Posted in music, tagged Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters, Slaves on August 3, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters was shouting out some modern rock bands the other day. One of the bands he mentioned was the British rock duo, Slaves.
The punkers from Kent put out an album in 2016 called Take Control. The record has a classic 80’s alt-rock/punk energy.
Go with yourself.
Posted in ...this is your father speaking, music, tagged Agora, Bear Hands, Com Truise, Cursive, Foo Fighters, Giants, Penguin Prison, Ryan Hemsworth, saddle creek, Something From Nothing, the ugly organ on October 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Bear Hands is a band we know and love here in The Zone because of the song “Giants.” The follow up single is a cut called “Agora” and yesterday a remix from Com Truise was posted. Let’s hit it!
Bear Hands will be on Conan on October 27th!
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Penguin Prison is the worst name for a group. Penguins should be in nature, not in jail. I Heart Moosiq posted this beauty jam.
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Finally…I like this chill Ryan Hemsworth song, “Snow in Newark.”
Fact Mag says these things about the song.
That’s all I got…. oh wait… Saddle Creek is re-issuing Cursive’s The Ugly Organ… pre-order YUP!
Thank you JR at Ditch Records for the head’s up…he really is the best record store guy on the planet.
I had Ugly Organ in the compact disc player during the time around the birth of my son Jack.
That part that says “The worst is over..” over and over and over. It resonated with me after his birth and both baby and Mom were alive and healthy. It’s one of those Dad things… when it is game time….it is just Mom and babe and there isn’t much you can do but strap in, trust in the medical science, and hope. After it is done and everyone is safe and healthy, you think…OK, this is gunna be alright.
I do l know of course…wait, this is just the beginning! But for the moment, it’s all good.
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Aaaaaaand. New Foo Fighters today. This will be a big deal at the radio factory.
Now…that is all I got. Time to hit Part and Parcel for lunch!
Go with yourself.
Posted in music, tagged Bon Iver, Cursive, Dave Grohl, Dave Hause, Foo Fighters, Justin Vernon, Northcote, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Dismemberment Plan, The Promise Ring, Volcano Choir on January 8, 2014| 2 Comments »
First day back to the blogging grind after a few weeks away. On December 29th my son Jackson Hale was born. It has been a wonderful adventure so far, tomorrow it is back to the Radio factory.
The past few weeks have been filled with family. And music. I’ve been using my time to dust off old records, listen to new records, and enjoy the pleasure of listening for the sake of listening. It’s funny how listening to music for work can take away so much from the joy of a good song.
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Listen to THIS! >> Alternative to What?
I put together a little mix of a few of the songs that I’ve been enjoying lately.
The day my son was born, Cursive’s “Gentleman Caller” was blaring through my thoughts. The part where they sing “the worst is over…” During a brief chance to rush home form the hospital while my wife rested…I grabbed my album The Ugly Organ and popped it into the compact disc player. Its sat in the Honda since. Such a perfect record.
My buddy Razer came over to meet my son the other day. When Mom and Babe drifted off to sleep, we pulled out a couple beers and got talking music. Razer was talking Victoria performer Northcote and his tour with a guy named Dave Hause.
While listening to Dave Hause of RDIO, a song form Dave Hause came on that brought Razer’s attention back to the computer, he recognized it…. it was a cover of The Promise Ring’s “Skips a Beat (Over You).” Then we got into 90 alternative bands like The Dismemberment Plan and then Sunny Day Real Estate. There is a documentary about the Foo Fighters that tells the story of the band and Dave Grohl recruiting the Seattle band’s bass player and drummer.
The mix ends with a song from Volcano Choir. I’ve been looking at the album on the shelves at the record store…but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. My friend Tyson Elder was yapping about it on twitter and sent me a copy to check out. Pretty solid. I liked the song “Acetate.” Such a pretty album…but then what would you expect from Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon?
I hope there is something in the mix you’ll enjoy. Go with yourself.
Listen to THIS! >> Alternative to What?
Posted in music, tagged Arkells, Black Keys, Bon Iver, By A Thread, Coldplay, Decemberists, Foo Fighters, Foster The People, M83, Naked and Famous on December 5, 2011| 8 Comments »
Picking a top 10 list of favourite records is always excruciating fun. I always think it will be easy until I sit down and start going through my records. I enjoy remembering, but then quantifying and sorting those memories can be a challenge.
The radio consultants at the Zone always say that “your heavy rotation songs should be easy to pick.” I agree that my number 1 this year (like previous years) was an easy pick. But then after that… I dunno.
Another challenge is trying to weigh something I listened to heavy in January to something that is bright and new and shiny right now… Generally I figure, if I am not rocking it now, then probably not a top 10 list type of band. But then… Awolnation I used to listen to all the time. But couldn’t find a spot on the list. Also, Destroyer or Fleet Foxes I jammed out for a time…but not on the list.
Lots of bands had songs that I adore, but couldn’t include the record because:
A) I don’t actually have it
B) Not that good, even if I listened to a particular song a trillions time.
Man, I loved songs from Holy Ghost, Atlas Genius, We Are Augustines, Dinosaur Bones, The Strokes, Airborne Toxic Event, Gold Panda, Bell X1… hmmm there are bound to be even more… I jammed out tons of country, metal and electronic this year… but no records that get played heavy.
And then there is The Black Keys. Record comes out on Tuesday. It’ll come out in 2011… but I haven’t heard the whole thing yet so.
11) The Black Keys – El Camino
I have only heard part of this record… and I already know I’ll love it. The band dominated the Zone (and rock radio in North America) this whole year. 4 number 1 singles on the Modern Rock Countdown. My goodness.
I know doing things on margin is what caused the financial crisis but I had to include El Camino on my top 10 list! Even if its Number 11.
The theme song to my Hockey! segment… “Lonely Boy”
10) By A Thread – By A Thread
Over 10 years I waited for the follow-up to post-whatever band By A Thread’s The Last of the Daydreams. Over 10 years!
I loved this record when it showed up in the mail back in April. I put the record aside for most the summer… but once the weather turned, I dunno, but this record has featured tons on my listening habit. When I walk to the Zone, this record get blasted through the headphones and transports me back to my college radio days. I love this record because it has both a timeless feel to me, while sounding somewhat modern . I say “some what” because sometime I get tricked. maybe you’ll listen to this record and go… “hmmm, sounds like late 90s post-alt rock to me.”
all you need is “Fashion.”
09) Coldplay – “Mylo Xyloto”
Haters gunna hate… but whatever, this is a pretty good record from Coldplay. I enjoy the singles on the radio, I enjoy them when they pop up in mixes, and I enjoy the record which lives in my van for long drives. Just a plain, good old fashioned well produced mega slick, great big record.
Live to be a 40-year-old virgin listening to “Paradise.”
08) Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
Another big, slick mainstream record that is just good. I enjoy all the songs we play off this disc on the radio. The album was so super hyped before its release I was a little concerned I wouldn’t like it. But hitting play on this album is a rewarding experience and is another point on the list of why Dave Grohl is a living legend.
Shower in a truck stop with friends to this song, “Rope.”
07) Arkells – Michigan Left
Arkells are the band that demanded to be on my top 10 list. The story goes… I knew of the Arkells as a band. A Canadian rock band like a billion before them and a billion after them… then I saw them open for Tokyo Police Club and rattle the cage that was my brain. I quickly became a convert and devoured the back catalog. I was primed for the release of Michigan Left and was not disappointed. A fantastic, front-to-back album of rock & roll music. This CD lives in my van and I punch it up often.
If I had a friend named Matty that rocked ‘Women and Songs 2’… well I don’t what I’d think about that. “Book Club”
06) Washed Out – Within and Without
Just look at that album artwork… don’t you wanna make-out?
An album of easy listening. I have a sweet tooth for this type of chill electronic music. I can’t deny it. This record is a staple of my lounge set at Veneto. This record also lives in the Civic and sounded so awesome this summer barrelling up the Pat Bay Highway.
You’ll get to third base if you drop the needle on “You and I”
05) The Naked and Famous – Passive Me, Aggressive You
Tricky… this record was technically released in 2010… but then re-released to a world-wide audience (and on vinyl) in 2011.
A super fun and catchy record that contains a couple of my favourite songs of the year on it. “Young Blood” and “Punching in a Dream.”
Jon Williams was a big champion of this album and randomly showed up at the Zone one day with a vinyl copy tucked under his arm; which he then gifted to me. Nice. This record was the soundtrack to most my summer… and spring… and actually I jam out “Punching in a Dream” during many of my club DJ sets.
its a banger… “Punching in a Dream”
04) The Decemberists – The Kings is Dead
A record that came out in January of 2011… King is Dead is the first Decemberists record that I truly loved…
I went to see the Decemberists in the summer with Simon from the Veneto and his wife. There I met up with Dan and Laura visiting from France and had one of my great summer nights of 2011. I drank a cocktail that night that tasted like a spicy Chicago Dog! (in the best of ways)
“Rise to Me” would also make my list of top 10 songs of the year.
03) Foster the People – Torches
What do I say about Foster the People? Their song “Pumped Up Kicks” went sub-atomic on not only rock radio… but a bonafide top 40 jam. Soccer Moms hum along to a song about Columbining your school.
This record was played all-the-time around my home in the Spring and Summer. Coral and I don’t really jive on the same bands much anymore. So I do find it special when we both have a record we could put on and crank.
I swear, I could take any song off this record and play it on the Zone and it would be a hit. If anything, this record is TOO sugar sweet on the ear drums.
I like the song “I Would Do Anything For You” because I am a romantic (and a dork). Ooh-la-la
02) M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
My top two records both win because they are chill-out records and most my (as in MY) listening… is late at night (what time is now… shit, 1AM). I put on headphones, hit go… and dream. So my Top 10 has a lot of records that reflect that as they are the records that I listen to.
M83 is a record I wish came out anytime prior 2006 when I smoked way too much pot. This is a pot record in the best way. Lots of weird audio wickedness to pet your ear-holes. I’ve blogged lots about M83 and could go on all day on why he’s so awesome. You’ve read it and taken it to heart, or you haven’t… so what Imma gunna do is post “Midnight City” again and hope this time… this time it is the time you go… “riiiiiiiiight.”
M83 could and almost should be my number 1, but it doesn’t win for a few reasons. As much as I love the sonic oddities… sometimes I’m not in the mood. I do find myself occasionally skipping songs which I never do with…
01) Bon Iver – Bon Iver
I said at the top of my list that picking the number 1 should be easy and this year it was… My end of the day go to record when the weight of the world is pushing me down.
Hot dog, its good. A front-to-back masterpiece of modern light rock. I am sure in like 20 years Bon Iver will be the Hall & Oates of this generation… but fuck, whatever. Hall & Oates is cool again, so maybe that says something?
This is another record that both Coral and I listen to… cute attack!
This album is not a rocker or very pop. So if you need growls, distortions, tattoos, testicles… this album won’t be for you. But if you like to strap in and explore time and space in some sort of out-of-body astral projection experience… then you’ve found the soundtrack.
This song is so beautiful, “Holocene”
That’s another list of some of my more memorable albums of 2011. If I can find the energy, I wouldn’t mind trying to lay down a top 10 songs… but now that would be an even greater challenge. Maybe top 20? Top 50? Zoinks.
As with anything, music is subjective so unless we’re already musically compatible, you might scratch your head at some selections… and that’s cool, maybe it’ll inspire you to write your own list? Just be sure to post a link in my comment section so I can read your’s too.
Ugh, I always feel like I am forgetting something…. I am sure that I am.
Thank you for reading my blog. Go with yourself.
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Because lists are fun:
Top 10 Records of 2010
Top 10 Records of 2009
Top 10 Records of 2008
My Favourite Records of the 00s
Top 10 Zone Shows of the 00s
Posted in music, tagged Big Me, Foo Fighters, Gas Chamber, Get Off The Air, Rodney Bingheimer, The Angry Samoans on March 23, 2011| 4 Comments »
Last night was Victoria Record Club Meeting number 4. It was off to Talk’s Cheap on Pandora for another night of music, friendship and beers.
The first, or second record I put up was the Foo Fighter’s 1996 single, “Big Me.”
I recently bought the UK import (on white marble vinyl!) from Ditch on the weekend and had yet to drop the needle on it.
I remember being a kid in 1996 and “Big Me” being a massive hit. The music video was on Much Music all the time… and it was so clever because it made fun of those old goofy Mentos ads! Oh the 90s.
I love the story about the fans used to pelt the Foos with Mentos when they performed the song live… so the Foo Fighters stopped playing it in their live sets till 2005! Dave Grohl saying, “We did stop playing that song for a while because, honestly, it’s like being stoned. Those little … things are like pebbles – they hurt”
Tiemen is the fine proprietor of Talk’s Cheap and knows so lots about punk rock. I didn’t expect him to care or notice too much about my Foo Fighter’s pop song till he flipped it over to see the b-side was a cut called “Gas Chamber.”
He said, “oh I bet that is an Angry Samoans cover.”
SWA?
A-side: Foo Fighters – “Big Me”
B-side: Foo Fighters – “Gas Chamber”
I’ve said before, you can make it in music if you’re one of two things… really good, or really first.
The Angry Samoans appear to be a really first. They were one of the very first bands to put out a record that could be described as hardcore. Their 1982 record Back From Samoa contains the song “Gas Chamber.”
The Samoans were some rock journalists at Creem magazine that formed a punker band.
The first brush with notoriety was a dis song directed at a popular KROQ radio DJ in Los Angelas, Rodney Bingenheimer.
According to his bio, he doesn’t seem like all that bad a guy… but I guess the Samoans didn’t agree with him… or maybe the song was more a strike back against the whole “king-making, music industry industrial complex machine.” Who really knows… but the song “Get Off the Air” didn’t do the Angry Samoans many favours.
The Angry Samoans – “Get Off the Air”
Download a shitty MP3 >> Angry_Samoans_GetOffTheAir
Bingenheimer was a LA/Hollywood socialite in the 70s who was very instrumental in helping to network rock stars (and groupies). He owned a club on the Sunset Strip called English Disco, he was dubbed the “Mayor of Sunset Strip”, and was BFF with people like David Bowie and Sonny and Cher.
In the late 70s he was given a show on KROQ which at the time was a little rock radio station that no one cared about playing country-rock. Rodney jammed out punk and British glam/new wave at a time when the whole world in California was into the Eagles.
Rodney helped get some groovy bands out into the mainstream and became a popular guy.
Then backlash, then the Angry Samoans. The song pretty much made sure they didn’t end up on KROQ or get a chance to play any LA clubs for a few years.
They released an EP under a different band name to try and “sneak” onto Rodney’s show… but according to wikipedia, I don’t think it worked. Not sure if it was a gag or the guys are lame… I mean, I would have just apologized and sent my new record, or not given a shit to have my record played if I didn’t care about playing the game. But hey, it was the 80s, what do I know?
The point, I love this radio dis song, I want it to my theme song! I would have never found out about the Samoans if Dave Grohl hadn’t covered their song gas chamber back in the mid 90s and Tiemen had recognized the title. neat.
Go with yourself.
Posted in music, tagged Deadmau5, Download, Foo Fighters, MP3, Rope, Wasting Light on March 21, 2011| 1 Comment »
New Foo Fighter‘s record Wasting Light has the buzz that it will be the “best Foo Fighters record EVAR” swirling around it.
We’ll get a chance to hear if the substance meets or surpasses the hype April 12th.
The hot jam single is the most excellent “Rope.” And before we even get to hear a single album cut (well aside from White Limo), we get a remix from the Electronic pride of Canuckistan, Mr. Deadmau5.
Pour this download down your ear.
Foo Fighters – “Rope (Deadmu5 Remix)”
Download >> Rope (deadmau5 Remix)
My man across the hall Ryan Awram hopes they use this version in Glee. If only.
Go with yourself.
The Morning After 