Stranger Than Paradise

As heard on Totally Radio's Daily Show


Physical State: sleepy
Mental State: crumbly
Music: Totally Radio - The Daily Show w/ Claire Kember
Fashion sense: black shirt, khaki pants

Yes it's official, I am now going global. Today you can hear my review of The Gossip show in Toronto on Totally Radio's Daily Show with Claire Kember. They asked me to do a little review thing every two weeks. They call me via ISDN from Brighton, UK and then I talk films and gigs with Claire. Brent Bonet (Darbyblog link at left) will be doing the alternate weeks. This is totally voluntary and I think the listener review thing will expand to have other listeners giving their perspective on things from their area down the road. Click the link above to go to the show and check out my conversation with Claire.

In other news. RadioIndieRock.com finally received non-profit incorporation papers from New York State which is great news as you'll be able to soon listen to some great internet radio (same as the old Invisible Radio once was). Feel free to donate via Paypal when the account is set up. We don't want to be shut out by the RIAA again via big royalty scams. In order to keep our little station afloat we'll need lots of donations and word of mouth, so put spread the good word. Shows will launch next Monday. Check the link at the left.

A very busy week this week and I couldn't be happier.

Addicted to Trailer Park Boys


Julian, Bubbles and Ricky once again terrorizing the
trailer park

Physical State: weary
Mental State: slushy
Music: Totally Radio - Ray Gun Classics with Dave Lightyear
Fashion sense: grey shirt, tan shorts

The F---in' Trailer Park Boys

I've been catching 3rd season episodes of Showcase's hilarious series Trailer Park Boys, the ultimate in Canadian hoser culture. The shows are almost always the same: Ricky and Julian make life hell for their friend Bubbles while getting up to hijinks under the watchful eye of trailer park security manager Leahy and his shirtless sidekick Randy. The first two seasons are available on video and dvd so I will definitely be checking out those episodes that I have missed. This show has definitely grown on me lately and I find myself tuning in more. Check it out. Hope you like the "f" word.

Grab a seat


Physical State: aligned back
Mental State: sharp
Music: The Daily Show w/ Claire Kember - s/t
Fashion sense: white shirt, tan shorts

Sore back sore butt. So I finally said ok that's it, I sit in this crappy chair a lot and I've had it. So I pushed it over there and was determined to find something more suitable that wouldn't kill me. Ok so here's the thing. The chair that I had was many years old and the bolts that hold in the arms actually started to lift up through the seat (what do you want for $100 from Ikea). I'm not sure why they made the seat so thin on this model (they've since changed a lot of things on it but the seat is still thin). So I decided that I'm not quite in the tax bracket to afford a Herman Miller Aeron (although they have to be the Mercedes-Benz of office chairs), so I have to look for something stylish yet affordable. Of course me being the Ikea whore that I am I immediately wanted to find a chair that would rival this piece of crap that I've sat on for nigh 7 years or so. They owed me in a sense. So back to the Swedish supermarket I went. I went in search of the Verksam (how do they come up with the names) which seemed to be the Honda Civic of office chairs, suitable and more affordable than the all leather high back executive chairs yet still having great features and comfort. So I go to my Etobicoke local location. Totally sold out, not one in the place. Seems I'm not the only one who prefers this model (which is encouraging). Then I had an idea. There are not one but 3 locations in the downtown Toronto area alone so I'll try another (seems that I'm not the only Ikea fan in the T-Dot). Now at the one I used to go to regularly in my university days (which was the only one in Toronto for a long time) I'd always check out the "As-Is" area for some "scratched and dented" bargain after all who doesn't like a bargain right? So there it was, a Verksam that was about half the regular price with some white painted numbers on the underside (classifying it as damaged). So I'm thinking, hmm this chair is for my ass not my eyes and I'm going to save $125, SOLD! So now my back and my seat are thanking me. I know I can hear all the comments that I'm some Fight Club flunkie. Hey I'm a little broke. One day I will be able to afford to shop at Up Country and Roche-Bobois. But as Meredith Ochs of WFMU so rightly put it, us "downwardly mobile" types have to make the most of what we got (sometimes we don't have a choice frankly). In a somewhat related vein for a take on the Toronto working poor scenario check out this article from last week's Eye newspaper here.

Crazy Mash-ups Linked at Bastard Pop!


Physical State: creaky
Mental State: leaden
Music: Stereo Total - s/t
Fashion sense: white shirt, blue shorts

I know I know, talk about Johnny-come-latelies. Bastard Pop (aka mash-ups). You hear the dentist, the hot dog vendor and even your favourite radio dj all talking about them. They are the creations of innovative computer hobbyists and disgruntled djs who mix unlikely songs together in bizarre and sometimes hilarious ways. Judas Priest, Pat Boone and SPK (I would love to hear that one if it existed). Nothing is sacred. I think its called "being so wrong" or also culture jamming. However for entertainment value they are unrivaled. The premium site of all things mash-up has to be Bastard Pop. I have linked to their great links page of these various unknown geniuses of audio delight (some of them even have their own mixes of their own music). I think that the group Electric Six's "Gay Bar" will burn out very quickly when people get tired of hearing it over and over again as it's used in a lot of mash-ups. But for the time being you can both delight and cringe at the ingenious massacring of The Stranglers' "No More Heroes" by Bitter Sound Foundation, or the unlikely pairing of Devo vs. 50 Cent or The Shamen vs. Static X both by Dinbot. Check out Cartel Communique (also linked at Bastard Pop) for some crazy video mashups too. Enjoy.

365 Days of Cheeze, Yes Guy!



Physical State: lumbering
Mental State: slushy
Music: April March - Chrominance Decoder
Fashion sense: black shirt, tan shorts

Seems that I'm not alone in admiring the Song-Poem phenomena. Kudos to my friend Wally who sent me another link to a site where a weird song is featured everyday for one whole year. That's right, 365 bizarro songs to delight and amaze. Check the 365 Days website and blog for some truly amazing "out there" songs and song-poems. This site also has some great links (including the American Song-Poem Anthology site referenced yesterday). 365 Days is definitely going to be added to my favourites. While we're dealing with all things song-poem, John Zorn's label Tzadik has a Rodd Keith (the king of the song-poem) compilation called "I Died Today", click here for more info. For more general Rodd Keith (aka Rod Rogers) info go here. There's also a great tribute page to Rodd by his son, Ellery Eskelin, at WFMU, click here for it.

Happy listening!

The Song-Poem Graveyard Now
Open to the Public!



Physical State: creaky
Mental State: loopy
Music: Kim Hiyorthoi - Hei
Fashion sense: white shirt, tan shorts

Song-Poems! Fancy yourself some undiscovered Lee Hazlewood stuck in a crummy basement apartment in Cheektowaga? Well back in the day you could send in a cheque along with your crappy poems into various little music studios in New York, Nashville and LA and they would make a song with your poem set to music. As long as the cheque didn't bounce you'd have a song. The studio musicians would crank out tons of them in a session, paying little attention to the "nuances" of your masterpiece therefore creating some truly freaky and inappropriate musical interpretations. Things like moralistic Christian anti-temptation songs done Motown or with a porno-stylee sax accompaniment. Now there's a site and a few compilations to honour such things and some of these are just incredible! They range from the truly bizarre (songs to praise a pre-Watergate Richard Nixon) to just plain hilarious (The Amazing Helicopters, I Wouldn't Hide The Moulding Rock and Bo Derek On My Mind). If you've ever wanted to get a good chuckle, wanted to wow your obscuro music fan friends or just wanted to get inspired to record your crappy song but think its too lame, believe me it ain't, then you should definitely check out the American Song-Poem Anthology site. Thanks to Claire @ TotallyRadio for tipping people me off to this and kudos to Bar-None/Setanta for releasing this amazing compilation of American cultural detritus entitled "The American Song-Poem Anthology: Do You Know The Difference Between Big Wood And Brush". Do these song-poem studio things still exist? I'm waiting for that next great release of something like "Mondale, We Never Knew You", "Lovely Sugar Smacks" or "I Ended up in Heaven Because of White Castle". Just think of the possibilities. Oh the mind boggles. Hey you entrepreneurial musicians out there, get going on this! The musical equivalent of Sea Monkeys!

Mommy and Daddy are the
ElectroPunk Sonny & Cher


Vivian Sarratt & Edmond Hallas

Physical State: sore left hand (guitar of course)
Mental State: sunny
Music: Cinerama - Va Va Voom (my recent guitar album)
Fashion sense: white shirt, tan shorts

Bass and drum machine duo Mommy and Daddy from Brooklyn are the coolest friggin' band to come outta New York in a long time in my opinion (I wish they'd play here). Drowned in Sound referred to them as something akin to "baby tigers on Ritalin". How come your ep isn't available in Toronto yet guys? Check their website out here. Looking forward to getting their cd ep soon (keep hearing things at Totally Radio on Careless Talk Costs Lives).

Guitar players query:

How do you keep your pick in your right hand between your thumb and index finger when you're strumming really hard (I'm sure my neighbour downstairs really loves Cinerama now that I play along with them daily). I was thinking of stickum that the ball players use. Seems like I always have my pick flying outta my hand when I get to a juicy strumming part of a song. Oh well.

Broadcast Back Again



Physical State: really sore back
Mental State: 2 kmph
Music: Totally Radio - Careless Talk Costs Lives (with Everett True)
Fashion sense: white shirt, tan shorts

Yes yes yes. Those of you who missed the wonderful Broadcast the first time around on their recent tour will have another chance to catch this great band from Birmingham as they reappear in the Fall. This new tour is in support of the release of their album hahasound. Here are the new dates for Broadcast for the Fall. Not to be missed:

BROADCAST - hahaSound North American Tour

October
16th - South Paw / Brooklyn
17th - Lion D'Or / Montreal
18th - Lee's Palace / Toronto
20th - Magic Stick / Detroit
21st - Wexner Centre / Columbus
22nd - Grog Shop / Cleveland
23rd - Abbey Pub / Chicago
24th - 400 Bar / Minneapolis
25th - Bottleneck / Lawrence
26th - Bluebird Theatre / Denver
27th - Liquid Joe's / Salt Lake City
30th - Richards on Richards / Vancouver
31st - Chop Suey / Seattle

November
1st - Alladin Theatre / Portland
4th - Bimbo's / San Francisco
5th - Troubadour / Los Angeles
6th - Troubadour / Los Angeles
7th - Casbah / San Diego
8th - Nita's Hideaway / Phoenix
10th - Rubber Gloves / Denton
11th - Mercury / Austin
12th - TBC / Houston
13th - House of Blues / New Orleans
14th - Echo Lounge / Atlanta
15th - Orange Peel / Asheville
16th - Cat's Cradle / Carrboro
18th - Black Cat / Washington DC
19th - TBC / Philadelphia
20th - Bowery Ballroom / New York
21st - Bowery Ballroom / New York
22nd - Paradise / Boston

Physical State: achey
Mental State: cardboardy
Music: Slumber Party - Psychedelicate
Fashion sense: blue shirt, grey sweats

The wonderful Miss Pam (of CKLN's Wired For Sound show) is djing along with her Lipstick, Cherry team this Friday, July 11 at the Silver Dollar. Five bux gets you a chance to catch them spin some great dance tunes. The Silver Dollar is getting pretty unique with its bookings lately. Interesting.

***

After seeing the Gossip the other night a certain Splendid Ezine column immediately came to mind that I always get a laugh out of reading, "The 17 Most Hated Aspects of the Concert-Going Experience". Click here to read it.

I've also decided that I could add some of my own and I invite you to as well. So here are my few chosen gems from the Toronto concert-going experience. God love you all:

You'll dance to anything

The couple who want to just dance like crazy when no one else is dancing around them making them seem like bizarre Twilight-zone people amongest the "lamo" hipsters. You have to admire their spirit while thinking that they look like goofs at the same time.

Do The "Toronto"

Everybody's doing it. You cross your arms, you look bored and tilt your head back and forth to the music every so slightly before handing out the golf clap at the end of the song...the dance craze that's sweeping the rock kids today, wicked! Idea stolen from a great issue of Rosco magazine that put it more succinctly.

The "I Gotta Be Somewhere Else Right Now" Girl

You always see her at the show. The chick whose always in a hurry and moving quickly through a crowd like she's leaving the place in a fire or something, "no time to talk man I have to be over there...RIGHT NOW!" Of course she spends half the night quickly roaming the venue pissing people off. Sit the f**k down and listen to the music, lady.

This concert brought to you by Laramie

Smokers. In Toronto they always seem to be adding zero to the concert experience. They make your hair and clothes smell bad while getting all chatty as they blow out plumes of blue death above their head. Ottawa is the only sane city in this country relegating smoking to outside the venue and banning it in all bars. I should be able to go see a band and only have my hearing impaired, get me? You don't look like Jean-Paul Belmondo and you're pissing me off. Disgruntled ex-smokers are the worst, huh? True dat.

The heckler who hates laptoppers

This happens all the time. Some "dude" gets a free ticket from some record exec friend and doesn't know a damn thing about the band or electronic music. He then proceeds to berate the laptop artist for "doing nothing but looking at their computer". I remember such an incident at the Styrofoam/Lali Puna show where some aged wisenheimer thought he'd speak up for the ignorant masses who don't go to electronic shows by telling Mr. Styrofoam that he "wasn't doing anything, asshole". Arne Van Petegem looked like he was going to kick the guy's ass when he stopped the show mid-way. This guy was quickly expelled from the club by security while screaming "rip off, rip off...you suck, man...come on do something". Leave your hate at home, son. Don't take your hate to town, Bill.

The scream team

They talk all through the breaks in the sets and when the band comes on and plays loudly they have to shout to talk to each other over the "din" of what they bought a ticket for in the first place. Hit the Starbucks across the street if you feel like having a chat/yell, losers. I didn't pay my $10 to hear Beth Ditto cranking it out in one ear and about your newest purchase at the Gap in the other.

Jocks on Parade

They blew off some frat party so they could come and "rock the house" and walk like they have a groin injury. They don't know who this band is or care but rather than go to the Brunswick House and get blotto there they figure they'll hit a live show and pick up some hot indie girls or something. Of course they talk and laugh through the whole show saying how much they hate this kind of "art phag music" while downing ever present shots of Jagermeister. Your neck is getting too wide and take off your hat in the presence of lady there, chief.

Liquored Up and Lacquered Down

Interpolish, urban-hipster longing for the next Fischerspooner show so he can show off his new hairstyling trick of molding his hair to look like something from an Art Deco sculpture all the while sporting that eyeliner a la Alex from Clockwork Orange. We used to call them New Romantics back in the day but they seem so out of place unless you're at an Electroclash night. I have to give these guys props though at least they're damn comfortable with themselves and that's something to admire. Better to worship Gary Numan than The Eagles too, I suppose.

No Sleep 'til Unionville

They don't like the Toronto indie scene and they don't know anything about it. They know Pottery Barn, golf courses and shelf paper. They couldn't get into the Celine Dion concert so Lee's must be the next best place (according to the Fodors guide or something). They don't get their freak on like this in suburbia so it's important to see how the other half lives. Of course they also talk during the entire show (or leave early before the good headliners come on). Tennis anyone?

The "I hate everything" guy

He has every release by anyone and he hates them all. He comes to the show to carry on about how Chik Chik Chik are just another variation of Gang of Four and they suck (they don't). He wanted to be a newspaper music critic but he can't spell so he just fills your ear with what he hates about the band playing tonight and how they're so derivative. Sometimes he may also have that long running column in a local indie newspaper making you feel bad later for thinking the show was top-notch when he thought it was crap. That sh*t don't impress me at all.

Johnny Come Lately

It never fails. You're seeing some uber-quiet band like Cat Power, Low or some local introspective indie band and some guy missed his connecting flight (or at least waited too long for the streetcar after "the meeting"). So he shows up late and rushes in to buy a ticket at the door bellowing and huffing to the doorman at the quietest part of the show. Extra points if your cellphone goes off at the same point. Lifetime asshole award if you actually answer it and start talking. Make sure you're connected boy, right? Your boss called, you're fired. At least now you'll be unemployed and gaining tons of indie-cred. See a happy ending.

Value Village Public Image

They have a hat collection of those crummy polyester and cotton baseball hats that have things like "Brantford Trucking Co." or "Garrison's Home Hardware" either silkscreened or heatpressed on it in Cooper Black letters. They wear shirts with bandnames like Foghat. Their baseball cap hasn't seen a washing machine in 20 years. They of course will be bald soon so they'll keep on wearing these hats to cover this fact up. Look for the variation on this in the form of the "urban-hoser" with a similarly emblazoned toque/Remy Shand crochet hat. The "I have a hat on when its 30 degrees outside" guy. Dude, grunge is over and you're not Badly Drawn Boy. Okay maybe this comes from a jealousy out of looking like a true dork whenever I wear a hat, fair enough. They usually end up standing in front of me at the show with their big hat on too. Girls on the other hand can pull off this look and get my respect, hoser-country shitkickers named Paula make me drool every time.

But then who the hell am I?

Physical State: leaden
Mental State: rubbery
Music: Richard Hell - Time
Fashion sense: green shirt, tan shorts

Finally caught Owning Mahoney yesterday and while not the greatest film ever it is a very good one. Phillip Seymour Hoffmann is exceptional in this one as nondescript, nebbish banker Dan Mahowny. This film (based on the true story of CIBC bank manager Brian Molony and the book "Stung" by Gary Ross) follows Dan as he embezzles money from a Toronto bank to cover his outstanding debts to his bookie for a mere $10,000. I say mere because this realization that Dan can move money around in his bank and create fradulent loan extensions sets in motion an incredible downward slide of fraud to support a gambling habit to the tune of $10 million upon his arrest. One of the biggest bank fraud's in Canada's history. As mentioned before Phillip Seymour Hoffmann is incredible (he's quickly become one of my favourite actors of all time). The casting is superb as he seems like the only one who could play a part like this (not unlike his unremarkable character in Happiness). John Hurt as well is well cast as the oily casino owner who sees his meal-ticket in the form of Mahowny (hence the title). Minnie Driver fans look elsewhere though, she is a little underused as Dan's enabler/fiancee Belinda. Indeed this is a film about a terrible addiction and like most addiction films it isn't pretty and there are victims. This is one of the best movies to ever demonstrate the psychosis of gambling and how its not about winning, its about the sick thrill of the loss and the constant need to get a "high". The portrayal of Toronto in the early 80s is also right on as well, a grey and sleepy city that plays off against the flash of Atlantic City and Vegas. Worth checking out.



On an unrelated note I've discovered this bizarro and multi-talented artist, Dame Darcy, courtesy of Everett True and his show Careless Talk at Totally Radio. She has a new "debut" album out called "Greatest Hits". A comic book artist, musician and filmmaker as well, you can find out more about her by clicking here. How come I discover great things so late? This girl is like a Victorian / mountain girl folkie from some Guy Maddin film. Inspired.

The Gossip Will Get Yer Ass Shakin!



Physical State: warm (despite a/c)
Mental State: noodley
Music: The Gossip - Movement
Fashion sense: white shirt, black shorts

The Gossip The Gossip The Gossip...

The punk-blues masters are testifying in T.O. this week on Tuesday night at Lees to the delight of the rock kids and yours truly. No Sars would scare away these indie sweethearts from Olympia. Be sure to check them out if they're in your town, seriously. You'll thank me. You will be converted to the gospel of Ditto, "Brace" and Mendonca. Beth kicks out the vocal treasures like some punk Aretha Franklin meets Kathleen Hanna, Nathan pushes your face into a wall of gutbucket guitar noise beauty while all the while Kathy dishes out them bronto beats. You just can't deny that they put on an incredible live show. If you don't believe me go check them out and tell me I'm wrong. If you don't get dancing with these guys you're probably dead. Click here for an article about them from this week's Now here in Toronto. The Gossip plays along with rockers the Paybacks and Toronto's own indie-noise darlings, newly signed to New York's Tigerstyle records, The Sick Lipstick. Ten bucks only? Jeez don't even talk about it. Here are some other dates if you were interested:

July 2003
09 - Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus 18+
10 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs 18+
11 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwells w/ the Fever, An Albatross a/a
12 - Brooklyn, NY @ North Six a/a
13 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church a/a
14 - Washington DC @ Black Cat w/ El Guapo a/a
15 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop a/a
17 - Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall 18+
18 - Nashville, TN @ The End w/ El Guapo 18+
19 - Atlanta, GA @ Echo Lounge a/a
20 - Carrboro, NC @ Go Rehearsal Room a/a
21 - Knoxville, TN @ the Pilot Light 18+
22 - Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone Cafe 18+
25 - Little Rock, AR @ Vinos a/a
28 - Denton, TX @ Rubbergloves a/a
29 - Austin, TX @ Emo's a/a
31 - Phoenix, AZ @ Modified a/a

August 2003
01 - Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress 21+
02 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah 21+
03 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo a/a
04 - Goleta, CA @ Hard to Find Showspace a/a
05 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill w/ Tami Hart, Sleetmute/Nightmute a/a
08 - Portland, OR @ Nocturnal a/a
17 - Bristol, UK @ Ladyfest Bristol
20 - Exeter, UK @ Cavern Club (16+ show)
22 - Brighton, UK @ TBA
23 - London, UK @ Spitz (followed by 'unskinny bop'clubnight, as premiered at Ladyfest London!)
25 - Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
28 - Glasgow, Scotland @ Barfly
29 - @ Careless Talk Costs Lives magazine night

Addicted to Home
Improvement




Physical State: creaky
Mental State: rubbery
Music: Chum FM (Ingrid Schumacher makes me hurl).
Fashion sense: green plaid shirt, khaki pants

Ah the smell of the wood, the convenience. I've lately become addicted to Home Depot and all the things they have there. As well I've watched way too many episodes of While You Were Out on TLC because now I can't get enough of the thing. I am however not a fan of the bratty more obnoxious big sister to this show, Trading Spaces (ok Hildie is cool but they make people's places look like a disaster). No it's Teresa Strasser (seen above), Segrete and Mr. Dan-Jumbo for me. I even find myself hating Chayse Dakota (or however you spell her name). I'm more of a John Bruce/Andrew St. Onge fan to be honest. They seem to make interesting things out of nothing and the stuff works.

I need to get a life, huh?

Weird Canada & Loveless Still Rockin'!




Physical State: melting
Mental State: cottony
Music: Chum FM - Yesterday's Classics today etc (yeah uh huh whatevs). Playing on the studio radio.
Fashion sense: black polo shirt, khaki pants

Not too busy over here in Borlington today so I thought I'd draw your attention again to Miss DJ Loveless and her excellent Live365 station called Radio:Loveless.

Also if you haven't had a chance check out this new Phillip Seymour Hoffman docudrama about gambling addict and former Toronto banker Dan Mahowny in Owning Mahowny, then you should. He embezzled $10.2 million from a Toronto bank in the early 80s. Will give you my review when I've had a chance to see it but it sounds interesting (Minnie Driver's wig on the other hand looks like it'll get a 2 out of 10). Film season is gearing up here again for September. Let's hope my choices this year turn out a little better. Check out the Bell site for more info on the Toronto film fest here.

Caught this strange little Canadian film (aren't they usually) on video last night called Law of Enclosures by John Greyson. I'm not sure how to feel about it yet. There's something about Canadian films that are always the same. I'm not sure how to put my finger on it but there seems to always be something about identity in indie films in Canada. Ok maybe I'm generalizing (or watched too many Atom Egoyan films) but there seems to be a trend. Why is that? Another film that I managed to catch last week on tv was this one with Genevieve Bujold when she was very young called Isabel. Selma Blair kept coming to mind when I watched it. Maybe if this film was Icelandic it would make more sense for some reason. Seems that the Canadian identity thing is not something new, this was made in 1968! Not really Genevieve's best movie (seems more like a vanity project to get her image out there with the release of Malle's Le Voleur around the same time). She did however win a Genie (at that time called an Etrog) that year for her part.

Happy Canada Day Everybody!



Physical State: headachey
Mental State: felty
Music: The Rogers Sisters - Purely Evil
Fashion sense: grey t-shirt, tan shorts

Totally Radio fan and my Atlanta brother, Brent Bonet has started his own blog and you can check it out here. I will be adding that and KCRW to my list of favourite links.

Today is Canada's birthday. Happy Canada Day!