The Morning After

Checking out Kelowna’s Yukon Blonde // @yukonblonde @jamesvmcmorrow @dinealonemusic

May 1, 2015 by morningaftershow

Kelowna’s Yukon Blonde are busy getting the world hyped on their new disc, On Blonde, which comes out, June 16th on Dine Alone Records.

The BC band is also part of the Dine Alone 10th Anniversary tour, but they’re playing the Alberta date? C’est dommage. We get James Vincent McMorrow.

Here is the video for their first single “Saturday Night” then I’ll post the new single “Como” and we’ll check out a cut from JVMM.

I wanna live with a @Cinnabon girl

— Yukon Blonde (@yukonblonde) May 1, 2015

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged Dine Alone Records, James Vincent McMorrow, Yukon Blonde | Leave a Comment »

Remembering late 90’s Vancouver indie band Dead Model Shoot

April 29, 2015 by morningaftershow

I was weirdly thinking about an old song I used to play all the time on The Morning After Show when we first launched the show on CiTR back in 1998.

There was this ep from a band called Dead Model Shoot. The record channeled 70s and 80s alternative or pop-punk.

There was a cut on the record called “My Right Wing Mates.” The song tells the story of a guy wrestling with his sexuality and the challenges of coming out to a group of guys who might not accept him. The song is set to a fairly bouncing pop tune.

I was thinking about the song as it still gets stuck in my head to this day, so I reached out to Cameron Hartl, one of the members of the now defunct group and I asked him if it was based on a true story.

“Not fully literally but more like a tongue in cheek thing about my growing up in Surrey with “tough” dudes. Sure I messed around in my sexuality and thought it interesting that I was in this tough guy macho sort of crowd,” said Hartl on Facebook. “One of my best friends at the time came up to me at the bar drunk after we released the EP and he was like, ” wait, so am I like your Right Wing Mate?Like wtf?” Obviously it is also an homage to Morrissey but being more direct as well.”

Go with yourself.

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Something chill and pastoral from Jose Gonzalez // @_JoseGonzalez_

April 29, 2015 by morningaftershow

Small world. I got an email from a guy named Justin the other day. Justin used to work at the college radio station in Victoria, CFUV, and is now in Toronto working records to blogs (like mine!), college radio, satellite and specialty radio. He sent me a bunch of stuff he is working including this beauty.

Swedish singer-songwriter José González was in Vancouver last Saturday for a show.

He is touring behind his record Vestiges & Claws.

Justin ended his email with, “Sorry about the Canucks. (Not really!)”

Ha, dink.

Go with yourself.

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S or Jenn Ghetto. Something like that. // @jennghetto @hardlyart @subpop @grand_archives @bandofhorses

April 23, 2015 by morningaftershow

photos by Christopher Wilson

S is singer/guitarist Jenn Ghetto.

When I used to DJ at Veneto Lounge in Victoria, one of the bartenders, Katie, loved this group called Carissa’s Wierd. So much so, she made me download a record so i could play a song or two for her during the evening.

Carissa’s Wierd played their final show in Seattle at the Crocodile back in 2003. Two of the guys would leave to form Band of Horses. Then one of those guys would leave BOH to form Grand Archives. (their 2008 s/t is still a an all-time favourite of mine)

OK, rewind, back to Ms. Ghetto. Jenn Ghetto would also continue making music under the banner S. She is now putting out tunes on the Hardly Art label (a sub label of Sub Pop, Carissa’s Wierd’s old label).

Her forth record is called Cool Choices. A couple spins off this disc are great. “Vampires” is good, but “Brunch” is perfect.

S is on tour with The Thermals. No shows in Vancouver but a bunch in Seattle.

05.01.15 – Seattle, WA – Neumos %
05.13.15 – San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar Music Hall # * +
05.14.15 – San Jose, CA – Cafe Stritch # * +
05.15.15 – Los Angeles, CA – Echo # * +
05.16.15 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Wayfarer # *
05.17.15 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar # *
05.22.15 – Seattle, WA – Barboza # *
05.23.15 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios # *
05.25.15 – George, WA – Sasquatch
06.27.15 – Seattle, WA – Repair Revolution
06.28.15 – Seattle, WA – Cha Cha
07.11.15 – Seattle, WA – West Seattle Music Fest

% – w/ Sera Cahoone, The Horde and the Harem
# – w/ Hutch & Kathy
* – S will be performing as a duo for these shows
+ – all-ages show

And let’s explore some Carissa’s Wierd.

Grand Archives

What the fuck, A-sides win right…. you know this one.

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged Band of Horses, Carissa's Wierd, Grand Archives, Hardly Art, Jenn Ghetto, s, Seattle, Sub pop | Leave a Comment »

Kaiser Chiefs tonight at The Commodore // @KaiserChiefs @commodorevcr

April 21, 2015 by morningaftershow

One of the UK’s biggest arena modern rock bands, Kaiser Chiefs, are in Vancouver tonight for a show at The Commodore Ballroom.

The London-by-way-of-Leeds band is touring Canada. In the UK, the Kaiser Chiefs play 11,000 seat arenas. Last night in Victoria, it was the 600 person Distrikt, and tonight, it’ll be for about 1,000 on Granville. I think we’re in for a big production in a tight space.

The band’s fifth album is called Education, Education, Education & War. The record was a number 1 in England. Part of that could have been that the lead singer guy is a judge on the BBC The Voice.

The reviews aren’t stellar on the record. NME pointing out that founding member and drummer Nick Hodgson was a big part of writing the tunes and he left the group. They did circle the single “Coming Home” as a standout.

“I’m right into the Blur reunion, ’cause it’ll finish off the Kaiser Chiefs and put them to bed. There’s nothing worse than a shit Blur. And at least the original shit Blur are back to finish off all these other shit Blurs. I’m bang into the Blur reunion.” — Noel Gallagher, aka Nostradamus, 2009

Go with yourself.

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You can steal from me, baby, that’s just fine. // @bookofITVB @thisisWATERS @teenmommys

April 20, 2015 by morningaftershow

Perfect Monday morning to hop a ferry over to Vancouver from the Island. Had an adventure filled time with Coral and the kids. We took a drive on Saturday out to Mystic Beach. April gives us perfect hiking weather in the Pacific North-West. Sunny, warm, but not hot.

Riding the bus to the skytrain I put up an old playlist. I used to make these mixes last summer called “Alternative to What?” Generally a mix of modern rocking, on the margins of mainstream, fun lists.

As the weather turns, I better get back into the habit of restocking the sonic cupboard with brighter tunes (and come to think of it…the Honda CRV’s infotainment thing is glitching and not reading our phones. I’ll have to fix that if we plan on road tripping).

Here is an older song, but a track that is getting some love on commercial modern rock in the US right now.

The LA based duo is called In The Valley Below. Echo Park, that’s LA right?

Folky, chill, but with a beat and pretty female vocals ping-ponging off a lazy southern Gentleman drawl. The band is currently hustling. Playing radio festivals with other radio chart heatseekers. Like Waters? Nice. I like those guys too.

***

Finally…let’s talk about this bratty pop-punker… Unwed Teenage Mothers. From the Southern US. What is MS? Mississippi? Maybe they’re from North Carolina?

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged In the Valley Below, Unwed Teenage Mothers, Waters | Leave a Comment »

Crobot on tour with Volbeat and Antrax // @Crobotband

April 20, 2015 by morningaftershow

Pennsylvania groovy hard rockers Crobot have announced a new single and an arena tour with Volbeat and Anthrax.

The new single off 2014’s debut record Something Supernatural is called “Full Moon Howl.” Listening to this cut… I get a little bit of a desert boogy metal vibe. Think Fu Manchu or Corrosion of Conformity. The lead singer can start wailing like the dude in Wolfmother.

Staring near the end of April, Crobot will be in arenas with Volbeat and Anthrax. April 29th they’ll be at the WaMu Theatre in Seattle.

Go with yourself.

Posted in music | Tagged Anthrax, Crobot, Volbeat | Leave a Comment »

Listening to Vancouver’s Pigeon Park // @pigeonpark

April 17, 2015 by morningaftershow

Photo credit: Samantha Rozon

2013 CFOX Seeds winner Pigeon Park have been working on new music with producer GGGarth Richardson. The song is the first listen off their ep Stripes. Look for it on June 16th.

The song is a tightly produced, high sheen rock anthem. With a guitar solo? Here we go rock & roll!

Tell your friends about their Canadian tour. I sees no Vancouver show. Sad taco emoticon.

Fri May 1st – The Palomino (Calgary, AB)
Sat May 2nd – Vangelis (Saskatoon, SK)
Sun May 3rd – WECC (Winnipeg, MB)
Thu May 7th – Club Absinthe (Hamilton, ON)
Fri May 8th – Moustache Club (Oshawa, ON)
Sat May 9th – The Hideout (Toronto, ON) – 11:00PM CMW showcase
Tue May 12th – Venue (Windsor, ON)
Thu May 14th – Bier Markt (Ottawa, ON)
Fri May 15th – E-Bar (Guelph, ON)
Sat May 16th – Kee To Bala w/ Big Wreck (Bala, ON)
Thu May 21st – McNally’s Tavern (Regina, SK)
Fri May 22nd – Rainmaker Festival (St Albert, AB)
Sat May 23rd – Better Than Fred’s (Grande Prairie, AB)
Sat Aug 1st – Rockin The Fields w/ The Tea Party, Moist (Minnedosa, MB)
Fri Aug 28th – CNE w/ Foghat (Toronto, ON)

Go with yourself.

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Listening to the new Fast Romantics single “Julia // @FastRomantics

April 17, 2015 by morningaftershow

Toronto based Fast Romantics are currently recording new music for a follow up to 2013 record Afterlife Blues (which I have floating around somewhere in my vinyl collection, Thanks Matt for that).

Fun, guitar driven pop-rock. Hit play, you’ll get it.