First off -- I compiled the playlist in iTunes, and "Submitted CD Track Names" after the burn, so am hoping your devices are able to locate the track titles and details. If not, what follows is a run-down of what's on "Produit du Québec".
I decided to put together a compilation of current songs by Québecois musicians. In fact, they are largely Montreal-based. And why? There's been a lot of chit-chat lately about the Montreal music scene, particularly since Arcade Fire hit it big worldwide. Now all eyes are on Montreal, expecting that new fruit will be harvested from this hotbed of musical talent. National radio and local weeklies tell us that artists and bands flock to Montreal to take advantage of the unusually-affordable boho vibe. Anglophones, in particular, are said to thrive in Montreal, despite the insularity and relative neglect of the English-language artistic community. In a Québec that overwhelmingly supports and consumes the products of Franco-cultural institutions, Anglos apparently benefit from the artistic freedom this obscurity provides.
Apart from this nagging reminder about how cool Montreal and its music scene were, was there any proof? More importantly, did I agree? To be honest, I'd stopped noticing the posters, stopped picking up the fliers -- it had been ages since my last gig. The weeklies, when I read them, seemed to mention the same bands over and over again. My eyes glazed over what had become familiar names, but had I ever heard any of their songs? In fact, I knew more Francophone hits of late (yes, that's me, humming along to Franco Top 40 at the supermarché checkout. Was there any truth to the journalistic hoopla? Was Montreal just beating its chest in a dull and conventional display of civic pride, or was it suffering from low self-esteem? Was it telling itself how cool it was because it's always felt just a wee bit (or downright "way") dirty next to New York, Toronto, Paris, London? I endeavoured to find out.
A second inspiration behind Made in Montreal was the idea of "living locally" -- not just from an environmental or consumer perspective, but culturally as well. What cultural nuggets were being hatched and delivered within walking distance of my front door? Why did I not know about them? ...Not to mention "living in the now". Though some of these artists and offerings have been vetted beyond municipal boundaries, there's a certain thrill in grooving to something that might be seen as having a limited lifespan.
Lastly, I want to use this opportunity to stand up for YouTube -- as resource, creative outlet and diversion.
1) Pierre Lapointe: Deux Par Deux Rassemblés
A fun, poppy number to start with. I heard this song over lunch not long ago, and wondered why it was so familiar -- must have been one of the French songs I'd learned passively from it playing everywhere. There was new excitement about it since Pierre had recently put out a live album together with the symphony -- l'Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal.
YouTube diversions: 1) Clip for this song; 2) Clip of this clip, but with music from Power Rangers.
2) Pascale Picard: Thinking Of It
I overheard a girl at the university raving about Pascale. She's Francophone, though her lyrics are in English. She sold out some Montreal dates in December, and is the city's new singing sweetheart. Her voice reminds me a bit of Sport Spice (not a bad thing, to my mind).
3) Karkwa: Vertige
This was an exciting find for me. I like what they do, and had never heard of them before. I wanted to cheat on the "one song per band" rule, but decided not to. Instead, here's a video for "Vrai", which was my other first choice:
4) The National Parcs: Down By The River
Hey, I heard about these guys when DJ Rocket and her hubby were on the "GO!" show on CBC Radio. I'd never heard of them before, and they're also from Montreal. Go figure. I can't wait to see them live in February. Here's more goodness.
5) The Besnard Lakes: For Agent 13
I've seen The Besnard Lakes, and they are great. I love the slow build to this song. There is a lovely video that goes with it, to boot. (Trivia: Besnard Lake is a place, and it's in Saskatchewan.)
6) Patrick Watson: The Great Escape
Another beautiful song by another musician I've seen live (opening for Montreal's Lhasa) - dark old theatre, single spotlight on Patrick at the piano, and nothing else. Lovely. Another moody Montreal male (from the sounds of this disk, Montreal fellers have 2 moods: happy-jolly or melancholy...). Sorry to anyone who knows this song already -- apparently it's been used on "Grey's Anatomy". It's a great one despite the cross-media merchandising. This animation is more fitting, I think.
7) Islands: Rough Gem
I was happy to find Islands, after deciding I didn't love The Unicorns, which (part of) Islands used to be. Apparently, Islands opened for Beck in Montreal, then accompanied him on the west-coast leg of a US tour. They were nominated for a 2007 Juno award for "Alternative Album of the Year" by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. The things you learn from the Internet. I'm still undecided. See what you think. (Another taste.)
Love the video -- anything to do with the cosmos gets a thumbs up.
8) Ariane Moffat: Montreal
Finally our locality has shown up as the focus of a song. This is another number I learned subconsciously from hearing it in the public sphere. I was surprised by the video, expecting to see Ariane wandering the streets of Montreal, instead of hanging around at Charles de Gaulle airport -- well, considering that the song's about returning to Montreal from France with a certain wisdom and maturity and a heritage gained, but nevertheless "en format original" (as an original). Hm. Interesting, too, considering Quebec's love/hate relationship with France and les français. Just too bad that the only part of Montreal that's shown is of the gloomy drive to downtown by way of the city's crumbling concrete freeways and tunnels. Yikes.
9) Malajube: Montréal -40°C
Another Montreal song. This one with a focus on Montreal's frigidity. Initially, I didn't want to put this one on the disk -- honestly, I have grown to dislike it due to overplaying around town. I did like it for some time, though. And Malajube continues to be hugely popular in these parts. Here's someone who claims it's her favourite song -- and performing a rather nice cover version:
10) Les Breastfeeders: Funny Funiculaire
I saw Les Breastfeeders last year, and loved the show. Even if garage-rock's not your musical bread and butter, you can't possibly be bored when these stylish funsters take the stage. They even have a dedicated dancer --ok, he plays the tambourine, too-- a shirtless wonder, always in furry vest and tight red pants, who's there to entertain and keep the crowd on beat.
11) Bran Van 3000: Mon Réal
I was surprised to learn that Bran Van hails from Montreal as well. So for this mix, I chose the number (from 2007 album "Rosé") whose title puns on 'Montreal' and which speaks franglais. It's a fun one, but has yet to completely grow on me like some of the other tracks. (BTW: check out Bran Van's site if you have a chance -- the images are gorgeous.)
Diversion: here's how some other people feel about Bran Van's previous hits:
12) Gatineau: Pow Pow Té Mort [Bang-Bang, You're Dead].
Found this song by chance on a compilation of new Québec music. I like it. Nice dose of Québec French, in case you've never heard it. Cute kiddie heist video.
13) Wolf Parade: Fancy Claps
14) The Dears: Whites-Only Party
15) Stars: My Favourite Book
Three more much-mentioned Anglo groups I knew nothing about. When the topic is Montreal musical prowess, Arcade Fire is always mentioned first, and often with Wolf Parade in the following breath -- I'd just assumed they were a big huge band. Still, however many times I'd heard the name, I knew I couldn't pick them out of a police line-up or identify any of their songs. So I checked them out. They must be part of the new Anglo-artiste class, having relocated from B.C. to Montreal. I like "Fancy Claps". And I'm not alone. As an aside, check out these fan edits, here and here, contributions from people who've been inspired to run Fancy Claps over particular sections of Asian films. My apologies if Wolf Parade is old hat for the rest of you -- it's representative of the scene here in any case.
With regard to the latter two, they are well-liked and much-mentioned as well. Again, I was sure I knew nothing of their music. What's more, I tend to forget or mix up groups that have one-word names, like "The Somethings" or "Somethings", so I decided to finally sit down and figure out who was who. My investigation of bands with one-word names from Montreal also included The Stills... but they ended up being cut from this roster. Sorry, The Stills. They are Anglos, but here they are singing in French -- the clip starts out with some nice footage of Expo '67 in Montreal.
The Dears make me laugh because they sound so much like The Smiths... except at the weird denouement of this song. I'm not sure who the several singers are that The Dears's singer is sounding like there.
As for Stars, that's some solid, standard pop, right there, though I'm not sure I'd go back to it again and again and again. I like the mellowness of this particular number.
And to make things more confusing, there seems to be another "Wolf" on the scene -- We Are Wolves has also been touted as the 'nother next big thing from Montreal.
16) Tricot Machine: Pas Fait En Chocolat
And back to the sweet French songs. This is another current fave in the supermarché and beyond. Tricot Machine (sewing machine) is one of Québec's favourites right now. What's not to like.
17) Jean Leloup: I Lost My Baby
Another massive classique du Québec . If you want to sweep a Franco-Québecer off his/her feet by impressing him/her with your knowledge of Quebec culture, it can't hurt to learn the chords and start humming this one... as they're doing, and she's doing, and he's doing, not to mention these two, and this guy, too.
18) Rufus Wainwright: Going To A Town
Not for everyone? I loved the melody when I first heard the song and still do. I'd be curious to hear what kind of play this song is getting south of the border.
19) Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Moya
Amazing. I hope to see them live sometime. I chose "Moya" largely due to time constraints -- most of GY!BE's tracks are somewhere between 20 to 30 minutes long.
20) Gilles Vigneault: Mon Pays
Poet, songwriter, chansonnier, Québec icon. Most famous for the song "Gens du pays" (1975), now considered Québec's national anthem, sung at festive occasions, birthdays, etc. Was active in the nationalist movement in 1960s Québec - of which the following song -- "Les Gens de mon pays" -- played a significant role.
As an homage to DJ Pepper's covers (and with our apologies to Gilles), here's a raunchy TV-cam of Patsy Gallant's "From New York to LA", 1976 disco version of the above.
Congratulations if you stuck with me through all that!
Just wanted to share my discoveries.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Joint the Dots with DJ Hucka – B
This month’s theme is the link, the line – how one song segues thematically into the next. Often by means of a rubbish joke or some leap of logic you’ll just have to follow me with. Let’s begin!
1 Jamie Woon – Wayfaring Stranger
There’s about 9023456256 versions of this song – Johnny Cash did a version, White Stripes did a version…This one’s done by a singer from Hammersmith, SW London, who looks about 12. He sings, records it into some magic box, then sings back over that, creating some superduper multilevel collage of sound.
2 James Wolff – Someone who will
Jamie –> James
The links will get better. And, sometimes, worse. James is my old flatmate. This is shameless plugging. So? I make the rules.
3 Arctic Monkeys – You Know I’m No Good
Wolff –> Monkey
With a tip of the hat to Dr Pepper’s covers CD, this is the Amy Winehouse song, admirably sung in the original gender voice. Two things, I suppose – firstly, I hadn’t realised how catchy this song was until I heard this cover version. Second, he can actually sing, when he’s not sneering. Well done, Monkey Man
4 Mark Ronson ft Paul Smith – Apply Some Pressure
Amy Winehouse –> Mark Ronson
Ronson produced “Back to Black”, and Amy turns up on his album. So that’s two links.
Good horns on this.
5 Queens and David Bowie – Under Pressure
Pressure –> Pressure!
These links are writing themselves, now. Once you've got over the disappointment that this is not Ice Ice Baby (a song to which I still know ALL THE WORDS) you will acknowledge this as an awesome song. Especially the bit with Bowie that starts “It’s just..such..and…old..fashioned..”. Yes!
6 The Jam – Down at the Tube Station at Midnight
Cos both Bowie and The Jam did tunes called Absolute Beginners.
Which is more of a two-step link, really, but whatever. Importantly, Absolute Beginners, the book, was written by Colin MacInnes, who may or may not be related to me. Ok, he’s not.
7 Lord Kitchener – Underground train
Tube station-> Underground!
This is from an excellent album called “London is the Place for Me: Trinidad Calypso in London 1950 to 1956”, all music made by the first wave of Afro Caribbean immigrants who arrived in the UK after WW2. Kitchener’s songs are a really interesting mix of naïve optimism (London is the Place for me, for instance), and all-too- realism (If You’re Not White You’re Black). All of them are great.
8 MIA ft Bun B and Rich Boy – Paper Planes
Train -> Plane
OK, so MIA is an acquired taste. And that bit at the end, when she goes, “ MIA, third world democracy” is a real, cringing, fist-in-mouth moment. But if you aren’t shooting a pretend gun during the chorus, then, well, I don’t think we can be friends any more. Her album is OK. The best track has a guy called Afrikan Boy on it. Well, looky here…
9 – Afrikan Boy – Day out in Lidl
Afrikan Boy was on MIA’s album
Lidl is the shittest, cheapest supermarket in the UK. So going shoplifting there is pretty ghetto.
10- Jamie Liddell – Multiply
Lidl –> Liddell
Quite proud of this link, fwiw. Good song this. No idea what he’s talking about. “Take a trip and multiply”? Whatever could he mean? He also makes the worthwhile point, in the middle 8, that whilst people on the street, there are many, many, people on the moon, meanwhile, there ain't any, any.
11 Balistic Brothers – Blacker 4 the Good Times
Multiply – 4 Times is all maths and that
I do like this song and all, but really, it’s just a way of linking from Jamie Lidell to
12 Super Furry Animals – Venus and Serena
Brothers - > Sisters!
Bang! We’re back! SFA are one of those bands I should spend more time getting to know. Clearly, this song is ace. But it’s off the only album of theirs I have, and one which the real Furry fans reckon is “not their best”. But they would, wouldn’t they?
13 The Streets – All got our Runnins
Running is something you have to do in tennis. What? That’s a link.
This song was on his first album, but taken off at the last minute. It’s my favourite Streets track, mainly for the final line; “Cos I can’t pay the rent but I’ve got a hundred and nine pound pair of trainers on”. Having given this plenty of thought, it’s the fact that the shoes are a hundred and nine pounds that makes this line so good.
14 – Letta Mbulu – What is Wrong with Groovin?
Runnin and groovin are both examples of the present continuous with the final letter removed.
Best line in the whole CD; “Why do they follow me around, just like their name was 007?” Why indeed?
15 The Specials – Message to Rudy
Letta -> Message
This link might only work if you have a “British” accent, my North American chums. But I do, so that’s OK.
16 – Jamie T – Sheila
Rudy and Sheila are both girl’s names
My next CD will feature exclusively songs by people called Jamie
17 – King Biscuit Time – I Walk the Earth
T – Biscuit (and you thought the links were falling off! No chance….)
Two Facts About King Biscuit Time. 1 The singer is the singer from the Beta Band. 2 A friend of a friend has a restraining order out on him.
18 – Burial – Unite
Earth -> Burial
Taking the opposite approach to DJ Rocket, I’m not ending on a club stomper, mainly because I own no Soviet disco, and I know when I can’t compete. I think, with winter closing in across the northern hemisphere, we need as many melancholy but warm, haunting yet lovely songs as we can find. And whilst I think everything on this CD is great, this is the one track I really, really love, as my I-tune play counts will attest.
And! And ! And! Burial remixed Wayfaring Stranger for Jamie Woon! So the circle, friends, is complete……
1 Jamie Woon – Wayfaring Stranger
There’s about 9023456256 versions of this song – Johnny Cash did a version, White Stripes did a version…This one’s done by a singer from Hammersmith, SW London, who looks about 12. He sings, records it into some magic box, then sings back over that, creating some superduper multilevel collage of sound.
2 James Wolff – Someone who will
Jamie –> James
The links will get better. And, sometimes, worse. James is my old flatmate. This is shameless plugging. So? I make the rules.
3 Arctic Monkeys – You Know I’m No Good
Wolff –> Monkey
With a tip of the hat to Dr Pepper’s covers CD, this is the Amy Winehouse song, admirably sung in the original gender voice. Two things, I suppose – firstly, I hadn’t realised how catchy this song was until I heard this cover version. Second, he can actually sing, when he’s not sneering. Well done, Monkey Man
4 Mark Ronson ft Paul Smith – Apply Some Pressure
Amy Winehouse –> Mark Ronson
Ronson produced “Back to Black”, and Amy turns up on his album. So that’s two links.
Good horns on this.
5 Queens and David Bowie – Under Pressure
Pressure –> Pressure!
These links are writing themselves, now. Once you've got over the disappointment that this is not Ice Ice Baby (a song to which I still know ALL THE WORDS) you will acknowledge this as an awesome song. Especially the bit with Bowie that starts “It’s just..such..and…old..fashioned..”. Yes!
6 The Jam – Down at the Tube Station at Midnight
Cos both Bowie and The Jam did tunes called Absolute Beginners.
Which is more of a two-step link, really, but whatever. Importantly, Absolute Beginners, the book, was written by Colin MacInnes, who may or may not be related to me. Ok, he’s not.
7 Lord Kitchener – Underground train
Tube station-> Underground!
This is from an excellent album called “London is the Place for Me: Trinidad Calypso in London 1950 to 1956”, all music made by the first wave of Afro Caribbean immigrants who arrived in the UK after WW2. Kitchener’s songs are a really interesting mix of naïve optimism (London is the Place for me, for instance), and all-too- realism (If You’re Not White You’re Black). All of them are great.
8 MIA ft Bun B and Rich Boy – Paper Planes
Train -> Plane
OK, so MIA is an acquired taste. And that bit at the end, when she goes, “ MIA, third world democracy” is a real, cringing, fist-in-mouth moment. But if you aren’t shooting a pretend gun during the chorus, then, well, I don’t think we can be friends any more. Her album is OK. The best track has a guy called Afrikan Boy on it. Well, looky here…
9 – Afrikan Boy – Day out in Lidl
Afrikan Boy was on MIA’s album
Lidl is the shittest, cheapest supermarket in the UK. So going shoplifting there is pretty ghetto.
10- Jamie Liddell – Multiply
Lidl –> Liddell
Quite proud of this link, fwiw. Good song this. No idea what he’s talking about. “Take a trip and multiply”? Whatever could he mean? He also makes the worthwhile point, in the middle 8, that whilst people on the street, there are many, many, people on the moon, meanwhile, there ain't any, any.
11 Balistic Brothers – Blacker 4 the Good Times
Multiply – 4 Times is all maths and that
I do like this song and all, but really, it’s just a way of linking from Jamie Lidell to
12 Super Furry Animals – Venus and Serena
Brothers - > Sisters!
Bang! We’re back! SFA are one of those bands I should spend more time getting to know. Clearly, this song is ace. But it’s off the only album of theirs I have, and one which the real Furry fans reckon is “not their best”. But they would, wouldn’t they?
13 The Streets – All got our Runnins
Running is something you have to do in tennis. What? That’s a link.
This song was on his first album, but taken off at the last minute. It’s my favourite Streets track, mainly for the final line; “Cos I can’t pay the rent but I’ve got a hundred and nine pound pair of trainers on”. Having given this plenty of thought, it’s the fact that the shoes are a hundred and nine pounds that makes this line so good.
14 – Letta Mbulu – What is Wrong with Groovin?
Runnin and groovin are both examples of the present continuous with the final letter removed.
Best line in the whole CD; “Why do they follow me around, just like their name was 007?” Why indeed?
15 The Specials – Message to Rudy
Letta -> Message
This link might only work if you have a “British” accent, my North American chums. But I do, so that’s OK.
16 – Jamie T – Sheila
Rudy and Sheila are both girl’s names
My next CD will feature exclusively songs by people called Jamie
17 – King Biscuit Time – I Walk the Earth
T – Biscuit (and you thought the links were falling off! No chance….)
Two Facts About King Biscuit Time. 1 The singer is the singer from the Beta Band. 2 A friend of a friend has a restraining order out on him.
18 – Burial – Unite
Earth -> Burial
Taking the opposite approach to DJ Rocket, I’m not ending on a club stomper, mainly because I own no Soviet disco, and I know when I can’t compete. I think, with winter closing in across the northern hemisphere, we need as many melancholy but warm, haunting yet lovely songs as we can find. And whilst I think everything on this CD is great, this is the one track I really, really love, as my I-tune play counts will attest.
And! And ! And! Burial remixed Wayfaring Stranger for Jamie Woon! So the circle, friends, is complete……
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Cover Up! Liner Notes from Dr Pepper
Hey all - Dr Pepper's CD is off the press on its way to you. So here are some liner notes:
Cover Up!...Because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Stop! You may prefer to listen to the CD first and then come back to the notes. The beauty of covers is sometimes in the surprise.
Every second song you hear these days is some cheap, thoughtless cover of some old classic or another. How many times do you turn on the radio and hear someone butchering one of your favourite tunes? Well, here's a selection from Dr Pepper which attempts to break that mould. Great songs with great covers. You may reserve the right to think that some of these have been "butchered", but I've gone for variety and style. Personally, Dr Pepper is very pleased. So here you go, some brief notes to the album:
1 & 2. Mr Brightside. A fine tune from an admittedly over-rated band. Given some big band re-working. Turn your cd up loud, for this makes a fine introduction to the cd. Mr Paul Anka debutises in the CD Club. He has a variety of covers, though, a whole album of this could be too much.
3 & 4. Panic. Some quality from the Smiths given a twist by the Puppini Sisters. One for the Londoners here. The Smiths wrote this song after a British DJ, Steve Wright (who is still going incidentally), played Wham's I'm Your Man just after breaking the news of the Chernobyl Disaster. The Smiths, apparently outraged by the DJ's vacuousness, wrote this tribute to him.
5 & 6. Home is where the hatred is. Some classic soul from Esther Phillips given a little Kanye magic.
7 & 8. Blue Monday. The ultimate mobile phone (that's cell to you over the pond) ringtone given some liberal interpretation by Kylie; performed live at the Brits a few years back.
9 & 10. Satisfaction. A Stones classic. I debated about putting this in. The song is so perfect that I risked running the offence of the purists. But we've heard a lot from Cat Power in the CD Club so far, and she doesn't escape Dr Pepper's attention either. This re-working of Satisfaction is so far removed that the word "cover" doesn't seem appropriate. Miss Power has made this version her own.
11. Sweet Home Country Grammar. Keen observers will note that this is not a cover, but what the kids call a "mash up". But it gets on the play list simply because you can't help but smile when you hear it. Who'd have thought that Nelly and Lynyrd Skynyrd would prove such brilliant bedfellows.
12 & 13. Harry's Philosophy. John Lee Hooker was a genius. Some pure blues brings the tempo down a bit here. St Germain give it some amazing styling; listen carefully, the transition between songs is virtually seamless.
14 & 15. Feeling Good. Turn it up loud again. A Nina Simone classic given a heavy, rock touch by the gods who are Muse.
16 & 17. The Way Young Lovers Do. This is a treat for everyone. I originally heard the Jeff Buckley cover before the Van Morrison original and while the latter is good, the cover is mind-blowing. Recorded live at Sin-E, a New York coffee house, in 1993, this shows Buckley's extreme vocal talent brilliantly. This has since become one of my favourite tunes of all time, though trying to sing along does have the unwelcome side-effect of attracting stray dogs.
So there it is. Covers. No doubt there's some you think should have been included. Which starts a debate. What are your favourite covers? What are the worst covers out there? Girls Aloud bastardisation of Aerosmith's Walk This Way comes pretty close for me.
Cover Up!...Because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Stop! You may prefer to listen to the CD first and then come back to the notes. The beauty of covers is sometimes in the surprise.
Every second song you hear these days is some cheap, thoughtless cover of some old classic or another. How many times do you turn on the radio and hear someone butchering one of your favourite tunes? Well, here's a selection from Dr Pepper which attempts to break that mould. Great songs with great covers. You may reserve the right to think that some of these have been "butchered", but I've gone for variety and style. Personally, Dr Pepper is very pleased. So here you go, some brief notes to the album:
1 & 2. Mr Brightside. A fine tune from an admittedly over-rated band. Given some big band re-working. Turn your cd up loud, for this makes a fine introduction to the cd. Mr Paul Anka debutises in the CD Club. He has a variety of covers, though, a whole album of this could be too much.
3 & 4. Panic. Some quality from the Smiths given a twist by the Puppini Sisters. One for the Londoners here. The Smiths wrote this song after a British DJ, Steve Wright (who is still going incidentally), played Wham's I'm Your Man just after breaking the news of the Chernobyl Disaster. The Smiths, apparently outraged by the DJ's vacuousness, wrote this tribute to him.
5 & 6. Home is where the hatred is. Some classic soul from Esther Phillips given a little Kanye magic.
7 & 8. Blue Monday. The ultimate mobile phone (that's cell to you over the pond) ringtone given some liberal interpretation by Kylie; performed live at the Brits a few years back.
9 & 10. Satisfaction. A Stones classic. I debated about putting this in. The song is so perfect that I risked running the offence of the purists. But we've heard a lot from Cat Power in the CD Club so far, and she doesn't escape Dr Pepper's attention either. This re-working of Satisfaction is so far removed that the word "cover" doesn't seem appropriate. Miss Power has made this version her own.
11. Sweet Home Country Grammar. Keen observers will note that this is not a cover, but what the kids call a "mash up". But it gets on the play list simply because you can't help but smile when you hear it. Who'd have thought that Nelly and Lynyrd Skynyrd would prove such brilliant bedfellows.
12 & 13. Harry's Philosophy. John Lee Hooker was a genius. Some pure blues brings the tempo down a bit here. St Germain give it some amazing styling; listen carefully, the transition between songs is virtually seamless.
14 & 15. Feeling Good. Turn it up loud again. A Nina Simone classic given a heavy, rock touch by the gods who are Muse.
16 & 17. The Way Young Lovers Do. This is a treat for everyone. I originally heard the Jeff Buckley cover before the Van Morrison original and while the latter is good, the cover is mind-blowing. Recorded live at Sin-E, a New York coffee house, in 1993, this shows Buckley's extreme vocal talent brilliantly. This has since become one of my favourite tunes of all time, though trying to sing along does have the unwelcome side-effect of attracting stray dogs.
So there it is. Covers. No doubt there's some you think should have been included. Which starts a debate. What are your favourite covers? What are the worst covers out there? Girls Aloud bastardisation of Aerosmith's Walk This Way comes pretty close for me.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Where the notes at?
So I now have 3 more CDs since the last post. Cool! Do DJs Wordplay and Dr Pepper have anything to tell us about them?
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
From the Depths of the VocabuLair
Fellow 'Js,
Does waiting for DJ "Wordplay"'s mail-out have you wondering whether you're showing signs of Lexical Lethargy?
Is your vocabulary very barely there?
Need a musical bon mot to add to your spin cycle?
Check out this article on "the mondegreen", the word coined (in 1954!) to refer to those misheard, misconstrued and misinterpreted chunks o' song-lyric. We've all been there. These are those bits of chorus, verse and vocal riff that take on new phonic shapes, unintentional cadences and, ultimately, meanings of a unique sort -- often hilarious and surprisingly apt -- once warped due to multiple mis-listenings and convincing sing-a-longings....
Ok, survey says new vocab tends to stick more if you use it...
so... here goes...
Select phrases from Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded By The Light" have spawned a long list of mondegreens. Does "wrapped up like a douche" ring bells for anyone besides moi-self?
DJ Schwa welcomes real-life mondegreen examples from the HitParadeLinerNotes community -- post 'em here!
Does waiting for DJ "Wordplay"'s mail-out have you wondering whether you're showing signs of Lexical Lethargy?
Is your vocabulary very barely there?
Need a musical bon mot to add to your spin cycle?
Check out this article on "the mondegreen", the word coined (in 1954!) to refer to those misheard, misconstrued and misinterpreted chunks o' song-lyric. We've all been there. These are those bits of chorus, verse and vocal riff that take on new phonic shapes, unintentional cadences and, ultimately, meanings of a unique sort -- often hilarious and surprisingly apt -- once warped due to multiple mis-listenings and convincing sing-a-longings....
Ok, survey says new vocab tends to stick more if you use it...
so... here goes...
Select phrases from Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded By The Light" have spawned a long list of mondegreens. Does "wrapped up like a douche" ring bells for anyone besides moi-self?
DJ Schwa welcomes real-life mondegreen examples from the HitParadeLinerNotes community -- post 'em here!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Whither September?
Where, oh where, is CD number three? September has come and gone.
DJs, please remember that you signed up to have a CD in the post by the 15th of each month. Dr Pepper, you're up for October. DJ Wordplay, we're still waiting for number three.
DJs, please remember that you signed up to have a CD in the post by the 15th of each month. Dr Pepper, you're up for October. DJ Wordplay, we're still waiting for number three.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Rocket's Launch
CD # 2
ROCKET’S REVOLUTION :
Rise Up & Listen
Hi CD Clubbers!
I am always listening to music, my days are like long music videos, and music always either magically matches my mood, or changes it, depending on what I need. Since it is such a strong influence, I’m sure you understand that it’s important to always be surrounded by good music. With this in mind, I wanted to pull together a compilation of tunes that offer tidbits of advice that remind us to rise up, listen and live!
1) Wash it down – K’Naan: Okidoke. We’re starting with some more K’Nann. I had this planned out long before DJ Pants’ compilation, honest, and though I toyed with removing it, I decided I felt fine including this track with the reasoning that I’m including him more for his CanCon connection. He is currently the toast of Toronto. I love this track because a) despite all the bullshit, we must remind ourselves, music is like water – we can’t live without it and b) the sound of music in the background is so comforting.
2) Parade – Pretty Girls Make Graves: A fun and poppy call to arms. Also: heard this while in some trendy store in Brooklyn, this song playing over and over again. Awesome staff rebellion and you could just picture a musical theatre number with them meeting in the back room, throwing down their push brooms, hanging up their apron ties, and storming out in a perfectly formed chorus line. I love it!
3) Gadje Sirba – A Hawk and a Hacksaw: a short musical interlude segueing our way into the 4-song series of Balkan beat music (happily, a region not on our world tour, so no overlap here).
4) Ultimate – Gogol Bordello: they say you either love or hate these guys, though a recent review stated those who don’t like Gogol Bordello don’t like fun, and I know you y’all like fun, so I felt safe putting them on. And if a reminder to have fun weren’t enough of a reason to be included on this compilation of life advice in song, the opening chorus is: “there were never any good old days, they are today, they are tomorrow, it’s a stupid thing we say, cursing tomorrow with sorrow.” Live in the now - Hoptza!
5) Adir Adam – Balkan Beat Box: I have never played a song that got the people dancing as quickly as this one does, so this song reminds us to get the people dancing!
6) Elephant Gun – Beirut: our final Balkan influenced tune, and honestly, since I’m weak with lyrics, I really have no idea what’s going on in this song. But I think this song is sublime. And sometimes in life, that’s all you need. The performer also has a funky back story – inspired by the Magnetic Fields, he dropped out of high school because he wanted to make music, made some albums, travelled, got caught up in the Balkan/gypsy movement, and made some more albums. And he’s all of 20. From this we take the notion that you need to live life like you want and if that’s sometimes just airy and light, that’s okay – not everything has to mean something.
7) Gore Veil – Deadly Snakes: I feel like there has been so much loss lately, so I had to include a song about our mortality. The end of this song concludes that maybe we’re here to for the simple things, that we need to cherish the quiet moments. Following in the wake of the Elephant Gun, momma music reiterates not everything has to mean something. I remind myself of this on the difficult days. Ba bad da ba.
8) Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist – Avenue Q: everyone is, so let’s just get over it, and get on with it, yeah? (for more detes on the play, see: http://www.avenueq.com/
9) You are What You Love – Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins: the first song in this compilation’s trio of love songs. Frankly, we need not look beyond the title for the important kernel from this song: you are what you love. Sage advice if ever I heard any. (Tidbit: Jenny Lewis is the lead singer for Rilo Kiley and stared as Shelley Long’s daughter in one of my fave old movies: Troop Beverley Hills).
10) No Sissies – Hawksley Workman: from my fave troubadour we learn that if we are what we love, then we shouldn’t love the sissies.
11) Absolutely Cuckoo – Magnetic Fields: and Stephen Merritt reminds us to stay away from the crazies, too. This concludes the trio of love songs - I hope we’ll each walk away a little clearer on love thanks to these tunes.
12) Us – Regina Spektor: nothing is forever – everything will decay, even statues. This is both relieving and sad, but important to remember. Also, in my head (I am, however, one of the crazies song 11 warns us to stay away from…), I decided this song was about the statue on this CD cover (Vera Mukhinas’s Worker and Kolhoznitsa), so this song had to be included.
13) Joyful Girl – Ani Difranco: because if we’re not doing it for the joy, then why bother?
14) Самоцветы – Всё, что в мире есть у меня – kids, basically, the most important advice I can leave with you: always finish with a showstopper. In this case: Soviet Disco.
ROCKET’S REVOLUTION :
Rise Up & Listen
Hi CD Clubbers!
I am always listening to music, my days are like long music videos, and music always either magically matches my mood, or changes it, depending on what I need. Since it is such a strong influence, I’m sure you understand that it’s important to always be surrounded by good music. With this in mind, I wanted to pull together a compilation of tunes that offer tidbits of advice that remind us to rise up, listen and live!
1) Wash it down – K’Naan: Okidoke. We’re starting with some more K’Nann. I had this planned out long before DJ Pants’ compilation, honest, and though I toyed with removing it, I decided I felt fine including this track with the reasoning that I’m including him more for his CanCon connection. He is currently the toast of Toronto. I love this track because a) despite all the bullshit, we must remind ourselves, music is like water – we can’t live without it and b) the sound of music in the background is so comforting.
2) Parade – Pretty Girls Make Graves: A fun and poppy call to arms. Also: heard this while in some trendy store in Brooklyn, this song playing over and over again. Awesome staff rebellion and you could just picture a musical theatre number with them meeting in the back room, throwing down their push brooms, hanging up their apron ties, and storming out in a perfectly formed chorus line. I love it!
3) Gadje Sirba – A Hawk and a Hacksaw: a short musical interlude segueing our way into the 4-song series of Balkan beat music (happily, a region not on our world tour, so no overlap here).
4) Ultimate – Gogol Bordello: they say you either love or hate these guys, though a recent review stated those who don’t like Gogol Bordello don’t like fun, and I know you y’all like fun, so I felt safe putting them on. And if a reminder to have fun weren’t enough of a reason to be included on this compilation of life advice in song, the opening chorus is: “there were never any good old days, they are today, they are tomorrow, it’s a stupid thing we say, cursing tomorrow with sorrow.” Live in the now - Hoptza!
5) Adir Adam – Balkan Beat Box: I have never played a song that got the people dancing as quickly as this one does, so this song reminds us to get the people dancing!
6) Elephant Gun – Beirut: our final Balkan influenced tune, and honestly, since I’m weak with lyrics, I really have no idea what’s going on in this song. But I think this song is sublime. And sometimes in life, that’s all you need. The performer also has a funky back story – inspired by the Magnetic Fields, he dropped out of high school because he wanted to make music, made some albums, travelled, got caught up in the Balkan/gypsy movement, and made some more albums. And he’s all of 20. From this we take the notion that you need to live life like you want and if that’s sometimes just airy and light, that’s okay – not everything has to mean something.
7) Gore Veil – Deadly Snakes: I feel like there has been so much loss lately, so I had to include a song about our mortality. The end of this song concludes that maybe we’re here to for the simple things, that we need to cherish the quiet moments. Following in the wake of the Elephant Gun, momma music reiterates not everything has to mean something. I remind myself of this on the difficult days. Ba bad da ba.
8) Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist – Avenue Q: everyone is, so let’s just get over it, and get on with it, yeah? (for more detes on the play, see: http://www.avenueq.com/
9) You are What You Love – Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins: the first song in this compilation’s trio of love songs. Frankly, we need not look beyond the title for the important kernel from this song: you are what you love. Sage advice if ever I heard any. (Tidbit: Jenny Lewis is the lead singer for Rilo Kiley and stared as Shelley Long’s daughter in one of my fave old movies: Troop Beverley Hills).
10) No Sissies – Hawksley Workman: from my fave troubadour we learn that if we are what we love, then we shouldn’t love the sissies.
11) Absolutely Cuckoo – Magnetic Fields: and Stephen Merritt reminds us to stay away from the crazies, too. This concludes the trio of love songs - I hope we’ll each walk away a little clearer on love thanks to these tunes.
12) Us – Regina Spektor: nothing is forever – everything will decay, even statues. This is both relieving and sad, but important to remember. Also, in my head (I am, however, one of the crazies song 11 warns us to stay away from…), I decided this song was about the statue on this CD cover (Vera Mukhinas’s Worker and Kolhoznitsa), so this song had to be included.
13) Joyful Girl – Ani Difranco: because if we’re not doing it for the joy, then why bother?
14) Самоцветы – Всё, что в мире есть у меня – kids, basically, the most important advice I can leave with you: always finish with a showstopper. In this case: Soviet Disco.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Just Keep Your Pants On!
I have a secret to tell:
It's somebody's birthday today.
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday DJ Pa-ants
Happy Birthday to you!
Recently, while sitting in a cafe welcoming in my husband's birthday and, it felt like, co-celebrating the birthday of the fella at the next table, the hostess played a CD with no less than 20 versions of various birthday tunes.
Which got me to wondering: what's your favourite song to play at birthday time?
Also: CD 2 will be out shortly.
It's somebody's birthday today.
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday DJ Pa-ants
Happy Birthday to you!
Recently, while sitting in a cafe welcoming in my husband's birthday and, it felt like, co-celebrating the birthday of the fella at the next table, the hostess played a CD with no less than 20 versions of various birthday tunes.
Which got me to wondering: what's your favourite song to play at birthday time?
Also: CD 2 will be out shortly.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Judging by the cover
Yes, it is time to pimp this blog with some pictures. Music is all fine, but the beauty of a great album cover is not to underestimate. So, as we have listed our desert island discs and outed our instrumental experience I hereby challenge you to start posting the best and worst looking album covers in your CD/LP collections (that is, for those of you who still buy actual records).
Above is the favourite among my covers: The 1976 Italian prog classic "Aquile e scoiattoli" (meaning "Eagles and squirrels") by Latte e miele (Milk and honey). If I ever get kids, I will make them look this way.
Next up, the un-coolest cover in my collection: Swedish band Big Money with the album "Moonraker", released in 1994. I once, mid-90's, read an article in a Swedish newspaper, where some American rock star (I don't remember who) was given the assignment to judge a couple of Swedish records by their covers. His verdict on this one was something like "it sucks", and that it looked like they had found the sword on their way to the photo shoot. I agree. The music, however, isn't that bad, the opening track might even appear on CDOTM # 11.
Now, bring me the fucking counterparts, man/woman!
/ a-funk
----
Sorry, someone mention late 80s hip hop and awesome tracksuits?
Above is the favourite among my covers: The 1976 Italian prog classic "Aquile e scoiattoli" (meaning "Eagles and squirrels") by Latte e miele (Milk and honey). If I ever get kids, I will make them look this way.
Next up, the un-coolest cover in my collection: Swedish band Big Money with the album "Moonraker", released in 1994. I once, mid-90's, read an article in a Swedish newspaper, where some American rock star (I don't remember who) was given the assignment to judge a couple of Swedish records by their covers. His verdict on this one was something like "it sucks", and that it looked like they had found the sword on their way to the photo shoot. I agree. The music, however, isn't that bad, the opening track might even appear on CDOTM # 11.
Now, bring me the fucking counterparts, man/woman!
/ a-funk
----
Sorry, someone mention late 80s hip hop and awesome tracksuits?
huxxx
and, apropos of very little, my favourite photo from picturelsofwalls.com
-------------------------
since it is impossible to beat the first album cover posted here for best, i'll skip straight to the worst. i knew that, sooner or later, my metal phase would come in handy. yes, i was a proud owner of this one:
and of course i had to check out picturesofwalls.com, where i found this appropriate gem:
dj pants
Thursday, August 2, 2007
changing of the guard
my dear friends,
while i have enjoyed my reign as the inaugural dj of the month, the time has come for me to step down. our fate now rests in the hands of dj rocket, and i have no doubt that she will come up with some inspirational tunes to get us through the dog days of august.
if i may borrow from the montreal canadiens dressing room (who apparently borrowed it from the poem "in flanders fields"), i'll say the following to dj rocket: "to you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high"
rock on. :)
dj pants
p.s. i'm waiting patiently for somebody else to set us up as a group on facebook...
while i have enjoyed my reign as the inaugural dj of the month, the time has come for me to step down. our fate now rests in the hands of dj rocket, and i have no doubt that she will come up with some inspirational tunes to get us through the dog days of august.
if i may borrow from the montreal canadiens dressing room (who apparently borrowed it from the poem "in flanders fields"), i'll say the following to dj rocket: "to you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high"
rock on. :)
dj pants
p.s. i'm waiting patiently for somebody else to set us up as a group on facebook...
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
CD number one - liner notes for "around the world in 80 minutes"
first i’d like to thank all the little people who helped me put this album together. actually, there’s nobody to thank. all the blood, sweat and tears that went into this cd are all my own. which means if you don’t like it, that’s my fault too. i can live with that.
the concept of the cd was to provide a musical trip around the world in 80 minutes, with no more than one stop in each location. so please forgive me a few things. first, we clearly stop in argentina twice. but the first stop is only 1:37 long, and it’s really just an introduction to song number two. next, we don’t exactly go consistently in an eastern direction, but i did try to stick to a sensible itinerary with very little backtracking. finally, i came as close to possible to 80 minutes as i could. i think i’m off by 17 seconds.
a’ight, down to the songs:
1. i love ska, and los fabulosos cadillacs do it very well. not quite as well as the specials, but not everybody can be as special as the specials. i couldn’t resist this song as an opener.
2. did you know what “el matador” means? this guy i know who breeds horses for a pastime didn’t know, and he named a beautiful arabian horse “el matador”. i had the unfortunate task of telling him that it means “the killer” (or, as the babelfish translator says, "the killing one". that translator is always good for a laugh). somehow i don’t think he minded. this song is a favourite of mine. the whistles are a great touch.
3. this song is from the cidade de deus soundtrack (that’s city of god for the non-portuguese speakers in the crowd). if you haven’t seen the film, you really must. this song satisfies my need for funk. if all of brazil was as cool as that movie and this song, i think we would have stayed a lot longer.
4. four songs in, and this is the fourth song with horns. did i mention i like horns? songs like this really make me want to discover more about african power pop music. this one is from a compilation called red hot + riot, which i highly recommend if you like this tune.
5. amadou & miriam are suddenly everywhere. i chose something with a bit more mali and a little less manu chao. regardless, it’s another great album.
6. if i had my choice of any artist in the world i’d like to see live, femi kuti would be at the top of the list. sadly, he was in ottawa for the blues festival two weeks after we moved to edmonton. that one hurt. i also like the fact that femi kuti isn't afraid to get political in his music. femi kuti really is a musical god.
7. i thought amy winehouse might make for a nice transition from africa to europe. i know she’s very hyped, but i think it’s well deserved. plus, a girl who sings about carpet burns is rather refreshing.
8. please forgive my fascination with french rap. i suppose i could have used a nouvelle vague song to represent france, but then i’d really be stealing from dj rocket. plus, i thought that mc solaar fit better here.
9. okay, i know it sounds argentinian, but one of the members of the gotan project is from switzerland! who knew?
10. carla bruni is an italian supermodel who sings delicious french songs. what’s not to like? plus, my wife walked down the aisle to a carla bruni song. i’ve just realized that this is the second song in a row from artists that were introduced to me by dj cola. thanks, buddy.
11. in case you recognize it, this is the tune that was running in the background all through “little miss sunshine”. i had discovered it about a year previously through salon.com’s audiofile. oh, and i can’t remember what these guys connection to russia is, but i guarantee you there is one.
12. another slightly liberal choice of location. k’naan is canadian, but he’s originally from somalia. if all his songs sounded this good, i’d be a huge fan.
13. if i told you the story of this song, you wouldn’t believe me.
14. i can understand if this song isn’t for everybody, especially the voice synthesizer, but i can’t help myself. i’m a bit embarrassed about it, but i reckon admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. the truth is, i can’t get enough of this tune.
15. dr. pepper and i did PhDs together in the department of psychiatry (don’t worry, we’re not psychiatrists, we just play them on tv). this song was the unofficial theme song of our office. most of the dialogue in this song is from a wayne and schuster skit. after hearing this song a few times, just try and stop yourself from calling people “crazy in the coconut”.
16. i tossed this little gem on there as a transition to some vastly different songs to come. it helped that the dj was from japan. thanks to dj rocket for this one.
17. the quiet first 50 seconds bother me a bit in the middle of a mixed cd, but there wasn’t much i could do about that. these guys are american, but they are mexican-born. one of their fathers is a famous mexican mariachi singer. how happy was i to discover that?
18. i heard this tune on bbc radio 6 (the greatest radio station in the world, imho). the dj said “i think this song is still going to sound fantastic thirty years from now”. i’m inclined to agree. this song has dj cola written all over it. consider this a pre-emptive strike.
19. i figured that after a trip around the world everybody needs a rest. i love the great lake swimmers’ dreamy songs that seem perfect for hot summer nights (notice the crickets in the background in this one). plus, they’re canadian, and what better way to end an around the world cd than with a song called “this is not like home”?
i hope you liked this little trip. the phone lines are now open for your comments and criticisms...
dj pants
the concept of the cd was to provide a musical trip around the world in 80 minutes, with no more than one stop in each location. so please forgive me a few things. first, we clearly stop in argentina twice. but the first stop is only 1:37 long, and it’s really just an introduction to song number two. next, we don’t exactly go consistently in an eastern direction, but i did try to stick to a sensible itinerary with very little backtracking. finally, i came as close to possible to 80 minutes as i could. i think i’m off by 17 seconds.
a’ight, down to the songs:
1. i love ska, and los fabulosos cadillacs do it very well. not quite as well as the specials, but not everybody can be as special as the specials. i couldn’t resist this song as an opener.
2. did you know what “el matador” means? this guy i know who breeds horses for a pastime didn’t know, and he named a beautiful arabian horse “el matador”. i had the unfortunate task of telling him that it means “the killer” (or, as the babelfish translator says, "the killing one". that translator is always good for a laugh). somehow i don’t think he minded. this song is a favourite of mine. the whistles are a great touch.
3. this song is from the cidade de deus soundtrack (that’s city of god for the non-portuguese speakers in the crowd). if you haven’t seen the film, you really must. this song satisfies my need for funk. if all of brazil was as cool as that movie and this song, i think we would have stayed a lot longer.
4. four songs in, and this is the fourth song with horns. did i mention i like horns? songs like this really make me want to discover more about african power pop music. this one is from a compilation called red hot + riot, which i highly recommend if you like this tune.
5. amadou & miriam are suddenly everywhere. i chose something with a bit more mali and a little less manu chao. regardless, it’s another great album.
6. if i had my choice of any artist in the world i’d like to see live, femi kuti would be at the top of the list. sadly, he was in ottawa for the blues festival two weeks after we moved to edmonton. that one hurt. i also like the fact that femi kuti isn't afraid to get political in his music. femi kuti really is a musical god.
7. i thought amy winehouse might make for a nice transition from africa to europe. i know she’s very hyped, but i think it’s well deserved. plus, a girl who sings about carpet burns is rather refreshing.
8. please forgive my fascination with french rap. i suppose i could have used a nouvelle vague song to represent france, but then i’d really be stealing from dj rocket. plus, i thought that mc solaar fit better here.
9. okay, i know it sounds argentinian, but one of the members of the gotan project is from switzerland! who knew?
10. carla bruni is an italian supermodel who sings delicious french songs. what’s not to like? plus, my wife walked down the aisle to a carla bruni song. i’ve just realized that this is the second song in a row from artists that were introduced to me by dj cola. thanks, buddy.
11. in case you recognize it, this is the tune that was running in the background all through “little miss sunshine”. i had discovered it about a year previously through salon.com’s audiofile. oh, and i can’t remember what these guys connection to russia is, but i guarantee you there is one.
12. another slightly liberal choice of location. k’naan is canadian, but he’s originally from somalia. if all his songs sounded this good, i’d be a huge fan.
13. if i told you the story of this song, you wouldn’t believe me.
14. i can understand if this song isn’t for everybody, especially the voice synthesizer, but i can’t help myself. i’m a bit embarrassed about it, but i reckon admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. the truth is, i can’t get enough of this tune.
15. dr. pepper and i did PhDs together in the department of psychiatry (don’t worry, we’re not psychiatrists, we just play them on tv). this song was the unofficial theme song of our office. most of the dialogue in this song is from a wayne and schuster skit. after hearing this song a few times, just try and stop yourself from calling people “crazy in the coconut”.
16. i tossed this little gem on there as a transition to some vastly different songs to come. it helped that the dj was from japan. thanks to dj rocket for this one.
17. the quiet first 50 seconds bother me a bit in the middle of a mixed cd, but there wasn’t much i could do about that. these guys are american, but they are mexican-born. one of their fathers is a famous mexican mariachi singer. how happy was i to discover that?
18. i heard this tune on bbc radio 6 (the greatest radio station in the world, imho). the dj said “i think this song is still going to sound fantastic thirty years from now”. i’m inclined to agree. this song has dj cola written all over it. consider this a pre-emptive strike.
19. i figured that after a trip around the world everybody needs a rest. i love the great lake swimmers’ dreamy songs that seem perfect for hot summer nights (notice the crickets in the background in this one). plus, they’re canadian, and what better way to end an around the world cd than with a song called “this is not like home”?
i hope you liked this little trip. the phone lines are now open for your comments and criticisms...
dj pants
Friday, July 20, 2007
Along for the ride...
I stumbled upon this today, thought it funny and decided to share. Heck, it might even be regarded as providing thematic accompaniment to "Frontier Psychiatrist," Track 15 on DJ Pants' fabulous first installment.
Paxilback, by Gray Kid.
Apologies if this is something everyone's seen, like, a million times.
I'm just not that with it.
ə
Paxilback, by Gray Kid.
Apologies if this is something everyone's seen, like, a million times.
I'm just not that with it.
ə
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Beam Me Down, Dr. Scotty
Dear [enter name] Stock CD of the Month Club,
I was delighted to read your open letter, and am touched by the invitation to join your club. As you can understand, I've already sworn spiritual allegiance to that one and only club, membership of which precludes me from double-clubbing.
I would, however, be happy to speak at one of your functions (I'll have my assistant forward you an invoice (indicating relevant promotion code(s)), as well as a list of my Green Room preferences and my A/V requirements).
I've based my most recent talks on my contribution to the following collection [cover image attached]. I'm sure your group would find it most inspiring.
Sincerest regards,
Dr. Scott(y) Hahn
Clear Catholic Speaker
I was delighted to read your open letter, and am touched by the invitation to join your club. As you can understand, I've already sworn spiritual allegiance to that one and only club, membership of which precludes me from double-clubbing.
I would, however, be happy to speak at one of your functions (I'll have my assistant forward you an invoice (indicating relevant promotion code(s)), as well as a list of my Green Room preferences and my A/V requirements).
I've based my most recent talks on my contribution to the following collection [cover image attached]. I'm sure your group would find it most inspiring.
Sincerest regards,
Dr. Scott(y) Hahn
Clear Catholic Speaker
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
The Name Game
Rocket, Pants, all DJ brethren -- we are not alone!
There's some strong competition out there. Clarity of message, non-confusing speakers and/or tunes, wicked graphics, all of primary importance (not to mention proper promotion codes).
A reminder to stay on your toes, DJs, on your toes.
A message from Schwa.
There's some strong competition out there. Clarity of message, non-confusing speakers and/or tunes, wicked graphics, all of primary importance (not to mention proper promotion codes).
A reminder to stay on your toes, DJs, on your toes.
A message from Schwa.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Wagwan DJs?!?
Mista Dan here...I was so inspired by Rocket's initial icebreaker questions, that I thought I'd get the blogball rollin' here with a little get-to-know-ya exercise of my own:
1. What's the first musical instrument you played?
2. What's your favourite instrument to play?
3. What's your favourite instrument to listen to?
4. What artist do you most enjoy listening to play your favourite instrument?
5. What's your shoe size?
:)
1. What's the first musical instrument you played?
2. What's your favourite instrument to play?
3. What's your favourite instrument to listen to?
4. What artist do you most enjoy listening to play your favourite instrument?
5. What's your shoe size?
:)
Monday, July 16, 2007
Roll Call
July - DJ Pants
August - DJ Rocket
September - DJ Wordplay
October - Dr. Pepper
November - DJ Hucka-B
December - DJ Schwa
January - DJ Cola
February - DJ Salt-Type
March - DJ Cucumbah
April - Mr.Dan
May - a-funk
June - DJ Style
August - DJ Rocket
September - DJ Wordplay
October - Dr. Pepper
November - DJ Hucka-B
December - DJ Schwa
January - DJ Cola
February - DJ Salt-Type
March - DJ Cucumbah
April - Mr.Dan
May - a-funk
June - DJ Style
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Let's Play!
- Every month, one DJ will create one mixed CD and send a hardcopy to all other members in the club. The aim is to get the CD out by the 15th of your month;
- If you can't afford the time or money to send 11 CDs to people in 4 different countries once a year, please don't join the club;
- Anything goes for music – all themes and gimmicks are welcome. There are some crazy awesome people on this roster, so we'll say up front that the creative ante is high. We only ask no one CD have more than one song by an artist;
- Liner Notes is where we can detail our song choices, review the CDs we’ve received and share any other music-related tidbits the gang might appreciate.
Alright, enough with the "rules" (how utterly un-rock n roll!). Let's play!
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