Plans change for the better and the worse...


^{Jurassic 5}

This past saturday, as I was in peterborough freezing my ass off in the cold rain for a field hockey tournament, Arielle called me and told me she's getting Bob Dylan tickets and we're going. I'm ecstatic! My dad was already going but hadn't invited me (thanks a lot dad!) and i really wanted to see him live. I hear that everyone should see Dylan live at least once in their lifetime. On Sunday, however, we learned that Air's aunt, who was going to score us the tickets, gave them away to someone else. What is it with family that they think to eager 16 year old girls DON'T want to go to Bob Dylan. Of course we wanted to go! Oh well..

But I also learned that Jurassic 5 was coming to London and playing at Cowboys (a truly haneous country-themed bar). but J-5 was J-5. I'm getting a posse to come down to see them. It's on my November break too so that'll be a nice little vacation-thing..

I'm obsessed with A.C. Newman's 'A Slow Wonder'. If you like the New Pornographers, then you'll love A.C.'s solo (he's the lead singer, and a fabulous songwriter). It's really upbeat and perfect for summer (or those of us in summer withdrawal). The man writes beautiful indie pop music.

I had a major revelation last night.
I was talking to my good friend Kaes about how he picked up and moved to Banff for 6 months. He was talking about how he got to snowboard all day and party all night. After his 6 month contract is finished at the hotel he's working at, he'll come back home and finish highschool.
Why can't I do that?
Oh right..because my parents would tear my throat out. Wouldn't it be lovely though. My dream would go a little different, though. I'd get a part time job in some really suave base city, like Montreal or Toronto. I'd work when i need to and the rest of the time I'd travel in my van with a couple of friends and go see bands play all over the country. I'd just pick up and take off whenever I wished. There'd be no pressure to go to school or get a real job. I'd just have fun. I couldn't do that my whole life or anything, but for a year or so that'd be so dope.
This definitley makes me sound like I have no morals or goals. Going to Ridley College doesn't make me the ideal candidate to pursue a life like that. But why can't I just take a year off after highschool and drive around in my van? I wouldn't be dependant on any one; the point is that I'd actually be independant.
I have a feeling my parents would object (with their fists) if I ever told them my plan, but i don't really see why. I would still go to university, I'd just take a breather for a year. I wouldn't be moving forward, but i wouldn't move backwards either. I'd just relax.
Which brings me another problem. I work all summer long at a full time job and a part time job. This past summer I found myself wondering what I have to look forward to? What long term relaxing time will I ever get if I do what my parents want me to do, which is go to university right after highschool. I work all school year at school, and I work all summer at my job. What do I have to look forward to other than change?
That's why this year off idea is perfect for me. Plus if I'm going to get a career as a music journalist (which is what i think I want to aspire to be) or something along those lines, it would be great 'field work' if i travelled around for a year and saw bands play. That's practically job experience.

Why can't we all just get along?



Scottish band Arab Strap announced that they broke up. What is wrong with bands these days? Can't they sort out their differences and keep producing face melting rock and roll?
Well Arab Strap hardly produced face melting rock and roll. Their music was quite a bit more mellow than that, but they were slammin'. I think they've put out something ridiculous liike 8 studio albums and 2 live records in the last 10 years of their career. They're going to release one last called 'Ten Years of Tears' with a bunch of singles, some b-sides and a few rarities.

On the other hand, the Pixies announced that they are going to release a new album. They regrouped a little while ago while Frank Black was doing his solo thing. At least there's some hope for bands..

Next weekend in London ON...



...is the LOLA fest. I think this is the first year they're doing it. It's a music fest right on Dundas street at Richmond. Some bands that'll be playing are Tokyo Police Club, Jon Rae and the River, and this band i forget the name of, BUT this guy at Grooves told me that it is pretty much a Canadian superstar band with one of the guys from Arcade Fire, Feist and a couple of others. So now im psyched to say the least...
Also coming up this weekend is the annual Rocky Horror Picture Show viewing at midnight at Rainbow Cinemas. I went last year with Arielle, but there wasn't a huge turn out. It was however, a lot of fun. This year I'm going to drag Arielle along again and some of the south girls. I'm not going trick or treating this Halloween so i might as well continue one of my halloween traditions.
I finally bought the new M. Ward cd yesterday. When I brought it up to the counter, the friendly Grooves clerk flipped; he said he couldn't stop listening to it. I've just flipped through it once, but it sounds great. Lately I can't stop listening to the song 'Go Go Gadget Gospel' by Gnarls Barkley. It pumps the hell outta me. Go download it, you pirates!

I'm always asking myself if it's better to have many cds that I listen to once in a while or few that I can listen to all the time. I constantly finding myself in a music store heavily weighing the decision to buy a new cd because I don't know if I'll have the time to listen to it. I buy about a cd a week on average, but they build up faster than you'd realize. Sometimes I don't get a chance to listen to a new cd until a week or two after I buy it.
My dad has a billion cds, but usually only listens to one once and thats it, it goes back to the vaults. I never want to get to that point with my music. I want to have a relationship with each of my cds. And I do at this point. There are a bunch of cds that bring me back to a weekend at a friends cottage or a trip to another city.

Please do yourself a favour and listen to a Regina Spektor cd today. She'll change your life.

It's a sad day for dancehall...


^{Controller.Controller: Colwyn, Nirmala, Ronnie, Scotty, Jeff}

Nirmala Basnayake, the lead singer and goddess of my favourite band Controller.Controller, announced that she would pursue a different path and left the band. I am absolutley horrified. The band on a whole was incredible, but Nirmala brought a electricity to it that no other vocalist could have. Her dulcet voice could be soothing and sweet, but would also strike powerful tones, accompanying the boys mathematical guitar style. A perfect example is my favourite song by the band. Here is the video for 'History' off their first EP which shares the same title. The video was directed by Jesse (I don't know his last name) from Death From Above 1979.



Death From Above 1979 also broke up about a year ago and since then Jesse has started his own Trance/Electronica group called MSTRKRFT. Sebastian, the other half of DFA'79, has started no known musical projects since the break up. I heard a rumour that Sebastian may hook up with the Scotty, Colwyn, Ronnie and Jeff to try to put something together. Nirmala has said that she doesn't plan on starting or joining another band again, but I can't see her working a regular 9 to 5. See her perform live and you'll agree hands down.

Montreal was incredible! It really couldn't have gotten any better.
We arrived on the train at around 8oclock on Saturday night, and from there we went straight to this really nice jazz bar.
There was this jazz trio and an amazing singer named Dawn Taylor Watson. She sang some jazz favourites and jammed with this colourful trio. It really was a great act.
The next day we got an early start at the day and headed down to St. Laurant to shop. There was this thrift store called preloved that Arielle had wanted to go to so we walked what seemed like miles to get there, but I have to say it was worth it. They buy all these vintage clothing and cut them up for fabric. Then they follow a pattern to make sweaters, dresses and purses among other things with all this great vintage fabric. (Air spent a whopping $250 there alone)
We then metroed down to St. Catherines, the commercial shopping centre of Montreal. It's a fun strip but is overwhelming. I prefer St. Laurant because it has much more boutiques and less brand name chains.
I racked up a bill of $150 in total, not including food, transportation and concert tickets.
I bought a jacket, a scarf, a hot chip tshirt, a book and 3 cds. (add that to the 2 cds i bought in london on friday and the one that arielle burnt for me i have 6 new ones)
They are:
Beck - The Information
Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope
Brazillian Girls - Talk To La Bomb
AC Newman - The Slow Wonder
Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain

All of which are critically aclaimed and the latest release by each artist.
After shopping, we met my step sister Carolina and her boyfriend Dave for dinner. We went to this great place that looked like someones living room. It was somewhat of a tea house but had mexican food. It was a really nice place. Arielles aunt then picked us up and took us to the Regina Spektor show.
The show was sold out and she was incredible. She's a real character witha gorgeous voice. Her music is indescribable but here is video for 'Fidelity' off her latest album 'Begin To Hope'.



After the show Arielles half brother picked us up. We were planning on going to a free Constantines show on St. Laurant but when we got there they wouldn't let us in because the bar was way over capacity. We went down the street for coffee, came back in an hour, but it was still packed so we just called it a night.
The next day we got on a train to head home. Pretty uneventful except for the fact that i lost my train ticket and had to buy a new one (that's something that i would do) so i'm $80 in the hole. We also so a naked man standing on the side of the train tickets when we were approaching Toronto. But that was about it...
Overall, fab weekend.

2 more days of school...
I am so incredibly ready to get the hell out of here.
I like Ridley, but it's really draining. I was home less than 2 weeks ago and I still miss it unconditionally. Plus, I'm going to Montreal this weekend with Miss Arielle Goldschlager and I couldn't be more excited.
So here comes Beck with another album release. I kind of thought he had his thing with Odelay and Guero and that was it. I assumed he would be living on royalty checks from every time "Where It's At" and "Girl" played in a movie or car commercial, but he's still pushing them out. This latest one is called The Information. I haven't bought it yet but I hear its a real keeper. I don't know if it's disloyal to have so little hope in the guy, but I am really genuinely surprised he's back (was he ever gone?).
Another album I've been panning for is M. Ward's Post-War. At first glance, it struck a Niel Young chord with me; another artist who is protesting war on his album is all we need (i guess?). It can make for passionate and good music, but it also can get whiny and unoriginal in my opinion. But I've heard a couple of songs on this one and I've found neither.
I'm also really excited to come home this weekend so I can pick up these too. Like I've said, St. Kitts is no good for buying cds. Grooves, here I come!
Arielle and my Montreal agenda goes a'somethin like this:
-Hop a train to the monty on Saturday morning. Catch up with Arielle
-Arrive in Montreal. Throw down our bags in Air's aunt's apartment and go back out the door to a jazz bar to see an act.
-Party all night long.
-Sleep
-Get up
-Have an Eggo
-Shop shop shop
-Dinner and The Regina Spektor Concert
-Party Hard-y
-Sleep
-Get back on a train and head back to St. Kittskis.

I'm freaking ecstatic.

I went to The Beat Goes On today. It's the used cd store in the Ridley square, and the only music store within 5 miles. I was really hoping itd be able to live up to Grooves, the London indie music nirvana. I was pretty disappointed to find that they didn't have any of the cds i was looking for. Well, they did actually have one, but i bought it, so now they have none.
I bought Sufjan Stevens "Illinoise". I already have his latest "The Avalanche". It was a pretty dumb move on my part to buy "The Avalanche" before "Illinoise" but I did. "The Avalanche" is all the outtakes and songs that didn't make the cut from "Illinoise", so it really doesn't make sense to have the one without the other. Regardless, now i have both.
I remember when I discovered Sufjan. I was skimming a list of the greatest jazz cds of all time. I saw his name and remember coming across it before, so I found some of his music and got really into it. Looking back it doesn't make a lot of sense that he was on a jazz cd list and now i really wonder which album that could have been.
I went into The Beat Goes On really hoping I'd find either, or both, of two cds i've been really wanting for a while. The first is Regina Spektors "Soviet Kitsch". For pete's sake, I'm going to see her next weekend. But I love most of the tracks on this album and have been panning for it for a while now. But the only Spektor I can find anywhere, if i can find one period, is "Begin To Hope" which I'm sure is great, but I don't like to get an artists latest album without buying an album or two from earlier. But naturally, no go at The Beat Goes On. The second album i was looking for is Husker Du's "Zen Arcade". Husker Du was a big time indie band in the 80's, pretty much as big as you can get for independant music in the 80's which was almost completely of the radar. This album is a critics favourite though and I really want it. I've heard if you're going to buy 3 indie albums from the 80's they should be Sonic Youth's "Daydream Nation", which i have, Husker Du's "Zen Arcade" and The Minutemen's "Ten Nickels On The Dime". I haven't heard anything from the latter but maybe i'll look into it soon.
The only other cd stores in St. Catharines is chain stores like HMV and such. I've asked this Husker Du in a chain store before actually and I got only blank faces.
Oh well. So I Beat On.