tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-347857822011-04-21T23:07:13.105-04:00Rock and roll is sad and lonely.Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.comBlogger641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-65698300125600019272007-05-15T22:33:00.000-04:002007-05-15T22:45:02.300-04:00

...was awesome. I just wish I could have actually seen them from my crappy seat in the left gallery.More importantly, though, on this date in 1953, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, and Bud Powell gave what is considered one of the greatest jazz concerts ever at Massey Hall. I'm not sure if they'd be proud, but they certainly shouldn't be turning in their graves.

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-49074742303897708382007-05-09T21:07:00.000-04:002007-05-09T21:43:45.956-04:00

May seems to be the month for concerts - much to my dismay, as I'm off on vacation soon. Laura Veirs plays the El Mo this Saturday, but sadly I've already made plans. (Why can't she be playing her native Seattle when I'm actually there?) The Slip - one of those bands I keep meaning to check out - plays the Mod Club on May 18, but I'll be out of town. Coco Rosie this Monday seems to be cancelled

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-440885908926431262007-05-06T17:34:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:15:08.129-05:00

A brief hiatus due to a vacation, a hectic work schedule, and just plain laziness. But with the number of big concerts past and ones forthcoming, it was time to start blogging again before the backlog became overwhelming.I don't know what's happened to jazz. I would have happily stood up from my seat in Massey Hall last night and danced madly during Sonny Rollins's entire concert (like I

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-90518226561339033992007-05-06T17:25:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:15:08.264-05:00

This is third year that Jazz FM has put on their fundraising concert at Convocation Hall, and this is the third time I've attended. So far it has yet to disappoint; there are always acts I've always wanted to see (Emilie-Claire Barlow, Kurt Elling), acts I've never heard of that blow me away (Kenny Rankin, Adam Makowicz), acts I have heard of that blow me away (Pat LaBarbera, Michael Ruby,

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-67931687568100279722007-03-29T21:04:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:15:08.508-05:00

"These are not the seats you are looking for."A friend called me up on Monday. "Are you free Wednesday night?" he said. "I've got a spare ticket for the symphony.""Sure, I'm free," I said. "Wait -- what's playing?""Not sure," he said. "The theme is Hollywood movies or something.""Oh," I said. "Well, as long as it's not Mozart."I haven't been to the symphony in years, and I confess that even

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-28821236884597441122007-03-24T09:12:00.000-04:002008-12-09T18:15:08.936-05:00

Sebadoh is the band I would've loved to have seen when I was 18 and hanging out almost every night with my friend Colin. We'd sit in his dorm room and talk about music and literature and people we knew, or goof off in the piano room in the basement, him bashing away at the keys, and me singing. He wasn't a trained pianist and I wasn't a trained singer, but we got by. And believe it or not,

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-88915768112342855042007-03-17T07:28:00.000-04:002007-03-17T07:33:22.920-04:00

You know how every so often the perfect pop song comes along that encapsulates everything that's going on in your life at the moment? I remember tearing up at a Jane Siberry concert, shortly after a breakup, as she was performing "Love is Everything". All of a sudden the lyrics made more sense than they had when I was a teenager. And as a teenager, Sarah McLachlan's "Elsewhere" had such

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-21833384608320714992007-03-07T22:31:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:09.347-05:00

Back after a bout with the flu -- and my maxed-out credit card, which is why I couldn't buy Neon Bible yesterday like a good indie hipster and had to wait one whole day to hear it.Is it just me, or does David Bowie endorse bands that sound like him? (I guess it's normal to like the things you wish you had made.) Both TV on the Radio and the Arcade Fire have received his blessing, and their

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-64883502791509158072007-02-24T08:13:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:09.574-05:00

Braved the bitter, bitter cold (and my own cold) last night to catch an act on my to-see list: Owen Pallett a.k.a. Final Fantasy. He was playing the first of two fundraising shows at the Tranzac. Considering the acclaim and indie cred, they could have charged a little bit more than the $8 in advance, but hey, I'm not complaining. Local band The Silt opened. They started out, well,

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-76834200918818747252007-02-23T08:00:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:09.791-05:00

I like to be surprised. I like liberal vocal harmonies. I like Mother Mother. I even liked them when they didn't have the extra Mother and band members. But I like Touch Up much better than their self-titled, self-released debut -- even though most of the tracks are the same -- because their new label Last Gang (home to Metric and The Dears) cleaned it up and cut out all the goofy

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-81631533694296467452007-02-17T07:02:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:09.902-05:00

The Beatles - "Birthday"The Sugarcubes - "Birthday"Happy birthday to Loreena McKennitt, Lupe Fiasco, Billie Joe Armstrong, Taylor Hawkins, and...Paris Hilton?!Also, Thelonius Monk died on this day in 1982.(Photo: Nicole Kidman in Birthday Girl.)

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-51293284216030562632007-02-14T07:34:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:10.038-05:00

Blossom Dearie - "Down With Love"(Comic strip from the irresistible Lenore, natch.)

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-49166997673718332072007-02-07T19:14:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:10.460-05:00

Yes! Brad Mehldau, the intensely charismatic frontman for Atlanta, Georgia rock quartet The Bukowskis, is putting out a solo album next month. Mehldau’s powerhouse rasp and dynamo stage presence have been compared to Rob Thomas, Bono, Michael Stipe, and Gord Downie.I just made that up by looking at the photo. But you believed me, didn’t you?Brad Mehldau is a jazz pianist and composer. I first

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-19249993773258789142007-02-04T08:11:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:10.688-05:00

They were outstanding. And it was frickin' cold. I'm glad I saw them, and that I have feeling in my toes this morning. That's all I have to say.New Pornographers websiteNew Pornographers on MySpace

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-7177626581990753642007-02-03T08:58:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:11.057-05:00

Last night was the best $8.50 I'd ever spent in my life. Well, rather, $8.50 x 2 plus convenience charges, beer, and the cost of the Golden Dogs and the Yoko Casionos new albums this morning on iTunes. But it was still the most bang for my buck I'd ever gotten at a concert: three tight, hard-rawkin, power-pop-alt-rock bands in one night. It was a good show, and even better, I did not black out

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-63637700131437358572007-02-02T06:45:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:11.593-05:00

There hasn't been much to blog about lately because I went for one whole month without buying any new music. I didn't even realize it until I started to feel the strain and stress of a bitterly cold January. I finally got hold of Thom Yorke's The Eraser, but needless to say, it Mr. Yorke's mournful warbling didn't help my mood. It's an excellent album, yet I can't figure out if it's good or

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-30062459452243556482007-01-20T07:13:00.000-05:002007-01-20T07:32:12.406-05:00

I like to think that today, the Bordens would have a MySpace page (maintained by youngest son Gary) and hold variety show podcasts from their rec room. And their "Friends" would mostly be older son Roger's high school classmates, who leave comments like, "OMG!!! saw you at the legion hall in trenton...u rawk" and "when r u coming back to dryden?"And then one day they would get namechecked on

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-4063867823890078232007-01-16T20:25:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:11.843-05:00

Peter Appleyard is 78, plays the vibes, and is awesome. You wouldn't think it if you heard a recording, but in person he's unbelievably spry, charming, and always looks like he's having a great time. I first saw him at Jazz Lives, the now-annual Jazz FM fundraiser, in 2005. We had seats in the back row of the furthest balcony in Convocation Hall, and we could still see his bushy white eyebrows

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-7113879625750618592007-01-04T03:53:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:12.145-05:00

Up in the wee hours of the morning with the nasty cold that's been making the rounds in the city. Even Andy Barrie has it. What's a girl to do besides make herself a cup of tea and post the ever-growing list of bands she keeps meaning to check out?The All New Adventures of UsAwRY (Shara Worden's incarnation before My Brightest Diamond)CatlowThe EarachesFrench Kicks (just because I like the name

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-80387584317022390582006-12-31T15:17:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:12.445-05:00

Whenever I come home from a show I take the ticket stub out of my pocket and tuck it into my whiteboard. Needless to say, there were a lot of stubs this year.No. of acts (not including the huge lineup at Jazz Lives): 57No. of shows: 32No. of times I got carded: 28No. of times my old, expired driver's license wasn't accepted as proper ID: 1No. of times I saw Joel Plaskett this year: 3No. of times

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-53757150170873072632006-12-28T18:03:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:12.539-05:00

"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" - Ella Fitzgerald(From one of my favourite Christmas albums ever, Ella Wishes You a Swingin' Christmas. And it does swing, baby.)Sorry! This mp3 is no longer available for download. Go buy the CD instead.

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-32643828696924381162006-12-24T06:33:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:12.678-05:00

Because nothing says Christmas like -- unh! -- James Brown.Well, not really. But when you've had enough of sterile studio recordings of pop and jazz divas warbling carols, you can count on James Brown to spike your egg nog. Get down!"Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto""Sweet Little Baby Boy""Christmas is Love"And there's no need to fight last-minute shoppers at the mall. The Best of James

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-34049923665779639922006-12-23T12:11:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:14.395-05:00

I lucked out and found a CD that had both Beatles For Sale and Rubber Soul on it. (The disc says, "For sale in Russia only." Oops.) Just missing Help and Yellow Submarine.I think the used CD store man is going to have a very nice Christmas.

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-77024236465914645342006-12-23T10:07:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:14.800-05:00

So last Sunday at noon-ish my posse and I joined fellow musical masochists for the Classic Albums Live Beatles Marathon at the Phoenix. 211 songs, from "I Saw Her Standing There" (Please Please Me) to "Get Back" (Let it Be). 12 non-stop hours of live music, with only one break for dinner. More Beatles than I've ever listened to in my life. It felt a little bit like a Celtic folk tale in which

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-8951386480839443252006-12-18T19:35:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:14.995-05:00

Sorry again, kids -- duty called and I was dispatched post-haste to the city that never sleeps. Am back but exhausted from the trip and yesterday's Beatlemania staged by Classic Albums Live. Will file my report soon.Notes from the field:Baroque folk sibs Rufus and Martha Wainwright played Carnegie Hall the night I got into New York, but I figured that since they were Canadian, they would pass

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-61772893011677421392006-12-03T08:47:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:15.576-05:00

Damn, I'm getting old. It's gotten to the point at which every new band I see looks like they're straight out of high school. But I guess like most fields that rely on innovation (e.g. art, math, science), the best work is done when the person is young. Not that any of the bands at the sold-out Horseshoe last night were particularly innovative, but they were all a lot of fun and were

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-84489700695897369722006-12-02T07:52:00.000-05:002008-12-09T18:15:15.767-05:00

Speaking of DIY bands as an excuse to have fun with your friends and impress girls, I present the Trucks as Exhibit B. Despite this Seattle quartet being all-female, I imagine several tracks off their self-titled debut will hold a special place in girls' hearts. These tracks will have you singing drunkenly with your gal pals on the dance floor while all the straight males in the vicinity look

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-73438435072295438502006-11-29T19:35:00.000-05:002006-12-02T08:08:46.002-05:00

About five years ago they were saying that indie movies were the new garage bands. All you needed was a digital camera, video editing software, and a dozen of your closest friends. I think recently there's been a return to music as an indie art form (read: a way to hang out with buddies, drink too much, and impress chicks), especially with this '80s new wave electropop revival -- again, because

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-34595346684136461022006-11-25T06:56:00.000-05:002006-11-25T07:26:12.978-05:00

Sorry, kids -- am still recovering from my sojourn in New York and sadly didn't make it to the D'Urbervilles on Thursday. Didn't check out any gigs while in the Big Apple; it was all about the art museums. I learned, however, that the moniker "the Big Apple" originates from jazz musicians; every city was an apple they had to take a bite out of, and New York was the biggest one of all.The Golden

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-46126167068344184592006-11-14T20:50:00.000-05:002006-12-24T06:37:24.957-05:00

Out of town for the rest of the week, so here's a playlist I put together from my iTunes library to tide you over. My vacation destination is cleverly hidden within the song titles.Belle & Sebastian - "Piazza, New York Catcher" Cerys Matthews - "Streets of New York" Dave Frishberg - "Do You Miss New York?" David Shire - "Manhattan Skyline"Frank Sinatra - "Theme From New York New York"Interpol -

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-16955019500794370282006-11-14T20:34:00.000-05:002006-11-14T20:41:40.184-05:00

So I pop into the Starbucks next to the Edge this morning, and there are these cute, shaggy-haired, nattily dressed fellas at the front of the line. With the radio station next door, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that they're guesting musicians. I take my place behind two girls who are eyeing the guys furtively and fumbling in their purses. One has a camera in her hand, and finally

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-63846987747547269922006-11-13T19:59:00.000-05:002006-11-13T20:23:22.730-05:00

I can't stop raving about My Brightest Diamond and the show at the Drake last week. If anything, I'm impressed at how strong Shara Worden and Pedestrian's performances were, despite the sparse audience. The Drake Underground is already tiny, but they rawked out as if they were playing a stadium of screaming fans. Luckily aNewCanadian posted a few videos of the show on YouTube. Guess he must've

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-72052464981899433462006-11-10T06:42:00.000-05:002006-11-10T07:28:35.901-05:00

I kind of overdosed on ethereal, introspective female singer-songwriters in the ‘90s. It’s the reason why I haven’t been able to get into Cat Power or Feist, despite their talent. But once in a while one will come along and pique my interest. The last one was Laura Veirs; the latest is My Brightest Diamond, whom I discovered via Fabulist. While waiting at the Drake for a friend to show up, I

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-5226826029934379912006-11-09T19:05:00.000-05:002006-11-09T19:09:34.649-05:00

Without knowing anything about them, I bought tickets to Tokyo Police Club's Dec. 2 show at the Horseshoe because a friend needed to entertain an out-of-town visitor that night. (Bespectacled Montreal electropop duo Hexes & Ohs will be opening. Yay!) What I heard on TPC's MySpace page, however, was enough to make me buy their EP. For a new, young band out of Suburbville, Ontario (a.k.a.

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-60005701811218816772006-11-07T20:15:00.000-05:002006-11-07T20:35:37.983-05:00

"These guys are neither hot nor chip." - J., as Hot Chip took the stageThe fellas in Hot Chip may look like the unlikeliest electronic Britpop stars (various members taking their fashion cues from Bill Cosby, Weird Al and the Thunderbirds) but they rocked nonetheless last night. I'd compared them to the Postal Service, but the set was closer to Depeche Mode and New Order's dramatic brand of

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-48328952789694372512006-11-04T07:31:00.000-05:002006-11-04T07:48:04.651-05:00

I’ve just discovered BBC Radio’s podcasts. (If you use iTunes, search the Podcasts section of the store for “BBC”.) The Beeb’s already pretty good at making content available over the internet, but this makes it much easier. It’s like getting magazines delivered to your door as opposed to browsing for them at the library.BBC Radio 1 is the popular (i.e. not jazz or classical) music channel. I

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-32938272869820412622006-11-02T20:31:00.000-05:002006-11-02T20:46:45.897-05:00

I heart PJ Harvey. As a teenager learning how to sing, Sarah McLachlan taught me how to sigh, and Tori Amos taught me how to squeal -- but PJ taught me how to wail. She’s been my favourite artist for the past 12 years, ever since I bought Rid of Me in 1994. Whereas other favourites have fallen to the wayside (e.g. Sarah McLachlan), PJ has persisted. I love absolutely everything she does, so

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-78417906812433743022006-10-31T08:33:00.000-05:002006-10-31T08:43:27.107-05:00

Sometimes checking out a band you don’t know much about can be a good thing (see The Rapture, Camera Obscura). Sometimes it can be, well, not so good. Deerhoof and Fiery Furnaces are a couple of bands that I’ve always read about, but have never actually heard. When I found out they were playing at the Opera House, I figured it was my chance to check them out. Italo Calvino wrote a

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-41042884108339204502006-10-28T23:13:00.000-04:002006-10-28T23:19:00.770-04:00

A friend bought tickets to see Mandy Patinkin because he only knew him as a film and TV actor and was curious as to what kind of concert he’d put on. When he couldn’t find anyone to go with him, I accepted the 11th hour invitation, even though I feared that I would have to stab myself with my housekeys if Mr. Patinkin broke out into Andrew Lloyd Webber.Patinkin was fun and charming, and I

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-53958708232990304582006-10-28T07:25:00.000-04:002006-10-28T07:32:12.610-04:00

I've been enamoured of CBC Radio 3's goose-deer mascot Bucky for some time now. He's perhaps not as majestic as the jackalope, but he's definitely all-Canadian. Well, now you can buy T-shirts with him and his noble brethren (the salmon-beaver and moose-squirrel) on them either online or at CBC's Toronto headquarters. I know where I'm heading Monday at lunchtime.

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-531261474497277282006-10-28T07:07:00.000-04:002006-10-28T07:15:49.764-04:00

(Not to be confused with the Finnish metal band or the raising up of Christians to heaven. Although either would’ve been a good show.)Remember when I said that Ladytron had been loud? Turns out it wasn’t Ladytron; it was the Guvernment's sound system. The Rapture may not have made my head feel like it was about to explode, but this is the first time my ears rang after a concert.It was the kind

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-52856612088455879502006-10-27T07:16:00.000-04:002006-10-27T07:22:05.039-04:00

At a friend’s urging over instant messenger, I checked out Hot Chip on MySpace, and within 20 minutes I’d bought and downloaded The Warning off iTunes and ordered tickets online to their Nov 6 show at the Mod Club. And the record industry says the internet is destroying them. Pffft.They sound like the Postal Service - simple, forlorn pop vocals over ’80s electronic beats - but less precious.

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-71598334168768542442006-10-24T20:34:00.000-04:002006-10-24T20:46:10.700-04:00

I was listening to the CBC Radio 3 podcast a couple weeks ago when a song by Sunset Rubdown came on. “This is good,” I thought, “but I’m not sure if I should like them too much, because they sound an awful lot like Wolf Parade.”Turns out Sunset Rubdown is the side project of Spencer Krug, who is indeed a member of Wolf Parade. So it’s okay to like them. They really do sound a lot like Wolf

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-59480722622387684492006-10-23T19:05:00.000-04:002006-10-23T19:11:44.626-04:00

I saw Karrin Allyson earlier this year at Jazz Lives, the now-annual Jazz FM fundraiser. I remember a petite woman with a lush, throaty voice who sang with great emotional expression and a sense of humour. (If the two sound mutually exclusive, it’s because she performed two songs.) She had the audience hanging on to her every breath. Wild For You, unfortunately, seems to be her “pop” album. I

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-70149333603337764082006-10-22T08:54:00.000-04:002006-10-22T09:02:50.613-04:00

I’m a sucker for punk-disco beats (see Controller.Controller) and forceful female vocals (also see Controller.Controller). So when the CBC Radio 3 blog posted an mp3 of Modernboys Moderngirls’ “Edge of My Blade”, I was hooked immediately and made of note of when they would be releasing their first CD.The Edge of My Blade EP launched on October 12 and is only available at local independent record

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-46837159375064370862006-10-22T08:50:00.000-04:002006-10-28T07:59:14.369-04:00

I never got a chance to see the now-disbanded Sleater-Kinney live. The last time they came to Toronto they played the night I had to make Father’s Day dinner. And then the Ear to the Ground fest at Exhibition Place they were supposed to headline got cancelled. Sadly, it was not to be.So when I paid for the Modernboys Moderngirls EP at the aforementioned Criminal Records, it suddenly struck me

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-19796497610456974092006-10-20T06:58:00.000-04:002006-10-20T07:13:48.529-04:00

When I was little, my parents dragged us to the Ontario Place Forum to see a Beatles tribute band. The band represented their mop-top phase and were spot-on in their mimicry, right down to Paul McCartney”s left-handed playing. I remember I was bored most of the time and kept myself amused by listening to the bass line in all their songs.So it was with nostalgic amusement that I took up an offer

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-47982216227812632312006-10-19T07:25:00.000-04:002006-10-19T07:44:19.518-04:00

The tickets said that the doors opened at 7. We were told that the show started at 8. Word on the street was that Madeleine Peyroux was playing at 9. As we joined the confused queue outside the Danforth Music Hall, we realized that with assigned seating, there was no reason to line up. So we left and came back, and right at 8 some guy who looked disturbingly like a friend’s husband came on

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1961744513441460452006-10-17T22:29:00.000-04:002006-10-17T22:35:20.886-04:00

I bought It’s Never Been Like That after two non-Torontonian friends, at opposite ends of the globe, recommended Phoenix to me independently of each other. I was even urged to go see them live in early September, but it turned out their date at the Mod Club was a V-Fest exclusive. Boo.I still can’t pin them down, which is why it’s taken me this long to do a write-up. The first time I heard

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-766071499380994812006-10-16T20:56:00.000-04:002006-10-16T21:08:07.719-04:00

The story is that after Madeleine Peyroux released her first album to much acclaim, she disappeared. Literally disappeared; I don’t mean that her career went nowhere. Seven years (seven years!) later she was discovered busking in Paris. Somehow she got dragged back into the recording studio for a second album -- and then disappeared again while on tour in Europe -- only for a week, but after

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-38054112355573137012006-10-16T20:53:00.000-04:002006-10-16T20:56:19.400-04:00

Holy crap. The Lilith Fair website is still live.

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-59433599314287165052006-10-13T07:07:00.000-04:002006-10-13T07:25:26.113-04:00

One thing that stayed with me from my misspent youth at the Royal Conservatory of Music is the tierce de Picardie, or Picardy third. You’re happily trundling along in a minor key, and you think you know what the next chord is going to be, but -- surprise! The third’s been raised a semitone, making it a major chord.Grizzly Bear likes their Picardy thirds. I’m afraid that’s all I remember of

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1580457303403313232006-10-09T08:22:00.000-04:002006-10-23T19:18:38.294-04:00

I love the fall. It means scarves, corduroy jackets, apple-picking, pumpkin pie -- and that I can sing Stacey Kent’s version of “’Tis Autumn” around the house.There is absolutely no reason why I should like Stacey Kent so much. Her interpretations are pretty straight; no vocal gymnastics or flights of fancy. She's simply a chanteuse. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but they’re a

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-83057846358443346242006-10-05T21:01:00.000-04:002006-10-05T21:03:02.569-04:00

I didn't know anything about Camera Obscura until I was dragged to see them at the Horseshoe back in July, and I liked them so much I bought Let's Get Out of This Country within the week. They get compared to Belle & Sebastian a lot, being Scottish and twee. That's like comparing the Tragically Hip and Broken Social Scene because they're both Canadian and they rock. Camera Obscura's

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1159925727897298442006-10-03T21:26:00.000-04:002006-10-03T21:40:00.800-04:00

...was loud. Wow, were they loud. And overwhelming, aurally and visually. I'm exhausted just remembering last night. This was the last concert where I would expect to see crowdsurfing, but the frontwoman of the opening band, CSS, led the way. CSS, by the way, is shorthand for Cansei de Ser Sexy, and is responsible for such songs as "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above" and "Music

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1159921249137717362006-10-03T21:19:00.000-04:002006-10-04T05:28:05.593-04:00

Les Breastfeeders* Buckingham Phallus*Butthole SurfersThe Buttless Chaps Holy Fuck* Lesbians on EcstasyNashville Pussy The New Pornographers* Porno for PyrosShit La MerdeSwollen Members Test IciclesAnd of course, my friend M., a.k.a. DJ Sistertits.***I actually have seen these bands. Don’t tell my mom!** Obviously I’ve seen M. a lot -- I just haven’t seen her deejay.The reason I bring this up is

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1159703344188098152006-10-01T07:44:00.000-04:002006-10-01T08:25:44.430-04:00

I'm currently streaming The D'Urbervilles off of New Music Canada and trying to figure out what to say about them. Because their website is pretty slim, and they seem to be so new that all they have available is an EP that you have to buy straight from them. And putting their name through Google brings up countless pages on Tess of the D'Urbervilles. (The band is no. 1 and 2 in the search

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1159584445280787982006-09-29T22:34:00.000-04:002006-09-29T22:54:03.556-04:00

One of the most highly anticipated shows this year is Yo La Tengo at the Phoenix on October 2. Me, I’m seeing Liverpudlian electroclash refugees Ladytron at the Guvernment instead because, dammit, sometimes a girl just wants to dance. I sampled then bought Witching Hour after it was released to good reviews, but was disappointed; the songwriting is a bit too pop for my tastes. Ladytron makes up

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1159443556066310612006-09-28T07:34:00.000-04:002006-09-28T07:53:19.253-04:00

Tuesday morning a co-worker turns to me and says, “Do you like the Dears?”“I love the Dears,” I say.“‘Cuz my friend won tickets from the Edge but can’t go, and I can’t go, and we don’t know anyone else who’d want them.”Gaaaahhhhhh.So I had the remarkable good fortune to catch the Dears at an exclusive concert at the Mod Club last night. If you didn't know they were in town, don't worry; they'll

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1159256208286030272006-09-26T07:11:00.000-04:002006-09-26T07:35:07.523-04:00

Final Fantasy a.k.a. Owen Pallett, $20,000 Polaris Prize, ridiculous album title, yada yada yada.My former manager lent me ...Has a Good Home earlier this year and I never told him how it grew on me in a short time. Who could resist Pallett gently singing, “You can see your house from here, you can see your house from here” in “The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead”? Or screaming, “Please please

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1159137780774922902006-09-25T00:06:00.000-04:002006-09-25T00:13:29.063-04:00

I know it don’t thrill you, I hope it don’t kill you. Four songs for a Monday morning:Elvis Costello - “Welcome to the Working Week”PJ Harvey - “Working for the Man”Constantines - “Working Fulltime”BTO - “Takin’ Care of Business”You gotta do it till you’re through it so you better get to it.Sorry! The mp3s are no longer available for download.

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1159021298777329572006-09-23T10:19:00.000-04:002006-09-23T12:26:53.666-04:00

I've been pushing the Grates on everyone in the office. (Well, everyone being the three people I talk to about music.) "They're like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs," I say. "But happy." That pretty much sums it up: a singer, a guitarist, and a drummer, and perky pop-punk that somehow (and thankfully) retains a little musical rawness despite its sense of fun. Gravity Won't Get You High is their first

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1158905443506722842006-09-22T02:06:00.000-04:002006-09-22T02:57:34.240-04:00

...but I can't find any information on a North American release.Cerys Matthews was the frontwoman for one of my favourite bands ever, Catatonia, which broke up in 2001 shortly after the release of their fourth album, Paper Scissors Stone. (It was probably for the best; I think they hit a pinnacle with Paper Scissors Stone and if they were still around today, they'd be burned out or ridiculously

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34785782.post-1158885519850270772006-09-21T20:38:00.000-04:002006-09-21T21:02:58.006-04:00

Because whenever I stumble upon cool or interesting music, I can count on one hand the number of people I know who would be interested. And I accumulate so much music these days, I might as well blog about it.But that's beside the point. Zoe's Radio Show is up and running again. Despite being only 16, she knows far more about the indie scene than I do. And she plays Motown and Joni Mitchell,

Bebehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254446153747813221noreply@blogger.com0