I Love The Smell Of Bagels In The Morning

One of those bagels and that coffee

The phone rang at six-thirty this morning, the first of the Labour Day long weekend.

Six. Thirty.

Dearest Wife answered it, but it was for me. A colleague in Ontario, some three hours ahead, who needed something urgently and was taking me up on my kind offer, made yesterday in a fit of sympathy, to help her out should she need it, seeing as she was working on a Saturday.

So I hauled my arse out of bed, showered, and drove to the office, all a-grumble.

But you know what, Dearest Friends? It all turned out good. In fact, MUCH better than good.

It was a sunny morning.

I had a pleasant natter with the security guard at the office, who told me a thrilling story about the time he escaped just before his truck was flattened by the payload of a Martin Mars water bomber.

It took me an easy fifteen minutes to sort out my colleague.

On the spur of the moment, I decided to swing by Granville Island, pick up a bag of fresh, hot bagels, and score a delish JJ Bean latte for myself and Dearest Wife.

The barista complemented me on my cool t-shirt.

And on the way home, I slipped some crucial dub sounds into the CD playah and had a rare connect-the-dots moment somewhere around Dunbar and 21st when it all came together, it all made sense, and was all crystal-clear, despite (because of?) the windscreen vibrating from all that bass.

It's going to be a fantastic day.

Max Romeo & The Upsetters - One Step Forward (buy here)

Epilogue:

Dearest Friends, it was a fantastic day. Little Man, Dearest Father-in-Law, and I first headed to Gastown to see a classic car concours d'elegance. My dream car is probably now a 1937 Packard sedan, though I'd have to retrofit it with a hybrid engine and airbags.

While ogling autos, we stopped at a Starbucks for refreshments. As we sipped, Billy Bragg and Wilco came on the stere-ere-ereo singing California Stars. And dammit if I didn't have another one of those moments of clarity. Two in one day, eh? I must be using up my quota.

We drove to Granville Island via East Hastings which, Dearest Friends, thronged as usual with the damaged, the afflicted, the addicted, and the destitute. But as we stopped and started past boarded up shops and abandoned buildings, I could clearly see (more clarity!!) the ragged outlines of community. People chatting. People laughing. People helping each other. And my sorrow/shame was tinged with hope.

At Granville Island, a lovely lunch, though admittedly one tinged with thoughts of East Hastings. Next, a whip round to assemble the ingredients for a belated anniversary dinner: fresh spinach, purple potatoes, and fresh Haida Gwaii halibut.

And now home.

Billy Bragg & Wilco - California Stars (buy here)

All Antsy

Hello, Dearest Friends. Things workish continue at a pace most hectic and my blog presence has suffered accordingly. All thanks, as I previously intimated, to those pesky Yankee bankers chasing mammon by lending scads of money to people they shouldn't have. At least I'm working with a bunch of good, decent folk.

Anyway, I was working with one of those folks this afternoon when my cellphone rang (ringtone: Buff Medways' "Troubled Mind," much to my co-worker's bemusement). It was Dearest Wife, in something of a tizz. Apparently the house had just experienced a sudden and robust infestation of flying ants, and what was she to do about it? For the sake of marital harmony, I resisted the temptation to suggest that she look up "Aardvaark" in the phone book. But I really couldn't offer any constructive suggestions. By the time I got home, Dearest Wife had partly denuded the horde with chemicals, and the remainder had dissapated as mysteriously as the swarm had formed.

Oh, let's not beat about the bush. I know you know what I'm about to post:

Adam & the Ants - Antmusic (buy here)

Speaking of pesky, annoying things, today is is Contrast Podcast day. Well, the podcast itself isn't annoying, but what's on offer this week might well be. You see, Bob from Gimme Tinnitus (I have a spot of tinnitus in me left ear, thanks to an overly loud Ned's Atomic Dustbin concert in 1992) has suggested this week's theme of songs that get stuck in your head. So go get it lodged in your brain right here, and don't forget to comment here. Want a preview of what you'll be humming days from now? Here you go:

(00:00) Laromlab - Around the world
Tim from The face of today

(03:47) Lou Reed - Satellite of love
Bob from Gimme Tinnitus

(07:37) Plugs - That number
Ross from Just gimme indie rock

(11:53) Soul Coughing - Circles
Jon from Your moment of Zen

(15:24) The Pixies - Debaser
FiL from Pogoagogo

(21:00) Radiohead - Inside my head
Chris from Phosphorous.net

(24:49) Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Up above my head
John from You must be from away

(28:33) Silverchair - Straight lines
Anna from Music I-Quiz

(33:19) The Darkness - Dinner lady arms
Cindy from Adzuki Bean Stash

(37:03) Jona Lewie - You’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties
Crash from Pretending life is like a song

(40:42) Sally Shapiro - He keeps me alive
Dweller from Child without an iPod

(44:59) Jazz Butcher - Nothing special
ZB from So the wind won’t blow it all away

(48:26) Motion City Soundtrack - The future freaks me out
James from Jamesisadork

(52:28) Gina G - Ooh aah, just a little bit
Mark from Cinema du Lyon

(55:51) The Who - Baba O’Riley
Natalie from Mini-obs

I chose to go with a song that I'm pleased to have stuck in my head. When Frank Black & his Pixies pop to the fore of my mind howling about un chien andalusia, it makes me a very happy FiL indeed. But I did consider inflicting one of these on you instead:

Trio -Da Da Da (buy here)
Ah, the Teutonic Casiotone classic. Sticky/catchy/annoying (circle one) as fuck. All hail the Neue Deutsche Fröhlichkeit.

Mortiis - Fanget i Krystal (buy here)
One day, Mortiis decided to pack it in as bassist for infamous and legendary Norwegian black metallers Emperor, don a prosthetic nose and pointy ears, and make beeply, synthy electronic dungeon music. I dare you to shake this groove from your cranium. I'm a fan.

Next week's theme: Musicians with Moustaches. Get a-waxin' and a-twirlin'.

This Will Hurt A Bit

These teeth belong here

Dear Friends, tomorrow morning I'm off to the dentist for the first of two sessions to crown a molar that fell victim to grim British dental care.

It is good to be back in a land of tip-top dentistry, but I can already feel the needle in my gum...

Therapy? - Teethgrinder (buy here or e-here)

Drained

Oh, Dear Readers, it has been an unexpectedly exhausting week. Work has been hectic, thanks ultimately to those greedy enough to have cultivated the reprehensible and irresponsible practice of subprime mortgage lending. But let's not go there.

I'm tired, I'm spent, I'm emotional. So when I saw this I just about wanted to cry.

Sod it, all I want is to give peace, love and kisses out to this whole stinking world...

Have a lovely weekend, and be excellent to each other!!

Carter USM - The Only Living Boy In New Cross (buy here)

Island Time

Family FiL at Oyster Bay, Mayne Island, August 2007

Hello, Dearest Friends, I'm back. Happy as I am to be chatting with you once again, I will readily admit that I'm missing Mayne and the family, who are staying on for another fortnight. I'll be back on the forthcoming weekends, but that's just not enough...

Actually, it was a funny old break. Thoroughly enjoyable, but slightly out-of-phase way, as if not everything was in its proper place. Much of it has to do with the odd summer we've been experiencing in this part of the world. You see, normally August would see the island aloft in high summer. Hot hot heat tempered by cool ocean breezes, parched grounds dressed in golden grass, sun resolutely shining. But this year the mercury was wibbling from comfortable to chilly, rains earlier in the season left vegetation lush and the aquifer well stocked, and the blue blue sky was colonized by fat, sheepy clouds.

Then there were the animals. Our beloved orcas did not make a single appearance during the day, nor were we woken at night by the huffing and splashing of a nocturnal visit. However, we did see a normally elusive otter cavorting just offshore. And we were inspected unusually closely by a seal during one of our boulder-hopping, tidal-pool-exploring, crab-chasing (well, at least for our Ginadawg) coastal walks. In addition, and rather unnervingly, we were advised via flyer by the Mounties (well, the sole resident Mountie) of a cougar sighting. We subsequently chatted to a local who reported that a mother cougar with cub had been seen swimming (yes, swimming) to shore in one of the island's bays, and had also been spotted prowling near a road. Speculation is the beast either island-hopped from Vancouver Island, or hitched a ride on a log boom being towed past. Mayne is rife with deer, so the hope is Mama Cat will prefer venison to long pig and avoid a clash of cultures. Still, it all added a certain frisson to our walks in the woods (Aside: see what Mentok has to say about cougars over here, and have a listen while you're at it to the most excellent Vancougar track he's posted).

And so I'm trying to get back into the swing o' things. To switch from island time to city time. To move from kayaking on gentle swells to riding the waves of work. And with that in mind, let me remind you that today is Contrast Podcast day! Yay! I neglected to tell you about last week's Significant Other episode, so have a listen here if you've not done so already. This week sees the fruition of a CD swap most excellently suggested by Ross and most ably coordinated over a couple of months by Tim. Basically folks signed up to make compilation CDs for one of the other participants assigned at random. Discs were exchanged via snail mail, and this week you get to hear the cream of the collective swap. Download it directly here, look at the delish pictures here, go comment here, then figure out what you'll contribute for next week's theme of "Shapes. "

So, the meta-compilation CD would look like this:

(00:20) The Jolts - Caffeine heartbeat
Ross from Just gimme indie rock who got his CD from FiL from Pogoagogo
(02:50) Asylum Street Spankers - Beer
SAS Radio who got his CD from Cindy from Adzuki Bean Stash
(07:09) Tanner Walle - But then
Colin from And before the first kiss who got his CD from Marcy from Lost in your inbox
(12:13) The Modern Lovers - Roadrunner
Crash from Pretending life is like a song who got his CD from Natalie from Mini-obs
(16:44) Oxen of the Sun - The shoes of Monsieur Bourdin
Tim from The face of today who got his CD from ZB from So the wind …
(19:07) The Awkward Stage - Heaven is for easy girls
Chip from Atomic Ned who got his CD from Jim from Quick before it melts
(22:37) Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom
Liz from The Roaring Machine who got her CD from SAS Radio
(27:11) The Evil Queens - Ditchdigger blues
Coxon from To die by your side who didn’t get his CD from Chip from Atomic Ned
(30:38) Laika - Badtimes
Cindy from Adzuki Bean Stash who got her CD from Tim from The face of today
(36:00) Dexys Midnight Runners - Seven days too long
Jim from Quick before it melts who got his CD from Crash from Pretending life is like a song
(39:31) Wayne Jarrett - Brimstone and fire
ZB from So the wind … who got his CD from Colin from And before the first kiss
(45:55) The Boggs - Arm in arm
Natalie from Mini-obs who got her CD from Coxon from To die by your side
(50:05) Bombay Bicycle Club - Sixteen
Marcy from Lost in your inbox who got her CD from Ross from Just gimme indie rock
(55:01) The Brilliant Corners - Meet me on Tuesdays
FiL from Pogoagogo who got his CD from Liz from The Roaring Machine

I was lucky enough to receive a super-smashing see-dee from Dearest Liz & Dearest Simon of Spoilt Roaring Victorian Machine Child. It was all so lovely, that I was nearly driven mad by having to choose but one track. Also in the running were:

Ratcat - Don't Go Now (buy here)
Jingly-jangly-fuzzy indie pop from Down Under, circa 1988.

Shout Out Louds - Tonight I have To Leave It (buy here)
The Swedes are a fine race who make beautiful music and fierce alcoholic beverages (c.f. Skane Aquavit, brannvin). This is swoony stuff, and is that I cowbell I hear??

BMX Bandits - Islands In The Stream (I think this was only issued on a flexi)
OK, I wasn't really considering offering this as the CD's ubertune, even if it's performed by these legendary Scots. The original version of this song, by Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton, is in my Top Five loathesome list. However, that doesn't stop me from knowing all the words. By the way, remind me to tell you one day why Kenny Rogers owes me $20.

As a rather belated musical afterthought, today it hit me what song I should have submitted for the DJ Russian Roulette episode: La Bamba. You see, I was in a local produce shop and the song came on the tinny store transistor. I kid you not, I saw three separate folks singing along and hipswaying absent-mindedly: a soccer mom, a computergeek girlie, and a hipster dude with an obscure t-shirt design. Damn, coulda saved my life...

Ritchie Valens - La Bamba (buy the big one here )

Wait, wait, another afterthought. I'd best post another Vancougar tune, coz that feline presence did rather freak us out ever so slightly.

Vancougar - Down On Me (buy here or e-here)

Briefly

Village Bay Ferry Terminal, Mayne Island, July 2007

Dearest Friends, we're off shortly to our beloved Mayne Island for a week-long summer family holiday. We're looking forward to pootling about on the shores, communing with the orcas, evening barbecues overlooking the sea, and a spot of camping on nearby Saltspring Island. I am feeling rather tired and drained, so the slowdown to island time will be most welcome.

I had both intended and hoped to post much more over the past couple of weeks. Really, I did. So what happened? Work. Fatigue. Absence of muses. Summer doldrums. Sigh.

But I do have much to write about, and I promise I will do so upon my return and that of the muses. So, what do you have to look forward to? The compelling music of Rodney DeCroo. The slam-poetic urgency of The Fugitives. A film portrait of the incomparable Lisa Gerrard. Stories from Warsaw and New York. I hope you will find some of it interesting.

But two brief items before I bugger off. First, for Dearest Marcy who expressed such delightful joy at hearing the Lords of the New Church cover of "Like A Virgin," a bit of a history lesson. The Lords were fronted by Stiv Bators, who started out as the singer for NY punk progenitors, The Dead Boys. To be completely accurate, the group actually started out in Cleveland, Ohio as Rocket From The Tombs in 1975, thus disproving the assertion that nothing worthwhile ever came out of Cleveland (Actually, this theory was already debunked by the fact that Marcy herself hails from that urb). In 1976 they moved to New York, where their nihilistic, frenetic, and occasionally violent shows were a stark contrast to the artier strand of the city's burgeoning punk scene, characterized by Television and their ilk. Bators himself was given to slicing and hanging himself on stage, though occasionally he was content with just contorting himself into sinewy knots.

Apart from having one of the best titles ever, The Dead Boys' first album, Young Loud and Snotty, kicks off with the blistering jet of steam that is "Sonic Reducer." With Cheetah Chrome and Jimmy Zero on gee-tarrs, Johnny Blitz blitzing on drums, Jeff Magnum firing big bass bullets, and Stiv 's throatily shouting at you and me that he "Don't need no pretty face / Don't need no human race," this song really is the dog's bollocks. Or the cat's pyjamas. If those pyjamas were soaked in sweat and spit, slashed, then safety-pinned together.

The Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer (buy here)

Oh, sod it! You really need to see Stiv in action to get the full picture:



You can read a much fuller account of Stiv's story here, and get a few more tunes here. But let me give away the sad ending: in 1990 Stiv, allegedly inebriated, was struck on a Parisian sidewalk by a laundry van. After being checked out in hospital, he was allowed to go home, where he died in his sleep as a result of undetected head injuries. Rock 'n' roll.

Second brief (literally) item: I went shopping for underwear earlier this week and found this. Now, tell me, which manly man could resist an item with such a moniker? Not me. So now I'm a proud owner of a pair. OK, maybe not proud, but amused.

Pulp - Underwear (buy here)

Dearest Friends, do stay well and I will see you shortly.

Gimme Gimme Gimme Some Russian Roulette

Photo nicked from here

Even though Tim's off getting set to wed, he's made sure that we've been taken care of this week. You see, he's prepared the next two Contrast Podcasts in advance so we would not go without. Hooray for Tim! Hooray for forward planning! Hooray for automation.

And this week, hooray for Crash, who enjoys pretending life is like a song! For this week's episode is his idea: DJ Russian Roulette. The idea is this: you're a DJ, there's a loaded gun pointing at your head, and it will go off unless the next song you play gets everybody up dancing. Gulp...

So, come hear what this week's contributors have chosen to save their sallow, computer-screen-irradiated skins. As usual, you can download the carnage here or else subscribe using this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ContrastPodcast

(00:00) Talking Heads - And she was
Crash from Pretending life is like a song

(04:53) Julian Cope - World shut your mouth
Chris from Phosphorous.net

(08:52) Party Ben - Chic franzie boys
FiL from Pogoagogo

(15:32) The Meters - Just kissed my baby
Ally from dustysevens

(20:01) Mode Selektor - Weed wid da macka
Mark from Cinema du Lyon

(24:39) They Might be Giants - Istanbul
Rick from Are you embarrassed easily?

(28:01) Jean Knight - Mr big stuff
Tim from The face of today

(30:45) Daft Punk - Digital love
Alex from Totally true tales from Texas

(36:09) The Rakes - We danced together
Andy from Circles of concrete

(40:06) The Faint - Take me to the hospital
James from Jamesisadork

(44:33) The B52’s - Rock Lobster
Natalie from Mini-obs

(51:33) The Happy Mondays - 24 hour party people
Ross from Just gimme indie rock

(56:23) Ben Westbeech - Hang around
ZB from So the wind won’t blow it all away

Having done some DJing in past lives, let me tell ya it's hard to get everyone up on the floor. Either the indie kids are pouting or else the fiftysomething dweeb is asking for Neil Diamond or frat boys are demanding Blink 182 or the skinheads are screaming at you for more ska (the last of these scenarios did actually happen to me once, and it wasn't pretty). So apart from my contribution, chosen with tongue half-planted in cheek, here's what else I was considering:

Pixies - Debaser (buy here or e-here)
Simply coz it gets me dancing like un chien andalusia every singly flaming time.

The Donnas - Dancing With Myself (buy here)
The Billy Idol original is a credible floor filler, and it was also the first 7-inch single I ever bought. However, methinks I prefer The Donnas' tight, punchy cover - it rocks!!

Verka Serduchka - Dancing Lasha Tumbai (buy here)
Guilty secret: Eurovision puts the boogie in my butt. And though I posted this back in May, here it is again - a best-of-breed slice of Eurotrashcheese from the lovely Verka that should have won this year.

Lords of the New Church - Like a Virgin (buy here)
This CD arrived in the post only yesterday, otherwise this would have been my submission. Madonna covered by punk-goth-glam supagroup Lords of the New Church, bound to please all the punters. And to round it all off, I was delighted to rediscover the following, entirely a propos, track nestling on the same disc:

Lords of the New Church - Russian Roulette (buy here)

Next week we'll get to hear songs picked by our significant others. Not quite sure what to expect there...

What I Have In Common With Audrey Hepburn

"I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it."
Audrey Hepburn

Alas, it seems that the enemy of affection is the schedule, the chore, the job, the duty. Le sigh.

Do feel free to set a spell. I'm here...

Comsat Angels - Will You Stay Tonight? (out of print, but you can find the vinyl on eBay)

Eating Out

Photo courtesy of this man

I fully intend to wax excited about more of my Folk Fest discoveries, but today is Tuesday. And that means it's Contrast Podcast day! To celebrate the sixty-ninth episode, SAS Radio served up a theme that's laden with double entendres: Dinner for Two. I think this is a meal that's best not shared with the kiddies. But if you do care to dine with us, help yourself to the buffet over here, or else place your order via the helpful RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ContrastPodcast.

Bon appetit!

(00:53) Gary Duncan - The cunnilingus song
SAS Radio
(04:56) Goldie Lookin’ Chain - You knows I love you
Dweller from Child without an iPod
(10:05) Belle & Sebastian - Dirty dream no.2
Jim from Quick before it melts
(14:40) Eve Boswell - Pickin’ a chicken
Mark from Cinema du Lyon
(17:14) Caia - Afterwards @ the bar
Marcy from Lost in your inbox
(21:52) Dogs Die in Hot Cars - Eat me, don’t eat me
Linda from Speed of dark
(24:30) The Beatles - Please please me
Crash from Pretending life is like a song
(26:45) The Bloodhound Gang - Foxtrot uniform charlie kilo
James from Jamesisadork
(30:11) James Hunter - People gonna talk
Ross from Just gimme indie rock
(33:41) Tim Young - Amour for sure
Tim from The face of today
(36:38) Ben Webster - You’re mine you
ZB from So the wind won’t blow it all away
(40:12) Thee Headcoatees - Fish pie
FiL from Pogoagogo
(44:20) The Jam - Going underground
Greg from Broken Dial
(47:49) Aimee Mann - Driving with one hand on the wheel
Tom from Better in the dark
(51:20) BOB - Convenience
Ally from dustysevens
(55:21) Rufus Wainwright - Dinner for eight
Hiram from The Harvey Girls
(01:00:18) Tom Waits - Goin’ down slow
Steve from Domino Rally
(01:03:30) Unrest - Food & drink synthesizer
Conrad from 4AD 4EVR

As usual, I had trouble choosing from the menu. So here are the other dishes that I considered serving up this week:

Kiss - Room Service (buy here)
Baby, I could use a meal!

The King Khan & BBQ Show - What's For Dinner? (buy here or e-here)
Why, BBQ, of course...

Consolidated - The Sexual Politics of Meat (buy here)
Meat is murder? If only it were so simple; meat is the expression of patriarchal oppression, therefore each carnivorous act is at best an acquiescence to, and at worst a conscious reaffirmation of the dominant masculine societal hegemony. Cor, I could really go for a grilled sausage right now. Oh, bugger, that's torn it...

As Tim will be away, the next couple of Contrast Podcast episodes have already been crafted. Next week, come listen to a game of DJ Russian Roulette...

Old Folks, New Folks, Young Folks

Old Man Luedecke pickin' it in a new old skool stylee...

My Dear Friends, I finally have a chance to breathe. The work week has been worked out, the sproglets are tucked up in their respective beds, the dogs (Dearest Father-in-Law's pooch is visiting) are snoring lustily, the washing-up is washed up, and Dearest Wife is out with her father at a Michelle Shocked gig. So here I am, a virtual mug of Horlicks in hand, ready to sit a spell and chat.

Well, where to start? How about the Vancouver Folk Music Festival? Well, goodness me, it was an absolute hoot. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Though this is my third year attending the fest, it was the first time I had volunteered, and I really found it far more enjoyable than simply forking over my dosh to see the shows. Now, you must understand that the weekend is a thoroughly civilized affair. First, it's attended mostly by Canadians, who by and large are an affable bunch. Second, pretty much anyone who chooses to stimulate themselves artificially (though note that intoxicants are officially not permitted) does so with weed, not booze, and we all know that stoners are far more pleasant to deal with than drunks. Third, you don't get screaming moshpits, but fields of folk doing whizzy, woozy hippie dancing. So my safety gig was quite a doddle, with my most harrowing moment was a mild harangue from an aged ex-flower child trying to get in for free, cuz that's what the spirit of folk is all about, maaan. But a swift Tazer shot soon put paid to his mewling (JOKE! JOKE!).

The real perk of volunteering is feeling that you're part of the very fabric of the festival, that you're helping it to happen rather than just attending it. The volunteers I met were all wonderful, and I had good natters with a whole range of lovely people. In addition, volunteers and performers shared the backstage area and dined in common, so there was ample opportunity to meet and talk. I shared popcorn with folk music's Grand Old Man, Utah Phillips. I spoke briefly with legendary producer Adrian Sherwood about turning on folkies to dub. I chatted with the eclectically enigmatic Hawksley Workman about Bauhaus, and almost got him to perform a cover of "She's In Parties." I had a lovely, semi-inebriated, but heartfelt conversation at the festival afterparty with Old Man Luedecke about heroes, authentic lives and leaps of faith. And more, much more.

And of course there was the music. Remember I said that what I was most looking forward to was being surprised by stuff I'd never otherwise have considered listening to? Well, that's exactly what happened. Hawksley I was keen to see and he didn't disappoint. Sherwood pumped out some heavy, heavy monster sounds that took some time to sink in, but when they did they prompted some well freaky dancing. And Ndidi mined the bluesy, soulful depths I thought she would. But the real delights were those unknown to me. I was transported by the aching, gritty, alt.country of Rodney DeCroo and Rae Spoon. I was utterly blown away by the unpigeonholeable, urgent indie/folkie/jazzy poetry of local wunderkinder The Fugitives. The bold, brassy braveness of Bitch & The Exciting Conclusions made me come over all celebratory & righteous. And the complex virtuosity of the West African griot powerhouse that is Toumani Diabate's Symmetric Orchestra was simply stunning.

Whew. And that was just some of it.

I promise, Dearest Friends, to bring you more from some of the aforementioned good folks in posts to come. But now let me introduce you more formally to Canada's own Old Man Luedecke. At 31 years of age, Old Man (a/k/a Chris) isn't really old, but part of him seems to hail from another era. A time when people told each other their stories, when they sang each other songs crafted from their experiences and varnished them with what came straight out of their hearts. And when cool referred only to temperature. For you see, he plays the banjo. Yes, that's right, the banjo. Probably no other instrument apart from the accordion gets so little respect. And I'll admit it, heretofore I myself accorded it precious little of that commodity. But when I heard Chris pick away at that thing and sing with an honesty and perception that shimmered like a deep forest lake on a sunny day, I was transfixed. So please, listen to this tune, which plugged particularly deeply into my own soul:

Old Man Luedecke - I Quit My Job (you must buy his latest CD here or directly from the label here)

And a brief footnote: speaking of old, the theme for this week's Contrast Podcast was simply "Young." I'll confess to not having downloaded it yet, but it looks like a rager. You can have a listen right here, then you can think about what you might contribute over the weekend for next week's Dinner for Two. And I was most surprised to see that Crash hadn't picked The Jam's "When You're Young." So here it is:

The Jam - When You're Young (buy here)

And another footnote; Dearest Wife just got back from Michelle Shocked and reports that it was a wonderful show. Just her, a guitar, and a mike in the converted church that is the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. She apparently played for nearly two hours solid and was by turns witty, engaging, soulful, and powerful. At one point Michelle even borrowed an audience member with cellphone got her to ring a certain John, the new man in her life, so he could hear her sing a new lovey-dovey song she had written just for him. Awww, schweeet. So, you want some Michelle Shocked? OK, here you go, here's the song with which she kicked off:

Michelle Shocked - When I Grow Up (buy here)

Well, that's about all from me for now. Old Man FiL has finished his virtual Horlicks and needs to get to a real bed. Nighty-night...

Forward the Revolution!!

OK, maybe I'm being a tad melodramatic. I mean, it isn't an event on par with the Bolsheviks seizing control of Petrograd's Winter Palace in October 1917. It pales in insignificance next to King Camp Gillette's introduction of the safety razor. But it's an important day for me nonetheless. You see, I finally got myself my own host. At first I'll only be using it to store my mp3 posts, but I'm sure sooner or later I'll move the whole damn pogo a go-go over.

I feel so grown-up.

And so to my first properly hosted file, which is one I buggered up before and promised to repost. Dearest Friends, I give you the old Clash standard, "Garageland," performed live in 1986 by Billy Bragg, Attilla the Stockbroker, the mighty Wiggy, and the Neurotics onstage in East Berlin. Ripped it myself I did, from old skool, working class vinyl...

Billy Bragg et al - Garageland (buy the CD rerelease of "Wake UP!" right here)

And since y'all liked the videos so much, here's an odd one for you: Billy Bragg backing an Echo & The Bunnymen cover of The Velvet Underground's "Run, Run, Run." On The Old Grey Whistle Test, natch!

Something Squiffy

Dearest Friends, there's something squiffy going on with Fileden, my file hosting provider. Since about a month the bandwidth use has shot up astronomically out of proportion to my site traffic. For instance, today I have had 90 visitors so far but Fileden tells me I had over 1.5 gigabytes of downloads. That makes no sense. I know other Fileden bloggers have had similar issues and Filden itself seems to be unwilling to help get to the bottom of this matter.

The net result is that I'm over my bandwidth quota for the month with two weeks to go. I will start shifting files to a dedicated host over the next few days, but until then, have a shifty at these and let your heart smile:

FiL & The Folk

I really meant to post a lot more over the past fortnight. You see, I've got stories waiting to be told. But alas, all that was pushed aside by more worldly demands. Sigh...

I shan't be able to catch up this weekend either, for I'm volunteering at the 30th Vancouver Folk Music Festival. You may recall me waxing lyrical about last year's edition here and here. You see, folk is not really my preferred musical genre; though I do enjoy significant chunks of the oeuvre, I'm not really a tie-dye-and -birkenstocks kinda guy, as my immediately preceding post makes clear. But what I find most appealing about The Festival is that it takes a very broad view of what constitutes "folk music." Indeed, Dearest Wife and I recently had a lively academic debate as to what exactly the term encompasses. I argued that a lot of punk music could be considered folk, while she maintained I was full of crap.

Anyway, my point is that although I'm no folkie, there are always a few artists performing who I'm keen to see, plus I always find myself positively surprised by someone who I otherwise never would have considered paying attention to. Last year I was especially keen to see ex-Slit (and John Lydon's stepdaughter) Ari Up (who cancelled at the last minute, unfortunately) and Feist, but was blown away by Ndidi Onukwulu and Mihirangi. This year Ndidi and Mihirangi are back, and I'm also keen to see On-U Sound dub guru and Tackhead Adrian Sherwood. But what I'm most looking forward to is once again being blindsided by the unexpected!! If you are in the Vancouver area, I'd urge you to come along - you will not regret it! Find out all you need to know right here.

Volunteering is a good gig; I'm on Safety (read: a kind, gentle, smiling version of Security) duty for twelve hours over the three night/three day fest, and I get free admission plus grub. I should add the setting is also fantastic: Jericho Beach Park, right on the water. In fact, yesterday evening after work I was kayaking off that beach as the final touches were being put on the set up. As the sun set over the distant mountains of Vancouver Island, the main stage sound system pumped out Michael Franti and Spearhead over the gently swelling water. I mean, it doesn't really get any better than that...

Hae a lovely weekend, Dearest Friends, and I'll see you all next week, with more stories to tell and hopefully more time to tell them.

Michael Franti and Spearhead - People In Tha Middle (buy here)

Never Trust A Hippy

Artwork by Stephen Youll

Like, faaaaar out, maaaaaaannnn....

Sorry, couldn't resist. The latest Contrast Podcast is out, and since this week marks the 67th episode, Dearest TiM has decided to take us back to the year 1967. Yep, back when it was all long hair, kaftans, free love, patchouli, psychedelia, be-ins, and all that hippy-dippy stuff.

Actually, the contributions this week are very balanced, with only a smattering of hippydom. Yay! That said, when I think 1967 I think flower power & all that, so I'm going to continue in this vein. At any rate, Dearest Friends, tune in, and drop out all at the same time either by downloading the cast here. After listening don't forget to comment here! You can also spiritually meld with the podcast through this magical, mystery RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ContrastPodcast.

(00:29) Jefferson Airplane - Somebody to love
Ross from Just gimme indie rock
(03:33) Erma Franklin - Piece of my heart
Michael from The Yank Sizzler
(07:00) Dusty Springfield - The look of love
Linda from Speed of Dark
(11:18) The Turtles - Happy together
Natalie from Mini-Obs
(14:51) The Impressions - We’re a winner
Ally from dustysevens
(17:12) Kaleidoscope - Dive into yesterday
ZB from So the wind won’t blow it all away
(22:43) Louie Prima - I wanna be like you
Crash from Pretending life is like a song
(27:34) The Stooges - Search and Destroy
FiL from Pogoagogo
(34:03) Green Day - 86
Andy from Circles of Concrete
(37:13) Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take 5
Marcy from Lost in your inbox
(43:07) John Coltrane - Everytime we say goodbye
Alex from Totally True Tales from Texas
(48:39) R.E.M. - Femme fatale
Kristi from Are you embarassed easily?
(51:47) The House of Love - The Beatles and The Stones
Tom from Better in the Dark
(56:20) Prince - Alphabet street
Greg from Broken Dial
(59:06) The Adult Net - Incense and Peppermints
SAS Radio
(01:02:15) Chris Coco with Nick Cave - Sunday Morning
Matthew from Song by Toad (YAY! Toad's debut! YAY!)

So, why my distaste for hippiedom? Not sure... Perhaps it's because when I was a wee lad it was all I heard on the radio (that plus 1970s soft rock), and it said nothing to me about my life. On top of that, I cringe when I hear people say the sixties (read: mid-late sixties) were all that ever mattered musically. Why, only last week I had a tedious conversation with a rather pompous fiftysomething who crapped on about how nothing musically worthwhile came after Cream, The Beatles, The Doors, Pink Floyd and all their ilk. I begged to differ. I mean, shite attitudes like that are what prompted the Punk Wars of the mid-late 1970s.

But I digress, and over-simplify; after all, Nancy Sinatra released the sublime Sugar Town that year and my personal construct of a hippy hegemony fall to pieces in the face of "I'm a Believer" by The Monkees. 1967 was actually an interesting year, for it saw the swelling of a reaction against all that psychedelia, folk-rock, and happy poprock; The Velvet Underground, Electric Prunes, and, yes, The Psychedelic Stooges (as they were known then), who played their first concert on Halloween, 1967. So that's the story behind my choice, even though the song itself was released six years later. Don't blame me, blame the drugs...

But I did consider a couple of other songs, which I will share with you:

The Second Helping - Let Me In (buy e-here)
Even before 1967 a guerrilla war was being waged by an army of garage and surf bands. One such outfit was The Second Helping, which, amazingly, was fronted by Kenny Loggins. Yes, he who later defected to the dark side and pumped out soft dreck in the 1970s before penning the atrocious theme to the 1984 film Footloose.

The Polyphonic Spree - Light & Day/Reach For The Sun (buy here)
Why? Cos they're neo-hippies. But I really, really like them. They make me happy, though I can't explain why.

Ten Pole Tudor - Who Killed Bambi? (buy here)
Cos it's got the lyric "never trust a hippy." Ripped from my vinyl copy of The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.

Next week Tim asks us to think "Young." To find out how, look here.

Who Put The 'Mod' In 'Modcore?'

Photo courtesy of Milk Milk Lemonade

Dear Friends, I just got back from the Ukrainian Cultural Centre. Yes, you heard right. The Ukrainian Cultural Centre. And it was culture I got, but not Ukrainian. No, this was locally grown pop cultcha - The Tranzmitors. You may recall my disgruntlement at missing them a couple of months back. And I was right to be peeved, because they are a splendid band.

Now, the Ukrainian Cultural Centre is a bit of an odd venue. It's basically a 1920s neighbourhood church-type hall, set in a leafy residential street that's only a block away from Downtown Eastside, the most deprived area in Canada. But it frequently hosts storming, all-ages punk gigs, and tonight The Tranzmitors were supporting intense Toronto hardcore band Fucked Up. The whole thing ended up being, in the words of Tranzmitor frontman Jeffie Genetic, "a modcore festival."

The Tranzmitors brought the "mod" bit of the equation, taking to tthe stage dressed in skinny drainpipe trousers, skinny ties, and skinny, small-lapelled three-button jackets. Bassist Mike looked like nothing so much as a lanky, skittish Buddy Holly, guitarist Nick bears a more-than-passing resemblance to Jam stickman Rick Buckler (about which more later) and keyboardist Jarrod presided over what looked to be an acely retro-red Ace Tone organ.

And the music, oh boy! From the opening song "Glamour Girls," it was a nonstop, heady mix of tightly-wound, hooky, punkymodpop. I've said it before in my previous post, but I'll say it again in case you weren't listening: think equal measures of "Going Underground" era Jam and Buzzcockian buzzsaw geetarr, with a good few tablespoons of Secret Affair stirred in. All delivered with the sweat, energy, and conviction of The Ramones at their finest. But mistake me not, this is not just a pastiche of what has come before; these lads take their influences and mix them up with their own panache to create fresh, hot, rock 'n' roll goodness. It was a storming set that came to an end all too soon.

At the merch table I snapped up all five of their original 45s, because this sort of band that makes me want to own their back catalogue on old skool vinyl, not just in intangible digital bits and bytes downloaded from e-music.

Now listen up those of you out in the UK: this was the last Tranzmitors show before the group heads out to Britain for an August tour. You see, they've recently signed to the mighty Stiff Records (born 1976, died 1985, reborn 2006), and the tour is a prelude to the release of their s/t album on 27 August in the UK and Ireland. So rejoice, my British chums, and go see their amazingness for yourself! So far dates are confirmed for Guilford (17 Aug), Newport in Wales (22 Aug), and London (24 Aug at the fabulous Dirty Water Club), but the lads will be playing a further half dozen gigs around the country. Check their Myspace page for the latest schedule. If you do go along (and you should, far better investment than shelling out to see the travesty that is From The Jam), do say hello to the boys --they're ever so nice-- and tell them FiL sent you.

Right, here's one last Tranzmitors track for you - you really should go out and buy your own.

The Tranzmitors - Bigger Houses, Broken Homes
You can buy the old 7" singles here, but the Stiff release of the the band's self-titled album will have an additional 4-track EP of the earlier songs. Those of you in North America can e-buy the latest album e-here.

Objects in the Mirror...

Dearest Friends, I got the shock of my life yesterday. While waiting at a stop sign on my drive home, I glanced at my rearview mirror and saw none other than Kim Jong Il,* Dear Leader of everyone's favourite renegade Stalinist kingdom, North Korea. He then followed me for part of my remaining journey.

I can reveal that he drives a dark blue, older model Honda Accord. Though I did not see any ballistic missiles in his backseat, I did hear the following tunes belting out of his tinny car stereo:

Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble - Reunification Rainbow (fund North Korea's WMD programme e-here)

Pop Will Eat Itself - Love Missile F1-11 (buy here)

GWAR - Bring Back The Bomb (buy here)

*Or possibly someone who was his spitting image.

Elvis is Everywhere

Come worship here

For my 7th grade music class project, I prepared a report on Elvis Aaron Presley. I recall thinking at the time that it would be far cooler than writing something about Bach or Mozart. After all, wasn't Elvis "The King??" I rediscovered this artifact not ten days ago, over a quarter century later. As I leafed through the pages of handwritten scrawl and fading, photocopied photos, I was struck by how bloodless and factual it is. A mere narrative catalogue of the man's life, career, and death. Where's the throbbing, hot soul? Where's the rock? And the roll?

Truth is, Elvis was a hero to most but he never meant scat to me. Mention his name and what springs to mind is (in the following order): bloat, polyester jumpsuit, fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches, velvet paintings, and expiring on the toilet. Yes, yes, intellectually I can appreciate his impact on music and "classic" songwriting. I can even empathize with how groundbreaking those shaking hips and thrumming rhythms were back in 1954. But the man himself maketh not my heart burn with sacred fire. Dearest Friends, does that make me a heretic?? Sigh.

Anyway, a looong preamble to introduce this week's Contrast Podcast episode, simply titled "Elvis." And it's brought to you this week by Dearest Marcy from Lost in your Inbox! Yaaaay! Now don't get me wrong: though Elvis himself leaves me cold, I find the cult surrounding him and it's iconography ticklingly absurd. So I am really looking forward to wrapping my ears around this selection of Presley-inspired tuneage. Uh-huh-huh. I'd urge you to do the same either by downloading it directly here or by slotting this here RSS feed into your blog aggregator: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ContrastPodcast. And do leave comments on the CP blog!!

One for the money, two for the show...

(00:00) Belle and Sebastian - A century of Elvis
Tim from The face of today

(04:50) Gillian Welch - Elvis Presley blues
Marcy from Lost in your inbox

(10:21) Rickie Lee Jones - Elvis cadillac
Linda from Speed of Dark

(15:39) Stiff Little Fingers - Who died and made you Elvis?
Crash from Pretending life is like a song

(19:50) Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper - Elvis is everywhere
FiL from Pogoagogo

(25:46) Jimmy LaFave - Elvis loved his momma
Natalie from Mini-Obs

(28:38) Wesley Willis - Elvis Presley
Ross from Just gimme indie rock

(31:50) Public Enemy - Fight the power
Ally from dustysevens

(36:24) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tupelo
ZB from So the wind won’t blow it all away

(41:24) The Pogues - Fiesta
Lyle from Mentok the Mindtaker

(47:07) R.E.M. - Man on the moon
James from Jamesisadork

(52:23) The Manic Street Preachers - Elvis impersonator
Alex from Totally True Tales from Texas

(56:33) Warren Zevon - Porcelain monkey
Tom from Better in the Dark

(01:00:52) Elvis Costello - Red shoes
Chris from Phosphorous.net

I found myself with a fair few ridiculous and sublime songs to choose between, but Mojo & Skid won out primarily for sentimental reasons. You see, the song was on heavy rotation at WGTB during my hoary old college DJ radio days, and it evokes the fondest of memories, despite it verging on novelty territory (generally speaking I do not like novelty records, not one bit). But here are a few others that shook my hip and twitched my lip:

Eilert Pilarm - Jailhouse Rock (buy here)
This is not novelty. This is a Swedish gentleman with an occasional grip on reality who produces stunning renditions of Elvis tunes sung in his own brand of semi-intelligible Swenglish. But he means it, maaan.

Gold Blade - Black Elvis (buy here or e-here)
Punky Mancunians invoke the spirit of 1977 and 1954. Maybe Public Enemy would approve. On second thought, they'd probably choose Kool Keith's Black Elvis over this one. Pity I don't have that kool track to share. Hey, who cares what Public Enemy thinks, anyway?? YEAH BOYYYY!!!

Death Ride 69 - Elvis Christ-The Resurrection (buy here or e-here)
Gotta love that Elvis-as-Saviour imagery. And I love me some dark industrial rawk. So lots to love here!

The Cramps - Elvis Fuckin' Christ (buy here or e-here)
Oh yes! Not the Cramps' finest moment, methinks, but they get full lyrical marks for "Chickin’ pluckin’, runamuckin’ Elvis Fucking Christ!"

Groovie Ghoulies - Graceland (buy here or e-here)
Who said Elvis is dead?? Zombies rule OK.

Chrisoula - O Elvis zi stis kardies (buy here or e-here, if you must)
Oh my. This is truly something. Easy world muzak listening belted out by a Greek-American songstress. Something about Elvis living in the hearts of everyone. Which shows how international Elvis is. Or something. Listener discretion is advised.

Wolfcry - Enola Gay (buy here)
Nothing to do with Elvis. But this is a kick-ass cover of the eighties OMD classic by valiant Greek power metallers Wolfcry. Because I wouldn't want you to think Chrisoula is the sole voice of Hellenic pop music.

Next week, Tim plans to take us back to 1967. So fix that date in yer mind and find yourself a song to submit! Here's how you do it.

I'll Be Back Soon, Promise...

Mayne Island, Active Pass. Photo courtesy of Cheryl J.

Dearest Friends, I did indeed worm my way out of the Big Apple and am now safely back in BC. Alas, this week has been very hectic and this afternoon I'm off to glorious Mayne Island for the Canada Day loooooong weekend. So about 4PM Pacific Time, I'll be ensconsed on a ferry much like the one pictured above, munching nanaimo bars with Darling Daughter (our little tradition). All this means I'll continue to be scarce on the blogfront until next week, when I'll back in town, living the bachelor highlife while Dearest Wife and sproglets stay on on Mayne for another week.

Part of said highlife will include seeing The Tranzmitors on Saturday, 7 July. Oh yeah!! So, to tide you over until we meet again, here's another track by this fab Vancouver band:

The Tranzmitors - Nervous Breakdown (buy their 7" singles here or their debut album e-here)

A Noo Yawk Minute

Hellooooo, Dearest Friends! I'm surviving The Big Apple!!! Over one week now and I've yet to be mugged, shot, or thrown under a subway train. Only another 48 hours to go...

It has been a powerful strange eight days, and I'll give you the skinny upon my return. But right now, let me focus on a couple of unabashedly fantastic points:

First, I had a lovely time reconnecting in person with Dearest Bishakh, both on the cruise and the following evening chez lui, where he plied me with delish ale (in particular a luurvely framboise lambic) and divine cheese (especially a scrummy Gres de Vosges, at least I think that's what it was). On top of that, I got to spend time with his Dearest J and their mate N, who's the nicest skin you could possibly hope to meet!!

Second, I met up with Dearest Colleen and Dearest Bryce at their DJ soiree at the wonderfully cozy Last Exit Bar & Grill! Yaay!! Yes, I tore away the veil of blogdom and I'm happy to report that my view was confirmed: both are wonderful folks and absolutely splendid DJ selectors. Oh, and Colleen has fantabulous tastes in videos, while Bryce gives lovely hugs!! So go visit their respective blogs here and here.

And music, sweet, sweet music. Well, since we're still in a kind of a retro frame of mind, here's a digital rip of a 7" single that I, er, um, liberated from my college radio station back in 1988. I don't know exactly what it is, but "Just Like Hemingway" has exactly the right combo of electro-synth and arty (overwrought?) lyrics that made me feel nostalgic for I-dunno-what the very first time I heard it. Blue Clocks Green were active in the New York area from 1984 to 1990, but never met with breakthrough success. Last year saw promises of an album in 2007 from a successor group, Tripp Finn, but so far they appear to remain unfulfilled. Oh well...

Blue Clocks Green - Just Like Hemingway (you can try to buy here)

I hope you are all keeping well, Dearest Friends, and I look forward to resuming normal-ish service sometime next week or possibly the next!

P.S. Fancy a trip to the Antarctic? Then head over to Contrast Podcast to hear this week's episode!!

21 Years On

You can see my high school. Thanks andy in nyc!

Dearest Friends, I'm off. Yes, FiL is going back to the old house; on Thursday I'm jetting off to the town where I was born, Noo Yawk Siddy. Now some of you know that I don't really have much love for the Big Apple. Indeed, though I grew up in New York, I am not a New Yorker. I gladly left behind the in-yer-faceness, the noise, the rush, the dirt, the crush some twenty-one years ago, when I graduated from high school.

But you see, that's precisely why I'm going back now. For it is my my twenty-first high school reunion on Friday.

Yes, I'm off to see what more than a score of years has wrought amongst the Class of 1986. Of course any visitation to one's past comes with a spot of trepidation. Old memories of youthful awkwardness are awoken. Uncertainty lurks as to how old interactions will be reflected in present ones. But I must admit that I'm looking forward to the evening, and seeing how my cohort has progressed, evolved, changed. There will be a harcore of folks with whom I will delight in catching up, particularly Dearest Bishakh (though I last saw him some three, and not three times seven, years ago). I am also looking forward to seeing Mr Banton, my beloved English teacher, who is retiring this year and is in large part to blame for enabling me to generate the screed that I slap up here on this virtual wall. And I have awfully fond memories of my high school; it was a wonderful place with an internationally and culturally diverse set of students and faculty that made the place hum and buzz.

My ace-in-the-hole, or insurance policy, if you will, is that we will be spending most of the night on a booze cruise around Manahttan. So if the unthinkable happens and it turns into a dreadful bore Bishakh and I can hole up somewhere with a bottle and watch the skyline slip past while the DJ rocks da beatz.

Speaking of music, I thought it only fitting to offer up twenty-one tracks that instantly send me back through a time/space vortex to the mid-1980s. Dearest Friends, these choonz helped form the soundtrack of my teens, and I offer no apologies if the odd song seems cheezy or cringeworthy. Each makes me salivate like one of Pavlov's dogs over a Proustian madeleine...

China Crisis - Working With Fire And Steel (buy here)

Blancmange - That's Love, That It Is (buy here)

The Cure - In Between Days (buy here)

Adam Ant - Goody Two-Shoes (buy here)

Specials AKA - Free Nelson Mandela (buy here)

Madness - Wings of a Dove (buy here)

The Beat - Hands Off... She's Mine (buy here)

The Monroes - What Do All The People Know? (buy here)

B52s - Strobe Light (buy here)

OMD - Enola Gay (buy here)

After The Fire - Der Kommissar (buy here)

Ministry - I Wanted To Tell Her (buy here)

Time Zone - World Destruction (buy here)

The Clash - This Is Radio Clash (buy here)

Killing Joke - Love Like Blood (buy here)

Dead Kennedys - MTV, Get Off The Air (buy here)

Ramones - Bonzo Goes To Bitburg (buy here)

Love & Rockets - It Could Be Sunshine (buy here)

Gene Loves Jezebel - Desire (buy here)

The Nails - 88 Lines About 44 Women (buy here)

Dominatrix - The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight (buy here)

Edit 7/7/07: Sorry, but this post was draining my bandwidth like a leech. So I fear I've had to remove the song links...

But that's not all folks! For you see, in addition to the reunion I wil be heading over Brooklyn-way on Saturday. First I'll be partaking of some luuurvely cheese and ale with Dearest Bishakh, then we're going to to see and hear ma chere Colleen Crumbcake and Dearest Hot Chocolate Boy (a/k/a Bryce) spin da wheelz ov steel at the Last Exit Bar. I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!!

While the reunion dictated the timing of my NYC foray, the main purpose of the visit is to see My Mother. There is much unfinished business, but I prefer not to dwell on that here - I'm hopeful it will be a pleasant visit. That said, I'm calibrating my compassion generator in anticipation of possible adverse conditions...

So that's it for me for a bit. I may post during the next fortnight, I might not. But I will check in with you all every now and again, and should be back to regular programming later in the month. And I'll have stories to tell!!