Stranger Than Paradise

Bloglisters of the World Unite and Take Over


Physical State: achey
Mental State: sludgy
Music: Air conditioning white noise (in Borlington today)
Fashion sense: blue shirt, khaki pants

As mentioned on Friday, there is an article about blogs from Exclaim monthly. Click here to read about the phenomenon of blogging.

More to come later today.

The other Ruben and Glasters



Physical State: lumbering
Mental State: clear
Music: The United States of America - s/t
Fashion sense: grey t-shirt, tan shorts

Found out this great site that hosts some of the projects of independent filmmaker and video director Ruben Fleischer (responsible for that great new DJ Format video for "We Know Something You Don't Know" with the dancin' costumed animals, seen above. As well the graphically-oriented "The Hit Song" by DJ Format showcasing the talents of Toronto's Abdominal and Gold Chains' "Nada" are also highlights). Check out Ruben here.

Air conditioner still not installed...uh! I tried it out and its pretty cool (uh duh) but the installation has to be redone (just a bar holding the thing in at this point with a wide open window and clear plastic covering the empty space...just like in a hoser wagon...a makeshift car window, eh?). Luckily its going to be a little cooler for the next few days so I'm not going to need it as I try to get it installed.

Have you checked out the final season of Oz? On Showcase this summer. After this season that's it, boy.

Hey if you read this blog and I don't know you or have told you about it let me know that you read it. I'd like to hear from you. Great article in Exclaim this month about blogs and how they are the last stand for true journalism (or personal diatribes that only a few people would find interesting).

For those of you not lucky enough to be in Glastonbury for the music festival can catch many of the great bands via webcast by clicking here and then clicking on webcasts (today, tomorrow and Sunday).

Later!

The things that bug me
& one that doesn't


Avril lends her voice to the Concert
for Toronto while promoters line
their pockets with c notes.

Physical State: stiff
Mental State: bitchy
Music: The Daily Show With Claire Kember on Totally Radio
Fashion sense: green t-shirt, grey sweats

Yeah its been awhile guess you thought I disappeared. Not to worry.

Maybe its the oncoming heat that I'm expecting for the summer or just my obnoxious cynical liberal leanings but I have EVEN MORE things to complain about today. So here we go.

Bone of contention #1

This past weekend saw a huge megastar concert series on Saturday that happened at SkyDome and the Air Canada Centre. The likes of Avril Lavigne and Diana Krall and others all showed up to perform at this concert that was sold out in 3 hours. The thing that bugs me is that the promoters were supposed to use the concert to promote Toronto to tourists letting them know that it was safe to come to our city. It was also cunningly reffered to as the "SARS relief concert". What really has me going are a couple of things that may seem out of line on my part. One: None of the proceeds went to SARS research, hotel and restaurant layoff victims or overworked nurses (what a SARS relief show should mean). The profits just went into the pockets of the performers and the promoters (they seemed to have abused the drop in tourism angle as their "reason" for putting on the show. So philanthropic of them huh?). Two: the show sold out in 3 hours making it impossible for anyone except Toronto and area residents to buy tickets (there were no hotel promotions or airline packages to entice out-of-towners to come to Toronto). Isn't selling tickets to a Toronto concert to "Toronto only" people like preaching to the converted? While I'm not a fan of these acts (although I think Avril is a better role model for young girls than Britney) I don't think that their hearts or minds were in the right place by agreeing to perform. Its sad that many of the ticket buyers probably mistakenly thought they were helping out a cause when what they were really doing was just supporting a concert promoter, Clear Channel entertainment (responsible for some of that lousy radio you get to hear. See previous posts). They deviously used the misfortune of SARS as their selling point while knowing full well that they weren't going to really help out the affected parties that could benefit from the proceeds. Maybe this show idea was part of the "Come to Toronto" campaign originally but why couldn't they have promoted the concert as a tourism boost but also as a relief for SARS research and victims? What would have been the harm in that? Bottom line profits I guess and being tied to a donation responsibility. I probably think that Jane and Joe suburban saw the show then hoofed it back to Mississauga asap (I hope that they supported Toronto businesses before and after but I wonder). As well if the promoters had any balls they'd tally up the money and make a big donation to the city, victims and researchers as a gesture of good faith. But hey is this going to happen? More to come.

This SARS mania is way out of control as well (I'll save my editorial on that for another post that might include the new term "sars nerd" referring to acts who cancel their shows out of fear of SARS, come on!).

Bone of contention #2

Starbucks have instigated a "policy" of charging you additionally for the use of soy milk in their drinks. So if you had a latte, they'd charge you for the FULL price of the latte (a price that would include regular milk) and also add on an additional soy milk /"lactose-intolerant discrimination" charge. So you're paying double in effect for the milk product (and with Starbucks you're already taking out a second mortgage to buy their drinks so...). I contacted the Starbucks office in Toronto and the Seattle head office by email (something I very rarely do). I said that I was confused by the double charge and thought it was unwarranted. I was told that because of the "quality" of the soy milk used in Starbucks and the cost of carrying these products this cost had to be added to the full price and not substituted in place of the regular milk. Is it just me or is this total bullshit? Anyone who buys soy milk at the grocery store knows that the price is pretty damn close if not equal to the cost of dairy milk, so this is pretty crappy and worth further investigation. It would seem that Starbucks are using this lack of consumer education to do a number on the unsuspecting "lactose-and-value-intolerant" consumer. What's more is that this fact is not advertised in their store. Pretty devious. Most people don't even think twice about it. Like looking at your change when you go to the corner store, you just expect that you're not being ripped-off. Ask your barista and see what they say (I was told by one guy that he got in trouble from the boss for not double-charging for soy products). I'd be interested to know if this is a Toronto-only phenomenon. The customer comes first, eh? No coupons or customer loyalty pr efforts either from the head office. Nice one. Of course there are people out there who probably would chastise me for even supporting Starbucks in the first place but I like their coffee not their policies. Others are probably saying "put up or shut up, loser"...fair enough. These are just some things that rub me the wrong way. Maybe I'm being an idiot. You decide.

Mr. Rayner Rocks

One more thing before I leave is that I'd like to draw your attention to one of the brilliant minds of our Toronto newspaper community, Mr. Ben Rayner. His column is worth buying the paper for everyday and it never fails to entertain. Check out his column on tv commercials we all love to hate (some of the humour may be lost on people who live outside of Canada in some cases). Read his column here.

I'm so "bored" with the USA


Physical State: slow
Mental State: murky
Music: Four Tet - Rounds
Fashion sense: black t-shirt

What is wrong with the USA these days? I mean how did this happen?

Here is an article that appeared in the New York Times written by William Safire in regards to the FCC allowing select media companies to gain total control over the airwaves for tv and radio. What happened to concepts of "its a free country" and "home of the brave and the free". I know if you believe that buddy then I have some swampland in Florida that's looking good, etc. I'm just a Canadian but you know that this stuff will probably go down here as well in the long run. I say listen to internet radio stations (while they're still unregulated or monopolized by the good ship Clear Channel) and dump your tuner in the garbage (the place where most commercial broadcast radio today is anyway). This kind of thing is really scary. Scary for independent voices and creative minds who need a chance to be heard. Scary for the confidence that people have in their government that they're looking out for their best interests and supposedly operating democratically. There's always Public Broadcasting I guess, but for how long? What century are we living in here?

______________________________________________

Regulate the F.C.C.
By WILLIAM SAFIRE

WASHINGTON

The Federal Communications Commission — in business to protect the public's interest in our nation's airwaves — has by a 3-to-2 vote opened the floodgates to a wave of media mergers that will further crush local diversity and concentrate the power to mold public opinion in the hands of ever-fewer giant corporations.

This troubles some readers, listeners and viewers who don't like homogenized news or one-size-fits-all entertainment forced down their throats. When I inveighed against this impending sellout a couple of weeks ago, thousands — no kidding, an unprecedented torrent — of e-mails came roaring in, many beginning "Though I consider you a rightwing nutcase on most issues, I'm 100% with you against this big-media power grab."

John McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, was also startled by the public reaction to the Floodgate scandal: "750,000 people sent messages to the F.C.C.," McCain tells me. "This sparked more interest than any issue I've ever seen that wasn't organized by a huge lobby."

Here's what happened: a single media giant, up to now allowed to own television stations reaching slightly more than a third of the nation's viewers, will soon — thanks to Floodgate — be able to reach nearly half, a giant's giant step toward 100 percent "penetration." And as for "cross-ownership" — the ability for newspapers to buy TV and radio stations in the same city and vice versa — the F.C.C. as much as said "c'mon in, local domination by a media powerhouse is fine."

Now it's up to Congress to overturn the ruling by the roundheeled F.C.C. On Thursday, Senate Commerce will mark up a bill put forward by Ted Stevens, Republican of Alaska, to roll back the penetration to 35 percent. It will be amended by Byron Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, to roll back the cross-ownership.

Where does Chairman McCain stand? The maverick whose hero is the trust-busting Teddy Roosevelt is uncharacteristically torn. He's against regulation in principle and admires F.C.C. Chairman Michael Powell, so he won't support Stevens's rollback to 35 percent (which McCain thinks will pass in committee, and which he won't fight) or support Dorgan's amendment on cross-ownership (which McCain thinks is doomed — "the fix is in on cross-ownership").

But I can feel the Arizonan coming around. "There's already too much concentration in radio," he says, as only four companies reach almost all listeners in the U.S. in what some of us remember as a blessedly local medium. "That could be the miners' canary. We'll hold hearings on that." (He should call in artists to examine how one radio combine gained a stranglehold on popular music.)

McCain's hesitancy means that this week's strong hand for diversity and diffusion of power is Stevens. With conservative allies like Trent Lott and Kay Bailey Hutchison joining most Democrats, Stevens has the votes for his bill. Dorgan tells me that if he cannot get a modified version of his cross-ownership rollback amendment passed, there is another way — through the Congressional Review Act — of bringing the issue to the floor.

Forgive the inside baseball (this is beginning to read like a Bob Novak column), but the legislative intricacy shows how a power grab engineered by a seemingly unstoppable lobby has at least a chance of being stymied by an aroused public resentful of media manipulation.

Media moguls slavering for massive mergers don't worry about any Senate action described above. They are sure they have Billy Tauzin, Republican of Louisiana and chairman of House Commerce, in their pocket, and think they can kill any rollback in the House.

Mebbeso, but never underestimate the political sagacity of an old Senate bull like Stevens, who doesn't get his bills passed for show. There may be some serious homeland-security angles to communications legislation that would be of interest to House conservatives and could form the basis of House-Senate cooperation.

The effect of the media's march to amalgamation on Americans' freedom of voice is too worrisome to be left to three unelected commissioners. This far-reaching political decision should be made by Congress and the White House, after extensive hearings and fair coverage by too-shy broadcasters, no-local-news cable networks and conflicted newspapers.

Listeners, viewers and readers are interested. You should see this stack of mail.
______________________________________________

Cousin of the Stripes



Physical State: creaky
Mental State: cloudy
Music: Hooray For Tuesday on CKLN (listening on a Thursday of a tape)
Fashion sense: green t-shirt

I know I know. No posts lately, what have you been up to? Working a few days this week. I also was working on putting together a mixed comp tape of Canadian bands for that girl Kember (who also is going to the south of France, ok jealous). Not much to speak of the past few days. Sleepy from couple of late nights. Holly Golightly "Truly She Is None Other" not out here until July? Jeez...(too many great albums out now on my shopping list anyway).

One, Two, Three, Four Tet


Mr. Hebden contemplates
the next masterpiece

Physical State: slouchy
Mental State: sunny
Music: Four Tet - Pause
Fashion sense: black t-shirt

Yeah that Kieran Hebden boy (aka Four Tet) is pretty damn cool. Gotta pick up the new Four Tet album "Rounds". All of 25 years of age, opening for Radiohead and producing the next Beth Orton album. Have you heard about this dude? Also a member of the equally excellent Fridge. Man this guy's stuff is beautiful to listen to.

Nice day, stuck in the apartment to get some work done (damn!). Got a message from Kirsteen that she just came back from Barcelona and Provence...must be nice. I'm not jealous, really, ok a little. I need to go to the South of France too. Why can't I ?...oh yeah, broke.

Controller.controller kicking your disco-punk-ass up and down
the T. Dot this weekend


Physical State: weary
Mental State: baked
Music: K.C. Accidental - Anthems For The Could've Bin Pills
Fashion sense: green Stereolab t-shirt, blue jeans
Book: No book today

Control...I'm here.

My favourite band of the moment, controller.controller (WHO DON'T HAVE A CD YET!?!) have an article today in Eye magazine. Yes these fine people are playing not one but TWO shows this weekend. The first gig sees them following up Tangiers at the Rivoli tomorrow night for NXNE (bring your towel because the Rivoli will be an oven after the Tangiers show with lots of record a&r people chatting at the door, that's if you can even get in. Good luck brother). Have no fear though because the controller x2 bring their funk-punk disco party to Wavelength on Sunday as well! So nice they had to be booked twice. For a link to the article from today's Eye magazine, click here. These kids, as they say, are gonna be big.

Can I just say that the pickin's for this year's NXNE are pretty lame (no offense to the bands that are in that I've already seen and loved and will continue to see). It just seems that there have been better years. I'm not going to it this year.

Physical State: achey
Mental State: catty
Music: Radio Loveless
Fashion sense: grey t-shirt, grey sweats
Book: Observatory Mansions - Edward Carey

Just reading that the FCC approved lax ownership laws on media conglomerate control recently. More of the same shite on your media conglomerate owned FM station than ever before. I stopped listening to regular radio many years ago. Now its all internet stations, college radio and the CBC (which so far are still pretty open-minded). Do your part, don't support Clear Channel with your ears or your dollars. If everyone says "yes I don't want to hear the "hits" anymore, f**ker" then maybe we can change radio back to what was once a great idea. I know, a pipe dream. Support your local mom and pop indie record store and local bars and bands too. Boycott big ticket shows (eventually Radiohead will play some bars for 5 nights in one town and get my respect for it).

Think, ask questions, and be wary of big money and how your culture is sold to you. "The enemy of progress is questions". Who said that? You call hearing the same lame marketing-suit-driven-over-produced pop song at the same time everyday, progress? Stop this ride I wanna get off. It's just a matter of time before the crap all comes down and people get fed up with it all. It's all about markets son, it's not about art. Why not?

Ok I run the risk of looking like a hypocrite most of the time. At least if I try in some small way to change things for myself that will be enough. You see my dilemma is this. I talk about how I hate media conglomeration but I enjoy getting paychecks from Bell Globemedia for my design work (to be honest I've been doing promotion for the Simpsons which I think has very redeeming qualities). I drink Starbucks coffee, wear Nike shoes sometimes and bought the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs cd (on Universal). So who the hell am I to say anything. True dat. Well at least I'm trying to make decisions and think about it all, to question now and then. Just think if everyone did a little bit of that and didn't buy Kelly Clarkson albums because the Joneses did how much better off this world would be. I aint no saint, it's true. I'm sure even Naomi Klein owns a Sony cd in her collection. At least it helps to consider.

Physical State: sickly, sore throat
Mental State: leaden
Music: Hobby Industries - Soundbank (May)
Fashion sense: white t-shirt, grey sweats
Book: Honeymoon and Other Stories - Kevin Canty

Get a Hobby! Yes everyone is always telling you to get one and get out of their face. Well now you can get some Hobby Industries web excitement for your ears. The cool little electronic label from Denmark has a monthly feature at their website called The Soundbank with cool audio treats in a playlist (this month includes Broadcast, Sylvain Chauveau and Gescom among others). To check it out just go to their main website and click on the Soundbank link.

That is all.