Sitting On My Hard Drive

Two CD's that have been taking up space on my hard drive and the Nano for the past month; the sophomore release by the Magic Numbers and the highly anticipated disc by the Shins.

Magic Numbers - Those the Brokes (2006)
This disc was officially released at the beginning of November, but I had the pleasure of finding an advance copy at least a month before. I must admit, the first listen didn't immediate impress me compared to the first time I heard their debut. The first album was so different from what I was listening to at the time, a fresh, crisp poppy saccharine delight, almost a guilty pleasure of boy/girl vocals that kind of recalled the Mamas and Papas (the M.N.'s are made up of 2 sets of brothers and sisters). After multiple listens (presently my most played), something finally clicked, this is a great disc! A slightly more lush, full sound, it still has my toes a tapping 'n' bobbin' my head. I know this album won't make these folks indie gods yet, like the Shins, but this is will definitely grab some attention on this side of the Atlantic (they are from the UK).

Magic Numbers
This Is A Song mp3
Take A Chance mp3


The Shins - Wincing The Night Away (2007)
Like the Magic Numbers CD, I had an advance listen to the new Shin's disc which is actually due out January 23, 2007. You won't find this in stores for Christmas, but I can offer up a couple of downloads. I've been listening to this one quite a lot as well, but I still haven't been completely satisfied. Their sound has a much more "grown up" feel to it, perhaps because they veer off to try different styles, and experiment more with strings and synth. I'm not sure how I would rank this release to their two previous discs, which I would consider Indie classics, Wincing..will be an attempt to grab some mainstream attention and I'm sure many of their songs will make it onto soundtracks in the very near future. Everytime I listen to this I find a little bit more to like, they have an infectious sound that you can't avoid, it's pretty safe to say, the future is very bright for the Shins.

The Shins
Australia mp3
Phantom Limb mp3
Girl Sailor mp3

Angela Desveaux - Wandering Eyes Part 2

Here's a good companion video to the piece I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the lovely Angela Desveaux. I think this is my new favourite song, and watching her perform it makes it that much better! I think I'm in love..not just with her, but also that beautiful guitar she's playing.

All Eyes On The Shins

Found this interesting piece about the band the Shins. It documents the band asking their fans to video them using their cell phones or digital cameras and to upload the footage. Nearly two hundred clips were pieced together to make a live audience compiled music video for their then unreleased single, Phantom Limb. This is my first time posting a Youtube video on this blog, so hopefully it works, let me know if you have problems viewing the clip.

Remember The Nils?

As previously mentioned, CBC's Brave New Waves late night radio program opened my eyes to a lot of new alternative and underground music, such as a memorable live in-studio session featured the Nils, from Montreal. If you don't remember the Nils, they were one of the most influential and important punk/post-punk Canadian bands in the 80's, they were largely over-looked and under-rated. Though they only released one full-length album, the Nils put out several Ep's and appeared on many Montreal and Canadian compilations.

I'm not sure of the date of the Brave New Waves session, I suspect it was from around 1987 or 1988 and I vaguely remember hearing this when it was aired. The Mp3's are taken from their CD, Green Fields In Daylight (released in '97), which is an excellent collection of early compilation tracks, live tracks, demos, and the Ep's. If you have any interest in the Nils at all, this is a great introduction to their punk legend. Their sound is a lot more polished and produced on their self-titled full-length album from 1987 (yes, that's my LP pictured), but this is one of my favourite albums of the 80's, (right up there with the Replacements Let It Be and Husker Du's New Day Rising), Canadian or not. Enjoy!

The Nils - "Brave New Waves session"
Mary-Anne with The Shaky Hands mp3
Young Man In Transit mp3
River Of Sadness mp3
If Heaven Lies mp3
Red Balloon mp3
When Love Puts On A Sad Face mp3
Pop Goes The World mp3

Wandering Eyes

Finding something interesting on the radio has always been a challenge. The city I live in didn't even have a campus radio station until after I graduated in the late 80's and the local classic rock stations spewed out the same stuff I heard in high school. Over 10 years later we have three university stations, U of M, U of W and Red River College. All these stations actually give some exposure to local bands and less known performers. The national broadcaster, CBC believe it or not, has exposed me to many new and interesting musicians.

Back in the mid eighties, a late night CBC radio show called Brave New Waves profiled indie and alternative music and culture. This show helped influence and shape my taste in music, providing music that was outside the mainstream, especially without college radio. I spend my University nights in bed with headphones discovering "new" music, at least to my ears. When I heard a cool song, I would grab a pen and jot down the name of the band and song title. Bands like Husker Du, Volcano Suns, The Nils, DOA, Half Man Half Biscuit, Minutemen, Sonic Youth... what would my life have been like without CBC-FM?...probably would be waiting for a "new" Boston album to come out.

Through the nineties, CBC had some other good music shows such as Nightlines, DNTO and on Saturday nights, a show that played concerts and in-session performances, much like on CBC radio 3.

More recently I was tuned in to CBC 2 (FM) at work, to a national afternoon show called Freestyle, with co-hosts Kelly Ryan and Cameron Phillips. These two are barely tolerable, but some of the music they play isn't too bad. There's lots of good Canadian content, such as the Arcade Fire, Sadies, Paper Moon, Plumtree, Jale and some newer acts like the Bicycles and Angela Desveaux.

Angela Desveaux - Wandering Eyes
Everyone that I've played this to has asked, who is this? Up until a month ago I would have thought the same. When I first heard Heartbeat on the radio, I thought this was something new from Kathleen Edwards. I have a soft spot for laid back, almost country-ish melody and harmonies and that song raised my curiosity and convinced me to seek out more about Angela. The album has some other moments as well, Wandering Eyes has a poppy feel to it, Sick Of Fools is more country-rock, kind of reminds me a bit like Allison Moorer and All the Talk is the rock song (does the guitar intro remind you of the Weakerthans song This Is A Fire Door Never Leave It Open?..check it out). The rest of the songs are slower or more folkier, which is okay, she has a great voice, but she needs to exhibit maybe more of an edge or urgency in the performance as it starts to sound too similar. She has been compared to Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch with an alt-country twist, so her influences are first-rate, and with experience she will add even more of her own personality and character on the next release. First, have a listen to her new CD or better yet, see her live if she comes to your town!

Angela Desveaux
Heartbeat mp3 ( from Wandering Eyes)
Wandering Eyes mp3 (from Wandering Eyes)
All the Talk mp3 (from Wandering Eyes)
Bury Me Deeper mp3 ( ep 2004 version)

Hey! What's Spinnin'?

Finally lifted all the crap off the top of the dust cover on the ol' turntable. Had the urge on the weekend to listen to some vintage (and not-so vintage) vinyl, stuff I haven't listened to in a while. I thought I would first work my way through all the LP's I didn't transfer to cassette back in the 70's, 80's and early 90's. The albums I did record onto tape or CD I've probably played to death, instead I'm going to concentrate on those gems still exclusively on vinyl (in my collection, anyways).

The Beatles - Yesterday And Today (non-butcher cover)
My favourite Beatle's period was around 1965 and 1966, Beatles VI, Help, Rubber Soul, Revolver and Yesterday And Today, which contained tracks from the UK versions of Rubber Soul and Revolver and the singles/b-sides of Yesterday/Act Naturally and We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper. My only complaint...it's so short, I had to flip the disc after only 15 minutes and I think side two is even shorter.

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces
I'm fairly burned out hearing his first two albums on the old car tape deck, but I never got around to transferring this to tape. It still sounds refreshing, those cool new wave-ish keyboards, great snare drum sound...opens with Accidents will Happen and closes with (What's So Funny Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding..killer!
Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Oliver's Army mp3

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country
CCR's second album from 1969, not my favourite CCR (Green River, Willy and the Poor Boys) but the only CCR I have on vinyl. This one is well worn, crackling, scratchy, trebley! There are only 7 songs, but two of them are long jams, but it does contain a couple of classics, Born On A Bayou and Proud Mary.
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Penthouse Pauper mp3

Velvet Underground - VU
Released in the 80's as the lost album that should have been released (circa 1969) between the self-titled third album and their fourth, Loaded and some of these songs appeared later on Lou Reed solo albums. It sheds the screechy sound of White Light.. (2nd) and picks up the pace from the sleepy, mellow (but beautiful) Velvet Underground (3rd). It's melodic, guitar based sound, makes it the perfect transition to commercially accessable Loaded, which ironically was released shortly after Lou Reed's departure. Special treat is another Mo Tucker sung tune, I'm Sticking To You.
Velvet Underground - Foggy Notion mp3

Faces - Long Player
This is how I like Rod Stewart, bluesy, soulful, not the watered down mush he's been spewing since the late 70's. Back when he was in the Faces, Ron Wood's guitar work surpassed anything he did with the Stones. On this album, the band was just finding their legs before they spouted in full force on A Nod Is As Good As Wink To A Blind Horse, the next LP I'll be spinning.
Faces - Bad 'N' Ruin mp3

EZ? Archive!

If you are having any trouble accessing any of my mp3 files, don't panic! My storage file archive (where I keep the song files I post), EZArchive is in the process of switching to the new and improved(?) 3.0 system. I'm not totally sure what this will mean, but it suppose to mean it will be easier and quicker from my stand point. I've read on other blogs they are experiencing some trouble, but hopefully it is only temporary because they are in transition. I have just completed my file transfers to the new system, so I tried to upload some songs to post, but it was taking forever to connect with their server, so I'll wait a day or two. I clicked on one of my mp3's from the NP show and it seemed to play fine, so please have patience and I'll post as much as I can in these busy upcoming months. On that subject, has anyone listened to any of the music I've posted? Just curious, I'd like to post complete concerts, but again it takes a lifetime to upload and I, for some weird reason, prefer the early morning (after midnight) to write these blogs.

Exclaim! Mint Road Show - Winnipeg!

When the 15th birthday tour for Mint records and Exclaim! magazine came to town on Saturday October 14th, I half knew what to expect..well at least two thirds. Both headliners, the New Pornographers and opening band Novillero played the same venue together 8 months ago with Victoria's Immaculate Machine added as a bonus. This tour is taking all three bands across Canada, from Ottawa to Vancouver, with great exposure for the two smaller bands.

Winnipeg's Novillero opened the evening with their infectious ear pleasing power pop sounds complete with horns (trumpet and trombone). Their live show exhibits the same high energy as on their albums and these guys continue to get better everytime. Last February, I thought they blew the NP's away, this time they were given a shorter opening slot, perhaps because there was three bands instead of two. Grab their new album "Aim For The Right Holes In Their Lives" for proof of their pop perfection or see them live when they return home. Unfortunately, at the show they couldn't sell their previous release Brindleford Follies, because it was released on Endearing records, not Mint.

Immaculate Machine is probably best known as the other band that Kathryn Calder is in. Yes, Kathryn is a New Pornographer as well, which meant double duty, back to back performances. Though they weren't as energetic as Novillero, they settled into a nice new wave-ish poppy groove. They have kind of a simple catchy sound that seemed to grow on me as their set progressed. I'm always interested in how a trio presents itself, will the sound be full enough? will all the songs sound similar? Immaculate Machine has a guitar player (Brooke), drums (Luke)and keyboards, no bass, but Kathryn plays basslines with her left hand while her right plays lead.

I could go on and on about Neko Case, but I won't. Kathryn Calder has definitely made herself comfortable as a member of the New Pornographers, her voice is powerful and blends beautifully with Uncle Carl. From where I was standing, John Collin's bass seemed to boom and drown out Carl's vocals a bit, but Kathryn's voice stood above it all. This is the third time I've seen the NP's and they are definitely a tighter more polished unit. Carl didn't talk much until the encore when he was taking audience requests and he seemed to be frustrated by the requests of songs he said were "too hard to play". You know he probably had only a few songs in mind anyways that they were prepared to perform, since the many requests for "Letter from An Occupant" went again unacknowledged, we can assume they don't play that song anymore without Neko. All in all it was a better show than February, but they played only a couple of different songs.

New Pornographers Setlist: Winnipeg "The Garrick" October 14, 2006
1. Sing Me Spanish Techno
2. The Laws Have Changed
3. Jackie, Dressed In Cobras
4. Bleeding Heart Show
5. Mass Romantic
6. Testiment To youth In Verses
7. Stacked Crooked
8. All For Swinging You Around
9. The Jessica Numbers
10. The Bones Of An Idol
11. Twin Cinema
12. From Blown Speakers
13. Centre For Holy Wars
14. It's Only Divine Rights
15. Use It
encore
16. Streets Of Fire
17. Miss Teen Wordpower
18. The Slow Descent Into Alcohol

Novillero (from: Aim For The Right Holes)
The Hypothesist mp3
Abbey (Winnipeg Oct 14, 2006)
Moonage Daydream- ( Winnipeg Oct 14,2006)

Immaculate Machine
Broken Ship mp3 (from: Ones And Zeros 2005)
Phone No. mp3 (Ones and Zeros 2005)

New Pornographers
Mass Romantic (Winnipeg Oct 14, 2006)
Twin Cinema ( Winnipeg Oct 14, 2006)

For a download of the full concert : (Dimeadozen) or leave a request in the comments.
New Pornographers 2006-10-14 Winnipeg
Novillero 2006-10-14 Winnipeg
Immaculate Machine 2006-10-14 Winnipeg

Anyway Anyhow Anywhere..

It's still hard to believe, not the fact the Who can still deliver a rockin' show, but that it was almost exactly thirty years since their last visit. Yep, it was October 18th 1976 at the Winnipeg Arena as part of their "Who By Numbers North American Tour", back when Keith Moon was still alive, but unfortunately I was only in Jr. High and still a couple of years before I went to my first real concert. I would love have seen the Who in their glory days, I realize that during the mid-seventies they were already on a downward slide, Who By Numbers (1975) and Who Are You (1978) weren't exactly Tommy or Who's Next, but it was the original line-up, the Ox, Moon, Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend. I took my 17 year old son to the show and explained to him the Who in the 60's and 70's were probably one of the best bands to see live, he had heard only a handful of Who songs (TV theme songs, commercials and that Simpson's episode when the town of Springfield split into two area codes, with a wall dividing the two sides) and I was hoping he could hear some of their magic.

The opening band was the energetic Inward Eye, a band from Winnipeg that has been the buzz band on the scene for the last few years, they have a record deal, aggressive management and supposeably a debut disc very soon. This must have been an incredible thrill for these three young brothers (Dave, Kyle and Anders Erikson), as they are obviously influenced by early Who and the Jam. Seeing these guys live won't compare to anything they'll record, but their energy and freshness will keep their fans coming back for more, see them in a smaller venue while you can! Their drummer (Anders) brings to mind the crazy insaneness of Keith Moon, who in many ways embodies the spirit of the original Who.

When the Who hit the MTS Centre stage at about 8:30pm I kind of knew what to expect, big screens, flashing lights, they'll open with I Can't Explain, they'll close their set with Won't Get Fooled Again (just like in 1976), and lots of distractions from watching the actual band on stage. Actually it was a good thing there were big screens because my seats for the show couldn't have been farther away, very last row in the corner of the upper deck. They had 5 moveable screens behind the stage, 2 on the sides and 1 larger screen above the stage, that way you can watch Pete noodle on his guitar and see Roger's pained expression on his face trying to hit the high notes, instead of fuzzy specks on the large stage. The 5 rotating screens were so cool, they could be butted together to form one big screen or they can be independently altered up or down and side to side with 5 different images on them. They were unbelievably clear and true to life, at one point they had video of flags waving on them and it totally looked like real flags, and another time they had images of playing cards that spun, it really looked like they were spinning. One thing though that is starting to bug me at concerts, is this increasing trend of directing extremely bright lights at the crowd, not just at the end of a song, but randomly throughout almost every song! I know it's for dramatic effect and it's makes the crowd feel like part of the show, but I found myself squinting and blocking the light from my eyes to avoid temporary blindness.

For the show itself, I wasn't disappointed, thought they didn't play anything from the brilliant Quadrophenia or the Who Sell Out and it definitely dragged during the middle portion of the show, lots of newer songs occasionally interupted by a classic such as Behind Blue Eyes and Baba O'Riley, and it gave many of the older folks in the audience an opportunity to go to the bathroom or refill their beer. The show picked up the pace towards the end of the set, with favs such as My Generation and Won't Get Fooled Again. The highlight for me, despite the guitar/amp tech trouble (that delayed the show for the second time) that caused a not-so-dramatic beginning to Pinball Wizard, was the mini-Tommy set for the encore, Pinball Wizard/Amazing Journey/Sparks/ See Me, Feel Me, all back to back, this gave Townsend a chance to showcase his incredible playing on his Strat, this was almost worth the price of admission alone. The second encore was Pete and Roger only, with a acoustic piece, Tea And Theatre, which was a fitting end to the show as it is easier to make people go home after a slow song.

All in all a fun time, I think Jesse enjoyed the show, I had a chance to see one of my favourite all-time bands and the Who showed they weren't a dated act by demonstrating after over 40 years together, they can still create new and challenging music and not rely exclusively on their hits. A co-worker of mine stood 7th row, middle on the floor and she said she could see how hard the band was trying, giving their all for their fans that paid big bucks to see them, as opposed to when she saw CSNY this July, she felt they were going through the motions. In this case, we're glad they didn't die before they got old or had a chance to return to Winnipeg.

Photos taken by Melanie Matwichuk
I didn't record the show (I was way too far away, and the sound close to the roof wasn't great), but if you want a recording of this or any other show on this tour, visit www.themusic.com.

Setlist: Winnipeg, MTS Centre October 3, 2006
I Can't Explain, The Seeker, Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, Fragments, Who Are You, Behind Blue Eyes, Real Good Looking Boy, Sound Round, Pick Up The Peace, Endless Wire, We Got A Hit, They Made My Dream Come True, Mirror Door, Baba O'Riley, Eminence Front, Man In A Purple Dress, Mike Post Theme, You Better You Bet, My Generation, Won't Get Fooled Again, Pinball Wizard, Amazing Journey, Sparks, See Me Feel Me, Tea And Theatre

Something to Bragg About

I have some catching up to do, Billy Bragg was in town last week and I'm finally getting around to posting the show over at Dimeadozen and tonight I'm off to see the Who! I just got some freebees from the boss as she was probably fed up with my whining about the high ticket prices. Granted I'll be in highest section of the upper deck corner, but I guess seeing a legendary band 30 years past it's prime should still be a thrill. In my personal top 10 (a later subject?) of bands to see before I die, the Who would definitely be up there, especially circa 1969-74. I still haven't seen the Stones or the Kinks, but this could be the last chance to see Pete and Roger together as I'm sure one of them is due to die soon. Pete Townsend is one of my guitar heroes, he's one of my musical influences both guitar playing and songwriting, his onstage antics and the energy he puts into a live show make him a must-see.

Speaking of must-sees, Billy Bragg played here on September 26th at the Venue , or I think it's called the Garrick at the Ramada Centre, now. Regardless this hall is a much needed concert venue for the city as it's size accommodates a capacity of 700, smaller the Burt, yet larger than the WECC. There's lots of floor space to stand and the seating sightlines are decent. My only quibble would be the blandness and hollowness of the hall itself, I don't know, maybe they should put in some cash for some quality acoustics or something? The only other time I've seen Billy Bragg was at the Folk Festival and I always said I'd like to see him in a more intimate venue and to hear a complete "Billy Bragg experience". A Bragg show is half music/half talk and depending on your mood (and his) the banter can be more interesting. He always has lots to say touching on everything from politics, patron saints, Youtube, cynicism and his new book. Nothing beats the ringing of his trademark Telecaster sound and his instantly recognizable Cockney accent. Singing classics like Greetings From The New Brunette, Waiting for the Great Leap Forward and A New England makes it feel like 1990 again. Despite the electric guitar and his leftist punk outlook on life, Billy Bragg is a folk singer and will always be a folk singer, who slags the rich and seeks justice and human rights for the working poor and the poor working. In the world of superficial pop superstars and hip hop nonsense, it's refreshing to see a performer stick to the same morals and standards he set out with when he first started performing. Billy said "that while songwriter's can't change the world, they keep trying because the alternative is too unthinkable. The alternative is to give in, to give in to cynicism. The greatest enemy of those of us who want to change the world isn't conservatism, and it isn't even capitalism, it's cynicism."

Winnipeg September 26, 2006
"Greetings From The New Brunette" - Billy Bragg
"Waiting For the Great Leap Forward" - Billy Bragg
"Sexuality" - Billy Bragg

For the full concert (Dimeadozen) or leave a message.

The Weakerthans - Live in Winnipeg

Whenever the Weakerthan's return home for a show it always puts a smile on my face. As far as I can remember, this show at the Burt (Burton Cummings Theatre) is probably the largest hometown crowd they have played in front of. The near capacity crowd of over 15oo fans were treated to a tight, yet relaxed set of new and older songs by the wonderful Weakerthans. I know they have a large (larger?) following state-side and sometimes I get the feeling they are unappreciated here at home, but the fact that the half an' hour encore accounted for a third of the overall show (100 minutes, 22 songs), proved that Winnipegger's couldn't get enough of John K. Samson and band. I'm not very good at writing reviews of concerts because I'm so in awe of seeing a great band live that sometimes I can't be very objective, it also is especially tough since I've been a huge follower of the band since the beginning. Check out the reviews in the local papers (Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg Sun) to hear what the "experts" have to say, you'll see they must have written their reviews from the same notes.

I've posted a recording of the show at EZtorrent (Dimeadozen.org). It sounds really good, recorded from the middle of the first balcony with clear and balanced sound. The torrent is a lossless FLAC file, so download the appropriate software if you can, If you're not a member of EZtorrent let me know and I'll see what I can do. I'd prefer not to post the MP3's for the entire show, but here are some songs from the concert, as a teaser. Enjoy!

Winnipeg September 16, 2006.
Audience recording-1st balcony
"Aside" - Weakerthans
"Utilities" ("new" song where John K. solos) - Weakerthans
"Diagnosis" - Weakerthans
"The Reasons" - Weakerthans

The Good, The Bad And The...

One CD that has gotten a lot of play recently is the Bicycle's, "The Good, The Bad And the Cuddly" the debut album from this 5-piece band out of Toronto. They claim to pay homage to the likes of "the Monkees, Kinks, Brian Wilson and the Archies". I can hear a bit of that influence on different songs with a very grandiose sound that ranges from rockers to dreamy ballads. This album took a few listens to really appreciate the rich melodies and lush arrangements, but everytime I play this disc it has more to offer and puts a smile on my face. The Bicycles are well worth checking out.

"Gotta Get Out" - The Bicycles
"Longjohns And Toques" - The Bicycles

John K. Samson- Little Pictures

John K. Samson is best known for his work with the Weakerthans, but back in the early 90's he was tearing it up as Propagandhi's bass player. During 1993/94 John made some solo recordings that were released by G7 as a split CD with Winnipeg band Painted Thin in 1995. These songs have been re-packaged as a solo John K. Samson mini-CD "Little Pictures" available since August 29th, 2006 through G7 Welcoming Committee.

Don't forget the Weakerthans show Saturday September 16th at the Burton Cummings Theatre, I think there is only tickets left in the 2nd balcony, so grab 'em quick. Hopefully I'll have a recording of the show and I'll post at least a couple of songs from the concert. Let me know in the comments section if you want the complete concert, I'll let you know how it sounds first.

"Farewell Faded Memory" (from "Little Pictures" recorded in 1993/94?) - John K. Samson
"Anchorless" (original 1996 version from "Less Talk, More Rock" shorter and punchier) - Propagandhi
"Uncorrected Proofs" (live early slow version 2-24-02 Winnipeg) - Weakerthans

"And I Feel Fine"

REM to release Best Of I.R.S Years 1982-1987
On September 12th, EMI will release the first comprehensive CD and DVD anthologies of R.E.M.'s 1980s I.R.S. Records catalog. The CD will be called And I Feel Fine…The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 and will be available in 2 formats: a 21-track single-disc collection of hits and band/fan favorites and a 2-CD Collector's Edition with a second 21-track disc of rarities including alternate takes, demos, previously unreleased mixes, and live recordings of classic R.E.M. The collector's edition will include 11 never-before released tracks. The DVD, When the Light Is Mine The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 Video Collection, includes the music videos from Chronic Town through Document, as well as live television performances and James Herbert’s short film, Left of Reckoning. DVD extras feature early interviews and rare acoustic performances.

If you've only heard REM post-1987, you've missed out on what I considered their best work. I realize that songs like Losing My Religion and albums like Automatic For the People and Green gave them exposure to a larger mainsteam audience, but their creativity and unique sound earlier in their career is what had influenced dozens of bands in the alternative, college rock scene of the mid 80's. On their first two albums, REM created what will be considered their landmark achievements and they begin to flesh out their sound to the fullest by the time they release Document, their last I.R.S. release.
As far as Greatest Hits albums rank, this one ranks quite high for the sheer fact there's no filler or duds and considering this is only the first quarter of their career. Their previously "Best Of" collections do NOT stand up to this one, this is the essential REM. Get the collector's edition as the 2nd disc of rarities is a treat, with many unreleased tracks and demos that sound crisp and clear and well worth seeking out.

"Radio-Free Europe" (Hib-tone version) - R.E.M
"Mystery To Me" (Demo; previously unreleased) - R.E.M.
"Bad Day" (Outtake; previously unreleased) - R.E.M.

Summer In Review: Volume 1

It's September, which means the kids are back to school, traffic gets crazy again and Halloween candy and costumes are clogging up the aisles at the department stores. I noticed today the leaves are starting to fall like rain, which means raking, bagging and then shovelling (snow)!
I've listened to plenty of music this Summer, lots new and lots not so new. I'll give you a short review and some downloads to enjoy (right click>save link as..). If you want more information about the album, click on the title and you'll be directed to Amazon or the band site.

The Sadies- In Concert, Vol 1
A brilliant 41 song 2-CD live concert recorded at Lee's Palace in Toronto over 2 nights. I finally had a chance to witness the Sadies live this July at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. I heard that their live show was well worth seeing and I wasn't disappointed, though at Folk Festivals you only get a sample of a full nightclub performance, I just wish I was at the Lee's Palace shows in person. For the two sold out nights, the crowd was treated to four-hour sets by the Sadies and guests. Special guests included members of the Deadly Snakes, Blue Rodeo, Neko Case, Kelly Hogan, Gary Louris, Garth Hudson, Jon Langford, Jon Spencer and the Good Brothers. Disc one is mainly the Sadies own material, while disc two they begin to branch out, showcasing their collaborative firepower and running through a few favorite covers. This album establishes the Sadies not just as instrumentalists but as songwriters able to display their various influences and combine them into something unmistakably their own. This is truly a classic live album.

"16 Mile Creek" - Sadies
"Tailspin" (Jayhawks cover) - Sadies (w/Gary Louris, lead vocals)
"Memphis, Egypt" (Mekon's cover) - Sadies (w/Jon Langford, lead vocals)

Cassie Says...!

In case you haven't heard yet, Cassie Campbell announced her retirement from the Canadian Woman's National Hockey team on Wednesday. So I don't bore you with the details, click here or my sister site for the full story. I know in the grand scheme of things this isn't a big deal, but for me who is a huge Hockey fan, as well as a follower of Woman's hockey, I have to admit to some sadness. Cassie appealed to me with her skill, speed, and toughness, but still maintained her femininity in the world of hockey. She definitely wasn't a butchy presence either, her cuteness and natural beauty prompted my band Zamboni Joe to use Cassie's likeness on gig posters and most famously a song about my favourite female hockey player!

The song "Cassie Says" was written in late 2002 around the time when teammate Hayley Wickenheiser went to Europe to play on a men's team. Recorded live at Salisbury House Restaurant in Headingley, MB (Winnipeg) last year, this remains as Zamboni Joe's last show. Hockey rock is Zamboni Joe's passion with numerous songs dedicated to this winter pastime and If you want to hear more ZJ, please leave a comment and I'll post more.

"Cassie Says"- Zamboni Joe (September 24, 2005 Headingley, MB)

Ben Kweller's Sundress EP

Here's a special treat, the brand new limited edition 5 song EP from Ben Kweller. Though this may seem like a teaser for the upcoming album release on September 19th, this disc includes 3 songs NOT on the new full-lengther. This highly anticipated release follows 2004's On My Way and 2002's brilliant debut Sha Sha, and as Kweller's fan base builds, so do the expectations. His current tour dates takes him from Europe to the US (including Mpls 10/6/06) and back to Europe. If you have a chance to see Ben Kweller on this tour, do it! He may be playing arena's soon and then you'll regret it.

Due to a complaint from the DMCA, I have removed the offending tracks...Sorry 'bout that!

New Lemonheads CD and tour dates

After a 10 year hiatus, the new Lemonheads CD is scheduled for release September 26th and a fall tour supporting the CD kicks off November 18th in California. Evan Dando has assembled a totally different incarnation of the Lemonheads for this new disc, and he is helped out by Bill Stevenson and Karl Alvarez from All/Descendents, so the sound will be a faster, more melodic rock album. J. Mascis contributes a solo on "No Backbone" , a great song that is a hopefully a preview of good things on this new disc.
I'm actually looking forward to this new release, as I thought Evan's solo album, Baby I'm Bored was okay, but it wasn't very memorable and was...kinda boring. I have a couple of live recordings from the revamped Lemonheads last fall in London and New York and if the rockin' energy of those shows are any indication, this upcoming tour might be worth checking out.

Lemonheads "No Backbone"
Lemonheads "Alice Is Starting To Happen" (Bowery Ballroom NYC 12-16-05)

(to download- right clip save link as)

Who Needs A Ipod?

Back in early 1990's I was one of those guys that held out from buying a CD player. I was a vinyl junkie through the 80's who bought a armful of albums every weekend and spent the week nights taping friend's albums onto 90 minute Maxell cassettes. I enjoyed the large record jackets, the black vinyl and the crackly sound of my lousy stylus. Despite the smaller compact size and superior sound quality, I didn't want to give in to this new fad, I figured it was going to be the next Laser Disc or Betamax or 8-Track. It became apparent towards the end of the 80's that I wouldn't be able to buy some of the newest releases because they were no longer pressing them onto vinyl.

In 1992, I was in Seattle and browsed the local record stores snatching up some excellent vinyl, then I came upon an album I had been looking for, actually it was a CD from the Squirrels, "What Gives", that was only available in CD format. I soon discovered that I would be missing out without a CD player because less and less artists were producing albums and cassettes. I still bought the Squirrel's CD, got a friend to transfer it to tape, but it took me another year to buy a portable CD discman to actually play it on. What the hell, I still have my Dual turntable circa 1975, and I could still play records on it, though it's being used to stack CD's on it.

Fast forward to 2006, I didn't think I needed a Ipod, despite having to carry stacks of discs to work each day and on vacation at the lake I would pack 25 discs into one of those CD wallets. How dependable was this small unit?, was it prone to glitches over time?, what if I dropped it and if I lost it, would I lose everything on it? When I received my Nano Ipod (for my birthday), I was able to load the same amount of CD's on this tiny unit. It's only 1 gig, so I can't load my whole CD collection onto it, so I've decided I will only load on new releases before I make a disc from it or buy it.

So far so good, Apple of course makes a ton of $ on all those semi-necessary accessories such as battery charger/AC adapter, FM transmitter (to play on home or car radio), carrying case, and skins (Ipod scratches and scuffs easily). I enjoy the size, of course and it's so easy to operate and loads songs very quickly. The sound quality is only as good as it's source and it's too bad you can't add more storage space (hard drive space) but then again these are mainly glorifyed flash drives with controls and a screen.

In the upcoming days I will let you see what I have on my Ipod (new-ish releases) and give you a brief and hopefully informative review. I will also try to provide some song samples (MP3) or helpful links for more info on the artist, as soon as I purchase some online storage space. I urge you to bookmark this blog and tell all your friends, and please check in every couple of days as I will try my best to keep this site updated.

New Pornographers Tickets On Sale

Just purchased my presale New Pornographers tickets from Ticketbastard for their show on October 14th at the Garrick Marlborough Ramada Venue here in Winnipeg. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale on Saturday morning August 26th, but the presale began Thursday.

In case you're worried about a sellout, I highly recommend doing the presale, concerts in Winnipeg have been known to almost sell-out before they are offered up to the regular public. I don't know if the Ticketmaster site is glitched, but I was able to get the presale without typing in the special password. Simply click on the "Internet Presale Offer" and your ticket quantity, . (update: now you have to have submit the password "twincinema"). Since this show is a general admission show (no reserved seats) you probably don't need to rush for tickets as the last time they were here, back in February, it didn't sell-out til a week or so before the show.

In fact it was 8 months ago, same venue, same opening band (+Immaculate Machine) and same price for tickets. Suffice to say I wasn't exactly blown away by the band, in fact I thought local opening band Novillero were more entertaining. I saw the NP's a few years back with Neko and they were great, the between song banter with her and Carl was worth the price of admission alone, vocally Kathryn Calder does a admirably good job, but it's Neko's presence that sells it. After seeing both the NP's and Neko Case separately this year, I would love to see her with the band this time around, but I doubt it. Regardless, this is a must-see show from one of the greatest bands in Canada!