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).