Wire - "Pink Flag"

In an era of hackneyed Chuck Berry riffs, ill informed "political" lyrics, and intense amounts of self destruction, "Pink Flag" emerged as a wake up call. It was a post 70's album before the 70's even ended, a classy and loud, pissed off snarl. It packed surreal (yet oddly intelligent lyrics) with a perfectly balanced sense of production of pace. It was slow where it needed to be, fast where it needed to be, sad and happy only when necessary; it was (and still is) one of the most revolutionary albums ever made. And no-one even noticed when it was first released.
I find it really crazy that an album like this came out of the U.K right around the same time as The Clash, the Buzzcocks, The Damned, and even that dreaded bunch of posers The Sex Pistols. It makes me wonder, why didn't anyone pay attention? Why is Wire scarcely (if ever) mentioned in those retrospective music lists made by Rolling Stone or NME.com? My theory is that it was to ahead of its time. I think, in alot of ways, it still IS ahead of our time. I listen to it and parts of it make zero sense to me; and I love it for that very reason. It packs the speed and intensity that would one day become 80's hardcore with the delicacy and honesty that would manifest into "emo" music later down the line. The distortion is so crunchy and perfect sounding and then it switches to a barebones, raw, clean sound that makes you sit down and listen. It rocks, it rolls, and it speaks. It is such an important album in musical history, and it is really close to my heart. Rites of Spring, Fugazi, Minor Threat, and pretty much every local band in Calgary would not exist were it not for this band and this album. I could really rant on and on about this album but you should just check it out yourself to see what I mean. Enjoy!

1. Reuters
2. Field Day for the Sundays
3. Three Girl Rhumba
4. Ex Lion Tamer
5. Lowdown
6. Start to Move
7. Brazil
8. It's So Obvious
9. Surgeon's Girl
10. Pink Flag
11. The Commercial
12. Straight Line
13. 106 Beats That
14. Mr. Suit
15. Strange
16. Fragile
17. Mannequin
18. Different to Me
19. Champs
20. Feeling Called Love
21. 12XU

DL link here!

Wavves - "King of the Beach"

Seeing as how I just got home from a King of the Beach themed party last night, it only feels right to post this rad little gem of an album.

I typically don't trust Rolling Stone to give me good music or accurate reviews, but when they mentioned a band with a guy named Nathan singing accompanied by some long haired looking surfer dude in a Misfits shirt singing and playing a jazzmaster, I had to check them out. I wasn't dissapointed.
Wavves is the brainchild of Nathan Williams. Though it started with solo recordings from a bedroom, this was the first album he recorded with a full backing band (Jay Reatard's backing band, actually) in a full on studio, and its right about when Wavves stopped being an interesting little noise experiment and became a fun, unique band. Alot of people like to hate on Wavves (or so I have heard,) saying they are boring and un original. I say nay, you haters. Wavves rules!
It's beach ready fuzz pop, with a dash of punk thrown here and there. There's a ton of Beach Boys-style "oooohs" and Ramones buzzsaw riffs, with even a hint of 90's alternative here and there. Think Nirvana, if Kurt Cobain surfed and smoked weed instead of shot heroin. Whats real interesting, however, is the occasional exploration into noise rock and shoegaze they make, sandwiching optimistic sounding pop punk riffs with really surreal effects and lyrics. The production strikes just the right balance of slick sheen and lo fi noise, making for an organic -yet raw- sound. Its funny because I tend to prefer a bands lo-fi origins compared to its production heavy evolution, but I think Wavves went from a middle of the road noise project to a legitiment musical force with better sound quality and a full band. Just dont expect any deeper lyrics then mediations on girls, having fun, smoking up, and (you guessed it) the beach.
Overall, the album is brilliant in a really bratty, fun way. It juxtaposes all that sunny American good time surfer soul shit with tight, mean sounding riffs and apathetic values that cuts open the throat lets all the sunshine out. 60's slackers had surfing and lazing, modern day slackers have... Wavves. Or whatever. Its a really good record, so enjoy!

1. King Of The Beach
2. Super Soaker
3. Idiot
4. When Will You Come
5. Post Acid
6. Take On The World
7. Baseball Cards
8. Convertible Balloon
9. Green Eyes
10. Mickey Mouse
11. Linus Spacehead
12. Baby Say Goodbye


DL link here!



PS, here's me being a King of the Beach.

"Bring All The Suckers In;" why the Human Centipede was such a tease

I love Halloween. Its my favorite time of the year, even more so then Christmas, so I'm gonna be posting alot of horror related things on the blog here for a little while. I might even post a Misfits album or two, just for kicks. But I just saw the trailer for the second Human Centipede movie and it got me thinking about shock cinema.

First off, let me say that I saw the first Human Centipede... and I laughed at it. Not because it was a bad film exactly, but because so much controversy surrounded it.

Seriously, this was what offended people so much? The film was all hype and premise, with little to no pay off. Kinda like sex in a hot tub, or so I hear. The whole shock element (the centipede in question) was left almost entirely offscreen, there was little to no gore, and the whole "shitting in the mouth" situation was surprisingly un-graphic. Has nobody seen Salo, where tongues were cut off and excrement was eaten? Or Audition? (I'm not even gonna describe that one, just go youtube it and vomit.)

In other words, the film was either a brilliant social experiment to see how ultra PC types will judge by title alone... or it just sucked. The acting? I found the performance of the german doctor brilliant. He oozed a disturbed sense of evil that I haven't seen since Cushing last graced my screen. Just about everybody else was unbearable to watch onscreen, fulfilling every single modern horror cliche in the book. The script? Fair genericeric, if you've seen any other horror film or two.
Overall? The film accomplished exactly what I think it set out to do; shock people, play on expectations, and make alot of money. All of this, while in actuality being a fairly middle of the road film; not particularly good or bad, not shocking but not kid friendly either. It was bland. And yet, it made such a fuss.

I find it funny just how seriously people take these films. If your going and buying a ticket to a movie called "The Human Centipede" or "1000 Days In Sodom," you should know EXACTLY what your getting into. For me, I prefer the terribly produced grindhouse films of the 70's where the gore is just so ridiculous, you cant even take it seriously. I'm not a fan of shock and awe for the sake of shock and awe, which is why I'm more into "The Toxic Avenger" then "Flowers of the Flesh." For me, that kind of ultra violence can be equal parts bad ass and laughable. Hobo With A Shotgun was amazing, showing ultra violence so obscene that it just seemed goofy while anchoring it with an 80's sountrack, a solid story, and Rutger fucking Hauer. Plus, it was Canadian! (seriously, go see that film, a random little side note/recomendation.)

But at the end of the day, its all just cinema. Its entertainment, its a natural (and more conveniant) source of fun that has evolved from those old gladiator matches where slaves were killed for sport. Remember those sideshows full of "freaks and deformities" they had at carnivals during the turn of the century? These films are a distillation of that. Its aweful and kinda gruesome that humans are so entertained by these things but its just morbid curiosity out in the open. Why do you think so many people will gather around a crime scene, or watch a fire burn down a building? Its in our DNA to be messed up and fascinated by the extreme.

A movie like "The Human Centipede" would have simply been relegated to the arthouse theatres and sketchy movie rental places were it not for its title and the promise it made. But a shocking title and a sideshow-like slogan ("100 percent medically accurate")? That will bring all the suckers in.
In another brilliant move, the director of Centipede (Tom Six) went ahead and made a meta sequel that actually showed all the gore and violence. A perfect middle finger to critics like myself who laughed at his wannabe piece of shock entertainment. I wont go into details, but just reading the plot synopsis made me feel a bit ill.

Anyways, thats just me ranting. I find these films fascinating, even if they truly are just badly made... but I'm just messed up that way. And like any horror fan, I'm always game for something that might just make me want to vomit. Which is why I'm gonna watch The Human Centipede Part 2, and soak in all the family friendly entertainment it has to offer.

But I'm downloading it, because Tom Six already owns more of my money then he deserves. Fucker.

- Nathan

The Exploding Hearts - "Guitar Romantic"

So here's a sad story for yea.
A bunch of perfect looking young adults get together to write some of the most perfect music ever made. They make one sole, brilliant, underrated album. And then they get in a car crash after a gig and 3 of the 4 core members die far to young. Saddest story in a long time, especially after you listen to this one album of what could have been.
What could have been is one of the most influential power pop/rock bands ever. Seriously, I'm not exagerating, this entire album is just perfectly made and produced. The songs all sound different yet consistant, packing enough poppy garage punk jams with romance and cheap thrills to get your rocks off. Its poppy enough to appeal to the little girl in everybody yet raw enough to still feel legit. The lyrics are clever, fun, light hearted yet full of timeless teenage angst and mature longing. Its like a John Hughes movie and an episode of Happy Days had break up sex and spawned a baby that plays music. Oh and the best part? These old 70's sounding souls were active in the early 2000's. Bet you wouldnt have guessed that!
So download this and listen to a snapshot of what could have been. Best songs include "Throwaway Style" and "I'm a Pretender," for fans of dancable pop music that you wont feel guilty for listening to. Also, a great alternative to that "Moves Like Jagger" bullshit.

1. Modern Kicks
2. I'm A Pretender
3. Thorns In Roses
4. You're Black & Blue
5. Sleeping Aides & Razor Blades
6. Rumours in Town
7. Throwaway Style
8. Boulevard Trash
9. Jailbird
10. Still Crazy


DL Link here!

(ALSO GUYS, It is officially halloween season! which means plenty of schlocky horror movies, music, and dress up shows! expect a post on what to check out this october real soon.)

Film Review: The Future

In 2005, Miranda July burst onto the independent film scene with Me and You and Everyone We Know. Six years later, and she’s back up to her old tricks in writing, directing, and starring in another darling film. In The Future, she and Hamish Linklater play a couple in Los Angeles who plan on adopting a cat. This is a cat that they’ve rescued, and they cannot adopt it until it finishes receiving medical care. It dawns on them that once the cat, affectionately named Paw Paw, comes in to their lives, it will provide a dramatic shakeup of how they have been living their lives to date. As a result, they come to the conclusion that they only have a month left to truly experience what live could be like. They quit their jobs and storm on full speed ahead. The following story landed at Calgary International Film Festival on Friday, September 22^nd and very much deserved to have landed such a coveted time slot during the film fest.

Without knowing much about July, it becomes more and more apparent through each film that she absolutely throws herself into everything she does. In both films, we get a great glimpse at just how caring strangers can be, but also how bizarre. Another common element up front is sex. Not sex appeal, but more so all the weird stuff that goes into sex, and the lengths people will go to get what they want. However, this film starts to take on a life of its own through the whimsical qualities it brings. I cannot remember the last time I saw a movie I enjoyed so thoroughly that was essentially narrated by a cat, but Paw Paw does a wonderful job of tying the story together. One of the most beautiful things about this movie though is through all the magical feelings that come across the screen, it never becomes out of touch with human beings of today. The characters on screen never lose touch with reality, which is a danger when tackling a project as the usual type of quirky business July has become associated with. Overall, this film gives a brutally wonderful story in an hour and a half, one in which you can’t help yourself be captured within it.

Even though The Future was only in town because of CIFF, it is definitely something worth going out of your way to go find and watch. There is no telling when July will produce another, or even if she will. Chances are though that she will make something you won’t know how to feel about until it’s over, and then want to go through it all over again.

- Other Nathan

Yip Deceiver - Self Titled EP

I had the good fortune of seeing these guys open for Gobble Gobble at Tubby Dog over Sled Island this year. It was basically a bunch of hipsters doing this awkward (but fun) backward/forward rooster style lean dance to this LOUD pop music being made by this wall of synths and drum machines while a ton of lights went off and hot dogs were thrown about. It was a total blast.
Yip Deceiver is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Davey Pierce, who may be better known for his work with of Montreal (though honestly, I dig this WAY more then of Montreal!) Now, its something of a collaborative project.
They play a really bouncy, fun take on 80's new wave and electronica, mixing synths and clever lyrics with indie melodies and a sheen of tasteful autotune ontop of the vocals. They really nail this nostalgic, teenage heartthrob sound with all of there gloss and glam. Normally, that kind of thing sickens me but its played so earnestly and goofily by these guys, I can't help but move move shake shake. It also kinda sounds like 8-Bit SNES videogame backround music, which is just straight up rad.
Its perfect pop music played electronically, and its just insanely catchy and weird and fun. Have I said weird enough? Have I used to many adjectives? You get the idea. Iits impossible to listen to these songs without bobbing your head!

1. Obnoxia
2. For All The Haters
3. Sadie Hawkins Day
4. Get Strict
5. Sadie Hawkins Day (Lonely Paul remix)

DL link here!

Braids - "Native Speaker"

I do yoga to Braids. I know thats a weird statement to start with, but it should give an idea of just how calming and amazing this band is.

Braids is an indie pop/art rock band from Calgary that lost a high school battle of the bands to a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band. I saw them open for Deerhunter at Sled Island, and it was pretty mind expanding. They layer spacious, warmly melodic sounds and dynamic vocals with a perfect flow. If this all sounds a bit heavy handed to you, dont worry - they sound really playful and optimistic, but not overly so! Each song on this debut CD averages about 6 to 8 minutes long, but it never feels that long. They dont drag, and it constantly compels.
Its pretty amazing how they manage to both create such layers and walls of music while wrapping it around tight, catchy tunes. They transcend age and genres. There music just makes sense, in a really undescribable way. They speak to you, and listen to you.
They just really rule is what I'm trying to say, and I hope you dig them!

1. Lemonade
2. Plath Heart
3. Glass Deers
4. Native Speaker
5. Lammicken
6. Same Mum
7. Little Hand

DL here!

The Detractions are recording

Unless you are one of the dozens of people who have seen our basement shows with a revolving lineup for the past half a year, the title of this post is going to mean NOTHING to you. So I thought I would clarify.

The Detractions, after much apathy and procrastination, are doing some recording this weekend. In a basement. For a day. Seriously, settle down everyone!

Okay, lemme explain; The Detractions is a musical project I have been playing guitar and singing with for almost a year now with a bunch of other rad local musicians. Peter Cormier (from that awesome folk band Here on the Sun) plays drums, Richard Charter (solo shoegazing wizard) plays guitar as well, and Chris Donovan slaps the bass and does some wailing of his own. And then there's me, whose pretty cool I guess.

Its taken awhile to get settled down with a lineup. Initially I was playing bass and we had one of the guys from (the late) Random Task Collective playing guitar for us and for another while we were a three piece (pictured below.) We played a bunch of goofy cover shows where we all dressed up and jumped around, which was a ton of fun.

Yes, we dressed up as blink 182 and played 90's covers. We also impersonated Sex Bob-Omb for a Scott Pilgrim screening party.


But with Chris joining on bass and me moving to where I wanna be (playing guitar and whatnot) we finally got down to writing original material. The name came from a play on Elvis Costellos backing band, The Attractions.

We played a basement show with The Prabes and Cluster Fox about a month ago now, which went fairly well considering we had never played a show with original material before that. And now, we figured we would get some recording done before school/work gets to hectic for all of us.

I have alot of fun with it. Most of my previous bands were just straight ahead, humourless punk/grind or whatever which gets old pretty quick. The Detractions is great because we all come from different musical backrounds but it all meshes really well. Ontop of that, we dont take ourselves to seriously because whats the fun in that?

Long story short, were gonna record as many originals as we can in one day next Sunday. A friend of mine, local musician Phil Feiss (Fornskog, Garroting Deep) will be mixing for us, so many thanks to him. When its all done, were gonna sell copies free or for donation! Also, a free download will be posted to this blog in case ya'll are interested. Also, we may be playing an all acoustic gig at a coffee shop on 17th sometime soon so keep your eyes out for that. We may do more after that but between school and work, we probably wont start regularly gigging till after this december. I cant speak for all the guys though!

Anyways, just thought I would talk a bit about it. I'm super excited!

- Nathan I

Black Death Review

So I have just finished watching Black Death. The only thing that I can say is, it was pretty good. It's been a while since I've actually yelled at a movie in anger. It was quite the experience, one that is definitely welcome in my mind.

The movie is directed by Christopher Smith (Severence, Creep). He's known for directing on the horror/ thriller side of things and doesn't fail to deliver. He achieve's a sense of both suspense and breathlessness at the climax of the film that literEddieally had me at the edge of my seat. The music, which is conducted by Nick Ingman (Shakespeare in Love, Madagascar) builds the mood and chilled me to the bone. The choices made by Smith creates an aura of evil and gives off a satanic and dark feel.

The film itself doesn't follow any traditional storyline or plot that I can recognize. The story is about a kinght appointed by the church in 1348, right around the time of the first bubonic plague that struck England. This plague was also known as the Black Death because of the black spots and boils it leaves on its victims skin. Medicine in Europe had no means of stopping it and the Church's believed it to be God sending this plague as a means for us to pay for our sins. The knight, played by actor Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones) is sent to a remote village where it is rumored to be ruled by a woman who can raise the dead and may have Satanic ties. The monk that volunteers to lead him to this village is played by Eddie Redmayne (The Good Shepard, Powder Blue) and I must say he delivers a very powerful performance. His anguish, self doubt, and self destruction makes it a performance worth seeing. By the time the third act rolled around I was still craving more and still appropriatly creeped out.

And that's my first review. So how did I do? Feel free to leave a comment here, on Facebook, or on twitter @R_Galarneau. I will welcome any feedback ranging from opinions on how I can improve to what other movies you may want me to review. Well this has been a lot of fun. and Arrivederci for now friends!

~Riley

Hello Interwebs!

Hello to you who may or may not be reading this. My name is Riley and from the onset of this moment I will be bringing you reviews from the film and video game industries. The movies I review (at the moment) are limited to whatever Netflix manages to produce, so expect older films that are classics and other films that have probably flown under your radar. On the video game side of things, I'll mostly cover indie titles and allow my cohort Lukas to cover the games you more likely want to hear about.

I've always wanted to do something like this (review I mean) and now I can get a chance. Bare with me and we will make this a learning experience for all. The first movie I will review will be Black Death starring the wonderful Sean Bean, who is most noted as Being Boromir from The Lord of the Rings. Basically he's a very talented actor who manages to look bad ass all the time.

And that's about everything I have for now. Hopefully Nathan I will forgive me for the length of this post, and I promise my general posts won't always be this lengthy. In a couple hours I'll have my first review and we'll se how it goes from there. And yeah, Arrivederci for now!

~Riley

P.S. Now that I go back and read through this, it doesn't seem that long...

New writers! Yay!

So when I first started this blog a year ago, I had this vision in mind of multiple opinions being shared and voiced here and there. Its why I allow anonymous comments, and post on my other social networking sites.

However, until recently, this has basically been me yapping and venting to myself while others read or listen (if they so wish.) But alas, I have finally incorporated other writers to this blog! Yay for bucketlist.

You will be seeing posts from Riley (G-Man), Lukas (Why Bother), and another fellow named Nathan (softerpostcards) here fairly shortly. Lukas is going to focus mostly on video game reviews and opinions, since he is such an avid gamer himself. Riley will be all about film and video games here and there and as for the other Nathan, he's just gonna FSU and write with terrible grammar.

I'm really excited for things to be a group effort, for more then one viewpoint to be shown, and for more forms of art to be focused on. Video Games and Film are both, in my opinion, equally valid and crucial artforms that need to be acknowledged. Plus, Zelda rules.

Oh and as for myself, I'm gonna do a bit of it all with some Theatre and visual art thrown in. And I will still regularly post album downloads for those pirates of you out there because, well, music is best when it is free!

One more thing, from this point I will sign each post as "Nathan I" to avoid confusion.

Cheers,

- Nathan I

Last URL change. again. seriously.

I realize this is getting ridiculous, but I swear this is it.

the blog is now called http://dontgotobusiness-school.blogspot.com

I figured, thats the title that the blog itself has, so changing the URL to it is just less confusing. I'm also a pretty indecicive person by nature, but I swear to stick to this one.

As for the nature of the title itself, I have a friend who decided to go to business school instead of what he loved (theatre) and now he just hates his life. Its a bummer. Plus, its a lyric from a pretty cool Grown Ups song.

Also, I'm gonna be incorporating some other writers into this blog. Keep an eye out for that!

Cheers!

- Nate

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - "This Years Model"

I can't believe I have never posted this one before!
I have ALOT of respect for Elvis Costello, even if I don't like all of his music. He's my favorite lyricist ever, I love how he experiments with so many different styles, and is willing to work with such a diverse range of people. I actually sang a b-side of his from "My Aim Is True" to get into theatre school!
Most of the stuff I like by him is his early work with the Attractions, and this his second album is hands down my favorite record by him (and possibly, ever!)

He would start as a mid tempo country twang rocker and end up a new wave icon, but this album perfectly captures the time in between. Deftly blending organs and synths with classic rock and roll riffs, herky jerk punk grooves, and some seriously snarling lyrics. This was pissed off, cynical Elvis at his best, criticizing everything from the Radio to miniskirt wearing punkettes hanging out at McClarens SEX shop.
I wish I had discovered this album when I was a bombastic, self proclaimed punk rocker who sneered and hated on vague concepts like "government" and hate" and rocked out to my simple 1-2-3-4 chords. Dont get me wrong, that stuff still rules, but Elvis took all those ethos and actually added some intelligence to the mix. His tunes on this record were just as fast and catchy as anything the Damned did, but it also had a brain and a far more unique shine to it. I feel like it is ageless, as a result. Pump It Up, Radio Radio, (I Dont Want TO Go To) Chelsea..... There are SO many classic songs on here, I cant even handle it. Whats even better, he was an INCREDIBLE live performer at this point in his career; go youtube Costello in the 70's to see what I mean.
Bottom line, when people say that Elvis is the King of Rock and Roll, I think Costello.

1. No Action
2. This Year's Girl
3. The Beat
4. Pump It Up
5. Little Triggers
6. You Belong to Me
7. Hand in Hand
8. (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea
9. Lip Service
10. Living in Paradise
11. Lipstick Vogue
12. Night Rally
Bonus Tracks:
13. Radio, Radio
14. Big Tears
15. Crawling to the USA
16. Running Out of Angels
17. Greenshirt
18. Big Boys

DL here! Enjoy!

URL change.... back

Hey!

So I've changed the URL once again to its original name from about a year and a half ago. Its alot easier to refer to and search for, from what I hear. Plus, it sounds less like a freaky barbershop now!

Thanks guys!

blink 182 - "Neighborhoods" stream/review

Okay, first off, that album art rules. Just had to say it.

My relationship with blink 182 is like most music lovers, I find, except in the fact that I don't deny it. For many folks, blink was the intro drug that got them into louder, faster, and better music. For alot of other people, they're a nostalgia band who wrote insanely catchy and fun music which was surprisingly musically adept at times. For almost everyone who takes themselves to seriously (*cough people who call themselves punks or hipsters cough*) they are a guilty pleasure to NEVER be acknowledged.

But, I'm lucky enough to live in a city where blink 182 gets a modicum of respect! The Grown Ups, fantastic local band, does alot of covers of older blink tunes (particularly from dude ranch.) Most of my friends flock to blink shows, whenever they end up in town. Everyone loves blink 182! They sound like junior high and high school rolled into one, with a ton of dick
jokes to compliment it.

So now, they've gotten back together and wrote a new album called "Neighborhoods." And I just listened to a stream of it online, it gets officially released in two weeks. What do I think of it?

It just doesnt sound like blink 182 to me anymore. I could really break it down and construct a well developed analysis of why (and trust me, I will), but the teenager in me who loves blink just says "its not fun, its not immature, its not blink."

It's natural for bands to change and evolve and there are tons of them that turned out fantastically. When The Thermals did "Personal lives," gone was (most of) the lo-fi riff heavy punk stuff, replaced by personally written non political songs with a serious Modest Mouse/Death Cab indie vibe to it. It ruled. And it still sounded like The Thermals. The Undertones experimented with slower, more progressive songs after writing three buzzsaw pop punk albums. Against Me, despite what everyone says, still sounds like Against Me despite not writing simplistic acoustic anarcho songs anymore.
Even blink themselves wrote that self titled album years ago which experimented with synthesizers, intricate song patterns, and more mature lyrics. But it still sounded like Blink 182.

"Neighborhoods" is full of breakdown drum solos, spacy guitar effects, heavy riffs, heavy handed lyrics, plenty of heart-on-the-shoulder type sentiments. On paper this sounds awesome and its actually pretty good in practise. Listening to the album, I bobbed my head once in awhile, even found myself humming along with choruses.
But it is to apparant to me that each member of blink spent so much time doing side projects and as such, I dont hear a cohesive "blink 182" sound anymore. Tom DeLonge bends his voice into the pseudo whiney howl he uses with "Angels and Airwaves," while playing his guitar like it is a rocketship/synth/thing. Travis Barker spends most of his time showing us, the listener, how great a fucking drummer he thinks he is by dicking about with his high hats and throwing in a drum breakdown every 30 seconds, a habit born from making all his solo remixes of famous songs with drum beats. Mark Hoppus is the only guy who seems to know what blink is and what it should sound like, stretching his voice into really cool dimensions and playing solidly catchy bass lines while probably scissor kicking.
Mind you, its not up to a listener such as myself to tell blink 182 what they should and should not sound like. Thats for the band members themselves to decide. But I think they are trying to unify to many sounds at once, and as such, are forgetting what made them such a great band to begin with. Yea they have grown as musicians, and maybe that in itself is the problem. Tons of people listen to Dude Ranch or untitled not because it was particularly unique or different, but because they were instantly recognizable and fun. "Neighborhoods," while not exactly bad, sounds like any number of other bands or typical Warped Tour generic crap that passes for "Pop Punk" today. (I'm looking at you, All Time Low.)

So pick it up when it comes out if your curious, you might just enjoy it and think its another step forward for them as a band. I am indeed glad they are back and doing shows! But while I realize this is probably the direction they want to take as a band, I am always gonna be weirded out by this new sound they have cultivated for themselves. It just doesn't sound like what blink 182 should sound like to me, personally. I just pop in a copy of Dude Ranch and party down instead!

- Nathan

Back, again.

Hey guys. No, this blog isn't dead... just waiting.

Waiting for me to not be busy with school and job hunting.

My last post was a few months ago, but as I plan to try and write for my school newspaper, I'm going to keep this one going so I can showcase my writing/share the music I love/all that good stuff

I might also do video game and movie reviews here and there!

Anyways, stay tuned because I'm about to listen to a stream of the new blink 182 album. I'm not sure if I'm gonna like it though, because it doesnt seem to contain any songs about fucking your friends mom or girls at rock shows.

Stay free!

- N

The Coachwhips - Bangers vs Fuckers

These has instantly become a new favorite of mine, the kind of band you hear for the first time and have no idea why you've never heard them before. Major shout out to my friend (and future band mate) Chris for showing them to me.
The Coachwhips were an exciting three piece garage punk rock and roll band from San Francisco, consisting of a guitarist/vocalist, a drummer and an organ player. "Exciting" may be something of an understatement. This music is loud, fast, simple, and sounds like its falling apart at the seams... and yet its so brilliantly tight and musically sound, your jaw is left somewhere on the floor as each song attacks you for a minute and a half each. The vocals are so distorted, you only manage to catch a word or two, a "yea" here and a "baby" there. Luckily, The Coachwwhips aren't trying to tell you anything; they just wanna get your ass shaking in all sorts of weird ways. Think the White Stripes (if the White Stripes actually COULDNT play there instruments) on speed, being molested by the organ player from The Attractions. As you can see, I haven't lost my touch for nasty metaphors.
I seriously love these guys. They aren't a band anymore, but the singer/guitarist has a fantastic new band called Thee Oh Sees. Catch them at Sled Island if you can!
Enjoy!

1. You Gonna Get It
2. Extinguish Me
3. I Knew Her, She New Me
4. Purse Peekin
5. Dancefloor, Bathroom
6. I Drank What?
7. Evil Son
8. Thee Alarm
9. Recline, Recline
10. (Harlow's) Muscle Of Love
11. Goodnite, Goodbuy


Download it here!

Streetlight Manifesto - "Everything Goes Numb"

As far as third wave ska goes, it doesnt get much better then Streetlight Manifesto.
Taking the manic energy of punk and putting an extremly talented brass line behind it while playing in what sounds like fast forward, its hard not to get up and start skanking whenever I hear these guys. I saw them live not to long ago and I dont think I'll ever forget it, the bearded sax player doing scissor kicks, the doc martin boots I kept getting to the face, the massive sing alongs. Formed from the remains of Catch 22 and in my opinion, far better.... Streetlight Manifesto isn't a band you should miss! Enjoy!

01- Everything Went Numb
02- That'll be the Day
03- Point/Counterpoint
04- If and When We Rise Again
05- A Better Place, A Better Time
06- We are The Few
07- Falling, Falling
08- Here's To Life
09- A Moment of Silence
10- A Moment of Violence
11- The Saddest Song
12- The Big Sleep

Download it Here!

The Max Levine Ensemble - OK Smartypants

I find it hard to believe I haven't talked about these guys before on this blog; they only happen to be one of my favorite bands currently active. Oh well, better late then never.
I have posted before about the wonderful D.I.Y collective known as Plan-It X Records. In case you didn't read it way back when, they are a do-it-yourself record label rub by Chris Clavin. A diverse nucleus of bands, ranging from indie to folk (including some of my favorite bands, like Defiance Ohio and This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb) operate out of it, often sharing members with one another. The Max Levine Ensemble is one of them.
A classic three piece pop punk band in the spirit of Screeching Weasel and Blink 182, The Max Levine Ensemble was actually once a fast paced third wave ska band. They were fantastic back then, and they are fantastic now. Always love it when a band can evolve without sucking. Please also understand that when I say pop punk, I mean a punk band that plays poppy, catchy riffs. I don't mean Warped Tour style, basketball jersey clad "Pop Punk" (which has its place, dont get me wrong.)
They play bratty, irresistable pop riffs with surprisingly complex structures and deep lyrics that touch on concepts like hometowns, loss, terrible radio stations, and that girl you once loved who changes with the seasons. Its all done up tempo with the kind of energy that only comes with youth. Don't miss this band while they are still young, everything they have done is amazing. This just happens to be my favorite album.
For a D.I.Y album, the production is surprisingly slick and each song fades into the next... this only add's to it. Alot of "punk" bands shy away from nice production, but The Max Levine Ensemble embraces and loves it.
Track highlights are "Nuclearadio" and "Summer, Like The Season." Enjoy this album like you enjoy the summer!

1. One Click.
2. Thrash Mt. Towson.
3. Firetoowwweerrr.
4. Aren't All Songs Political? Are’nt All Songs Vaguely Self Referential?
5. Nuclearadio.
6. The Accident.
7. Small Talk. ( Blah, Blah, Blah )
8. Love, Capital L
9. You’re Bitter.
10. Franny And Hooey.
11. Complex Machines.
12. The Loss.
13. Summer, Like The Season.
14. I Loved To Watch Them…

The Max Levine Ensemble, in true D.I.Y fashion, post all of there music online for free download. Go to their official website, scroll to the album, and download it for free Here!

startabandstartabandstartaband

I'm sitting here waiting for some guys to come over and play music with me and I just thought I would share a bit of what I am up to currently, as far as bands go and whatnot. I've been posting on this blog for about a year predominantly on music, so it would seem kinda funny if I wasn't an active musician myself.

First of all, and this won't be huge news to many people, my old band is getting back together. We are called Spineless.



Spineless was/is an experimental punk band with crust, grind, and progressive elements. I played guitar in it. Its pretty dark stuff in terms of song writing; alot of harsh walls of noise, screaming, blast beats. It started off about 2 years ago now as three buddies and myself fucking around on our intruments, trying to sound like Municipal Waste and Disrupt. It was rough and kinda goofy at first... we had two guitarists, no bassist, and a song about a Lava Lamp. We played one show through the extortionists known as Supernova, which went awfully. We had a chance to play a show with the phenomenal band Sigil, but it didn't pan out.
We all had super chemistry, it just needed more time to flush out. I was stupid and didn't see it as a work in progress. I thought the song and lyric writing was kind of shallow at the time (which it was) and the bad first show we did discouraged me. Arrogantly, I thought I was above it. So I kinda disbanded it and moved on to other things, like acting in plays and busking.
Our singer moved to Vancouver a year later, but not before we played music together twice more, minus one guitarist. We realized we had enormous potential to do some actual song writing... but then he left. He's coming back now, and hopefully, Spineless will actually get off the ground.
I'm really excited. The three of us have all grown so much, and the new material we DID write before he moved has some real emotion behind it. So look out for Spineless in the near future, we'll be spilling Lava Lamps Of Doom everywhere.

On another note, I'm currently waiting for some friends to come over so we can get a musical project off the ground that has been in the works for quite some time. This one is a bit less defined then Spineless, as were not quite sure who is gonna play what and who will be in it. We've already done a few basement cover shows with a revolving lineup but I'm thinking I will probably be playing either guitar or bass and singing. Tentatively, we are calling ourselves The Detractions (its a play on Elvis Costello and the Attractions) and its gonna be fuzzy, poppy garage punk. Alot more conventional, light hearted, and goofy then Spineless. But again, there is real chemistry between us all and I am a sucker for catchy riffs. Keep an eye out for that as well!

Beyond that, I am a regular busker downtown during the summer. Try and spot my terrible voice and rudimentry guitar work anywhere near 10th avenue during the summer.

So thats about it for now... I think. Until next time!

- Nate

Flying Saucer Attack - "Distance"

Yesterday, my buddy Richard (who will hopefully be doing some writing for this blog!) picked up a CD I hadn't heard for awhile, and showed it to me with excitement he couldn't contain. He was broke due to buying the CD and he didn't care. It was Flying Saucer Attack and suddenly, I remembered.
Hearing Flying Saucer Attack for the first time was like getting hit in the head with a pile of laser beam shooting bricks. My jaw hit the ground and stayed there for awhile, while my mind shut down and just went with it. It was the first time in awhile that I heard something new and didn't instantly analyze it; my mind got wiped and all that was left was giddy, senseless joy. For the first time in awhile, I couldn't find a single element I didn't enjoy, not a single flaw. I was a FSA junkie from that point on and I remain so to this day.
Its just.... noisey, spacey, shoegazy fucking brilliance. Its like white noise making love to mopey folk while trying to conjure magic. Agh. Words fail me. You really gotta listen to get it. So ambient and beautiful, it takes you to some seriously rad places. This band had serious DIY ethic too, recording almost entirely from home and collaborating with a large variety of others. They were AWESOME. If I could only bring 10 albums with me to a desert island somewhere, 4 of them would be Flying Saucer Attack CD's.
Enjoy!

1. Oceans
2. Standing Stone
3. Crystal Shade
4. Instrumental Wish
5. Distance
6. November Mist
7. Soaring High
8. Oceans 2


Download here!

Artspot Calgary; Calgary's Alternative Art Community

Today, I want to talk about Artspot Calgary.



I'm rather tired and hungover, so I'm just gonna copy and paste a description from the "About Us" section;

"ART SPOT is a non profit organization that was created in 2008, to encourage emerging and alternative style artists. Located downtown, ART SPOT is a second “home” to many artists and art lovers. ART SPOT is a members only, artist/volunteer run alternative art space that provides all artists a chance to be seen and heard. ART SPOT is commission free and operates on donations. Please contact us to become a member! ART SPOT caters to an alternative art community, but welcomes everyone to get involved in this growing underground art scene.

ART SPOT holds monthly pARTies, showcasing the works of multiple local visual artists, as well as performance artists, djs and musicians. pARTies are intended to promote local talent, and in appreciation of all ART SPOT’s members and supporters. ART SPOT also hosts private shows for individual artists or collectives. For more information on upcoming shows, workshops, or to inquire about holding your own show, please contact us! With many future projects on the go at ART SPOT and other locations, we are always looking for more artists and volunteers."

As you can tell, an organization like this is right up my alley. Its a for the people, by the people type grassroots community that does for art what the all ages house show does for local music. It increases awareness and provides an outlet. Also, its focus is more so on the sharing of art rather then the ownership and thats a big deal for me. Its so rad to that they focus more on alternative and underground stuff, the kind of art you wont see at a typical gallery. I discovered these guys recently while wandering downtown near 17th Avenue, and I am so stoked to get more involved with them.

Membership is only 25 bones a year, and it includes (once again, copy and pasted from the site;)

"•Coming to all of ART SPOT’s private art events for one year!
•Access to exclusive information on participation in art events through ART SPOT, other art organizations and underground art collectives.
•Free monthly workshops for all of our members. (sign up required)
•Paid gigs for artists! (for facilitating workshops, performing, helping with shows and more!)
•An artist profile on our website (after participation in 5 or more shows, or holding a solo show)
•Most importantly, your 25$ membership is an investment in ART SPOT. All donations and membership fees go into the ART SPOT fund. This fund is not only used by ART SPOT to facilitate shows, but as it grows, we intend to make it accessible for artists to use for their own projects."

If you are a visual artist (or a supporter of visual artists, such as myself,) I highly recomend getting a membership. I'm all about not throwing my money around, but this is one of the few organizations that will put your money to good, constructive use that is not for profit. Please check out the link at the begining of this post for more info, and hopefully I'll be seeing you at the next pARTy!

- Nathan

Sigur Ros - Ágætis byrjun

Sigur Ros is an Iclandic post rock band with minimalist, orchestrated elements and a very peaceful vibe. With such a unique sound, they manage to capture the haunting beauty of a snow covered wasteland; its sweeping and delicate, with an edge of mystery provided by the language barrier. This album is almost entirely sung in Icelandic, but that just adds to it... and makes it all the more impressive that they are able to communicate their meaning to you, even if you don't understand what exactly they are saying. There's clever usage of palindromes, backmasking, and even some slightly shoegaze-y elements to be found. If you have some soul searching to do, this band will be your soundtrack. Please enjoy!

1. Intro
2. Svefn-g-englar
3. Starálfur
4. Flugufrelsarinn
5. Ný batterí
6. Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm)
7. Viðrar vel til loftárása
8. Olsen Olsen
9. Ágætis byrjun
10. Avalon

Download here!

Mump & Smoot; Clowning for Coulrophobic's

For my first non music related post on this site, I thought I would share my thoughts on what is perhaps the biggest (yet most low key) artistic event in Calgary right now, one of the most heart warming and stomach churning, hilarious things ever to grace a stage. I'm talking, of course, about Mump & Smoot, the clown duo from hell who are currently closing their latest show, Cracked, at Alberta Theatre Projects this weekend.



I'll spare you a history lesson on these two, as I am not really the one to ask. I experianced the wack world of Ummo and the two brothers who inhabit it for the first time a little under a month ago, at the Martha Cohen Theatre; an odd place to be introduced to Mike Kennard (Mump) and John Turner's(Smoot) creations, since it is hinted at being one of their final shows as the clowns. But hey, at least I got to see the two onstage. And my young mind and heart just wont be the same.

It's always lovely to see masters of a craft at work, but it's even more lovely when you, the audience, can be brought in to it so easily and remarkable, getting sucked into the world created to the point where you don't want to leave. Such is the great thing about Mump and Smoot; rather then detach you and make you feel like an audience in the literal sense, you feel as if you are right there in the moment with them. Its the difference between watching two parents fight onstage in a play, and watching two parents fight one another at the local Wal Mart; for better or worse, you connect to these people.




Yes, Mump and Smoot are "people." They have emotions, they have doubts, they have hopes. Clowning in general may be about the vulnerability we all have and hide, but what sets Mump and Smoot apart is that they do not rely simply on gags and disturbing imagery to affect you. They're objective isn't just to make you laugh; it is to touch your heart, and connect with you in a way that high minded, artsy fartsy "theatre" cannot. If you hate clowns in the general sense, you will love Mump and Smoot. And this, I believe, is there greatest triumph.

Its a little late in the game, but if you can catch Mump and Smoot this weekend, please do. You might not get the chance again. They will be playing at the Martha Cohen Theatre until this Sunday.

- Nathan

Manilla Road - "Crystal Logic"

I will never forget the first time I heard Manilla Road.
It was near the end of grade 9 and my first "real" girlfriend had dumped me, so I decided to skip school and hang out and blaze with some older friends in high school. I met up with them and we were walking through an alley, when my one friend Dean said he had to grab something from his house. All the way we were walking, my other friend had been raving about this "old school heavy metal Heaven and Hell worship" band he had found, and while waiting out in the alley, he plugged his earphones into my ears. The gnarliest fucking riff I have ever heard blared into my ears - it was "Necropolis," and like that, my Manilla Road cherry was popped.
Manilla Road is just a really awesome, straight up heavy metal band with hard rock influences, sci fi/fantasy lyrics, and riffs that never leave your mind. It's a bit different then what I normally post but if your open minded, I highly recomend them. All of they're later work is just as great (if a bit more progressive,) but this is my personal favorite album they did if only because of "Necropolis." Give it a whirl!

1.Prologue
2.Necropolis
3.Crystal Logic
4.Feeling Free Again
5.The Riddle Master
6.The Ram
7.The Veils of Negative Existence
8.Dreams of Eschaton / Epilogue

Download here!

On a different note, I wanna apologize if you have tried and failed to download older entries! The links I post usually last for a few months but often they get shut down. If you'd like me to repost anything, just comment and ask!
Also, blogger was down for maitenance last night. Otherwise, posts will be daily!

Mika Miko - "We Be Xuxa"

There is a few reasons I think its important to talk about this band right now. First of all, with the aforementioned death of Poly Styrene, I think its important to take a look at the joy she influenced and the inspiration she gave every woman with a scream. Secondly, its sunny and awesome outside right now! And there's no better way to enjoy these sort of days then with a glass of lemonade and some low rent, proto punk fun.
Mika Miko was an all girl indie punk band known for frantic sugar fueled live performances, wonderfully lo-fi recording quality, and poppy hooks. They stood outside typical "punk" norms by being consistantly self aware, humourous, and giddy about life. Plus, who isn't a sucker for dueling banshee like chick singers? Listening to these gals is like listening to a kid drinking his first soda pop and jumping off the walls! Its a bummer they broke up, but oh well.
Album highlights include "Wild Bore" and "Keep On Calling." Put this on and shake those hips!

01. Blues Not Speed
02. Turkey Sandwich
03. Wildbore
04. Sex
05. Totion
06. On The Rise
07. Beat The Rush
08. Johnson R Cool
09. Sex Jazz
10. Keep On Calling
11. Turky Barntard Mix

Download! Listen! Dance!

2011

By the time I have posted this, Poly Styrene of X Ray Spex has died. A majority Conservative government has once again been elected during the first year I was actually able to vote. Children around the world are holding signs revering the death of a human, a "terrorist" yes, but a human. Apple products are on the way to becoming self aware.
And I'm optimistic as ever.
2011 is here, I'm unemployed, and the world is still kinda messed up. But as long as I have music, art, video games, beer, theatre, pizza, hugs, shoes, and friends... I should be ok.

I've kinda revamped this blog to emphasize the optimism I'm feeling with the new year. Things are a bit brighter, and the whole "36 Bombs" thing was feeling a bit to reminiscent of a certain Green Day song. But the idea is still the same; I just wanna write about and share the music I love, and give my thoughts on the shows I see. I'm hoping to expand this to include things like theatre and art gallerys. But we'll see. Either way, posting is gonna become a regular thing again hopefully.

So stay tuned and stay free!

- Nathan