cheers!
Monday, February 15, 2010
i'm moving
my blog to wordpress. i'm sure there will be a few growing pains and i'm slowly figuring out that all my posts aren't transferring properly, but if anyone actually reads this, you can find me here: http://r0ckmej0e.wordpress.com
Monday, February 1, 2010
isn't there something about those lights?
jon-rae fletcher's oh maria is the best thing i've added to my iTunes in a long, long time. bold statement, i know. however, it's nothing but true. it's honest and simple and hauntingly beautiful. it's a january record, for sure. january records are the kind of records that make you want to curl up in your bed and cry over the things you wish you had but don't. (january is the only acceptable month to do that, by the way.) don't get me wrong. the whole record doesn't make you want to cry. but songs like "city lights," "big talker" and "oh, maria" do. they're just so honest. they're the kind of songs that make you feel like the artist is sitting there, on the end of your bed, playing those songs to you.
"big talker" is probably my favourite track. it's heartbreaking. it's so heartbreaking, it almost makes you angry, in a way.
the album draws on country, gospel and roots foundations. the gospel shows up in the soulful harmonies and melodies, like in "downtown," and the traditional country shines in tracks like "no dancing." it's utterly nostalgic, in the best way possible.
oh maria is the most well-rounded album i've listened to in ages. again, simple beautiful, front to back.
watch "big talker," and jon-rae's interview with the National Post below.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
all i ever wanted help with was you
i'm not really up on the whole 'podcast' thing. however, my friend suggested i check out cbc radio 3's best songs of the 2000s. she then suggested i create my own list, as i consume a healthy dose of canadiana myself. so, seeing as i'm laid up with a sprained knee that will hopefully (fingers-crossed) heal itself overnight so i wake up tomorrow and don't have to use a cane, i've decided to spend a bit of time blogging to pass the time. (longest. sentence. ever.)
now, i'm in now way implying that this list is the be all and end all in canadian music. frankly, i didn't even start listening to canadian indie until relatively recently. i definitely enjoyed my canrock in the 90s, but that was when you could hear great canadian tunes on mainstream rock radio. when 102 stopped playing it, i stopped listening. i didn't get back into canroc until arcade fire hit with funeral. i missed out on a lot, unfortunately. so, with that in mind, here are my favourite canadian songs of the last decade
10. hey rosetta - there's an arc
beautiful album, hands down. there are a number of bands or songs i could have placed here, but i think there an act with a very bright future ahead of them.
9. land of talk - some are lakes
another hillside find. great rock tune. the kind that makes you swing back and forth while you listen.
8. rural alberta advantage - frank, ab
i love emusic. i found this album there about this time last year. it's been in heavy rotation since then. frank, ab is one of the best tracks on the record and as far as i'm concerned, it's one of the most exciting records pressed North of the boarder in the last ten years.
7. born ruffians - hummingbird
born ruffians were my favourite show at hillside '08. they're not everybody's cup of tea, but they're mine, for sure. hummingbird is another one of those songs you just have to see live.
6. feist - intuition
in my opinion, it's the best song on the record. hands down. simply stunning.
5. stars - the night starts here
romantic comedy is a close second to this track. i'm not sure which i like more, to be honest. there wasn't a good video for romantic comedy though, so "the night starts here" won the coin toss. as of late, i've lost touch with stars. there's that whole solo thing, and another band called broken social scene that some people are into, however, their first three records were brilliant and i hope the rope me into a few more.
4. new pornographers - challengers
i love pop music. i love rock music. i love canadian music. the new pornographers define all three. a new album will be out this spring called "together," according to the cbc's grant lawrence. i can't wait.
3. wintersleep - miasmal smoke & the yellow bellied freaks
intense. the first time i heard this record, and i had been a wintersleep fan for a couple of years when welcome to the night sky was released, it was like hearing the band for the first time. it blew me away. i've seen a lot of shows - a loooooooot of shows, but nothing, not even seeing "with or without you" with bono's crotch in my face, will ever beat hearing "miasmal smoke and the yellow bellied freaks" live. it's epitomizes what going to concerts is all about.
and, they've got the best drummer in the business as far as i'm concerned. again. a must-see live band. i should put about 5 songs on this list.
2. arcade fire - wake up
anthemic, overwhelming, and as i've said before, changed my iTunes library forever.
1. patrick watson - the great escape
beautiful. it's the only word i can use to describe this song. simply beautiful.
honorable mentions go to: dan mangan - fair verona, serena ryder - little bit of red, the dears - lost in the plot, sebastien grainger & les montagnes - meet new friends, arkells - ballad of hugo chavez and miracle fortress - maybe lately. just consider those my top 16.
now, i'm in now way implying that this list is the be all and end all in canadian music. frankly, i didn't even start listening to canadian indie until relatively recently. i definitely enjoyed my canrock in the 90s, but that was when you could hear great canadian tunes on mainstream rock radio. when 102 stopped playing it, i stopped listening. i didn't get back into canroc until arcade fire hit with funeral. i missed out on a lot, unfortunately. so, with that in mind, here are my favourite canadian songs of the last decade
10. hey rosetta - there's an arc
beautiful album, hands down. there are a number of bands or songs i could have placed here, but i think there an act with a very bright future ahead of them.
9. land of talk - some are lakes
another hillside find. great rock tune. the kind that makes you swing back and forth while you listen.
8. rural alberta advantage - frank, ab
i love emusic. i found this album there about this time last year. it's been in heavy rotation since then. frank, ab is one of the best tracks on the record and as far as i'm concerned, it's one of the most exciting records pressed North of the boarder in the last ten years.
7. born ruffians - hummingbird
born ruffians were my favourite show at hillside '08. they're not everybody's cup of tea, but they're mine, for sure. hummingbird is another one of those songs you just have to see live.
6. feist - intuition
in my opinion, it's the best song on the record. hands down. simply stunning.
5. stars - the night starts here
romantic comedy is a close second to this track. i'm not sure which i like more, to be honest. there wasn't a good video for romantic comedy though, so "the night starts here" won the coin toss. as of late, i've lost touch with stars. there's that whole solo thing, and another band called broken social scene that some people are into, however, their first three records were brilliant and i hope the rope me into a few more.
4. new pornographers - challengers
i love pop music. i love rock music. i love canadian music. the new pornographers define all three. a new album will be out this spring called "together," according to the cbc's grant lawrence. i can't wait.
3. wintersleep - miasmal smoke & the yellow bellied freaks
intense. the first time i heard this record, and i had been a wintersleep fan for a couple of years when welcome to the night sky was released, it was like hearing the band for the first time. it blew me away. i've seen a lot of shows - a loooooooot of shows, but nothing, not even seeing "with or without you" with bono's crotch in my face, will ever beat hearing "miasmal smoke and the yellow bellied freaks" live. it's epitomizes what going to concerts is all about.
and, they've got the best drummer in the business as far as i'm concerned. again. a must-see live band. i should put about 5 songs on this list.
2. arcade fire - wake up
anthemic, overwhelming, and as i've said before, changed my iTunes library forever.
1. patrick watson - the great escape
beautiful. it's the only word i can use to describe this song. simply beautiful.
honorable mentions go to: dan mangan - fair verona, serena ryder - little bit of red, the dears - lost in the plot, sebastien grainger & les montagnes - meet new friends, arkells - ballad of hugo chavez and miracle fortress - maybe lately. just consider those my top 16.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
i'm such a liar
i know i promised a plethora of new posts. i didn't deliver. my holiday was filled with too many drinks, too many pity parties and one new haircut. isn't that what the holidays are for?
though, i did download a whack of new tunes though and i'm slowly making my way through them.
most recently, i randomly came across the finnish band, rubik. one: i've got super band crushes on every dude in the band. see below. i especially like the one on the end in the yellow sweater. don't listen to anything otherwise, boys. beer bellies and beards are hot.
though, i did download a whack of new tunes though and i'm slowly making my way through them.
most recently, i randomly came across the finnish band, rubik. one: i've got super band crushes on every dude in the band. see below. i especially like the one on the end in the yellow sweater. don't listen to anything otherwise, boys. beer bellies and beards are hot.
two: the music is rad. dada bandits is chock full of indie-rock dance anthems. think stars - if stars had balls. sweet bass lines, solid synths and soaring vocals. wow. that was some alliteration. it's only because i'm sitting in my basement, drinking 50, prepping for a night of skeezy karaoke at the bar down the street from me. translation: i'm getting tipsy.
fuck me. stupid blogger has somehow underlined that whole previous paragraph. and I can't get it off. i hate this program.
anyway, check out "wasteland" below. and visit their myspace for more wicked tunes.
Rubik - Wasteland
rubik | MySpace Music Videos
fuck me. stupid blogger has somehow underlined that whole previous paragraph. and I can't get it off. i hate this program.
anyway, check out "wasteland" below. and visit their myspace for more wicked tunes.
Rubik - Wasteland
rubik | MySpace Music Videos
Monday, December 21, 2009
i like you so much better when you're naked
if i had a nickle for every...
ah. never mind.
seriously.
anyway, the title of this post is one of the tracks of ida maria's debut album, fortress 'round my heart. (i really like this font in italics, but the (sort of) writer in my prohibits me from writing this entire post in italics, unfortunately.)
back to it - i haven't lived with this album for long. a few hours only, to be honest. however, those few hours have made quite the impression. admittedly, i have a thing for chicks with guitars. probably in the same way that wayward philosopher types and lesbians do; i just don't fantasize about them. chicks with guitars are sexy. rock and roll music should be sexy. "i like you so much better when you're naked" is sexy.
what i like about ida maria is she can be tough and aggressive, like on "oh my god" and the track above, sensitive and vulnerable on "keep me warm," then totally fun and "bedroom dance party worthy" on tracks like "louie."
the album is fresh and fun and worth passing along to your friends. i have a funny feeling ida maria won't wear on me like kate nash. she's not novel or trendy. she's not trying to do anything besides write solid rock/pop/punk songs, and it works.
that's it for now folks. emusic subscription renewed today. bet your bottom dollar you'll see a few more posts from me over the next few days.
ah. never mind.
seriously.
anyway, the title of this post is one of the tracks of ida maria's debut album, fortress 'round my heart. (i really like this font in italics, but the (sort of) writer in my prohibits me from writing this entire post in italics, unfortunately.)
back to it - i haven't lived with this album for long. a few hours only, to be honest. however, those few hours have made quite the impression. admittedly, i have a thing for chicks with guitars. probably in the same way that wayward philosopher types and lesbians do; i just don't fantasize about them. chicks with guitars are sexy. rock and roll music should be sexy. "i like you so much better when you're naked" is sexy.
what i like about ida maria is she can be tough and aggressive, like on "oh my god" and the track above, sensitive and vulnerable on "keep me warm," then totally fun and "bedroom dance party worthy" on tracks like "louie."
the album is fresh and fun and worth passing along to your friends. i have a funny feeling ida maria won't wear on me like kate nash. she's not novel or trendy. she's not trying to do anything besides write solid rock/pop/punk songs, and it works.
that's it for now folks. emusic subscription renewed today. bet your bottom dollar you'll see a few more posts from me over the next few days.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
it makes me mad
that no one knows this band. they're amazing songwriters. i've posted about slow runner before, but i'm going to do it again. buy their records, please. i'd do their publicity for free, on weekends, i love them that much. tell me you're writing a new record, slow runner, and i will do your publicity for free. you've got that in writing.
http://www.myspace.com/slowrunner
http://www.myspace.com/slowrunner
Monday, December 7, 2009
songs that make me happy
you know those songs. those songs that always make you smile no matter what kind of mood you're in. i especially love hearing them on the subway at about 7 p.m. when everyone is in the worst mood ever and you know that no one's having as much fun as you are with your headphones on. sometimes, i'd like to walk up to the most miserable looking person in the car and pop my headphones on their head for a minute, if it wouldn't scare the crap out of them. it would be oh so fun though.
here's a selected list of happy songs. enjoy!
Tom Petty - Learning to Fly
i can't tell you how much i love this song. i'm not entirely sure what it is about this song that makes me love it so much, besides the fact that tom petty is amazing. ps - the body painted stripper might be a little nsfw.
i can't embed this, but please watch it anyway: Journey - Don't Stop Believing
why, you may ask? well, for one, we've got some wicked cropped t-shirts. two, we've got the silkiest hair i've ever seen on youtube. three, the whole audience is asain and for some reason i find that funny. i mean, there's probably a logical explanation for it, like journey was touring japan, but it's still comical on some politically incorrect level. four, the drummer is wearing hot pants.
in any event, this song always makes me smile. like that big, stupid, i just unexpectedly ran into the dude i've got a crush on kind of smile.
springsteen - dancing in the dark
is it just me, or does bruce look like he's got a massive head in this video? just wondering. anyway, i've been known to bust out these moves while walking down the street and no one's around; it's that good. ps - at about the 3:10 mark, check out the dude with no rhythm in the crowd. he's wearing a tie. he'll make you smile all day too just thinking about how ridiculous he looks.
camera obscura - french navy
try not to foot tap to this one. actually, fuck that. try not to twirl and skip down the street while cartoon birds fly overhead and bunnies hop beside you and squirrels bring you chestnuts and raccoons don't scare the crap out of you and that deer that was trapped on university ave a few weeks ago trots by your side. yeah, it makes me that happy. and yeah, i have a thing for 1940s/50s disney cartoons.
annie lennox - walking on broken glass
i loved this song when i was 10 and i'll love this song until the day i die. when i was a kid, i can remember putting on my mom's CD and dancing around my living room, probably jumping on furniture i shouldn't have been jumping on. i still do that. just now i'm generally alone in my bedroom wearing my pjs.
bob seger - night moves
i've always said a good song should make you want to makeout. this is a song about making out. enough said. i loved this song in the 90s. i can't imagine muchmusic played bob seger, so i'm not too sure where i saw it, but i loved it nonetheless. i also just realized that bob seger is probably, totally the reason i tend to crush on old dudes with beards.
again - cannot embed, but please click on the link: pulp - disco 2000
i love how no one's wearing pants in this video. it's sort of amazing. this song makes me so happy, i want to jump around and pump my fists in the air like i'm at a concert. it's the drums.
new order - bizzare love triangle
this video alone will make you smile. i love music videos from the 80s. i should spend a whole goddamn day watching music videos from the 80s sometime. it would be the best day ever.
peter gabriel - solsbury hill
so, i would have picked my favourite video of all time, "sledgehammer," but the song doesn't make me smile like solsbury hill does. everyone fucking loves this song. also, i can't get over the fact that gabriel is wearing man-leggings. amazingness.
here's a selected list of happy songs. enjoy!
Tom Petty - Learning to Fly
i can't tell you how much i love this song. i'm not entirely sure what it is about this song that makes me love it so much, besides the fact that tom petty is amazing. ps - the body painted stripper might be a little nsfw.
i can't embed this, but please watch it anyway: Journey - Don't Stop Believing
why, you may ask? well, for one, we've got some wicked cropped t-shirts. two, we've got the silkiest hair i've ever seen on youtube. three, the whole audience is asain and for some reason i find that funny. i mean, there's probably a logical explanation for it, like journey was touring japan, but it's still comical on some politically incorrect level. four, the drummer is wearing hot pants.
in any event, this song always makes me smile. like that big, stupid, i just unexpectedly ran into the dude i've got a crush on kind of smile.
springsteen - dancing in the dark
is it just me, or does bruce look like he's got a massive head in this video? just wondering. anyway, i've been known to bust out these moves while walking down the street and no one's around; it's that good. ps - at about the 3:10 mark, check out the dude with no rhythm in the crowd. he's wearing a tie. he'll make you smile all day too just thinking about how ridiculous he looks.
camera obscura - french navy
try not to foot tap to this one. actually, fuck that. try not to twirl and skip down the street while cartoon birds fly overhead and bunnies hop beside you and squirrels bring you chestnuts and raccoons don't scare the crap out of you and that deer that was trapped on university ave a few weeks ago trots by your side. yeah, it makes me that happy. and yeah, i have a thing for 1940s/50s disney cartoons.
annie lennox - walking on broken glass
i loved this song when i was 10 and i'll love this song until the day i die. when i was a kid, i can remember putting on my mom's CD and dancing around my living room, probably jumping on furniture i shouldn't have been jumping on. i still do that. just now i'm generally alone in my bedroom wearing my pjs.
bob seger - night moves
i've always said a good song should make you want to makeout. this is a song about making out. enough said. i loved this song in the 90s. i can't imagine muchmusic played bob seger, so i'm not too sure where i saw it, but i loved it nonetheless. i also just realized that bob seger is probably, totally the reason i tend to crush on old dudes with beards.
again - cannot embed, but please click on the link: pulp - disco 2000
i love how no one's wearing pants in this video. it's sort of amazing. this song makes me so happy, i want to jump around and pump my fists in the air like i'm at a concert. it's the drums.
new order - bizzare love triangle
this video alone will make you smile. i love music videos from the 80s. i should spend a whole goddamn day watching music videos from the 80s sometime. it would be the best day ever.
peter gabriel - solsbury hill
so, i would have picked my favourite video of all time, "sledgehammer," but the song doesn't make me smile like solsbury hill does. everyone fucking loves this song. also, i can't get over the fact that gabriel is wearing man-leggings. amazingness.
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