Tuesday, July 31, 2007

countdown to holidays

I'm going to jump in a lake, and be covered with leeches! Back in the middle ages it would have been for my health. Not so much this time. But if it helps, I'm willing to pretend to be Guinevere for an afternoon.

Download this week's show. It's slightly less illegal than what you're usually doing on the internet. Part 1 Part 2

Track list:

1. The Reckless Sweethearts - the reckless sweethearts - open road

Comments: Very heartfelt and soothingly country. I like country! Sometimes. That nu-stuff not so much. But this sort of thing I can appreciate.

2. Roland Blinn - daily - track 5

Comments: This week's installment of 'mystery roland roulette'. And the verdict: more carnival music from Roland, this time with a childhood innocence I'm really enjoying. So delightfully wacky!

3. Kids on TV - mixing business with pleasure - breakdance hunx (psbeuys pnp remix featuring boy george)

Comments: Real Boy George? Or fake? Or some sort of culture club edit? I can't really tell. But it got my attention, so kids, you win. This is so much rapid clicking I don't think I could possibly dance to it without extensive training first. I like the spoken word portion. The soulful bass-y noises are also pleasing.

4. Skull Time - skull time - sexy fancy

Comments: Honestly, is it even worth asking why I would choose this song? Come on, sexy and fancy. This is fun and kind of awesome. I love how many left-turns I'm making today, as far as mood goes. Keeping you on your toes since 1999!

5. Love and Mathematics - love and mathematics - copper coin bikini

Comments: How could I resist a song about a bikini, right before holidays? This is a lovely song with just enough angst. It's a tribute to my own bikini, which sits neglected in a drawer, never to see the light of day. How I managed to spend so much money on two scraps of fabric that I'll never wear I do not know.

6. Carbon Dating Service - polyentendrii - light up the synchrotron

Comments: Soothing songs about science. With trumpets! This sounds very cooperative, and I like a band that doesn't sound hostile to people singing along (it's an impulse I have trouble controlling).

7. Mice Parade - mice parade - satchelaise

Comments: Cool inventive time-signature, or something. Many layers, including piano. I know some artsy types who would love this. I like it too. It's crazy dramatic! If there's anything I enjoy, it's being violently swept off my feet in a wave of emotion. As long as Tom Hanks isn't trying to do it. That no longer works.

8. Monotract - trueno oscuro - under my arm

Comments: Creepy, like a twilight zone soundtrack! I'm nervous, and pretty sure the aliens are on their way.

9. Lucid 44 - ...and God gave me legs... - untitled track 1

Comments: Slow to start. Mellow and spooky. There's an echo in here for sure.

10. Volcanoless in Canada - in tune Saskatchewan 2007 - she moves

Comments: I've played them before and I'll play them again. I hope they become megastars. Saskatchewan, you're adorable, and so are your musicians (it's inevitable).

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Bending my genre

Probably bending it in unhealthy ways, ways in which it was not meant to be bent, which I will feel like musical arthritis in my old age. But heck, you're only young once.

NEW! (Thanks Ed.) Get this episode: part 1 part 2

Track list:

1. The Reasonable Men - the reasonable men - undersold

Comments: They can't say no, and neither can I. I like the plaintive quality.

2. Joan Armatrading - into the blues - my baby's gone

Comments: Joan is so hardcore. She has artistic integrity pouring out of her socks when she's not even paying attention. Nothing will stop this lady. Bonus: look how much fun she's obviously having.

3. Jliat - now that's what I call noise vol. 1 - mystery track 3

Comments: ow ow ow. Proficient in noise. Some "wisdom" on this from wikinerdia.

4. Roland Blinn - de - mystery track 11

Comments: Like if the carnival went horribly wrong, in a sad burnt-out problem-drinking kind of way. The definition of 'maudlin'. But good!

5. Tim Gilbertson - tim gilbertson - long walk

Comments: I like this piece of summery delight. The happy guitar trills perfectly compliment the smooth descending vocal lines. Plus I enjoy the occasional long walk. Gives me time to think about things before I do them (which saves molto embarrassment, I don't mind saying). Tim, good job on this one, you could rent yourself out to the very wealthy as a personal balladeer. Seriously, let me know if you need help with the business plan.

6. Illfit Outfit - proudly resenting illfit outfit - pink bathwater

Comments: Girl drummer, woot! Jenni the girl drummer, I would like to apologize for my previous mistake. So anyway. This is an excellent song. I want to hop up and down. Sadly, I'd probably just rip out an important cable with my clumsy feet. I'm settling for head-and-shoulder bops in my chair.

7. Carolyn Mark - nothing is free - pink moon and all the ladies

Comments: So, so pretty. With casual swearing. You know what else is so, so pretty? Cartoon Carolyn. Like lovely bobble-headed Dita Von Teese. And about to be attacked by a badger! Exciting and gorgeous, all at once.

8. Jon-Rae and the River - knows what you need - eastern migration

Comments: The growling frustration I was hoping it would be. Mmm. Especially for everyone I know who is pondering the trek out to their hometown (necessarily back east) this summer, to visit their parents. Listen to Jon-Rae! It's a bad idea! Don't leave me here alone! Desperate clenching will ensue!

9. The Blow - poor aim: love songs - come on petunia

Comments: Get it, like Aunt Petunia in Harry Potter! Crap, I'm such a nerd. This is a nice low-key funky little song though. I like it. And I love that she's re-imagining Every Little Thing She Does is Magic. It's my least favourite Police song, but now I'm kind of starting to like it.

10. The Great Outdoors - food booze and entertainment - a short dissertation on post traveling blues

Comments: Holy song title guys, it almost didn't fit on the internet. Crazy. I like the gentle combination of strumming and whiny fiddle. Siiiigh.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

emily the unregistered animagus.

Although I'd prefer to be a wherewolf, they get all the action. Grr.

Track list:

1. The Big Disappointments - the big disappointments - the ugly man

Comments: Garage-delicious. I love this! TBDs, you have seriously undersold yourselves on this one. Perhaps it is ironic comment.

2. Roland Blinn - ticket - track 10

Comments: The first Roland Blinn track of the summer. Roland, a bit of a mystery man, has sent about 14 cds to the station in the last two weeks. He's very prolific. I'm going to play one song every week. It is my summer project. That being said: I love this! Glorious lo-fi acoustic guitar, vigorously strummed. Roland is starting off on a high point.

3. These Electric Lives - these electric lives - soda water

Comments: Happy-sounding. I always find it difficult to relate to that. However: soda water is my favourite summer drink. Add liberal amounts of Rose's Lime Cordial and you're set. So really, what could be wrong with this?

4. The Ghost is Dancing - the darkest spark - greatlakescape

Comments: This song insists that I listen to it and find it compelling. It is successful. It also has that "driving" sound I'm so fond of. Actually, this would be an excellent song to listen to as you're driving home late in the evening after a particularly successful camping holiday (maybe you got to second base!).

5. Secret Mommy - mammal class - bottom 40

Comments: Winningly weird electronic sounds. Take me to class, secret mommy.

6. Shapes and Sizes - split lips, winning hips, a shiner - the horse's mouthy mouth

Comments: deceptively mellow, with that big swear. I should really mark that on the disc, I know I've been tricked before.

7. The Choir Practice - the choir practice - red fox

Comments: The Choir Practice identified me as a "review" on their blog, which I found charming in a horribly misguided sort of way, since I have all the musical authority of a lobster. But whatever! It's enough to get you played again, TCP. Just know this: I wouldn't do it if I didn't like you anyway. Radio show integrity!

8. Tour De Fours - atlantis - sheeps clothing

Comments: Poppy, in a 60's sort of way. I want to bang a tambourine to it, basically. It's delightful.

9. Alex Delivery - star destroyer - rainbow

Comments: I object to the font used on the back of the cd. Come on guys, I'm not an elf here, okay? But this is a nice relaxing church-hall-organ sound. A good wind-down song.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

laaaaaanguid.

It's a very hot day, I'm on the mountain, in the rarefied air (but only just), consuming "post-punk" etc. I think it's possible to be too relaxed. But what am I gonna do?

Track list:

1. They Shoot Horses Don't They - pick up sticks - that's a good question

Comments: The changing tempos might make me feel panicked, on a regular day. But not in a bad way. More in a 'dance contest, final round!' kind of way. Is that a clarinet I hear? This is extremely fun.

2. The Julius Airwave - the city the forest - shipwreck

Comments: Iiiiiiii like it. Gosh I'm relaxed. This is sweetly sung happy pop music over restrained organ. Aaah.

3. The Neins Circa - sleeves and wigs - welcome home, eugene choo

Comments: Hilarity, right near my house.

4. Parts & Labor - mapmaker - the gold we're digging

Comments: A slightly darker mood now, but delicious nonetheless.

5. Great Plains - home of the new totem - unnatural

Comments: This has that 'driving' quality to it. The same quality Space Truckin' has, but in an optimistic indie-pop from Nova Scotia kind of way. I would like to go east one day and just hug every maritimer. Is that creepy?

6. Carbon Dating Service - polyentendril - another you

Comments: Very pretty, and with an imaginative combination of instruments that includes... the xylophone? I don't know, I'm no musicologist. I like how this is slow and gentle, and seems to come in (radio-host-heart-stopping) waves. Is it over now? Argh! Now? Arrrgh! But then it just relaxes you all over again. So in the end it's okay. For YOU.

7. Greenness - howard hello/greenness split cd - the 1994 two-piece rump shake

Comments: Experimental! I don't hear any similarities with Bobby Brown. But I don't care either, since that guy was kind of a hack in bike shorts. These people obviously have vision!

8. Ford Pier - organ farming - you don't want to know what I'm into

Comments: I have a feeling Ford is trying to creep me out. Is that true, Ford? Well, the organ farming thing, for a start. Anyway, I like the harmonica. Plus it's a bit dramatic, and I love drama.

9. The Hits - hello everybody we are the hits - sand in my shoes

Comments: Summer-appropriate punk! Lovely. It's so comfortingly old-school. The leather jackets covered in zippers are like valium teddy bears to me. In that they are soothing and provide a feeling of safety. But punk!

10. Imaginations Treetrunk - branching out - ol' lady love songs

Comments: you never can get enough of the magic of that title.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

somebody's worst birthday ever

Somewhere in the world, it is someone's very worst birthday of all time. Can I take comfort in that? Well, maybe. Maybe things are looking up from now on! Hey kid, your seventh is always rough. Eight is a piece of cake in comparison. Chin up soldier!

Track list:

1. Wafer Thin Mints - the finest car they ever built in 1983 - hot chevette

Comments: A cute countryfied piece about buying a hatchback in Calgary. Very nice. You're all being added to my Christmas card list.

2. People for Audio - the new ancients - black memory white whale

Comments: Soothe me, People. Aaah. This is the mellow part of the show, where you reflect on your life and all of the novels you have never completed. Cough.

3. Tranzmitors - tranzmitors - why don't boys cry

Comments: I love this happy poppy song with its lo-fi guitar, and I love that it's asking the question I long to ask! And now a brief discussion of my secret fantasy, which is that boys cry alone, when no one can see them do it. They are compelled, by the weight of their everyday stoicism. Sigh.

4. Lymbyc Systym - love your abuser - love your abuser

Comments: Sweet quasi-electronic instrumental stuff, at a nice relaxed pace. For playing while you are floating through space toward monoliths. And the bells! So pretty. But not lame or anything. Just pleasant.

5. Bill Callahan - woke on a whaleheart - a man needs a woman or a man to be a man

Comments: The country music of yesteryear, lightheartedly updated to reflect the themes of today. Sigh. I just feel good right now. Lollipops for everyone!

6. Miracle Fortress - five roses - beach baby

Comments: Soothing, sparing with the singing. Minimalist in its vocal stylings, if you will. I like that funny wibbly synth effect that sounds like it's coming from the sky. Eep!

7. Grandfather Fire and The Holy Morning - gf and the hm - it's gonna blow, cokato

Comments: Now that I type it out, it looks a whole lot like some sort of hideous branded potato. This is one of those songs with that eerie thing going on where it might exploed at any second and melt your face off, but you're just not sure. It's building momentum, almost imperceptibly.

8. Sterling - cursed - eyes

Comments: I think I like that same Yes album that you like.

9. Wolfgang - the wicked truth about loving a man - master of the music

Comments: holy BEATS! My favourite thing is that I'm playing this techno 80s massacre right before the folk show. Oh sweet victory over traditional notions of format. This is the icing on my radio cake!