Best of 2010 Part 1

Well here we are at the end of the year, and after more than 300 posts and somewhere close to 400 different songs posted, it's time for me to reveal my top 21 albums of the year. Originally this was going to be a top 7 list, but upon reflection there were simply too many really good albums this year. Keep in mind that although I've ranked them numerically, I could easily change my mind on any given day. For the sake of the next week, however, we'll go with these. Also realise that these aren't necessarily the best albums of the year, just the ones that I liked the most. There are lots out there that I haven't even heard yet that I'm sure will be even better than the ones already here, but them's the breaks.

There were also lots that other people really loved that I didn't really get into that much. Broken Bells, for instance, was good, but not great for me. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs was amazing, but it was just a four track EP, so I couldn't really qualify it. Eminem was decent, but I didn''t really like the Arcade Fire at all. Chromeo came close, but didn't quite make it in the end, which says something because I'm a big fan of those guys.

Kanye West scored a perfect 10 score from Pitchfork, but I have to admit that I don't really dig the album. Not that I was a huge Kanye fan to begin with, but I do enjoy some of his earlier stuff. This new one, however, just doesn't do it for me. I try not to put too much stock into lyrics and I felt the production was poor. Meh. Maybe it's just me.

So here's my list. To use my absolute least favourite quote of 2010: it is what it is. ;)

#21

Shit Robot

From The Cradle To The Rave

Shit Robot, real name Marcus Lambkin from DFA, has been around for a long time and has produced some awesome remixes, and even some great original works, but has never really ventured into the full-on production scene until now. This was a highly anticipated album among fans of the electronic album and, while it didn't quite rip the door down, it was an excellent album with some really cool sounding beats and featured lots of other great artists on vocals.

Previously released tracks like "Simple Things (Work It Out)" and "Triumph" (see below) were included, but tightened up a little here and there to go with seven other groovy tracks spanning exactly one hour in total length. Visions of early Chemical Brothers and the Flaming Lips are conjured, but Lambkin stays true to his heavy synth and arpeggiator roots in his debut LP. This isn't a rocking out album, it's for grooving through the night skies with some trippy beats to light the way.

Take 'Em Up

Grim Receiver

Triumph

#20

Bag Raiders

Bag Raiders

Bag Raiders are the Australian DJ duo Chris Stracey and Jack Glass. These guys have been around for a relatively short amount of time, and first came to my attention with the track "Fun Punch", that I featured in my post a month ago. This album also features "Shooting Stars" which is in that post. They combine a nu-disco synth sound with some really funky beats and have increasingly used vocals which feature fairly prominently on this album.

Daft Punk and Mylo are certainly influences and of course '80s synth pop, which seems to be experiencing somewhat of a revival these days. I'm loving it and you can be sure this won't be the only album to feature that sound on this list. This album has a great party funk feel to it and any time you combine partying and funk you have a winner. Give this album a shot, I bet you won't regret it. Let's start with their brand new video that came out about four days ago.

Sunlight

Snake Charmer

Gone Away

#19

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

I Learned The Hard Way

I first posted about Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings in October, when I first heard about them. Since then I've had a chance to listen to a couple albums and I have delightfully discovered that they are a first class modern soul revival group. Think Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Dusty Springfield. Sharon Jones maybe isn't quite in that esteemed group just yet, but she's pretty darn good and her band is awesome.

This is some seriously great evening groovin' tunes, maybe at a dinner party or just chillin' with the homies. Some of the sounds are so slick I half expect to hear them on a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack in the near future. Aside from the previously posted "If You Call", here are three choice tracks to help show you what's what.

I'll Still Be True

Window Shopping

Better Things

BONUS BEATS!

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - That One

Tomorrow, part 2.

DECEMBER MEGA POST 2

I've been away for a while again. Part of this was due to travel, part due to holiday obligations, and part admittedly to being tired and lazy, so again I will attempt to reconcile this with another mega post. Less writing this time, more music. Beginning tomorrow I'll begin to cover my seven favourite albums of the year.

We'll start with some folky stuff. This is Lior, who I don't really know anything about because I just happened to randomly come across this while sifting through a bunch of other stuff. He's Australian. Imagine that. Good music coming from the other side of the world. I don't really understand it either.

Lior - I'll Forget You

...and on to Sia, who sings backup on that last track. She's also from Australia. Even more decent music coming from the land of didgeridoos and things that hop. This makes no sense at all.

Sia - Buttons

Beth Orton is not Australian, she's English, which means she's one of the ones who sent those dirty criminal Aussies down to their giant penal colony all those years ago. I bet she wishes she was down there now instead of being buried in snow and freezing cold and neo-imperialism. Oops. There's a great remix of this track by Deep Dish around somewhere if you can find it. It's worth looking for.

Beth Orton - Central Reservation [Live]

I was talking about some of the better live shows that I've been to the other day, and one that definitely sticks out was seeing Rob Zombie and Korn at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton circa March '99. Ol' Rob and his dreads might not be the best musician ever, but as a showman he's hard to beat. Think go-go dancers, giant-ass flames, and giant-ass robots. His old band White Zombie was kick ass and this was the song that made them really get huge.

White Zombie - More Human Than Human

...and speaking of Korn, I have to say they were also awesome live. Jonathan Davis walked out in his kilt playing the bagpipes with a bunch of the audience brought on stage to hang out in cages behind the band. They opened with this classic and the place went nuts. What a show.

Korn - Blind

I've been dabbling in some minimal house lately, and one of the most exceptional producers of this genre in recent years is Ricardo Villalobos. Born in Chile but raised in Germany, his 2003 album "Alcachofa" is probably bested only by Metro Area's 2002 self-titled masterpiece in terms of influence on the genre. This is one of the tracks from it, and you can find some Metro Area below. It's not normal to see any kind of music video for a piece of minimal tech house, so this is particularly cool.

Ricardo Villalobos - Dexter

BONUS BEATS!

Âme - Rej



Antonelli Electr. - Waiting For You



Apademic - So Sexy



Blacktron - BooBass [Peter Gelderblom Remix]



Metro Area - Miura



Mowgli - Caraibi [Tom Flynn Remix]



The Orb - Toxygene [Ganja Kru Remix]



Phew... Tomorrow, the countdown begins.

Astrud Gilberto - Bim Bom

Bossa nova is a bit of a lost art these days. So much so that it's hard to imagine going to night clubs that played this stuff all night, maybe even with a live band. A mere half-century ago Astrud Gilberto was singing "The Girl From Ipanema" and the whole world was loving it. Maybe they still do, but would it have gone so far in today's sea of musical turbulence? I wonder. I like this video not only because of its goofy christmas shopping sound, but also because of the whole image of the video. Here's Astrud mouthing the words with an almost serene sterility, meanwhile there's a guy who looks straight out of a viagra commercial prancing around like John Cleese doing a silly walk. Amazing stuff.

Astrud Gilberto - Bim Bom



See ya at the Phoenix tonight.

The Olympic Symphonium - No Bad Habits

Once again we thank our friends at Southern Souls for this one. The Olympic Symphonium is a group made up of prominent Fredericton musicians Graeme Walker, Nick Cobham, and Kyle Cunjak. They're all extremely talented and all play in other projects, but this one is just a little different than the others. It's the kind of classic chamber folk music that sounds like it should be coming out of an old phonograph, to be listened to in front of the fire with a nice cup of egg nog... probably with a little Sailor Jerry in it... Anyway if you're into this, I suggest you check out the Shivering Songs festival at the end of January, which features some of the area's best folk groups. Of course the Capital will be hosting the Saturday evening portion of the event. Was there any doubt?

The Olympic Symphonium - No Bad Habits [Live]



Apparently they are playing in something called a... library?

DECEMBER MEGA POST

I took a week off to recharge the batteries, so I figure I owe the universe a week's worth of music. Also, aside from manning my usual Thurs-Fri-Sat night post at the new look Phoenix, I'll be opening up Sunday's Feels Good Christmas party, on from 7-9, spinning some sweet jazz/funk/soul that you should probably check out. Last year's party was easily the party of the year, so I can't stress enough how you shouldn't miss out on this one. Art, music, crazy people, and delicious delicious beer all in one place. Forget your boring work party, or even better move it to the Capital this Sunday. Trust me. Without further adieu, buckle up and enjoy these mad chunes.

We'll start off with a little blast from the past. Shout outs to Mad Mike who played a little bass this past weekend for KO at the Sound Academy in Toronto, opening up for Thornley and Big Wreck. Yes, that's right. Big Wreck. These guys rock like few others. Ian Thornley is a ridiculous guitar player and really if you haven't seen him live you are missing out. The Franchise was in attendance this past weekend, and this video brings back memories of the most epic weekend of partying I've ever been a part of, Molson Snowjam 2005. Thornley played at Marble Mountain in Newfoundland and blew the roof off. I'd tell you the story, but it requires both of us to be present along with at least an hour of your time and a whole lot of delicious delicious beer. I can't think of another band I'd rather see play at the Capital. Well, The Bronx would be pretty sweet too. Zach, make it happen.

Big Wreck - Blown Wide Open [Live @ SnowJam '98]

Way back when at least a decade ago this tune from Shakedown absolutely exploded on the house scene with Kid Creme's monster remix. Classic funky house par excellence, this is the lesser known original beat with accompanying video I didn't even know existed. The beat is still as fresh as I remember it, proving once again that class is permanent. Expect to hear this at least once this weekend if you're at the Phoenix, cause we're bringing back the funk.

Shakedown - At Night

Grooving right along... Kraak & Smaak represent the funk nicely with this new beat. I got the Boogie Funk Version of this and loved it, I think I might like the original even better. These guys are actually a trio from the Netherlands. I'd like to think that musical awesomeness is spread fairly even across the globe, and in large part it is, but there's just something about the funky greatness that comes out of Europe that makes me think that these guys really know how to party. DJ B-Ray World Tour? Hells yes please. Someone tell that Bill Gates guy to send a few Grovers to help a brother out.

Kraak & Smaak - Dynamite

Fin Greenall, aka Fink, is a really cool guy I'd like to meet. I don't necessarily like all his music, but the guy has mad talent and spreads it around. He's been a DJ, promoter, singer, songwriter, and producer and is part of the bad-ass Ninja Tune label. This is my favourite track of his, a live cut done a little different from the studio version. His 2006 album "Biscuits For Breakfast" is definitely worth checking out. Dig it.

Fink - Pretty Little Thing [Live @ One Shot Not]

"Noesis" is the title of the new album from Jay Denes, aka Blue Six, that features this groovy goodness that I just heard tonight. I first heard his awesome track "Music And Wine" years ago and immediately got my hands on his 2002 disc "Beautiful Tomorrow" which was a soulful house masterpiece. Apparently there's another one out there called "Aquarian Angel" that came out a couple years ago, but I haven't heard any of it yet. It's on my list of things to do. Like soon. You will definitely hear one of his tracks coming out of the speakers on Sunday evening.

Blue Six - You Play Too Rough

You've probably heard of similarish artist M.I.A., but maybe not Santigold. Especially since she was originally Santogold, but changed her stage name to avoid a douchey lawsuit. Santi is awesome not just because her music is dope, but because she writes and produces her own stuff, and it's all different. Some sounds punkish kinda like No Doubt, and some sounds just plain whack, like "Starstruck". I like variety, so I give her two thumbs up. Give her a shot.

Santigold - Creator

...and finally we have Barrington Levy. One of the legends of the Jamaican reggae scene, Mr. Levy is known for his unique voice and singing style. Sounds kind of like he's using autotune, but he ain't. His most famous tracks are probably "Too Experienced" and "Murderer", but this is the one I like best. It's got kind of air of '80's rock ballad to it and it's just one of those songs that sticks in your mind and makes you think. Kinda makes you want to raise your lighter up and light that dang flame too. Not lip syncing here either. Spread the love.

Barrington Levy - Vice Versa Love [Live]

BONUS BEATS!

Alexkid - Nightshade

Bobby Hughes Combination - Theme From Skidoo

Dublex Inc. - Nifty Nights [Monophonic Remix]

Llorca - The Novel Sound

Sandboy - Viver [Butti 49 Re-Fusion]

Phew. I hope that makes up for my little vacation. See ya tomorrow.

John Lennon - Instant Karma

Today is the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. You probably already know this but I think it's probably important that we keep him in mind. It's not the man himself that was important per se, but the message in his music. While "Imagine" is his best known work, I like this one too, and maybe you haven't heard it enough.

John Lennon - Instant Karma



Take that pop stars.

Groove Armada - Paper Romance

Groove Armada is the project of producers Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. I first found them via Evil C, who introduced me to Fatboy Slim's remix of their track "I See You Baby", which achieved international recognition for being a big beat block of awesome. They came back a couple years later with the gigantic blockbusting sensation that was "Superstylin'". I absolutely loved that one. Since then they haven't quite reached those heights, but they're still rocking out and the newest album "Black Light" is well worth checking out. It's quite a bit different, but give it a try and you'll probably find at least a couple tracks that you'll really dig. This is a crazy video to go with their first single off of it.

Groove Armada - Paper Romance

BONUS BEATS!

Groove Armada - Look Me In The Eye Sister [Audiojack Remix]



And here's something I kind of whipped up yesterday, work in progress.

Cosmosis



Basic song structure is done, lots more fills and variations to be put in, but it's getting there.

Bucket Truck - You Walk Behind

Bucket Truck are serious metal rockers from St. John's, Newfoundland. Don't hear that much do ya? Apparently not everyone from The Rock wants to hear bagpipes and traditional celtic music. I heard this track years ago and thought it was sweet, then just kinda forgot about it.

Sadly it seems as if the band has broken up. It would have been awesome to see them at a Metal Monday at the Capital. This is part two of a couple videos they made to go along with each other. The audio quality isn't great, but if anything it just adds to the grittiness.

Watch part one here: "If It's All The Same".

Tupac Shakur - Changes

I'm still mulling over the various changes I want to make to the blog. The format, the content, the appearance, the focus, the application within the new website that I'm starting to conjure up. Whichever direction I take, one thing is clear, it's going to be a lot of work, and the social life is probably going to have to suffer a little because of it.

Tupac Shakur was as colorful a character as you're ever likely to see again in the music scene. While his behaviour was at times verging on the deplorable, you have to respect his talent and endeavour to succeed after growing up in a somewhat less than ideal environment. Was he a victim of circumstance, or did he bring it upon himself? We may never know, but in a world of corporate fabrications littered with wannabes his electrically charged lyrics still seem fresh more than a decade after his departure.

Tupac Shakur - Changes



What a song.

Hot Chip - I Feel Better

I first heard about Hot Chip from the UK charts a couple years ago, when they had achieved moderate success with a couple mixed albums and sporadic singles. Even then you could hear that they had a pretty bright future. Here they are with their big song of the moment, and a pretty snazzy video to boot.

Hot Chip - I Feel Better



Is usual, you can find me at the Phoenix ce soir.

Goldfish - This Is How It Goes

Goldfish are from South Africa and bring the grooves with a jazzy feel. They've been around for a little while but are only now beginning to find their feet in the international scene. I'm playing them right now at the Phoenix and you're missing it. These things happen. Check them out, and come hang out with me here tonight.

Goldfish - This Is How It Goes



I mean it. Come to the Capital.

Jimmy Swift Band - Turnaround

Well tonight at the Capital is, at long last, the CD release party for the new album from the Jimmy Swift Band. It's a double album, so that kind of makes up for the wait. Gonna be a long day for me first setting up for the Team Canada DJ's show up at the SUB, then down to the Cap to play some JSB, and heck, watch a little JSB. You should really check it out. I have a feeling it's going to be something in the area of awesome. Here's a video from their last album. Oh and some new Daft Punk from the Tron Legacy soundtrack that comes out in 5 days.

Jimmy Swift Band - Turnaround

BONUS BEATS!

Daft Punk - Derezzed



And... it's go time.

Michael Cassette - Ghost In The Machine

Joel posted this one a few days ago and I thought it was pretty cool. Michael Cassette is actually a couple of Finnish guys who make awesome music and pretend that they're just some recluse hanging out in a magical hidden basement studio somewhere. Pretty cool idea, and pretty cool music. They have a a highly anticipated new album out called "Temporarity" that I can't wait to get my hands on. In the meantime, I'll let you check this stuff out.

BONUS BEATS!

Michael Cassette - Moonlight Runner

Busy days ahead... gonna need some good tunes to get through.

Hugo - Bread & Butter

Have you heard of Hugo? You should have. I had no idea who he was until about 20 minutes ago or so. The Good Sir George alerted me to his cover of Jay-Z's "99 Problems", and it was pretty good. I wondered what his original stuff was like. I joyfully discovered that it was better. I suggest that you should hear this and probably search out more. Unless you already knew about him, in which case you should give your head a shake and silently apologize for not telling me sooner. Jerk.

Hugo - Bread & Butter [Live & The Collect]



Oh and also check out The Collect.

Egyptrixx - Start From The Beginning

Well some things in life are just strange. Today in one of my daily music feeds I got a track from Egyptrixx... which happens to be the stage name of David Psutka, who I used to play rugby with back in the T-Dizzle with the Balmy Beach. I'd recently wondered what ever happened to him, as he was a very good athlete and thought he might play some higher rep rugby at some point, but here I find himself reincarnated as a producer-performer travelling around using an Akai APC-40, a Kaos Pad, and a keyboard. Wait a second... I've got one of those... and that's what I want to do! Dave is also, apparently, a classically trained pianist. Coincidentally, so am I. Is that weird... or what? Granted it sounds like our musical productions are very different, but it's nice to find one of my peers succeeding at something I always thought could work. Inspiring. This track is more ambient and the music almost secondary, but I have to give props where props are due.

Egyptrixx - Start From The Beginning



Blaze on Mr. Psutka!

Janelle Monáe - Tightrope

This is my 300th blog post today which means nothing except that I've spent at least 300 minutes on this thing, maybe a little more. I wanted to find something fresh for this one, and thankfully here we have the lovely miss Janelle Monáe bringing elements of Cee-Lo Green, Outkast, James Brown, and dare I say a little Etta James into something new. I'm loving this new soul revival movement, and it's pretty funny that one of the leading exponents of it right now is on Sean Combs' label. Go figure. So enjoy this fantastic performance by someone with real talent, and go get her album. Happy Sunday.

Get up, get on up.

Run-D.M.C. vs Jason Nevins - It's Like That

This is a bit of an oldie but definitely a goodie. This was one of the first songs to start the remix craze, which when you think about it is kind of like all these movie remakes that keep coming out. Anyway unlike Run-D.M.C. who are obviously on top of the hip-hop world, Jason Nevins was a house producer who happened to come up with something really awesome. He hasn't done much of note since, but at least this one was sweet. Creds to The Franchise for the reminder of it's coolness.

Run-D.M.C. vs Jason Nevins - It's Like That



Think I'll throw that one on tonight at the Phoenix.

Dobie Gray - Drift Away

We had a bit of a soul revival at the Phoenix last night and played some pretty slammin' jams. Good times had by all. This is a classic track originally written by Mentor Williams but popularized by Dobie Gray in 1973. It's really more of a country track but it's got a lot of soul influence and Dobie's voice is as soulful as it gets. This particular version is slightly cut off at the end but we get the picture.

Dobie Gray - Drift Away [Live @ The BBC]



That's a pretty sweet fro Dobie's got there.

Some Previews

I've been working on a lot of projects and now have about 40 that I need to finish before I let myself move on to other stuff. I revisited "Red Shoes" tonight and I'm posting the nearly finished version below. I changed the guitar and opening bass parts, cleaned up everything a little more, and remixed the levels a little.

I'm also posting a couple of the samples that can be found on my Soundcloud page, which you can see here. The next project will be to clean up my Myspace page, where I'll be posting the songs as they get mostly finished. The previews will all go into the Soundcloud page.

Red Shoes



Eighties Preview



Tension Preview



Take Us Away Preview



Slide Preview



Stay tuned for more.

J.J. Grey & Mofro - On Fire

J.J. Grey & Mofro are a funk-soul group from Florida who have some serious groove. That's about all I know about them right now and frankly that's all I need to know, because you can hear what they're all about right here in this phat-ass song. Props to Hillz Billz for the heads up on this one. WARNING: This video may contain Barbie dolls.

Stay tuned for some preview tracks in a couple hours.

Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars

Well the blog is still in transition, but I'm getting there. I've changed the justification a bit, and the colours a little more. The appearance will probably change dramatically in the next month or so, particularly with all the additions that are on the way. There's a new website on the way, tentatively scheduled for January 1st launch, which will also incorporate a new weekly podcast format that will include the best tunes of the week along with some other cool stuff. I'm also working on making it all a little more mobile-friendly, so everyone on the go can check it out on their cellular device of choice. Dang. This is gonna be a lot of work. This is, of course, also on top of all the music I want to have done by then. Yeesh.

Anyway Bag Raiders are from Australia and they're super cool with a disco-house style that just screams party all over it. You'll probably recognize this track from some McDonald's commercial. Sad, but hey, musicians need a paycheck too.

Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars

BONUS BEATS!

Bag Raiders - Fun Punch



Let the hard work begin.

Pretty Lights - Let 'Em Know It's Time To Go

The blog was getting a little stale so as you can see I've given it a bit of a face-lift. I'm not sure if I'll keep it like this, and I'm still tweaking the color scheme a bit, but it'll do for now.

This is Pretty Lights. I'd never heard of the guy until Paul was playing some his stuff before work the other night. What a great find! This guy mixes all kinds of different genres and plays some really phat mixes of old funk tunes, like this track that uses a sample from Stretch's classic "Why Did You Do It". Inspiring stuff, and I also like the live performance with the live drum set. I've been considering a framework for my own live work and something like this is definitely in the mix. Donso is another group experimenting in awesomeness, and I've included them as some bonus goodness.

BONUS BEATS!

Donso - Mogoya

Exciting times.

A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation

I've gone off the boil a bit in the past few days. Things happen quickly and in bunches sometimes, and the master plan kind of got lost in the shuffle. I've been hard on the production side of things for a couple days and I'm starting to get my groove back. I'm hoping to have enough done by Thursday-ish to at least post some samples of the newer stuff I've been working on. I've been inspired a lot recently by some downtempo stuff, kind of hip-hop grooves that I've been interested in experimenting with for a while now. A Tribe Called Quest has always had some really sweet production and here's an example of some of their sweetness that Amin reminded me of the other day.

A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation

BONUS BEATS!

Devin The Dude - Jus' Coolin



Really diggin' that groove lately.

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Over The Rainbow

The weather has been particularly dreary for the past few days, and today is no exception. I'm also feeling slightly off so I thought I'd just picture somewhere warm and sunny and wonderful. Somewhere I've never been. Hawaii sounds perfect. Carrie posted this one the other day and I thought today was perfect for it.

Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole is a legend in Hawaii for his wonderful singing voice and traditional values. Sadly he passed away at the very young age of 38 due to complications from his weight, but he will be remembered forever because of his talent and energy. On a crappy day like today I can just play some IZ and dream that I'm on a mountain somewhere near Hilo. Hopefully some day I really will be.

Israel Kamakawaiwo'ole - Over The Rainbow



Thanks Izzy, I feel better already.

Longpigs - On And On

Here's another blast from past. This song was big in '96, and then the Longpigs just kind of faded away. I suppose they weren't exactly one hit wonders, but at least in North America this was it for them. They opened for Radiohead at one point, but where Thom Yorke's troupe evolved into one of the world's great musical performers, the Longpigs couldn't quite find their niche, couldn't quite take their sound further than they already had. It's an all too familiar story, and sometimes that's just the way it goes.

Longpigs - On And On



See ya tomorrow.

Catherine Wheel - Eat My Dust You Insensitive Fuck

I first heard about Catherine Wheel when their screaming, angry chart hit "Waydown" came out in 1995. Being quite interested in the heavy rock / metal / industrial movement at the time, it fitted nicely into my old loud lists. I remember going out and buying the brilliant "Happy Days" album and putting it on and being surprised that these guys weren't just a screamo hardcore act. Lead singer Rob Dickinson, a cousin of Iron Maiden headman Bruce Dickinson, displayed some impressive vocal talent with an array of different styles which all seemed to fit.

Their 1997 album "Adam And Eve" was even better for me. It featured long, epic progressive rock ballads and incorporated more varied instrumentation than their previous work. Unfortunately after that they switched labels, put a "The" in front of their name, released a mediocre album in 2000 and subsequently disbanded.

Rob Dickinson is still around doing some solo work, but it's just not the same. It never is. This is the slow, pulsating masterpiece from that '95 album that made such an impression on me. It would have been stellar live.

Catherine Wheel - Eat My Dust You Insensitive Fuck



Genius.

Lyrics Born - I Like It, I Love It

Inspiration comes in many different forms. Fresh tunes is my particular favourite. Every day people give me the heads up on cool new tunes and it's especially satisfying when you get a bomb track like this one. I really don't know much of anything about Lyrics Born, but I'm definitely gonna scope them out some more. I've rocked this one the past couple weeks courtesy of a tip from Darcy and it's definitely on the regular rotation now. A wicked funk bass rip with some tight lyrics and it's time to get on down.

Lyrics Born - I Like It, I Love It



Like it? I love it!

Chromeo - Hot Mess

...and now on a lighter note... I was intending to go through the entire year without featuring artists more than once (bonus beats excepted), but the video for this just came out, and it just had to be posted. This is my favourite track off the new Chromeo album, and I've been rocking it for a couple weeks at the Phoenix now. The video is awesome too. Say no more.

Chromeo - Hot Mess



Brilliant.

Joe MacKenzie - Sgt. MacKenzie

Today is Remembrance Day. Unfortunately in recent times this has become somewhat of a contentious event. Why should we pay tribute to war? I am in no way a supporter of war, nor do I say any cause for most of our troops overseas. That said, the circumstances we live in are not the same as they were 70 years ago. The many thousands of people on each side who died in the two World Wars did not have the understanding of the world in the way we do. Most importantly, were I in the same position as those men, I would have done the same thing. We should remember not because they fought bravely, but because they were willing to give their own lives for the idea that we might one day all live free and in peace.

Joe MacKenzie - Sgt. MacKenzie



Close your eyes when listening, and remember.

Tenacious D - Dude, I Totally Miss You

All Hail The D. In case you're boring, Tenacious D rock out like nobody's business, all the time. Since you may not be aware of this, I suggest you watch the history of Tenacious D. Seriously. This one goes out to (in no particular order): The Franchise, The Count of Blackiestan, Evil C, BSD, BMD, Marcus Aurelius, DJ JHatt, The Fonz, Fats, Teabag, Dr. V, RG Esq., Mister Sheik, all my Ironmen bretheren, everyone I haven't forgotten, and of course The Shawn Taylor Hype Machine. Rock on bros.

Tenacious D - Dude, I Totally Miss You [Live]



DJ B-Ray World Tour? Needs to be done.

Thunderheist - Jerk It

More Canadian badness for ya, this time from Thunderheist. This recent stream of musical awesome from the land of beavers and maple syrup has not been planned, it's just been coincidental that lots of great music is coming from this fine country right now. Certainly more so than the stuff coming from the States right now. There probably isn't any particular reason for this, but them's the facts.

I heard this song a while back and really liked it, but kind of put it on the shelf until Julie recommended I give it some time on the ol' Phoenix playlist. Good call, I'd say. This video is actually an entry in the make-a-video contest, the official winner is here. I liked this one better.

Electro-rap? Ya, I can dig it.

OK Go - End Love

OK Go were originally introduced to me by Natalie as a result of their ingenious viral music video for their single "Here It Goes Again". They have since become more of a fad band given that almost all their videos are similarly elaborate one-take choreographed madness that you just can't help but watch to appreciate the madness. They do occasionally make some decent music though, and I kinda like this track. Oh, and they're playing at the Aitken Centre tonight with Metric. You should go if you feel like it.

OK Go - End Love



Ok.... go! I mean it.

Joel Plaskett - Work Out Fine

Joel Plaskett started rocking out as a lanky lead singer in Thrush Hermit, then left and continued as a lanky lead singer in the Joel Plaskett Emergency, and has finally transitioned into simply the lanky lead singer of... Joel Plaskett? He could probably afford to eat a few more double downs but he does make cool music. I've seen him live a couple times and both were great shows. Do try and catch one of his solo acoustic sets, well worth it. This is a track from his great 2003 release "Truthfully, Truthfully".

Joel Plaskett - Work Out Fine



Cause everything will work out just fine.

Art Of Fresh - Out This World

Hidden talent unearthed everywhere. Creds to Lee for this find. More quality Canadian hip-hop, this time from Art Of Fresh out of the T-dizzle. Lately the fresh new tracks seem to be falling from the sky. This one is a bit older, but these cats are new to me so it feels now. For a bonus I'm poppin' in the new single from their upcoming album. Check it.

Art Of Fresh - Out This World

BONUS BEATS!

Art Of Fresh - Alive



Bet you'll hear some of that tonight at the Phoenix.

Hawksley Workman - We Will Still Need A Song

Ryan Corrigan, or Hawksley Workman to you, was born to perform. At least that's the impression you get when you hear his music, or see his videos, or better yet see his live performances. I haven't seen him live yet, but I've seen video and it's on my list of things to do. Mr. Workman likes to do things on a grand, epic scale. He likes hyperbole. He likes grandeur. He probably loves gunpowder. He's a passionate fellow.

I admit that when I was first introduced to him via his first single "Striptease", I wasn't a fan. This song, however, reverberated ever so effortlessly, and I must have played it a hundred times when I found it. Despite the absence of the more epic introduction from the album version of this track, the PG version of this song that's in the video is still a great song. I like artists that play with emotion and have some guts. Mr. Workman has plenty of that.

Hawksley Workman - We Will Still Need A Song

BONUS BEATS!

Hawskley Workman - Not Your Parents' Music



As the late, great Bill Hicks said, play from your f'in heart!

Beast - Mr. Hurricane

Here's another example of a group that I hadn't really heard much about until they were supposed to come play at the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival. Thankfully I now know that Beast are from Montreal, a trip-hop group of sorts with an edge. Unfortunately they didn't quite make it out here to Fredericton, for whatever reason, but at least I now know who they are and can happily throw some of their tunes in my regular playlist. Check this out.

Beast - Mr. Hurricane



Bees-tacular.

The Black Keys - Tighten Up

Any time there is a dinosaur singing the lead vocals to a song, I sit down and listen. The Black Keys are not dinosaurs, but somehow through the miracle of modern science, or technology, or some strange hand puppet thing, they have managed to figure out how to get this dinosaur to sing their entire song, on camera! If this doesn't deserve some kind of recognition, at least in the form of a meager blog post, I don't know what does. I mean... jebus... I just saw a new video from two horrifically useless media-driven stereotype top 40 craptacular rubbish catch-phrase "artists" that was a week old and had over 2 million views already. That's more than two times as many as this one. Sometimes I think I get it, and then there are days like today.

Dinosaur.

Just Jack - Writer's Block

Sometimes things just come randomly. Today I found Just Jack. How come nobody told me about him before? Maybe some more people need to take up blogging. Or just posting stuff to their friendly neighborhood social networking site. Passenger pigeon anyone? Check this guy out, he's surprisingly subtle and catchy.

Just Jack - Writer's Block

BONUS BEATS!

Just Jack - Starz In Their Eyes [Trophy Twins Aftershow Remix]



Now back to the production front...

Sloan - Money City Maniacs

Mat Trevors has a blog up and going now. It's a good read, particularly if you're into fishing, or geology, or music, or politics, or minimalism, or drinking, or... well anything really. It's worth a visit. This post is a good read, about how Mat would fix New Brunswick. Next election, I'm voting Mat, whether he's running or not.

Anyway a few days ago Mat posted this lovely song by Halifax rockers Sloan, who were at one time the premier act in the east coat. They've slowed down a bit in recent years, but I guess that happens after nearly 20 years on the road. Their 10th studio album is due out in 2011, and with a little luck they'll be back in the limelight again. Here's their party anthem to help ring in November.

What an intro. The siren gets 'em every time.