Wave of Popular Feeling

150 copies of this record were made; try eBay?
Release date: unknown, 1995
Genre: rock, punk, alternative
Now known as: Three Days Grace

These are the days before Barry Stock, when the mysterious Phil Crowe and Joe Grant were around. This record was also released prior to Trevor McNevan's association with the band. A few years ago, the album was nowhere to be found, but these tracks have since made their way onto YouTube.

"Stare": Allegedly the third single of the album, the song that comes to mind is Green Day's "When I Come Around". This isn't a bad thing, as the two are completely different and great compositions in their own right. This song happens to be the toned-down mellow song that can be found in every band's repertoire.

"In The Sand": Three Days Grace is one of those bands that would not suffer from recording their actual backing vocalists. If I'm not mistaken, Neil Sanderson does provide parts in the studio, but they're no longer as obvious as what can be heard on this track. Brad always sounds fantastic in live performance's of "Pain" as well.

"Weatherman": A powerful, driven song. There is a repetitive snap cycle of dynamics throughout the verses, while the chorus sounds uncharacteristically joyful.

"Chronic": Another very classic rock-sounding song. Their characteristic minimalized song structure is a noticeable change from these grungier days. They've taken on the "neo-grunge" as defined by fellow musicians, Nickelback.

"Eddie": The most radio-friendly song on the album, I can understand it being the lead single. I wonder who this Eddie is? Not his son, of course. It must've made for a fantastic acoustic performance back in the day.

"Snatch": I really love the opening. The first line kills the track, though- "All I see is legs"? Really? If they were going for that strip club imagery, I don't think they succeeded. If they were going for that amused look on my face, they got it. Funny guys, they are.

"Wave of Popular Feeling": The title track has an immediate punk feel to it; the Nirvana influence is obvious. (Adam will like to know that theEdge recently played commercials with "The Good Life" clipped between "Closer" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit".)

"S.O.B.": Lyrics on this song seem ad-libbed; they're so unlike TDG that they make me suspect other lyricists contributed.

"Posion Ivy": I trust you- I trust you and your potential. The climbing bridge is the highlight of this song. It's quite contagious, you could crash a party to it.

"On This Flight": This is the part of the album where the songs sound very similar to one another. As a filler, it's catchy but doesn't stand out like anything special. I like the distant guitar sound.

"Greedy Room": The one thing that hasn't particularly impressed me is the songwriting. Did William Golding's Lord of the Flies play into this? A good progression from those dead end lyrics, though; one thing the band is praised for is being straightforward and relatable.

The production is (expected to be) a step down; the echo is heavy on the vocals and the mixing could've been smoother. Some pretty sick riffs are employed in the album, recorded by the two previously mentioned guitarists that are no longer with the band. Favourite track? "Wave of Popular Feeling".

"Night Is Young" Video Premiere


The single will be on her upcoming The Best of Nelly Furtado album, to be released on November 16th. I've heard the track a couple of times on the radio; she's always baffled me with her unique singing style on those higher pitches. I can't figure out what she's wearing in the video, either.

Music for NaNoWriMo

Violet
Violet (by olaolenka; Flickr)
With the month of November just around the corner, this is a great opportunity to make song recommendations (and create a playlist for myself). Some people find noise and movement distracting, but nowadays background music is habitual. The following have well-developed instrumental components and sparse/monochromatic vocals.

Selections are based on personal preference. (The lack of rap is not intentional, although I find rap distracting when writing.)

Spring

Genre: alternative, indie
Mood/timbre: sweet and light- this is the subtle part.
Ideas/suggestions: A character may be alone in relaxed surroundings; introductions; not too much buildup or excitement. These tracks are also good for relieving stress.

"Louis Riel" by The Ghost Is Dancing
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.] "There's a Light" by Jay Malinowski
"Take a Breath" by Tim Chaisson and Morning Fold
"Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap

Summer

Genre: pop
Mood/timbre: fun and chill- sunny days and house jams.
Ideas/suggestions: Parties; romantic development between characters; fresh, interesting characters are brought in to liven up the plot. These tracks make for great theme songs.



"Animal" by Neon Trees

"The Looks" by MSTRKRFT
"Where Is My Mind?" by Pixies
"Love Like A Bomb" by Oasis

Autumn

Genre: rock
Mood/timbre: dark- conflict exposed will lead to the climax.
Ideas/suggestions: Betrayal of close friends; hate sex; increased negativity or severity of illnesses. These tracks have an angsty, grunge nature.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.] "Pray Tell" by Anberlin (free download)
"The Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson
"Closer" by Nine Inch Nails
"Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden

Winter

Genre: electronic, alternative
Mood/timbre: inspiring- climax, denouement and revelations.
Ideas: Resolve the conflict by moving on or reverting back to the original setup; makeups and forgiveness. These tracks have intense buildups and make great credit music.

"Drove Through Ghosts" by 65daysofstatic
"We Own The Sky" by M83
"Jetstreams" by The Atomica Project (free download)
"Beyond the Satellites" by Aeons (free download)

Afterdeath

Pointless vibrations sending shock waves across the floor;
Are you here? Are you listening? Are you back? Are you forth?
Drop beats like breakdowns and everything I know not;
My voice is cracked, my ears are swollen, my eyes are shut.
Glass bullets shattering and clattering and scattering;
This is not heaven, only a cloud we're desperately clutching.

The Moderation Effect (October)

Fly me on a rocket to the moon
Where the hurricanes come far too soon
We'll create a place below the surface
Sanctuary for all the lost causes
They've never seen a place like this before
Quiet, wake and shut the closing door
The currents are moving far too fast
No telling until when or how long we'll last
We are one, we're the same six million
Multiplication at first is fascination
Before the worst hits the inconvene
Stitch the cuts together, piece by piece

"I can't believe it's only Wednesday"

Civil Twilight
Richard Wouters of Civil Twilight.
The Sound Academy ought to notify ticket winners earlier. Surprisingly, I'd won tickets to see Anberlin "tomorrow night", but by the time I saw the email, "tomorrow" was "today". With the show set to begin in 2 hours, there was only time to rush home and grab a camera before driving into the city.

Civil Twilight
Steven McKellar taking photos for us.
There was a lot of rain and considerable traffic, but we still managed to squeeze our way to the second row; I didn't know who the openers were at 7:30pm. Half an hour later to my delight, I had the privilege to hear Civil Twilight live. The band is from Cape Town, South Africa; a lighter indie rock with catchy hooks and a tremendous potential.

Crash Kings
Tony Beliveau of Crash Kings.
To be fair, all three bands were of equal brilliance to me. I was particularly impressed by Crash Kings, whom I'd previously known the most about. Later on, I tried to explain to Daddy how my ultimate goal is to be able to jump up and down while playing keyboard just like Mr. Beliveau. The other Beliveau was an inspiration as well; all bass players are for me.

Anberlin
Getting up close and personal with Stephen Christian.
Being center stage at the front has its benefits. Near the start of their set, my neighbours and I were awarded with the presence of the lead singer of Anberlin. I'm still at a loss to how he could've possibly stayed in that jean jacket and shirt throughout the concert. A remarkable night, to conclude.

Anberlin
Deon Rexroat of Anberlin.
All photos were taken by me (thus the mediocre digital quality); the full set can be found here.

MOTM II: The Legend of Mr. Rager

preorder this album
Release date: November 9th, 2010
Genre: hip hop, rap

I daresay this is a crossover album (some may call it wish-washy hip hop), but Cudder's kept his identifying atmospheric symphony. Collaborations include Mary J. Blige (x2!) and Cee-Lo Green. Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager is a lengthy album, composed in a variety of styles. It'll be a hit amongst fans for sure.

Tracks I'm Digging

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Released in the summer, "Erase Me" employs a rock bass line and drum kit. I couldn't believe it was Kid Cudi when I first heard it- I imagined some 40-year-old singer, but I'm not complaining. Kanye West's bridge is great, as usual.

"REVOFEV": (Revolution of Evolution). A cute, catchy choral hook and very mellow vocals. The percussion is almost humorous. I do love his lyrics, it's a nice change from the constant "yeah, I've got my eyes on your ass" party.

"Mr. Rager": The lyrical idea reminds me of Bjork's "Hunter"- curious, dark, and hopeful. We're seeing that trend in a lot of hip hop music lately, but it's really working out for him. He's got the writing, the tone and the executive producer for it. Immediately my favourite song on the album.

"Trapped In My Mind": Simply because of the accompaniment.

Chris Brown dancing up the streets


The recent music video for "Yeah 3x", the first single of his upcoming album, F.A.M.E. Braxton Olita and his band make a short appearance at the 0:40 mark.

Also premiering this weekend was Kanye West's self-directed "Runaway". The 30-minute film is fantastical and magnificent, featuring several of the songs to be released on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I loved the idea of contortionist ballerinas in his VMAs performance and their dance sequence is my favourite part of the video. (watch it on VEVO)

In regards to the lack of updates, I was away for the weekend.

The Black Eyed Peas are back

"The Time" will be the first single off The Beginning, which is set for a late November release.
The song is going to be officially released in 2weeks...but I put it out early on dipdive for all the black eyed peas fans...


I heard it this afternoon and honestly think it's one of their best tracks yet. They've taken the choppy, staccato vocal trend the right way. Unlike Katy Perry and Rihanna, the phrases are broken down after recording, giving it a smoother, cleaner, more electronic sound. The melodic themes borrow from the previous album, giving off a sense of familiarity.

I've never been a BEP fan, but they're one of those groups who can constantly churn out party hits without sounding like everyone else on the radio; this beat's definitely got me going. With this much anticipated album, they'll have us partying all winter.

"Slippin' Away" music video


Formerly: Tim Chaisson (solo)
Origin: Bear River, PEI, Canada
Genre: pop, folk, indie

From the land of green gables and red potatoes Maritime Canada, Tim Chaisson and Morning Fold is a folk pop quartet with obvious Celtic roots. They recently went on tour with a fellow East Coast act- The Trews.

Apart from being extremely talented, TCMF is able to deliver consistently outstanding live performances. There was not a member of the audience whom I talked to that did not enjoy their set, although many had no idea who they were. They have great acoustic sound and Chaisson livens it up with fiddle solos and piano accompaniments.

Unveiled on YouTube yesterday, the music video for "Slippin' Away" follows the story of a couple and their memories spent in their home. Simple and sweet, like the tune it reflects. Their latest album, Broken Hearted Beat, was released in 2009. Favourite track? "Take a Breath".

(official site)

LIGHTS releases new "winter jam"

purchase this single
I wrote "My Boots" because there are so many summer jams, but no good winter jams. Now I'm looking forward to her for the first time!
We've been anticipating this single for a while (it's set to be released in the States and UK tomorrow), but I'm just not dancing yet. With sparkly synth beats and Poxleitner's sweet vocals, the track is warming at the least. I think it's the title of the song that's drawing skeptical stares- "My Boots"- I mean, she's not actually singing about boots... right?

Oh, and I finally finished that Chino Moreno sketch:

"Collapsing At Your Doorstep" by Air France


Release date: June 26th, 2008
Origin: Gothenberg, Sweden
Genre: electronic, post-rave, trance

This artistic duo of Joel Karlsson and Henrik Markstedt is currently on hiatus. The video for the following track is beautiful, composed of windmill sequences and a child hitting a tambourine. Air France has yet to release a full-length record; No Way Down is their second EP. (visit their Myspace page)

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

The Versatile Blogger

(via Becca, thank you!)
Criteria (apparently, happens to be a definition of "versatile")
1. Capable of doing many things competently.
2. Having varied uses or serving many functions.
3. Variable or inconstant; changeable: a versatile temperament.
4. Capable of moving freely in all directions.

The rules
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2. Tell everyone seven things about yourself.
3. Pass this award to 15 5 other bloggers (this number has changed a few times, but it was originally 5).
4. Contact the bloggers that I picked and tell them about the award.

Seven things about me
1. I'm not very interesting. I'm wacky, fairly knowledgeable, but speaking to me is like talking to an injured mouse. Writing is a much easier way for me to express myself.
2. I was born in China. My family immigrated a couple years after I was born, so English is my first language and I have no foreign accent. My Canadian pride is excessive.
3. Fate is my best friend. I trust him (her?) and the path that has been laid for me.
4. The Beatles have never been spectacular to me. Actually, I tend to avoid their music.
5. I used to blast "Sk8r Boi" on my iPod. Then again, which Canadian 10-year old didn't back then?
6. I have one sibling. She possesses very little personal opinion and seems to act like every other tween fangirl. Granted, at her age, I don't know what to expect, but I know that I was not like she is. She has a blog as well, but I have no interest in her writing.
7. School bores me. My grade one teacher gave me extra work, I've been placed me in special classes, and I've changed schools five times. I'm just not interested in periodic tables or developing a passable sense of numeracy.

Five bloggers
1. her hesitation.
2. Live Life Like You're Dying
3. Hype M3 Up
4. There and Back Again
5. Voice of a Nerd

Please don't feel obliged to pass this on. I'm not keen on these awards; they feel like chain mail to me. Thanks again, though.

Indie Week Toronto

Over 150 bands at over 15 venues; click for website.
If the world were a sphere, I would've gone to Yonge and Dundas last night to see Crash Parallel. If the world were a sphere, I'd be downtown tonight to see Tim Chaisson and Morning Fold. However, the world is a spheroid (put simply, "slightly squished").

I had previously heard of Indie Week, but didn't know much about it until this Friday when @timchaisson tweeted about it. It is held in both Canada and Ireland; one talented band will be chosen to preform at the other city as well. The better half of the festival is over and final judging takes place tomorrow, but I'll be looking into this event next year.

Man, Hot Panda really has me taking indie seriously now.

As for how I did spend the first half of this weekend, a couple of friends and I went to see "Easy A". Thoughts I have for this movie are mostly positive. The main character is witty, charismatic, and relateable (for me, at the least). It's only as unrealistic as every high school drama, still managing to follow and deviate from the girl-boy-love-musical recipe.

(Emma Stone as Olive Pendergast)

Casual Tips for Casual NaNoWriMers

(inspired by V and K)

It's almost that time of year again- NaNoWriMo; a month when one must juggle work, school, and whatever social life they possess.

As a 2008 participant, I was unprepared and unorganized. I had no sense of what I was writing, how I was writing it, or when I was planning to write... miraculously, I succeeded. The following is based on my personal experience on accomplishing the challenge with very little pre-thought:

Coordinate your writing sessions to fit your schedule. If this means writing during 15 minute breaks, so be it; after all, four of these short breaks add to a full hour. On the other hand, you may find it easier to sit down for long hours with no distractions. Within a week, you'll have figured out what works best for you. If you're somewhat strategic or superstitious, you'll want to stick to that pattern.

Average it out. The math has been done- 50,000 words/30 days is equal to 1667 words/day. Don't go to bed before you've succeeded in writing that amount. (Oh, and use a program that allows for a word count. The year I did it, I used NotePad; silly me.)

Set weekly goals. At some point, you're bound to fall asleep. This can be due to stress, your job, or simply watching excessive quantities of YouTube videos. Weekends are great if you're not working overtime. You have an extra 19 hours- 16 from the time you'd normally spend at school/work, and 3 from the time you'd normally spend sleeping in preparation for school/work the following day. If you decide not to go partying on Friday night, that's another 3 hours there.

Get a headstart. Aim for a total of 7000 words in the first three days. Decide if you want to continue by the end of the first week; you'll slump either the second or third week, so that extra couple thousand will be your safety net.

Pass 50k on the 29th. Skip class. Call in sick. Just give yourself that cushion, in case you fall short a couple hundred out of pure exhaustion. That way you'll have at least another day to finish, procrastinator. If you haven't procrastinated, pat yourself on the back and rejoice. Don't dare touch your computer in fear of wiping out your data; it's been a while since you've felt this relief.

Good luck; Music for NaNoWriMo will be coming soon.

We have lift off.

OTT 3, CAR 2. Brian Elliott in for Leclaire due to an early 1st period collision with Kostopoulos. First win of the season, opening goal scored by Fisher, followed in the second by Michalek's netter. The Canes came back in the 3rd, tying it up in less than two minutes. Game-winner scored by Mike Fisher on the man advantage.

Defensive pairings were shuffled tonight and from my pictorial creations (I resorted to listening in on Team1200, alright?), they seemed to be an improvement from Monday night. Daniel Alfredsson looking good, as well.

Last game; 3-2 OTL in WSH (by George Washburn)
Next game
Saturday, October 16th in Montreal. I still miss Volchenkov.

Collisions

Do you choose to believe the lies of your surroundings
out of conformity and convenience? Are you like me?
Are we not a Plexiglass window breaking apart but one suicidal
character standing on the edge? Will you remember?
Will there be no recognition of who you were when the universe
came to an end and you were the saviour? How many times?
How many ways are there to degrade ourselves and pummel
the others deep into the ground? Do you even know?

Hot Panda's "How Come I'm Dead?"

I came across this band half a year ago on the front page of MapleMusic, intrigued by the offer of "free hot sauce" with every preorder. Tempting, but I didn't take it up. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I find today that Hot Panda is this week's free single on iTunes ("Start Making Sense").

buy the album
Release date: October 12th, 2010
Origin: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Genre: indie, electronic

"Evil Nature" and "Clever Fox" are brilliant tracks with dark atmospheres that add to the overall effect of the album, while "Mindlessnesslessness" gets the award for longest single-word title and catchiest melodic theme. How Come I'm Dead? is original, creative, and fresh. Listeners will not be disappointed.

I personally don't believe in purchasing full digital albums, but after some serious contemplation... all 13 spiffy tracks are in my iTunes library. This is one indie record I definitely enjoyed through and through. If you like what you hear, follow their blog with updates from the road!

Oh, bloody cranberries.

I was watching "Nightmare on Elm Street" last night and absolutely freaked out when Jesse Braun (Thomas Dekker) was wearing a Joy Division shirt... I don't even know. I also did some reading Saturday night (while at a different house party) in the form of The Hollow Tree by Janet Lunn, only because I'd read Shadow in Hawthorn Bay. All of her novles are irritatingly unrealistic historic novels. Yeah, I'm cool.

Anyhow, some releases for y'all Canadians to pick up after Thanksgiving:

Not-quite-white-trash Far East Movement's Free Wired
Norwegian black metal band Dimmu Borgir's Abrahadabra
All That Remains's For We Are Many; good old metalcore
(I love my musical tastes, too.) Have a good one!

A sliver of turkey mad hope.

I missed this game, but it didn't sound too good.
I feel like I don't know this team anymore. The names are (for the most part) the same, but they just don't say anything to me. That was the case last season, at least. What's changed the most this season is the defense:

Chris Phillips - Erik Karlsson
Sergei Gonchar - Chris Campoli
Matt Carkner - Brian Lee

Even with all due respect, I don't like Gonchar and I'm terrified about that 3rd pairing. Pascal Leclaire is a difficult call: on the one hand, the issue of inconsistent goaltending will remain; on the other, finding that consistency will come at a cost.

The boys play Washington tonight.

GO SENS GO

2007 interview with Faber Drive

(scanned from a winter 2007 edition of UMM)
article written by Andréanna Sasseville
Who are they:
Faber - guitar and lead vocals
Hinsley - lead guitar and backing vocals
Krikit - bass and backing vocals
Red Bull - drums and backing vocals
David Hinsley and Ray "Red" Bull left the band in 2008. Calvin Lechner (better known as "Poncho") joined the band shortly and they recruited a touring guitarist, before JP and Stricko were added to the lineup. Hinsley is still close to the band, recently co-writing a few songs off can'T kEep A SecrEt.

Hometown:
Mission, British Columbia

Debut disc:
Seven Second Surgery - 2007

Their style:
Pop/rock hook songs!

Band name history:
They used to be known as Faber but there is a band in the United States with that name. When Faber drives, he likes to multitask! One day, he went right through a red light because he was trying to play guitar and drive at the same time. (We do not recommend that you try that!). Red was in the car with him and screamed "FABER... DRIVE!!!" They thought that sounded cool so they became Faber Drive.

How it all started:
They submitted a song called 'Sex and Love' to Vancouver's 99.3 The Fox station for the Battle of the Bands contest in 2006 - And yup, you guessed it: they won! The song made its way to the most requested songs list and to some pretty important ears (Nickelback?!) and they were signed to a major label shortly thereafter.
Yes, it was Nickelback- more specifically, Chad Kroeger who owns 604 Records. Not suprising at all; the man also manages Marianas Trench, My Darkest Days, George Canyon, and Theory of a Deadman. (Don't y'all dare diss this multi-talent again.)

What they listen to on tour:
U2, Boys like Girls, and Rage Against the Machine.
I seriously approve of these choices.

You should check them out because:
First and second single off the album, Second Chance and Tongue Tied, are radio chart toppers.

Their website:
http://www.faberdrive.com/
(Link redirects to their Myspace page.) Note again, this is not my writing and I take no responsibilty for misspellings or inaccuracies facts. These are excerpts I've retyped; I don't even write like that. All credit goes to the magazine and their employees.

In other news, 30 Seconds To Mars are out and about in the streets of New York making a music video for their single, "Hurricane". Filming started late last week, in an undisclosed location, some photos surfaced involving fishnets, latex, and photographers Terry Richardson and Aram Bedrossian. They seem to be taking an "Alejandro" approach. Kanye West is currently in Paris, France with the likes of U2. (What a win, four of my favourite artists in one paragraph).

(by Bedrossian; the photos have since been removed)

Thrice-released, yet hard to find: Stabilo


This is a band from Vancouver that's been MIA for the longest while now, but this song is too lovely to ignore. Unfortunately, no better quality music video is available. "Everybody" was first released independently in 2001, while the band was still called Stabilo Boss. After shortening their name, they released Cupid? in 2004, comprised of mostly re-recordings.

Some commercial success was achieved 2 years later, with new material in the form of of a third studio album. Both singles, "Flawed Design" and "Kidding Ourselves", made it onto Canadian charts. Favourite song on the album? "If It Was Up To Me". (buy Happiness and Disaster)

Frontman Jesse Dryfhout in 2006 (by Jessica Nicole)

"Chrysalis" by Daedalean Complex

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Origin: Quebec, QC, Canada
Genre: goth, industrial, metal

This underground act has undergone many lineup changes, but remains to be one of the country's most recognized cult-metal groups. I came across them around May, downloaded their first album off their site, and took an instant liking.

art by Herr Nox (download the debut)
"Deus Ex": An atmospheric intro that really screams potential.

"...Machina": Although I'm not a big fan of the distortion on vocals, they make for a neat effect.

"Far Beyond": The guitar riff is wonderful- creepy, memorable, and a perfect companion to the hollow screams on the offbeat. I can't get over how simple the melody is, because the effectiveness really shines through; four minutes of familiarity with no tiredness.

"Chrysalis": And I'm in love. From the guitar intro to the throaty growls of "we are", it's a great, light piece. While owning dark tones, there is no overwhelming, indecipherable noise; Herr Nox's vocals just will make you "lose control".

"Cut'N'Bleed": This song starts of like any generic rock song with a basic drum beat. Actually, most of their songs do, the guitar and vocals take the listener by surprise. (In this case, it's a good surprise.) The buildups are clever and the production is exquisite, especially for a lesser-known band like DC.

"Sea of Lust": Beginning with a string line gives it a whole other feel. Not before long, a bass line creeps in, and you'd expect full-blown drums. They enter with the vocals, which are tame in contrast to the rest of the album. The instrumentals take a well-deserved front stage.

"Virtual Faith": The cyclic intro/outro is one of my favourite parts of the album; it's a very gritty, straightforward piece.

"Under a Rain of Ashes": Toning it down again with some interesting effects to conclude.

(official site)

Imagine, I could be anywhere in the world

A streetlight in HongKong, China; as featured in China Impressions

Love padlocks on the Hohenzollernbrücke; Cologne, Germany (Frederic)

My Canon Elph has been nothing but reliable for me. It fits in a pocket; however, it only zooms to 7.1 megapixels. (For the longest time, I've been- and still am- undecided about getting a Nikon's with the huge lenses.) We've been to some pretty wacky places, kicked across a cabin floor, and the battery's lasted through 5 hour festivals.

Lately, all I've wanted to do is to be somewhere else. These are three magnificent places I've taken an interest in recently.

Round Room at the Carlu; Toronto, Canada (Adam Birrell)

Gum Wall; Seattle, United States (Rob Higdon)

"Wait Up (Boots of Danger)" Remix

I love this song to begin with, but this remix has made it much more enjoyable. Boys Like Us is a project of Rostam Batmanglij's. The original song is by Tokyo Police Club; Newmarket, Ontario's very own. (source and download)

Batmanglij performing with his band, Vampire Weekend.
While on the subject of remixes, I must say that DJ Earworm is quite the distraction. It's difficult to concentrate on scientific lab reports when you stumble upon a talent like him. The line "I gotta feeling... I found God" cracks me up every time.


download the track

"To have no particular interest or concern"

That's putting it quite nicely. Which is exactly what frontman Angelo Aita told the media, when they asked about the album title. For a band that has yet to really break into the industry, they sure sell that confidence well.
"It means that even if people don't like what we're doing or think we should give up, we don't care; we're going to keep doing it for ourselves. Everything we do is for us, not anyone else. And that's what Geeving is all about."
purchase this album
Release date: October 5th, 2010
Genre: Metalcore, synthpop

Fresh-sounding, enjoyable, but not very radio-friendly. It has some serious potential, at least. I know they won me over after appearing on disBAND- to be honest, I only stayed on that channel for longer than 5 minutes because I did a double take on Greig Nori's "Die Young, Live Free" shirt. (Andrew Stricko has the same one, s'all.) This is one album I am planning to go out and buy, sometime; hopefully before Christmas.

Mobile

The businessman walked to the light. The pedestrian signal was blinking, an annoying clicker chirping away. He hit the button to let it stop as the green figure appeared again. An impatient driver swore. When the man arrived on the opposite curb, he pulled out his cell phone and made a call. It was 4:32pm; the train had left two minutes ago. He looked up, up at the bell tower. His watch was 5 minutes slow.

At the station, passengers had not yet boarded. It was announced on the speaker system that the train had been delayed due to undisclosed complications. A short distance away was the stalled train- people evacuated- emergency crews on scene, lifting car #2750 to reveal a mangled form below. The torn cloth binding her feet to the tracks had been violently ripped. Just beyond the bloodied woman's reach was a ringing cell phone.

Building Happiness

one brick at a time; as they fell into place
so did our hearts; I was yours and you were mine
even through thick; when our homes were ripped
down and extermination was immediate... if not prior.

a dusty road walked; as our paths became one
so did our thoughts; my hand in yours and synchronized
although we'd none; when we had no place to go
to and no destination we knew of... time went on.

couple or few joints; as the horizon disappeared
so did our realizations; it was you and me and me and you
over and over again; when the mirror didn't continue
to repeat and repeat ourselves... shattering.

several months sober; as Texan tornadoes turned
so did our lives; our fears and hopes and dreams
became the memories; when southern rain came to wash
away and dilute all the mortar... from our hands.

There's a new BMTH record coming out

I don't care much for Bring Me The Horizon. I just frequently confuse the acronym with Bullet For My Valentine, at which I'll sit for a confused half hour, going B... F...

(preorder on iTunes)
The album art is appreciable and the album will feature new guitarist, Jona Weinhofen. The band does a good job of dropping heavy, continuous riffs, but unless you're particularly good at deciphering screaming, Oli Sykes might as well be speaking Swedish. Giving them another chance, I was once again disturbed with the video for "It Never Ends". No, unnecessary gore does not go well with my lunch.

Canadian electropop singer LIGHTS makes an appearance on "Crucify Me" and "Don't Go", which I believe to be the only two tracks I've heard in full. There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret. (an applaudable title lyric there) is scheduled for October 5th in North America.


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Meanwhile, We Are The Ocean is releasing a deluxe edition of their debut with four additional songs. Cutting Our Teeth was their first full album after a couple of very successful EPs.

While also employing scream techniques by vocalist Dan Brown, WATO better resembles Alexisonfire. Brown and Liam Cromby's vocals are mature sounding; there's none of that pop-punk-metal mix going on.

What the fudgesicles are the CASBYS?

The Trews performing at the 2010 CASBY awards.
Molson Canadian Favourite New Artist: Hollerado
Favourite New Single: "The Northern" by Alexisonfire
Favourtie New Album: Life Starts Now by Three Days Grace
NXNE New Indie Release: Champ by Tokyo Police Club
Favourite EDGE session: Silversun Pickups

I would not have guessed that "CASBY" was an acronym for "Canadian Artists Chosen By You", but I could've predicted the results. They were all very well-deserved and it's great to see Three Days Grace come full-circle from their "Favourite New Artist" win in 2002. (Well, as a fan, it's great to see them recognized). The awards are put on by 102.1 theEdge, in Toronto- my favourite part? It's all Canadian and it's all rock.

On a second note, Adam Gontier has begun to vlog while on the road. He's covering fan-requested songs at least once a week. The following is his latest video, featuring a Foy Vance song:


The band will be returning to Toronto to play a show on November 6th at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair with sibling band, My Darkest Days, and Bleeker Ridge. The latter of the two is a fantastic group from Orillia, Ontario. (If there were such a genre as "indie hard rock", they'd be it. Visit their Myspace page.) Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10AM.