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June 25, 2007
A Concert Review: By Lydia
Cover Me, or Flux Off - Mad Music on a Thursday in North Bay
Picture a band being half through a song you are enjoying when you suddenly realize not only do you know this song's original, you still have the cassette tape somewhere.
Seemed to be a weekend of cover tunes that I just could not place until the middle of the song... not sure why, usually I am on the ball with that kind of stuff. I suppose it is masterful feat to be halfway through a song before anyone realizes what it is... is that genius? Perhaps it is something less celebratory. Not sure. Does this mean your style has taken over and you have made an old hit 'yours'? In a way, I think it does.
"Five Bucks or Flux Off" read the doorman's post on the way in to Evolutions Nightclub. A little homage to the gallery (Flux United) next door, I am sure. There seems to be more activity there as they set up the following nights opening for Matei Glass' photography exhibit. If only they had been open, as I have a bad habit of getting to the show too early when there are multiple bands playing. I needed to kill time, so I 'fluxed' off and got a smoothie.
I returned to the last few songs of Cottonfoot's set including "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". Not really an odd choice considering the pace. I didn't even recognize the song until the title hook. Slow and relaxing acoustic provided great background as people rolled in for the evening's entertainment. Was it genius of Cottonfoot that the song was less than recognizable? Smooth lyrics blended in perfectly with the ambience of the slowly filling bar. One smooth voice after another, a friend of the first performer took the stage for a one-off and left more than a few people wanting more. Genius? Again, I am not sure.
There was a gap in the bill left by Acquired Taste, who was a no-show. This gap was fortunately filled by Life Blown Open. As the keyboardist took a break from making mad music - one part musician, one part cheerleader, as keyboardists often are - he explained this was their second gig together. Were they just a tight band as a fluke or simply cruising on the high of novelty? Certainly if they play live and settle into recording, they will win fans in the vein of The Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire and Tokyo Police club, as the indie wave seems to be far from cresting. Being a huge sucker for all things Theremin and screamo, I thoroughly enjoyed their set.
Now, the next time The Kent Boys are in town remember to bring your parents. Not only for the spectacle - as they would totally adore the music. Well... depending on the amount of redneck they allow on a daily basis.
Impossible to explain yet dissonantly unforgettable, the set was far too short. On the other hand, I think I just wanted more hootin', hollerin', banjo, and dogpatch drummin'. No way did I want to see these boys flex their musical muscle. No way did I want them to depart from their apparent style. Unfortunate to typecast a band within a song or two, yet The Kent Boys are well worth that odd envelope they fall into. Never have I seen such an engrossing show; the crowd was nearly silent. That sort of revered silence usually reserved for dinner theatre or kabuki. Again, impossible to explain, you simply must see The Kent Boys live.
As bands do, they did in fact flex their musical muscle and depart from hootenanny to "Too Old to Skate". Catchy and apt, even though I liked the sound I headed next door to Flux United upon invitation to tour the next days opening. Glass' photos succeed in evoking the emotional tug of war over the Holy Land in his journalistic showing, The Other in Palestine. Included was a 13 minute video "Magnetic Identities" which I felt was pivotal to understanding the photos entirely. As this video was looped and displayed via projection I certainly hoped most patrons stopped long enough to view it and read the synopsis. Tunes were to be grooved by D-TokK in Flux fashion adding a dimension of the 'here and now' counterpoint to the artwork. There is more on the exhibit, which is currently running at Flux on their website http://www.fluxunited.com.
Curatorial staff (and artist) Daniel Elzinga pointed out some finer technical points of the work to me (and the web-cam for the artists' enjoyment) which led to a discussion of the current Camera Frontera II exhibits and a very refreshing discussion on art elitism. Certainly the art and music scene is ripe with more experimentation than ever and the de-mystification of art and those who create it. Usually it is the 'how' that is being de-mystified. I was reminded of watching the band set up next door and their slipping a microphone below the wash-tub bass. I wondered if the percussion instruments were similarly amplified - the de-mystification of 'how' in action. With a quick wave to the web cam streaming to somewhere in Barcelona, I headed back to Evolutions before the mysterious back water punk band left the stage.
Walking back in to another song half over, it took me a second or thirty to recognize "Jump". As in "Hey! Hey you! Who said that? Baby, how you been?" I have heard this song covered a gazillion times and only once successfully by 80's obscurities Aztec Camera in a churning acoustic style. The Kent Boys ye-hawed and stomped out a whole new kind of Jump that night. Punk-grass Cow-core at it's best. A cover-tune no less, and I was impressed with style.
I was also tired.
There was another show to get to the next day, Friday May 6, which was dawning shortly. "Uncle Fester" (a project containing members of The Capones) would be playing at the Fraser Tavern and the official opening night at Flux began at 9pm.
The Old Youth CD release party - the event I had originally hoped to attend carried on without me. I left wishing I had energy left for their set. I had visited http://www.myspace.com/theoldyouth earlier and was intrigued by them alone - then as mystified by The Kent Boys as I had been excited t o see Acquired Taste. Not sure why The Old Youth opted to play last on a Thursday night, as the crowd was thinning for certain.
In many ways Acquired Taste would have been an excellent choice for the line-up at Evo that night, and many were disappointed they had reneged. Certainly, this opened a door for Life Blown Open which proved to fit into the line up hand-in-glove. I don't recall if they performed a cover of any tarnished 80's hits... if they had, it flew under my radar. I did know, however, that somewhere at the end of the Acquired Taste album lurked a "unique" rendition of "House of the Rising Sun" - which I was going to give a listen just to round the night off in full. - Lydia Peever
Posted by i220 at 10:46 AM | Comments (1)
June 20, 2007
Canada: Show Promotion
deejayscootz
Fri.Jun.22/07[19:00] @ Edward Day Gallery, Toronto. *Big Bass Electro-Jazz, Bikini Models, Auto-Video Projections & Free Food and Beverages! Volvo celebrates the release of it's new CAR!*
Phoenix Poetry Workshop
Sat.Jun.23/07[14:00] @ College-Shaw Library (downstairs), Toronto. *Bring 9 copies of a one-page poem.*
Posted by i220 at 09:47 AM | Comments (2)
June 11, 2007
Poetry by: Omaha RisinG
Website: http://hammeredoutlitzine.blogspot.com/2007/05/omaharising.html
Email: omaha@axxent.ca
Posted by i220 at 09:06 AM | Comments (3)
June 08, 2007
Poetry: Forwarded Online
Poem and Words of Wisdom
Forwarded to the revolution: Author unknown.
Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell.
And he rang mine but we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim
Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner, yet miles away,
Here's a telegram sir," "Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.
Remember to always say what you mean.
If you love someone, tell them.
Don't be afraid to express yourself.
Reach out and tell someone what they mean to you.
Because when you decide that it is the right time it might
be too late.
Seize the day. Never have regrets.
And most importantly, stay close to your friends
and family, for they have helped make you the person
that you are today.
SMILE, even through your tears!!!!!
Posted by i220 at 10:57 AM | Comments (0)
June 01, 2007
Ralphige - Another Boring Bottom-Feeder
Jun. Newsletter [Ed.33] - PROMOTING YOU TO YOU!
REPPIN' OVER 70 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE - 10,000+ HITS MONTHLY!
FREE MUSIC: [http://www.themusicalrevolution.com/i220.php]
PROMO: Canadian Websites:
Indie Contact Newsletter
A helpsite for independent musicians.
MUSICIANS - Send your promoteables (concert dates, merchandise, website info, etc...) to: info@themusicalrevolution.com
MUSIC NEWS (in this issue):
1. NEW RAZORLIGHT SONG ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
2. IS YOUR MOBILE PHONE THE NEW MUSIC HUB?
3. U2 SINGER WINS LIBERTY MEDAL
4. 'HEY YOU' - MADONNA SINGLE FOR LIVE EARTH
5. PAUL McCARTNEY FINALLY EMBRACES THE INTERNET
6. DO YOU CARE?: Simon and GarFINKle, Portishead so s.l..o...w, B.S., M.J. - 6.6..6, Syd Barrett's big payout, Live Earth drama :S and Music as advertising?.. What a revelation...
THEMUSICALREVOLUTION.COM THIS MONTH: Big RevoWelcome to our newest member: Greg. Check this out: All is quiet on the revolution front. I'm currently struggling with three projects, all that may be of some interest to you. 1. I'm in the process of relaunching my solo acoustic career but as per usual, this Toronto nut is pretty hard to crack. Still, expect news about upcoming shows sooner than later. 2. TheMusicalRevolution.com II is very much in the works. I've had to take a step back to research database possibilities (which is about as exciting as it sounds - trust me) but expect a summer launch :) 3. "The Populars". My brother's (all Canadian) rock band are in full studio flight and this has been an unbelievable learning opportunity for yours truly. Check out their website/myspace for song demos produced by your very own Mattyy. Also expect a full force studio album from the guys produced by none other than (Pursuit of Happiness') Moe Berg. Quiet but exciting none-the-less. http://thepopulars.com/ - http://www.myspace.com/thepopulars
EDITORIAL:
So there's this dude named "Ralphige". Apparently, nobody knows who this cat is. He's been to jail for stalking, harassing and placing obscene phone calls. What he does is prank call celebs (Jerky Boys style). He then proceeds to probe and push said famous person's buttons. Later, he posts the conversations on his website. http://www.ralphige.com/ So far, he's hit Jay-Z and Paris Hilton among others. He claims to have numbers for Lenny Kravitz, Robin Thicke, Bobby Valentino, Reverend Run, Shaggy and then some.
No doubt, you already know all this information and more.
Why would someone want to do this you may ask? The man himself claims that it is all in the name of investigative journalism. He enjoys, [and I quote] "...exposing the real them." By remaining anomynous, he DOES sidestep the "personal fame" charge that practically every other journalist seems guilty of. But. His (pseudonym) name is still out there and people are lionizing him at least a little.
I have a few questions for you. Where does he get those "very" private phone numbers from? When is he going to call someone who is actually very famous and respected? Doesn't it seem a little suspicious that as his "false" name gets shine so does the names of those "celebrities" that he calls?
Even though I believe that trash talking B rate celebrities is not a bad thing; they get the limelight they so desire/we get to laugh at their pathetic cries for attention. I think that I'm just getting BORED with it all. Mindless reality TV, ragmags and this staged dufus "Ralph-whige" character are all bottom feeders of the worst variety - not because they feed off of other folk's celebrity but because those celebrities aren't real in the first place.
I'd like to think that even the most easily amused of us just watch because there's little alternative. Someone once told me, "You will never go hungry by underestimating the intelligence of the public at large. (para.)" Well, I feel that this "clown" is giving it his best shot.
And...
I just gave him a little more promotion - so what am I?
Whaddayou think?
Love,
Mattyy
MUSIC NEWS:
1. NEW RAZORLIGHT SONG ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE: The single, 'Funeral Blues' was recorded in London's only solar powered studio in support of The Big Ask, Friends of the Earth climate campaign which looks to encourage a change in climate law. Check: http://www.foe.co.uk for free download (2 weeks only).
2. IS YOUR MOBILE PHONE THE NEW MUSIC HUB?: As the cell phone scrambles to catch up with the iPod; wireless technology, internet accessibility and universality may just put it over the top. 32 portable phones are sold every second. The sharing/easy purchasing power of these units seems endless. One idea which is gaining momentum is that of a satellite which will contain every song ever recorded. If you want ANY tune and your mobile is "hooked up", it could very soon just be a click away.
3. U2 SINGER WINS LIBERTY MEDAL: Mr. Paul Hewson, a.k.a. Bono and his organization DATA are about to be honoured by the National Constitution Center in the US. for their work in the fight against AIDS and poverty in Africa.
4. 'HEY YOU' - MADONNA SINGLE FOR LIVE EARTH: The proceeds from the song (which will only be available for download) will go to Alliance For Climate Protection.
5. PAUL McCARTNEY FINALLY EMBRACES THE INTERNET: EMI has recently announced that all of Sir Paul's solo music will soon be available for download. In addition, The former Beatle/Wings frontman has debuted his newest video, 'Dance Tonight' on YouTube.
6. DO YOU CARE?: Alright - something I care about but maybe you don't. Simon & Garfunkle have reunited for one rare DC concert. The whole affair featured two VERY wealthy men taking an evening of their time to honour themselves and maybe just give their relentless fans (who put them where they are and have waited with bated breath ever since) one more glimpse of their genius. Table scraps never tasted so good... Portishead may also be back for their first gig in 10 years. But. Trippin' and Hoppin' never gets you anywhere fast... Apparently, Ms. Spears knows the price of your loyalty. One nude (but teasing) pic of herself on her site and a less than heartfelt apology should ensure great sales of her next album!.. O.K. Michael Jackson IS satan! He just bought up the rights to a few Eminem, Shakira, Beck and Bjork tunes, to add to the Beatles songs he already owns. He's like a vampire trying to suck his way back into being a real human being... Big conspiracy theory. The NYPD have been spying on rappers such as Diddy and Jay-Z. Oh, they publically stated that they were? Ahh.. do I have egg on my face - LOL!. WHY?.. Surprise! Syd Barrett did have a will and something to leave behind after all. It seems that his brothers and sisters will all have to fight over the RKB estate (a room in his mom's house in Camebridge) but they will also have to all chip in to pay off some shady character named "Bucket" who sells vicodin on the corner of Charles St. and Vicar Ln... All of this controvery over whether the world needs a "Live Earth" rock concert or not is pretty much as good a reason to vomit as any. I'm just wondering if Sir Bob Geldolf is feeling just a little overshadowed in his "I'm the savior of the world" role. Apparently, Roger Daltry views the concerts as a complete waste of time. What the world really needs is another "The Who" reunion tour - that'll fix everything ;).. The Chinese have decided to let Xtina into the country. If that isn't proof of third world corruption, then I don't know what is!.. The BBC has banned a song from it's rotation that has been proved to be an actual advertisement for a haircare product (BBC Radio 1 doesn't allow advertising). But, it all seems a little redundant since 99% of radio music is advertising for crappy major labels and their political agendas anyhow. Try to get a song about how we shouldn't spend all of our money as fast as possible on the radio today and you'll see.. YOU'LL SEE.. HaHaHaHaHAHAHAHAHAHA...
*Collected from a variety of online NEWS sources and summed up here for your enjoyment/enlightenment.*
Until next month,
Please contribute to better music. YOUR music.
http://Www.TheMusicalRevolution.Com/Weblog/index.html
Posted by i220 at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)