May 2010 Archives

I don't know why it took me seven years to fully appreciate the allure of Canadian music. Probably because there's this underlying country music and folk influence in a lot of Canadian music that I can't seem to wrap my ears around. If you asked me a few years ago, if there were two kinds of music that I really can't stand, I would say that it's gangster rap and country music. Although, in the last few years I have slowly warmed up to folk - since it has this nice, simple, earthy kind of quality to it that I find so interestingly calming. There is that danger there, when you go on to liking folk, because there's a thin line delineating folk and country. Now somehow, I've gotten myself to appreciating a bit of country influenced songs as of late. I guess I'm just getting old, and being parent has mellowed me out. But hey, there's just something about the mixture of banjos, acoustic guitars and road trip inspired lyrics that warms up the soul. I still won't admit that I like country though - well, not the hillbilly type, I'd much prefer the sophisticated type of folk that Canadian musicians are really good at ;)

1. The New Pornographers - Challengers

The New Pornographers aren't a folk band, and most of the songs that they make are more of the pop and rock kind. Yet they made this song, and it's beautiful. Despite the hint of country with the use banjos, the allure Neko Case's vocals and the lovely melody makes 'Challengers' the type of song that would make anyone cross over to liking folk if they haven't done so.

I love videos that combine childhood imagination with young love. There's just something so beautifully vulnerable about it. Also, it helps that Letting Up Despite Great Faults creates such magical songs that make you fall instantly in love.

Letting Up Despite Great Faults' Our Younger Noise is our Video of the Week.

I love these guys - not only because they've got an Indie Music Database pick of the week section in their programme - it's also because they're  hilarious to listen to. 

Adam Hiniker and Vance Barber are two guys from Queens, New York who've got this stellar podcast called Ear Candy New York. It's an unscripted comedy talk show, that showcases a couple of new tunes every week interspersed with witty guy banter. Topics range from the seedy machinations of prostitution, the psychological implications of stalking, the politics of marijuana legalization and some heart to heart relationship advice. Good stuff ;)

Check them out at earcandynewyork.com 

 Back in the mid 80’s there used to be show called Video Hit Parade in one of those Marcos owned TV stations. It was during those times that I first saw Aha’s Take On Me, Rick Astley’s weird yet strangely appealing hair dance and the heyday of the New Wave movement. I was hooked! After that it was MTV, this was during the early 90’s and cable television was in its infancy. We all wanted to become Danny McGill and have Nonie as our girlfriend/sex slave. We loathed Mike Casem and his freakish younger sister. Alternative music ruled MTV and filled our consciousness. Aeon Flux was so amazingly fucked up, Charlize Theron made a live-action version of it and tanked! It was during the mid 90’s that we had an influx of Filipino made music videos, albeit proletarian paved the way for budding directors such as Marie Jamora (big fan of the E-heads), Quark Henares and Pancho Esguerra. These are some of our local music videos  that have earned my utmost respect…and I have impeccable taste in music and a bloated ego. Check out my list below…

Just because I'm a big fan of The Office and I love Slow Club - here's Gareth, looking far-removed from his dorky self in Slow Club's Giving Up On Love video. 

I don't love you migraines.

Sorry to disappoint, but this post won't have any new music (but I did manage to update the lyric of the day). It'll only contain a snippet of explanation on the absence of posts for the past few days -  which can be attributed to my debilitative migraine. Since almost passing out at a bathroom stall in The Bay at downtown Vancouver a few years back (and luckily being saved by a corageous Jones New York employee named Patricia) - I have taken my migraine attacks seriously and have been taking frequent periods of r & r. This, and I also had to squeeze in some time to be soccer mom and chauffeur to Paolo's speech and behavior therapy sessions. Truly, a woman's work is never done.

This said, I'm sadly cutting some time in posting on the site - which means no more lyric of the day recap (but there will be daily posts of it on our Facebook page if you haven't gone ahead and checked it out) . We (heart) album art posts, won't be as regular (it never was though) and Fresh from the Post and List Addicts will still be weekly, but might not happen on Tuesday and Fridays respectively. Not much of a change though - but if y'all miss out on something on the site one day, now you know why.  I'm still up for anyone who'd like to help on the site - it doesn't earn anything but you can get free mp3s.

And that's it.

Here's to a migraine-free week.

This is my attempt at making some sort of art in our weekly album cover feature. I wanted it to look like a rainbow, but didn't have enough rows for it...so a multicolor stripe was the end result. Three primaries and green. It ain't that bad. The music from these albums are better though. There's more to check out if you go clickety-click on them too.