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Posts Tagged ‘Band of Horses’

April Showers Bring May ROCK

Posted in music, tagged , , , , on April 7, 2010| 2 Comments »

Starting to get pretty excited for some upcoming releases from some of my favourite bands.  Here is a little run down of what gets me all hot bothered between the legs ears.

The National – High Violet (May 11th)

I remember reading sometime ago, the guitar player from the band was talking about the creative process for crafting the songs that will end up on this new National record.  He was naming the drafts after Civil War battles!  Its just so nerdy, I love it.

The National are one of my all time fave bands, so the day this comes out, I’ll be grabbing the digital and the vinyl copy for my collection.  And if the gods smile on me (no tix yet and its sold out!), I’ll be front and center at Sasquatch Festival when they take the stage.

Download: The National – “Bloodbuzz Ohio”

Band of Horses – Infinite Arms (May 18th)

Very romantic music, I have a couple BOH records and they remain a constant favourite for both Coral and I. We’ve also been fortunate to see them a couple time (or three for Corj) and every time, its better than the last.

I should start setting aside money now as there are a lot of records in May already that I’ll need.  You can have a listen and watch a video for the song “Compliments” by clicking right heeeeerrrrrre.

oh, and also playing Sasquatch!

The Hold Steady – Heaven is Whenever (May 4th)

A day after my brother Matt turns… hmmm I’m 30, my little sister is what?  25?  Matt must me turning 27?  Does that sound right?  my Mom will have to back that up, the point is, I know what I am getting my OTHER brother for a wedding gift!  The new Hold Steady record.  CJ, god bless ’em, went to live in London for the better part of a year sometime ago and one of the highlights of his working holiday was getting a chance to see one of our favourite bands in London!  How rad is that?  Then the man got tickets for us to see them in Vancouver last fall but I jammed out.  Bad brother I be.

The Hold Steady made some changes to their sound on this record, most notably, no more keys… who’ll be tickling the ivories on the new disc?  less piano balladry?  I don’t know about that, some of my fave Hold Steady songs are the ones with some heavy piano melody.  You can hear the song here and get all nostalgic for Boys and Girls in America era Steady.  Also listen for this new single on The Zone’s modern rock inbox.

And because I love torturing myself… another band I might miss if a miracle doesn’t happen and I don’t get me some Sasquatch tickets!

Holy Fuck – Latin (May 11)

Holy Fuck have a name that some people find offensive.  Calm down… if you look at it in the right frame of mind, it actually might be a very spiritual branding?

Holy Fuck changed my world in the fall of ’09 when they melted my brain into a sooty, chalky ooze in Element Nightclub during Rifflandia.  Its electronic, its epic, its organic, its living, its  a lot of things and with no (or much) lyrical content… it can be whatever you need it to be.

“Lovely Allen” will always remain one of my favorites and because they write that perfect song, they’ll get the benefit of the doubt that the new stuff will crush.  The first feature track is called “Latin America” and you can download it here, for free if you provide an email address. (on the player, its says MP3, click on that.)

A lot of you readers of the blog that have been enjoying some of the chilltastic beats I have been posting should really get a good experience from this song (and its free and painless to get, so go get).

Stars – The Five Ghosts (June 22nd)

The Stars’  2004 record Set Yourself on Fire, should go down as a Canadian indie rock classic.

It travels throughout all sorts of lonely and/or adorable themes.  I listened to that record pretty heavy when it came out and still enjoy going back to re-explore it from time to time.  I wasn’t as keen on “In Our Bedroom After The War” though I really wanted to be.  I think this might be the record where I bounce back into the Stars fold.  The first single sounds very solid to me in the first few listens.

You hit play and it jumps right out at you.  Then Amy Milan takes over with her beautiful voice, and I’m in love again.  And because the internet totally rules… why not download for free? like why not, really?

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That what I am looking forward to in regards to new music coming out next month (and June I suppose).

Another half baked idea I had was to try and start collecting Beatles music on vinyl… but seeing as my record player is on the fritz and I don’t have the wall space to display the album art, maybe that idea will be put on the back burner for now.

Go with yourself.

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My Top 10 Zone Shows of the 2000s

Posted in music, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 18, 2009| 4 Comments »

The Zone @ 91-3 signed on the radio June of 2001.  And since that time, The Zone has sponsored a large number of Zone Shows.  I didn’t come to the Zone till the spring of 2003, but I have done my best to reflect on some of the best concerts I can reckon from our extensive list of Zone Shows.

Were there better shows?  maybe… in fact I can think of a bunch of great shows that aren’t on this list.  I didn’t include anything that wasn’t a numbered Zone Show or anything that wasn’t in Victoria.

I wanted to include Rifflandia, it was Zone sponsored, but not a Zone Show… but it deserves a mention because it was so darn fun and the few shows I caught this year completely ripped!  About half these shows I was at,m the other half I am relying on eye witness reports of their greatness and my jealousy of not being there.  Here we go.

10) Sum 41 #1 Legends August 15th, 2001

The first Zone Show.  I was not there but after talking with Sara, she felt that it would be important to mark the historic first in the franchise of “Zone Show” that featured a band that would continue to grow.  When Sum 41 returns to Victoria now, they take up residence at the Arena, so if you were there back in the summer of ’01, you saw something special.

I originally wanted to include  Sloan #60 Legends October 19th 2003.  Sara asked, “what makes that show so special?”

I remember it as being one of the first big rock shows I got to MC as a young buck rocking the evening show on the Zone, but more importantly, there is this Zoner that phones my show from time-to-time that told me the story of his life and that show.

He brought a girl out on a first date to that rock show and they would end up getting married and are still married to this day.  He always tells me how special Sloan and the Zone are to them because of that first date.  awww, cute.

Our first big arena show was aptly, Zone Show #91, Our Lady Peace Save On Food Memorial Center, April 26 2006.

09) Sam Roberts w/ The Killers #74 Centennial Square September 4th 2004

One of my great modern rock shames. Being the junior announcer on the Zone still, I had to work while everyone else went down to Centennial Square to see this hot new band with a hit single called “Somebody Told Me” open up for Sam Roberts!

08) Beck w/ Band of Horses #159 Royal Theatre August 27th 2008

I included this show for a couple reasons.  One: Coral and her friend Alix got to meet the lead singer of Band of Horses outside the Theatre.  Two: Beck totally slays.  Three, Band of Horses just keep getting better.  To see them in the theatre is a treat.

07) Billy Talent w/ Rise Against, Moneen and Anti-Flag #115 Save On Foods Memorial Center January 18th 2007

Fuck it rained that day.  I was outside huddled under a tent in the down pour for an epic live-to-air pre-show that included performances and interviews from all the bands involved.  It was Rise Against’s first time in Vic and marked Billy Talent’s rise to the top of the Canadian Arena Rocking pyramid.

06) The Killers #169 Save On Foods Memorial Center April 23rd 2009

They came in ’04, they conquered in ’09.  The Killers jammed out a bevvy of radio friendly hits, were gracious to allow an interview on the Zone, fired up an impressive stage show and just generally exceeded expectation.

05) Metric #101 Legends March 29th 2006

Metric’s first time in Victoria was a handful of years earlier opening for Hot Hot Heat at Sugar, then again headlining with Death From Above 1979.  Those shows were good, but this show, headlining in the basement of the Strathcona Hotel was great!  Metric was starting to firmly establish themselves and you knew then that these guys were gunna be huge!  Just read the The Zone DJs top records of the year and almost everyone has Fantasies on their list.

04) Tragically Hip #174 Save On Food Memorial Center June 20th 2009

The Hip have had more than a few amazing shows in Victoria.  I personally preferred their visit in January of 2007 for Zone Show #116.  Then I saw them at the Commodore with my brother CJ.  That show was spectacular.  But talking with Dylan Willows, he said that #174 was the BEST Hip show he had ever seen.  The special shout out that Gord had for the Times Colonist’s music writer Mike Devlin was go down in infamy ’round these parts.

03) Queens of the Stone Age #153 Save On Food Memorial Center May 1st 2008

There is a trend on this list for the best shows being later int he decade.  I think that is happening for two reasons.  The first being that I remember them better and second, the Zone is growing as a radio station and bigger rock acts are choosing our fair city.  I’ll take it.

Queens is arguably the biggest band we play on the radio.  Not only are these guy important to our playlist on the radio, Josh Homme delivers the goods on stage.  Was a joyful man to interview and just generally owned the evening.

02) Tool #143 Save On Food Memorial Center December 1st 2007

It was my mother’s 50th birthday party on December 1st… and so I had a date in Coquitlam for the shin-dig.  And I missed one my all-time fave bands.  I am not too broke up about it however, I’ve seen Tool live more than once and every show they do is special.  I can only imagine that a concert that sold out instantly was as insane as I imagine.  this will be a show that Zoners will celebrate forever, along with,

01) Nine Inch Nails #161 Save On Food Memorial Center December 5th, 2008

Could there have been a more perfect live experience in Victoria of the arena variety?

The lights alone were worth the price of admission.  Trent had an exceptional set list, great energy and excitement for the entire evening.  I didn’t want it to end.

There were a lot of great shows in Victoria, a lot club gigs, little festivals, Meatloaf.  I could write all day about some of the adventures I’ve had watching Bob make out with some random goer in the beer line of the Def Leppard concert, falling down a flight of stair and cutting my leg at Pirate Party (that was after puking and sharing the hot tub with the twins… male twins… awkward), Plants and Animals, Lucky Bar in general, open Air at Centennial Square (RIP) all those crazy SUB parties up at UVic, Band of the Month shows… oh the list.

Actually, Meatloaf was pretty good.

Go with yourself.

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that makes about as much sense as a cat wearing pajamas

Posted in Dave Babych, music, neat-O gang, tagged , , , , , , , on November 29, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Johnny B. Shields is pulling away on the Movember race and is crushing me.  Boitano has also pulled in front of me too!

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Priestess‘ Mikey Heppner stopped by the Zone today… we chatted about a bunch things that he had recently blogged about.  He is such a dude.  New record from Priestess is coming soon and you better believe you’ll hear it on my show when there is something to play.

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Band of Horses is also working on some new music which gets all of us here at Casa La CorJ hot and bothered.  When I talk fave bands, Band of Horses is near the top of that list.

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I got a call on the Zone phone today from some guy completely outraged that I went on the radio yesterday saying I wasn’t so jazzed on the new Guns N Roses. I don’t think he is a regular listener of the show.  He had “heard” through the grapevine that I had “slammed” G ‘n R so this knight had risen to the challenge to defend Axl’s honour and tell me off.  Turns out my head needs to be “shaked” because it wasn’t clear to me that Chinese Democracy was the “BEST record of the last few years.”  O RLY? He got many facts wrong and we talked it out… I think its all good now.  Maybe its good that people talk about my show with their friends, but getting the facts so off… yikes, I don’t think they were saying nice things about my show.  So I guess they are forgiven for never finding the blog either… then they’d know, I am trying to like G ‘n R and I am an odyssey of discovery.  I downloaded “Better” today.  Kinda good.

One good song on the new G n’ R record… to me that is a triumph as I expected zero.

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Heard some Mother Mother on the modern rock inbox the other day.  very nice.  The main dude grew up on Quadra Island.

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Corj and I are taking Madelyn to visit Grandma Mom and Grandpa Jack this weekend, so I’ll rap at cha on Monday.  On Monday I am taking a turn driving the Desert Bus!  Tuesday is Straight Up Modern Rock night at The Clubhouse, giving away some Nine Inch Nail Tickets; Thursday is the Movember gala; Friday I shave my stache and then it is the NIN show at the arena; I’ll be broadcasting live outside; Saturday is the Zone’s Christmas Party!

Have a good weekend.

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