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
Yesterday Coral called into my radio show of all places to tell me our next baby will be a boy. We’re both very excited for December and its not because of PRESENTS for a change.
I was thinking back to when Madelyn was a baby. Coral and I lived on Yates Street downtown in a little bedroom + den thing. Maddy’s nursery was in the den. Coral thought a room without windows was no place to raise a child so that is what made us respectable rate-payers and we bought our condo. But for about the first three months of Madelyn’s life, we lived on Yates Street beside a Moxies. I walked to work. We pushed a stroller to the Market for groceries or the Starbucks at Quadra for a coffee. We were on the ground floor so we even had a tiny yard!
During that time I listened to a lot of Grand Archives. The Seattle band doesn’t seem to be very active these days…but I can always listen to “Swan Matches” and be transported back to laying on my couch in our little apartment on Yates Street with a brand new baby.
I wonder if (or hope) that a song rises up in December or January that will be as special for the new baby.
I like to consider myself a Grand Archives fan. On more than one occasion of exalted the virtues of the song “Swan Matches.” That song has taken an almost mystical or religious place in my heart.
But scratching surface, the paint will fleck off and reveal, I’ve been a poor fan.
I’ll tell ya, it can be hard staying up on everything in music. I enjoy indie rock, classic alternative, chillwave and 60s music mostly on my own time. I work at a modern rock radio station, so I need to be up on whatever Dave Grohl is up to. I DJ weddings, lounges, clubs… and well, where ever someone feels they need a DJ. So I then need to have at least a passing grade of top 40, electro, dubstep, and new country knowledge… sometimes my brain gets full.
People call me on the radio or email wanted to talk bands. That makes sense. You’re sick; call the doctor. Need meat; call the butcher. Like music; call the DJ.
That is groovy and I appreciate being the friendly neighbourhood DJ. Occasionally someone says, “hey man, you should play the Bingo Bongo Band on your show.” I make the mistake and say, “never heard of them.” And then someone gets mad and says, “SWA? Never heard of the Bingo Bongo Band! They’re the greatest EVAR! What kind of DJ are you?”
Zoinks, I was the DJ born with a human brain that has to live on a planet that has a measly 24 hour day.
My homeboy Two sent me an MP3 today from the Grand Archives. Said the song was performed live for the Sub Pop 20th Anniversary Party a few years ago when it was new. BEFORE it was included on 2009’s Keep In Mind Frankenstein.
WTF mate… they had a new record? Heck they’ve had two since their most excellent self titled debut.
This is beyond DJ failure; this is a total fan breakdown.
I guess fortunately? the good news is the buzz on the subsequent records was poor, so maybe I didn’t miss much… the track that Two sent me is pretty pleasant like GA tend to be. Have a listen.
I’ve been thinking about Henry George Bellinger again. Long time readers of this here blog may recall tat I occasionally like to talk about World War One. Mr. Bellinger is often cited as one of the, if not THEE first Canadian killed in action on the Western Front.
For some morbid or bizarre reason, the story of being the first guy killed in a war intrigues me. Months ago I told Simon about Bellinger.
Basically, it would be the anti-war epic. The story would center on 35 year old, married father tailor man Henry living in Eastern Ontario. The call comes that there is war and he enlists.
He trains, gets shipped over. Sits around for awhile. Cracks a few japes with the boys, smokes some cigarettes… then gets blown up in the first few moments of the first battle. Roll credits.
No heroic bayonet charge, no dragging his injured bro to safety… just sitting around, attack begins and a shell catches him. The end. And that is Bellinger’s War.
Obviously, I am having hard time envisioning the commercial appeal of this endeavour… but perhaps it could be a powerful short film. The ultra real war film.
There is not much information about this tragic footnote in Canadian history. He was born in 1876. He was married to who I can only imagine was super babe, Mary Ann. He was a tailor. He enlisted in the army in Levis, Quebec. He is buried in Belgium. He may have had a daughter named Mildred. Killed by enemy shell fire along with Norman Fry on January 8th, 1915. He was 36 or 39 when he died. The end.
Go with yourself.
Whoa… its been a few days and that’s my bad. Summertime and the living has been, well, maybe not easy. Busy?
I got more than one email and bunch of calls on the Zone looking to hear Maurice‘s acoustic take on “Robin.”
JP Maurice had just got off the boat from Vancouver where he had been on the outskirts of the Game 7 riot. He rolled straight into the Zone and laid this song down.
I don’t have any tattoos. I know right? I’m that guy. The no tattoo guy. Which is funny, because I went through a punk rock phase and everything.
Today I am broadcasting my radio show from Incendiary Tattoo on Esquimalt Road. I am waiting on a cheque, but if I get some money I might try and get one during my show. But what?
I always loved this song. Their s/t album Grand Archives was new back in 2008 when Madelyn was born and became the soundtrack to that part of my life.
The song reminds me of staying awake at weird hours for her birth and later staying up on the couch watching late night TV and maybe a bottle feeding during the witching hours.
Swan Matches are pretty neat. Its an old British brand founded in the late 1800s. They were known as “the smoker’s match.” Obviously, they’ve changed their tag line today… but still… for the classic smoker still jamming out the match stick to light up, Swan’s is apparently the brand. The brand was Britain’s best selling match by the 1930s.
The company is now Swedish but they still operate as Swan.
Sort of a random thing for Grand Archives to find for a song and title.
I finally got through my Top 10 of 2008. But I have a feeling I am missing some gems. If they come to me later, I’ll fix that on here. We’ll explore my top 10 in Youtube video magic.
10) Jack Johnson – Sleep Through the Static
I just put this record here to start and then as I thought about it, yeah I like Jack Johnson… so what?
09) Mother Mother – O My Heart
Fun poppy band from Vancouver. I played this record a ton over Hallowe’en.
08) Bloc Party – Intimacy
There are a ton of cool songs off this record. “Signs” showed up on Gossip Girl last night during a big scene. “Flux” is my favourite but isn’t a “true” single as it was recorded between albums and included on the North American physical release of Intimacy only.
07) The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
This record didn’t change my world like Boys and Girls in America, but the disc did get lots of play and still lives in the Jeep.
06) MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
I think this was 2008…
05) Plants and Animals – Parc Avenue
One of my best surprises on the year, a go to when making a playlist, and a favourite night out with Coral back in the Spring.
04) Grand Archives – The Grand Archives
Another favourite for late nights when I am alone or feeling lonely. The song “Swan matches” is the soundtrack to Madelyn’s birth and the first few days home from the hospital. Actually this record should be number one… but I already handed it in, so I’ll call it a strong 4.
03) Radiohead – In Rainbows
A record that got lots of spins int he winter of ’08 and one of Coral’s favourites. We had a Valentine’s Day dinner at home when Coral was pregnant and we put this disc on front-to-back and it was perfect.
02) Coldplay – Viva La Vida
No record got more play over 2008 in the Jeep than Coldplay. It was the soundtrack to our summer holiday and big part of the hype for Pemberton.
01) Kings of Leon – Only By the Night
fuck this album kills. Its a tie between Akon (anything he touches) and “Use Somebody” as my song of the year.
***
I also really jived on Alkaline Trio this summer, Nine Inch Nails, if only for the outrageous concert, I am late to the party, butFleet Foxes is growing on me. I listened to a ton of top 40 and dance music andCut/Copy stood out. Fucked Up is also new so I have not had time to digest it fully, but pretty rad. Deerhunter is another solid one that I just downloaded but haven’t had time to full appreciate.
One of Coral’s faves might also include Jason Mraz.
The Morning After 