I’ve been missing here for a bit, my apologies! I’ll be back proper on Monday but just wanted to pop on and share some goodness I found. Perhaps it’ll bring you some weekend wonderfulness!!
Go out and have a blast!!
pretty cool weirdo folk duo from Edmonton:
my new music obsession…chap hop:
because this is just awesome:
the type of music that would be perfect to score a freaky avant garde silent film:
and to finish it all off with some lovely & sweet poppiness:
Today is an epic day in Canada. One that can not be ignored and ultimately something I feel so passionately about that I can’t just sit here and talk about the music I’ve been listening to or bands I’ve been seeing. Today is May 2, 2011 and it is the 41st Canadian Federal Election! Those of you that are unfamiliar with the political situation in Canada, for the past five years the Stephen Harper Conservatives have had their helm at running Canada…and it hasn’t been in a pretty direction. For you Americans, think McCain vs. Obama election. I use this reference because we’re sick of the way the government has been running things and we want change.
Beyond the fact that Harper has governed our great country as if he were some evil greedy villain from a children’s story book, he also loves to showcase his musical abilities at public events (see I’m bringing music into this!). Sorry, I shouldn’t say abilities, more like the creepy sounds of a dying beached whale. He made news during the early stages of his campaign when he performed John Lennon’s “Imagine” (a nightmare inducing performance). The YouTube video was pulled due to a “copyright claim by Lenono Music” aka the publishing company behind Yoko Ono and Lennon’s music. (way to go Yoko Ono! Oh how I love that lady!!).
What’s stirred things up this election is the fact that the political leaders were ignoring the youth vote. Politics are never a nice smooth ride, and we all know parties play to certain sides but Harper went too far (actually banning people from rallies due to their political supports on Facebook) basically bitch slapping the youth demographic of Canada. This has stirred up a passion for change and in support of voting that I have not seen before in my peers. Through social media I have seen how other like minded (and frustrated) people there are out there and it is truly inspiring. Statistically it’s been tough to get the younger generations out to vote but in reaction to a video rant about youth voting by Rick Mercer, Vote Mobs have sprung up across Canada.
Rick Mercer urging youth to vote video:
My favourite Vote Mob video:
Now these are all my opinions and I don’t wish to push any of my political ideals on anyone. Simply, I have written this for any Canadians reading this to urge you to go out and VOTE!!
Your voice can’t be heard if you don’t VOTE!!
Cheers,
Dorice
Not sure where to VOTE? Check out Elections Canada’swebsite.
Just wanted to share a song that I’ve had on repeat all weekend by awesome band WU LYF. There is so much to this song I adore, it’s really fantastic and gets under your skin in the best possible way! Big thanks to my fav blog GIMME TINNITUS for the hot tip!
I like my music with a little meat to it. Something that grabs hold of me from the tips of my pinky toes to the static electricity on top of my head. Mainstream music does nothing for me and even the majority of the popular “indie” crowd music doesn’t draw me in. My friend once said that the music I listen to is the type of music crazy people listen to and while laughing hard, I took that as a huge compliment (of course!). So in honor of that, this week’s Wheel o’ Bandcamp is DIY. Enjoy!!
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the local music scene in Toronto and it got me to thinking that while I do check out a lot of bands, I never go blindly searching for new ones. I either go off recommendations from friends, promoters or buzz. So this week I decided to take the Wheel o’ Bandcamp through the Toronto tag. As always, these are bands that I know nothing about, nor have every heard before going fishing. There’s a great mix here that I think everyone could find something they dig, from electro to folk (yes *gasp* I included a folk band…okay the banjo playing really sold me on them). Short and sweet this week so you can dive right into the music, enjoy!
Photography by purpleplaid “Great is the human who has not lost his childlike heart.” - Menicus
This week ended up being about fulfilling childhood memories, letting my childlike spirit fly round and having fun. It was Canadian Music Week in Toronto but I only saw two shows at CMW as I am really not a fan of this festival. The only acts I felt worthwhile seeing, I had already seen throughout the year, in better venues with better crowds and totally cheaper. I did catch Rich Aucoin (Check out his 3D video for Push). I’ve now seen him three times and each time the show gets better & better. There were glow sticks, confetti and amped up happy people everywhere. Rich Aucoin is a truly great performer that engages the crowd so well and spends his set breaking down that wall between performer and audience. The video projections and audience sing alongs definitely help but at the end of it you have an artist that is, well just that, an artist…but one that obviously just effing loves what he does and that energy attacks the crowd in mesmerizing wonderment.
My childhood self melted infinitely on Saturday when I saw Fred Penner play!! Now Fred Penner is a beloved children’s singer/performer that generations of Canadians have grown up listening to and watching his TV show. He’s from Winnipeg like me and I have so many found memories going to see him play at the Teddy’s Bear Picnic or going to the mall with my mum to lineup for his autograph (I think we went like every time…even when it wasn’t “cool” to like him anymore…like that would stop me!!) What’s so great about Fred Penner is that he is just a lovely, friendly and talented man that likes to perform and he has this whimsical side that I think really resonates with children (and one’s inner child). I have never seen an audience so enthusiastic, receptive and interactive as I did for that show. He got everyone singing, clapping, laughing and grinning from ear to ear!!
I also went to two great non-CMW shows this weekend, one DIY house venue that was rammed and kept it going till like 7am. I lost count after a while but I must have seen at least 10 bands play that night. The ones I can remember: Sean Nicholas Savage, Actual Water, Silly Kissers, Makeout Videotape. I also helped out the guys of Wavelength again for their #516 show which was held at a converted Buddhist temple. It was a great show with EONS, Hybrid Moments and The Deeep playing.
Right! So this week’s Wheel o’ Bandcamp genre selection is no wave. I found a really interesting mix from loud and thrashy to more mellow and even one band that sounds very witch house. Either way there’s some great stuff here so hope you enjoy!!
Hope everyone had a great week! This past one was kind of slow for me as I only made it out to one show but it was pretty great! There were two local Toronto bands, Ohmno and Actual Water both of which I’ll definitely be checking out again very soon. The third band on the bill was The Beets from New York and man oh man they were killer!! I hadn’t given them a listen beforehand and glad I didn’t as live their sound and energy are captivating. The lead singer’s guitar was a plugged in acoustic guitar which he had modified. The sound of it complements his whiny pop of yesteryear voice. If The Beets play near you go check them out!
I’ve been thinking a lot about how music moves us. Everyone’s ear picks up a something different yet we are bonded by the shared experience. As a consistent observer of human interaction I do love seeing how the music washes over the audience. And there’s nothing better than finding a kindred spirit that digs the same randomness that you do.
So on with the music! For this week’s Wheel o’ Bandcamp I got a bit carried away under the “noise” genre. Instead of just picking one at random off the Bandcamp site, I kept going because I was finding great stuff! I’m especially excited to share this first band Shiko Shiko as they really got under my skin…I’ve been listening to them almost non-stop since yesterday. Hopefully you’ll find a new gem!!
“Music is moonlight in the gloomy night of life.” – Jean Paul Richter
Hello Lovelies!
I’m back and looky what’s happened…the PCC has erupted!! Very exciting and welcome welcome to our crew of 22!
As usual I’ve been busy with going to shows, which I’ll share my fav picks in weeks to come (I think in January alone I saw over 25 bands?). More recently I got to help out during The Wavelength Eleven Anniversary Festival. There’s something lovely about working festivals. The common bond that you’re coming together for something bigger than yourself, exposing the general public to things they might have never explored and connecting with fellow people of similar interests. Needless to say it was fun hanging round music geeks for a week and listening to some killer music (more info to come soon about this).
So now that we have this awesome group of folks making up our sort of Justice League of music bloggers, what is my role? Where do my little Profound Broccoli posts fit in? Whatever my little heart desires really. It will almost always be entirely random…just can’t help that! I did have an idea that I’ve been mulling for a while now so here it goes…Wheel o’ Bandcamp! Each Monday I’ll go through Bandcamp grab a genre at random and pick an artist/band (most likely pulled in by a name or the album art) and share it with y’all. I always hate myself that I’m not digging even further into the music out there and I think this will be a fun experiment for both myself and anyone else along for the ride!
Right so here we go! My first pick off the Wheel o’ Bandcamp is from the sci-fi genre (of course I had to see what that genre is all about!!) and it’s some pretty cool spacey ambient tracks:
Since I’ve been away for a bit I wanted to share some more stuff with y’all.
My friends Magnetic Island JUST released a new single that’s pretty raad! It’s free so go download it! (total coincidence that it’s entitled “The Space”…or is it?! No really total fluke):
The folks at NXEW posted this gem last week. Free album from Tonka & Puma (side project of Dan & April of Hooded Fang). It’s a great garage/punk/noise pop/lo-fi album, even featuring a pretty killer cover of “Do You Want To Dance”. Give it a whirl! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
Think that’s about it for tonight! Have a great week and go support your local music scene!
So things have shifted a bit here and looks like I’ll be posting something every Thursday (other Paper Crane Collective folks have diff days).
I’m super swamped with holiday prep (work & personal) and trying to beat off a massively terrible cold that came outta nowhere, to do any of my best of 2010 but it is coming!
I really love Christmas! (not for the capitalist consumer greedy side of it) Unlike the rest of the population, I actually love hearing those Christmas songs playing everywhere…I even keep my radio dial tuned to the 24/7 Christmas tunes channel! When I used to work at Starbucks I would always sing along to the holiday CDs all lounge singer style (except for the Sarah McLaughlin tracks…she always weaseled her way into the rotation! not a fan!). Always thought it would be a great idea to have a Vegas style lounge act but only sing Christmas songs…still believe it would SO work…along with my idea of William Shatner and Bowie putting out a Christmas album! Okay so we all already knew I was a freak so none of this should come shocking to anyone :)
Anyway enough of this nonsense! Here are some songs to get you in the festive mood!
Ha this is so bad but so awesome! Call me a purist but I dug Billy Idol better sans plastic surgery (or whatever is going on with his freaky creepy face here)
This one you def need a glass of eggnog w/ more whiskey than nog!
Classic!!
Not really a fan of the Martina McBride version but this is a great live video of the King!
No matter where I am when I hear this I almost always start dancing/swaying a bit and for sure sing along!
But of course then you need this version too!
I would SO kill this in my Christmas lounge act!!
Still can’t hear this without thinking of The Office BBC (the original version) Christmas special…those last 10min still get me.
Oh that hair!
Perry Como Christmas songs are like THE thing for me, you just can’t beat him!
Def a huge fav!!
Not a huge fan of this one but the video is priceless!
It’s really the chorus that hooks me in, that melody is fab.
It’s Friday! Congrats everyone you made it through another week!
Here’s some raad music to keep you energized and entertained while tackling that holiday shopping.
I’m horrible I know but I know nothing about Slow Animal…other than I really dig the music. It’s some great lo-fi stuff and I like the varied tempos throughout the tracks. They also seem to be a duo band which of course makes sense because I love me a good duo band! Give it a whirl I say!
I’ve been hearing mutterings about this British TV series Misfits for a little bit now and finally gave it a watch the other day and I’m hooked!! It’s a brilliant show full of drama, action, comedy and super powers. Premise, a rag tag group of juvenile delinquents serving community service together get hit by a freak lighting storm and develop super powers. The group bonds over being messed up outsiders and dealing with their new powers. As the series unfolds you find out that they weren’t the only ones affected by the storm but not everyone developed powers to do good. The main cast drips with raw talent and have incredible range. The directors and producers have done a phenomenal job on the stylistic elements.
And probably the element that blows me away the most is the music supervision! You think The O.C., Gossip Girl, Chuck or Bored To Death have great music supervisors…well Misfits kicks all their asses!! Umm how about some Blur, Prodigy and Klaxons…sure not too shabby. Bit of Dean Martin, Neil Diamond and Joy Division…yeah lay it on. Oh wait not enough for you? How about some Justice, The Cure, Chemical Brothers, The Dead Weather and The Velvet Underground…impossible right? How can this show have such a killer (and very expensive) soundtrack. I would think that some of the tracks they use would be impossible to get the rights for but voila they did! Even if you don’t check out the show, go to the official site and check out the music section. They have a track listing for each episode (LOVE that feature!). Hands down THE best TV show soundtrack ever!!
Go on check out the Misfits main site. There’s a bunch of cool features to check out, including character Twitters. I’m not usually a fan of those but the writers have done a good job in having their Tweets as extra bonuses for the hardcore fans.
Oh yeah and did I mention that one of the cast member Iwan Rheon (plays the “weird” kid Simon) is in a pretty raad band The Convictions and has a solo EP out?!
I really like The Convictions sound and energy. Here’s hoping they cross the pond for some shows some time soon!
Hello all you lovely people out there!! While Tsuru is away, the paper crane collective shall play!
Little recommendation from moi to kick off the week! Can not remember how I came across unouomedude but I’m drawn to the lo-fi hazey pop sound. I also really dig the bits of spoken audio samples. My fav track is “Birthday Party”. Hope y’all enjoy!!
I’m not much for hype around bands. I will give anything a listen once but I have a particular ear. If something doesn’t draw me in within a couple of bars I’m out. So yesterday…or the day before (past time perception is always foggy to me) I saw MusicVagabond Tweet about Yellow Ostrich and was hit instantly. I’ve been telling everyone to check it out but had a duh! moment because I should obvs be giving a shout out for all the lovely Tsururadio folks. So check out Yellow Ostrich! I downloaded The Mistress off bandcamp (for free or pay-what-you-can, show some luv, I did!) and have been obsessed with it since. WHALE is a personal fav and the video below is not the official but it’s so raad!
Hello lovelies!
Fall is the time of year when people start to revert into this sort of sleepy cocoon of life. We crave the lovely comfort of coziness whether it is your fav sweater, cups of tea, curling up with a good book or snuggling with someone you love. So I wanted to share with you the music that makes me feel happy, comforted, relaxed and inspired all at the same time…and that would be Syd Barrett.
If you don’t know Syd the short version is that he was the lead singer/guitarist/main creative force/founding member of Pink Floyd and was kicked out of the band after their first 2 studio albums for supposedly going crazy from too much acid. He produced some solo albums before retreating to a life of solitude and painting. Some people say that Syd chose to play a little crazy in order to cope with the band’s increasing popularity or that he had a pre-existing mental condition that was elevated due to his acid use. I remember someone telling me about how Syd had tried to go clean but at the time acid was so prevalent that he ended up taking it without even knowing and that thinking he was straight while he actually wasn’t may have done him in.
Now I really discovered 60s-80s music during my uni years as I had older parents that missed that whole trippy hippie movement. My dear friend Froggy (an English man on exchange to Canada) introduced me to Syd in first year and from that instant my love affair with Syd Barrett began. I feel like if I had met Syd that we would’ve got on perfectly, I think our brains would’ve meshed. His music is filled with such wonderful worlds of imagination and whimsy yet at times they can be dark and melancholy (but always with a sparkle). I actually don’t care for the Pink Floyd that most people know; my fav album of theirs is The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Without Syd the band is just boring dad music to me. There’s something so inexplicable about Syd’s music to me that when I do meet another dear fan it’s a special thing. Syd’s not for everyone I definitely know that…and I don’t think I’d like it that way…and I think Syd wouldn’t have either. See he was a true artist. He wanted to create music and art because it was so filled up inside of him. But to put yourself out there and share with the world can be rather claustrophobic and so that’s why I want to believe that Syd wanted to leave Pink Floyd because the success they were headed for was not the life he wanted to live. He wanted to live in the world inside his head and make his art, and that’s what he did.
So I wanted to share with you some of my fav Syd songs that maybe you’ll love or hate or have already heard or maybe, just maybe you never have and I can open your mind up to such a cherished artist just like how Froggy did for this bizarre girl from the prairies.
Hello Lovelies!!
I’m consistently impressed by duo bands. It’s this weird thing because am I so in awe that only 2 members can create the sound that might take others a full piece band to create? Or is it that maybe because the duo bands that seem to really work are so in tune with their music? I have never seen a duo band not have a kick ass time (or at least they give the impression that they’re super happy). Maybe I’m drawn to the idea of best friends making music together. Partners in crime extracting such awesome creative talent that it’s reminiscent of building forts and make believing anything is possible. Whatever the reason I thought it might be a good idea to share some of the duo bands that I dig. Do you guys have a fav duo band? I’d love to hear about it!
Happy Halloween all! I hope everyone has a great weekend enjoying whatever hijinx you find yourselves in. Just wanted to post some Halloween themed vids for your enjoyment.
My fav Halloweens have always been the movie marathon ones. While going out to parties all dressed up is fun too…they never seem to live up to my expectations. I think I’ve been over saturated by year after year of TV show Halloween episodes that I have yet to be to a Halloween party that’s blown me away. But movie marathons are super great! You can go full on scary, campy, gore fest or a mixture but they never seem to disappoint. I’m very partial to the old school horror films (I’m talking pre-80s here). Vincent Price, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Boris Karloff, those guys are the classics! If you’re having a Halloween party this weekend I recommend renting one of the Hammer horror pics and just have it play in the background. Or if you’re having yourself a creepy movie marathon throw one into the mix! They’re campy, creepy and just a fantastic ride to watch (oh yeah there’s always sexy ladies of course!). And also, if you’re not a big horror fan, these type of films are a great middle ground. No nightmares to be had…okay well not for me, but I suppose I”m not the best judge as I love odd/weird/creepy/gorey all the time. Oh! Except horror films dealing with ghosts like Paranormal Activity (have not seen yet cuz I know I’ll pee my pants) and the original Grudge aka Ju-On (terrifying to me). I also recommend for Halloween parties/movie marathons Alfred Hitchcock films. He’s the king of suspense. Happy Halloween mwahahaha!!!
I’m back again with my second mixtape for mixtape week here at TSURURADIO. This time I went on the mellow side for those times when you’re in the mood to just have some easy breezy music going. I’m not reinventing the wheel here, just put together tracks I thought worked well together.
Enjoy!! Dorice
Hello! Here is my first mixtape for our stellar mixtape week here at TSURURADIO! The first mix…? Yup that’s right, I’ve made three mixtapes each with their own distinct vibe. It’s been ages since I’ve made a proper mixtape (well other than just the throwing of random songs onto a CD so I’ll have driving music). I was going through all the stuff I wanted to put in and my list was enormous. Even after I did some cutting I was still left with a chunk of songs that just would not do as one mixtape. So viola! three were born! I’m calling the first one here the awesome mix because it’s awesome. No clue if y’all will dig but I like it. And if it’s not your bag, well then you still have two more mixes coming from me to get your mixtape groove on. Either way give it a spin!
Baby Please Don’t Go is a song that was originally recorded by Big Joe Williams (what a voice man!) way back in 1935. I’ve heard various versions before (oddly not the mainstream ones) and thought it would be great to share some of them. These are just the covers that I think are cool either because I like the sound of it or because of the unique take on it. I’ve also tried to keep it in order of release (more or less). I have about 3 or 4 abso favs here but I’ll keep you guessing which they are :)
Hope you enjoy!!
tsururadio. The musical obsessions, meanderings, and field observations of Aaron (aka Tsuru) most often presented in mixtape format, the way the good lard intended!
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