Buzz who is now Morning Drive in Calgary on AMP:

Shut him down. Is he paying SOCAN fees? Did he buy a license? It’s just like selling booze at a lemonade stand. It sounds like a fun idea, but it’s illegal. Shut. Him. Down.

David Eleanor is fighting Global Climate Change and is Music Director of The Zone:

You make a lot of strong points here, Jeremy. I especially like the one about that guy (likely) scoring less than Shane O’Brien. Here’s the problem: The CRTC can’t choose who gets in trouble, and who doesn’t when the rules are broken. Government Commissions must hold people accountable, publicly in my opinion, or else the message they send is a dangerous one. So one kid broke the rules? So what! So one station didn’t fulfill all it’s spoken word commitments? So what! So one radio company didn’t pay it’s SOCAN bills? So what? It’s a slippery slope, and when I pay the salaries of those empowered to enforce the rules, I want to know they’re doing their job. I hold them accountable, for holding the industry accountable.

That said, they shouldn’t find the kid $5,000. Tell him to take the signal down, publicly praise the kid for his passion for local radio, and give him a job at the CBC rolling cords, or working in a studio somewhere. The Government looks good for going easy on him, and for giving the impression to the general public that they’re doing their job.

By the Way: CHMR “The Hammer” would have ruled my world in 1997.

The Hammer would pretty much slay!  That we can agree on.

This comment is from Sara P, PD of The Zone:

Yeah!! Go kid and go freedom! Jer we should send him a copy of that KBLT book so he can learn to hide his transmitter well. 🙂

Dave Holden is a dude and he says:

They should take a percentage of his PROFIT and turn it over to SOCAN. Even though I’m sure every artist that was spun on his station would gladly forfeit their rights in this instance. I grew up listening to CFNY back in the day. I’ve heard Alternative radio deteriorate to the “I-can-read-Billboard-and-play the-songs-with-the-numbers-beside-… See Morethem-XFM-style” in the ’90’s (With the odd exception like early KNDD Seattle) . Later, competing with iPods and Pandora, radio would lose big numbers and then claw for any listeners at all. Now, in order to get listeners back to radio (or in my case, back from 947.fm, Indie 103.1, my iPod, or the Adam Carolla Podcast) the CRTC is finally allowing new licenses (I really like the PEAK). We in our 40’s (and up) have been trying to tell the younger demos what we think that they think is cool for a while now. Punish him severely? Really? Are we American now? Radio needs to stop with that “throw away the key” mentality and listen for once. What is REALLY being said about the state of radio from the perspective of the next generation of potential listeners? And Buzz, Given our archaic liquor laws and moratorium on live venues in this town, I’d love some booze from a lemonade stand. 🙂

***

and since this is my blog, here is more of my half informed opinion:

yeah his biggest problem was 2000 watts! zoinks and he interrupted the CBC signal… so that will piss off a lot of people. Smaller frequency, and squat on something not used… no problem to me.  Or broadcast on the new unregulated frontier; the internet… how many of those stations are paying SOCAN?

If it becomes an artists rights thing, … I am sure he could pay the blanket NON-Comm rate which is? maybe $500 a year? $1,000?

and for people into Pirate Radio, Sara was right to recommend 40 Watts From Nowhere! http://www.amazon.ca/40-Watts-Nowhere-Journey-Pirate/dp/0743229886

A great read for people into radio, freedom, indie media, and the California music scene of the early 90s.

*** AND what the heck is SOCAN you non radio folks might be asking? http://www.socan.ca/jsp/en/pub/about_socan/index.jsp

Go with yourself.

Posted in radio | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

You can’t turn him into a company man/ and you can’t turn him into a whore

December 11, 2009 by morningaftershow

What a story!  14 year old (with Dad’s help) kid in Ottawa launches a 2,000 watt pirate radio station.

Ottawa boy ordered to shut down his radio station

I saw the story had 338 comments and assumed it was 338 freedom loving rock and rollers coming together to say fuck yeah!  But when you assume, you make an ass of u and me.

I read this blog post where people want to put him in jail?  Throw the book at him!  Get child services involved!  rar rar rar.

“Yes, he should be fined to the maximum extent of the law, which is at least $5000 and possibly more. And all of the equipment should be confiscated, including the antenna and tower.” Gordon Dewis

First off….

look at this kid.  I don’t think he normally crushes a lot of vag, he needs to be on the radio.  I should know.

Second… WTF Canada?  When do we cheer on the government to champion the rights of uh… ginormous corporations? I missed that meeting, maybe I am supposed to be on the government’s side?

Calm down everyone, its a pirate radio station… they make movies about these things.

I’ve always wanted to start a radio station and have bold plans for my own pirate station if the Lotto Max thing works out.

I’ve wanted to start my own station longer than I can remember.  When I was a kid taking Marketing in high school we had to do a year end project where we make a business plan for a business.

All the kids pick clothing stores or restaurants.  I made a radio station.  I felt very strongly at the time that Ozzy Osbourne needed to be on the radio way more than he was in 1997.  I made a business plan for a station called CHMR, the Hammer!  All Metal ALL THE TIME!  Grrrrr.

The station had a mascot, the Phantom Dreamer… it was this character my friend Adam invented.  He was this boy/man with a blank stare that carried a two handed sledge hammer that was always dripping blood.  Fucking hard core man.  This station’s target demographic was virgins, the unemployed, LARPers and most of the residents of Mission.

I don’t remember my grade, but it was most probably a A.

The Morning After Show was the closest I’ll likely ever get to what MY radio station would sound like.  Indie rock interrupted by 40 minute tirades that consisted of half-informed political opinion, sexism, and Art Bellesque Conspiracy theory diatribe.

Now I am older and oh so wiser and the plan if far more sinister and basic.  A low watt FM, 40 watts maybe.  A tall building in the WestEnd of Vancouver… and the cool sounds of freedom.

That is low key, the “oh my god, you mean I have to actually invest my own money on this” sorta plan.

My lotto max radio station will be even more fun.

An AM radio station.

Easy, the corporations abandon them all the time, so I figure anyone can have one now.  The ones that still exist that aren’t news/talk/sports are a joke.  I’d play rock and roll and just generally be groovy.  Seems radical I know, but funny story, no AM radio station does that? weird… you’d think the old duffers that haven’t shuffled off the mortal coil would be into some “Crimson and Clover” spinning on a 45 played by some guy way to stoned to be standing upright.  But maybe not?  Maybe they’re all too busy, logging onto the CBC message boards demanding the government take decisive and swift action against Puberty over in Ottawa?

Maybe CHMR should fire up, I can count on the virgins and LARPers.

Go with yourself.

Posted in radio | Tagged , | 3 Comments »

Top 10 Records of 2009

December 10, 2009 by morningaftershow

01) Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

No record got more play at home, in the car, or in the club for me then Phoenix.  I genuinely enjoy the whole disc from front-to-back.  Remixes, love them, instrumentals are mighty, catalog (now that I am going back) all good.

02) Propagandhi – Supporting Caste

Propagandhi will be a band that i will always adore.  I forgot how much I listened to this record this year till I hit my Last FM, and for bands that had new music in 2009, Propagandhi was number 2!  I remember looking forward to this record, then getting as soon as I could.  Admittedly, a lot of those spins for this record were for the song “Dear Coaches Corner.”  My great rock and roll shame is that I still have never seen Propagandhi live, ever in all my years.

03) The Dudes – Blood Guts Bruises Cuts

The Dudes get to be one of those bands that I love hearing the singles on the Zone, and I love exploring their album.  Another front-to-backer that I can put on and let it play right through… into their previous record.

04) The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns

a summer record for me.  It got heavy play on the iPod when Coral and I visited Alberta.  Just too cliche to not love while I was driving around Wetaskiwin.  Very pretty music.

05) Japandroids – Post-Nothing

Finally some local(ish) rock on the list.  I have a huge hard-on for Japandroids.  I can’t remember why I was taking the ferry by myself last year.  I am generally herding an entire family with my on the voyage, but there was a time I had the opportunity to listen to music for the crossing on the boat and Japandroids were so perfect.  “Its raining, in Vancouver… but I don’t give a fuck!”  Super fuzzy.  Super great.

06) Silversun Pickups – Swoon

This album remains a steady play on my stereo at home, I enjoy hearing the singles on the Zone and a highlight of the year in concerts was the Zone Show at the Royal.  I loved their set at Sasquatch last May.  Lots of stand-out cuts on this record, but basically, the first 5 song son the record I never skip over.

07) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz

The sound track to our trip to the Sasquatch Festival (well this and Passion Pit and Bon Iver and Explosions in the Sky and ….).  It’s Blitz is one of the few 2009 vinyls Coral and I added to our collection and I enjoy the dancier ones when I am DJing.

08) Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way To Blue

Growing up, AiC would have to be one of my top 5 90s bands.  Their catalog songs still get regular play at home.  I wanted to pan this record when it came out but something funny happened, its good.

09) Pearl Jam – Backspacer

Another record that hipster Jeremy wanted to hate-on… but its good.  “Just Breathe” is a highlight of the my sets on The Zone Afternoon Show.  I missed the concert in Van but hear only great things.  When I read about Eddie Vedder in the music gossips its for good things.  PJ makes me smile still and I enjoy this record as a stand alone or mixed in with a set of PJ catalog cuts.

10) Passion Pit – Manners

Passion pit got slightly more spins at home this year than PJ… but PJ crushed in total times (because of the Zone) so I made PJ 9 and Passion Pit 10.  I like Passion pit at the club and sometimes at home.  Great in the car.  They were a huge disappointment for me at Sasquatch (maybe I wasn’t drunk enough?) and some album cuts I skip over.

Still, can’t deny that the songs I like from Passion Pit, I REALLY like and play them often. “Little Secrets,” “Moth’s Wings,” “The Reeling,” “Sleepyhead,” all magical.

***

My favourite album covers (if Coral reads this and wants to know a Christmas present) are the Japandroids, Rural Alberta Advantage and Propagandhi.  Just say’n dear.

***

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

And o’er uninhabitable downs/Place elephants for want of towns

December 9, 2009 by morningaftershow

"The Slave Trade" by Auguste Francois Biard, 1840

Wow, last night I did a late night push to finish Lawrence Hill’s “The Book of Negroes.”

What a stunningly rich epic.  People have to read this book, kids should read it in school.  Its similar to a Holocaust story, in that it is a bizarre and inhumane struggle, that was real.  But why it is as important than the Holocaust for Canadians is that part of the story takes place in Canada!  (and Lawrence Hill is a Canadian too).

The story begins in the 1750s in a small village somewhere in Africa (I think Nigeria) where the main character Aminata is an 11-year-old girl.  Raiders come and kidnap her into slavery, and then about about 400 plus pages of misery later, The End.

Maybe not the best selling job to say 400 pages of “misery.”  There are also many triumphs and in the end an uplifting closure.  The main character in the novel is fiction, but she lives close to the real life events that happened to her during her voyages and captivity.

I stayed up past 3AM last night reading, then after I finished the book I had to read the Wikipedia article on the Atlantic Slave Trade (which is so tame compared to the accounts in the novel) and I read about the nation of Sierra Leone.

While Coral was reading the book, I also read about the Slave Rebellion in Haiti too.  if you’ve read the book, or are going to read it, all these articles will help with your understanding.

Where the book leaves off, the real life struggle to end slavery begins.  The British did outlaw slavery and put their money (and men’s lives) where their mouth is.  The had a squadron of the British Navy station at Freetown (where Aminata lives for a spell) fighting the slave traders and the local African tribes that continued to sell their people to traders.  They had a mortality rate that was close to 5 times higher than regular mariners serving in the Royal Navy of the time.

The Americans would fight one heck of a war in the 1860s to once and for all end the practice of slavery… and the rifts of slavery would continue to reverberate throughout history with the civil rights movements of 1960 and all the struggles in Africa that continue to this day.

I wonder what Sierra Leone is like now?  I read about Freetown on wiki and it said the city is a tropical metropolis on the ocean surrounded by beaches and jungle and it seemed fairly stable (now, they had a recent civil war).  I wonder if it would be a good place to visit?  I wonder if Bance island is still there? If people care to preserve it?

Go with yourself.

Posted in history 101 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Capital Rock City #84 // Whitfield, Jell, Old Man Solie, The Racoons

December 9, 2009 by morningaftershow

Lots of new music to start the show. Vancouver band Whitfield told me about their new album Tornado Cutie so I found a cut that has a nice Killers vibe to lead off the show.  Jell, a former Zone Band of the Month, still working hard and some new music from them.  A demo from Old Man Solie.  The show ends with a live performance from The Racoons.  Thank you for downloading the show, please please, please take four seconds to search for ‘Capital Rock City’ in the iTunes store and subscribe/rate/comment.  Thank you.

Download: Capital Rock City #84

***

DJ Notes

01) Whitfield – “Top of the World”
02) Jell – “Nothing Left to Say”
03) Old Man Solie – “Lot 9” (demo)
04) The Racoons – “Room to Operate”
05) The Racoons – “Tangiers”

CRC 84 begins with the theme song to my current fave show, “In The Night Garden.”  And why not?  I love that little Makka Pakka, isn’t that a pip?

Whitfield is a band I know of because of my Whale watching/Car Selling friend, Brendan.  He turned me on to these guys some time ago when he popped by The Mix Tape at the Clubhouse one Thursday.  Josh finally sent me an email and here we are, enjoying the opening cut to their record “Tornado Cutie.”  Great album title eh?  Whitfield would sound great for fans of the Killers or Bravery.

Jell is jamming out a concert on Friday at Sugar with Aegis Fang!  Which reminds me, I really show fire up some Aegis Fang again the show.

A couple weeks back, we all enjoyed the LIVE CRC 81 from The Black Stilt.  Well, maybe we ALL didn’t, but I had fun.  While wandering the coffee shop I ran into a worker there who was also a musician and he put his demo in my hand right there!  And you’re hearing it today!  Be gentle with your critique, it is only a an early demo, but I love hearing these raw sounds.  Very groovy party rock.  Might be better suited to summer cocktails then Christmas Rums.

The show ends with one of my fave Vic rockers, The Racoons.  They came by the Zone Afternoon Show to perform “Room To Operate.” But I demanded satisfaction and to hear “Tangiers.”  So they did both. awwww, I love those guys.

Next week on the podcast, not really working on anything to special so I’ll troll the net for some fine rock & roll.  BUT the week after, I’d LOVE to do a Christmas Capital Rock City… any bands have a Christmas song to send me?  jeremy@thezone.fm.

Then I’ll do a “Best of” as chosen by me… in 2010, already lining up a couple shows.  Aidan Knight will come, and perform and play songs from his favourite Vic rockers (and some Black Tie Social!) and then I am trying to get Forestry in here too for a CD release show.  their record is out in January 2010.

That’s all I got.  Go with yourself.

Posted in Capital Rock City | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

First, second, third, and then… First

December 8, 2009 by morningaftershow

A bartender named Holly turned me on to this song from a band called Kyte.  Wikipedia reminds me of the epicness of Explosions in the Sky or This Will Destroy You; but with a wispy vocal melody.  Mighty good.

I met Holly last Saturday at the Rialto where I find myself DJing Saturday nights.  What a great place, it feels good to be at a place where I can really bite into my playlists and find some interesting music.  This gig found me because I sent a cold call email to the Rialto about a year ago when they did their renovations.  I asked if I could DJ, they said no… fast forward a year and there I am.

The evening forced my hand in finally investing in my production.  I headed to Long and McQuade and purchased a Numark NS7.  The NS7 is a controller that lets me use Serato Itch.  It simulates a turn table DJ rig, but I like it because it is smaller (it uses two 45s instead of LPs) and all contained.  I can set it up in our little home, practice, and break it down much easier than the turntables I had from Boitano.  I might have wanted to chose the Vestax VCI 300, it is smaller still than the NS7 and cheaper, but I wanted to play on something a bit more substantial… but I can see myself one day wanted something even smaller, when my skills improve.

My goal right now is practice, practice, practice.  I want to have at least a passable skill at blending and mixing two cuts together.  The NS7 also has lots of fun and user friendly features to create loops and rush around a track, maybe one day I’ll be able to really birth some interesting sonic creations.

In the future, I will need to get an accountant (thank you John!), register the old business up, promotional material and I think we’ll need a new laptop.  I just didn’t have the money or the guts to finance one right now.  Coral and I are hoping that after her layoff is final, we put some money in the bank and my DJ business stabilizes and becomes legitimate I can invest in a MacBook Pro or something equally fancy pants (do I *really* need a Mac?  I mean all the other DJs have one…).  The Toshiba is a temperamental lady these days, but she serves like a wiley veteran of foreign wars and so far hasn’t had any meltdowns or tantrums during a set (well it did the other night but no one really noticed!).

After the laptop, my next goal is a mobile set of speakers to rock a shindig that is not rigged for a dance party and build a visual component for my performance.  Then Coral and I will need a bigger home to store all this stuff and build my studio to make my historical podcasts and Coral was saying something about living somewhere where it snows in the winter and we have a barn… OK, breathe… now I am getting way ahead of myself.

First, practice, practice, practice.

Posted in life or something like it, music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Interview: Band of Skulls

December 7, 2009 by morningaftershow

Band of Skulls from left: Matt, Emma, Russell

South Hampton, UK rockers Band of Skulls are in Victoria tonight, and they came by the Zone Afternoon Show for a performance.  They give us a couple magical acoustic songs, “Fires” and “Impossible.”

Download: Band of Skulls on The ZAS

I’ve interviewed a ton of bands and heard countless acoustic numbers and “Impossible” is one my more favourite ones.  It is the second song they perform.

Go with yourself.

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

Interviews: Jon Lajoie and The Racoons

December 7, 2009 by morningaftershow

Comedian Jon Lajoie will be in Victoria on December 15th to perform at the MacPherson Playhouse.  Today I had a chance to talk to him on the radio.

We talk about his love for Rebecca De Mornay, his character from the FX show “Taco,” and a bunch of his internet videos.  We end by talking about the weather because I’m cool like that.

Download: Jon Lajoie on The ZAS

***

Last Friday, Vic (now Van) band The Racoons came by for a chat and live performance.

Download: The Racoons on The ZAS

Go with yourself.

Posted in music, neat-O gang | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

Capital Rock City #83 // Blue Violets, Eric Harper, Aidan Knight and The Peoples Side Project

December 3, 2009 by morningaftershow

This week on Capital Rock City, #83, we start off in a festive spirit, with a lovely tune from The Blue Violets, and continue on with more music from Eric Harper, Double Dance Fall Sampler artist Aidan Knight, and, lastly, The Peoples Side Project. Enjoy!

Download: Capital Rock City #83

and remember kids, every time you subscribe/rate/comment to Capital Rock City on iTunes or use this RSS feed, a baby otter slides down a muddy embankment in the most adorable of fashions.

DJ Notes:

01) Blue Violets – “Blue Christmas”
02) Eric Harper – “Missing in the Dark”
03) Aidan Knight – “Jasper”
04) The Peoples Side Project – “Spray Paint”

Next week, I am looking forward to a visit with Aidan Knight (I hope), music from Vanband Whitfield and a new group I have a demo for called…. I can’t even remember, that is how new they are!

***B A N D S***

any of you have Christmas songs recorded or think you can record something?  I’d love to do an all Christmas CRC 86 for December 22.

CRC 87 on December 29 will a retrospective/Best Of ’09 dealio.

Thank you for downloading Capital Rock City, if local indie rock is legit, then please pass on the link to my podcast/blog to your social network and help me grow my baby into a strapping young beast that can do my chores in 2010!

Go with youself.

Posted in Capital Rock City | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »