Song of the Day: The Decemberists - Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)

So the whole post today was inspired by this piece of work from Stereogum. This debate has gone on for a while amongst internet meatheads around the globe. From message board to message board, fans of each have been bashing their adorned starlet from the most fickle details as possible. I find it kind of funny and love reading about it more and more. It's cool to have one redhead vying for the coveted "Indie Rock Queen" title against a fellow auburn-locks compatriot. But for my honest opinion, I've seen Ms. Postal Service/child actor and wasn't really that moved by her performance as much as people her her out to be. Granted, this was before she blew up.

It's just cool to have some Can-Con in the indie rock pageant with the likes of Sarah Hamer, Sarah and Tegan, Amy Millan, and of course Neko Case. This just shows that Canadian rockers are dead sexy! So from the poll three of our own cracked the top ten: Feist (2), Neko Case (4), Emily Haines (6). So in light of the recent indie rock goddess title, I've come up with my own list scarlets of indie rock...

(6) Emily Haines of Metric
I found out about about Metric watching The New Music on MuchMusic. The music was catchy and the live performance looked super cool. My first Metric show was at the Casbah in Hamilton where only 20 people showed up max, but it sure didn't feel like 20 once everyone was dancing. I could have sworn that this was the first show that I ever danced to. Emily has a way to stare a you to where your knees become weak. Uncanny really. The other time I saw her, I dragged along a hometown buddy of mine. Emily performed one of the most erotic encores that I've ever seen in my life. Johny can attest to what he witnessed on stage. Ridiculous!


(5) Lisa Loeb I have a huge thing for glasses I guess and no one can be more identifiable that Lisa and her tortoiseshell glasses. Her songs rocked and her voice sounded so peaceful. 'Stay' will always be a classic. I think the song is so indoctrined with music from the early 90s. It was a breath of fresh air from the angst ridden grunge music that was dominating ariwaves at that time. Her stock recently dropped in my books with her foree into television with a couple of reality TV shows. It just seems all to weird to me. Where is the music Lisa? Is she trying to reinvent herself?


(4) Star Wick of Ozma
Star is really cool and chill keyboardist of this rock band from the State of California. I had the fortunate oppurtunity to her after an acoustic set where Ozma dazzled fans with some classics. Anyways, I was really exicted to see them as I never really thought they'd ever make it this far East touring. I remember buying her a cookie for Valentine's Day of course. We had a great conversation about why she wasn't able to make that tour where Ozma played Detroit Rock City with Rilo Kiley. Turns out she's a marine biologist and had finals. Man, biology & music... Doesn't get any better than that. I was a little bummed out that I wasn't able to tlak to her after their show in NYC as she was ushered out of the venue as soon as their set was over. Check out the tune 'Battlescars' to hear a really captivating intro/outro.


(3) Petra & Rachel Haden of the now defunct that dog.
I'm pretty sure Petra and Rachel were my first musical crushes (if you get the reference, you're awesome). I was about 15 or so when I was them at this dive of a venue in a neighbouring city. I had won tickets off the radio and begged a friend's father to drive us to the show. Here's also my first encounter with a rock star as well. Seeing that I was supeer stoked about the show, my friend and I got to the venue super early. So early that we caught their sound check with our ears pressed against the teal tiling right at the corner of building. As their band walked out to their van, I distinctly looked at Rachel as she blew smoke from her cigarette at my face. I don't think it was inentional as I don't think she expected fans in line this early on the corner. At that moment, I thought to myself as to how rock 'n roll was that! I still haven't washed my lungs of the second hand smoke from that day. Just before their encore, my friend and I had to leave before I could get to meet the Petra. Since the exit was right by the stage, Petra and I bumped into each other... I was too star-struck to say anything but to stare. Drool ensues and Petra cracked a big smile before she headed onstage. I still won't be able to live that down. As for a brief update, I did however get a chance to meet Rachel several years later when she was touring as a back up vocalist for Jimmy Eat World. My buddies and I stayed back after the set was over to see if we could meet band. Of course security ushered the stragglers out. Lucky for us, we were able to talk to Zach Lind (Jimmy Eat World drummer) who after me professing my adoration for Rachel ran back stage and got her to come out and meet us! I told her the story of the smoke and professed my love for her and Petra. It was a groupie moment I'm sure of it. Probably the best 15 minutes ever!


(2) Kori Gardner of Mates of State
I think I've expressed enough admiration for the coolest rock mom ever. So to keep this short, she sings at the top of her lungs, desecrate organs and keyboards. Annnd for some reason she makes me smile when she sings with such ease it's scary. Really, what more can you ask? This ex-teacher now schools one city at a time on how to rawk with such an efficiency. As you can see from the picture, she already knows that she rocks. She's kickin' ass and taking names in a city near you, so check it out!


(1) Lorien Jones and Andrea Wasse of the Weekend
“Boy you sure look pretty when the lights are down I'm kind of drunk I told you so”... It was a tough decision, but the ladies of the Weekend were my best kept secret from pop rock affisianatos everywhere. I even sent out bootlegged tapes to my friends in the US and BC to spread the word of these ladies. And when I was at the that dog. show featuring Rachel and Petra (number 3 on the list), these two chicks directly behind wouldn't shut the f*ck up! Turns out, it was these two because the blond one elbowed me for no apparent reason. This band basically combines (almost) everything I like about music: synthesizers, a Gibson baby SG, glasses, and an awesome onstage presence with witty jibber jabber between these two kats. Oh and the kicker was that they were a local band that I basically saw every other week. The magic ended for me when Jones left to pursue further bookworming duties. Even though their music was a potpurri of pop rock sensibilities, of I’ve heard stories from Cons Doug of some of their partying ways (i.e. something about a chandelier, a moose, and hot tub???). That's rock man! I think of these pop princesses as tough as nails rockers with the rockstar swagger and inate ability to down Jaeger in a heartbeat. So when I come around to read and article like this, I can’t help but laugh [point and giggle – frickin’ wuss!]. Long story short, these ladies need to reunite BIGTIME. Seriously, bring the debauchery back! Screw Montreal and screw California.
So here's what I like in rockers...

• they can wail on a synthesizer/organ/keyboard
• advocate rimmed glasses
• and they have to be pale apparently - hah

Song of the Day: Girl Talk - Once Again

Boy was I taken for a loop this morning. I was out for breakfast with Henry and we ended up at this little pub/diner just down the street from Mac Master University. Is there a school out there that doesn't have some sort of diner-esque nook catering to meals of the breakfast variety within a five mile radius of campus? I think not. Anyways, breakfast is usually a time when you're still a bit hazy from last nights' escapades of reckless abandon. One could say that they might not be as attentative as usual the following morning when ousted out of bed in the early morning. If one ventures from his or her slumber to a public arena, one would be looking for a greasy spoon to neutralize the grumblings in the stomach and some java to perk up the senses. I tend to not really didn't pay much attention to what's going on around me. However, today was an exception to the rule.

A rather charming hostess greeted us with a toothy smile and showed us to our table. As drinks were ordered, I couldn't help but notice how efficient the service was. I ordered a coffee and within two minutes, coffee was served and orders were then taken. The waitress in question didn't seem to be in any rush either. When my food was delivered, I happen to ask for salt and pepper and not a second later it was delivered. So when we finished our meals, the waitress came and cleaned our table and asked if we wanted any coffee with us just requesting the bill. Twenty seconds later, the waitress shows up with the bill and a thermos of coffee asking if we'd like any. At this point I was confused. Maybe the coffee was kicking in and I was becoming more alert. I answered with a 'no thanks' and she smiled and walked away as if our conversation prior to that didn't exist. That's when I clued in that we were served by twins.

Henry mentioned something about it, but I didn't think he was referring to our waitresses... The service was great and fast as heck. Restaurants need to hire twins to work tables. The perception of service would be greatly influenced and customer satisfaction would definitely be increase. Henry and I both didn't know what to do with the tip. Do we pretend that we didn't they were twins and tip as if only one person served us or do we add a little bit more for the both of them? What would Larry David do in this situation?


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Song of the Day: Of Montreal - She's a rejecter

This post is in part due to recent headlines that GM and Ford are in speculation of a merger. As I read the article, I couldn't help but think how uncomfortable the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix of rental car really is to the driver. I used to own a beast of an '88 Grand Prix, so it's not like I've never driven one before. I also grew up with GM products, especially Pontiacs. To be perfectly honest, I thought the older Grand Prix is much more accommodating than the newest model. The new edition Grand Prix is definitely not living up to standards of its predecessors. I thought manufacturers improves on past products? So here's a list of things that would help better a dying car model:

1. Make it easier for the driver to get into the car. Unless your an Asian girl that under 100 lbs. and under 5'3, you're going to have maneuver yourself in between the steering wheel and seat.
   
2. Place the ignition back on the steering column. The starter is mounted on the dashboard and everything you hit a bump, the keys make an annoying rattle, scratching the dashboard.
3. Source better material for the car doors. If you've owned a Grand Prix before, you can attest to how heavy the doors are to open or close. This is especially true of the 2-door models. When driving my old Grand Prix, the door sagged and wouldn't close unless I lifted the door parallel to the hinges.
4. Change the mileage/travel display to a time/radio console. Most of the time when fiddling with the radio, I really have to look down away from the road to see what station I'm on. If this could be swapped to where the travel display is, I could keep my eye on the road. Oh, and red is very intrusive to the driver, so pick a softer colour on your display. It's a major nuisance to a driver, especially at nighttime.
5. And last but not least, decrease the number of blindspots to the driver. At 5'6, I have a pretty hard time seeing the environment in front of me. The rearview mirror dominates the immediate road more than any other car I've seen before. The view of the back window is very much reduced from previous models. Since I'm renting a 4-door, I would expect lessoned blindspots than a 2-door, but that is not the case.

Song of the Day: Weird Al Yankovic - White and Nerdy

Song of the Day: The Blow - Hey Boy

What a crazy weekend... I think I mentioned it before a while back, but I do not like driving in rush hour. When I drive, I like to think of things I'd rather be doing - like oppurtunity cost. Boy, did I learn about oppurtunity cost in a real-world situation. This week definitely proved that in spades. Thanks professor Lau for the lesson. This also proved that I should not work late in the office. If work has to be done, then wait till the next day and finish it then.

So with all these nuisances of work, driving, and Arsenal not winning, I decided to actually golf for the first time this year (definitely, not a stress reliever here [sarcasm]). Fortunately, I did pretty well and actually enjoyed myself in the fresh country air - a definite change from the city smog. Here were the highlights of the golf game (I want to have this on record for the boys at home):

• beat Kerni in 5 holes
• tied Kerni in 4 holes
• lost to Kerni by one stoke on 5 holes
• Didn't lose a ball or break a tee
• worked on two-wheel cart driving

Song of the Day: Ratatat - Nostrand

This was the first weekend of many to come in the Fall of music. I had the honour of seeing Ratatat this weekend at Lee's Palace. These dudes are a bit of an eclectic duo that mixes rap beats and rock together to form a sound like no other. You would think in a time and age like this, Rap/Rock would would have been laid to rest like Fred Durst and Limp Bizkit or CrazyTown for that matter. So to form a band that constitutes from the surfacee something that's already been long dragged out is a bit of a risk. I mean, that was so 1999 & 2000. Stuff like that has already been played out. I'm sure we've heard the likes of rap/rock pumped through the speakers at some high school kegger or what have you. So if in 2003, the same type of experiment were to happen again, the kids would most definitely be recovering from their first rap/rock hangover. Ratatat provides a sort of twist to the equation: rap beats + rocker sensibilities. Closest hip-hop fans like myself can align to the beats and the ridiculous guitar and bass hooks from the rock world. Ratatat have been on my radar to see for two years now ever since I heard that Missy Elliot remix. These stoners rock so hard that it even makes squares like me want to drop my shoulder and dance. Though, it wasn't a pretty sight, I wasn't one to care because

1. Concerts are usually in a dark, sweaty hall
2. People should watching the musical acts anyways
3. My dance moves are so subtle, you wouldn't know if I was moving or not. My legs are something riverdance would be ashamed of if Michael Flatley ever saw me

Song of the Day: The Get Up Kids - Anne Arbour

After a rather dismal Thursday and and Friday afternoon, I was off to Restoule to enjoy my 4 or so days in the Canadian wilderness. The week leading up to the long weekend was long and dragged on forever. The "mini" vacation couldn't have come at a better time. Labour Day weekend had me travel to the tropical parts of Northern Ontatrio (does the North Bay region count as Northern Ontario?). Most of the high school boys made it up there too so it was somewhat of a reunion.

Anyways, the weather was rather uncooperative, but the boys (plus Alex) still pulled through and had a great time. Darb lamented about how several years after our graduation day in high school that we're just as close as we were before. Given proximities and careers, we've still been able to maintain close contact throughout. Though a bit pessimistic, I really didn't count on seeing alot of high school friends with everyone doing their own thing or what have you. So this weekend was that much more special.

Yet again, we rocked it with the horse shoes and sun basking, two things I enjoy most. We also took part in a lil' 3-Man action. For those of you who have ever played this drinking game, avoid playing it with Matty Matt, as he's got some of the most insane rules ever. He single-handedly killed the game with his pandora's box of a rule. Thanks bud! The game started in English, progressed to Old English jargon, and quickly ended in Quebecois/French/grunting. I think there are some video samples circulating of the game. I even dabbled in a little "Settlers" action to much of the shigrin of Glenn for soem reason. Apparently, there's some animosity towards this game even though it was voted the 'German Game of the Year' in 1995. Who knew? The game is rather fun, but what isn't fun when hanging out with your friends - nothing!



And this just in... Here is a pic of me terrorizing the neighbouring village pillaging for lemons and grasshopper. grrrrrrrrrr......

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Song of the Day: The Beatles - Back in U.S.S.R.

Just had to post this. Funny picture of Darb and Annette (names were disguised for their protection, heh).


Have a good weekend everyone!

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