yesterday's news .:. jan 16

New Year! New Post! Hopefully not the only one of 2014!

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If you felt a large exhale breezing across the Toronto skyline, it may have came from Mayor Rob Ford's office at City Hall. Alas, another large politician who is making apology after apology for Bobby Moynihan to portray on a weekly basis has entered the squared circle. Chris Christie, current New Jersey governor and potential presidential candidate, (well.. not now) may have had someone on his staff shut down two of three lanes providing access to the George Washington Bridge from September 9-13 causing chaos for commuters and emergency vehicles alike. Pretty annoying for everyone involved but even more so for the poor guy who died because the ambulance couldn't get to him. Why would he do this you ask? Political revenge obviously. The target: a small town democratic Mayor, a Mr. Mark Sokolich of Fort Lee who hadn't supported him in the 2013 New Jersey Gubernatorial (Governors') Election. Emails from Christie staffers even referred to Sokolich in a derogatory manner knowing the highway closure would affect him. On company emails boys? Come on. I expect a bit more from politicians sleazy wise. I didn't think he'd completely deny and blame then fire staffers, though he does look like the type of bloke who would encase someone in cement and dispatch them to the bottom of the lake. And hot on the heels of the "highway gate" (did I just coin that?) CNN learned that a federal inquiry on the advance made by Christie from Hurricane Sandy relief funds to fun his campaign for the 2013 Gubernatorial Election has begun. Kind of a douche movie.  I don't enjoy reality TV, never have… but if these two guys hooked up on some kind of Canada vs USA fat mayor show, I'd tune into the pilot (ahem… Fox). Speaking of hilarious crack smoking mayors; it's been almost 24 years (January 18, 1990) since Marion Barry, former mayor of Washington DC was busted smoking crack in a sting operation orchestrated by the FBI and his ex-girlfriend Hazel Diane 'Rasheeda' Moore. During the videotaped arrest Barry noted that the 'bitch set me up,' and makes for outstanding YouTube watching.

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Aloha from Hawaii! I'm not actually in Hawaii. I wish..But it's been 41 years since the broadcast of the 'Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii' TV special. Elvis performed two benefit concerts for the Kui Lee Cancer Fund and recorded them both, the second of which was broadcasted via satellite to millions of viewers live become the first global concert satellite broadcast. The first show was recorded and ready to air in case the satellite technology still in its infancy failed but the show aired without interruption as scheduled on January 14, 1973. Ironically, the special didn't air in the United States until April 4, 1973 because it aired the same day as Super Bowl (Miami beat Washington if you're keep score) leaving Americans anticipating the first 'live broadcast' concert 10 weeks later. Good call! Oh, as for the actual show, here's a recap: Elvis wore an elaborate outfit with an eagle on it, he did play "Hound Dog," and ran through some other rock & roll standards like 'Johnny B Goode' and 'Long Tall Sally. Not long after the show, Elvis' divorce was finalized (he and Priscilla had separated in February 1972) and his health went downhill faster than a bottle of quaaludes at, well, Elvis' house. 

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I haven't been to a music festival in a long time. Well, Riot Fest two years ago, but I was only there for a couple hours. But Lollapalooza, Warped Tour, Hellfest were all insanely fun and it was some of the most eye opening times I've ever had as an impressionable youth (is it still pronounced 'yout'?). But every time I'd have a conversation with some random person they were always true, real, fairly good folks. When I picture a music festival now I picture three days of overcrowded camping areas, overflowing portable lavatories (not to mention the rivers of piss everywhere from people who have stopped using them), and endless conversations that go like this:

Maybe I'm just getting old and curmudgeon. Maybe it's funny and horrifying all at once. Maybe I'm becoming Grandpa Simpson.

Homer: Come on Dad, you are just not with.

Grandpa Simpson: I used to be with it, until the changed what it was. Now what I am with isn't it and what is it seems scary to me. And the same thing is going to happen to you, mark my words!

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Brian Griffin is/was kind of dead. That is what we know of the death of pretend dogs. Basically, they just stopped animating the drawing of a dog for an episode or two. It caused quite the uproar when the animated canine was killed after being hit by a car in November. But knowing full well they can't kill of the best character on the show, Stewie went back in time in the Christmas episode to prevent his death and the absurd 'normalcy' of the show had been restored. Did they kill off that weird dog that was voiced by Tony Sirico? Anyways, always a genius with a master plan, creator and the voice of Brian, Seth McFarlane revealed why he did this (obvs on the Twitters): "You didn't really think we'd kill off Brian, did you? Jesus, we'd have to be f***ing high. And thus endeth our warm, fuzzy holiday lesson: Never take those you love for granted, for they can be gone in a flash." Well, there you go! Seth proves conclusively that he isn't just a dick and fart joke factory, but is giving you something to think about. The talking bear movie guy showing us what's up. 

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Is Andy Kaufman alive or dead? Weird dude, never the hugest fan in that he never made me laugh out loud (lol as the kids say) but what he did was always interesting, whether he's lip synching along to a "Pop Goes the Weasel" 45 on SNL in the 70's to almost getting clocked out by Michael Richards on "Fridays" for not reading his lines… like at all. He thought it would 'be funny.' Kaufman was also obsessed with the idea of faking his own death, constantly talked friend and comedian Bob Zmuda's ear off about his brilliant scheme. Fake your own death, pop out twenty years later and yell 'Surprise!' would be the ultimate prank. He 'died' May 16, 1984 putting the twenty year mark (get out your calculators) at 2004. The years roll by, uneventfully on the Kaufman front although in 2013 a one Stephen Maddox of Greenwood, Indiana claimed to be Kaufman's son, and that his step father and Andy had switched places so he could be relieved of his mid-level fame. There was another incident in November 2013 at the 9th Annual Andy Kaufman Awards where a woman who claimed to be Andy's daughter went on stage and said her father wanted 'to live a quiet life and raise a family.' As it turns out, Andy's brother Michael Kaufman hired the woman to play Andy's daughter for the night. Too bad because I'd love Andy to just show up somewhere and do something weird. 

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have hit the winter version of baseball's 'June Swoon' after a horrific December and a not-so-great November. The new year started off auspiciously enough with a win at the Winter Classic against Detroit with Tyler Bozak clinching the victory in the shootout. Still hungover from the Ann Arbor air, the Leafs soldiered through a stretch of games where they were absolutely abysmal, the low point being a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. The cracks really started to show from habits established early in the season that were masked by superb goaltending. You can't give up forty shots a night and expect to win in any league higher than Junior B. The sub-par play of late can't be attributed to the goalies. They have looked weak at times, a Bernier trapezoid miscue here, a Reimer softie in a tie game there, but goaltending is the least of our issues right now. Giving up forty shots is all well and good if they are from the outside but you can't give up these grade A chances to NHL players… Just hanging Reims and Bernie out to dry. Fortunately, the Leafs currently find themselves on a three game winning streak, seemingly righting the ship (the canoe) with shootout wins against the Devils on Sunday and the Sabres Wednesday, and a huge emotional win over the Bruins in Boston sandwiched in on Tuesday. The modest streak vaulted the Leafs from their season low position of eleventh to fifth seed in the tight albeit weak Eastern Conference setting up a showdown with their oldest rivals, the Montreal Canadians, for a Saturday night "Hockey Night In Canada" tilt. Montreal currently sits in fourth place in the conference, six points up on the Leafs.

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Team Canada. Roster has been announced. Seabrook should be on the team. All I'm gonna say. Oh, and make Toews captain. Here's the Canadian team:

The Swedish,  Finnish, Russian, Czech, and American teams are equally frightening. Check out the other rosters HERE.
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Songs.

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Game on 2014.

albums 2007-2012

2007: BETWEEN THE BURIED & ME - COLORS. Esstential release. Between the Buried & Me rose from the ashes of From Here On, and quickly gained notoriety for their vicious live shows and pummelling breakdowns. After releasing their debut on Lifeforce Records, the North Carolina outfit signed stateside with Victory Records. Their Victory debut, "The Silent Circus" was so much more complex with their debut followed by the more straight forward "Alaska." All of the aforementioned releases were thoroughly enjoyable, and I was looking forward to hearing "Colors." It is a 65 minute piece, broken up into eight tracks. The complex rhythms and chaos still exists throughout the release, but the band has quite the bag of musical tricks, incorporating blue grass, jazz, acoustic folk. Tommy Rogers clean singing voice has improved considerably, one full display in the opening track or at about the 8 minute mark of "Sun Of Nothing." It literally sounds like Radiohead. "Sun Of Nothing" starts off three tracks that comprise the meat of the album (33 or so minutes on three tracks). "Sun…" leads into the sprawling "Ants Of the Sky," my favourite 'track' on the album, followed by the epic "Prequel To a Sequel." After catching your breath during the sombre bass lines in "Viridian," talk about epic… "White Walls" closes the album with a fourteen minute whirlwind that seems significantly shorter in length due to a) there isn't a dull second and b) it really really awesome. 

Honourable Mention: Chuck Ragan - Feast Or Famine. Hot Water Music frontman's debut solo effort. Gruff vocals intact, Chuck is armed with a guitar and little else. 

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2008: FUCKED UP - THE CHEMISTRY OF COMMON LIFE. Arty street punk. Who knew? And in my own back yard. Toronto's Fucked Up have been putting out more 7"s than almost any band ever, mostly on Vancouver via Toronto based Deranged Records. The band finally recorded a proper full length in 2006 for Jade Tree Records called "Hidden World." It wasn't what I was expecting from the band. They had been known for their short fast songs so the last thing I expected to hear was the just-shy-of-seven minute long opener "Crusades." They slowed down the tempo and let the songs stretch out for a bit and was of the most surprisingly amazing releases of the year. Two years passed and then band put out their second album "The Chemistry Of Common Life" which doesn't stray too far from the bands formula while continuing to explore new areas. And to describe the band to anyone who hasn't listen to them is tough.. because it doesn't sound like anything special, but my God listen to "Magic Word" or "Black Albino Bones" (Dallas Green provides some guest vocals). Great band who don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon!

Honourable Mention: Young Widows - Old Wounds. Sophomore jinx is not evident anywhere on the Widows' second album. 

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2009: GALLOWS - GREY BRITAIN. UK's Gallows first major label album is significantly heavier than their debut 2006's "Orchestra Of Wolves." The took the money and ran in the great rock & roll swindle part 2. Warner weren't too pleased with the heaviosity (stole that word from Annie Hall) and couldn't hear a single on the album, and despite releasing the record, they dropped the band shortly after. Fools! "London Is the Reason" and "I Dread the Night" are two excellent singles/videos, while "Death Voices" has a great sing along chorus and "Leeches" is a great piece of fury that even makes the British accent sound tough. This is last release to feature vocalist and spark plug Frank Carter, who left the group due to creative differences and made way for former Alexisonfire guitarist/sometime vocalist Wade McNeil taking over the mic for their two subsequent releases.  This album "as daunting as blow drying your face in the evil ghost-gas that Indiana Jones unleashes from the Lost Ark." Excellent review of the album, and that quote is awesome. The new Gallows is heavier and angrier now with McNeil at the helm but it lacks the sense of social injustice and youthful energy that Frank Carter brought to the table.

Honourable Mention: Big Business - Mind the Drift. The duo became a trio on this record and sound more atmospheric than ever while toning down the noise factor.

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2010: DAUGHTERS - DAUGHTERS. The final Daughters release. They actually didn't even tour for this record, their third (if you count their debut 'full length' "Canada Songs" that lasts all of 11 minutes). Their second album "Hell Songs" was quite the change for the band, who all but abandoned the grindcore elements from their debut and Alexis Marshall who describes his vocals on the record as "the sound of Elvis Presley being tortured." The third record by Daughters is easily their most accessible, with the release actually coming close to the half hour mark. Considering ever song is over two minutes and all but one over three you know that the band has changed. Change wasn't fun for Alexis apparently though. Guitarist Nick Sadler has been playing more groove based songs, growing tired of the high pitched swirling guitars from the bands previous work. Alexis noted "It's so easy to steer it and try to be accepted, and do this because this is what's good, and this is what's going to make our band popular. That's no good. That's not art. That's shit. It's not even shit. It's less than shit. What's less than shit? I don't even know. Trying to be other bands… that's less than shit." The band did not tour in support of the release and the band other than Alexis and drummer Jon Syverson, who are currently working on new material. It's too band, because these songs would have been great to see live and Daughters never sounded better. 

Honourable Mention: Bad Religion - Dissent Of Man. Maybe the best of their 2000s Epitaph releases… Pros at work.

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2011: FRANK TURNER - ENGLAND KEEP MY BONES. UK songwriter Frank Turner's fourth album is all about England. Everything about this release feels English. Frank Turner tours excessively and must have grown tired of being away from home. The lead single "Peggy Sang the Blues" is a great choice as a single with its catchy chorus and great lyrics. "I Still Believe" was featured in the London 2012 CD as the lead track and gave the song and Frank quite a bit of exposure, despite being fairly well known, at least in an indie capacity in the UK. "Rivers," "Wessex Boy" and "English Curse" are blatant tributes to his homeland, all of which come off as honest as Dylan in his early years. Speaking of Dylan, one of the albums best tracks "I Am Disappeared," chronicles Frank getting pickup up by Bob Dylan while driving. Equally good is "Redemption" which starts off very quiet and builds and builds, the lyrics dealing with a pretty brutal sounding relationship. And to close out the album, a good old fashioned atheist song, a real toe tapper actually called "Glory Hallelujah." Great release by a great artist!

Honourable Mention: Dropkick Murphys - Going Out In Style. Boston's favourite Irish punks kill it on their seventh record. One of the funnest live bands ever capture the energy of their live show.

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2012: HOT WATER MUSIC - EXISTER. They're back! Hot Water Music are back with their first album since 2004's "The New What Next." This is the bands eighth full length and it ranks up there with classics "Fuel For the Hate Game," "No Division" and "The New What Next." Taking time off from the band and working on his solo project would have you thing Chuck Ragan would have toned it down it bit but as soon as the opening scorcher "Mainline" kicks in you know that isn't that case. Other than the albums second track "Boy, You're Gonna Hurt Someone," every track ranks up there with their best work. And that song isn't even that band. Chuck sounds masterful on the single and standout "State Of Grace," as well as the pre-release track "Drag My Body." And I'm not sure if he sounded any more angry than on the disc's closer "Paid In Full." Jason Black lays down a great bass line on "Pledge Wore Thin" and is probably my favourite song on the record. The hypnotic "No End In Sight" is another highpoint on the album despite being the slowest track on the album. The title track rages as does "Drown In It." A welcome return of a much loved band.

Honourable Mention: Propagandhi - Failed States. Sixth album by Canadian punks is realllll good. Tight, fast and intelligent. 

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Alright, so that is that. As it turns out I seem to be pretty biased to hard rock, punk rock and metal. Who knew? I guess I do now. I'll put something newsworthy up soon... I promise.

news feeds nov 19

Those NASA folk can see far. Scientists at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore have used the Hubble telescope to 'scope' out a galaxy 13.3 billion light years away. It is the most distant galaxy ever discovered in the universe. The tiny galaxy, named MACS0647-JD (catchy name), may be in the early stages of forming a larger galaxy and is only 600 light years wide, as opposed to our own Milky Way's width of 150,000 light years. Light years are a unit of distance in space which measures the distance that light travels in a year, and since MACS0647-JD is 13 billion and change light years away the light were are seeing has travelled 13.3 billion years to reach Earth, back when the small galaxy was a mere 420 million years old, and could be drastically different, or not even exist by now. For us to see it what it is like today, we would have to wait another 13 billion years, give or take a million but unfortunately I am swamped this week.

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Internet wise asses are having fun with the Mayan calendar this year. "Dick Clark dies. Can't ring in the new year. Well played, Mayan, well played." They are slightly amusing at best, as most memes are. Hostess brands have filed for bankruptcy and will be selling off all their assets including the twinkle, which was said to survive a nuclear holocaust (and confirmed by an early Y2K Family Guy episode), are going to stop being made, sparking more meme concerns: "Dick Clark dead. Twinkies dead. We are really all going to die this year," "So, Twinkies, which were supposed to survive a nuclear holocaust, die 3 weeks before the end of the world? Well played, Mayans." Sorry, I got googling twinkle and Mayan memes and have digressed. Don't worry people Hostess is selling off it parts, which include Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Ho's to the highest bidder due to the high brand recognition and the goodwill associated with the name. Twinkies alone has already made $68 million this year alone.. so snack on that for lunch! 

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They have found an etching by Surrealist Salvador Dali at a Goodwill Store in Tacoma, Washington earlier this week. The hand signed pieced was spotted by an employee familiar with Dali/water bongs and has been place on the Goodwill auctioning website. The price started at $999, an absolute bargain and has soared to $10,500 and there is still three days left to go. It ranks among the highest items ever sold on their site, already in second place but a long distance behind an original Frank Weston Benson watercolour that went for $165,002. Just because those places smell a little strange doesn't mean you can find great things. Last time I was there I scored a copy of Doughboys "Crush" on cassette for 30 cents! I just need to get a cassette deck...

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Rage Against the Machine are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the breakthrough self titled debut album with about 10 different reissues of the album. Not really, but it will be put out in the form of a remastered CD, a double CD and DVD, a box set with two CDs, two DVDs and an LP, a picture disc and an 180 gram vinyl LP. They have always been a polarizing act, alienating as many fans as they have gained, but it's pretty much undeniable how great the record was. The band only released two other proper albums, 1996's "Evil Empire" and 1999's "Battle of Los Angeles", with the covers album "Renegades" dropping in 2000. Rage Against the Machine was born when Tom Morello left his previous band Lock Up, and when Zack De La Rocha's hardcore punk band Inside Out was dissolved when their guitarist left the band to become a monk. Inside Out only had on official studio release, 1990's "No Spiritual Surrender" on Revelation Records which is six furiously intense songs, with Zach trademark rapping completely absent, and along with the first full length, might be the best thing he has ever done. Inside Out had finished writing their debut full length, but never had a chance to record it due to the break up, and was set to be titled "Rage Against the Machine," named after a song of the same name, and a staple in their live set. Rolling Stone has put up a demo version of 'Freedom,' the last track from the first record on their website HERE. And an Inside Out tune to check out:

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Speaking of Rolling Stone magazine, their legendary movie critic Peter Travers has ranked all the James Bond films worst to best to coincide with the release of the 23rd official Bond film, Skyfall. I checked it out last week, a thought it was great. Maybe a touch under Casino Royale but light years ahead of Quantum Of Solace. I can't really pick my favourite Bond film, or actor that portrayed James, but I do know my least favourite actor who played Bond: Timothy Dalton. His two turns as the British MI6 agent, "Licence To Kill" and "The Living Daylights" were definitely the low point of the series, so bad that they didn't make a Bond film from fall 1989 to winter 1995. It was somewhere during this point where I saw my dad's favourite entry in the series, 1973's "Live & Let Die" (he loved the sheriff), follow by "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball." I was ready for this guy from that Remington Steele show as Bond. I'm not sure if it was the impressionable age, the exotic locales shot with much more clarity (technology can be a good thing sometimes), the gadgets, the cars, Famke Janssen - I loved Goldeneye. When you add an amazing video game to a movie that was such an epic return I made it a point to see every Bond film I could, if not all. By this point, I've seen every one, including the spoof Casino Royale, where many actors - including Peter Sellers and Woody Allen - taking on the role of Bond. The only one I haven't seen is the Sean Connery non-MGM film "Never Say Never Again" released in 1983, the same year as the official "Octopussy." I haven't seen it not due to any kind of boycott, but simply that it isn't included in any of the official sets I've gotten. Would be nice to see Sean's last turn as James with a young Kim Basinger playing the Bond girl. For some reason, I've always had a soft spot for the 1985 cheese fest "A View To a Kill." Maybe it was because you got to see Christopher Walken (with bleach blonde hair) as the main villian with Mayday, played by Grace Jones as his sidekick, forming one of the oddest couples I have ever seen on screen (James also slept with her). It was Roger Moore's last time out as 007, and even he admitted he was "about 400 years too old for the part," and although he appears to be struggling at times, it looks like everyone is having a good time out there, especially Walken. The new Bond film, Skyfall, is playing 1,000 times a day in every theatre in the world so go see it, and you can check out Peter Travers ranking of the Bond flicks HERE.

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'CAUSE WE WRITE LOVE SONGS IN C, WE DO POLITICS IN G, WE SING SONGS ABOUT OUR FRIENDS IN E MINOR, SO TEAR DOWN THE STARS NOW AND TAKE UP YOUR GUITARS AND COME ON, FOLKS AND TRY THIS AT HOME!

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