Great Google-y moogly… Who would have thought that Search Engine Keyword Analysis would be so much fun. So much fun in fact I have to share it with you. Always curious to see how you find me on the web. I’ve listed some of my recent favourites.
he knows you dont really know him. He knows you dont really care to see him
but you dont care for music do you shrek
no life guitar hero
the song meaning of "Strange Overtones"
london ontario leatherpants
kitty christmas letter
tokin' black guy
pop pop in your face
road salt stains on bottom of pants legs
Zooey Deschanels underwear
loverboy mike reno red pants picture
inexpert love
is having a palpable liver a bad thing?
president bush and happy meal toys
I considered commentary for each but I think I’ll let the keywords speak for themselves. The question does remain though… is having a palpable liver a bad thing? Apparently Everything is Pop readers want to know.
I love a good concert as much as the next person but this one takes it to a whole new level. The line-up for Coachella 2009 was announced today and its stunning. Indio California's own and the perfect antidote for winter suffering and lack-o-concertitis. I may just have to take a leave of absence from work and make my way through the continent for this.
Unless you want to drive…
Headliners: Paul McCartney (Friday), The Killers (Saturday), The Cure (Sunday). All well and good. But as always, it's in the fine print of the Coachella poster that the event really takes full shape. Also on Friday: Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand, Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst, Beirut, Girl Talk, M. Ward, Crystal Castles, Buraka Som Sistema, the Hold Steady. For your Saturday: TV On The Radio, Band Of Horses, Fleet Foxes, Superchunk, Liars, Blitzen Trapper, Gang Gang Dance, Tinariwen, Ida Maria, Mastodon, Hercules & Love Affair. And Sunday? My Bloody fucking Valentine. (And Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Throbbing Gristle, PB&J, Antony, Lykke Li, Okkervil, Fucked Up, No Age, Vivan Girls, Gaslight Anthem.
A virtual who’s who in music. I’m afraid my head would explode.
But the question remains. Who would you make the trip for?
On March 31st The Great Lake Swimmersare set to release their fourth full length album called Lost Channels. The record finds them reprising their penchant for recording at historic locations. You may recall their previous effort was partially recorded at the historic Aeolian Hall here in London. This time out the band recorded in the Thousand Islands region of Ontario and New York State:
“…telling tales of hidden histories, still "mining for light in the dark wells," still "tuned to an instrument of greater and unknown design." The instrument in question is the singular voice of Tony Dekker, a voice that summons ghosts from times past. It’s a voice that is capable of conveying heartache and comfort all in the space of a single phrase. Though his supporting cast has changed over the years—with the exception of longtime right-hand man Erik Arnesen—Dekker has always encircled him self with sympathetic players who value spacious arrangements that frame his vocals. Over time, the band has evolved from a sparse, delicate and hushed unit into a well-rounded folk rock band, sacrificing none of their original intimacy while upping both the volume and tempos when necessary. Dekkerchooses to record in old churches, community halls, abandoned grain silos and rural locations. It's easy to hear why. His voice doesn't need any studio embellishment, standing at its strongest when bathed in natural reverb and enriched by the historical context surrounding it.”
To record Lost Channels, Dekkerand company went upstream on the St. Lawrence River to the Thousand Islands, halfway between Toronto and Montreal, a historic and picturesque area that straddles the Canadian/American border, and has been designated a World Biosphere Region. Great Lake Swimmers arrived at the invitation of fan and Thousand Islands photographer/regional historian Ian Coristine(http://www.1000islandsphotoart.com/). Coristine was able to arrange for the band to record in a number of acoustically unique spaces within the region, including one of the area's most storied landmarks, Singer Castle on Dark Island, near Hammond, NY (http://www.singercastle.com/); as well as the historical Brockville Arts Centre (http://www.brockvilleartscentre.com/); and at St. Brendan’s Church in Rockport, ON. Additional recording took place at Halla and the Lincoln County Social Club in Toronto and the album was woven into a cohesive whole at the House Of Miracles, in London, ON, with long-time Great Lake Swimmers collaborator, Andy Magoffin.
That the album was created in both rural splendour and urban Ontario makes perfect sense for a band that has always navigated the parallels between natural and urban rhythms. River imagery recurs throughout Lost Channels; the title of the album is a reference to a certain passage of the St. Lawrence, close to the recording locale, where a reconnaissance boat from a British warship went mysteriously missing in 1760. There’s no specific reference to the incident in the lyrics, though there are plenty of night skies, howling winds and raging rivers in almost every song which captures an elusive sense of mystery. As the album closes, Dekker sings the final lyrics—“Like the unstoppable river… Your beauty is gentle/ but forceful, and fast”—before the band ends on a suspended note. There is no resolution there, only eternity, a continuum, an endless river.
A full review will follow once I have the CD in my hands. I strongly urge you to check out the music of Tony Dekker and the Great Lake Swimmers. Their recordings are sublimely beautiful, their live performances awe inspiring.
At Least Part of It Will Be Worth Watching This Year
News today that Radiohead, Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake, T.I., Kanye West and Jay-Z will all perform at this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony. A diverse line-up but the biggest coup has to be the addition of Radiohead, who have never played the event despite Best Alternative Album wins for OK Computer and Kid A. The band is nominated for a stellar five awards this year, including Best Album for In Rainbows. The presentation will be the band’s “first live U.S. television performance since 2000.”
McCartney’s Grammy performance is a bit of a surprise as well, considering the former Wings frontman and some other bandwas only nominated in a pair of smaller categories. Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl will join Paulie onstage as his “special guest drummer.” Go Gringo!
This star-studded slate of newly announced artists join an already stacked roster of performers at the 51st annual Grammy awards, including Coldplay, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Katy Perry and Kenny Chesney. Unconfirmed outlets have reported Radiohead’s Thom Yorke will join Katie Perry on stage for a very special version of "I Kissed a Weird Fishie".
Starbucks Releases Mostly Cool Indie Love Compilation
I have to admit- I look at them every morning as I’m waiting to order my “grande bold with room”. Indeed, those ubiquitous Starbucks CD’s always begging at least a look at the track listing. This one though might actually be well worth giving up those biscotti for a month and purchasing for yourself or perhaps more appropriately, someone you love.
The coffee retailer has announced plans for a Volume 2 love-tinged compilation featuring several of our favourite indie musicians. Sweetheart: Our Favourite Artists Sing Their Favourite Love Songs will be available January 30th housing cover tracks from DeVotchKa, Department of Eagles, A.C. Newman, Rogue Wave, Richard Hawley, Death Cab for Cutie, She & Him and more.
Sweetheart: Our Favorite Artists Sing Their Favorite Love Songs Tracklisting :
1. Death Cab for Cutie - "Love Song" (Cure cover) 2. Katy Perry - "Black and Gold" (Sam Sparro cover) 3. DeVotchKa - "Hot Burrito #1 (I'm Your Toy)" (Flying Burrito Brothers cover) 4. Department of Eagles - "Love Me" (Elvis Presley cover) 5. Jessica Lea Mayfield - "Words of Love" (Buddy Holly cover) 6.Ben Bridwell - "Your Love Is Forever" (George Harrison cover) 7. Kate Tucker - "I'm on Fire" (Bruce Springsteen cover) 8. Rogue Wave - "Maps" (Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover) 9. A.C. Newman - "Take on Me" (A-ha cover) 10. Jem- "Yellow" (Coldplay cover) 11. Richard Hawley - "Early Morning Rain" (Gordon Lightfoot cover) 12.Daniel Martin Moore - "I Hear Music" (Billie Holiday cover) 13. She & Him - "I Put a Spell on You" (Screamin' Jay Hawkins cover) 14. Lila Downs - "My One and Only Love" (Frank Sinatra cover)
Any excuse to put Zooey Deschanel’s (She & Him) picture in the blog type thing and I am there!
News today from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) that they have launched a spectacular online Screening Room. Here you can watch full-length films, clips and trailers - all free for home viewing.
Enjoy their featured films, new additions, old favourites and playlists just like you did in school and on the venerable CBC just like you did so many years ago. Those people new to this, you are in for a rare and special treat.
The film I have embedded below, Neighbours is one of my earliest and favourite NFB productions memories. Norman McLarenis a Canadian icon in this country's film making history whose groundbreaking efforts continue to influence and enlighten. Be sure to check the date this was made. (Remember this was pre-computer.) Awesome stuff!
I have a funny feeling I'll be living at this site for the next month.
2008 is but a distant memory now. It was a brilliant year for new music discoveries of all types and some excellent efforts from musical acquaintances more familiar. Barely into the third week and excellent new music releases are all ready rocking socks and stirring hearts. The new Animal Collective, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Antony Hagerty releases are all exceptional in their own right and set the stage for a what will no doubt be a stellar year in song. I’ll look ahead to some of the more promising artists (new and old) set to deliver music to waiting ears this Year of the Ox. Watch out though, you might just discover your favourite new band.
London (UK) based singer song writer Emmy the Greatis finally coming out with her debut album “First Love” on February 9th and after countless of demos and EPs anticipation couldn’t be any greater. Here’s the tracklisting:
1. Absentee 2. 24 3. We Almost Had a Baby 4. The Easter Parade 5. Dylan 6. On the Museum Island 7. War 8. First Love 9. MIA 10. The Easter Parade 2 11. Bad Things Coming, We Are Safe 12. Everything Reminds Me of You 13. City Song
Want to hear the voice that has been enchanting me for quite some time now.
Next up is the New York four-piece The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. The energetic rockers seem to be on the fingertip of countless earnest music bloggers hands right now. The release of their highly anticipated debut album is now only a couple weeks away and songs are beginning to float about the tubes. One listen though and you’ll be hooked. These guys are having fun and it really translates well into the music. It’s great to see a band on the verge of becoming one of the big things of 2009 and I’m certain they’ll live up to the hype from what I have heard so far.
N.A.S.A. This duo are poised to be the breakout rap all-stars of 2009, as their debut The Spirit of Apollo livens up standard American hip hop with Brazilian funk elements (incidentally their name stands for North America/South America). But the most appealing aspect of N.A.S.A.’s output is the astounding list of guest stars, which includes Kanye West, Santogold, and Lykke Li. In the, Now It’s Time for Something Completely Different Department - it’s been confirmed that Tom Waits lends his distinctive ‘gravelled’ vocals to a track called “Spacious Thoughts”, certainly more than enough to pull me into this creative enterprise. Great promise would be an understatement.
Little Boots Originally from Blackpool, Lancashire, UK and a graduate of Leeds University, Victoria Hesketh has adopted her nickname of Little Bootsas her stage name.
Another left field moniker that I am certain we will all be hearing a lot about in 2009. Witness Ms. Hesketh’s recent rocket ride to stardom as the BBC recently proclaimed the DIY-electro superstar as the official "Sound of 2009". With substantial props like that, she can no doubt start planning a big change in lifestyle. Like fellow “MySpace-ation” Frankmusik, Little Bootshas been teasing her fan base with an ever-cycling array of tracks on her MySpace, as well as an clever selection of weekly pop covers on YouTube. The grainy videos feature the dimunitive songstress hammering away at her Casio whist wailing away toward the sky. Each week, Ms. Vicky Boots attacks her track of choice with the same intensity and sincerity, be it Hot Chip or Miley Cyrus or just check Youtube and trust me… Stay tuned for her electro pop debut sometime in the second half of the year.
Alela Diane Signed to Rough Trade and will release her new LP To Be Still in February. The record is the follow-up to Diane's critically-acclaimed 2006 debut The Pirate's Gospel. That record brought the Nevada city, CA-reared musician a dedicated following across the globe (especially in Europe, where she recently finished a tour of mid-sized concert halls). Considering that early copies of The Pirate's Gospel were given away to friends in hand-sewn covers just a few years ago, this is not only quite a leap, but a well-deserved one.
Other favourites with new releases planned for 2009.
Decemberists Iron & Wine Fruit Bats Elvis Perkins The Hylozoists Boy Least Likely To Wilco Neko Case Bishop Allen Land of Talk Marissa Nadler Rock Plaza Central Fever Ray
Which bands are you most looking forward to hearing from in 2009? Leave your thoughts in the Comments section.
Good news today for fans of Chicago’s uber instrumentalists Tortoise- Their forthcoming album, (as yet untitled), is set for release April 21st, nearly five years after their last album of original material, It's All Around You. Traditionally slow ‘recording’ movers, perhaps explaining their apropos moniker... This one is pretty much right on time. In fairness though, it’s not like they’ve been resting on their creative laurels. In the interim they recorded a covers album, The Brave and the Bold, with Bonnie Prince Billy, and actively toured 1996's Millions Now Living Will Never Die. The talented Chicagoans also put on a stellar set at the 2008 edition of the Guelph Jazz festival.
Several cuts were road-tested last summer, a "luxury" Tortoise usually never has. "Normally we're making an album and then trying to figure out how to play it, and realizing that they're some real problems," says McCombs.
The band started work on the album three years ago and originally considered just recording one long piece but, McCombs explains, "that ended up not really being possible with the material we had. I think it's something we want to put on the back-burner." What they have come up with instead are tracks that "don't adhere to any traditional song forms. They move through different parts, but the lines are blurred."
Although a lot of the album details seem up in the air -- the album and song titles have to be decided the band are talking about touring the album this Spring and Summer, "Waiting until the fall would have made us a little antsy," McCombs says.
Every once in a while you get a sense of history in the making. We're lucky if we recognize it in our midst. Today as a world celebrates a hero another is poised to make it a better place and begin a renewed path to hope.
We just need to change. (Always good to take some music along for the ride though.)
Sing The Changes - The Fireman Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking - Bob Dylan About To Change - The Autumn Defense Things Slowly Change - The Incredible Vickers Brothers Change Is Hard - She & Him Changes - The Zombies Changes - David Bowie Something Changed - Pulp Don't Ever Change - The Jesus & Mary Chain I Don’t Ever Want To Change - The Drones Taken Up Into Clouds, Changed And Rained Down - Mercury Rev Nothing Ever Changes - The Kooks Change (Aphex Twin Mix) - Nav Katze It Never Changes To Stop - The Books Change Order - Jaydiohead Change Your Style / Hooligan - John Holt Something's Changed - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Change Gonna Come - Otis Redding
2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
The 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees were announced today (January 14th). I know, I know you can barely contain your excitement but allow me to report.The five artists who will be inducted in the "Performer" category are:
Metallica Jeff Beck Run-DMC Little Anthony and the Imperials Bobby Womack
Wanda Jackson is being inducted in the "Early Influence" category, even though she was nominated as a performer.
Inducted into the "Sideman" category this year:
Spooner Oldham Bill Black D.J. Fontana
Perhaps more important are the artists who didn’t make the cut this year. They were War, The Stooges and Chic. The Stooges have now been denied induction by the Voting Committee seven times and Chic has lost five times. (Must have been their total lack of influence they had on the music community.) This was however, War’s first nomination.
So a couple bright notes there. The other, Run-DMC will perform for the first time since Jam Master Jay's 2002 murder.
Today, a download treat. “People Got A Lotta Nerve,” the first single from Neko Case’sforthcoming album Middle Cyclone (out March 3), because for every blog that reposts the song and/or iLike user who adds it to their profile, Neko Case and ANTI- will make a cash donation to Best Friends Animal Society.
Download here and consider a blog post if so inclined.
no life guitar hero
