Today is the day. New Radiohead. The song is called “Burn The Witch.” It’s a stop motion animation that shows a little English village. The people are all a little strange as they take some sort of magistrate on a tour. At the end they build a giant wooden structure and light it on fire! Radiohead have been hinting at a new song called “Burn The Witch” after sending a bunch of flyers out to fans. Yesterday their social media went blank…today, May 3rd, my brother Matt’s birthday, boom.
Its been awhile since I’ve heard a chillwave song to get hot and bothered by. Apparently the scene has moved on… but I can’t exactly fire up Skrillex in the Veneto Lounge on a Friday night.
So I wave the chillwave flag hazily and at half mast proudly!
Pitchfork talked about Expensive Looks yesterday. Had a meh review.. but mostly because I think Pitchfork is meh on the genre right now… not on ONE Expensive Looks song features Azealia Banks soooo…
Trolling the internets and I found a bunch of EL remixes including a remix of one of my favourite Radiohead songs… “High and Dry.”
Radiohead – “High and Dry (Expensive Looks’ Blizzard Fantasy)”
Radiohead’s The Bends was #09 on my list of 20 Special Records. Coral and I have the LP hanging on the wall. Back when Coral listened to more rock music… or I guess we listened to music together, this was an album she’d put on.
Radiohead generally remixes pretty good, but it tends to be the later career stuff. Its nice to hear one from my days as a Radiohead fan.
Not sure if I’ll download the whole Expensive Looks album Dark Matters, but I will for sure be seeking select tracks for the playlist at Veneto.
On Madelyn’s birthday (Feb 24th), an artist will be playing the Biltmore in Vancouver called Four Tet.
This UK electronic man is making some music that is getting me all hot and bothered lately. As I have been searching for fun, avant garde, loungey music for my weekends at the Rialto, Four Tet hits the mark.
I think part of the reason I like Four Tet so much is because he reminds me of Explosions in the Sky. have a listen to “She Just Likes to Fight” and tell me that song wouldn’t fit on any EITS record. Great music to decompress to.
You might know Four Tet as the guy who opened for Radiohead back in the Hail to the Thief days or as the guy who remixed RH’s “Scatterbrain.”
(ha Sara P just walked into my work space to close the door… maybe not everyone loves Four Tet like me!).
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There are no clean coffee mugs at work right now, which is a real heel on the groin, and not in a sexual kinda way. Likely that is for the best. I got to stop drinking so many mugs of coffee. A couple weeks ago, before my staycation, I did a great job of keeping my coffee intake under control. Lots of water, and I felt really good two weeks ago. I better get back on that.
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I am a sucker for cover songs. Cover songs are a real challenge on the Zone because, well I don’t really know. I find whenever I play a cover song, I am subjected to a torrent of hate calls. Calm down people, its just music. one that I want to punch up today I know I’ll take a few lumps from… but I don’t care. I think it is a pretty good spin on a modern rock staple. Vampire Weekend tackling Rancid “Ruby Soho.”
Brandon and Brody from the Evergreen State invited me on their Vodcast Throwing Lemons for a Q&A.
We talk about all sorts of fun things like Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, Friday Night Lights (ok we talk about TV shows a bunch), Vanilla Pepsi, Pol Plastino, Coldplay vs. Radiohead vs. Oasis, Politics, some radio broadcasting slips in there… good times.
A the five minute mark Brandon says, “OK, final question”… and then the tape rolls like 7 more minutes, so good times.
The boys will post the video of the show on their site later tonight, but if you have the time and/or care, here is the audio from the interview.
Lately it seems that every time I crack the mic here at the Zone, I am jibber jabbering about another rock star fight. Let’s see what is playing out as I type.
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.
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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.
Coral and I finally got to putting up our Christmas Tree. Its a lot of work, putting up Christmas Trees. But in the end, I feel so much better having done it. I think I’ll keep it p till January 7th… which is like Ukrainian Christmas I think.
Our home is now very festive, until tomorrow when Madelyn wakes up and RAMPAGES everything.
I was not feeling a blog at all after all the work. Coral and I somehow got on watching Los Angeles news which was mega depressing. We flipped it over to A, and it was almost as depressing, except nearer to us, so back to KTLA it went. I think the CBC is the only station that manages to be serious and less scary.
So now I am typing away, my computer is as slow as shit. James is coming over on Thursday so hopefully we can track down what is bogging it down so savagely. I have not been into writing lately, I read other people’s blogs and they are so good. The ladies I read put WAY more “out there” into internet land. They share. Crazy fights, feelings, relationships, drama…you will find it all on someone’s personal blog. My blog, less so… I just jibber jabber and things.
I was thinking about this the other day. There has been another round of babyitis infecting the Zone office building. A few staffers have made the announcement that they expecting kids. Very exciting, got me thinking back to when Coral and I were expecting Madelyn. People were sharing their birth stories with us and it would inevitably go something like, “Oh wow, you’re pregnant, let me tell you about our first child! Man, I’ll tell you, I was in labour for thrity-seven hours. All my women bits where tearing and bleeding… the doctors would give me no pain killers. They were amazed I could withstand so much excruiatingly violent pains, they said a man would have passed out hours ago. But not me, I felt it all. So the forty hours dragged on, oh did I say thirty-seven earlier? it was forty. Forty-two hours of labour, my child came, she was born backwards and with spikes. The doctor said it was the most painful way to come. Doctor? heck no, the doctor was sick, I actually delivered the baby myself. Lost a lot blood. Oh man, kids are special, I am so excited for you!”
and then, you sit there all pale and meekly thank them for sharing their joyous birth story with you.
Did I mention my computer was as slow as shit?
All I tell Dad’s to be is, pack some food. And leave as soon as your girl passes out. Go home and have a shower and brush your teeth, then on your way back to VGH, stop at the drive-thru and get your girl an epic burger. She earned it.
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We got to dream up our annual top 10 list at the Zone of our favourite records and this year will be a challenge. I do have some favourites but to be honest, I don’t really have ten STAND outs.
Hmm, I remember listening to a lot of Coldplay, Kings of Leon, Beck, and Radiohead. MGMT on my walk to work. Plants and Animals was good. Fleet Foxes sometimes. hmm, right. Does Akon count?
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Casey-Jo sent me some clips from A TV when Eric from the morning show put my picture on the TV last week. After Movember. I fired it up on the Youtube.
Now right at the end he sorta has a laugh… hmmm? And he showed me on TV during some witching hour when no one watches… hmmm indeed. Does he have no respect for the sash? I had my operatives at A track down Eric’s cell phone so maybe I’ll call him tomorrow on the show.
Anyways, thank you Casey-Jo for taking the time to send me some clips.
Time for a tub and some book read’n. Go with yourself.
Oh, riiiight, Casey-Jo also sent me this wonderous track.
The Morning After 