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Posts Tagged ‘The National’

Open your ear hole

Posted in music, tagged , , , , , , , on May 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

The Arcade Fire have posted a couple clips of their new single(s), “The Suburbs” b/w “Month of May.”

They have a fun virtual turntable to listen to a small sample of each cut.

Check it out!

***

A little update on my quest to find a record player turntable DIY kit.  Rega does not do (but you can buy their fine turntables at Atlas on Yates Street).  Scheu does do kits… I have an email in right now with their Canadian distributor to find what it is, and what it costs.

If my DIY turntable never pans out, then I’ll save my pennies to buy a Rega from Atlas for sure.

***

My man Bob Lefsetz was not very kind to my fave band The National.

“3. The National “High Violet”

Sales this week: 50,671
Debut

What kind of crazy fucked up world do we live in where the act with the number three album is unknown to almost everybody in the country?

One in which music has been Balkanized, where we’ve got endless scenes and almost no mainstream.

I’d love to tell you I love this album, but I don’t.  I far prefer Broken Bells.

And while I’m at it, I’ll say that Grizzly Bear doesn’t float my boat either.

And my ultimate point is I’m now ignoring everything from Brooklyn.  It’s not the new Seattle, certainly not the new San Francisco.  The magazines and blogs need something to write about, and when they trumpet substandard stuff it ends up baffling the audience, makes them play video games or watch TV or listen to the same damn classic tunes over and over again.”

Ugh Bob, 50,671 people like love The National.  Its not their fault you’ve never heard of them, its not their fault the rest of popular music sucks or didn’t release a record last week.  Calm down.

You can’t dive into their 5th LP, listen half assed to a couple cuts and then “get it.”

Like any art, some of it speaks to you and some of it doesn’t.  Having been a passionate fan for some time, there is something to the sound that attracts me and keeps me coming back.  I read Bob constantly talking about how bands need to do exactly what The National have done… create real fans.  They did with me.

I don’t really care that people like or dislike the same bands I do (The National have their share of critics)… but I think my frustration stems from the fact I read this guy’s emails everyday when I roll into the Zone, and all he does is spout off about the need for hard working, authentic bands… one has a small glimmer of success and he hacks on them.

Ok, I’ll stop crying.  I generally like Bob’s curmudgeon-y emails even if I disagree with one part of one post.

But fuck Bob, open your ear hole.

Go with yourself.

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The Blinding Force

Posted in music, tagged , , , , , on May 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I biked downtown today to pick up a copy of The National’s High Violet on vinyl.  It is a very pretty record.  When I got to Ditch at noon, they had already sold out of their first box and I was a sad panda till Longshanks said, “wait, it might be in this parcel that arrived today.”  Sure enough, it was.

Fingers crossed, my record player acts like a well adjusted machine and spins the platter all proper like and I’ll get the chance to dive into all four sides of deep brooding guitar driven indie-awesome.

I was staring at the record package before a meeting today at The Canoe Club.  My waitress had never heard of the National, so I did my boy-scout deed of the day and gave her the MP3 download card that comes with better LP purchases.

The cover art of High Violet is a sculpture by an artist named Mark Fox.  The sculpture is called The Blinding Force.  It was neat to see the original on the web, but I picture of a sculpture doesn’t seem to do it justice.  I’d have to see it in a gallery I think, to fully appreciate.

The sculpture has a bunch of hand written words blasting out of that wood base.  On the record cover it is hard to make the them all out and I don’t really understand their meaning or theme right now.  I think that is why I’d need to see it in person, to make out more of the words… maybe drink a box of wine with the artist and listen to his ideas.

And then, why did The National chose this piece of art over all the others pieces they could or would have seen in New York City?

I am now pretty sad I’m not going to Sasquatch to see The National in May.  I just got my email approving my media pass.  c’est dommage.

They play in Vancouver in September ( a day I likely won’t be able to swing) and then in Redmond, Washington the next night (an easier date for me).

***

Coral bought me a present yesterday… new Jamie Oliver cookbook.  Does it have a chapter of food inspired by the desert of Arizona?  Why yes it does, thank you for asking.

***

Go with yourself.

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Interview:: Dan Mangan // Northern Soul

Posted in Dave Babych, music, radio, tagged , , , , , , on May 10, 2010| 2 Comments »

Vancouver based singer-bearded type, Dan Mangan came by the Zone Afternoon show last week before his show at Sugar Nightclub.

I am growing a bit of a semi for his record Nice, Nice, Very Nice.  For Mother’s Day, we packed up the family in the ole Jeep and headed up to Parksville.  On the trek, Coral’s sister Alyx brought along her copy of the album and we must have listened the CD twice through.  It was pretty amazing to hear.  I was pulling out elements of Damian Rice or The Frames; two artists that I also love.  I was forced to hit stop only when the Canucks came on the AM radio for the drive back.

Which leads me to this: does the programmer of CFAX huff glue?  After the game Alain is giving a post-game summery and interview and they cut him off to roll into commercials.  What could possibly be more important than Alain Vigneault debriefing such a clutch win? What could CFAX have to air on a Sunday night after a 4-1 romp of the Mighty Hawks?  Give your head a shake.  I was forced to punch up the Team till it got too fuzzy.  Respect the Alain… now I may never know the true nature of Sami’s testicle.

Right, Dan Mangan.

He came on the radio last Friday for an interview and live performance and clicking below will unleash that for you.  We talk about fun things like Stand-Up Bass players; try to launch a beef with The Reverend Horton Heat; laugh at some really Jason Lamb-esque jokes; Dan talk about the future; a shout out to Tamara Stanners at the Peak; then he plays “Sold.” Then I gush some more about that stand-up bass!

Click to listen: Dan Mangan on The ZAS

Download or get you some Nice, Nice, Very Nice… its a mighty good record and I’ll give it a firm thumb up.

***
I am just a handful of chapters from finishing Juliet, Naked.  The book is very enjoyable and is scratching a lot of itches that rattle around my head.

There is a brief moment of the book where Annie ends up meeting a couple gentlemen in a pub in Gooleness (which I think is a fake town?  There is a city or town or whatever in England called Goole… which is similar but not the town talked about in the book).  Annie meets these guys and they go on to display some crazy old-guy type dance and explain that they are into Northern Soul culture.  They then take Annie to a community hall where a bunch of old timers are milling about remembering the “good old days.”

I had read a review many moons ago about a Northern Soul compilation record, so I thought I’d check out what the music sounded like to put the scene in context for me.

Northern Soul basically was a Motown type movement going on in England in the 60s and 70s BUT they seemed like they went out of the way to find rarities, indie, b-sides and generally obtuse American R&B records.  I was instantly hooked.

Listen to some Northern Soul music

I downloaded something like 60 songs on Saturday and punched them up at the lounge.  I was losing my shit (the audience… well they weren’t going crazy like when I play more mainstream Motown, but I could see the style worked in the environment).

It was a lot of new music for me.  My easy read of what Northern Soul is led me to a couple books I’ll need to track down if I can.

01) Last Night a DJ Saved My Life by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton
02) Northern Soul: Music, Drugs and Subcultural Identity by Andrew Wilson

and for shits and giggles maybe Buyology by Martin Lindstrom.  Some crazy nerd words about fucking with your mind using the power of sound to sell stuff.

Basically Northern Soul sounds like music you’re familiar with, but you can’t place.  I think it’ll end up being worked in with more standard Motown classic to flesh out the sets and keep it from getting stale.  Plus, well anything new to me is exciting so it is fun trying to find and dig up the music of Northern England in the late 60s and 70s.

That’s all I got right now.  Tomorrow, the new National record comes out.  I have a meeting downtown so I’ll stop by Ditch and get the LP.  Can’t wait.  One.more.sleep.

Go with yourself.

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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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Capital Rock City #80 // Acres of Lions, Said the Whale, Hannah Georgas, Missing Starla, Porchlife

Posted in Capital Rock City, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 10, 2009| 9 Comments »

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Thank you for finding Capital Rock City #80.  I hope you like my weekly indie rocker podcast so much you’ll consider sharing it with a friend, subscribing and rating/commenting on iTunes and of course, coming back next week for CRC 81 LIVE from the Black Stilt Coffee House.

Download: Capital Rock City #80

***

DJ Notes

01) Acres of Lions – “Dance Sequence”
02) Said the Whale – “Goodnight Moon”
03) Hannah Georgas – “The national”
04) Missing Starla – “Girlfriend in a Coma (III)”
05) Porchlife – “Who Are You”

The show starts with AOL’s new music video song “Dance Sequence.”  What a groovy video, if you haven’t seen it click here.

Acres of Lions are in action locally on Saturday the 14th when they support the Armchair Cynics.

Nov14_2009-194x300

I tell the story on the podcast about my daughter Madelyn’s current obsession with book the “Goodnight Moon.”  She is not the only one, Said the Whale wrote a song inspired by the book (and its not the only literarialy inspired song on the podcast this week… how smart).

Hannah Georgas wrote a song about The National!  I *heart* The National so I had to hear this song.  So pretty.  what a gem.

Twitter: Said the Whale
Twitter: Hannah Georgas

Missing Starla finally heard an old podcast I did where I told the story about their name.  Victor sent me an email:

(…) The first is a slow mellow song called Girlfriend in a Coma Part III. It’s a song inspired by Douglas Coupland’s Book called, Girlfriend in Coma, which was inspired by the Smiths song: Girlfriend in a Coma(hence the part III). What’s also interesting about this song is that it is in a contest on ourstage.com and is riding in 15th out of 593 entries. So, if people want to go and vote for it or other independent artists they can do so at http://www.ourstage.com (…) Awhile back on your show you talked about the band Missing Starla and how they got their name. It seems we share a link: Irene and Derrick have come to some of our earlier shows ha!. We wanted to thank you for mentioning us on your show. Sorry, it took so long we recently got word that there was a blurb about us at the Zone through Franco.

If you are interested we would love to do a feature with you or be involved somehow with your show. Here is a link to our webpage: http://www.missingstarla.com

Presently, we are playing a show in Langley on the 12th, back in Vancouver for the 28th at the Yale and real soon going to start working on a new record.

Once again, thank you so much for that blurb, we appreciated it and I hope we can work together one day soon.

All the best,

Missing Starla

***

and show ends with a classic Vic indie rocker, Porchlife.  Wow, my email from Nick the Viking sums this up best:

Hey man – I’m sending you 6 files via yousend it – 2 demo tracks and 4 lives tracks from Porchlifewe found em in an old pizza pops box haha

 

the sound on the demos is ok, i’m sure you’ll cringe at the live stuff though.

the band was made up of Steve Baker, vocals (still doing music, just not publicly much unfortunately – has a killer voice!) – Ted Gowans, guitar (now Tegan and Sara)- Dono Rush, bass (now hitting the charts on Kool FM with Santa Clara) – Cory Monteith, drums (some actor or something I think…haha)

it was recorded in 2001 and I think the demo tracks were done by Adam Sutherland back when he was in Limestone! crazy.

enjoy man.

-nick

***

Good times.  Thank you for downloading my show and I hope you’ll take the time to share the link with a friend.  Talk to you next week.

Go with yourself.

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So I always get nostalgic with that song

Posted in life or something like it, WWJD?, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 29, 2009| 6 Comments »

“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” – Proverbs 22:7

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Whoa, I watching the National last night when they did a segment on biblical scripture being used for financial planning.  Who could think I’d get inspiration from not only the Christian Church but also Americans for financial reform?

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Its bloody hot out!  Its all anyone talks about on their twitter feeds, or facebook or on the radio.

Whenever it gets this hot out, I always remember listening to Big Wreck’s “That Song” as a seventeen or eighteen-year-old kid.  It was insanely hot that summer and the family stereo was in the living room of my parent’s place in Coquitlam, the hottest room of the house.  I put the song on repeat and just lay on the floor jamming it out.

Now to this day, the song reminds me of summer… but the lazy, hazy late afternoon summer days.  Hanging out at home, bored and waiting for something to happen, which is basically the best times as a teenager.

This hot weather reminds me how much I truly enjoy my scooter.  It is just plain fun tooling around on that thing in the summer time.

The one issue we’re having at the Casa La CorJ is sleep (oh and lack of sex, Coral won’t let me touch her in this heat!).

I read about some neat innovations and I think I want to MacGyver something up tonight.

One method calls for filling a pan or bucket with ice, then placing the bucket in front of the fan, like a poor man’s air conditioner… and if there is one thing I am, its a poor man!

The article had more than a couple tips so I am sure I’ll find something that works.

Go with yourself.

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Capital Rock City #57 // Doc Currie, Aegis Fang, Saul, and The Racoons

Posted in Capital Rock City, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 20, 2009| 3 Comments »

crc1

Click and Listen to: Capital Rock City #57

Thank you for finding my Victoria rock internet show Capital Rock City. Lots of great music this week (just like every week right).  Find Capital Rock City in the iTunes store for a free weekly subscription or use the Zone’s handy dandy RSS Feed.

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DJ Notes

01) Doc Currie – “Eastern Shore”
02) Aegis Fang – “Ghetto Man”
03) Saul – “Too Quick To Judge”
04) The Racoons – “Secret Song”

I met the boys in Doc Currie last week at Logan’s opening for The CFC (not to be confused with the Couples for Christ). DC is just two just guys doing the drums and guitar thing.  Lots of audio weirdness.  Two was thinking they sounded like Modest Mouse, I disagreed and pulled some threads of Japanadroids out.  But listening to “Eastern Shore” again on Capital Rock City… it is a little more noisy and experimental.

Aegis Fang!  Lets do it, this Thursday at Sugar for Beats and Babes 2!

BeatsandBabes2

The good kids in Saul asked me a couple weeks ago if they could use a clip form the Zone Afternoon Show in an intro to a song on their new record.  I said, “yuppers!”  And now you’re hearing it on Capital Rock City.  man, those were some good oranges.  I still remember them.  And to tie CRC 57 in to The Paper Cranes, Miranda went to Save-On and bought some oranges too.

The Racoons are on tour right now… Ontario maybe?  They’ll be back in Victoria for a show at Sugar on June 12th.  new ep, “Islomania” is out in Early June as well.

The “secret song” at the end of the “I’d Rather Be Sailing with” ep is a song that lead singer Matt describes as their “National sounding song.”  The National are taking FOREVER to follow up Boxer, so the Racoons will have to scratch that itch for me.

That’s all I got.  Thank you for downloading Capital Rock City.  If you like the show, please share the fine music of Victoria with your friends and pass the link on your social networks.

Go with yourself.

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Everything dies, baby thats a fact.

Posted in music, tagged , , , , , , on March 11, 2009| Leave a Comment »

because all my wisdom comes from television: “No one pays to see a one ball juggler.”

bands or record labels that disable the embedding feature on their music videos make me not want to share their great art with others.  grrrr.

That is my little rant of the moment.

Here are some of my favourite bands getting play at home over the past week according to my LastFM page.

01) The Von Bondies
02) The National
02) Bright Eyes
04) The Frames
05) Explosions in the Sky
06) Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
06) The Tragically Hip
06) The Hold Steady
09) The Fratellis
09) The Flaming lips
09) Joshua Radin
09) Beck
09) Joe Purdy
09) Vampire Weekend
09) New Pornographers

The Von Bondies new record is mighty good.  I am loving it the last couple days.  I only put it on my computer yesterday!

Time for rant two:  Pitchfork, get it together.  Your new website is brutal slow on every computer I use and not very practical for me to read.  Time for a new web design intern!  Unless of course, they’re pulling a Nirvana.  Maybe they are too popular and to get back that indie street cred they have designed a site so frustratingly difficult to navigate, all but the most scene (and I suppose unemployed) will have the time to wait for pages to load and to hunt for the basics.  grrr.

The Hold Steady did a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.”  At first I wasn’t too into the track, but it is really growing on me.

ALRIGHT!  Sorry to yell, but Madelyn is hungry and really wishing I’d stop typing about music and feed her.

Go with yourself.

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Capital Rock City #47 / The Laundronauts, The Racoons, Saul

Posted in Capital Rock City, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 3, 2009| 2 Comments »

crc1

Had a lot of fun crafting this weeks local rocker show for TheZone dot F-M.  I had to wheel out the record player and even used the old Denon CD cart machine.  My mic sounds off, I think someone came into the studio the other day and fiddled with the EQ.  BWOAR Stupid gremlins! I didn’t catch it till after we were done, and this is the one take special, so it had to fly.

Please Listen to: Capital Rock City #47

You can also SUBSCRIBE to Capital Rock City in the iTunes Store and/or RSS feed this puppy.  And remember kids, when you RSS or subscribe to the podcast, a baby orca is born.

Let the name dropping begin!

DJ Notes:

01) The Laundronauts – “Hard water”
02) The Laundronauts – “That Kind of Laundry”
03) The Laundronauts – “Outta My Head”
04) The Racoons – “Tangiers”
05) The Racoons – “Secret Song”
06) Saul – “Open Your Eyes“

The Laundronauts are my new fave band strictly because they released their single on white vinyl.  How hipster.  I had so much fun cracking out the record player and listening to the music.

jeremy-stacks-the-wax-01

Matt from the Racoons was back in town visiting his Mom and sister Jane.  Jane (and Alix) came over on the weekend and helped Corj and I sort out the bedroom and closet for some spring cleaning.  She had in her hot little hand the new racoons EP.  I had to have one.  So I asked Matt on his way to the 3PM ferry to hop into the Capital Rock City studio.

We talk about nerdy music stuff, The national and how great they are AND it is committed to tape, Matt said he’d perform at Coral and my wedding.

oh, and it turns out I was sharing emails with Dave from Saul.  Dave from the band emailed me needing some radio jibber jabber for a song on their upcoming album. Fun.  So you’ll hear a wee taste of the Zone Afternoon Show on the new Saul when it comes out.

That’s a podcast.  I hope you like it.  I want to drag JP Maurice into the studio sometime and I got a Facebook message from Katie Sly the other day.  She has a new band and I’d love to invite her down when they have a demo to share.  Word on the street is that Jets Overhead have a new record out in the Spring too!

Still hammering By A Thread for an interview and my lead on Chixdiggit ran cold.. sadness.  What else?  Maybe some more music from Edmonton?  Adam Thompson might make a future appearanc on the show with a group called The Faunts and I have been talking to Lindsay in Winnipeg about a contribution from her, so we’ll see.

Go with yourself.

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The Week in Music

Posted in playlist, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 28, 2009| 3 Comments »

dsc_0715

Some music getting some play on the home stereo over the past week here at the Baker homestead.

01) Frightened Rabbit
02) New York Dolls
03) MGMT
04) The National
05) All State Champion
05) Mission of Burma
07) Metric
08) The Killers
09) The Animals
09) Flo Rida

Flo Rida?  I know right…. but I bought this new single of his that features or samples or he riffs off “Right Round” as in…

How can you not love the song?

New York Dolls had a strong week because that record is new for me.  I bought it after watching the New York Doll documentary the other day.

Madelyn and I jammed out the MGMT, she seems to like that band (and oddly, The Layne Mitchel Podcast?  The Rick Lee prank calling Rick Lee… yup as funny as it sounds).

The other odd one showing up this week is The Animals.  I dunno why, just went on a Animals kick last week.  I think I heard the song “I Got to get outta this place” on the TV somewhere and it triggered a need for further audio exploration.

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