weekend post

hello fellow music lovers!

top 5 currently radical songs:
1. opopo - blast blast
2. king khan and the shrines - torture
3. sian alice group - way down to heaven
4. no age - everybody's down
5. the ting tings - great dj

top 3 currently radical bands:

PSYCHO-DANCE SURF-PUNK
1. king khan and the shrines
this band is almost 10 years old, and they're still making great music. maybe they're getting better with age, and maybe they're just really talented, but this group of eleven musicians all gather together to make wicked-sweet tunes that ring of '60s flavour with a little dash of punk. also, they're touring north america this year for the first time, ever!
radical facts: the percussionist, ron streeter, has worked with many greats, including Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Wonder.
radical lyrics: "i got the itch, yeah, i got the itch for your baby, yeah."
radical song: got the itch
reminds me of: the kinky wizards from High Fidelity mixed with jerry lee lewis

ALTERNATIVE FOLK
2. fleet foxes
i almost had the chance to see these guys at sasquatch this year, but unfortunately i never made it. i'm greatly sad that i didn't get to see them, because they are a fantastic band with a thick, instrumental sound with great lyrics. this five-piece are from seattle, and
radical facts: they're currently on tour with wilco
radical lyrics: "dear shadow, alive and well, how can the body die? you tell me everything, anything true. in the town one morning i went staggering through premonitions of my death. i don't see anybody that dear to me."
radical song: tiger mountain peasant
reminds me of: renaissance fairs, you know, with that one guy that just stands somewhere in the background juggling.

TECHNOROCK
3. opopo
the first time i heard this band, i had no idea what their name was, but i loved their sound. i recently came across this band again, recognized the song, and here it is! opopo rock. these are three dudes who have been making music together since high school, and i can only hope that they'll continue. imagine being at a daft punk show before they were famous. or imagine being at a rock concert that was also a rave. this is the melding of two amazing genres to make a radical new sound.
radical facts: they're currently playing the NxNE festival.
radical lyrics: "all hail, she's versatile, you know she's freaky-nasty going down."
radical song: computer menace
reminds me of: ghostland observatory meets crystal castles

sunday. sunday, sunday!

also, if you know of any sweet bands or anything, please feel free to comment and i'll check them out. i'm all about the new music.

top 5 sunday songs:
1. fur bearing animals - empty road
2. the gertrudes - lonely days
3. fuad and the feztones - djibouti call
4. gutter demons - runaway loco
5. great bloomers - catching up

top 3 sunday bands:

BANJO-PICKIN' GOOD OL' FOLK "NERDGRASS"
1. the gertrudes
this huge band, nine members total, have a wide variety of talents, including the majestic theremin, which by far is one of the coolest instruments, ever
sunday facts: they're good friends with old man luedeke, who i had here last week.
sunday lyrics: "woe is me, my winter cold. woe is me, i'm feeling so old...
sunday song: the blackbird and the cedar
reminds me of: basement jaxx's song "take me back to your house" mixed with of montreal

FUNKALICIOUS
2.fur bearing animals
this sexy twopiece know that we want that funk, and they've given us that funk. from amazing scratching to sweet violin, this twosome are fantastic, and their music portrays their vast talent in a wide variety of genres, as well as instruments.
sunday facts: andrew clements used to be a professional baseball player.
sunday lyrics: "we should feel like dancing in the cold outside, but we're too frozen in our ways, just waiting to pass the time. and we should be like lovers with all this hatred around, 'cause love will light that hatred whole and burn it to the ground... if children ran for president, then perhaps we'd stop the war. and all the fighting would come to an end just before the fall, and our majesty's greatest travesty was not listening at all."
sunday song: empty road
reminds me of: remy shand meets sexy marvin gaye

NEO-NEW WAVE ROCK
3. the beautiful unknown
the first time i heard this band i shrugged it off, thinking that they we're anything special, but boy oh boy am i glad i gave them another chance. with catchy tunes, great lyrics, and a driving rock force that keeps it from being lame, their music is pretty much fabulous.
sunday facts: jeremy taggart (our lady peace) lends his drumming skillz on the title track of their new album.
sunday lyrics: "got your eyes on the prize, and your feet in the quicksand."
sunday song: spinning in my grave
reminds me of: danko jones meets the doors meets men women and children

Explore

So some people have been asking me where i find all the music and bands that i promote here. I use a whole list of different media mediums: websites (myspace, cbc radio 3, new music canada, online radio, independent stations, record labels, etc...), print (newspapers, magazines, zines, etc...), word of mouth, TV (much music's the wedge, new music, as well as rapcity, vibe, and sometimes much megahits, but it's rare that anything good is played...), and my own special music senses. Also, i sometimes just go to limewire and search what's new. it takes about 2 hours to update this site, but if you want to go looking around for yourself, i suggest the above. this site is more or less just a place to chronicle my findings, and show them to you if you're interested.

top 5 exploratory tunes:
1. jdiggz - puush it up (i cannot get enough of this song!!)
2. afterbeat - me and you
3. the johnstones - g.i.r.l.s
4. microbunny - green stars
5. human kind - mess of a boy

top 3 exploratory bands:

ELECTRO-FUNK
1. smoked meat fax machine
it's extremely hard to find anything on this band, so i'll just tell you what they're like. dark techno with a very sexy funk beat. almost like moby meets daft punk in a dark alleyway, and they duke it out old school with lead pipes and chains and everything. switchblades, too.
exploratory facts: on their myspace page it lists that diane keaton is their guitarist. wouldn't that be awesome?
exploratory lyrics: none to report
exploratory song: low mileage lease
reminds me of: see above

GARAGE DANCE ROCK
2. modern boys modern girls
this hugely powerful band has their debut CD coming out this month, and it's promised to be a smash hit. there's no way it can't be. this six-piece are set to play the upcoming NxNE (north by north east) festival, and you know they didn't have to bribe their way in. honest talent in everything from pseudofunk to garage rock, this band is solid gold. plus, they're all really cute.
exploratory facts: their album was mixed by ryan mills from most serene republic, and they have previously opened for stone temple pilots.
exploratory lyrics: "i'm begging, i'm beggin' to borrow what i need, what i need a long, a long way under. i've got to stay under, i've got to stay under. i'm right here, i love you..."
exploratory song: stay under
reminds me of: the bravery meets the clash

FRIGGIN' SWEET BANJO FOLK
3. old man luedecke
this old banjo-er sure knows how to play. he has been travelling canada playing his ol' banjo. his music is a mix between old folk, blues, and the essential love-rock. one can almost picture him on stage early in the day at the montery pop festival, too early for people to really be paying attention, but late enough that the drugs from last night have worn off. something like that.
exploratory facts: this east-coaster has lived all over canada, even spending time in the yukon playing old bars with old pianos accompanying him.
exploratory lyrics: "i quit my job, i quit my job, i quit my job. i'm free today."
exploratory song: ain't going my way
reminds me of: joel plaskett meets steve martin (not for his comedy, but he's an accomplished banjo player, himself).

CELEBRATE CELEBRATE CELEBRATE!

Hiya folks! today's theme is celebration, not for any reason, i'm just in a great mood. you'll notice my tenDANCEy towards pop music when i'm in a good mood.

top 5 celebratory songs:
1. snap - world power
2. les dales hawerchuk - le king du triple swing
3. shad - compromise
4. geronimo - just like water
5. black kids - hurricane jane


top 3 celebratory bands:

POP/DANCE
1.black kids
this awesome pop-dance group are a little bit awesome, a little bit old school. they're what bands like fall out boy would have, could have been, if only they had kept their soul. their new album is due out in july, and it sounds great so far
celebratory facts: the lead singer's last name is Youngblood. how cool is that? it's like he's a knight in an old fairy tale or something.
celebratory lyrics: " You are the girl that I've been dreaming of ever since I was a little girl."
celebratory song: hurricane jane
reminds me of: the cure meets morningwood

CHILL DANCE POP
2. no kids
this wicked vancouver band have the shins sound, but a whole different, heartier feel. it's like chunky chicken soup versus campbell's cream of chicken. both soups are technically alike in flavour, but the heartiness is all on chunky. does that make sense? this trio are known to be thought of as the next broken social scene, canadian music wise, and it looks like they're going to be able to either live up to that, or not only fill the shoes, but go up a couple sizes... does that one make sense? my analogies are all off today. also, they have sweet bass.
celebratory facts: they're touring spain right now. that's pretty bad-ass.
celebratory lyrics: "i'm a prisoner of desire, and it feels like there is no one in this whole wide world tonight... so give give gimme your love."
celebratory song: for hallowe'en
reminds me of: the shins

HARD-POP
3. pony da look
four artists team up to make a band... no, this isn't the beginning of a really bad joke that only half of you will get. it's a true love story between four art lovers. these four female musical masterminds have been making waves with their triumphant return. they had all taken the last five years off to do grown-up things, and now they're back with sweet tunes. quoted to being one of the best lyricists in a long time, songwriter amy bowles leads the band forward, not backward, upward, not downward, and always twirling, twirling towards freedom!
celebratory facts: they're signed to murderecords, which is Sloan's record company.
celebratory lyrics: "she's filling out her form with an albatross feather"
celebratory song: dirty nails
reminds me of: the b52's meets tegan and sara on acid

Another update!

look! i told y'all i wouldn't forget about it this time...

here are today's fresh items:

top 5 fresh songs:
1. coldplay - violet hill
2. the i spies - to the city
3. shad - i don't like to
4. be your own pet - electric shake
5. hawksley workman - alone here

top 3 fresh bands:

HIP HOP
1. shad
this freakin' sweet rapper has the sickest beats in town, no joke. and his lyrics are more than bitches and hoes, and gettin' mo' money. his songs talk about things like genocide in rawanda, where his parents are from. he was born in kenya, and rocks the mike hardcore.
fresh fact: he has a business degree and is working on a masters right now. also, he's canadian!
fresh lyric: "music became jail. these bars, i hear you rapped in 'em. wove in the beats like the clothing of sheep, wolf's tracks, spin 'em... I heard you even sang when you spoke... i heard you had a voice like an angel, strange though, you were blinded by the light shinnin' from your own halo..."
fresh song: compromise
reminds me of: k-os

PSEUDO-DANCE POP
2. green go
this guelph band are hot, fast, and sweaty. the produce awesome, dance tunes that are so infectious that you can't help but dance. their music is electro/pop/dance/etc, and they rock out with their respective cocks out. only the singer's a girl... they're finishing their first album right now, and it's supposed to be released sometime this year. hopefully soon.
fresh facts: despite being an electro-dance band, there are no computer add-ons within this band, all the instruments are played, not selected from a list.
fresh lyrics: "don't, don't hold your breath. dance till your death, forget the rest."
fresh song: you know you want it
reminds me of: this is from their myspace page: "daft punk and sonic youth shaking hands"


NEO-PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIMENTAL HARD ROCK
3. black mountain
this is a very neat band. they're from vancouver, have a major connection with the lower east side, also know as the "bad place" to most people who know what the connotation around hastings means. they are experimental, using a wide variety of genres, from lovely simple guitar work, to heavy, fun stuff. their guitar work is very classic heavy, or hard rock, and the vocals are just... well, it varies from song to song, but they're either lovely and powerful, or classic rock.
fresh facts: the trio all work for an organization that helps the lower east side people of vancouver, and they have also toured with coldplay.
fresh lyrics: " We've all seen tomorrow, and there's truth to what they say, demons may be hiding in our shadows..."
fresh song: tyrant
reminds me of: pink floyd meets sunset rubdown meets arcade fire

Ok, it's summer.

Once again, I am back! Hopefully to stay for a little while. I'm not even sure who reads this, or who even cares anymore, but i've got a slew of new music for y'all, and i'll be updating frequently. hopefully.

here's a quick update of neat bands:
jane vane and the dark matter
mgmt
magnetic fields
the bird and the bee

Top 5 currently interesting tunes:
1. raconteurs - salute your solutions
2. Lal - Brown Eyed Warrior
3. the bird and the bee - fucking boyfriend
4. savage - swing
5. the seeds - mr.farmer

top 3 currently interesting bands:

EXPERIMENTAL SPACE-JAZZ
1. Lal
This band just released their third album, "Deportation," and it's great. Think sexy female jazz vocals, a steady and rich musical heartbeat, and the secret ingredient: groove. the songs are clever and lonely, which keeps the title of the album from becoming redundant. the lead singer looks like rosario dawson, and sounds like good red wine.
interesting fact: their sophomore album won Exclaim!'s Best Soul Album in 2004.
interesting lyrics: "i swim the ocean shallow, too scared to go deep. afraid of what i may meet. afraid of my own heartbeat."
interesting song: Shallow Water
reminds me of: sade

POST-PUNK KIWI-STYLE BRIT-POP
2. cut off your hands
these dudes are an awesome four-piece band from new zealand who know how to rock. they're actually quite famous in new zealand, and are often played on the local music channels there. they have a lot of spunk, or energy, their songs are catchy and poppy.
intersting fact: i accidentally came across this band while looking up the portland band the shaky hands. the shaky hands had the same name as cut off your hands, and made them change it. americans, huh?
interesting lyric: "oh darling can we come over to my house? we can do things we have never done. we can just talk, it would be such fun."
interesting song: Oh Girl
reminds me of: the fratellis

POP/PUNK
3. the datsuns
despite their unfortunate genre choice, this band actually has talent. another new zealand four-piece band, they have been touring the world for the last couple of years, including being part of Ozzfest and other biguns of the like. with crunchy guitar solos, driven vocals, and thorough drumming, this band isn't half bad.
interesting fact: they started out playing battle of the bands, they're just like you! their new song, high school hoodlums, reached #1 at a local new zealand radio station within ten days of it's release.
interesting lyric: "hey! one, two, three, four!"
interesting song: high school hoodlums
reminds me of: the ramones meets weezer meets devo

new radio show!

so today is the first day of my new radio show: "Over the Edge Presents!"
I co-host it with my editor-in-chief cody willett. i'm a little nervous because it's a talk show, and it's for a half hour. well, not nervous. i just hope we don't run out of things to talk about. it's at 12:30 on wednesday afternoons, and everyone should listen! it's basically about what's going on in prince george in the arts scene, as well as a little on the local news and stuff.

other than that, muffin sunday is coming up! this sunday will be our third muffin sunday so far, and it's looking like the biggest one. i might have to make a pie.

i stubbed my baby toe really hard this morning. and i have bronchitis.

as for music, all i'm stuck on right now is the band Gogol Bordello and the new snoop dogg song "sensual seduction." such a funny song. gogol bordello is awesome. are awesome? anyway, they're redifining music, and i'm not just saying that. they've created their own genre: gypsy punk. imagine russian accordian music to sweet lyrics and a fast beat. yeah, they're pretty much the shit.
also, if you get the chance, check out the following bands:
starvin hungry
the pipettes
tokyo police club
shotgun jimmie
the mary onettes
and pretty much everything else. these are just the ones i play on my other radio show a lot.


peace out
t


ps - thanks sonja!