Mocking Music

Log Driver's Waltz

2010-02-11T02:58:00.008-04:00

New Canadian music blog by myself, Kate McKenna, and Mark Teo coming soon:
Log Driver's Waltz

Bluesfest: Day 7

2006-07-14T22:20:00.000-03:00

Jon was working during the 7th day of Bluesfest (Thursday) and I couldn't be bothered to swing by - sorry for the gap in our coverage.

YouTube footage:

Download:
Etta James - I Just Wanna Make Love To You
Elliott Brood - Second Son #2

Buy:
Bluesfest Tickets

Bluesfest: Day 6

2006-07-14T12:27:00.000-03:00

Bluesfest's sixth day was a weird one. I wasn't expecting to go at all because, once again, I was schedueled to work straight through the night. Strangely - though, I suppose, fortunately - circumstances instigated an argument with my boss which resulted in, well, me walking out.

It's not every day I get to sponteniously quit my job. This was cause for celebration. I strolled over to Bluesfest (a mere block away from where I work - er, worked) and found Jon selling Mobile t-shirts at the Main Stage merch tent. Apparently I missed their absolutely incredible set (is it indeed difficult to pick up written sarcasm?), but I was lucky enough to make it in time for some unknown named Nelly Furtado. Hot.

Nelly Furtado

I once again took advantage of my little press pass, wandering beyond the lowly peons to that cozy nook between the crowd and the stage. My smug sense of superiority was quickly shot down, though: turns out Nelly specifically requested that no press be allowed in their usual special spot - the spot I was making myself comfortable in that very moment - and so I was cast back into the real world, forced to quite literally stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the "normals". Sigh.

I was kind of impressed with that set. I'm not really a fan of Nelly's music, mind you, but she's a solid performer. I couldn't really tell if the crowd was overly into it, but it's tough to tell with these things: for the majority of the people there, this was probably the only concert they would see all year - which is fine and all, but it makes me a little uncomfortable. I'm used to indie rock shows, where every kid present has a very specific sense of how he or she is supposed to act while there - it's kind of refreshing, then, to be at a concert free of empty bullshit facades. We music snobs could learn a thing or two about show etiquette from the soccer moms balancing atop their too-old lawn chairs.

Jon finished work when Nelly finished her set. We grabbed a bite and then promptly headed for what has quickly become our favourite area, the Black Sheep Stage. It was there that we were fortunate enough to see:

The Grande Mothers

Now this was unexpected. It hadn't occurred to me, when I first read the fesitval guide, that this wasn't just some band playing Frank Zappa songs: this was fucking Frank Zappa's band. Thank God I quit my job.

Though it wasn't the best show I've seen this week, it was easily the most pleasently surprising. There can be no replacement for a Frank Zappa show, but this came pretty damn close. The boys (who have all played with Zappa at various stages in his career) emboddied the very essence of the word "charasimatic" - and the crowd was eating it up. Five or six people would yell out various song titles between songs, hoping to hear their favourites - the band's response? "Requests cost ten Finnish marks - not dollars, not euros, not yen - just Finnish marks". Fair enough.

Download:
Frank Zappa - Orange Colored Sky
Nelly Furtado - Promiscous

Buy:
Bluesfest Tickets

Mocking Music and Revolution Rock Present: Sunset Rubdown

2006-07-13T15:16:00.000-03:00

Tickets are still up for grabs for this exciting concert event! All you've got to do is send me an email (calummarsh@gmail.com) with "Sunset Rubdown Tickets" in the subject line - or, hell, leave a comment here with your name and email address - and you could be seeing this great live show for free!

Bluesfest: Day 5

2006-07-12T14:10:00.000-03:00

Bluesfest's fifth day has come and gone. Once again, I brought my camera and snapped a few pictures -- a few of which turned out alright.

By now, it has almost become routine for me to head straight to the Blacksheep stage. That was exactly what I did last night and, as usual, I (mostly) did not regret the choice.

First up was:

Mark Kozelek

Kozelek may be familiar to many of you as the frontman of Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters. Last night it was just him and one other guitarist on the stage. His most famous solo effort was arguably his album of AC/DC covers, What's Next to the Moon, in which he radically altered the originals. His original work has rested on highly personal themes of loss, despair, memory and geography.

Regrettably, none of those themes really shone through when he played last night. He was just going through the motions. There was no sense of urgency or even agency in his set. In what I hope was an off night his disinterest was reflected onto the audience. Most people chatted away and did not pay close attention to his music.

The experience was summed up when Kozelek left the stage early. A full hour, in fact, before the next band was supposed to take the stage. A veteran musician, Kozelek knew he was not playing to his usual standards (I hope) and ended it. This turned out to be a positive because the headliners were able to play a longer set.

That next band was:

Son Volt
Son Volt was that other band that resulted from Uncle Tupelo's split in the mid-90s. When the seminal alt-country band broke up its two founders, Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, started their own seperate groups that have continued to redifine alternative country. Those two bands were, of course, Son Volt and Wilco.

After the former's Bluesfest performance, I was amazed that they had never achieved Wilco's level of popularity. The crowd's reaction to Son Volt was in stark contrast to the passivity that Kozelek had received. Everyone was involved in their amazing performance.

Son Volt combined the best elements of country, hard rock and folk music with scientific precision. Great ballads and guitar onslaughts abounded their set; and neither seemed out of place or awkward.

In the encore, Farrar played a solo singer/songwriter song that put Kozelek and Ani DiFranco to shame. Everyone was captivated by his words. His bandmates joined him for the next two songs and they finished with a bang.

My friend Candice later commented that: "They owned that stage." I couldn't have agreed more.

Download:
Son Volt - Too Early
Wilco - Hummingbird
Mark Kozelek - Bad Boy Boogie
Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio

Buy:
Son Volt - Trace
Mark Kozelek - What's Next to the Moon

Mocking Giveaway: Win Free Sunset Rubdown Tickets!

2006-07-12T02:28:00.000-03:00

Exciting news abound! The fine folks down at Punk Ottawa and Revolution Rock are combining forces with Mocking Music to bring you, our faithful readers, what you're shutting up and dreaming about: a Sunset Rubdown.

Yes, if you're an Ottawa resident (or, failing that, if you can make it up here for a day or two), send me an email at calummarsh@gmail.com with your full name and address for your chance to win two free tickets to see Sunset Rubdown live in concert!

The deets, yo:

Who: Sunset Rubdown (Absolutely Kosher Records; members of Wolf Parade)
What: FREE CONCERT TICKETS
When: Wednesday, July 26th, 2006
Where: Zaphod Beeblebrox - Ottawa, ON
Why: Because we're cool like that
How: Email me (calummarsh@gmail.com) with your name and address. Make sure "Free Sunset Rubdown Tickets" is the subject line.

Download:
Sunset Rubdown - The Men Are Called Horsemen There
Sunset Rubdown - They Took A Vote And Said No
Sunset Rubdown - I'll Believe In Anything If You'll Believe In Anything

Buy:
Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming

Bluesfest: Day 4

2006-07-11T14:14:00.000-03:00

See what happens when Jon can't make it to a show? I apologize for the absolutely awful photographs. For the record: my camera was like thirty dollars. Ah, what the hell - it's my fault.

I know I recommended a night off in the Bluesfest guide, but I felt bad not taking advantage of my pass. I hadn't really tested out the power of my fancy 'Media Pass' yet, so I thought it might fun to see what it would get me. I strolled over to the grounds at around ten to nine, with little concern about having just missed The Stills. I made my way to the 'Black Sheep Stage' - they seem to be consistently hosting the most interesting shows at the festival - and watched a few minutes of Los De Abajo's set.

The crowd was small and nobody seemed into it, so I decided to check out the obnoxiously large Main Stage: Sam Roberts was cruising through a tepid 'Brother Down' when I found my way there. The Press Pass got me to the "Backstage" area, where I was allowed to sit in the small space between the fenced-off audience and the stupidly large stage. Here I snapped a couple of God-awful photos:

It occurred to me at this point that I was the only person in the vicinity without a 2000 dollar camera: it was painfully obvious that these were professionals covering the event for major news outlets - I think I may have been slightly out of place. I took the heavy rain that spontaneously broke out as my cue to leave. What a strange night...

Some unrelated items:

- You should all head to i (heart) music for your chance to win the debut album from Shapes And Sizes, the first Canadian group on Asthmatic Kitty's thoroughly awesome roster.

- Mocking Music worked with Punk Ottawa and Revolution Rock in order to bring Sunset Rubdown to Ottawa. They'll be playing at Zaphod's on July 26th - this is not to be missed under any circumstances. Tickets are on sale now at End Hits. In the near future RevRock will be bringing Ottawa Beirut, Bell Orchestre, Akron/Family, Junior Boys, and Islands. More info on those to come.

- I still expect to see you all at my show on the 19th. Tickets are still available at End Hits.

Download:
Sunset Rubdown - Stadiums And Shrines II
Beirut - Postcards From Italy

Buy:
Bluesfest Tickets

To The Hipsters Of The Ottawa Region, I Have An Idea Concerning Your Predicament

2006-07-10T17:08:00.000-03:00

This is something I've wanted to tackle for a long time, but I knew it would be a time-consuming behemoth of an article that I've sort of avoided just sitting down and getting it done - fortunately my boss left her laptop here and I've got nothing else to do for five hours. And hey, I'm kinda getting paid to write about music.

So here's the deal: this is the comprehensive guide to all things music related in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. If you live in Ottawa or ever plan on visiting and you want to know anything at all about this city's indie music scene - yes, believe it or not, we have one - this is the guide to read. Now, I don't know everything: I've probably missed a million and one cool bars/venues/bands/people/stores in this city that you love, but hopefully this covers the lion's share (isn't "lion's share" a stupid expression, by the way?). If there's anything I've excluded, tell me - and everyone else - all about it in the comments box. I'll try add to this periodically to keep in relevant and reliable.

Part I: Record Stores

Independent record stores - that is, locally owned and operated stores which sell cds (and preferably but not necessarily vinyl) - used to play a vital role in sustaining a city's local music scene. A long, long time ago, music lovers hungry for the latest buzz band couldn't rely on reading daily music blogs or - gasp! - the internet to tell them who they should be listening to. Though magazines like NME were in circulation to do just that, it was often the exclusive role of the record store to find the best music and get it to the kids.

The record store also acted as a kind of homebase for the scenesters. There were no "Top 8" lists or "Add To Friends" buttons - meeting other music-savvy pals meant, you know, walking up to them and saying hi. It's a scary thought, I know, but that's all that could be done. Local music scenes thrived because an equilibrium had been established: the indie kids needed music and the indie stores needed money. If you didn't buy an album, you didn't hear it (unless you practiced home taping, of course, but the extent to which that was damaging the industry was peanuts compared to what we're used to now), so the hipsters had no qualms about giving up their hard earned cash for music they loved.

And then the internet came along. Don't give me that bullshit about indie artists wanting you to download their music for free - yes, I know how it works: you download the album, realize you like them, go to their shows, but their merch; but that's not the problem. A lot of people download and then buy the cd, but it's just not the same: in the days of old, a lot more kids were buying a lot more records, plain and simple. Worse is the lack of vinyl: a lot of record stores made most of their money selling 12" dance records to local DJs - people thought that the death of vinyl couldn't kill the format entirely because DJs would always spin records: but it wasn't the fall of the format that changed things, it was the proliferation of downloading. It makes sense, mind you: why would a struggling local DJ pay ten to twenty dollars for one song on vinyl when he could buy it online for less than a buck - or, hell, for free? So now we have a worldwide music community based almost entirely around the internet, making it nearly impossible for a local record store to sustain a local music scene or, in the worst cases, to stay in business at all.

It's easy to see this taking effect in Ottawa: in the past year alone, two of the four major local record stores were forced to close (one went out of business, another was torn down to make way for expensive downtown condominiums). Another record store has opened in the wake of these closings, but the number of these stores in town is considerably less than only a few years ago and it seems to be rapidly declining still.

Fortunately we're blessed in this city to have a number (albeit a small number) or excellent independent record stores (rated here on a four-star scale):
___________________________________________________________________

CD Exchange (142 Rideau St. - 613 241-9864)
Though it lacks a number of important things - a vinyl section, most importantly - it does have an impressive collection of used cds. If you're looking for cheap indie albums and you don't mind buying second hand - I've never had a problem with one of their cds - this is probably your best bet. They also score points for having a solid selection of used DVDs: I always seem to across rare and exciting movies here, and the prices are fairly reasonable. I'd also recommend it if you're looking to trade CDs or DVDs for cash since they pay considerably more than most other trade-in places. Anyone still in mourning over the lose of Record Runner will appreciate their new "Record Runner Section", which is basically a cash-grab marketing scheme designed to take advantage of their biggest competition's demise - um, but I guess it might be worth checking out.

▲▲
___________________________________________________________________

CD Warehouse (locations in Kanata (499 Terry Fox), Nepean (1383 Clyde), and Ottawa Central (1717 St.Laurent) - 599-4700, 225-9027, 523-0110, respectively)
I've only ever visited the Nepean location, but I was impressed. It is quite literally a CD Warehouse, which translates to a gigantic collection of cds and music-related merchandise and memorabilia. They're the only store in town I know of with such a huge classic section (comparable to, say, that of the Sam The Record Man on Younge St in Toronto), and if you can think of a cd, they've probably got it. The store's size kind of ruins the usual "indie store" ambiance, but the staff know what they're talking about (most of them, anyway...). No vinyl, but they've got so much of everything else you hardly even notice.

▲▲▲
___________________________________________________________________

Compact Music (190 Bank St, 785 Bank St. - 233-7626, 233-8922)
Easily the least "indie" of the indie records stores, Compact is a strange store to visit. My most memorable visit was hilarious, though: an old woman asked the clerk if they had a 'Keane' record, and, puzzled, he searched in his computer. "Nope", he said, "I've never heard of them...". "Try 'K-E-A-N-E'", I interjected from afar. He types it in, "Oh...I guess we do". Not that I think these guys should be into Keane or anything - in fact that would have shot their credibility too - but if you work at a record store you should probably know what the hell you're talking about. They recently got a vinyl section: it's comprised of three Tom Waits LPs (bonus points for that call) and about a million 'Dr.Hook' records or some such shit. There's really no reason why you should go out of your way to visit Compact, but I suppose if every other record store in town got destroyed by an earthquake Compact would be worth visiting - then again, you could always buy on Amazon...

▲
___________________________________________________________________

End Hits (407 Dalhousie - 241-4487)
Ottawa's newest record store is also its best. Though it may not ever live up the legendary status of now-defunct Record Runner or Organized Sound, End Hits has a hell of a lot going for it and is slowly turning into Ottawa's main source for indie music. Their vinyl section is still in its infancy, but the lack of selection is made up for by the strength of the records that are available: you don't get that classic "panning for gold" feeling sifting through dozens of worn out records with the hopes of finding something rare, but you'll almost certainly find something worth buying. I always have a hard time leaving that store without buying something, which is usually good sign. The CD collection is reasonable considering the store's size and age (it opened a few short months ago), and it's the best place to go if you're looking for local records. They do consignment deals with local bands, so if you're in a group and want your album sold in stores, this is the place to talk to. They've definitely got the widest selection of concert tickets in town - their ties with Punk Ottawa and RevRock guarantee that - so if you're looking to grab tickets to a particular show or just want to see who's coming to town in the near future, End Hits is your best bet.

▲▲▲▲
___________________________________________________________________

Organized Sound (CLOSED)
It was a sad day when I learned that Organized Sound was closing. It is - er, was - without a doubt the best record store I have ever stepped foot in. Their cd collection and ticket selection were top-notch, but it was Organized Sound's practically perfect vinyl section that made them the only record store in town that I ever wanted to visit. They specialized in electronica, dance, and experimental music - genres you can't find anywhere else in this city - but they had an equally impressive and extensive selection of indie rock LPs. Prices were a bit high - not high enough to keep in business though, I guess - but I have no qualms about giving my money to such a terrific business. And here's an interesting idea: Organized Sound had "no-crap" policy - known as "Ottawa's discerning record store", their guarantee was that you would like absolutely every one of the records they carried. They encouraged customers to pick something they've never heard before, something totally random and adventurous, and just buy it without knowing what it will be like - you had their word that it was always be good, and you know what? It always was. It's a terrible shame that they had to close; where the hell am I supposed to buy DFA 12 inches now?

▲▲▲▲
___________________________________________________________________

Record Runner (CLOSED)
Sigh. Another legendary record store closed for financial reasons. Some stupid big business decides that they want to erect "luxury condominiums" and we have to pay for it. Possibly the most popular and revered record store in Ottawa's history, Record Runner had a kind of charm that made everyone love it: they may not have always had the cd you wanted and they staff could be a bunch of smarmy brats, but we always forgave them for their shortcomings; they were the record store, and it seemed like they would always be. Highlights unluckily their fantastic DVD collection (especially the foreign and cult sections), their extensive ticket selection, and their commitment to keeping stocking new indie albums on vinyl.

▲▲▲▲
___________________________________________________________________

Turning Point (corner of Cooper and Bank)
Turning Point succeeds for one reason and one reason only: it's the only vinyl-selling store in town that sticks exclusively to old, used records. I've written about why I love this store before: it seems that on any given day, something worth buying turns up. Where other record shops in town are run by and cater to the young, hip indie crowd, turning point is just the opposite: it's a bunch of old guys selling records to other old guys. Fair enough.

▲▲▲
___________________________________________________________________

Vertigo Records (193 Rideau St. - 241-1011)
I've always admired Vertigo for being the only record store in the city to strike a balance between the new and the old. Offering a wide array of brand-new indie rock favourites as well as commendable collection of used classics (a lot which are surprisingly rare, too), the folks at Vertigo definitely know how to satisfy the largest number of people. Though they don't exceed in any one area, they're pretty solid as a whole: they've got a healthy new and used cd collection, they've got vinyl, an area reserved for hip hop stuff, a decent ticket selection, t-shirts, box-sets, and, most surprisingly and impressively, a room reserved for turntables and stereo systems (all of which is painfully expensive). If you're not looking for anything specific, Vertigo might be the best place to go for a nice long browse - it doesn't hurt that it's close to the mall and to End Hits, making it easy to swing by when you've got some spare time.

▲▲▲
___________________________________________________________________

Next: Clubs/Venues

Download:
The Acorn - Do You Not Yearn, At All?
LCD Soundsystem - Yr City's A Sucker (Instrumental)

Bluesfest: Day 3

2006-07-10T10:24:00.000-03:00

Today I had a shorter day at Bluesfest. I didn't volunteer and saw only two sets later in the evening. I was able to bring my camera, though, and took a lot of great pictures.

Both performances could not have been more different. First up was:

Ani DiFranco

DiFranco played at the gigantic main stage to a crowd of thousands. I managed to squeeze my way near the front to get a good photographic vantage point. Unfortunately, I was rather underwhelmed by the show.

She played a stripped down set with only her guitar and an upright bass. Her minimilist approach depended wholly on her ability to capture the audience through her lyrics. There are two possible outcomes that can rise from DiFranco's highly personal songwriting style. First, the crowd relates deeply to her words and they build a special bond together. Second, her experiences are so different from the concert goers' that a divide is created.

Many people in the crowd, of what seemed to be a large female contingent, fit into the first group. They knew all the words to all the songs and could relate on a deeply personal level. I, however, fit under the second category. DiFranco's music has a deep current of female empowerement, that I, as a man, could not relate to. When the girls in the crowd sang along it was as if they were saying, "I've been there... I know how it feels." I haven't been there. I don't know how it feels. Sure, there are universal themes of love, loss and inequality but they are structured in a way that is highly autobiographical.

This is not to say that men cannot enjoy DiFranco's music. Just that it is much harder for them to build that special bond that can connect them to the songwriter. Without that bond, I felt as though I was at a party in which I did not belong. With something as inclusive as live music, there are few things worse than feeling segregated from the experience.

After DiFranco's set I headed to the Blacksheep stage to see:

Amadou and Mariam
The African duet, backed by an amazing band, embodied everything that a summer festival should be. It was like a giant dance party and everyone was invited.

The couple's story is a remarkable one. From Mali, Amadou and Mariam are a married couple, deeply in love, who express that love through their beautiful music. What's even more incredible is that both are blind. When you see them in person you get the impression that they are soulmates and were always meant to create music together.

It is impossible not to love their live show. They combine African beats with rock, jazz and even electronica. There was not one person in the audience that just stood still. Everyone danced the night away with large grins on their faces. I couldn't help but think that the world would be a much better place if every day was as beautiful and inclusive as that show.

It was yet another one of those pleasant surprises that are often some of Bluesfest's most memorable moments.

Download:
Ani DiFranco - Anyday
Ani DiFranco - Blackbird (Live)
Amadou & Mariam - La Réalité
Amadou & Mariam - Beaux Dimanches

Buy:
Ani DiFranco - Knuckle Down
Amadou & Mariam - Dimanche a Bamako

July 19th - Poster II

2006-07-10T01:42:00.000-03:00

Poster by Samantha Jordan Mae (jordanmae@gmail.com).

Bluesfest: Day 2

2006-07-09T14:23:00.000-03:00

Bluesfest's second day proved to be even more wonderful than the first. It started out slow as I worked my volunteer shift at the main stage merchandise tent. I was scheduled to work from 12:00 to 16:00; the only problem was that the main stage's first performer only started as my shift ended. The other stages, though, had sets scheduled as early as noon.

Luckily, I was offered a chance to work at the Blacksheep stage and was put in charge of Great Lake Swimmers' merchandise. This meant I would work a little overtime as their set started at 16:45. I was only too happy to do so.

Before Great Lake Swimmers I was able to catch an amazing performance by a young man named:

Jake Shimabukuro

Jake's instrument of choice was ukulele. That's right, it was only him and his ukulele on stage and it was fantastic. I was instantly reminded of Owen Pallett and his musicianship with the violin. Unlike Owen, Jake didn't loop his instrument. Instead, he played intricate pieces that shattered any preconceived notions one might concoct when they hear the word "ukulele."

I was glad to see him receive the audience's praise after his set. Many people, who had probably never heard him before, lined up to buy his album. He seemed to appreciate the gesture and mingled with a lot of his fans afterwards.

Next up were:

Great Lake Swimmers

As their name implies, Great Lake Swimmers play the kind of music that is perfectly suited for those long relaxing days at the summer cottage. The band's frontman, Tony Dekker, sings in the manner of a lullaby. Instead of putting you to sleep, though, it makes you daydream about the carefree days of your youth. Those times when nothing could deter your quest for fun and you felt invincible. When I listen to Great Lake Swimmers I feel invincible. I can forget everything and not let the mundanities of daily life stop me from feeling fulfilled.

After their set I had the chance to speak with Dekker at great length. As he signed autographs and spoke to fans I sat next to him and sold a few t-shirts. What struck me was his modesty and his shyness. He could be a poster-boy for anti-rockstars everywhere. He spoke about their latest tour and their upcoming shows. Audiences in P.E.I., Kingston and Calgary can look forward to their show in the near future.

After Great Lake Swimmers came a set from local heroes:

The Acorn

As usual, The Acorn did not disappoint. Joined by some labelmates from Flecton they played a solid set with equal parts new and old material. Frontman, Rolf Klausener, proved to have a great sense of humour and had an excellent relationship with the hometown audience. The definite highlight was their rendition of "Blankets." The title-track from their latest EP proved to be a huge hit with the crowd.

The next band came from Montreal:

Torngat

Torngat was an intriguing and wholly unique band. The three-person lineup included drums, a French horn (courtesy of Bell Orchestre's Pietro Amato) and keyboards/synths. Like Bell Orchestre, Torngat's music is an interesting mix of classical and experimental elements. They have far less popular appeal than their bigger siblings due to the long droning post-rock elements found in some of their songs. They are the type of band that would have more appeal on record than in concert. Their music creates a great ambiance but is not very engaging in a live setting.

Still well worth a listen for those of you who are more adventurous in their musical taste.

Finally, came the undeniable highlight of Bluesfest thus far:

Bell Orchestre

Remarkably, this was Bell Orchestre's first "official" performance in Ottawa. An interesting fact when one considers that almost all the band's members have lived in this city at one time or another. It was a welcome visit that received a tremendous response.

Richard Perry and Sarah Neufeld, especially, brought an infectious sense of energy to the set. To hear "Les Lumieres" -- parts 1 and 2 -- live is an experience unlike any other. I closed my eyes and felt as though I was lifted above the clouds. I looked back at the audience and saw that sense of wonder that is often reserved for the very young. Everyone seemed frozen on the spot as the song's tempo rose to it's climactic crescendo.

It seemed that almost every song recreated that sense of awe. There are so few moments in our day to day lives that can return us to a sense of innocence. This was one such experience.

Bell Orchestre return to Ottawa on September 8th. What makes that show especially interesting is that they will play at the First Baptist Church. I can't imagine a better setting for such a transcendent experience.

That sums up day 2. Keep reading for more recaps on the days to come.

Download:
Torngat - Alberta Song
The Acorn - Darcy
Great Lake Swimmers - I Will Never See the Sun
Bell Orchestre - Throw it on a Fire

Buy:
The Acorn - Blankets EP
Great Lake Swimmers - Great Lake Swimmers
Jake Shimabukuro - Dragon
Bell Orchestre - Recording a Tape the Colour of Light

Bluesfest: Day 1

2006-07-08T11:04:00.000-03:00

Yesterday Ottawa's biggest music festival finally started. Every year the Cisco System's Bluesfest gives Ottawa residents and visitors a ten day musical celebration in the greatest tradition. In recent years it has offered an eclectic lineup that has gone above and beyond just the blues. This year will surely be no different. Performers as diverse as Solomon Burke, Broken Social Scene and Wilco will entertain audiences whilst they make new fans.

Mocking Music will provide extensive coverage of the festivities. Calum and I have both acquired festival passes and will be in attendance almost every day. I've decided to volunteer this year and will spend a lot of my time selling merchandise while I take in the atmosphere. If you are attending the festival you should come say hi. Just look for the tall thin guy with glasses, in his early 20s, selling t-shirts at the main merchandise tent (near the main stage).

Now, with no further ado, my coverage of the festival's first day.

Because I was volunteering I arrived a full two hours before the first performers took the stage (16h). This turned out to be a great thing because I was able to catch Great Big Sea's practice session. Newfoundland's most popular folkloric band played a few old favourites and had a small crowd of volunteers and early birds on their feet. The short "set" brought back memories of my childhood when my mother, a sucker for all things from the Maritimes, would often play their sophomore album, Up.

While Great Big Sea played away I got the chance to meet my fellow volunteers. They were all awesome, though not surprisingly, most were high school students. In Ontario, students are required to do at least 40 hours of community service to get their high school diploma. And I thought forced community service was reserved for inmates and traffic law violators...

Over the next four hours I sold official Bluesfest attire and band merch, for Great Big Sea and Calexico (I'll get to them later), to hordes of customers who didn't mind paying $35 for some of the ugliest t-shirts I had ever seen. My supervisor, Jenny, asked me to put Calexico's t-shirts in a box that was out of the way. She thought no one would buy any of their stuff. Although she was a very kind and sweet person, I was glad to see her proven wrong.

While I worked, two bands played the main stage. First was Brock Zeman. The Ottawa native won a competition at a local club, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and was honoured with the festival's opening spot. His style of folk-rock fit well with the other main stage performers. Next was one of Canada's more popular country musicians, Corb Lund. I was amazed to find out that his song "(Gonna) Shine Up My Boots" was featured in the awesome B-movie, Slither.

Once my shift had ended I headed to the Blacksheep Stage. Named after the best music venue in the Ottawa area, it has gained a solid reputation with diehard music fans. It is really the festival's best place to find those pleasant surprises. Before Calexico's headlining set I came across one such pleasant surprise:

Seu Jorge

Seu Jorge is best known in North America as the guy in film The Life Aquatic who sang the Bowie songs in Portuguese. His performance in that movie, however, did not prepare me for the brilliance of his live set. He played a fun set of South American folk music that had the entire crowd on its feet. Jorge had a joie de vivre that has become synonymous with his home country, Brazil.

I had a chance to speak with him later that night and he was as engaging in conversation as he was on the stage. It was obvious that he loves his country and does not take his role as an unofficial ambassador lightly. In addition to The Life Aquatic Jorge was also in the modern masterpiece, City of God. The film tells the story of two friends as they follow different paths in Rio de Janeiro's slums. One finds a way out through photography while the other descends into a violent life of crime.

The film holds a special significance for Jorge because he was of the lucky ones. He found a way out of the dead ends from his childhood through his music. Now he travels the world and raises awareness about the constant inequalities and extreme poverty that exist in his country.

If you ever have the chance to see or meet Seu Jorge, take it. He is an amazing musician and a wonderful human being. While most of the other artists were hanging out backstage he was out talking to the crowd and enjoying the atmosphere. In a word: awesome.

Next was one of alternative country's most influential bands:

Calexico

They opened their 19-song set on a high note with "Roka." Calexico are at their best in concert when they incorporate Mexican elements into their music. The sound of the Mariachi-style trumpets gave me goosebumps on more than one occasion. Joey Burns took the opportunity to practice his French, "Bonjour.... Merci beaucoup...." in a city that is known to promote billingualism.

Other highlights included "Cruel", "All Systems Red" and "Si tu Disais." The latter song featured Burns' girlfriend(?) with a sexy, sultry rendition of the French lyrics. For the encore they played "Corona" and "Guero Canelo." Both songs received a strong response from the audience: composed of college students and baby boomers alike. Their entire set, in fact, had people shaking their hips and clapping their hands in delight.

It was a great experience and one that I hope can be repeated if they ever decide to return.

Well, that's it for our first day of coverage. Stay tuned tonight (or tomorrow morning) for day 2.

Download
Seu Jorge - Life On Mars

Buy
Great Big Sea - Up
Calexico - Garden Ruin
Seu Jorge - Cru

Bluesfest Guide

2006-07-08T10:42:00.000-03:00

The Bluesfest scheduele is a little overwhelming. There are five different acts playing each of the six stages on each of the ten nights - you do the math. Schedueling conflicts often force you to make tough choices, and there are a lot of factors involved: it's not just which band you like more, but which band will put on a better show, how many times (if ever) you've seen the bands before, and, hell, which crowd will be less annoying (watch as the teenyboppers flock to Emily Haines - a ghastly sight).

I thought I'd make some recommendations so you don't feel so lost and confused. I'm not expert, mind you, and my choices aren't necessarily any better than yours. But this is supposed to be slightly scientific - I stress "slightly" - so you should feel pretty comforatable heeding my advice.

The (Not Really) Official Indie Guide To BLUESFEST 2006.
___________________________________________________________________

Night One: Friday, July 7th

The Choices: Broken Social Scene, Seu Jorge & Calexico, Great Big Sea

Best Bet: Seu Jorge & Calexico
Why: My rationale for choosing Calexico over BSS almost entirely revolves around performance prolificy. Any Ottawa resident will tell you that Broken Social Scene is always here - for a city that draws very few indie giants, everyone's favourite supergroup just can't get enough of the capital. They're a great band and they never dissapoint - last's year they were to die for - but if you're in Ottawa, chances are you've seen them more than once already. The icing on the cake is Seu Jorge, who you may remember covering Bowie songs in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. That'd be worth it if just to hear 'Space Oddity'.

Download: Calexico - Cruel
___________________________________________________________________

Night Two: Saturday, July 8th

The Choices: Bell Orchestre w/The Acorn & The Great Lake Swimmers, Feist w/Jason Collett & Brazilian Girls

Best Bet: Bell Orchestre w/ The Acorn & The Great Lake Swimmers
Why: Feist and Jason Collett are reasonably good, but there live performances are, quite honestly, boring. And, like BSS, they visit Ottawa all the bloody time. If you miss this show you're bound to catch them in the fall. That being said, Bell Orchestre could be missed for the same reason (Shawn Scallen is bringing them to Ottawa in a couple of months time - more on that later), and The Acorn are local so they're obviously here a lot too. I know a solid lineup when I see one, and Bell Orchestre with The Acorn and Great Lake Swimmers is just that.

Download: The Bell Orchestre - Throw It On A Fire
___________________________________________________________________

Night Three: Sunday, July 9th

The Choices: Ani DiFranco, Amadou & Mariam, Solomon Burke

Best Bet: Ani DiFranco
Why: Though you'd be watching an incredible performance at each stage, the strongest and perhaps least likely to return to this fair city is the lovely Ani DiFranco. She might not be hip with the indie kids, but she's awesome - and isn't that enough? Yes, yes it is.

Download: Ani DiFranco - Fire Door
___________________________________________________________________

Night Four: Monday, July 10th

The Choices: Sam Roberts w/The Stills, Los De Abajo, Rickie Lee Jones

Best Bet: Take a night off
Why: I really have nothing to say about this. You could maybe catch The Stills when they play early in the evening and then, um, head to the bar - I hate Sam Roberts and I've never heard of the others, so my input on the decision should probably be disregarded. I mean, if you like Sam Roberts, check it out - but then if you like Sam Roberts you're probably not reading this...

Download: The Stills - In The Beginning
___________________________________________________________________

Night Five: Tuesday, July 11th

The Choices: Be Good Tanyas, Blue Rodeo, Mark Kozelek

Best Bet: Mark Kozelek
Why: Because it's like you're seeing two bands. Being that Kozelek is the frontman of two awesome bands - Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters - you're sure to hear something you know and like. And honestly, who doesn't like acoustic Modest Mouse covers?

Download: Sun Kil Moon - Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes
___________________________________________________________________

Night Six: Wednesday, July 12th

The Choices: The Grande Mothers, Nelly Furtado w/Live, Terrance Simien,

Best Bet: Nelly Furtado
Why: Because she's so hot right now. Seriously, who wouldn't want to see the recently turned wild girl burn through those new songs (which are really catchy, by the way)? As for Live, um, well...I liked 'Dolphins Cry' when I was 13. I don't know what else to say.

Download: Nell Furtado - Afraid
___________________________________________________________________

Night Seven: Thursday, July 13th

The Choices: Elliott Brood, Etta James, Konono N1, Mofro

Best Bet: Etta James
Why: Sure, I like Elliott Brood, but turning down an Etta James performance would be a crime. Do yourself a favour and go.

Download: Etta James - Oh Happy Day
___________________________________________________________________

Night Eight: Friday, July 14th

The Choices: Cadence Weapon w/Rihanna, Wintersleep & Holy Fuck & The Fiery Furnaces & Metric, Kathleen Edwards

Best Bet: Wintersleep/Holy Fuck/Metric/Fiery Furnaces
Why: Oh come on. Obviously. It's almost worth it just for a Fiery Furnaces shirt - or a Wintersleep shirt, but those are kind of lame...

Download: The Fiery Furnaces - Single Again
___________________________________________________________________

Night Nine: Saturday, July 15th

The Choices: Fefe Dobson, Wilco, Hawthorne Heights

Best Bet: Wilco
Why: Well, you've really got your work cut out for you here: how the hell are you ever going to choice between Blues greats Hawthorne Heights and Fefe Dobson? I love both so much and I hear they're incredible performers - oh, and there's that "Wilco" guy, I've never really heard of him. Is that Blues too?

Download: Wilco - No Poetry
___________________________________________________________________

Night Ten: Sunday, July 16th

The Choices: New Pornographers w/Controller.Controller & Hilotrons, KC And The Sunshine Band

Best Bet: New Pornos
Why: It just might be the best night of the whole festival. Some indie snobs can't stand the New Pornographers, but deep down in your heart you know they're a lot of fun. Controller.Controller works as an opener and local greats the Hilotrons always put on a good show. Well worth the price of admission.

Download: The New Pornographers - Jackie
___________________________________________________________________

Buy:
Tickets

Baby's First Concert

2006-07-05T23:48:00.000-03:00

You're cordially invited to Calum Marsh's Very First Concert - an evening of music and drinks hosted by yours truly. If you're in the Ottawa area and don't have anything else to do - you know damn well you don't - I insist that you swing by Cafe Dekcuf (221 Rideau Street, above Mavericks) for a truly magnificent experience.

Explore:
The Neckers
The Liar's Rosebush
Acres
Bangkok

Download:
The Liar's Rosebush - 'Delta Delta Delta'
The Liar's Rosebush - 'Series And Parallel'
The Neckers - 'Don't Wanna Worry'
The Neckers - 'Share Secrets'

Tickets are available at End Hits (corner of Rideau and Dalhousie) or at the door.

Ottawa's Best New Band: Black Actors Get the Part

2006-07-04T20:45:00.000-03:00

Canadians are obsessed with super-groups. We just can't get enough of them. From the New Pornographers, to Broken Social Scene, to The Hylozoists; they seem to be popping up all over the place. I suppose our talented musicians just aren't content to stick with only one project. They seem to have a need to branch out into different genres and work with different people to quench their creative thirst.

Although the three bands I mentioned above are from Vancouver and Toronto, respectively, Ottawa's musicians have also followed this trend. When it comes to the arts in Ottawa, everything's just on a smaller scale than the larger urban centres. I've already mentioned Jetplanes of Abraham in a previous post. They're probably the best example of an Ottawa "super-group" but there are others. A great band called Black Actors have really made a name for themselves in the last few months.

Black Actors has members from two great local bands: Van Johnson and Robot Kill City. They play a fun brand of post-punk that will get even the most stagnant indie kids strutting their stuff on the dance floor. They have the potential to achieve the kind of success that has eluded the Capital Region's artists (unless you count Alanis Morissette).

If you happen to live in, or near, Ottawa you can catch Black Actors at End Hits on July 7th. Sure, that other super-group and a little-known band called Calexico will be playing elsewhere in the city at around the same time but they won't make you want to put on your dancing shoes. Don't waste your time with those other guys and support your local starving musicians. You'll be glad you did.

There are currently no Black Actors songs available for download but you can listen to two unmastered tracks on their MySpace.

Download
The Hylozoists - Strait is the Gate
The New Pornographers - The Slow Decent Into Alcoholism (Live)
Broken Social Scene - All the Gods
Calexico - Nom de Plume

Related
Jetplanes of Abraham Soar Above the Rest

Canada Day Coverage - Pt. 4

2006-07-02T00:38:00.000-03:00

Okay, so: I forgot the camera. I'll fill you in anyway.

We saw Stars at Parliment Hill. Tess is conspiciously agile and was able to dart through the crowd - hundreds of thousands of people - to get close enough for us to see the stage. Jon noted that it was probably the biggest crowd they've ever played to, but they admirably remained confident in the face of such a daunting audience. I respect that. The performance was, as usual, terrific, even despite the overwhelming atmosphere. I'd like to stress that this was a weird concert: here were Stars, my little band from Montreal, playing to the largest audience I've ever been a part of at the most unexpected venue I could imagine - and yet, in its own curious way, it worked. It all seemed...right. I know that only a tiny fraction of the crowd had ever heard of this band, and I'm fully aware that too that the majority of these happy people were just waiting patiently for the fireworks to begin - yet I was content with how it all came together, and I'm pleased now that I took the time before the bar to stop and watch.

Let me explain my unpopular fireworks policy: I don't care for them. They bore the hell out of me, to be quite honest. Why, why, does anyone get excited about this? Are we really, as a culture, so easy to entertain that flashing lights in the sky cause everyone - yes, everyone - to "ooh" and "ahhh"? I'm not angry, mind you; I wish I liked fireworks. I honestly feel as though I'm missing something, like I just don't get it - how can something so simple make so many people so happy but do nothing for me? What the hell am I missing?

That being said, the fireworks were grand. Tess and Jon were impressed, and that's good enough for me, I guess. We tried walking to Zaphods but the crowds were just too much to handle. It's strange, being so close to home but feeling so overwhelmed by strangers - I feel like this is my home, like I should have control here more than anywhere else - but no, it doesn't work like that. I'm lost, too.

Getting home from Zaphod's means passing through the Rideau Centre to get to the Mackenzie King bride - simple enough. But what's this? Police barricades? Certainly seems that way. The detour would take all night, so I propose a more interesting solution: let's head to the top of the Rideau parking garage and jump to the roof of the Rideau Centre. On our way up the empty garage stairs (apparently nobody else thought of this brilliant plan), we encountered danger: an alcoholic homeless kid threw something (we assume it was a rock) through the window of the roof-exit door - a door we were seconds from reaching. The glass from the window smashed a few feet in front of us, but we were okay. Determined to get home, we went forth in the face of danger - that is to say, Tess bravely went ahead because Jon and I were scared out of our minds.

A little fence-hopping put us squarely on the roof of the Rideau. We walked around to the stairwell, which would lead us right on to the Mackenzie King bridge - but, not surprisingly, we are stopped by the police, who tell us we're going to have to walk all the way back around. On the way back we spot another exit - this one takes us to more police, but I find a shortcut that takes us to a secret area. Fences are hopped and walls are scaled, and eventually we find ourselves sneaking past security guards in a blocked-off area. Tess, headstrong and brash as she is, climbs around the side of steel gate - on the side of a building, which requires some gutsy gymnastic skills - and onto an empty stairwell exit.

All that work, and we're still in the middle of a busy crowd. An eternity later we reach the apartment - tired and desperate need of alcohol, we pour some drinks. And here were are. it's 12:05; it's no longer Canada Day. Was it good for you?

Download:
Stars - Elevator Love Letter

Canada Day Coverage - Pt. 3

2006-07-01T19:18:00.000-03:00

FRANCE WON!? What the hell? I'm still mad about England...

It's bloody hot today. We haven't really been keeping to our schedule, but things are running smoothly - we just got back from the End Hits vegan barbeque, which was surprisingly good. I bought Wire's Pink Flag on vinyl (which we're enjoying as I write this), and we talked for a little while to Shawn Scallen, a major concert promoter in the area (much more on him next week). The veggie burgers were...okay, actually, and I don't think that's just the alcohol talking.

Tess got her face painted and we ran into Jon's entire family. We got candy from Sugar Mountain and shoved our way through the stupidly large crowds. I am slightly drunk and have been for 4 hours - I have high hopes for the hours to come. Here are some lovely pictures from the day:

Sparks Street, in front of parliment. The crowd has gathered to get a look at local celebrities Calum Marsh and Jon Migneault. And I think there may have been one of those stupid EuroTrip robot guys...

Rideau Street - the roads were closed to traffic so it was pretty insane.

Tess is paying this guy for painting her face. She has no idea I'm taking her picture. I suspect he might, though.

Two women jumping on a trampoline - no idea why the crowd would be watching that...

No pictures of Jon or me, strangely - maybe we'll snap a couple when we're dancing (oh god...).

Download:
Wire - Dot Dash (Early Demo)

Canada Day Coverage - Pt. 2

2006-07-01T15:18:00.000-03:00

England lost. Goddammit. The bar was fairly exciting: I spilled water all over myself during the penalty kicks and drank some delicious beer with Jon. Tess got bored and confused fairly quickly and Jon didn't arrive until the end of the second half, but I enjoyed myself nevertheless. We're currently drinking some Guinness and listening to a Unicorns LP - fun times!

As soon as we're done here we'll be heading further downtown (I'm a few minutes from the Hill and whatnot) to enjoy the End Hits vegan barbeque and maybe buy a couple of records. Maybe we'll see you around.

Download:
Buck 65 - Jaws Of Life

Canada Day Coverage - Pt.1

2006-07-01T09:47:00.000-03:00

Greetings to you, dear reader! I'm spending my very first Canada Day in the nation's capital today, and to celebrate the occasion I'm going to be getting very drunk - hurray! Jon and I (along with my lovely companion Tess) are going to be wandering the city all afternoon, heading back to my downtown apartment periodically to update everyone our festive activities. Here's our tentative plan:

11:00am - World Cup Game @ Generic British Pub
2:00pm - Jon joins Tess and I for drinks @ My apartment
2:45pm - Wandering the busy streets @ Downtown (Bank & Rideau)
3:30pm - Vegan Barbeque & Record Shopping @ End Hits (Corner of Bank & Dalhousie)
4:00pm - Afternoon drinks @ My apartment
5:00pm - Jetplanes Of Abraham @ Zaphods
6:00pm - Buck 65 @ Major's Hill Park
6:30pm - More Drinks @ The Apartment
7:30pm - Stars @ Parliment Hill
8:15pm - Last apartment drinks @ My Apartment
9:00pm - Bar till 2am @ Zaphods

Now doesn't that sound like fun? Make sure to say hi if you happen to see either of us at the bar or at the concerts.

Download:
Boards Of Canada - Dayvan Cowboy
The Decemberists - July, July!

Live From Oxford, On A Friday!

2006-06-30T04:08:00.000-03:00

Many of you probably think you know Radiohead. Nineties prog-rock, riding the waves of the post-punk electronica. You are partially right, but their story goes back further than that.

In was a cool summer morning in Oxford, England, 1990, three years before Radiohead as you know them would take the world by storm with their hit debut. A young Thom Yorke was waiting at a barstool for his audition for vocalist lead in some local house band, when he stumbled upon a newspaper ad.

Wanted: Back-up vocalist for new band, "On a Friday." Have a record deal!

Willing to do anything to get his foot in the door, Yorke went to meet the band, fronted by Geoff Trainor.

The Original Line-Up For On A Friday

Little did Trainor know that the rest of the band, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway, were looking to replace their tyrannical frontman. Canadian born Trainor never quite fit in with the rest of the band, despite having written all their songs.

It was Greenwood who came up with the plan. They had all the material they needed for numerous releases, so all they had to do was find a replacement singer. Greenwood convinced Trainor that the band needed another voice to add a bit of harmony to the group.

When Yorke arrived, Greenwood knew instantly that he would be the one to replace Trainor, mostly because he thought his name sounded better, more rock and roll. So Yorke was in, and Trainor slowly faded out. They changed their name to Radiohead and by 1992, it was as if he never existed. The band, with Yorke at the helm, released their first stolen single, Creep, in 1993.

Radiohead, years later, pretend not to know Geoff

As far as Radiohead goes, the rest you already know. Trainor on the other hand was forced to go solo. He waited 20 or so years and attempted a come back with a friend of his, Jack.

With Yorke's solo album being released on July 10th, maybe the band will ask for Geoff's return. I'm sure they feel scorned. But will he have them back?

Here are some other offenders:

Download:
The Cure - Creep
Pedro the Lion - Let Down
Tallywood Strings - Optimistic
Dresden Dolls - Karma Police
Brad Mehldau - Paranoid Android
Husky - Idioteque
Lunasect - How To Disappear Completely
The Willies - Creep
Jamie Cullum - High & Dry
Mountain Goats - No Surprises
Mayfield - Fake Plastic Trees
Tori Amos - Karma Police
Osunlade & Erro - Everything In Its Right Place
Steve Jaunzemis - Kid A

Buy:
Radiohead - OK Computer
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Various Artists - Exit Music: Songs for Radio Heads
Various Artists - Engmatic: The String Quartet Tribute to Radiohead

The Best Albums Of 2006 So Far (Pt.1 of 2)

2006-06-29T08:22:00.000-03:00

I told myself I wouldn't do this. It's only June, I keep telling myself, but I can't resist. I look at all the wonderful recordings my iPod has been graced with in the past six months, and I simply must write about them. I've got to celebrate. I've got to throw my arms in the air and announce that yes, I, Calum Marsh, love these albums. You've been good to me, dear records, and telling the world that I've enjoyed my time with you is the very least I can do. I'm listing my favourite albums of 2006. Already.

And hey, why not? I figured it would be worth throwing together, if just to see what you all think. I'm going to do it all again in another six months, I can tell you that right now - and yeah, sure, the list will probably look a lot different by December. But that's what this is all about: saying things you're going to regret later. Tell me what you love or hate in the comment box, folks.

The 10 Best Albums Of 2006 So Far (Pt.1)
___________________________________________________________________

10. Hot Chip - The Warning

I think it's a testament to the strength of the DFA catalogue that the worst album they've ever released - this album, that is - stands strong as one of the best records I've heard all year. Few records warrant use of the word "smooth", but if any does, it's Hot Chip's The Warning - it's laid-back, "groovy" (as I believe the kids say), and, at the best times, a little bit silly. Whenever I'd describe a movie or album as "fun", my roommate would say "whee!"; he's right, of course - a piece of art isn't a rollercoaster, and it never will be - but that's always the word that comes to mind when I'm listening. Whee!
___________________________________________________________________

09. Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds

I spent a lot of time last summer sitting in Denny's at two in the morning, sipping coffee and chatting with my good friend Tate. One night, overcome with the boredom of what had quickly become routine, Tate and I decided we would go on an overnight roadtrip to Toronto - a mere 3 hours away. We made a quick pitstop to pick up Tate's as-of-then girlfriend, Laura, and headed for the only thing we knew would be exciting in Toronto at 5 in the morning: the CN tower. Sitting on the car, gazing up at the monument which would in a few short hours be surrounded by busy tourists, we listened to Final Fantasy's "The CN Tower Belongs To The Dead" - and that moment shall forever be burned into my mind.

The point? He Poos Clouds isn't as quirky or as charming as its predecessor, but it succeeds in a way that I didn't think a Final Fantasy album could: it feels like a great album. Its goofy title aside, He Poos Clouds is a graceful and, dare I say it, epic record, the kind of album you feel disenchanted by upon first listen but that stays in the back of your mind for weeks and months to come.
___________________________________________________________________

08. Casitone For The Painfully Alone - Etiquette

Have you ever felt like someone is singing a song just for you? Sure, idiotic couples pick "their song" because the lyrics fit juuuust right (or, you know, kinda close...), and angry females are drawn to bitter pop tunes because, hey, their boyfriend/father/friend/whatever is totally stupid and mean. God, Generic Singer X really gets it, ya know? They understand my inconsiquential issue - nobody else feels my pain, but this random millionare pop group that doesn't write their own songs sure does.

But then there's Owen Ashworth. He writes songs about like...well, me. And you, too, probably. If you're between the ages of 18 and 27 and have ever in your life: gone to University or College, borrowed money from your parents, stayed up until breakfast, slept until noon, or basically just felt sad about something even though you sure as hell don't have much to feel sad about, then chances are there's a Casiotone For The Painfully Alone song for you. Ashworth understands that when you're twenty-something, you're stupid - you feel crushed by the weight of whatever, and though you're old enough to understand that things could be worse and you've got no reason to be worried or sad or depressed, it's really goddamn hard not to. "We drink too much and fuck too soon/ cut our wrists and sleep till noon", he sings on lead single 'Young Shields' - think about that the next time you hear "Untitled (How Could This Happen To Me", or some such shit.
___________________________________________________________________

07. Liars - Drum's Not Dead

I'm pleased with how many good records this year I can describe as "scary". Fear is one of the most difficult emotions for art genuinely inspire in its audience, so I'm always appreciate it that much more when it's done well.

Drum's Not Dead is indeed quite frightening. Lead single "It Fit When I Was A Kid", for example, chuggs along like a freight train with that creepy tribal drumming before devolving into organ-based chamber piece that would feel at home in Count Dracula's castle. Intense and at times overwhelming, Drum's Not Dead is certainly not the most pleasurable record you'll hear this year, but it's one of the most engaging and, more surprisingly, one of the most rewarding.
___________________________________________________________________

06. The Knife - Silent Shout

I'm still not quite sure how to accurately describe Silent Shout. Is it scary? I didn't think so at first. It was too dancy, too focused on a techno-like pulse to engage my emotions, I thought. I enjoyed it as a spacy electronica record, one I might hear when I'm in the mood for something intense and a little off-beat (or, as my parents famously said, "when we're playing cards and having a lot to drink").

Unsatisfied with my orignal observations (in that almost everything I read about the album suggested I was missing something crucial when I listening to it the first time), I went back to Silent Shout - this time alone, in the dark, with my headphones. This experience made me realize: listening conditions change everything. I was shocked and amazed that I had once found Silent Shout even remotely fun and was even more shocked and amazed that I hadn't fallen immediately in love with it. This is rich, engaging record that is emotional, intelligent, and - gasp! - pretty darn scary.
___________________________________________________________________

Download:
The Knife - We Share Our Mother's Health
Liars - Let's No Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Cold White Christmas
Final Fantasy - Song Song Song

Buy:
The Knife - Silent Shout
Liars - Drum's Not Dead
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Etiquette
Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
Hot Chip - The Warning

Can You Hear The Sound of Joy ?

2006-06-26T21:30:00.000-03:00

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to see The Creeping Nobodies at Ottawa's Club Saw. The show, which was organized by i (Heart) Music's Matthew Pollesel, had the Toronto band follow two great local acts: Ennuie and The Bridegroom.

The headliners, though, stole the show. Attached to Toronto's Blocks Recording Club, which also houses Final Fantasy, The Creeping Nobodies have lived up to the co-operative's eclectic reputation. Like most artists linked to Blocks, The Creeping Nobodies sound is not easily classified.

At their music's heart is the idea of opposition. Their post-punk aesthetic melds with the notion of contrast. Their songs navigate a soundscape that is both quiet and loud, harsh and soft, smooth and sharp and rarely anything in between. Their latest album, Sound of Joy, carries the listener from high musical peaks to quiet valleys. Just when you think you've gotten comfortable it lifts you up for another ride. Believe me, once it's all over you'll want to come back for more.

Tracks like "Treachery" and "Sense of Belonging" find a delicate balance between the creation and release of tension. The entire album juggles nervous energy, especially that of lead vocalist Matthew McDonough. At times that energy is let loose in brilliant outbursts while at others it is subdued by Sarah Richardson's and Valerie Uher's soft vocals. This gives a "calm before the storm" effect that only makes McDonough's sonic eruptions that much more powerful.

If you have an adventurous musical palette The Creeping Nobodies are well worth a listen. The sound of joy awaits and it is wonderful.

Download:
The Creeping Nobodies - The Sound of Joy
The Creeping Nobodies - Treachery
The Creeping Nobodies - Sense of Belonging

Buy:
The Creeping Nobodies - Sound of Joy

Gnarls Barkley Next Lord of the Sith

2006-06-23T13:12:00.000-03:00

I seems as if Gnarls Barkley has chosen the quick and easy path of the dark side of the force. That doesn't mean he can't be joined on stage by a wookiee and a couple of X-Wing pilots though. Yes, I know this is old news, but I just could not resist posting about this. I did not see it for myself, but I was checking out TheForce.Net for some much needed Star Wars updates and came across it. Anyone that knows me also knows my obsession for all things Star Wars.

(Casey: Of course, one half of Gnarls Barkley is Cee-Lo who is also the man responsible for unleashing "Don't Cha" so clearly his path on the dark side has been long tread.)

You know, as much as I dislike the MTV shows that get syndicated onto Much Music, I usually enjoy their award shows. They do seem to consistantly have great acts.

Download:
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (Live @ MTV Movie Awards)

Buy:
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

Record Shopping In The European Theatre

2006-06-22T21:25:00.000-03:00

There's a used record store about a block away from my apartment. I visit fairly often, since I'm always walking past it, and I've noticed something fairly obvious which had previously never clicked: rare records pass through these stores all the time - every day, in fact. I held previously a romantic vision of nostaligic record collectors, sitting at home and spinning their copies of Low and Swordfishtrombones with grace and delicacy, and never even imagining the thought of giving them away. But such is not the way of the world. I know that somewhere, at this very moment, a copy of The Queen Is Dead that has been collecting dust in a box in someone's attic for fifteen years is being brought in to your local record shop - the LP's owner will not shed a tear tonight or remember the album fondly, and he will use the five dollars that he gets on trade to pick up a used and badly scratched copy of All That You Can't Leave Behind, which he had been meaning to buy for some time and, if he remembers correctly, has some pretty okay songs on it.

So I've been looking for rare records. In the past few months alone, my patience and diligence has uncovered a bounty of treats: the aforementioned The Queen Is Dead, Closer, Swordfishtrombones, Ambient Four: On Land, Drums & Wires, My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, Fear Of Music, The Lounge Lizards, Disintegration, Solid Gold, and a number of others. It's taken on a toll on my bank account, yes, but can I really put a price on...um, commercial goods...?

Last week I stumbled upon something rather interesting: Life In The European Theatre, an extremely rare punk and ska compilation from 1981. I hadn't planned on writing about this LP, but Jonathan's post on the history of Ska music inspired me to sit down and do so. Life In The European Theatre is an interesting snapshot of the British music scene in the aftermath of the Punk explosion, but it's also a surprisingly comprehensive portrait of Ska's second wave. Hell, I'm very tempted to call it the second-wave Ska compilation, but there's probably a much better one floating around and it probably has a catchier title.

Nevertheless, The Eurpoean Theatre remains an unusual but thoroughly enjoyable collection of songs that by artists that range from "most important band ever" to "I think I know that one song they did" - but for the most part, surprisingly, we get the bands that count. It's good, too, that a record featuring so many big names has so many surprises: I'd expect and am okay with The Clash's 'London Calling' kicking things off, but it was a shock and relief to find that songs by the other big names - XTC, The Jam, The Stranglers - are a whole lot less obvious (a lot of B-Sides and Rareties, which is always good).

So what's the story with this compilation? From the liner notes:

NUCLEAR POWER - No single civil industry theatens our lives and the lives of future generations with such brutal finality as Nuclear Power. It will have a deep and damaging effect on all of us. An enormous, appalling expensive risk. Despite the soothing words of the nuclear industry, accidents will happen.

Everyday, the radioactive rubbish dump of leathal nuclear waste grows bigger - in spite of the fact that no one yet knows hot to dispose of it with safety and certainty. It is a deadly inheritance to leave our children and their children. Of course, everyone needs energy - now, and in the future. But heat from atom splitting will fail to provide the kind of secure source of energy we all need because it is complex, over-centralised, and unreliable, and also creates the materials for any country to assemble and atomic bomb.

Meanwhile, it is diverting vast sums of money and scientific research resources away from the only true long term solutions to our needs: an enery conservation programme, coupled with the harnessing of the only abundant source of energy the world will always have: the sun.

Half of the recording artists royalties (sic) from this album go into a fund for projects opposing nuclear arms and power.

Um, what? Since when is the sun a source of power we'll always have? I'm sure glad I bought this record, otherwise I'd be totally unaware of the awesome and unimaginably dangerous threat of NUCLEAR POWER. Hey, aren't people saying that Nuclear Power is the best way to avoid furthering the effects of global warming? Didn't Al Gore say it was the safest and most effective energy source we can currently harness to prevent damage to the planet? I'm so confused...I think perhaps I should write to the record company and question this matter.

I wonder if, twenty five years from now, some punk kid sitting at his supercomputer will tease our generation for worrying about what ails us. "Ha Ha Ha", he'll guffaw, "Global Warming? What silly nonsense they worried about!" I'm reminded of a classic scene from Woody Allen's Sleeper: a scientist from the future observes that in our time, people didn't eat deep fat, steak, cream pies or hot fudge: "Those were thought to be unhealthy... precisely the opposite of what we now know to be true". Maybe it's silly to worry, or maybe it's a serious danger - I'll error on the side of caution, but I'll never know for sure - or, hell, maybe Nuclear Power will kill us all.

Here's Life In The European Theatre. I've included the songs where possible and I've offered alternative tracks from the same bands for the ones I couldn't come across. Listen to them all and think hard about what Nuclear Power is doing to our planet, and what you can do to help.

FIGHT NUCLEAR POWER - TOGETHER!

Track Listing:

Side A

1.The Clash - London Calling - Download
2. The Jam - Little Boy Soldiers - Download "Down In The Tube Station At Midnight"
3. Beat - I Am Your Flag
4. The Specials - Man At C & A - Download "Friday Night, Saturday Morning"
5. XTC - Living Through Another Cuba - Download
6. Peter Gabriel - I Don't Remember - Download "Biko"

Side B

7. The Doors - Peace Frog - Download
8. Madness - Grey Day - Download "My Girl"
9. Bad Manners - Psychedelic Eric
10. The Stranglers - Nuclear Device - Download "Golden Brown"
11. Undertones - It's Going To Happen - Download "When Saturday Comes"
12. Echo And The Bunnymen - All That Jazz - Download
13. Au Pairs - Diet - Download "Headache For Michelle (Live)"

Ska: A Brief History

2006-06-21T16:01:00.000-03:00

The iPod is a wonderful machine in its ability to revive old songs that you had completely forgotten. Last night, I experienced one such "revival" when the song "I Can't Wait" by third-wave ska band, Hepcat, popped into my random shuffle. The song brought back memories of a genre that gone through many ups and downs over the years. It seems that ska was virtually cleaned off pop culture's radar when the 90s ended. It's a shame because a lot of great music came out of the genre.

I think a little ska-revival, at least for a day, is in order. Too many people often have an averse reaction to ska because all they remember is The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' "The Impression That I Get" and how they wanted to stab themselves in the ears after its one-thousandth play on the radio. Fortunately, there is a lot more to ska than The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish.

In general, ska's history is split into three distinct waves.

The first wave was born and blossomed in Jamaica. Artists like The Skatalites and Prince Buster transformed the music they heard on American radio into their own unique style. Early ska combined elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, mento, calypso and African rhythms to create a sound that has come to define Jamaican music. Bob Marley and the Wailers adopted the sound and transformed it by slowing the tempo and adding more rhythm guitar into the mix. This, of course, resulted in reggae. The first wave was short-lived and made way for reggae's huge popularity in 1966. The Skatalites, arguably the first period's most important band, have since made several comebacks.

Ska's second wave is my favourite. Also called the Two Tone era, after the movement's most popular record label, ska's second wave melded the genre with England's punk rock aesthetic. The movement's most popular bands included The Selecter, The Beat, Madness and The Specials. Jerry Dammers, the latter band's keyboardist, founded 2 Tone Records. The label's name described the solidarity between black and white members of the working class during a time of high racial tension in England (history seems to be repeating itself). These ska-loving English minorities were part of a larger sub culture that called itself the rude boys. Ska music has many references to rude boys/girls and the name "Rudie." Two great examples are The Clash's "Rudie Can't Fail" and The Specials' "Rudi, A Message To You."

Ironically, second-wave ska's greatest moment, at least in the mainstream, was when the Clash released its masterpiece, London Calling. The double album had only three songs that could be called ska: the aforementioned "Rudie Can't Fail," "Wrong 'Em Boyo" and to a lesser extent, "The Guns of Brixton." Nevertheless, the album's Jamaican sounds, largely influenced by the band's bass player Paul Simonon, helped cement second-wave ska's sound.

The late 80s and early 90s saw ska's third wave quickly rise in popularity. Based largely in the United States, third-wave ska emphasized the second wave's punk aspects. Bands such as The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, No Doubt, Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake broke into the American mainstream. Meanwhile, bands like Hepcat (who inspired this article) and The Slackers stuck more closely to their predecessors. These bands never gained the others' (short lived) popularity but managed to please the purists while they maintained a contemporary flair.

Below I've posted a small sampling of ska songs. They are each placed under their respective period. If you enjoy these you should go to your local record store and dig out a few ska albums. There are plenty of gems available (probably cheaply) in this mostly forgotten genre.

Download:

First-Wave

The Skatalites - James Bond Theme
The Skatalites - The Guns of Navarone
Prince Buster with Determinations - Dance Cleopatra (Live)

Second-Wave

The Specials - Rudi, A Message to You
Madness - House of Fun
The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail
The Clash - Wrong 'Em Boyo

Third-Wave

Planet Smashers - No Self Control
Leftover Crack - Gay Rude Boys Unite
Hepcat - I Can't Wait
The Slackers - Wasted Days
The Slackers - Wanted Dead or Alive

For the haters

Propagandhi - Ska Sucks

Buy:
The Clash - London Calling
The Skatalites - Foundation Ska
Hepcat - Right on Time
The Specials - Specials
The Slackers - Peculiar

Compare and Contrast

2006-06-19T09:44:00.000-03:00

Anti-Flag (L) vs Alexisonfire (R)

This post is actually started off with a completely different subject. As it went on, and I started to listening more to the subject matter, I realized it stopped making sense. But out of it came an idea. I liked the idea of choosing two bands and sort of comparing them and making it a semi-regular post. Guidelines? C'mon now, this is Mocking Music, we don't have standards.

For my first attempt I chose two bands that I enjoy immensely on different ends of an incredibly diverse (read: vague) genre of punk rock. Anti-Flag, are the more traditional side of punk, while Alexisonfire came to power during the great screamo revolution of 1812 (or 2001). Anti-Flag are known for their pseudo-hardcore songs with heavy political overtones, while Alexisonfire are known for fast guitars, faster singing and that classic screamo "I scream and he whines" duo.

What these two share are solo side-projects, which end up being remarkably similar to their core bands. Fortunately, one of them is great. The other? Well in my opinion, he should stick with the screaming guy backing him up.

VS
Justin Sane (L) & Dallas Green (R)

Anti-Flag have always been a favourite of mine, long before I saw some guy having an epileptic seizure in the Pulmonary Archery video, which was my introduction to Alexisonfire. So when I heard Justin Sane's solo album, I had mixed feelings. One side of me was intrigued to hear this new material. The other, a little skeptical, that this guy whom I knew for his high energy anti-establishment punk anthems would be able to pull off a subdued solo effort.

But it works. The album itself is actually not much of a departure from the standard Anti-Flag fare. If you remove all instruments save Justin's guitar and slow the tempo, you have this record. Okay, that sounds like quite a departure, but it's not. The songs are catchy and you don't get the feeling that anything is missing.

Which brings me to City and Colour. Dallas Green of Alexisonfire tried his own hand at a solo project. Green and his good old acoustic guitar work as a team on this record. The end result is some of the most whiny music you'll ever hear. Which isn't bad in itself. I do listen to some pretty whiny music. The problem is that he is doing the same querulous voice that he does in Alexisonfire . . . so you are left waiting for the screaming guy (George Petit).

Maybe it helps Justin's case that he is the lead (and generally only) vocalist in Anti-Flag, and any back-up is very similar to his sound. They don't really use much in the way of harmony, so you don't associate his voice with that of another. Hearing him in a different setting does not leave you feeling empty, which is how City and Colour makes me feel. I am always expecting someone else's voice to jump in, and am left disappointed when it does not.

That said, I'm not trying to pick on Green, the first Alexisonfire featured no whiny singing. When the album was released, I loved it because I knew nothing better. Perhaps if City and Colour had come around first, I would feel the same way. Going back to the first one, it just doesn't have the same effect it once had (although still better than City and Colour). It's definitely the dual voices that make the band.

Dallas and Justin Battle It Out Final Fantasy Style. Why? Who Needs A Reason?

Looking up that title is a bit deceptive as I don't really compare Alexisonfire to Anti-Flag at all. Oh well, I can fix that for next time. Or not, whatever works for me. Odds of me actually doing another one of these posts? Approximately 3,720 to 1 or was that the odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field?

Download:
Alexisonfire - No Transitory
Anti-Flag - Die For Your Government
City and Colour - Casey's Song
Justin Sane - Worst Case Senario Survival Handbook

Buy:
City and Colour - Sometimes
Justin Sane - Life, Love and the Pursuit of Justice

Does This Make Us Crazy? Possibly.

2006-06-16T10:54:00.000-03:00

I'm sure you're all entirely too sick of Gnarls Barkley's overplayed (and over-covered) 'Crazy', but I found one last cover that's too hilarious to ignore. Give The Old Valley Restoration Society's mechanical reproduction a listen over at their Myspace; seriously, you won't regret it.

The Old Valley is the half-serious musical project of a nice game named Rich, who also does a bit of filmmaking and some animation. I highly recommend that you also take the time to check out an incredible animated short that he did last year.

Listen:
The Old Valley Restoration Society - Crazy

Watch:
The Disturbing Adventures Of Jake And Stuggy D.

Save Indie Music (and the Internet)

2006-06-14T00:05:00.000-03:00

Those of you who follow the news should be well aware of the ongoing debate that has surrounded network neutrality in the United States. You may not be aware, however, of the debate's impact on independent music and blogs (especially those, unlike ours, that are completely independent).

Since its inception the Internet has functioned on a principle called network neutrality. In short, individuals are given full access to any website (more or less) without any interference from their Internet providers. This concept has made the Internet the most democratic medium in all of human history. Unlike television or radio there are no governing bodies to regulate content and restrict individuals' freedom to publish and distribute that content. Restrictions do exist but they are tied to laws that oversee copyright protection and illegal activities.

Cable and phone companies have recently lobbied the US Congress to forgo the preservation of network neutrality. If they get their way the Internet will move in the same direction as television and radio. Multi-million dollar deals will restrict people's access to independent content (or even that of competing multinationals). Let's say that your Internet provider cuts a deal with company X -- that company's online content will run great on your computer -- company Y, however, which has similar (i.e. competing) content may not be accessible at all.

The videos below further explain the consequences what can be called Internet discrimination. The first offers a more informative perspective while the second looks at the issue from a humorous stance.

Video 1
Video 2

Now, what does all this have to do with music? Well, the answer is quite simple. It is no secret that indie music has benefited tremendously from the Internet. Websites, like this one, have given independent artists a platform in which to promote and distribute their music. Many artists have achieved success levels that were previously impossible without major label support. Personally, I can say that without the Internet I would likely have to listen to the shit factory that is Top 40 radio. I think it's safe to say that without the far-reaching platform provided by the Internet, independent music would be effectively doomed. It would become increasingly difficult for indie artists to reach an audience and build a fan base.

Some of you may be saying to yourselves: "Well, I'm not American, why should I care?" Like it or not, the United States happens to be the world's sole superpower and tends to have a strong influence in these matters. If the US scraps network neutrality other countries will surely follow suite. There are several things the average person can do to ensure the Internet's free and democratic exchange of information.

First, if you have a blog write something about the subject and do all you can to get the word out. Even without a blog you can still tell all your friends and spam random message boards with this information.

Second, if you happen to be an American citizen visit the Save the Internet campaign's website. Once there you can sign a petition and send an e-mail to your representative in Congress.

Third, you can add Save the Internet to your MySpace. It's one small step to raise awareness.

Finally, this being Mocking Music, I've posted a few songs that I think are appropriate for this subject matter. The first song, "God Save the Internet", was written by three musicians -- Jill Sobule, Kay Hanley and Michelle Lewis -- who formed a group called The Broadband as part of Save the Internet's campaign. It's kind of corny (in fact it's really corny) but it gets the message across.

Download
The Broadband - God Save the Internet
Neil Young - Rockin' In the Free World
The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Capitalism Stole My Virginity
Warsawpack - Lump of Coal
Greg MacPherson - Bankrobber (Clash cover)

The Best Songs Of 2006 So Far

2006-06-13T16:21:00.000-03:00

I get really excited about making Best Of lists. I don't know why, exactly, but I think it might have to do with celebrating the music I love. Sure, I get a kick out of mocking music as much as the next guy (the next guy presumably being Casey), but once in a while - once a year, actually - it feels good to sit down and stew over which records, movies, and books of the past little while had the biggest impact on you. Maybe that's why today, a mere six months into this long year, I'm compiling the best songs of 2006. Half-year lists being, of course, a silly excusion into the exhausted mind of a blogger with little else to write about - still, I'm sure you'll have a blast telling me what I forgot or what I should still hear.

My 2005 Year-End list took a long time to put together and ended up getting revised three or four times before I just stopped caring. Considering the effort and thought I put into that silly thing, it's odd that I don't agree now with half of what I wrote then. It's only been six months, but already I've lost interest in so many of the albums that I thought would surely be everlasting. The records I liked most at the time - Bloc Party's Silent Alarm, Architecture In Helsinki's In Case We Die, Boards Of Canada's The Campfire Headphase - are still good, but I don't listen to them nearly as much as the records that placed a little lower on the same list - Antony & The Johnsons' I Am A Bird Now, The National's Alligator, M83's Before The Dawn Heals Us - and some records that didn't even make the Top Twenty - Sunn 0)))'s Black One, Art Brut's Bang Bang Rock And Roll, Black Dice's Broken Ear Record - rank in my mind as much higher than many of the discs that did make the cut.

So why bother listing at all? I'm not sure, to be honest. I guess, in a sense, it's interesting to see what albums stand the test of time and which simply fade out of memory - and I'll be damned if it isn't fun to do.

The Best Songs Of 2006 So Far
_____________________________________________________________

17. Who Made Who - Space For Rent

From The Album: Space For Rent 12"
Gomma Records
Download
_____________________________________________________________

16. Thom Yorke - The Eraser

From The Album: The Eraser
Xl Recordings

_____________________________________________________________

15. Think About Life - Serious Chords

From The Album: Think About Life
Alien 8 Recordings

_____________________________________________________________

14. Sunset Rubdown - The Men Are Called Horsemen There

From The Album: Shut Up I Am Dreaming
Absolutely Kosher Records
Download
_____________________________________________________________

13. Shit Robot - Wrong Galaxy

From The Album: Wrong Galaxy/Triumph 12"
DFA Records
Download

_____________________________________________________________

12. Mates Of State - Think Long

From The Album: Bring It Back
Barsuk Records

_____________________________________________________________

11. Man Man - Engwish Bwudd

From The Album: Six Demon Bag
Ace Fu Records
Download

_____________________________________________________________

10. Liars - It Fit When I Was A Kid

From The Album: Drum's Not Dead
Mute Records
Download

_____________________________________________________________

09. The Knife - One Hit

From The Album: Silent Shout
Rabid Records

_____________________________________________________________

08. Islands - Rough Gem

From The Album: Return To The Sea
Equator Records
Download

_____________________________________________________________

07. Hot Chip - Over And Over

From The Album: The Warning
DFA Records

_____________________________________________________________

06. Goldfrapp - Ooh La La

From The Album: Supernature
Mute Records
Download

_____________________________________________________________

05. Final Fantasy - This Lamb Sells Condos

From The Album: He Poos Clouds
Tomlab Records
Download

_____________________________________________________________

04. Danielson - Did I Step On Your Trumpet?

From The Album: Ships
Secretly Canadian
Download

_____________________________________________________________

03. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - New Year's Kiss

From The Album: Etiquette
Tomlab Records
Download

______________________________________________________________

02. Beirut - Postcards From Italy

From The Album: Gulag Orkestar
Ba Da Bing Records
Download

_____________________________________________________________

01. Beck - Broken Drum (Boards Of Canada Remix)

From The Album: Guerolito
Interscope Records
Download

_____________________________________________________________

Buy:
Beck - Guerolito
Think About Life - Think About Life
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Etiquette
Man Man - Six Demon Bag

Radiohead live @ Place Des Arts, Montreal, QB - 06/10/06

2006-06-12T23:17:00.000-03:00

They were awesome. That is all.

Download:
Radiohead - Arpeggi (Live)

Buy:
Radiohead Tickets

Life, The Universe, And Radiohead

2006-06-12T17:49:00.000-03:00

Thom Yorke loves The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. We all know that. Everyone's quick to point out that OK Computer's 'Paranoid Android' is a reference to that book/radio show/mini-series/Hollywood movie franchise, but fans often forget about or overlook a plethora of other equally-obvious Hitchhiker shout-outs. Today I present to you, dear readers and Radiohead fanatics, the comprehensive list of Radiohead-Hitchhiker connections. None of these are officially verified, but I'm sure you'll find that my conclusions are undeniably accurate nonetheless.
___________________________________________________________________

The Song: 'Just' (The Bends)
The Line: "Don't Get My Sympathy/Hanging Out The 15th Floor"
The Reference: In The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe, the second book in the Hitchhiker series, Zaphod Beeblebrox is mysteriously transported to the head office in charge of the 'Hitchhiker's Guide' book. As he searches the building for a man named Zarniwoop, an alien named Roosta shows up and rips the building in two. Half of the building - the half that Zaphod is in - is moved to a planet called Frogstar World B. Zaphod, confused, is left hanging on the side of the building, and he happens to be on - yep, you guessed it - the fifteenth floor.
___________________________________________________________________

The Song: 'Paranoid Android' (OK Computer)
The Line: " When I am king, you will be first against the wall"
The Reference: When asked about his creators, Marvin (the Paranoid Android himself, no less), declares that they are "a bunch of jerks who'll be first against the wall when the revolution comes". Coincidence? I think not.
___________________________________________________________________

The Song: 'Paranoid Android' (OK Computer)
The Line: "The Panic, The Vomit"
The Reference: The line "The Panic" kinda sounds like "Don't Panic", which is the famous inscription on the front cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide and which is the most prominent line from the series.
___________________________________________________________________

The Song: 'Sail To The Moon' (Hail To The Theif)
The Line: "Maybe You'll Be President...Sail To The Moon"
The Reference: Well, Zaphod was President of the Galaxy, and he flew a ship in space, and ships usually sail, and, um, the moon is in space. Right...?
___________________________________________________________________

The Song: 'Motion Picture Soundtrack' (Kid A)
The Line: title
The Reference: The Hitchhiker's Guide was turned into a motion picture, and that motion picture had a soundtrack.
___________________________________________________________________

The Song: 'Subterranean Homesick Alien' (OK Computer)
The Line: "I'd show them the stars and the meaning of life."
The Reference: He'd show them that meaning of life, the Universe, and everything, is 42 - just like in the book. Oh, and there were a lot of stars in Hitchhiker's (because they're in space, obviously).
___________________________________________________________________

Download:
Radiohead - Creep (Live)

Buy:
Thom Yorke - The Eraser

Making Drinks For Nigel: Singles & Shots

2006-06-11T21:07:00.000-03:00

One hot summer day last year, a good friend of mine from high school invited me and several others over for a little reunion. The six or seven of us that could spare enough time to show up spent an afternoon doing what we did a lot back in the day: playing video games and eating pizza. It's one hell of a way to spend a hot afternoon, but I was getting restless and wanted to make things more interesting.

"Let's drink this evening", I proposed to the group, expecting acclaim for such a spectacular idea. I had already spent a year in University, which these folk had not yet done, and so my affinity for binge drinking was totally alien to them. I got all the usual excuses - "I'm working in the morning", "I can't really afford it right now", and the worst, "I really shouldn't" (what the hell does that even mean?). Disheartened, I gave up. But Dan, the friend that had organized the event, was all for the idea, and piped up when he noticed that nobody else would: "Fuck it, let's drink".

And so we did. All we had to drink was beer, which, at the time, I wasn't really into. Dan and I had only managed to convince one other friend to stick around and have some fun, but the three of us were determined to have a good time nevertheless.

At midnight we found salvation. Tyler, an old friend who we weren't able to get ahold of earlier in the day, gave us a call. He was already drunk. "I'll be right over", he slurred before hanging up the phone. We waited. Moments later Tyler pulled into the driveway - he nearly hit Dan's car and wound up parking on the lawn. He stumbled into the house and threw a very large duffle bag onto the floor. "Open it", he said, making his way into the kitchen and pouring a small glass of water for himself. Inside the bag we found, to our great surprise delight, bottle after bottle of liquor. He had everything from Prince Igor vodka to Creme Du Cacao (a delicious chocolate liqueur), and it was ours to enjoy. A moment passed and nobody said anything. What was there to say? I asked what the others were surely thinking: "Where on earth did you get all of this?" We never got an answer. Instead we got a shot glass each and an open invitation to drink whatever we pleased. Tyler dug through the bag retreaved a small hardcover book with the words "101 Shots" scrawled across the cover. "We're going to have as many of these as we can until we pass out", Tyler declared, preparing for business, "come, we've got a lot of work to do".

Tyler set us up downstairs. Each bottle was affixed with a stopper to ensure accuracy even when completely hammered - laid out in front of us I could now see the extent to which we were stocked; we had everything I'd ever had and a great number I'd never before seen. I was amazed.

I was excited to get drunk with my friends but even more excited to try new things. I imagined tasting many different recipes and deciding which were the best. I would be a shooter expert, and I could make a drink for any occassion. Ah, but here's the rub: the more shots I had that night, the less likely it was that I'd remember them the next day. Turns out I had so many that I didn't remember a single thing the next morning. I think one was green, but I could be wrong.

The point here is that while shooters are a lot of fun and often tasty, it's a bit pointless to try and make a mental inventory of the ones you like and the ones you don't. Nobody wants to spend the time and money trying each of these professionally. This isn't fine wine. Shots are for getting drunk, plain and simple, and although the process is a lot more interesting and enjoyable when you're downing two ounces of layered rainbow-coloured mystery liquor that tastes like schnozberries, it's not the only thing that matters.

Still, it's worth having a few simple and delicious shooter recipes on hand that you can crack out at parties and impress your friends with. And those delicious shooters are even more delicious when downed to the sound of the right record. Making and drinking a single shot isn't long enough a process to warrant an entire album, though, so these excellent shooters are going to be paired up with some excellent singles. Here are five great 12" Singles from my record collection and five great shooters from my recipe book. Enjoy (responsibly).
___________________________________________________________________

5. LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge/Beat Connection
There are few records that start a party as well as this great LCD Soundsystem single. Things start of smooth and slow with 'Losing My Edge' - you've gotta ease people into the dancier stuff - and then appropriately pick up with B-Side 'Beat Connection'.

Shot: Alabama Slammer
The problem with drinking is there's no particularly easy way of starting. Doing a shot is pretty rough when sober, so it's important to start the night with a drink that's not too harsh. The Alabama Slammer is always a crowd favourite because it's a lot of fun to drink with friends and it's relatively smooth going down. If you're really anxious to get things going, shoot every time James Murphy says "I was there" - you should be soused in no time. Pour 1oz of Southern Comfort (though you could use Rum or Tequila in a pinch) into a 2oz shot glass. Top up with a clear soda (7Up, Club Soda, etc), and cover the top of the glass with your hand - shake it up and shoot it while it's fizzing. Be warned: this is increasingly diffcult to do properly as the night goes on.
___________________________________________________________________

4. The Juan Maclean - Give Me Every Little Thing
This a great song to hear smashed strictly because it's fun to should "GIVE ME EVERY LITTLE THING - AND DON'T STOP!" when you're completely and unabashadly intoxicated. Trust me, you will not be able to resist doing so. Seriously. Just try it.

Shot: Blow Job
Yeah, yeah - it's the most cliched shot ever, and it's got a really retarded name. But it's actually pretty good, and, sadly, kind of fun to do when you're drunk. Just imagine the possibilities: with enough alcohol, you'll spend the whole night dunking these shooters while slurring "AND DON'T STOP!" - now doesn't that sound fun? Layer a half oz of Kahlua and a half oz of Baileys (or some other Irish cream) in one oz glass and top with whipped cream. Tie or hold your hands behind your back and grasp the glass with your mouth; throw your head back and please, don't choke.
___________________________________________________________________

3. M83 - Don't Save Us From The Flames
It's a great nighttime album and a great nighttime song, made all the more moody and intruiging with a couple of drinks and some good friends. It isn't very appropriate for wild and crazy parties or hardcore keggers, but if you're planning a more relaxed social event with friends you like actually talking to, this is the song to throw on.

Shot: Fireball
It's kind of a lame pun, but it stands up as a shot even without the silly name connection. Though it won't satisfy every intellectual in the room, the craziness of the Fireball shot will definitely spice up your party - ho ho. Mix 1oz or Cinammon Schnapps (though I find Fireball Whisky works just as well) with a little bit of Tabasco Sauce (not much, for Christ's sake) in a two oz or 1.5oz shot glass. Be extremely careful and have a glass of water on hand.
___________________________________________________________________

2. Antony & The Johnsons - Hope There's Someone
I don't recommend throwing on 'Hope There's Someone' in the middle of your drink-fest, but this is a great song to throw on right at the end of the night. Or, if you're planning a classy party with a few close friends, this song does a good job of setting the right mood.

Shot: Polar Bear
Mmm, mmm - there are few shooters as delicious or heartwarming as this classic bar favourite. I've yet to meet a single person who doesn't like the taste of this delicious treat, and it's not too crazy or too powerful to upset the tone of a slower or classier gig. Combine a half oz of Peppermint Schnapps (anything minty will do) and a half oz of Creme Du Cacao in a standard shot glass and shoot or sip to your heart's content.
___________________________________________________________________

1. !!! - Take Ecstasy With Me
A great band's great cover of a great song by a great band. The interesting thing about this single is that works for both wild parties and calm gatherings, making it a crucial part of any record collection. I've thrown on this record so many times and my company has yet to be disappointed - I love it.

Shot: Ecstasy
Obviously. Granted, the experience would be all the better (and gleefully self-referential) if you were actually taking the drug, but for now I think I'll stick to the shooter that happens to go by the same name. Combine 3/4 of an oz of Butterscotch Schnapps with a quarter oz of Baileys (or, once again, another Irish Cream) in a standard shot glass. Enjoy.
___________________________________________________________________

Download:
LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge
Juan Maclean - Give Me Every Little Thing
M83 - Don't Save Us From The Flames
Antony & The Johnsons - Hope There's Someone
!!! - Take Ecstasy With Me

Buy:
LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
Juan Maclean - Give Me Every Little Thing
M83 - Don't Save Us From The Flames
Antony & The Johnsons - Hope There's Someone
!!! - Take Ecstasy With Me

Man Man @ Mavericks, Ottawa, ON - 06/04

2006-06-07T11:55:00.000-03:00

Wholly unsatisfied with just having recorded the best album of the year so far, the genreless Philly crew Man Man have wrangled yet another coveted title: Best Live Act of 2006. Yeah, yeah, we're barely half way through the year - but seriously, people, if I see a show in the next six months that's even half as good as this, it will be one hell of a good year.

Man Man drew in an unexpectedly large crowd by Ottawa's standards, requiring a last minute venue change that moved the show from the miniscule Cafe Dekcuf to the considerably larger (but still pretty damn small) Mavericks, which are convieniently located in the same building. The opening acts - one-man cover band Male Nurse and the acclaimed punk kids Million Dollar Marxists - were a strange fit for Man Man, which I suppose in its own way made sense. I figured the inclusion of the Million Dollar Marxists would make for an interesting crowd, but I only counted one mohawk the whole night (and it was a pretty tame one at that).

Male Nurse played to a crowd of about ten, and that was probably for the best: completely wasted and without a supporting band (apparently he "never usually does this"), the dazed and barely conscious kid exclusively played cover songs. The theme song from Family Matters and 'Jenni 867-5309' seemed like crowd favourites, which basically means that some guy in the back yelled "yeah!" after both. It was a sad and hilarious display of intoxicated bravado, punctuated by his own coy self-awarness ("this is...so silly", he noted at one point), but funny or not, it was kind of waste of time. Things quickly picked up, though, when the Marxists hit the stage - though the crowd didn't seem like they were that into the music, they were at least responsive to the band's charisma and stage presense. People cheered for the band's drunken leader when he stumbled through the audience and laughed when he attempted to crush himself under the monitor - it was a strange and intense little set, a good appetizer for Man Man's main course.

Man Man put on a show unlike any I have ever seen before. Employing a loot bag of quasi-instruments and noise-making junk, it seemed like the group could and would do anything. Man Man's lead singer, Honus Honus, mentioned that watching Man Man peform was like watching a play - and that is indeed the best way to describe the experience. The stage was an elaborate set, designed to not only manage their space and keep everything they needed in just the right spot, but also to look interesting and fun. Like any musical, the visuals are just as important as the music. The band was even outfitted with matching costumes: white tennis gear, polo shirts, sweat-bands - and, of course, big beards. Gimmicky or not, the schtick worked; Man Man's act was so over-the-top and unbelievable that the audience couldn't help but be giddy with excitement. When Honus and the drummer, Pow Pow, began wildly jumping in the air in the middle of a song, smashing their instruments and making a lot of noise as they landed, the crowd cheered and laughed with the kind of unabashed joy seldom seen at an indie show. That whole "I'm too cool to be here" shit was dropped for the sake of - gasp - having fun. It was good to see a crowd of indie kids and music snobs let their precious guard down and just have a good time. After the show was all said and done, everyone was elated - the energy that pervaded the room during the set stuck around afterward; every person I saw on the way out was smiling largely, and all I heard were gushing raves. "We need this!", someone yelled out before the encore - a joke, yes, but in a way we all did. We loved that energy rush so much that to have it go away so soon was unthinkable. We want Man Man, dammit, and I'm so glad they delivered.

The set's highlights were the moustache-loving energy of "Push The Eagle's Stomach", the dramatic sing-along joy of "Ice Dogs", and the craziness that was "Engwish Bwudd". Here are some pictures from the night, courtesy of Jonathan:

If Man Man are coming to your hometown or somewhere nearby, I urge - nay, I command you to go. Best live act of 2006, everyone (although I'm seeing Radiohead on Saturday, so...).

Download:
Man Man - Engwish Bwudd

Buy:
Man Man - Six Demon Bag
Man Man - The Man In The Turban

Related:
Man Man Interview 1
Man Man Interview 2
What's He Building There? (Man Man profile)

Interview: Man Man (The Sequel)

2006-06-06T10:40:00.000-03:00

Last April Calum interviewed Man Man's mysterious lead singer, Honus Honus. It was a glorious event that likely improved many lives and nearly caused World peace. Like Hollywood, Mocking Music has run out of original ideas and has decided to return to what works: Man Man interviews. Fear not, because this is one of those rare sequels that is superior to the original. In fact, I would even say that this is the Empire Strikes Back of interviews. An interview that delves deeper than the original ever dared to go. New characters, such as the indomitable Sergei Sogay, the utterly awesome Alejandro "Cougar" Borg and myself have been added to the plot. There are incredible twists and turns at every corner that will leave the reader dizzy with intrigue. Grab some popcorn, your favourite beer/soda and read on. Man Man's world awaits...

Calum: This is the second tour for your album, right?

Honus Honus: Off this album we've done three.

Calum: Three tours?

Honus: Yeah.

Calum: What's the reason for so many tours?

Alejandro "Cougar" Borg: They weren't long ones.

Sergei Sogay: Yeah they were little ones at first. This will be the longest one for this album.

Calum: Has it been picking up steam since you guys started, since the album was released?

Sergei: Definitely.

Honus: We still have a lot of touring ahead of us, so...

Calum: And it's just been North America?

Cougar: Just North America and then hopefully Europe in the fall. We're gonna try to do another North American tour in the early fall. We're gonna do some Canada stuff too, hopefully.

Jonathan: Where in Europe?

Cougar: Hopefully all of Europe man. It's not really worked out yet. It's in the works...

Jonathan: You guys have a reputation for being a great live band. Do you guys put more thought into the live aspect than the recording process?

Honus: Sergei!

Sergei: Umm... It's got the same, I mean recording there was a lot that went into it, a lot of preparation but for the live we do a lot of preparation and planning --- figuring out what works best. It's a process just like any other thing that we do.

Calum: And everyone that was part of the recording process is touring with you? Is it just you four?

Honus: No there's five of us. I mean I mean Mandrew is the Man manager. (laughs)

Calum: And are you guys working on anything new or are you just sticking with the same songs?

Honus: We're gonna have a recording where it's just Pow Pow singing. You know that?

Calum: Hopefully not...

Sergei: Yeah we've been working on some new stuff.

Cougar: We'll probably play two new songs that we've been working on this evening.

Jonathan: Tonight?!?

Honus: Yeah. Two new songs from the next record.

Cougar: We'll we've got "Snake Hand" on it too.

Honus: Yeah, I guess it's three new songs from the next record. We're gonna try to do that tonight. Keep a fair mix.

Homeless man about ten feet to our left: Get your free moustache rides!
[A moment of delicious irony when one considers that a) most of Man Man's members have kick ass facial hair and b) they have a song called 10lb Moustache.]

Everyone: (Laughter)

* We then move inside the venue's "vestibule" where there are fewer distractions.

Calum: With all the pseudonyms and wild stage show stuff is it aiming for anything specific? Like, do you guys have fake names for a reason?

Sergei: The names just kinda... They're just nicknames that fit who we were, our personalities. They help make our personalities a little bit bigger on stage.

Jonathan: Did you guys put a lot of thought into the names?

Cougar: I just really love John Cougar Mellencamp so... That's where the "Cougar" came from.

Calum: I've read that you guys are friends with Islands. Is that true?

Honus: Yeah I'm friends with Nick. He was at our show last night. He's a nice guy.

Jonathan: They played here a couple of weeks ago.

Honus: They played here?

Calum: They played at a club down the street.

Honus: I kinda bust his balls a little bit because we wear all white.

Calum: And they wear all white...

Honus: Yeah but we were wearing all white first!

Everyone: (laughter)

Honus: His last words to all of us yesterday were: if we don't stop wearing all white he's gonna kill us.

Jonathan: Well they're breaking up anyways, so...

Honus: They're breaking up?

Jonathan: Well didn't J'Aime Tambeur leave the band?

Honus: Yeah but he's the drummer. I mean he's a founding member but they're still going. They're not gonna break up. I mean Nick's a very driven determined guy.

No one in this band was around except for me was around in the first lineup.

Calum: Will you guys be around for the third record?

Honus: I fuckin' hope so.

Cougar: Since we're on that subject Honus I've been meaning to tell you...

Calum: Do you write the songs yourself?

Honus: I write the lyrics but I don't write Cougar's guitar parts or Sergei's bass parts.

Calum: And you guys all contribute then?

Cougar: Yeah. We all throw in ideas.

Sergei: The songs all come together in the end. Honus writes the skeleton of it and we all just throw our parts in.

Calum: That second album [Six Demon Bag] especially seems like it's really cohesive. It seems very purposeful in that it flows. I assumed that it wasn't spontaneous.

Honus: No. I mean even in our live shit there's a lot of energy and a bit of improv going. I mean we riff on a lot of...

Sergei: Yeah we don't stick strictly to how things were written and recorded. The songs are the same pretty much...

Honus: But we just play around with how we attack it.

Calum: You guys don't play a lot of the songs from the album because they're too slow or too emotional?

Honus: Yeah, well you shouldn't believe everything you read.

Jonathan: Will we hear "Van Helsing" tonight?

Honus: Probably not. But it doesn't mean we don't play it. Definitely there's a pacing in a set and some songs totally destroy the pacing.

Jonathan: When would you play those [slower paced] songs?

Honus: Sometimes we'll play those first. Sergei?

Sergei: Umm, we feel it out. If we do an encore or anything silly like that sometimes we'll play those first or play them first in the set.

Cougar: Once we get moving we just like to keep it moving and keep the room bouncing. It's kinda hard to go the room amped when all of a sudden you go to a slow heavy song in the middle of the set when everyone's dancing and enjoying themselves.

Honus: You're like a DJ. For example "Gold Teeth", it's a great song to play live but it's just a really long slow jam. In the middle of the set it sucks the energy out of the room. We're trucking along and...

Calum: Do you still play a lot of the old material?

Honus: Our live show is pretty much half and half from our first two records and then we even throw in new stuff together.

Calum: Someone mentioned before that it's mostly new album material.

Honus: Oh, I don't know. I think it's pretty evenly split.

Calum: I find the first album is a lot more consistently paced and a lot slower than the second album...

Honus: The first album?

Calum: Yeah. Do you find that sometimes throws off the pacing?

Honus: I feel like we have a lot of really good last song in a set songs. "Van Helsing", "Gold Teeth" or "Werewolf" or even...

Sergei: We could even play those songs faster, much faster.

Calum: Just to keep the pace going?

Sergei: Yeah. It's not all an energy thing too. Whether it was on purpose that we meant to go that fast or not it's just that we're coming out of something that's really hot and we just keep plowing away...

Calum: And you guys feel each other out in that sort of way?

Cougar: We have little walkie-talkies.

Everyone: (Laughter)

Calum: Do you guys find that you've had any problems with your lack of a genre? Because I've seen you listed as indie rock or experimental.

Sergei: The experimental thing kind of bums me out because experimental means that you're gonna do something and you're not quite sure what's going to come out of it. Everything we do is pretty much on purpose, so I don't really think we fall into "experimental". I don't think we're experimental at all.

Honus: I think we're experimental. I mean we're not adhering to a classical pop structure.

Sergei: Yeah, but it's still intentional what we're doing.

Honus: It's intentional but..

Calum: I think sometimes people say experimental when they mean weird.

Honus: I think we're a non-masturbatory experimental.

Calum: I think those two go hand-in-hand.

Honus: Masturbatory and experimental, yes they do. So we're non-masturbatory, we're semi-masturbatory.

Calum: Are you guys kinda stuck with the Waits, Zappa, Beefheart thing?

Honus: Only when people keep mentioning it.

Sergei: Our influences don't really come from them at all. I mean those are all people that we respect but we're not really like...

Honus: They're amazing musicians.

Sergei: We're not huge Zappa fans or we're not huge Beefheart fans in any way.

Honus: I like Tom Waits. He's an amazing lyricist but why the hell would you just want to just mimic.

Cougar: Everyone else is really doing that.

Sergei: We get a lot of Zappa comparisons. People tell me personally when they see me on the street: "You guys are like Zappa." I'm like, "nah, really what we're doing is different from other people, I guess."

Calum: I think the biggest thing in common between you guys and those guys...

Honus: Is our moustaches.

Calum: Well it's hard to define them so I think that that's...

Honus: Why the hell do you want to put yourself in a genre box anyway? It's like when I first started playing music with this band it's like: "Why do I want to start playing disco punk rock now that I'm not gonna play five years from now?" Why not just be in a band where I could be playing variations on this theme 10 years from now.

Jonathan: So, what are your influences?

Honus: What are your influences? You know... Having people shit on you, having bad relationships, being in love with people, being broke, having bullshit jobs, you know. Everyone influences us, that's what this is.

Calum: Do you play with a set list?

Sergei: We play with a set list.

Calum: Bu that's not strictly adhered to?

Honus: We try to change it up.

Sergei: It's usually more or less the same but we feel out the crowd a little bit we don't really like to stop between songs. So there's no discussion really or...

Calum: You're not gonna make witty banter?

Honus: Why? I mean everyone else makes semi-witty banter. I don't give a shit at what Indian restaurant the band ate. Or some terrible joke you've already heard.

Sergei: What street they drove in on...

Honus: Who cares? Just play your songs.

Sergei: We'll leave the jokes to Blink 182 and bands like that. We just want to play music, you know?

Honus: You'll see that it's more like a play than anything else. Will the members of Man Man be able to pull it off this evening even though there's a set structure. How far can we go exploring where we're at? Do we have to stick or adhere to a song structure?

Download:
Man Man - Van Helsing Boombox
Man Man - I, Manface

Buy:
Man Man - Six Demon Bag

Related:
Interview: Man Man

Blog Of An Interior Decorator

2006-06-05T00:14:00.000-03:00

Last week I watched Woody Allen's 'Interiors', a remarkable film about a mentally unstable mother's relationship with her three troubled daughters. It's Woody Allen's first major drama, and it's usually known as Allen's 'Bergman movie', meaning it's very similar to the films of Swedish filmmaking Ingmar Bergman. A few days later I was listening to Death Cab For Cutie's Transatlaticism at work, and something peculiar struck me: the lyrics of the song 'Death Of An Interior Decorator' sounded conspicuously like the events of 'Interiors'. Here are the lyrics:

You were the mother of three girls so sweet
Who stormed through your turnstile
And climbed to the street
But after conception your body lay cold
And withered through autumn and you found yourself old

Can you tell me why you have been so sad?

He took a lover on a far away beach
While you arranged flowers and chose color schemes

Can you tell me why you have been so sad? (x2)

The girls were all there, they traded their vows
The youngest one glared with furrowed brows
They tenderly kissed then cut the cake
The bride then tripped and broke the vase
The one you thought would last the years
So perfectly placed below the mirror
Arriving late, you cleared the debris
And walked into an angry sea

It felt just like falling in love again (x2)

Can you tell me why you have been so sad?
Can you tell me why you have been so...

The mother character in the film is indeed an interior decorator - the metaphor of carefully arranging and designing interiors regardless of the cost being pretty central to the movie's impact - and the mother's husband, who she is quite desperately attached to, leaves her and marries someone else. The last third of the film takes place at the family's old home on the beach; the father and his new love are wed, and the tension mounts as the after-party rolls on. The Death Cab song pays careful attention to a key moment here: while dancing and having a good time, the father's new wife (who is oblivious to the familial distress) knocks an expensive vase from a table and completely destroys it. It's a small detail in the film that has large symbolic consequence: this is a vase that, as Death Cab puts it, was "so perfectly placed below the mirror"; it's an extension of the carefully designed interiors, which this new woman has obliterated. I won't spoil the film by describing the stunning final act (fortunately Death Cab avoids doing so too), but I urge you to see it for yourself.

Turns out Death Cab's Ben Gibbard wanted to pay homage to his favourite movie with 'Death Of An Interior Decorator'. It's a fantastic movie that is largely (and mysteriously) overlooked. What's most surprising is that though Woody Allen was mimicking Ingmar Bergman's style, it doesn't feel like the poor man's Berman - amazingly, it stands beside Bergman's best films, not under them. Maybe people aren't interested in watching a Woody Allen movie that isn't funny, or maybe it's just been out of the spotlight for too long. Whatever the reason, it's a shame that people aren't talking more about this movie. Good thing we have Gibbard to tell us what to watch.

Download:
Death Cab For Cutie - Earth Angel

Buy:
Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlaticism

Jetplanes of Abraham Soar Above the Rest

2006-06-03T19:05:00.000-03:00

Last night I saw The Most Serene Republic at Zaphod Beeblebrox, an awesome Ottawa venue named after the President of the Galaxy in Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

I had heard a few songs from the band's tour-only (sort of) EP, Phages, and was excited by a work that hinted at a more mature and proficient musical outfit. Regrettably, their live show was more akin to Underwater Cinematographer, an album that I'd wanted to love but was ultimately underwhelming. It seemed they were just going through the motions, without showing even a hint of energy on stage. Their music, the ubiquitous brand of indie rock/pop that has been done much better by other bands, including their label-mates Broken Social Scene.

Like most things in life there were some positives to be taken from the show. These could be summed up in three words: Jetplanes of Abraham. It was only the Ottawa band's second show, ever, but they displayed a level of energy and had a sense of fun that the headliners clearly lacked.

Jetplanes of Abraham are a newly formed band that have only a MySpace page and some nifty posters to their name (the latter of which can be found at their shows). In a short time they've proven to be one of Ottawa's more promising bands. The septet was formed with members from three of Ottawa's best bands: Kingston Fog, For the Mathematics and Turning Into Salt. The members' diverse indie pop, post-rock, classical and alternative rock backgrounds have been combined into an awesome musical package.

Jetplanes of Abraham steers away from For the Mathematics' heavier fare, instead blending the pop and classical sensibilities of its other founders - resulting in a sound similar to that which has prospered in Montreal's pop scene through the myriad of Arcade Fire connections.

An EP or even an album release is surely imminent. In the meantime, you should visit their MySpace and listen to the song "For Now", which is only a tentative title from a rough jam session recording. I cannot post it here as it is not yet downloadable. It was among the best songs from their live set and comes highly reccommended.

Download:
The Most Serene Republic - Emergency Performance Art Piece
Kingston Fog - Astronaut's Wife
Turning Into Salt - Angels Cut the Angles
For the Mathematics - Delay the Fiasco

Buy:
The Most Serene Republic - Phages

Death Cab For Cutie: The Complete Discography

2006-05-31T12:00:00.000-03:00

Death Cab For Cutie - A Movie Script Ending EP
Rating: 8.0

You know the scene: 'Movie Script Ending' is playing in the Cohen car when Summer disses the sound. "Never insult Death Cab", Seth quips, standing up, for the first time, to his obsession. It's a great single with an equally great B-Side ('Photobooth'); probably worth picking up even if you have the orignal LP.
___________________________________________________________________
Death Cab For Cutie - Death Cab For Fiver 7"
Rating: 5.8

Surprisingly bad. Avoid.

___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - Forbidden Love EP
Rating: 7.9

Though the two alternate version of album tracks available here (an acoustic version of '405' and an alternate cut of 'Company Calls Epilogue') aren't much to get excited about, the two brand new B-Sides, 'Technicolor Girls' and 'Song For Kelly Huckabee', are terrific. If you're interested in picking up some rare Death Cab EPs, this is as safe bet.
___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
Rating: 5.2

Dreadfully disappointing. I know it's trendy to whine about Death Cab's latest LP, but it's not that they "sold out" - it's just that they stopped making good music. There are two, maybe three good songs on this disc - the rest is completely (and tragically) disposable. I miss you, Ben Gibbard.
___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - Prove My Hypotheses 7"
Rating: 7.7

The title track is reasonably fair, but that's not why we're here: 'Wait', this single's B-Side, is one of the best Death Cab songs ever. It's amazing that it was excluded from the LP, but I suppose its rarity only adds to the charm.

___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - Something About Airplanes
Rating: 8.2

It's not a particularly great album, but it's an enjoyable release from what may be a great band. When I saw them live last year, they played a track from this album. They prefaced it by saying "you probably won't know this song, it's an old one". I hope he's wrong, because it'd be a shame if Death Cab fans were ignoring the band's beginnings. There's a lot to like here.
___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - Stability EP
Rating: 8.9

Though it's only a few short songs long, the Stability EP is the single strongest record Death Cab For Cutie have ever released. The Bjork cover ('All Is Full Of Love') is surprisingly tight, opener '20th Century Towers' is very enjoyable, and the previously unenjoyable 'Gridlock Caravans' is a lot of fun - but it's the title track, 'Stability', that steals the show. Though it appears on Plans as an alternate (and stupidly shortened) version, it's here, in its rough extended form, that it really hits home.
___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - The John Byrd EP
Rating: 8.8

Death Cab fans looking for new material will be sorely disappointed with The John Byrd EP, but nobody can deny that this is probably the best collection of the band's material available. This works as both an excellent introductory course for new fans or a reasonably priced compilation for Cabbies on a budget.
___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - The New Year 7"
Rating: 5.9

'The New Year' (the song, that is) works well as an album opener but falls weirdly flat as a stand-alone single. 'TV Trays', the otherwise unavailable B-Side, is an unfortunate disappointment.

___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - The Photo Album
Rating: 8.4

Very, very good. Like Airplanes, it might not be a great album in and of itself - but I can't deny this record's wealth of fantastic material. Interesting to note is that most of this LP's strongest tracks can be found on various other Death Cab releases (most notably The John Byrd EP and Stability), which might be a smarter investment than this.
___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
Rating: 8.8

Before Transatlanticism, Death Cab For Cutie whose songs you used to flesh out mix tapes and recommend to your friends. They were good, sure, but they wrote great songs, not albums. Oh, but this stands as an exception. It's near-perfect and uncharacteristically solid. I hope this doesn't go down as "the last great Death Cab album", but if Plans is any indication of things to come, it might.
___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - We Have The Facts And We're Voting Yes
Rating: 7.7

It's good, but not great. We Have The Facts lacks the quirky charm of Airplanes and the solidarity of Transatlanticism, and although there are some spot-on tracks scattered about here, they're widely available elsewhere.
___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - We Laugh Indoors EP
Rating: 5.0

Two alternate mixes and a live recording are exciting to some people, I guess, but they're the kind of cuts you find online; you definitely don't pay money for them. Like the majority of Death Cab singles and EPs, We Laugh Indoors feels extraneous and, to be honest, like a waste of goddamn money. Pass.
___________________________________________________________________

Death Cab For Cutie - You Can Play These Songs With Chords
Rating: 5.1

Totally pointless. It seems like the majority of Death Cab's releases are shameless rehashes of their older material - what's going on here?

___________________________________________________________________

Download:
Death Cab For Cutie - Wait
Death Cab For Cutie - Song For Kelly Huckabee
Death Cab For Cutie - Photobooth

Buy:
Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticsm
Death Cab For Cutie - Plans

Xiu Xiu: The Complete Discography

2006-05-28T17:04:00.000-03:00

People really have a problem with Jamie Stewart. I love Xiu Xiu, but I can understand that: this isn't easy music to like. It's abrasive, challenging, and it often sounds bad - that is, the sounds aren't very pleasant, they're cacophonous. But music that sounds pleasant isn't good by default (Coldplay songs sure are pretty, aren't they?), and, by the same logic, music that doesn't sound pleasant isn't necessarily bad. Think about painting: it isn't the job of the visual art critic to determine the value of a painting based on whether or not the work looks nice - there are ghastly, frightening, and indeed even ugly paintings that are masterpieces, and for good reason. There's more to art criticism - any art, not just visual - than aesthetics.

A lot of people don't buy that line of thought, I know. Many people - people whose opinion I value and intelligence I respect - think that if sounds bad, it is bad; if it looks bad, it is bad; and so on. And that's fair enough. But I think it's worth exploring things more deeply. It's like the discussions I have about the artistic skill: people always blow off certain forms of art altogether - mostly modern, abstract, Dadaism - because they think it's "easy to do". Someone will look at an abstract painting and scoff, "I could have painted that". To those people, a painter is only good if his work looks "realistic", if it looks like a photograph. Yeah, yeah - it's so easy to say that. Never mind that painting shouldn't have to approximate reality literally because we've got photography for that, never mind that it's often the goal of a contemporary painter to think beyond traditional modes of expression and attempt to represent ideas and emotions in other ways - no, no, that doesn't matter. What matters is that they could have painted it. That's all that counts. Hear that guitar solo? I could have played that - therefore this song sucks. If it isn't difficult to do, it isn't good. Sigh.

I don't want to get into this discussion (it gets me riled up), but it's just like Xiu Xiu: a lot of art - indeed, most of the best art - requires that you think about it, really think about it, far beyond surface qualms. It doesn't look realistic? It doesn't sound pretty? Okay, fair enough. But that isn't a good complaint. Ask why it looks unrealistic. Why did the artist do that? Why does that matter? What does that do? Keep asking questions, then maybe you'll get it. And if you keep asking questions and you're still not satisfied, then you've got something to criticise.

Okay, so, time to give Xiu Xiu another chance. Here you go:

Xiu Xiu - A Promise
Rating: 8.5

Though it doesn't quite reach the soaring heights of Fabulous Muscles, A Promise remains one of Xiu Xiu's most remarkable records. It's not without it's flaws and it sounds considerably less refined than his later work, but there are enough memorable moments here to warrant your attention.
___________________________________________________________________

Xiu Xiu - Chapel Of The Chimes EP
Rating: 6.9

This brief EP was released only a few short months after Xiu Xiu's debut LP, and that rush hurts what could have been something much more definitive. A few of these tracks feel like album leftovers, but the surprisingly catchy (yes, a catchy Xiu Xiu song!) cover of Joy Division's 'Ceremony' more than makes up for those shortcomings.
___________________________________________________________________

Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles
Rating: 10.0

Utterly flawless. Fabulous Muscles is one of the best albums of the past few years, and has a firm place on my list of favourite records ever. I can't recommend this disc highly enough. Of particular note is 'I Luv The Valley OH!', Xiu Xiu's recognizable and well liked songs. I'm sure even Casey can admit to enjoying that one.
___________________________________________________________________

Xiu Xiu - Fag Patrol
Rating: 7.8

This stripped-down acoustic LP finds Jamie Stewart temporarily retiring his trademark abrasiveness and instead expressing himself more, well, quietly. Anyone turned off by Xiu Xiu's tendency to be so damn weird will appreciate the surprising reservation of Fag Patrol. As much as I enjoy those classic fits of strange rage, it's admittedly much easier to enjoy Jamie Stewart when he's not scaring the hell out of you.
___________________________________________________________________

Xiu Xiu - Knife Play
Rating: 8.5

It's bizarre and at times downright disturbing, but Xiu Xiu's debut album is undeniably unlike anything you've ever heard before. This record basically split indie kids into two groups: those that adored Jamie Stewart and those that wanted him to shut the hell up. See also: Calum and Casey.
___________________________________________________________________

Xiu Xiu - La Foret
Rating: 8.0

Xiu Xiu's most recent recording is top-notch, but it's still a baby step back from its epic predecessor Fabulous Muscles. It isn't as immediately affecting as any of his earlier work, but it's considerably less flawed too. Probably the most "solid" Xiu Xiu record to date, and a sign of more good things to come.
___________________________________________________________________

Xiu Xiu - Life And Live
Rating: 6.0

Though Xiu Xiu puts on a mesmerizing live show (the best I've ever seen, in fact), the simple fact that live albums are inherently terrible stops this from being any good. If you want to hear a Xiu Xiu show, see one.

___________________________________________________________________

Xiu Xiu & Devendra Banhart - Split 7"
Rating: 7.8

Xiu Xiu's cover of Devendra Banhart's 'Body Breaks' is all well and good, but Devendra Banhart steals the show with his ingenious take on Xiu Xiu's spoken-word attack on the US Army 'Support Our Troops'. Hilarious but creepy.
___________________________________________________________________

Xiu Xiu & This Song Is A Mess But So Am I - Split 7"
Rating: 2.0

Xiu Xiu's loves these guys, and why shouldn't he? They sound exactly like him - except, you know, they're terrible. Too bad, because Xiu Xiu's track (an alternate version of Rose Of Sharon, one of the best songs on La Foret) is great.
___________________________________________________________________

Download:
Xiu Xiu - I Luv The Valley OH!
Xiu Xiu - Fast Car (Tracy Chapman Cover)
Xiu Xiu - I Broke Up
Xiu Xiu - Jennifer Lopez (Sweet Science Version)
Xiu Xiu - Ceremony (Joy Division Cover)
Xiu Xiu - Paw Paw Paw Paw Paw

Buy:
Xiu Xiu - Life & Live
Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles

Bright Eyes: The Complete Discography

2006-05-27T11:58:00.000-03:00

Long ago in the world of indie rock, way before we could locate Illinois on a map, there was one man we could all turn to when we needed someone who understood why we were so sad (oh, how nobody understands). He knew that girls are mean and that George Bush is bad. He screamed a lot and tried to sing off-key. He looked like Winona Ryder. His name was Conor Oberst.

Conor Oberst - Bright Eyes, that is - used to be pretty well liked. He scrapped together a bunch of lovely records and promised us that everything was going to be okay. Things were going really well for him, too. He got his shit together and recorded a sort of sad-kid epic which was adored by fans and respected by critics, an album simply titled Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil Keep Your Ear To The Ground.

In 2005, Conor grew up a little. He grew weary of his trademark sad-boy bit and decided to change musical gears. Early that year he recorded and released I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, and album which was even more adored by fans and respected by critics than its predesesor. Conor was getting name dropped on The O.C., his songs were getting radio play, and his album was a huge financial success.

Oh, but indie kids are afraid of success. When their favourite band is on The O.C. (which they never watch, of course...), or on the radio (which they never listen to, either), or is, you know, making money, it's no longer cool to like them. Hipsters everywhere hid their signed copies of Fevers & Mirrors and made sure their hair didn't swoop over their eyes. They called Conor "emo" - a terrible hex, one with no discernable meaning and nothing but nasty connotations - and turned their backs on him forever.

Fuck those idiots. Conor's still awesome, and although he's not perfect, he's still recorded some seriously solid albums - and here they are, convieniently listed and reviewed for your reading pleasure. If you're not bothered about Bright Eyes anymore or if you've never given him a chance, I urge you to take a look at this list and give these records a spin. Remember: emo doesn't bite, it cries.

Bright Eyes - A Collection Of Songs
Rating: 2.8

A Collection brings together numerous tracks that Conor recorded before he, you know, knew how to write songs. 'Driving Fast Through A Big City At Night' is perfect as a segue track on any number of moody mix tapes, but this album doesn't have much else worth hearing. Pass on this one.
___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - Digital Ash In A Digital Urn
Rating: 6.2

Conor's attempt at electro-emo is mostly bland and uninteresting, though not offensively bad. It's not much overall, but a couple of solid tracks makes Digital Ash prime iTunes cherrypicking material.

___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - Don't Be Frightened Of Turning The Page EP
Rating: 8.2

It breaks down like this: three absolutely fantastic tracks ('No Lies, Just Love'; 'Going For The Gold'; 'You Are The Roots'), an okay one ('Kathy'), and two miserable piles of garbage ('Mirrors'; 'I Won't...'). It's your call.

___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - Every Day & Every Night EP
Rating: 9.2

This is without a doubt the Bright Eyes record. We've got five perfect songs that together encompass every thematic and creative idea Conor ever thought up. If this doesn't win over Bright Eyes detractors, nothing will.
___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - Fevers & Mirrors
Rating: 7.8

An interesting but seriously flawed sophmore album, Fevers definitely tries to do too much but has enough heart to overcome its own shortcomings. Some of the best Bright Eyes tracks can be found here.

___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - First Day Of My Life EP
Rating: 6.5

People are pretty crazy about First Day Of My Life's B-Side 'When The President Talks To God, but it doesn't really do it for me. It's excruciatingly heavy-handed and kind of boring, to be honest. You hate Bush, Conor? Save it for a Rock Against Bush compilation.
___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - Gold Mine Gutted EP
Rating: 7.0

'Easy/Lucky/Free' and 'Gold Mine Gutted' are the two best songs on Digital Ash, but the exclusion of any new material prevents this EP from being worthwhile. Why'd they even bother?
___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Rating: 9.2

Conor's most recent record is also his finest. I'm Wide Awake made Bright Eyes a household name (slight exaggeration, yes), and rightfully so. The 'new Dylan' tag might have sounded silly before, but it may indeed be warrented now. It seems that Conor's future looks Bright - ha.
___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - Letting Off The Happiness
Rating: 6.7

I'd hate to describe this record as 'raw', but I can't think of a better word. Feeling like shit? Play 'If Winter Ends' loud enough and it all suddenly makes sense again. Sure, it's self-absorbed and dramatic, but that matters not when you're blue. Hmm, now where's my drink?

___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - Lifted, Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground
Rating: 8.8

Lifted is widely known as the "seminal" Bright Eyes record, and for good reason. There are a whole lot of great songs to be found here, and it's probably the best starting point for new listeners.
___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - Lua EP
Rating: 5.8

'Lua' might be the best song on I'm Wide Awake, but the other tracks found on this disc are just plain awful. It's a reminder that sometimes B-Sides are cut from the album because, well, they suck. Next please...

___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - Motion Sickness
Rating: 5.7

I very much enjoyed the Bright Eyes concert I saw last year, but I can't say the same for this live album. To be fair, live albums are very rarely any good; Motion Sickness is no exception.

___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - Take It Easy (Love Nothing) EP
Rating: 8.0

Digital Ash gives the impression that Conor can't make an interesting electronic song - strange, then, that this EP features two excellent electronic tracks that are both better than the majority of the material on the LP. 'Cremation', a lush ambient soundscape, is particularly stunning.

___________________________________________________________________

Bright Eyes - There Is No Beginning To The Story EP
Rating: 4.0

'Messenger Bird's Song' is perceptive and pitch-pefect, but this an otherwise tiring expedition through characteristically whiny album leftovers. Boring, bland, and downright tepid - one of the shittiest Bright Eyes recordings ever.

___________________________________________________________________

Download:
Bright Eyes - Going For The Gold
Bright Eyes - Drunk Kid Catholic
Bright Eyes - Silver Bells (Christmas Song)
Bright Eyes - Easy/Lucky/Free
Bright Eyes - Gold Mine Gutted
Bright Eyes - A Perfect Sonnet
Bright Eyes - True Blue
Bright Eyes - The Invisible Gardener
Bright Eyes - A Line Allows Progress, A Circle Does Not
Bright Eyes - Spring Cleaning

Buy:
Bright Eyes - Fevers & Mirrors
Bright Eyes - Lifted
Bright Eyes - Every Day & Every Night

The Velvet Underground & Nico Revisited

2006-05-26T15:13:00.000-03:00

The blogosphere has always had a tendency toward constant forward motion, only rarely ever looking back (and toward insular navel-gazing, of which I intend to commit herein). This is a direct side-effect of our easy-access to cheap or free music via current technology, and the vastly overpopulated blogosphere and competition that implies. As with most aspects of technology there is both good and bad associated with this.

On the positive side, the average person can be exposed to much more new music than ever before. An entire world of new and amazing artists is literally at our fingertips. The distribution and promotional side of things has also been democratized. Bands can now promote themselves through MySpace, personal websites, blogs and countless other means. The success stories of bands like Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah and Beirut are testaments to blogs' influential clout.

On the negative side, our listening habits have been relegated to a fastfood-like mentality. iTunes' success, for example, has shown that the average consumer is content with a larger quantity of low fidelity music. Let's face it, an MP3 file does not sound nearly as good as a high quality vinyl or CD recording. The days when people took the time to listen to their vinyl records on high fidelity systems have past for most, and even CD consumption will likely soon dwindle to inconsequential numbers. Only audiophiles will continue this practice while the average consumer will settle for the convenience of digital files. This convenience also makes musical longevity much more difficult. People are often far too happy to move on to the next big thing while they leave yesterday's hot act behind.

My Old Kentucky Blog's recent string of cover-related posts gave me the idea to return to a nostalgic time (long before I was born, mind you) when the idea of the album prospered. I decided to go back in time to what I believe was the most important year in the history of rock n' roll. The year was 1967, the summer of love. It was a time that boldly redefined America's cultural and musical landscape. Among the notable albums released that year were the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Doors' debut self-titled album, Jimi Hendrix's Are You Exprienced and Cream's Disraeli Gears. One album, however, challenged people's conceptions of popular music more than any other. That album was The Velvet Underground & Nico.

Sometimes called the "banana album", due to Andy Warhol's quirky cover art, the album had an enormous influence despite its poor sales. It seemed that the few people who listened to the album all started their own bands (there's truth in every cliche). Of course, the Velvet Underground gained the recognition it deserved in the 1980's and their debut is now firmly entrenched as a cult masterpiece.

Lou Reed's dreamlike lyrics, Nico's transcendent vocals and the numerous exotic influences incorporated into the album made for a psychedelic experience that was way ahead of its time. Every alternative strand of rock music, from punk to post-rock, can be traced back to The Velvet Underground & Nico. Nirvana, Bjork, and every artist in between has been, at the very least, indirectly influenced by The Velvet Underground.

To post the original album in its entirety would be an exercise in futility (not to mention ethically questionable) as I'm sure most people reading this have listened to the album ad nauseam. Instead, I've decided to post my own covers mix of The Velvet Underground & Nico, featuring all the songs from the original album in the same order. The artists in this mix are as diverse as the band itself. All the bands bring their own sensibilities to the classic songs yet, for the most part, remain true to The Velvet Underground's sound.

I can think of no better way to illustrate The Velvet Underground's resounding influence on music today.

Download:
1. Belle and Sebastian - Sunday Morning (Live)
2. David Bowie & Lou Reed - I'm Waiting for the Man (Live)
3. R.E.M. - Femme Fatale
4. Jim O'Rourke - Venus in Furs
5. Echo and the Bunnymen - Run Run Run (Live)
6. Iron and Wine with Calexico - All Tomorrow's Parties (Live)
7. Billy Idol - Heroin
8. R.E.M. - There She Goes Again
9. Swarm's Arm - I'll be Your Mirror
10. Smile Kick - The Black Angel's Death Song
11. The Olivia Tremor Control - European Son

Buy:
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico

The State Of Things To Come

2006-05-23T12:47:00.000-03:00

I don't know how I came across it, but I was browsing Wikipedia the other day and came across a list of bands from the state of Washington. Sure, some of them I knew of; there was of course that whole Seattle scene back in the early to mid 90s. There were others though that I had no clue. So, I'm bring the Washington State music scene to you in yet another Mocking Music list.

Yes, I am aware I left out a lot of bands. I tried to steer clear of obvious choices such as Nirvana, Soundgarden or Hole and present to you artists which aren't necessarily known for the scene they belong to. I also left out some indie favourites, but I am comfident with these 10.

10) Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze (MP3)
Years ago, me and a couple guys at work were talking about Hendrix and a girl came up and asked who he was. To which another said something along the lines of, "Oh, he's one of the Beatles, isn't he?". The sad thing is, she wasn't at all joking and the other one sort of took that as "Oh okay, yeah, I know him". That memory always sticks out whenever I think of him now.

9) Pretty Girls Make Graves - The Nocturnal House (MP3)
As I said previously, I am a sucker for a good band name. That means Pretty Girls Make Graves had points with me before I ever listened to them. Although I suppose it isn't entirely fair, as it isn't entirely original. But it has been proven that anyone can be inspired by a song title. Fortunately, they live up to their name...I mean in the sense that it is a fun name and they are a fun band.

8) The Microphones - Samurai Sword (MP3)
There is something about this song that I've always liked more than any other from the band. I am a sucker for names/titles. Names of bands, titles of albums, or titles of songs. If you can hook me with a title, I am in. So what is special about the title Samurai Sword? To tell you the truth, I don't know what it is, perhaps the mystique behind the Samurai culture. Beyond that, I enjoy the barely audible vocals as sort of the background to the instrumentals.

7) Bikini Kill - Reject All American (MP3)
Back in the day, Casey & I took part in an extra curricular activity. Part of the group branched off into some sort of activist cheerleading, which we were all up for. Any excuse to wear a little red mini-skirt. Bikini Kill's brand of riot grrl is definitely the type of music we would warm up to. Except that we didn't warm up to anything. We did use cheers stolen from what should have been Oscar-nominated, Bring It On. Back then, there was some plans kicking around for a game of Anarchist Soccer or something where we took over a busy Charlottetown street and played soccer. Too bad that never materialized. [Casey: I'm not sure if the complete vague-tangent style of this summary makes it sound better or worse. The skirts were not mini, the legs were not bare, and the protests were hardcore. Thank you.]

6) Sleater-Kinney - Buy Her Candy (MP3)
Sleater-Kinney recently opened for fellow Seattle natives Pearl Jam. I was planning on going to see Pearl Jam when they were in Halfax last year, but tickets sold so quickly I never got the chance. Too bad, if I did I would have got to see Sleater-Kinney which would have been more worthwhile for me than Pearl Jam. I remember glaring at one Mocking Music visitor and sometimes commenter, Moe, when I had learned she was going. If you are reading this Moe, I am sending you the same icy glares.

5) Minus The Bear - Just Kickin' It Like A Wild Donkey (MP3)
This band is new to me, I liked their name and checked them out for the purpose of this article. I don't know what it is about Minus The Bear, but I really love them. The dry vocals are offset by vibrant beats and catchy hooks. This will be a band to watch for me.

4) Vendetta Red - Shatterday (MP3)
It has been a while since I listened to Between The Never And The Now, the band's last great album. The group broke up recently, perhaps due to the fact that they suck now. Well that isn't true, but their latest, Sisters of the Red Death was certainly not very interesting. Still, if you've never checked it out, I urge you to give "The Never..." a listen. You won't be disappointed. If you are, Casey takes all responsibility. [Casey: ?]

3) Pedro The Lion - The Fleecing (MP3)
I've been a fan of David Bazan's one-man, Pedro the Lion since the first time I heard Winners Never Quit, which was the first Pedro album I had been exposed to. While Control was a great album, it wasn't until Achilles Heel came out that I had been more happy with the band. Ester Drang and James McAlister are a welcome addition and help create what is one of my top ten album's of 2004. [Casey: The one band man is over, yo. Dead. Done.]

2) Death Cab For Cutie - Sound of Settling (Acoustic) (MP3)
When talking about the best in indie rock, three names seem to be at the top of the list. Sufjan Stevens, Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst, and Death Cab's Ben Gibbard. I talked about Gibbard side-project, Postal Service, in a previous list. Gibbard's flagship band and has received a lot of recognition, including being the favourite band of OC character Seth (who really makes the show), and for good reason. That said, I still find it embarrassing that I don't own any Death Cab albums . . .

1) Harvey Danger - Wine, Women & Song (MP3)
Harvey Danger used to be one of my favourite bands back in high school with their debut, Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?. Sure, Flagpole Sitta having as much airplay as it did, probably had a lot to do with it. The band is still released great albums though. Their latest, Little by Little was released for download, complete with liner notes, on the band's official website. So if you don't want to pay to check them out, just take a look around their website and spend the couple minutes (depending on connection speed) downloading Little by Little. If you like what you hear, buy it. [Casey: Just say no.]

It seems I've been saying this at the end of all my lists, but I think this one has definite potential for a follow-up. Besides the fact that there were a ton of bands I didn't include, there is also the possibility for other lists based on location. I suppose the obvious choice would be Montreal, but that is not something I'd like to do for the same reasons I left out the Seattle scene bands. Thoughts?

Download:
Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze
Pretty Girls Make Graves - The Nocturnal House
The Microphones - Samurai Sword
Bikini Kill - Reject All American
Sleater-Kinney - Buy Her Candy
Minus the Bear - Just Kickin' It Like A Wild Donkey
Vendetta Red - Shatterday
Pedro the Lion - The Fleecing
Death Cab For Cutie - Sound of Settling (Acoustic on Henry Rollins May 20th, 2006)
Harvey Danger - Wine, Women & Song

Buy:
Pretty Girls Make Graves - Elan Vital
Minus the Bear - Menos el Oso
Pedro the Lion - Achilles Heel
Harvey Danger - Little by Little

Related:
Cover Concerns? Call Casey (867-5309)
Can I Have That On The Side, Please?
Songs In The Key Of M
This Is A Long Song For Someone With Nothing To Think About
Sunny Days...
Who Are You Calling A Narcissist?
Jesus, Mocking Music Loves You Too
Yes, But Is It Heart?
The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
No Pan Troglodyte Business Here
Everything Is Automatic

Richard Kelly La La Loves Pixies, Radiohead

2006-05-20T22:19:00.000-03:00

I sure do love when popular music is used in a movie. Southland Tales, the new Palme D'or-nominated feature by Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko), is set to feature a reasonably solid soundtrack of popular indie tracks from the past twenty years. Kelly, in a move that might seem just a tad excessive, is currently writing six Southland Tales prequels (they're graphic novels, not films, but still), one of which just happens to be titled 'Wave Of Mutilation'. I'm still waiting for Donnie Darko II: Where Is Your Mind?.

Here's the soundtrack so far:

Radiohead - Planet Telex
Pixies - Wave Of Mutilation
Blur - Tender
Jane's Addiction - Three Days
The Killers - All These Things That I've Done

Hmm. One of those doesn't quite fit. Okay, let's settle on Donnie Darko III: Hot Fuss.

Download:
The Killers - All These Things That I've Done
Radiohead - Vanilla Idiot (Mash-Up)
Pixies - Where Is My Mind?

Buy:
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Radiohead - Kid A
Donnie Darko - DVD

Related:
Settling The Score

Settling The Score

2006-05-20T10:31:00.000-03:00

I read an interesting article this morning over at Stereogum regarding the fall of the great movie soundtrack. They argue that while films of the nineties used popular music well (Pulp Fiction, High Fidelity, et al), recent examples are harder to think of. They're indie kids, so, of course, they commend the use of music in The Life Aquatic and Garden State, but go on to complain that few other directors are bothering to work good music into their movies. Now, I might not know much about music (though I certainly pretend to), but if there's one thing I do know, it's film. The same can't be said for the guy who wrote the Stereogum article - are The Life Aquatic and Garden State the only movies with good soundtracks, or are those the only two trendy indie movies this guy has seen? I'm guessing the latter.

I can think of plenty of contemporary movies that use good music, but I'll get to that later. I have a different problem with Stereogum's article: they assume it's okay to praise a movie strictly because it uses music that you're familiar with and enjoy. The question Stereogum is asking is "why are there no good movie soundtracks?". Better question: Is using licensed music in a movie such a good idea in the first place? Maybe not.

Consider a discussion I had recently with some friends about this very idea: My pal Laura notes that while music certainly can be used effectively, it runs the risk of ruining an otherwise engaging piece of singular art. A narrative fiction film can draw the viewer in, masking its own construction in order to make the viewer respond to its conventions; for two hours, reality gets put on hold and the viewers invest themselves - emotionally and otherwise - into the fictional world of the film. A recognizable piece of music, however - let's say, a single from your favourite indie rock group - can work against this effect; a song you know and love swelling on the soundtrack at the height of an emotional scene, for instance, can completely remove you from the moment - you're suddenly made aware that you're watching a film, and although that sort of thing can be done intentionally and quite well (yes, Godard), it's more often completely unintentional and ends up detracting from the film experience. An emotionally gripping scene demands the attention of the audience in order for it work - you need to be in that movie moment or it's just not going to resonate. If a character dies and Sigur Ros is playing, you're probably thinking, even for a second, "I love this song" - and by then they've already lost you.

I can think of a few examples of films that use music poorly. Last year's The Squid And The Whale, by newcomer Noah Bachbaum, was an interesting and reasonably good picture that was almost ruined as a result of its soundtrack. The song selections were solid and, for the most part, appropriately chosen, but so insistent was Bachbaum that every scene by underscored with these tunes that it was nearly impossible not to concentrate on it. Scenes which would have otherwise been emotional and interesting on their own were accompanyed by totally unnecessary musical assistance. It's as if Bachbaum feared that his images couldn't stand alone, opting for emotional overkill over confident standalone filmmaking. This is a classic case of cheating your audience. Instead of establishing a mood or a tone with powerful images or interesting writing, the filmmakers just throw on a song that has that mood or tone already built in. Want to make the audience weep? Better use some somber love ballad. Sure, and expert artist might make a challenging and rewarding cinematic experience, but who has the patience to bother with thoughtful craft? Well, that might be a tad harsh, but I'm convinced that the climax of The Life Aquatic, wherein the Zissou crew finally finds their Moby Dick to the sound of Sigur Ros's Staralfur, is only touching and moving because, well, Staralfur is a touching and moving song. This is all somewhat understandable, though - these are young guys who love music, and what better way to show off - er, I mean, show your love for hip music than by peppering your soundtrack with it?

The music that is being improperly used is singular, in that it stands as a piece of commendable art all on its own, as sound that evokes images rather than being tied to specific ones. Music invites the listener to imagine the world of the sound, and the emotion comes from a combination of sonic and lyrical artfulness. Sound plays a role in film, but only as one convention of many. The sound should compliment the images, it should be a layer no different than lighting or set design.

There are, of course, many movies that use licensed music well. Here, then, are ten songs which are used excellently in a movie.

The Five Best Instances Wherein A Song Is Used Effectively In A Movie...ever!

05. The Movie: Buffalo '66
The Song: Yes - Heart Of The Sunrise
How It's Used: Vincent Gallo's brilliant debut is pretty much perfect throughout, but the climactic shooting at a strip club, set to Yes's rollicking 'Heart Of The Sunrise', is a cut above the rest. Yes's song is already cinematic, in that it builds and bombasts like a throbbing action score, but it's recognizable a tune enough to warrant apprehension about its use on a soundtrack. It's fortunate, then, that the intense arthouse action sequence is striking and memorable enough to match the audacity of the song, allowing the two to blend seemlessly and, even more surprisingly, unforgetably.

04. The Movie: Boogie Nights
The Song: Rick Springfield - 'Jesse's Girl'
How It's Used: P.T. Anderson may be known for his grandiose filmmaking, and that's all well and good, but it's his acute attention to detail, quite surprisingly, that I respect about his style above all else. Consider, for instance, a miniscule moment in the epic Boogie Nights: Dirk Diggler (Mark Walhberg) sits in the living room of a bizarre drug lord (Alfred Molina), who is dancing and singing to Rick Springfield's gloriously cheesy 'Jesse's Girl'. Diggler, dazed, sits silent on the couch as the song blares from the nearby stereo. The camera stays on him, observing as nothing happens, for what seems like ages, unwilling to pay attention to anything else. It's a memorable digression, made all the more intruiging and, well, hilarious by the music and Alfred Molina's drug-affected singing.

03. The Movie: Mulholland Drive
The Song: Roy Orbison: 'Crying'
How It's Used: To be honest, this really shouldn't work - but it does. Who knew a Roy Orbison track, belted out in a foreign language by a mysterious stranger and a late-night club, could be so damn moving? The beautiful yet haunting sequence turns downright chilling when the singer collapses on stage in the middle of the song - and the vocals carry on without her. David Lynch, the film's director, recognizes that recognizable songs affect the viewing experience, which is precisely why he's chosen a foreign rendition of such a recognizable track; the audience knows the song, but it's dramatically different. The result is a disturbed familiarity, like a half-remembered dream - the perfect segue into the film's twisted third act.

02. The Movie: Stranger Than Paradise
The Song: Screamin' Jay Hawkins - 'I Put A Spell On You'
How It's Used: I know I talked about this earlier in the week, but I couldn't exclude one of my favourite movies, especially when it uses one particular song so well. John Lurie's lonely hipster lifestyle is thrown off when his younger cousin visits his apartment in New York. She carries around a portable cassette player but seems interested in only one song: 'I Put A Spell On You', which John Lurie hates. "It's Screamin' Jay Hawkins", she announces, in broken English, "he's a wild man, so bug off".

01. The Movie: Blue Velvet
The Song: Bobby Vinton - 'Blue Velvet'
How It's Used: How is it used? Well, for starters, it's the title of the movie. Then, of course, it's sung quite beautifully (and creepily) by star Isabella Rossellini, in a scene you won't soon forget. This goes beyond simply using a song on the soundtrack. Here we a film that is so fervently tied to one song that it's totally impossible to think of the two seperately. The essence of that song seems to pervade the entire movie, seeping out of every shot and soundtracking every sequence (figuratively, that is). Put simply, this is just how it's done.

Download:
Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You (Live)
Bobby Vinton - Blue Velvet
Roy Orbison - Crying
Rick Springfield - Jesse's Girl
Yes - Heart Of The Sunrise

Buy:
Buffalo '66 - DVD / OST
Boogie Nights - DVD / OST
Mulholland Drive - DVD / OST
Stranger Than Paradise - DVD / OST
Blue Velvet - DVD / OST

Captain Kirk & Ben Folds Rockin' The Suburbs

2006-05-19T12:55:00.000-03:00

You know, being a leader in the music blog community, Mocking Music receives a lot of e-mail. These e-mails range from exciting band news to death threats from those jealous of our prestige.

It's because of all the e-mails that I overlooked this sitting in our inbox. We recently received an e-mail from Ben Folds. You other bloggers may have gotten the cheap newsletter version, but we here at Mocking Music got Ben himself, or B-Foo as he wishes to be called (although only his closest friends may identify him as such).

"Hey guys,

B-Foo here with some exciting news. On May 16th the soundtrack for Over the Hedge will be released, which I have greatly contributed to. You may notice the snazzy version of Rockin' The Suburbs featuring Willi-Shat. It has some re-worked lyrics. I knew you guys wouldn't want to pass up on something like that, so I thought I'd give you the heads up before my official newsletter reports the news.

Peace,
B-Foo

P.S. I'm a little pissed you guys didn't include The Bens in that side-project post. What is up with that?"

Unfortunately, I hadn't noticed the e-mail amongst our ever increasing inbox. Sorry B-Foo, but you aren't the only one that's got inside contact with Mocking Music. So, because I missed it I was unable to report the news before the official newsletter was sent out.

Even late, this is interesting news and the song with Shatner is actually pretty awesome. Fortunately, he does not sing (Shatner that is). You'll have to check out his 2004 Folds-produced album, Has Been, for that treat.

Download:
Ben Folds - Rockin' The Suburbs (Feat. William Shatner)

Buy:
Soundtrack - Over The Hedge

We Will Still Write A Review

2006-05-18T21:42:00.000-03:00

"He could have shat in the middle of the stage, then threw it at me, and I'd have still asked for an encore," was my comment when leaving the Bronson Centre the night of May 8, following a two hour performance by my own personal rock God, Hawksley Workman.

It's incredibly naive to think that you can write an objective review of a concert or album by someone you've idolized for several years, so I won't. I will say, though, after the second encore, which consisted of the Upper-Canadian troubadour sitting cross-legged on the front of the stage with a banjo and leading a sing-along of 'We Will Still Need A Song', you would be hard pressed to find someone who left that show unmoved.

So, after acknowledging the fact that Hawksley can do very little wrong in my books, "review" might not be the right term for this piece. Let's go with "observations and comments on Hawksley's latest stop in Ottawa".

After canceling a number of shows in March due to illness, Workman is back from touring in Australia to make up the missed Ontario dates. In contrast to his last tour with his band The Wolves behind him, Workman is gracing the stage with lone accompanist, Mr Lonely, to promote his latest album, Treeful of Starling. The simple staging - Workman seated under a spotlight with Mr Lonely behind a piano, created an intimate atmosphere for the 800 fans in attendance.

Adding to the intimacy were Workman's lengthy inter-song rambles about seemingly whatever popped into his mind. Topics that were covered included his crush on Canadian Governor General, Michaelle Jean, making snowmobile tea and how he wasn't getting paid for these long interstitials. I found them endearing, and an interesting look into the artsy mind of Workman, but casual fans may have found them unnecessary.

The pared down performance allowed Workman a lot of room to play with his work. His live version of 'Anger As Beauty' is drawn out several minutes, with a break of The Tragically Hip's 'Blow At High Dough' popping up in the middle, while 'Safe and Sound' allows Workman to show off with a banjo solo. Workman uses his live performance as an opportunity to realize his music, whatever potential he sees, and the audience hangs on every beat.

The voice, the chit chat, the setting, this was my dream concert, and was worth the two month wait. So, the point of this post isn't necessarily to convince you to run out to a Hawksley Workman show (though I would) but, you know that artist you'd give your right arm to see? The one where your expectations are so high that it can't possibly be that good? It can, but maybe only for you.

Download:
Hawksley Workman - Safe and Sound (Live)
Hawksley Workman - Your Naked Body on the Beach (Live)
Hawksley Workman - Lust (Live)

Check Out Mel's all Workman podcast at radio@upei where she expresses further ambivalent opinions on the artist.

I Don't Like The Red Hot Chili Peppers

2006-05-18T21:03:00.000-03:00

"If you don't like [Stadium Arcadium], you don't like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Period." - Bassist Flea

Westfest: Ottawa's Little Secret

2006-05-17T22:49:00.000-03:00

I got one one hand for dancin' and one hand for fightin'

The months of May through August are a euphoric time for music fans. It is a period when many of us check our calendars with glee as our favourite bands play the festival circuit.

Here in Ottawa, there are two huge music festivals that draw a lot of big acts, crowds and media attention. They are, of course, the Tulip Festival (actually not as lame as it sounds) and the Cisco Systems Bluesfest. Unfortunately, these two 800-pound gorillas tend to knock other noteworthy festivities to the wayside. Great events like the CKCU Ottawa Folk Festival and Ladyfest Ottawa get lost in the hoopla that surrounds their big brothers.

Another such event, that goes unrecognized to an almost criminal extent, is Westfest. The annual festival that will now enter its third year has showcased some of Canada's very best and brightest in the fields of music, literature, visual arts, performance art and dance.

This year may prove to be Westfest's best showcase yet. Highly-acclaimed Canadian author Ann-Marie MacDonald will make an appearance. Mocking Music favourites Emm Gryner and Elliot Brood will also entertain those lucky enough to attend the event. As a grassroots festival, Westfest also tries to give local talent a stage (literally) and an audience. Among those local artists will be two of Ottawa's best indie bands: the Hilotrons and The Acorn.

If you are not yet convinced that you should attend Wesfest keep this in mind: Westfest is FREE. That's right, you can see all these amazing artists for less than the price of well, uhh, anything!

If you happen to be in Ottawa on June 10-11 there are few good reasons to miss out on what will surely be a memorable experience.

Whoever (Bing Cosby, June Allyson, The Ink Spots, Jo Stafford, etc.) said that the best things in life are free was right.

Download:
Emm Gryner - Waiting Room (Live)
Emm Gryner - Acid (Live)
Elliott Brood - Second Son
Hilotrons - Astromen
Hilotrons - Science Fiction Music
The Acorn - Blankets
The Acorn - Plates and Saucers

Buy:
Emm Gryner - Songs of Love and Death
Elliott Brood - Ambassador
Hilotrons - Bella Simone
The Acorn - Blankets

Cover Concerns? Call Casey (867-5309)

2006-05-16T18:56:00.000-03:00

Back in high school, Casey and I used to spend hours downloading punk covers. It was probably a bit excessive. A lot of the songs were pretty awful, but many were actually quite good. Recently I'd been thinking of doing a theme list based around pop punk covers, but the idea got pushed to the back of my mind.

Fortunately or unfortunately, as was driving to work yesterday morning and Tommy Tutone's Jenny (867-5309) came on the radio. This being one of my favourite covers, the idea came back. Unfortunately, some of the best punk covers are of the worst songs, so I will not include the original versions this time out. Another problem is that pop punk covers are so inaccurately labeled, but I've done my best to find out who the band is that covered them. Of course, many are obvious from simply listening.

20) Allister - Fraggle Rock (MP3)
This is one of the best theme covers I've heard. I used to love Fraggle Rock, so this cover automatically gets points with me. I've played this for a couple people at work on a mix CD and always get good reactions.

19) Social Distortion - Ring Of Fire (MP3)
I'm not so much a fan of Social Distortion fan, but I love Johnny Cash. Usually I would be against a Cash cover as he is known for his voice, and it would be a big undertaking to try and get it right without pissing off a lot of fans. They manage to pull it off nicely though.

18) Adolescents - House of the Rising Sun (MP3)
I once played this song for a friend from work, Steve. You see, he likes the Animals' original song quite a bit. The song starts off with the familiar whine from the guitar and his face lit up...and then the singing started. He was just absolutely disgusted with this scratchy voiced punk ruining one of his favourite songs. I don't know, I love it.

17) Goldfinger - 99 Red Balloons (MP3)
I can't believe it. I almost finished the list without including this song. I used to listen to Stomping Ground almost religiously back in my limited CD collection days. A lot of my favourite Goldfinger songs to this day, come from that CD. 99 Red Balloons is one of those songs.

16) Blink 182 - Jenny (867-5309) (MP3)
Some of you might start to think I'm a huge Blink fan now after having two themed lists inspired by them. You can't help buy like this cover. Blink 182, once kings of catchy pop-punk hooks, make me tolerate having this song stuck in my head a lot more. Update: The band behind this one is Bracket, not Blink as it has been labeled.

15) MXPX - Summer of '69 (MP3)
Bryan Adams used to be alright, back in the 80's. This song, from his '84 album, Reckless, is from that era. Cheese but lovable cheese. MXPX do the original justice and then some. I'm not really overly enthusiastic about MXPX, but their covers are always entertaining. Maybe they should take Me First's job.

14) Gob - Paint It Black (MP3)
These guys were sort of the Canadian punk celebrities on Much Music back before the whole pop punk craze with Sum 41. Then they slowly faded into the background. They only released two solid albums, but along the way they have done some great songs.

13) The Vandals - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (MP3)
I'm a fan of Sherry Bobbins and The Vandals, so this song is just a fun little addition. If you thought that was a hard word to say, try saying it sped up to punk standards.

12) Green Day - My Generation (MP3)
This cover of The Who's classic comes from Green Day's 1992 album Kerplunk. You know, before there was a Dookie? This is a fun cover from a time when Green Day was awesome. Don't get me wrong, the new album is the best one they've put out in years, but this is the real Green Day.

11) The Unseen - Beat It (MP3)
I like Michael Jackson's Thriller album. I admit it. I used to own it on tape, and I've been meaning to get around to buying it on CD. The cover however turns me off a bit. The Unseen's cover is better than the original, which isn't too hard. Some speculate that their name is derived from their low opinion of themselves after creating this cover. Or maybe not.

10) Dropkick Murphys - Amazing Grace (MP3)
I love Dropkick Murphys. These guys are just simply amazing. This is a purely instrumental cover of Amazing Grace using Dropkick's signature bagpipe/guitar combo. Everytime I listen to them I feel ashamed that I still have none of their albums. That's it, I'm going out and buying one tomorrow.

9) Pennywise - Stand By Me (MP3)
For me, Pennywise have always been a lesser Bad Religion. Well, at least until they released From the Ashes (which they tried to recreate with their follow-up, Fuse). With that said, this cover is one of the best I've heard. I've never liked the original song up until hearing this cover. They build it up nicely, and then just let loose with a great solo by guitarist Fletcher Dragge.

8) No Use For A Name - Turning Japanese (MP3)
Everyone likes the Vapors' classic Turning Japanese. Add a faster tempo and some overdrive and you have No Use For A Name's cover. This track is often mistakenly labeled as being Incubus. How anyone could confuse this for Incubus is beyond me.

7) Lagwagon - Kids In America (MP3)
I know Casey doesn't like this version one as much as the one on the Clueless soundtrack (Yeah, we both own it. Check out the songlist and tell me it's bad, I dare ya!), which is also a cover, but I always have had a fondness for it. Both are better than the Kim Wilde original.

6) Me First & The Gimme Gimmes - Science Fiction Double Feature (MP3)
Anyone who is a fan of pop punk probably knows of this of punk cover supergroup. Composed of members from Lagwagon, NoFX, No Use For A Name, Swingin' Utters and Foo Fighters, Me First has always been a staple of my psuedo-punk collection. These guys sound great together. I would really like to see them release some original material as their punk cover albums have been growing stale. Still, can't beat the cover of the Rocky Horror classic from Are a Drag.

Okay, I Get It. Beatles Are Great...No Really...Put That Down

5) 88 Fingers Louie - Help! (MP3)
Clocking at under two minutes, loud guitar and quick drumming is what makes this cover. The singing is alright, but the instrumentals are great. I''m asking for a rock to the head, but I actually enjoy this more than the Beatles' original. I love the Beatles, but this is one of my least favourite Beatles song. No Rocky Raccoon or Eleanor Rigby.

4) Ten Foot Pole - Joy to the World (MP3)
This song makes me giggle . . . or at the very least crack a smile. This cover appeared on the band's '93 album Swill. Sadly, I own one Ten Foot Pole album and it's not that one. Great band, great cover.

3) Wise Crack - Come Undone (MP3)
I'm not a big fan of mainstream 80's music, but I like Duran Duran. Wise Crack do an excellent job with this song. It ended up an almost every playlist I made back in grade 12. Sadly, the band disbanded. I remember looking up info on this band during CO-OP class. I suppose they had a point when they said I wasn't using my time efficiently.

2) Screeching Weasel - You Are My Sunshine (MP3)
I love Ben Weasel's voice, I always have. The right combination of nasal and scratchy. Mix in some group singing and a simple yet effective guitar solo, and you've got the making of a great cover. In fact it has always been one of my favourite covers, and likely always will be.

1) Joey Ramone - What A Wonderful World (MP3)
There was no debating this. Taken from Joey Ramone's solo album, Don't Worry About Me, this is the obvious choice for number one. "Don't Worry..." was Joey's last recording before he died of lymphoma in 2001. His cover of Louis Armstrong's classic is a fitting end to an impressive career.

And so ends yet another Mocking Music list. I was only planning on doing a small list this time out, but everytime I thought I was done, I would add another song. This major difference with this list is that the theme is tied to a genre. Mind you, it is a genre with a multitude of sub-genres and offshoots. Still, this could cause for a very hit or miss theme. Still, I enjoyed it, and am already working on two more lists. Don't worry, they are more open to different genres.

Feel free to comment and tell me if you think I've mis-identified any of the artists. The same goes if you think I've credited the original song to the wrong person. I will comment back and tell you that you are wrong, unless you are right of course. In that case I will likely still say you are wrong, but will do it with less cocky superiority.

Download:
Allister - Fraggle Rock (Theme)
Social Distortion - Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)
Adolescents - House of the Rising Sun (The Animals)
Goldfinger - 99 Red Balloons (Nena)
Blink 182 - Jenny (867-5309) (Tommy Tutone)
MXPX - Summer of '69 (Bryan Adams)
Gob - Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones)
The Vandals - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Mary Poppins)
Green Day - My Generation (The Who)
Unseen - Beat It (Michael Jackson)
Dropkick Murphys - Amazing Grace (John Newton)
Pennywise - Stand By Me (Ben E. King)
No Use For A Name - Turning Japanese (The Vapors)
Lagwagon - Kids In America (Kim Wilde)
Me First & The Gimme Gimmes - Science Fiction Double Feature (Rocky Horror)
88 Fingers Louie - Help! (The Beatles)
Ten Foot Pole - Joy to the World (Three Dog Night)
Wise Crack - Come Undone (Duran Duran)
Screaching Weasel - You Are My Sunshine (Jimmie Davis)
Joey Ramone - What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)

Buy:
Green Day - Kerplunk
Me First & The Gimme Gimmes - Are a Drag
Ten Foot Pole - Swill
Goldfinger - Stomping Ground
Dropkick Murphys - Sing Loud, Sing Proud
Joey Ramone - Don't Worry About Me

Related:
Can I Have That On The Side, Please?
Songs In The Key Of M
This Is A Long Song For Someone With Nothing To Think About
Sunny Days...
Who Are You Calling A Narcissist?
Jesus, Mocking Music Loves You Too
Yes, But Is It Heart?
The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
No Pan Troglodyte Business Here
Everything Is Automatic

Making Drinks For Nigel: Real Life's a Scream

2006-05-15T23:01:00.000-03:00

Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Real Life (1983)

I moved into my first house in Ottawa last August, just a few weeks before the start of my second year at Carleton University. I had spent the previous year in the school's residence, but I decided to spent that summer at home with my family in a small town that was a few hours away from anything of interest. Four months without anything to do got me anxious to return to The Big City, so after a little nagging I convinced my parents to move me in a little earlier than planned. The few weeks I spent in Ottawa in August were peculiar; I'd moved much earlier than my schoolmates, so although my location now allowed me to do pretty much anything I wanted to, I still remained bored a few weeks longer because I had nobody to do anything with. My University compatriots wouldn't return for a little while, but College students, whose school year is slightly longer than ours, were already back.

Jen, a friend of mine from high school, was starting her first year at Algonquin College, which happened to be reasonably close to my new house. Delighted to have company, I called her up and arranged to head over. The College kids were getting settled, which means they were drinking heavily, and the campus had quickly become one nonstop party zone. The dormatory area is designed as one very large diamond, with the rooms and hallways forming four straight lines which connect at the ends and which leave a sizable whole in the centre - a hole peppered with picnic tables and recently-planted trees, which had become the spot to socialize (and, by extention, drink).

I spent the evening wandering about the inner-diamond, chatting with the friendly students and getting free drinks. I was wearing my favourite outfit of the season, which was the cause of much talk that night: a thin tie circa 1984 (courtesy of my father's wardrobe), a tiny grey blazer, brown Converse All-Stars, and, on that particular evening, a small grey fedora, which I had swiped from someone's residence room. The disoriented chatting and irresponsible drunkeness caused me to lose track of time, and when it finally occured to me that I ought to go home and sleep I realized I'd missed the last bus home. It would surely take hours to walk, but I was drunk and had my iPod, so I decided to give it a go.

Screamin' Jay Hawkins scored the trip. Stumbling home in the wee hours of the night, intoxicated but not incapacitated, humming along to his incredible tunes; I felt like the king of the world. Screamin' Jay Hawkins has an odd way about him, crafting songs that seem to craft worlds: we're hurdled into an strange but cool land of late-night cafes and mysterious nobodies shot in black and white and oozing with intriuge. This is lost on most, but for some - myself included, it's irresistably appealing. Like Tom Waits, Screamin' Jay Hawkins is an artist who not only sings about 24-hour weirdos, he sings to them. You can't help but feel cool.

You might not be familiar with the name Screamin' Jay Hawkins (if that is indeed his real name), but I imagine you know his music. Remember that scene in Hocus Pocus when Bette Midler sings 'I Put A Spell On You' to a group of people in order to, um, put a spell on them? You may have thought that was a Creedence Clearwater Revival tune, but it isn't - well, actually, it is, but theirs isn't the original. Yes, the original was penned and recorded in 1956 by none other than Screamin' Jay Hawkins, an African-American musician who became notorious for his utterly bizarre stage performances and, well, his screamin'.

After his brief spell (ha) of fame in the late 1950s, Screamin' Jay Hawkins pretty much disappeared from the spotlight. He recorded several full length albums through the sixties and seventies, but, try as he might, Hawkins was unable to repeat the success of his debut single. To this day, Hawkins's fame revolves entirely around that one song: in the 1980s, it was featured on the soundtrack of and played a rather large part in Jim Jarmusch's cult film Stranger Than Paradise; through the 80s and on, the song was covered by everyone from Nick Cave to Marilyn Manson (and Creedance, as I previously mentioned, whose version is perhaps the most widely known); and most recently, the song was used in a Pringles commercial, again reviving the song's popularity.

It's unfortunate that Screamin' Jay Hawkins's fame is limited to the success of one runaway hit - though, in all fairness, that song is excellent - because he's a talented musician with a fairly solid discography that is mysteriously lacking attention and acclaim. Real Life, a collection of rerecorded singles and some new material released in the early eighties is probably Screamin' Jay's most interesting record. Though it doesn't quite reach the ecstatic heights of 'I Put A Spell On You', it's a solid album that ranks among the best of the decade. It's dissapointing that such wildly imaginative and intriguing music has gone completely overlooked for so long, and I hope that someday soon his music - this album in particular - is rediscovered and appreciated in the way it certainly should be. And come on, just look at that album art. Now picture it plastered on the cover of a 12" record. Now who needs a drink?

Best Heard With: Black Russian
After seeing The Big Lebowski for the first time in high school, I really wanted to try a White Russian. And who didn't? It quickly became my favorite drink. But last year in residence, I was time and time again faced with one little problem: nobody has any milk. I can hardly blame them. We all had a meal plan and ate our breakfast in the cafeteria, so spending five dollars on milk we'd never use was hardly an expense we wanted to take on. So what's a borderline alcoholic to do? Make Black Russians, of course! You see, nine times out of ten I'd have added the liquor and was just waiting on the milk, and so was left with just the booze in my glass - little did I know, however, that a White Russian sans lait is another drink altogether, and it's much cooler than its creamy counterpart. The Black Russian - that is, Vodka and Kaluha over ice - is without a doubt the coolest drink you'll ever have. "Hey, what are you drinking?" "Fucking Black Russian - and yes, it's just as hardcore as it sounds". Pour 1 1/2 oz of Absolut vodka (for flavour, use Absolut Vanilla) and 1 1/2 oz of Kahlua over ice in a rocks glass. Stir and look awesome.

Download:
Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You
Marilyn Manson - I Put A Spell On You
Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You
Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Put A Spell On You
Roxy Music - I Put A Spell On You

Buy:
Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Real Life

My Mom is Cooler Than Your Mom

2006-05-14T17:48:00.000-03:00

Last week was my mother's birthday. She was showered by gifts by her adoring children. Gifts would continue to arrive every day of the week through to today, Mother's Day. A veritable celebration of life itself but, more importantly, of the life that gave life to us. It was the least we could do.

No, that's not quite true. The least we could do would have been nothing. To forget her birthday all together. Which is exactly what we did. All three of us. Calendar-reading disabilities and day-late rememberings aside, we all forgot. It's not that we have anything against her. It's just that she's always been around, and sometimes it's easy to to take people for granted. Besides, I mean, as our mother, she's partly responsible for all our behaviour, right? Maybe not. Regardless, this isn't meant as a trite confessional or a lecture on the merits of thankless motherhood and value of those whose presence is a foregone conclusion. We know all that.

What you might not know is that my mom is cooler than your mom.

Sure, your mom cooks. So does mine. Mine probably does it better but we can't say for sure, so we'll have to call a tie. She also, just like your mother, goes out of her way to do really nice things for her children all the time. My mom's easy to talk to. A lot of you can say the same. Most of the time, all of this goes unthanked. Everyone should have countless anecdotes about the great things their mother has done for them. Who cares? Yes, your mother is great - make sure you take the time to tell her once in a while, at least once a year, but don't bore the rest of us with generic heart-warming tales of your uncool mommy.

And while you sing your mother's praises, remember that my mom is cooler than yours. Aside from the above mentioned qualities, my mom also has a dark sense of humour, is elitist, smug, and probably a bit of a self-deprecating narcissist. All of which go toward a healthy cool quotient. Still, the only proper indicator of one's coolness (aside from how many broken iPod's one has amassed) is the music that one enjoys. I think we can all agree on that.

Yes, my mom likes the Beatles and had, at one point, all their records on vinyl. No, she doesn't own "Number 1s". But my mom also has CD's of the Eels, Bright Eyes, Emm Gryner, Radiohead, Low, and Sufjan Stevens. She likes Great Lake Swimmer s more than I do. She knew Elliot Brood's name before I'd ever heard of him.

What's that? Your mom likes Coldplay? That's cool too . . .

Download:
Elliot Smith - Wouldn't Mama Be Proud
Voxtrot - Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, and Wives
The Elected - C'mon Mom
Beluah - Your Mother Loves You
Page France - Mother
A Thousand Times Yes - Momma Had Her Doubts
Court and Spark - Your Mother was the Lightning
Quasi - Mama Tried
Sufjan Stevens - Decatur or Round of Applause for Your Mother

Buy:
Something nice for your mother.

Thom Yorke Leaves Radiohead High & Dry

2006-05-14T01:04:00.000-03:00

Thom Yorke is planning to release ~~a solo~~, a Radiohead album without the rest of Radiohead, in which he will use his own name on the cover. Due out in July, The Eraser will be produced by Nigel Godrich and cover art will be by Stanley Donwood, both of whom have had a long history with the band.

"I have been itching to do something like this for ages. It was fun and quick to do. Inevitably it is more beats & electronics. But its songs. Yes its a record! No its not a Radiohead record. As you know the band are now touring and writing new stuff and getting to a good space."

Yorke wishes to put fears of the apocalypse (Radiohead breaking up) to rest saying,

"I want no crap about me being a traitor or whatever splitting up blah blah... this was all done with their blessing. And I don't wanna hear that word solo. Doesn't sound right. Ok then that's that."

The album will be released on XL

Pretty exciting news to be sure. New Radiohead and a album by Thom Yorke to be released in a short period of time. If only I had some awesome music links to put with this post (see Related).

Read more on this and other Radiohead news at NME.

Download:
Radiohead - Arpeggi (Live)
Radiohead - High & Dry (Live Acoustic)
Radiohead - Karma Police (Live Acoustic)

Buy:
Radiohead - The Bends

Related:
Radiohead & The Finance The Fire Initiative

Weird Muse

2006-05-12T23:26:00.000-03:00

Two short works about Eef Barzelay, lead singer of the indie-turned-major-
label-turned-indie band Clem Snide:

Weird by Jeff Reichman
Jeff retired from the music industry at the age of 20 after a nine week tour that left him drained mentally and physically. He later enrolled in the MA Creative Writing program at Temple University. "Weird" was his first attempt to reconcile the experience of live music with the power of language. [From Mississippi Review]

Eef Barzelay, You're Not That Weird by Dawn Tefft
Dawn Tefft holds an M.A. in English, recently taught composition and literature courses at Columbia College and Roosevelt University in Chicago, and has just begun working on a Ph.D. in Creative Writing at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the fall of 2005. She was a finalist in Winnow Press's Open Book Award in Poetry in 2004 and previously won the Academy of American Poets Prize at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
[From Mudlark]

Download:
Clem Snide - Weird
Clem Snide - Beautiful (live version this time)
Clem Snide - Frustrated Poet

Buy:
Clem Snide

Share the Love: Indie Style

2006-05-11T18:20:00.000-03:00

Ever wanted to have your own custom-made love song? Well now you can.

Corey Dargel, a brilliant young pop musician from Brooklyn, New York, has started a project where he will let anyone commission a three to four minute love song for that special person in their life.

Wait, it gets better. According to Dargel's website: "Your commissioned love song is composed, recorded and produced over a period of two to three months. You receive two CDs of the song performed by Corey as well as a version with just the accompaniment track (so you can sing the song yourself). Your commissioned song is added to a compilation entitled Other People's Love Songs to be released as an album in 2008."

And all this for a negotiated fee that averages to "less than the price of an iPod."

Over the last year New York's media elite in the arts community, including the New York Times and the Village Voice, have raved about Dargel. As I write this, he has joined Final Fantasy and Grizzly Bear on the European leg of their tour.

His similarities to the former are astounding. Both studied composition in university and subsequently went on to create brilliant pop songs that are more complex than they first appear. Both artists also share a quirky sense of humour and have tongue firmly planted in cheek throughout many of their songs. Finally, I was amazed at how similar Dargel's voice is to Owen Pallett's (i.e. Final Fantasy). It has a soothing flow to it that is quite unique in indie music where more raspy vocals tend to dominate.

Dargel doesn't play the violin however. Instead, he weaves his songs with simple electronic harmonies.

His first album, Less Famous Than You, was released in the UK earlier this month and should be available in North America shortly. It comes highly recommended.

Again, I can't think of a better gift for that special person in your life than to have Corey Dargel create a unique, and likely, beautiful love song just for them. Do yourself a favour and send Corey a line now. It will be the best decision you make this week.

I'd like to thank Carl Wilson for exposing me to Dargel's music through his blog.

Download:
Corey Dargel - Gay Cowboys
Corey Dargel - Superhero on the Ground

Buy:
Corey Dargel - Less Famous Than You

Mocking Review: Hot Chip - The Warning

2006-05-10T23:19:00.000-03:00

No 'Guess That Art' contest this week, folks. Sorry to get your hopes up. Last week's winner is Peter Reid, from Toronto, Ontario - he (along with many others) correctly identified my mockery as Joy Division's second and sadly final release, 'Closer'. Peter will be receiving his prize - an excellent Label Sampler CD courtesy of Absolutely Kosher records and a bag of surprise music schwag - in the mail!

Hot Chip
The Warning
DFA Records - 2006

Brit dance-funk-rock-punk outfit opts to move in a slightly different direction with their sophomore album, somewhat abandoning their (possibly unintentional) emotional side in favour of more appropriate DFA-like irony and general danceability.

Read Full Review

Download:
Hot Chip - Over And Over
The Go! Team - Ladyflash (Hot Chip Remix)
Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch (Hot Chip Remix)

Buy:
Hot Chip - The Warning

Can I Have That On The Side, Please?

2006-05-09T21:01:00.000-03:00

A few days ago when I was searching for the new Billy Talent, I downloaded a song which was mis-labeled. When I played what I thought was Billy Talent, I found myself listening to Boxcar Racer's "I Feel So". This surprise was not completely unwanted, and I decided to open up my Boxcar Racer cd and take it with me to listen to in the car.

This inspired this week's list, which will revolve completely around side-projects. Obviously, there are going to be a ton of side-projects that I don't include, so don't feel too bad if your favourite didn't make it. In fact, a couple of the more obscure ones I wanted to include, I found impossible to find any online mp3s of. I suppose that is what makes them obscure. On to the list! Considering the number I left out, I may do a follow-up.

Mocking Music's Top 10 Side Projects

10) Boxcar Racer - Letters To God (MP3)
I wasn't going to include this one as I wasn't sure how well received it would be, but the fact remains that I really enjoy this band. They do everything right that Blink 182 had been doing wrong. Besides, it is only fair that they be included since they inspired the whole thing.

9) The 6ths - Rot in the Sun (MP3)
Stephin Merritt is a busy man. The 6ths are just one side project of sometimes solo, sometimes group effort Magnetic Fields frontman. In their debut, Wasps' Nests, each song is sung by a different member of the indie scene. Merritt sings on one track only, but remains the man behind the songwriting and composition of the album. This is the same idea Foo Fighter's frontman, Dave Grohl, used in his Probot album. I think this one is probably the better of the two.

8) Bloc Party - Two More Years (MSTRKRFT Remix) (MP3)
Okay, we aren't talking about Bloc Party here. As Casey has mentioned before, MSTRKRFT is made up of Death From Above 1979's Jesse Keeler and his friend, Al Puodziukas. Their remixes are some of the best I've heard.

7) Desaparecidos - Man And Wife, The Former (Financial Planning) (MP3)
Former king of indie, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, fronts Desaparecidos. Oberst mixes his cynical outlook on society with upbeat songs. I really enjoy this band, and am looking forward to new material from Oberst.

6) MC Honky - My Bad Seed (MP3)
What happens if you mix Eels with a bit of electro-pop silliness? MC Honky or E's (the man that is the Eels) side project. The entire album makes for great party music, especially when you have a good set of speakers (I'm probably annoying the neighbors right now). Turn up the bass. I must thank Casey, as I probably would have never picked this up had he not told me about it.

5) Burquitlam Plaza - I Sang in Church (MP3)
Nick Krgovich of p:ano released a solo album under the moniker Burquitlam Plaza. Nick's haunting vocals are the focus of I Sang in Church, backed up with little piano. The result is a song that surpasses that of any I've heard from p:ano.

4) The Raconteurs - Steady As She Goes (MP3)
The combined forces of Jack White and Brendan Benson make for an interesting album. In fact, from what I've heard, this is better than the White Stripes latest, Get Behind Me Satan. With the album being released in just over a week, I am started to get a little excited over The Raconteurs.

3) Loose Fur - The Ruling Class (MP3)
A live version of song had been on one of my previous lists under a different name. We made the mistake of thinking it had never made the album. The mistake was pointed out to us by several of our readers. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco has got some mad whistlin' skills, um...yo.

2) The Network - Money Money 2020 (MP3)
You know, I still don't know whether Green Day admit to this one yet. I'm sure it's fairly well known by now that the trio from Green Day as well as some support from Devo make up the members of this band. The electronic driven post-punk sound to the Network make for a fun break from the pop-punk anthems Green Day are known for.

1) Postal Service - This Place Is A Prison (MP3)
This was the obvious choice for the list, Death Cab For Cutie's Bed Gibbard joins forced with Dntel's Jimmy Tamborello for this synth-pop masterpiece. Amusingly, I own this album, but don't own any Death Cab, despite the fact that I like them a lot. I think one of my favourite things about this album is the Nintendo (or Nintendo-like) sampling used in one of the songs.

It seems the word based list I had started a few weeks back will never be finished. This list has already inspired a similar list, which is what I will be working on for next week. I'm sorry if I missed out on some great band in this list. Please, leave comments and tell me who you feel I missed. I might not know about them and you could help have them included in a follow-up.

Download:
Boxcar Racer - Letters To God
The 6ths - Rot in the Sun
Bloc Party - Two More Years (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Desaparecidos - Man And Wife, The Former (Financial Planning)
MC Honky - My Bad Seed
Burquitlam Plaza - I Sang In Church
The Raconteurs - Steady As She Goes
Loose Fur - The Ruling Class
The Network - Money Money 2020
Postal Service - This Place is a Prison

Buy:
The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
Postal Service - Give Up
MC Honky - I Am The Mesiah
The Network - Money Money 2020

Related:
Songs In The Key Of M
This Is A Long Song For Someone With Nothing To Think About
Sunny Days...
Who Are You Calling A Narcissist?
Jesus, Mocking Music Loves You Too
Yes, But Is It Heart?
The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
No Pan Troglodyte Business Here
Everything Is Automatic

Making Drinks For Nigel, Pt. 2

2006-05-08T22:30:00.000-03:00

2. A Silver Mt. Zion - He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts Of Light Sometimes Grace The Corner Of Our Rooms (2000)

When it comes to music, I'm kind of a hard sell. Consider a recent concert experience: fellow Mocker Jon Migneault and I caught Feu Therese (Mt. Zion label-mates, quite coincidentally), who were playing with local favourites As The Poets Affirm and veritable nobodies City Of A Hundred Spires. "What did you think of 100 Spires?", Jon asked, after they had wrapped up their set. I hated it. Yes, they were talented musicians. Yes, they were entertaining performers. Yes, they were solid songwriters - so what the hell was the problem? These guys played post-rock as if they invented the genre. It was completely by the book: settling moments of quiet contrasted with towering crescendos and earth-shattering bombast; sorry, guys, it just isn't exciting anymore.

Post-rock is a dead genre. Dead, dead, dead. If you're playing in an already over-saturated genre and you don't have anything remotely interesting to bring to the table, why should I care? They could improve as performers to the point that they could play their music perfectly, but it wouldn't mean a thing unless they're playing music worth getting excited about. An entertaining performance does not a good band make. Does a band need to break new ground to be worthwhile? No, a band can certainly improve a genre by sticking to its normal conventions - but this is a genre that's been perfected - no matter how good it is, anything less than perfect just won't cut it. Sure, City Of 100 Spires might sound okay to someone who's hearing it for the first time, but to an even remotely studied listener it's just going to sound like, well, everything that came before it - only worse.

So, then, it's official: I can be overly critical. I've heard so much bloody post-rock that it's going to take a lot to impress me.

Enter A Silver Mt. Zion. The same critical line of though that sparked contempt for City Of 100 Spires was set to attack this band before I'd even heard their music. In my head I was already writing the review: Oh god, a (comparatively) minimalist off-shoot of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, playing more songs about an inevitable apocalypse; but what's that you say? Its theme of literal armageddon is a metaphor for our current state of affairs? How insightful they are! How utterly intelligent and downright clever this is all going to be! And just look at that cover art: "this album is ART!", it screams in your face, "listen to it and feel smarter!" Ho ho. Ooh, and Godspeed's Effrim Menuck actually sings on this record? He can't sing! Oh god, I can't wait to here that phoned-in irony - what a treat it will be to rip this record to shreds and laugh at those who love it!

Indeed. But wait just a second here - do I...like this? No, no, I simply couldn't fall for such trite faux-intellectual rubbish. Could I? You know, it seems kind of okay. More than okay, even. Why, I think, as scary as it might sound, that I actually like this record. In fact, I may even by inclined to say I love it. I think, yes - I think it's the best record I've heard all year. I adore A Silver Mt. Zion! Yes, as much as I'd like to play the hardened critic, harping on its surface faults and discrediting it without really letting it in, I just can't. My critical defenses fail in the face of such an intensely beautiful and powerful album. Funny how that works.

So much of what I love about this album is and should remain unspoken, so I'll do what I should probably do more often and let the music speak for itself. If you've not heard this, do so now. If you've heard it and think it's anything less than breathtaking, I have some bad news for you: your heart is severely damaged and hope for recovery may already be beyond reach. I recommend that you seek help immediately.

Best Heard With: Black Tower Riesling - 2004
Drinking wine, how trendy. Many people - myself included, to some degree - are a little nervous about getting into wine. Not because even finding your footing in the wide world of wine is a laborous and often arduous task that requires years of commitment and untold hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars, but simply because it's an interest with too many undesirable connotations.

We all have a romantic idea of the fine wine connoisseur, impressing and delighting friends with his vast knowledge of such a respectable field; this is a man who demands the finer things in life and, using his wine expertise to win friends and influence others, receives nothing less than precisely that. That would be nice, but we know it doesn't work that way. No, we have a much more realistic vision of the wine drinker: the real wine expert is, to those around him, an annoyingly obsessive snob who spends way too much money on booze and who some say is a total alcoholic. Wine-obsessives aren't much like that either, but that's what we're afraid we'll be if we ever express an interest in the subject.

Who wants to be the nerd that drools over an overpriced bottle of grape juice that sat in someone's cellar for twenty years? Not this guy. It's the same apprehension that stops people from liking (or even giving a chance to) A Silver Mt. Zion: it's all just a bit too...'frou frou', too 'la-de-da'; it's, well, the kind of thing that makes me use stupid expressions like 'frou frou' and 'la-de-da' - and nobody wants anything to do with that. Still, like A Silver Mt. Zion, once you really let your guard down and just allow yourself to enjoy wine, there's no turning back.

Wine - the right wine, anyway - is absolutely wonderful, so wonderful that you not only don't care about the pretension, you're amazed the pretension was even an issue. I'm not going to lie and say I'm any kind of wine expert, but I'm confident enough to pick a bottle so long as I give a disclaimer: wine-savvy readers, I know I don't know what I'm talking about. Bearing that in mind, I recommend Black Tower's 2004 Riesling, which retails at about $10.95 CDN.

Download:
A Silver Mt. Zion - For Wanda
As The Poets Affirm - A Lie Told Before Breakfast
As The Poets Affirm - A Voice Recited The News On The Radio

Buy:
A Silver Mt. Zion - He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts Of Light Sometimes . . .
As The Poets Affirm - The Jaws That Bite, The Claws That Catch

Related:
Making Drinks For Nigel, Pt. 1

Live From Athens, G.M.T!

2006-05-08T03:33:00.000-03:00

Many of you probably think you know R.E.M, 80's underground, riding the waves of the post-punk jangle pop. You are partially right, but their story goes back further than that.

In was a cool summer morning in Athens, GA, 1978, three years before R.E.M. as you know them would take the world by storm with their hit debut. A young Michael Stipe was waiting at a barstool for his audition for vocalist lead in some local house band, when he stumbled upon a newspaper ad.

Wanted: Back-up vocalist for new band, G.M.T. Have a record deal!

Willing to do anything to get his foot in the door, Stipe went to meet the band, fronted by Geoff (M) Trainor.

The Original Line-Up For G.M.T.

Little did Trainor know that the rest of the band, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry, were looking to replace their tyrannical frontman. Canadian born Trainor never quite fit in with the rest of the band, despite having written all their songs.

It was Buck who came up with the plan. They had all the material they needed for numerous releases, so all they had to do was find a replacement singer. Mills convinced Trainor that the band needed another voice to add a bit of harmony to the group.

When Stipe arrived, Buck knew instantly that he would be the one to replace Trainor, mostly because he thought his name sounded better, more rock and roll. So Stipe was in, and Trainor slowly faded out. They changed their name to R.E.M. and by 1980, it was as if he never existed. The band, with Stipe at the helm, released their first stolen single, Radio Free Europe, in 1981.

Michael Sure Looks Cheeky After Replacing Geoff

As far as R.E.M. go, the rest you already know. Trainor on the other hand was forced to go solo. He waited 20 or so years and attempted a come back with a friend of his, Jack.

Update!
Just saw this on the Editors and their cover of R.E.M.'s Orange Crush at NME.

Here are some other offenders:

Download:
Tori Amos - Losing My Religion
John Frusciante - Country Feedback
Suicide Machines - It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
The Flaming Lips - The One I Love
The Editors - Orange Crush
Dashboard Confessional - Everybody Hurts
Motion City Soundtrack - Pop Song 89
Sufjan Stevens - The One I Love
Scary Kids Scaring Kids - Losing My Religion
The Coors - Everbody Hurts
Nina Persson - Losing My Religion

Buy:
R.E.M. - Automatic For The People
Various - Losing My Religion: Tribute to R.E.M.
The String Quartet Tribute To R.E.M.

Related:
Live From Manchester, The Trainors!
Satan Comes In Fifth Place

Bearsuit Lawsuit Settles At $30 Million

2006-05-06T14:38:00.000-03:00

Oops, I mean Bearshare, always get those two mixed up. In the continuing saga of the RIAA vs Everyone, the US-based company Free Peer Inc. (the company behind Bearshare) have made a $30 miilion settlement to avoid legal action from the music industry.

It Was A Heated Battle Between The Two Leading Up To The Settlement

As part of the settlement, they have agreed to no longer operate any unlicenced online music operations, and must sell the rights to their technology, user data and the right to the Bearshare domain to another company.

iMesh, now a licenced music provider after their own $4 million agreement in 2004, have taken over the Bearshare operations.

More from NME.

Download:
Bearsuit - Chargr
Bearsuit - Disembowel the Demonkind

Related:
CRIA Losing Independent Support
New Canadian Copyright Laws?
Ryan Adams Is On The Prowl

Buy:
Bearsuit - Team Ping Pong

Bishop Allen: Indie Rock's Most Prolific Band

2006-05-06T01:27:00.000-03:00

Sufjan Stevens is not the only indie artist to undertake an incremental musical project. The Brooklyn-based band Bishop Allen has decided to release an EP on the last day of every month of 2006. So far, the results have been remarkably consistent and, well, good. Admittedly, the endeavour isn't as ambitious as Sufjan's 50 States project. Nonetheless, by years end the band will have produced an output of roughly 48 quality songs. More importantly, you won’t have to wait several decades to hear the finished product.

Remarkably little has been written about Bishop Allen (I mean, outside YANP). The band was formed by Christian Rudder and Justin Rice in 2003. Shortly thereafter they released their first (and only) album, Charm School. Eventually, bassist Christian Owens and drummer Jack Delamitraux were added to the roster. The band kept relatively quiet the last few years but has really exploded onto the scene with its recent super-human output of great tunes. The EPs, available for $6 each, have been selling like hot cakes. The climax will surely be the release of their upcoming LP, Clementines, by year’s end (hopefully).

Further talk about Bishop Allen would be an exercise in futility without touching upon the music itself. If you happen to be the type of person who enjoys insanely catchy riffs, indie pop aesthetics and a touch emotional resonance then Bishop Allen is the musical messiah you’ve been waiting for. Okay, they’re not quite Christ-like in their levels of awesomeness but then again, who is? (Points to self).

As it so happens, the band just released its April EP. They've posted one song from each EP absolutely free of charge on their website. April’s track, Flight 180, is easily the best one yet. The song slowly builds to a beautiful violin crescendo that will induce goose bumps in even the most jaded listener.

It's hard to believe that the band has already completed one third of the project. One can only hope that the months of May through December will be as brilliant as the first four.

Download:
Bishop Allen - Flight 180
Bishop Allen - Things Are What You Make Of Them

Buy:
Bishop Allen - April

Making Drinks For Nigel, Pt. 1

2006-05-04T23:09:00.000-03:00

Pretentious though it may be, I like the idea of pairing music with alcohol. Granted, these two delightful activities - listening to music and drinking, respectively - aren't exactly a perfect match: listening to an album is an act to be respected, which first and foremost means doing it sober, but sipping a single drink while your record spins isn't such a crime, is it? I'd like to think not. A well-selected glass of wine is said to bring out the best in certain foods, without detracting from the meal's own importance, and I think the same applies to music: the right drink can make that special album resonate all the more deeply, whether it works to establish atmosphere or just generally helps you relax. With that in mind, I'd like to recommend, once again, a few music and drink combinations which should work quite nicely. Enjoy.

Five Fine Albums & Their Alcoholic Counterparts: 5 - 3

05. The Cure - Disintegration (1989)
By 1989, The Cure had already released an unsatisfying debut, toured with Joy Division, recorded several hit singles, completely rethought and reworked their artistic vision, toured around the world, became drug addicts, flirted with suicide, broke up, reunited, and had a song on 'Miami Vice'. Still, it was not until this year, when Disintegration was released, that The Cure saw what was generally recognized as their "breakthrough". The album, despite of its thoroughly dark undertones, was a huge commercial and critical success, reaching number three on the British charts and featuring four Top 20 singles in the UK - 'Fascination Street', 'Pictures Of You', 'Lullaby', and, perhaps most notably, 'Love Song' - all of which were similarly successful in the US, marking the first time in The Cure's history that it had gained American attention.

Disintegration is an album of many layers. On the surface, this is nothing more than a light, textbook 80s pop album, one which is seemingly easy to digest and thoroughly enjoyable throughout. But where most albums of the genre are limited to a kind of basic enjoyment, Disintegration delves into deeper waters. There seems to be an intensely dark undercurrent running just underneath Disintegration's deceptively sweet surface, one that is often missed upon casual listening. On 'Love Song', lead singer Robert Smith sings "however far away, I will always love you/whatever words I say, I will always love you". How this song is so often interpreted as sweet or romantic is baffling. This is not a joyous celebration of undying love, but rather an unspoken apology from a man who is aware of his inability to show his love. Robert Smith is resolutely depressed on Disintegration, but so debilitating is his sadness that he has no choice but to accept its presence. What else can he do? "Drearily and tired, the hours all spent on killing time again/ all waiting for the rain", Smith sings on 'Prayers For Rain', indeed sounding like a man who has quietly accepted defeat. In many ways, Disintegration is about the way in which love can do more harm than good. Broken romances eat away at those who remain in them, but who has the strength to leave? As a man who chose, unlike to friend Ian Curtis, to bear his dark life, Robert Smith understands sadness very well - and thank god, too, because without his pain we'd not have the joy that is Disintegration.

Best Heard With: Cranberry Redbull
Also known as an "Excitabull", this delicious drink is sweet enough to satisfy the lightest of drinkers. But mind the deceptive taste: sweet exterior aside, a Cranberry Redbull is a very powerful drink. It's not recommended that Redbull be consumed with alcohol - hell, the bar can't even legally mix the two - but you're not afraid of breaking a few federal laws, are you? I didn't think so. Enjoy the sweet taste of the drink and sweet sounds of the music while the heavy alcohol - and heavy themes - wash over you with subversive ease. Oh, I can't resist: this drink will definitely cure what ails you - ha!

04. XTC - Drums & Wires (1979)
XTC's fourth studio album, Drums & Wires, was, at the time of its release, remarkable for two reasons: firstly, it signaled a departure from the synth-based pop sound they had previously reveled in (a result of their keyboardist's split from the group just months prior to the recording of Drums); secondly, it succeeded as being a relative commercial success in spite of the controversy it earned as a political statement. The hugely popular single 'Making Plans For Nigel', which reached number seventeen on the UK Singles Chart, tells the story of Nigel, a young, working-class man in England who "has his future in British Steel". The story was all too familiar for the majority of the British working class - XTC's audience, generally. These were young men with no discernible way of doing anything with their lives except do this job - like it or not, their paths were drawn out for them. English youth, especially those involved with the Punk movement, responded to 'Nigel''s message, and as a result the track became something of a working class anthem.

I was born in Britain, and my father just so happened to be a part of the British Punk scene in the 1970s. He'd have been 18 when Drums & Wires was released - an age that placed him not only squarely in the Punk demographic, but also in a position where British Steel was a perfectly viable career opportunity. Fortunately, he took up a trade - well, I won't bore you with the details. The lesson is...move to Canada? But seriously, 'Nigel' was explicitly directed at my Dad, so it's only natural that the track resonated so strongly and still resonates so strongly with him today, some 25 years later. I remember hearing this song when I was growing up. My Dad told what it was about: that Nigel could have been anybody, that nobody was happy with it, and that a future in British Steel was no future at all. The fact that 'Nigel' and the rest of Drums resonates so deeply with me, a person who didn't experience any of this at all, is a testament, I believe, to the quality of this album. On the one hand, it's a deeply personal and political album that's intention is partly lost in translation, but on the other hand, it's really, really good - and honestly, isn't that enough?

Best Heard With: John Smith's Bitter - Extra Smooth
Go to absolutely any pub in Britain and they'll have John Smith's on tap. Go to any Beer or Liquor store in Canada and they'll think you just made up a brand. It's amazing that one of the most popular brands of beer in that entire country - among the Top Ten best sellers, in fact - seems to have never existed here. Sure, we can get German bottles with names I can't even pronounce and a thousand American brands that all, um, suck - but the most popular beer in England? No, that doesn't sound like it'd sell very well. Sigh. I have a drearily romantic vision of depressed British Steel workers heading to the local pub for a pint of John Smith's after a long hard day in the factory, professing their love for XTC and discussing the latest article on Mocking Music in great detail. This is surely what happens every night across the sea (can one of our British readers look into this, please?), and, keeping that in mind, we should all order cans from eBay and drink them while listening to Drums & Wires. To our North American fans: if you find that John Smith's is available on this continent, please tell me where to find it. Thanks in advance.

03. Brian Eno - Ambient 4: On Land (1982)
The back side of On Land's original packaging bears a message from Brian Eno, which details the album's recording process and, interestingly, explains how the album should be listened to. Eno describes his personal method for arranging his speaker system, one that he expects fans to imitate in their own homes so they can properly listen to On Land. An included diagram depicts the ideal listening quarters: two standard size speakers placed to the left and to the right of the turntable, respectively, and one small speaker placed behind the listener. "The effect is subtle but definite", Eno continues, "it opens up the music and seems to enlarge the room musically".

It might seem odd to include instructions with a piece of music, but if an album ever warranted it, it's On Land. The fourth and final installment of Brian Eno's revered 'Ambient' series is widely considered to be the best, his most comprehensive example of the then-radical Ambient style. By 1982, the year of On Land's release, Brian Eno had already established himself as one of the most important figures in the short history of recorded music. Some of the most highly acclaimed albums of the 70's and early 80s - Remain In Light, Low, The Unforgettable Fire, Another Green World, and Here Come The Warm Jets, among others - were the result of Eno's work as either a producer or musician (Low was not produced by Eno, despite popular belief, but he is still largely responsible for its quality). Perhaps more remarkable than the amazing quality was the surprising prolificy: Eno was producing and creating several albums a year, and practically every release was warmly received. One downside to his acclaimed discography is the degree to which so many of his records are swept aside. Praise for Eno is typically reserved for his work as a producer, leaving his own albums - specifically the Ambient series - strangely out to dry. Released on its own, On Land would likely stand as one of the most universally adored records of the 80s, right beside his Remain In Light, not left in its shadow as it is now.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about On Land twenty five years after its release is its ability to stand up to modern scrutiny. So-called "classic" electronic or experimental music has a nasty habit of sounding dated in a contemporary context, but On Land somehow managed to avoid fading away. It's often written that Ambient music works to enhance a particular environment, but I disagree with that assertion; Ambient music establishes its own environment, one which is so complex and enveloping that it almost requires an instruction manual - good thing Eno was thinking ahead.

Best Heard With: Gin & Tonic
Gin & Tonic (or "G&T", if you want to sound like an idiot) is probably the smoothest, cleanest tasting drink you'll ever have. Like Ambient music, it's an interesting combination of simple elements that works to establish something much more exciting - in this case, it gets you loaded. It's light and refreshing, in a way, but it's not to be taken lightly: enjoy it, let is wash over you, otherwise you might just miss what the big deal is. Pour two ounces of Dry Gin over ice in highball glass; top up with tonic water or, alternatively, club soda. You can add a lemon or lime wedge for extra flavour, but its standard practice to serve without.

Numbers 2 and 1 to follow next week.

Download:
XTC - Making Plans For Nigel
Nouvelle Vague - Making Plans For Nigel (XTC cover)
The Cure - Love Song
Nouvelle Vague - A Forest (Cure cover)
Brian Eno - Lizard Point

Buy:
XTC - Drums & Wires
The Cure - Disintegration
Brian Eno - Ambient 4: On Land

Related:
This is a Long List for Something With Nothing to Think About: A Mocking Music List

Interview: Castanets

2006-05-04T17:07:00.000-03:00

The best song I heard last year was the sadly underappreciated 'Dancing With Someone', a delightful little track by the similarly underappreciated Castanets. As the song nears its end, listen closely: an airplane can faintly be heard passing overhead. It's a small detail, one I didn't notice at first, but it turns an already excellent track into one of the best I've ever heard. I told Raymond Raposa, frontman of Castanets, about my love for this song and that one detail in particular. He informed me that he and his girlfriend were living under a popular flight route near the JFK Airport while the album was being recorded, and that it was a rush to tape in between flights as to not catch any excess noise. That plane found its way on 'Dancing With Someone' by complete chance, but he's "glad it did".

Raymond speaks to me here about Pitchfork, label mate Sufjan Stevens, and Vin Diesel. Enjoy.

Mocking Music: Your most recent album, 'First Light's Freeze', seems suited to score late winter nights. Was this wintry mood intentional?

Raymond Raposa: Contrarian that I am, much of it was recorded in a sweltering Brooklyn summer. Certainly mixed in one. Maybe a longing for the colder climes was at work there.

MM: Pitchfork has a bit of a reputation for making superstars out of artists they like. Being that they loved your two most recent albums (8.5 for the first, 7.7 for the latest), what effect, if any, do you think their good words have had on your career?

R: Certainly a world of good. Before the Cathedral review, maybe ten people would come see us in SD. Afterwards it was up to at least twenty. I get kinda spooked by the word career. Considering I'm waiting for the free bread to show up on the Food Not Bombs porch across the street later, it may be a little misleading.

MM: Your label, Asthmatic Kitty, is also home to Sufjan Stevens, a man who has earned all kinds of attention in the past year. In what way does sharing a label with Sufjan affect your career?

R: I can't be certain. I know it's a pleasure to be there though. The folks at AK keep my spirits high. They're like a bunch of real good books.

MM: I know it's a generic and generally boring question, but did any particular artists or albums influence or inspire you to make music?

R: Lungfish. Viking Moses.

MM: I understand you're something of a writer. There was a rumor a little while ago that you were working on a novel. Has anything or will anything come of that?

R: Can't say. I meant for that to be more of a private matter at the outset, but one-sheets'll be one sheets. The record Cathedral and all attendant themes and characters were drawn from the book. It would make a nice companion piece. The pages have all been in a storage space in SD for the past couple of years waiting to get tied together but I haven't paid last months rent on that room let alone this one's so we'll see if there's anything to come back to there.

MM: Another generic question: favourite books and favourite movies?

R: Saw a few really good films at the PDX film fest last week. Martha Colburn's were a treat. Kinda itching to catch up on the Herzog stuff. We used to practice in a basement with Aguirre playing on mute. Finally getting around to the books I'd picked up on the last tour. Franzen's "The Corrections" I've got kind of a bad feeling about. Pessoa's "Book of Disquiet" seems to be kind of stalling out at about a third of the way through. "The Way of the Ascetics" was a total (but quick) bust but Levon Helm's autobiography is making for a great re-read. I'm also really into Vin Diesel right now (no joke).

MM: Asthmatic Kitty just released another sampler and has been touting those cutesy cartoons of you and your label mates. Do you work closely with your label and label mates, as its label-as-family image suggests?

R: I do.

MM: Can we expect an album in 2006?

R: Something like it. A few split singles (Wooden Wand, Jana Hunter, Dirty Projectors) and maybe a quick improv series for AK. Was considering writing all the new songs about one friend of mine, but those are going through some revisions. I've also been threatening to turn in my "Laughing Stock" or "Tilt", but mostly emptily.

Download:
Castanets - Dancing With Someone
Castanets - All That I Know

Buy:
Castanets - First Light's Freeze
Castanets - Cathedral

Explore:
Castanets - Official Site
Castanets - Myspace

Guess That Art: A Mocking Music Contest (Pt. 5)

2006-05-03T21:19:00.000-03:00

Sure, the Mocking Music 'Guess That Art' contest is bit of a novelty. But these days, when we're constantly surrounded by the digital, who doesn't appreciate a steady weekly ceremony to keep things calm and orderly? We want the atmosphere of our site to site to calm you down, to make you forget your failures, and make you feel like you're truly the leaders of men. Here's this week's mockery:

The are seven song titles hidden in the paragraph above. Your mission: correctly identify this week's mockery picture (artist and album), and, for a special bonus prize, locate all seven song titles. We let you off with an easy mockery last week, so I think this week's difficulty is warranted. Same deal as usual: email us (calummarsh@gmail.com or mockingmusic@gmail.com) with your guesses and we'll select one winner at random this time next week.

Last week's lucky winner is Josh Burnett, of Carteret, New Jersey, who correctly recognized our simply mockery as Interpol's sophomore record, Antics. Congratulations, Josh! You won seven Pearl Jam CDs, I think! Casey sir, what fabulous prize will our dear readers be competing for this week?

[Casey]

This week, we've plain run out of prizes. We've got nothing. So, while he was out we broke into Calum's house and stole CD's! We will be giving away every single CD Calum previously owned. Those who email us the answer within 24 hours, if chosen, will also win Calum's vinyl collection. And, as an added treat, if you decipher the first paragraph in full, we'll also throw in a recently acquired television set, couch, bed, and wallet full of novelty Calum Marsh identification! Who's a trendy indie-kid film major! You are, baby!

Ok, I'm being told that we have to give Calum back his things, apparently telling me we needed a prize wasn't the implicit, "What's mine is yours" message I took it to be. Apologies. Seriously, though, kids, we've got nothing we're willing to part with this week. So, as we consider putting our contests on hold for a few weeks, this week we're offering two weeks worth of free advertising on our site (through blogads) for whatever you like. In addition, we're offering two carefully crafted mix albums made by Calum and I. Finally, if you manage to decipher the first paragraph, in full, we'll throw in a secret bonus prize (worth about 20 dollars!).

Yeah, so we're scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel (don't you like when writers add in "proverbial" as though that excuses the use of cliche?), but at the very least you get the chance to win the fleeting admiration of others. Good luck.

[/Casey]

And, once more, here is another rare Death Cab For Cutie B-Side. It occurred to me that every single one of my rare Death Cab tracks came from Tim, who has an awesome short film on YouTube - I insist you watch it here (fans of David Lynch or The Raveonettes will surely be impressed).

Buh-bah, this is the sound of good blogging:

Download:
Death Cab For Cutie - 405 (acoustic)
Interpol - Direction (non-album track)

Buy:
Death Cab For Cutie - We Have The Facts And We're Voting Yes
Interpol - Antics