On January 19, 1971, Neil Young performed at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada. This was a 'homecoming' of sorts because Young had left Canada in 1966, joined Buffalo Springfield in LA, and then recorded his self-titled debut solo album in 1968. In 1970, Neil recorded his best-selling album After The Gold Rush. When he recorded at Massey Hall, he had already acquired a huge fan base.

His performance at Massey Hall included his well-known songs 'Down by the River', 'Ohio' and 'I am a Child', but also included songs that had not been released at the time; such as: 'Old Man', 'Needle and the Damage Done' and 'Heart of Gold'.

This is the album that should have come out between After The GoldRush and Harvest, Young says now.

Live At Massey Hall, produced by Young and the late David Briggs, is the second Reprise Records release in the Neil Young Archives Performance Series, following last year's Live At The Fillmore East album. The 'Archives Volume I' collection, due this fall, will be an 8-CD, 2-DVD audiobiography will include Young's music from 1963 to 1972, and will feature many unreleased recordings, both studio and live, along with concert footage and rare memorabilia from the first decade of Young's career.

Image from themusicarchive.com

www.neilyoung.com

Juno award-nominated Canadian Group Shaye will release their new album Lake of Fire on February 6, during the filming of their new reality series, Shaye, produced by Breakthrough Films & Television

Close friends and members of Shaye, Kim Stockwood, Damhnait Doyle and Tara MacLean are known for their gorgeous vocal blend and outgoing personalities. What some people may not realize is that these women face the same everyday challenges all women face - motherhood, balancing their personal lives and careers - all while striving to realize their dream. Now fans will have greater insight to their world as they share their lives on and off stage with the cameras rolling. Leading Canadian production company, Breakthrough Films & Television (Ira Levy, Executive Producer.) has officially started production on its newest factual programming project, Shaye.

The new documentary series follows this female musical trio on the road to stardom. Shaye chronicles the behind-the-scenes journey as the girls work towards fame and fortune when they release their new record, Lake of Fire on February 6, 2007.

Both the show and the new album offer old and new fans quite the revealing side to Shaye. The three co-wrote most of Lake of Fire and, just like them, it runs the gamut of emotions.

Considering the personalities of the three women in Shaye and the energy of the new album - it is safe to expect lots of fun, humour, strength, and courage will come through in this new television program.

In the meantime, Shaye will be doing extensive promotion in February, along with a free show at Nathan Phillips Square (as part of Toronto’s Winter City Festival) on February 3 and a live performance on Canada AM on February 5.

image from musicaldiscoveries.com

http://www.breakthroughfilms....

Visit Swank’s Home Site

Following my big scores in exercise wear recently, I decided to check out some of the other local liquidation stores to see what they had in.

Now, it used to be that the only time I went clothes shopping was when I was out of the country, because I don't like having the same clothes as other people. If I shopped near home, it'd be at a thrift store or some such place. And then I started getting free stuff from all over - my (fake) aunt's daughter's best friend is really, really, really rich and goes on shopping trips to New York every 6-8 weeks, and I benefit from getting the barely worn hand-me-downs; and my mother-in-law volunteers at a local Hospital Thrift Store, and 'culls' a lots of fantastic stuff - I've received everything from a pair of brand-new Tailored Sportsman riding pants (suggested retail price: $260) to a new Roots winter coat to some very cool t-shirts... and the list goes on.

But, I was taking this mission seriously, and so off to the liquidators I went. And this is what I found: at MTF, they had Seven jeans (7 for all Mankind - suggested retail price $250) for a whopping $18! And Kenneth Coles' Unlisted jeans for the same price. Other brand name items I couldn't resist picking up included a Club Monaco sundress for $2.50.

Then I went to Liquidation World, which looked like it had very similar stock with a little more selection. More Alfred Sung (a velour t-shirt for $2.90), and more premium jeans of various brands with a lot of Calvin Klein straight-leg black denim for $10 and $12. They still have a wide variety of shoes, as well, which I think were from the Army & Navy designer shoe sale a while back (I scoured that particular bargain hunters paradise at the time, too, and distinctly recall some of those same shoes). Said shoes are going for around $10.

So, if you're looking for some clothing at pretty reasonable rates, and you're not afraid to dig through piles of odd sizes, try MTF and Liquidation World - you might be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

Initially, when I read Mitch Albon's latest release, 'For One More Day', I thought to myself, "Oh, not another 'Saturday'." Because at first, I was getting this Ian MacEwan vibe - here's with popular, well known, best selling author, and what do I end up reading? Well, certainly not what he became a popular best selling author for.

But as I continued with 'For One More Day', my opinion changed. The deeper I got into the book, the deeper it got. By exploring the concept of motherhood and unconditional love under the guise of 'what would you do if you had one more day to spend with someone you loved', this book went right to the heart of what it means to love someone so much that you give yourself up for them.

I first thought that this would be a great Mother's Day book, but hey - why wait 'til them. Read it now.

And Albon's other books, "Tuesdays With Morrie" and "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" have now moved onto my next-to-read list.

Visit Swank’s Home Site

Here is a very abbreviated list of some of the songs that have impacted my life - most for the better.

1. 'She Loves Me', The Beatles (1963). My parents were, without a doubt, the two most non-musical people on the earth. But my mom loved to listen to the radio, and periodically this song would come on, and my Mom would sing. After a while, I'd tell her to be quiet and let ME sing, since I was obviously a much better singer. We also had a coffee mug up at the cabin that portrayed a cartoon version of the Fab Four singing this song. Also from this time, I liked 'The Unicorn' by the Irish Rovers (1967) - but I think this one is reserved for Canadian tastes only...

2. This next song on my list is from the 'for worse' category. When my Dad was mad, he would hum to himself, and if he was really mad, he would hum 'If I Were a Carpenter' (1966, Bobbi Darrin). Hearing this song still makes me nervous. Oddly enough, Dave and I were listening to a Mojo collection the other day - I think it was songs picked by Roger Daltry or something - and one of the songs on that compliation was by the writer of 'If I Were a Carpenter', Tim Hardin - a hard-living guy, by the sounds of it.

3. 'Making Plans for Nigel', XTC (1979). This one started the music revolution that is still going on in my head.

4. 'No Mercy', The Stranglers (1977). I didn't hear this song until about ten years after it first came out, but by then it fit my life so well - just listen to the lyrics. That was my life.

5. 'Express Kundolini', Love and Rockets (1986). And for those moments when I wasn't "sweatin' buckets, hopin' that you'd get it right" (see #4, above), I was down at the Luv-A-Fair, dancing to Love and Rockets and the Express Kundolini. All aboard!

6. At about the same time in my life, along came Echo and the Bunnymen, who provided me with the soundtrack for a whole decade. 'The Puppet' (1981), 'The Cutter' (1983), 'The Killing Moon' (1984), 'Bring on the Dancing Horses' (1985), and 'Villiers Terrace' (1980) still fill me with nostalgia for that beautiful lost decade. Sometimes I think I'm the only person in the world who liked the eighties. And I LOVED those Echo and the Bunnymen hairstyles. Baby!!

7. Then along came the '90s, a musical wasteland. About the only thing that kept me going was Sloan, and more specifically, their fantastic lyrics - try 'Snowsuit Sound' (1994) if you've never heard them.

8. The late '90s was saved by The Beta Band and their fantastic, multi-layered songs, such as 'Inner Meet Me' (1997). And nothing could beat their live show, either.

9. I was saddened when the Beta Band called it a day, but soon another multi-talented, multi-layered band from Britain came along - but this one had different stripes. Sixties samples mixed with '80s chants, add some hip hop and some dance, and what do you have? The Go! Team. For the highest energy sound, listen to either 'Lady Flash' or 'Panther Dash' (2005) - both sound, to me, like pure, unadulterated happiness.

10. 'John Wayne Gacy, Jr.' by Sufjan Stevens (2005) - How can someone write such a beautiful song about such a horrible topic? It's paradoxical. And that, I guess, is Sufjan Stevens in a nutshell.

Image from musicclub.it/

Had he still been alive today, the late Hergé (Georges Remi) creator of the fabulous Tintin, would have been 100 this year.

Sadly, he is no longer of this world, and yet we cannot seem to forget him. His work has influenced and affected so many people that all over the world, from Paris to Tokyo, there will be exhibits, celebrations and retrospectives of his work.

Belgium is putting out a commemorative stamp, and a 50 metre high replica of the rocket from Destination Moon has been made.

Go, Tintin! Go, Snowy!

Image source wikipedia

Well here goes ...

1. ‘Maggie May’ by Rod Stewart. This was an unexpected Christmas gift from someone who died suddenly three months prior to Christmas (a surprising, yet touching, gesture)

2. ‘Ashes to Ashes’ by David Bowie - a period of wild and excessive living (I think David would understand)

3 ‘Thorn in my Side’ by the Eurythmics - Buh-bye Hubby one

4There’s always the Sun by the Stranglers - a reminder of someone who once ‘loved me’, yet, I didn’t appreciate that love until after he was long gone

5.‘Walking in London’ by Concrete Blonde - Not Johnette’s finest work, but one that remind's me of my present hubby's and my courtship. :)

Of course I have to list some ‘Honorable mentions and all were loved equally:

Cocoon’ by Siouxsie & the Banshees - great for recovering from #2 above;

‘Belga Lugosi’s Dead’ by Bauhaus - ahhh... Heady Days at the Luv A Fair dance club, and the soundtrack for a great movie, The Hunger;

‘Special K’ by Placebo - Interesting song, especially with regarding drug terms used by teens of today - sort of a parental guide

‘Little Conversations’ by Concrete Blonde - again, the song says it all with regards to inbalance in relationship conversations and,

‘Police and Thieves’ by the Clash - my introduction to a new musical genre (along with, although very late, Iggy Pop) in my musical progression.

BTW, this was a great idea posted by someone at clubvibes. (Thanks poster for giving my gray matter a workout!! (And of course, I will think of a thousand more as soon as I post this)

You see, down in California we saw many, many places that were original Arts and Crafts style, in addition to which, we also saw many new places that were being decorated in the same style - and it worked. Three of the hotels we were at were done in Arts and Crafts style, the foremost example being the new Grand California Hotel at Disneyland which is a pure celebration of the style. In fact, there are even little quotations on plaques lining the wall of the restaurants extolling both the style itself and the movement behind it.

Here in Vancouver, we've got a few original Arts and Crafts neighbourhoods left, most notably on Vancouver's Westside and Kitsilano neighbourhoods. Friends of ours recently bought a renovated Arts and Crafts style home, but it's the one my aunt and uncle have that I think my nostalgic feelings spring from.

It turns out that the Arts and Crafts movement started a long time ago, as a reaction to the excesses of the Victorian period and its gingerbread-looking houses. John Ruskin (1819-1900) and William Morris (1834-1896) started up the movement around 1860, and it was about more than just art and architecture - it was a comment on industrialization, a celebration of the rising middle class, a desire for quality pieces... I could go on. The Arts and Crafts movement embraced the skill of the craftsman and architecturally featured low horizontal lines, open rooms, the use of local materials, and an emphasis on the functional.

The movement was taken up by American designers around the turn of the century but was also known as the Mission style, especially in the south-west states.

Designer Gustav Stickley's magazine The Craftsman did much to popularize the movement, and Frank Lloyd Wright was one of its earliest fans.

For those of you who are interested, I would really love to hear from you! The original article I wrote can be found at

http://www.swanktrendz.com/ph...

Hope to hear from you all :P

Christine

Not easy - there are thousands, I agree - but I tried not to think too hard about it and this is what my head came up with:

1. Song For Guy - Elton John

My dad's favourite song, played at his funeral in 1989 - it still retains a deep spirituality and ambiguous beauty. I will take it to my grave too.

2. Smile - Nat King Cole

An unexpected antidote to teenage angst and several broken hearts. A song that sounds miserable as it's telling you to cheer up - I respect that.

3. Sulk - Radiohead

Sometimes you sulk, sometimes you burn - Well, exactly! A motto for my life if ever there was one.

4. The Reason - Hoobastank

Not a great song but will always remind me of the unrequited love of my life - My heart still skips a beat whenever I hear it.

5. Concerning the UFO sighting near Highland, Il - Sufjan Stevens

Just because it was the first song I heard by an artist that has changed my life, saved my life and given me life where none seemed apparent. There are things that happened before I heard SS and there is everything after!

Image from vinyltap.co.uk

I do not know why I chose to share those points as I normally keep them quiet, close to the chest. So here are 5 new tags that I am more comfortable in sharing (and won’t have internet regret, later).

1. I truly love brussel sprouts although I don't often share this admission

2. My maternal side has a long history of psychic women (then again, maybe they were misquoted and it is psycho?)

3. I grew up on 21 acres of land and people yearly 'dumped' unwanted pets on us whom my mother fed (and we 6 children loved) faithfully

4. One of my siblings died when he was 17 which reshaped my life

5. My Grandfather taught me an important financial lesson which I've remembered above all other 'advice' - Never rent, own a place if you cannot pay the monthly rent with a week's wages.

Yes, I have to say I prefer these 5 items as they are indeed not items I often share, yet are not as personal as my first post.

Hope nobody minds (although I am sure you are all fine with that).

Cheers, Christine

The dance contest for Ok Go was on for around six months and it just ended.

I enclosed a couple of the band's dance routines as they are just fun! (the treadmill one was recorded in one take!)

Furthermore, I posted these videos as I just love the band, and their recordings do not do them justice after viewing them live!)

Youtube is presently getting serviced so if Imade a mistake with the links, I will fix them after the site is up and running.

The treadmill routine

their original routine

Yours, dancingly, Christine

Visit OK GO’s Site

One of my favourite performing artists/bands held a fabulous contest on youtube and has finally announced the winners. Here is an excerpt from their press releases.

After months of anticipation, we're proud to announce the winners of the OK Go Dances with You(Tube) Contest.

You can watch all of the prize winning entries at okgo.net/dancecontest

okgo.net/dancecontest.

Seriously: Go watch them. They're amazing.

It was tough to choose winners because so many of the videos were extremely well done.

They're all worth checking out again, which you can do at youtube.com/group/okgodance

And you can talk about them all at the OK Go bulletin boards

The winning team will be flown to an OK Go Show to dance on stage with the band.

And the twenty or so special category winners and runners up will get a keepsake huge, awesome trophy.

Every single dancer who entered will get a smaller keepsake.

Thanks for making this so much fun.

OK Go

(and also jorge)

To contact OK GO send postal mail to:

OK GO

1750 N. Vine St.,

7th Floor, Hollywood,

CA 90028

k-os to perform on DAVID LETTERMAN on US Album Release

Date February 20/07

image from canadianmusicians.com

Have I ever mentioned how much I, and my husband, despise Wal-Mart?

A friend of mine recently retired, at 55, and decided to take a part-time job at our local Wal-Mart (big no-no at the best of times, given that this is Canada).

He lasted three months in what was supposed to be a three-day per week job, which turned into a daily call to work, without benefits and without general courtesy and/or appreciation. And to think, they were shocked when he quit!

As I was surfing the web, I came across this incredible site entitled Wake Up Wal-mart Here are some interesting (yet sad) facts:

The Real Facts About Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart recently launched a multi million-dollar advertising campaign to silence its critics and hide the truth about the company.  The following are the REAL facts about Wal-Mart.

Some of the topics covered are:

1. Wal-Mart Wages and Worker Rights

2. Wal-Mart Health Care

3. Wal-Mart’s Cost to Taxpayers

4. Wal-Mart’s Community Impact

5. Wal-Mart and China

6. Wal-Mart and Worker Injuries

7. Other Wal-Mart Benefits

8. Wal-Mart Anti-Union Policy

9. Wal-Mart and Gender Discrimination

10. Wal-Mart and Child Labor

11. Wal-Mart and Undocumented Immigrants

Wal-Mart Wages and Worker Rights

A Substantial Number of Wal-Mart Associates earn far below the poverty line

• In 2001, sales associates, the most common job in Wal-Mart, earned on average $8.23 an hour for annual wages of $13,861. The 2001 poverty line for a family of three was $14,630. [“Is Wal-Mart Too Powerful?”, Business Week, 10/6/03, US Dept of Health and Human Services 2001 Poverty Guidelines, 2001]

• A 2003 wage analysis reported that cashiers, the second most common job, earn approximately $7.92 per hour and work 29 hours a week. This brings in annual wages of only $11,948. [“Statistical Analysis of Gender Patterns in Wal-Mart’s Workforce”, Dr. Richard Drogin 2003]

Wal-Mart Associates don't earn enough to support a family

• The average two-person family (one parent and one child) needed $27,948 to meet basic needs in 2005, well above what Wal-Mart reports that its average full-time associate earns. Wal-Mart claimed that its average associate earned $9.68 an hour in 2005. That would make the average associate's annual wages $17,114. [“Basic Family Budget Calculator” online at epinet

Wage increases would cost Wal-Mart relatively little

• Wal-Mart can cover the cost of a dollar an hour wage increase by raising prices a half penny per dollar. For instance, a $2.00 pair of socks would then cost $2.01. This minimal increase would annually add up to $1,800 for each employee. [Analysis of Wal-Mart Annual Report 2005]

Wal-Mart’s Health Care Plan Fails to Cover Over 775,000 Employees

• Wal-Mart reported in January 2006 that its health insurance only covers 43% of their employees. Wal-Mart has approximately 1.39 million US employees.walmartfacts

Wal-Mart’s Health Insurance Falls Far Short of Other Large Companies

• On average for 2005, large companies (200 or more workers) cover approximately 66% of their employees. If Wal-Mart was to reach the average coverage rate, Wal-Mart should be covering an additional 318,000 employees (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005) and walmartfacts.

Wal-Mart’s Health Care Eligibility is Restrictive

• Part-timers—anybody below 34 hours a week – must wait 1 year before they can enroll. Moreover, spouses of part-time employees are ineligible for family health care coverage for 2006. [Wal-Mart Stores, “My Benefits, New Peak Time Benefits Making ad Difference For You,” 2006]

• Full-time hourly employees must wait 180 days (approximately 6 months) before being able to enroll in Wal-Mart’s health insurance plan. Managers have no waiting period. [Wal-Mart 2006 Associate Guide]

• Nationally, the average wait time for new employees to become eligible is 1.7 months. For the retail industry it is 3.0 months. [Kaiser Family Foundation & Health Research and Educational Trust, 2005]

There are a lot more facts, and they are equally as disturbing. How has this company attracted so many shoppers, knowing what the public knows?

Images from stampandshout.com

Well rumour has it that Wilco are currently wrapping up work on a new studio album entitled Sky Blue Sky, which will be released by Nonesuch Records on May 14. It is the first studio album since their 2004 Grammy Award-winning CD A Ghost is Born and the first newly written and recorded material to feature the now firmly established band line-up of Jeff Tweedy (guitars, vocals), John Stirratt (bass, vocals), Glenn Kotche (drums), Mike Jorgensen (keyboards), Nels Cline (guitars) and Pat Sansone (guitars, keyboards, vocals). Guitarist Nels Cline and multi-instrumentalist, Pat Sansone, joined the band after the completion of A Ghost is Born.

The new album was recorded at The Loft, the band's Chicago studio. While the final album selections are not yet confirmed, some of the eighteen-plus tracks being considered for inclusion are, 'Shake It Off', 'Side with the Seeds', 'Glad It's Over', 'Either Way' and 'Walken'. Many of the new songs have been performed in recent Wilco concerts and by Jeff Tweedy on his current solo tour. Sky Blue Sky is produced by Wilco.

All I can say is, bring it on, boys!

Visit Wilco's site at the link below:

Image from faid.convio.net

http://www.wilcoworld.net

Visit Swank’s Home Site

Visit Mike’s Home Site

Dr. Squire - (Opens door) Research Assistant Alvaro, thank you for coming at such short notice.

Alvaro - No problem Doctor. It is my job. What is it that you wanted me to see?

Dr. Squire - Follow me, please.

[They walk hurriedly down a long dimly lit hallway, passing large window panes through which can be seen much scientific paraphernalia. Dr. Squire opens a door marked 'Marsupial Genetic Research Facility' (also known as the MGRF), and ushers Research Assistant Alvaro inside.]

Dr. Squire - (Hands Alvaro a print-out of some graph or chart or something) Take a look at these numbers.

Alvaro - My goodness. These...are these accurate? Are these the numbers for Pegasus? The Tasmanian Wombat that Squire and Alvaro have been studying for the past twelve months? She is the last of her kind).

Dr. Squire - They are quite accurate, I assure you.

Alvaro - Do you know what this means, Doctor? This means...

Dr. Squire - (interrupting) That Pegasus is pregnant.

Alvaro - Doctor! this is an amazing breakthrough! We can save their species from extinction!

Dr. Squire - I know.

Alvaro - And the scientific community! They're going to be all over this....this...this is huge! You've finally done it, Doctor! You're the first to successfully, artificially inseminate a female North Tasmanian Wombat.

Dr. Squire - Oh, it wasn't artificial.

Alvaro - But..... she's the last of her kind.... and... how did?....

Dr. Squire - (Staring intensely into Research Assistant Alvaro's eyes)

Alvaro - .....Doctor?.....

Dr. Squire - Why won't you notice me, Gloria?

[They kiss, but their love will always be tainted].

fin.

Visit Mike’s Home Site

Hot season! - winter!

hot hand accessory! - Mittens!

hot scarf! - a scarf!

hot excuse! - wizards did it!

Hot Carl! - gross!

hot room! - cryogenic chamber!

Hot color! - neon grey!

Hot sauce! - hot sauce!

Hot thing to drink from! - bottles!

Hot late 19th Century volcano eruption! - Krakatoa!

Hot scene from 1972 Blaxploitation classic 'Blakula'! - When those cops have to fight those jumping vampires that are on fire in a huge room filled with empty cardboard boxes!

Hot way to eat soup! - From a bowl! with a spoon!

Hot Hot Heat! - suck!

Hot water bottles! - Awesome when you're sick!

Hot thing to touch! - The top of a lit candle when it's lit!

Hot lists! - totally hot!

Evil wizard from www.pixeladdiction.com Blackula from rottontomatoes.com

Visit Swank’s Home Site

Visit Sashi’s Home Site

Malaysian socio-political bloggers Jeff Ooi and Rocky have been sued by NSTP.

Lim Kit Siang writes about possible implications of the case.

Am not happy about this. But am not making further comment while events unfold. Let’s see what happens...

But just so you know… I’m on the bloggers’ side.

Read these links for more info:

• NSTP gets injunction to remove blog postings[The Star Online]

• Malaysia’s pro-government newspaper sues two bloggers for defamation [International Herald Tribune]

• Malaysian newspaper sues bloggers in landmark case [Reuters]

• Malaysia newspaper sues two bloggers [Business Week]

Bloggers United image courtesy of Kickdefella

Anyway, from Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to old town Main Street in White Rock, BC, I kept my eagle eyes peeled, on the lookout for fantastic fashion.

Here's what I observed:

- probably the hippest outfit you could pull together for the upcoming season involves the following: leggings or skinny pants; a horizontally striped t shirt, large (must be black and white or navy and white); a small, dark cropped jacket; Converse Allstars, or something in plaid. The outfit was especially prominent in San Francisco on all the hit young things.

- wear something yellow, if you're looking for a new colour to add to your wardrobe. Not all yellow, mind - just one piece. And a mustard yellow is better than a bright, sunshiny one.

- for shoes, anything goes: pointy toes, almond toes, round toes, platforms - whatever.

- there were lots and lots and lots of vintage inspired fabrics out there, and many borrowed from the 1970s (swirly, psychedelic looking prints), although anything from the 1940s through the 1980s seemed to be fair game.

As of January 16th

BILLY TALENT w. MONEEN

Sunday, January 21

House of Blues

Prospera Place (Kelowna)

MATT MAYS

Tuesday, January 30

Atomique

Legends Nightclub (Victoria)

Wednesday, January 31

House of Blues

Richard's on Richards

BARENAKED LADIES w. TOMI SWICK

Wednesday, January 31

Live Nation

Save On Foods Centre (Victoria)

Thursday, February 1

Live Nation

Save On Foods Centre (Victoria)

Saturday, February 3

Live Nation

GM Place

Monday, February 5

Live Nation

Prospera Place (Kelowna)

BILL FRISELL

Thursday, February 15

Coastal Jazz &Blues

Christ Church Cathedral

GLENN KOTCHE & NELS CLINE

Thursday, February 22

House of Blues

Richard's on Richards

BLOC PARTY

Monday, March 12

Sealed With A Kiss

Orpheum Theatre

ERIC CLAPTON

Friday, March 23

House of Blues

GM Place

PAOLO NUTINI

Thursday, March 29

Timbre

Richard's on Richards

PAT METHENY & BRAD MEHLDAU

Sunday, April 1

House of Blues

Orpheum Theatre

Matt Mays images: newmusiccanada.com

BNL Image from winnipeg sun

As far as cuts go, just take a look around. The bob's the thing, and if you can't go short in back - well, at least go short in front, because blunt and edgy bangs are also big news.

Image - greatestlook.com

Perhaps that's why black nail polish is associated with people who like to live on the edge, people who aren't hangin' in the mainstream. In more recent history, black has resurfaced as a popular nail polish colour during London in the swinging '60s, and then with the punks a decade later.

Fast forward a quarter century and black is back again. Turns out that many of the top fashion houses included shades of black prominently in their nail polish collections this year.

image from .wonkette.com

Image and quote from news.aol.com regarding ‘the Missouri Miracles’ - Shawn Hornbeck and William ‘Ben’ Ownby who were found at Michael Devlin's home in Kirwood, Mo., Friday (January 12/07)

This reminds me of a case publicized over twenty-five years ago. Seven year old Steven Gregory Stayner was abducted by Kenneth Parnell (a multiple felon and convicted child molester) in 1972. As Stayner approached puberty, Parnell began to look for younger victims. His abduction of a five year old boy named Timmy, in 1980, was the figurative straw that broke the camel’s back. Staynor took Timmy and hitchhiked to a police station to deliver the young boy, as well as offer up the fact that he had also been abducted and all he knew was that ‘I know my first name is Stephen’ (later released as a book and tv movie). Stayner effectively saved the Timmy from the life he had to withstand for so many years.

Similarly, Devlin abducted Ben Ownby, aged 11, the same age Shawn was when he was kidnapped by Parnell. Shawn was still not able to actually save Ben and himself, and fortunately some alert policemen happened upon Devlin’s truck, which was the main lead in a state-wide search.

The traumatic loss of innocence, suffered by the boys involved, at the hands of a molester brings forth the ‘ugly’ side of the viewing public. I cringe and become internally angry when I hear Joe Public’s unrelenting, unanswerable questions: ‘Why didn’t he phone his parents?’ ‘Why didn’t he run away?’ Why didn’t he tell a friend?, and ‘Why didn’t he call 911’?

Just by prefacing a question with the query ‘Why?’ immediately puts the child on the defence and sends out the message that the victim had control over his circumstances and, hence, fate. By asking ‘why’ there is an unspoken belief that the child had the power to handle and appropriately deal with his situation/abduction.

If you are following this story, please don’t ever ask, ‘Why?” I can only imagine what further hurt and shame this psychologically brings upon the boys involved. We should only ask, ‘What can we do to help?’ Whether they were physically or sexually abused, and whether or not they tried to find help does not help them in the present - in the here and now. Joe Public’s focus should be on helping rebuild the boys’ lives, and helping them realize their future goals rather than focusing on the ‘What ifs?’

All I can say is... 'What the...?'. Is the initial weeding through contestants always this painful? What a horrific sounding lot. Is the show only showcasing the truly horrendous, or is this the average sampling of people who really audition for American Idol? I felt myself cringing every time a contestant opened his/her mouth. By the end of the show I was just wishing that someone would actually sound good, rather than sound as odd as they appeared.

Do these people really think they have talent/ability or is it just so they can be seen on television? Needless to say, I won't be tuning in again.

Pacific Coliseum - Near Full Capacity

January 13, 2007

Visit Swank’s Home Site

Following the release of ‘The Blue Carpet Treatment’, Snoop and his West Coast Originals (ft Ice Cube) played at the Coliseum on Saturday, January 13/07.

Due to waiting in line for the tickets to arrive, I missed the opening act Belly, but could hear him. I managed to make the middle of DPG’s set, but I still got the full Daz and Kurupt treatment. Throughout the concert, DJ Battlecat kept the needle on the records, laying the beats. As usual, the Coliseum's sound remains acoustically challenged with the standard horrible feedback, but the lyrics/vocals were strong (and enhanced with purple kush) which made the concert great.

After Daz and Kurupt came Ice Cube. When IC launched into Bow Down everyone realized that WC was in the house. They laid a couple of tracks and then Snoop started collaborating with Ice Cube. After a ten minute break, Snoop carried the rest of the show. The concert held a handful of my favourite rap artists (formerly in doubt considering our border controls and Snoop’s latest arrest.) Snoop Dogg officially named Vancouver as part of the West Coast (as if there was any doubt) and highlighted his statement with an inflatable West Side hand signalled “W”.

Throughout the concert, all of the rap artists remained on stage. Snoop did a nice segueway from Ice Cube to his own material, even playing a tribute to Tuc Pac by playing Hail Mary and throwing ad-libs to the track; reminding the fans to remember Tu Pac. The atmosphere in the Coliseum was hyped, nobody sitting still, a sea of head-bobbing, bouncing bodies.

Snoop let us know he still has ‘it’ and isn’t going away anytime soon, and he’s still the ‘OG’ The Blue Carpet Treatment brought out the best in Snoop, and his presence seems to have reignited his passion and hunger, and he remains ‘fresh’ in his sound.

Both Snoop and Ice Cube sampled old stuff and new stuff. They seemed to play all the tracks I love, a difficult task given the amount of tunes they’ve released.

As quoted from the Onion AV Club, Snoop Dogg finally seems intent on building and expanding his musical legacy, rather than merely coasting on it. I agree with this statement and predict Snoop’ll continue to kick out gangsta classics - whether you realize it at the time or not. Ten years from now your kids will be still listening to this.

ice cube image from muzyka.onet.pl

kurupt image www.thefader.com

1. My first name is Hazel spelled backwards - and that WAS intentional.

2. My brother sang on an album/CD that was on many, many top ten lists for 2001 - Rolling Stone magazine and the like.

3. I collect a variety of things that many people consider strange (and a strange combination of interests): teapots; horse paraphernalia (bits, tack, feed samples, etc.); rocks and other geological specimens; West Coast First Nations baskets and other items; books; vintage clothing; music - and I'd love to have a whole miniature train set-up, too, but have no room in my house! I also love art history and architecture.

4. I have two 1969 Mustangs in my backyard awaiting restoration - a convertible and a GT.

5. My 'other Mustang' is a black 13 year old Quarter Horse mare who I compete with in horse shows (mainly hunter [jumping] classes.

Lezah

Visit Sashi’s Blog

The two major talking points throughout most of yesterday was the 1 million free tickets being offered up by Air Asia (this coming hot on the heels of the other big announcement of last week, the RM9.99 fare from KL to Manchester, courtesy of FAX) and of course, Apple’s buzz-a-licious unveiling of the iPhone.

We here at the office were trying on and off from morning till late evening trying to get into the AirAsia site, despite the fact that most of us (including myself) had no clue where or when we wanted to book the tickets for…

Of course, as most people who have tried will know, we couldn’t get through. And during those times that we did manage to find a way past the “Sorry, the network is congested” crap, we couldn’t get the free tickets for the destinations.

Well, as one colleague pointed out, there’s no such thing as a free lunch - to get free tickets, you’re gonna have to WORK for it. And if that means getting online at 4am to avoid the crowd, then so be it.

If only I could get those tix to Macau…

Meanwhile, my Inbox was bursting with e-mail ‘goodness’ yesterday with many well-intentioned souls sending me info on the iPhone. Well, thanks, guys and gals - but being the kinda person who has his finger on the techno-pulse, trust me when I say I would have found about it sooner or later.

But thanks for the thought anyway - it’s always nice to get e-mail that doesn’t involve work or enlargement pills of any kind.

About the iPhone, it’s still more buzz than substance right now, isn’t it? I mean, the iPod is cool and all, but is it the best portable MP3 player out there? Likewise, is the iPhone another product built on hype rather than truth? For example, read this article on Gizmodo - Windows Mobile 5 Already Does What the iPhone Does. Having said that, the iPod DOES rule the MP3 market, and barring any disasters on Apple’s part, the iPhone could very well make the major cellphone makers out there very, very nervous.

Oh, and on a related note, you might want to read this really good article on TIME magazine: Apple’s New Calling: The iPhone.

UPDATE: Kottke has written a nice (and funny) iPhone round-up on his blog. Check it out!

And while I’m making some time to blog here, I might as well add a footnote on another recent major news item: the hanging of Saddam Hussein, and the leaking of the videos of his execution.

I didn’t see it. I don’t want to see it. That’s all.

Marianas Trench has two dates set aside for their January shows. Radio's 99.3 CFOX is presenting both shows in Vancouver. The band is going to be 'out and about' the whole evening so feel free to go to The Plaza Club, enjoy some good music, hang out, and generally visit with the fellows from Marianas Trench. They are very fan-friendly and appreciative of their audience.

The first show is on January 18th, 2007 at

The Plaza Club, 881 Granville St. Vancouver, BC

9:00 pm

Tickets are $9.93 and are available at

ClubZone

as well as at Zulu Records and Scratch Records

The second show is an ALL AGES show on January 21st, 2007

The Plaza Club, 881 granville St. Vancouver, BC

6:00 pm

Tickets are $9.93 and are available at

ClubZone

as well as at Zulu Records and Scratch Records

Make sure to keep an eye on Marianas Trench's Myspace Profile Page for any other information and new show listings. Check Marianas' Myspace

To request the hilarious (and a great tune) video Decided To Break It be shown on Much Music, simply email the station and send your request Much Music

Image from tangiblesounds.com

Mike’s Home

Top CD Picks for 2006

Boris - Pink

Japanese heaviosity supernauts switch from "deafening forbode" to "deafening kick out the jams riffage" on this monster of a rock album. The only exceptions to the garage band on fire rule are the opening and closing tracks, 'Farewell', which sounds like My Bloody Valentine at the bottom of the sea, and 'Just Abandoned Myself', which sounds like it was recorded in a wind tunnel powered by a hundred guitars that's being used for evil instead of science. When I listen to this while walking downtown I half expect buildings to start crumbling around me. Wear a helmet kids.

Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped

Few bands have had as long and varied a career as the Sonic Youthers, and even fewer bands have been able to create and thrive in a 'sound' so completely and unmistakably their own. But in all their years, they've never released anything quite like this; a beautiful, shimmering record of 3-4 minute pop songs (this being SY and the term 'pop' is relative, of course). The guitars climb and tumble and cartwheel and makeout all over each other and it sounds amazing. On first listen it comes off as deceptively simple, but their tunes have never been tighter, denser or more melodic. 'Incinerate' is hands down the best song I've heard all year (and is certainly in the running for prettiest guitar-pop song of all time), and 'Pink Steam' is a slinky sex-crime that you'll end up asking to stay for breakfast.

Mastodon - Blood Mountain

Strong enough for a man, but made for a Lv. 9 ascending Orc Mage. My god it feels good to get excited about metal again. I already raved about this album back in October, so here's a wee snippet of the band's bass player describing one of their songs:

"caught in a blizzard where [he] becomes frostbitten and frozen and [he's] starving and starts to hallucinate. [Then] this snow queen appears before him and tells him it's OK to start eating his own flesh. And then he starts to do that. Then an aurora borealis appears, and he thinks it's God, and it starts affecting this crystal skull he's been toting up the mountain, and it starts to warm his body. That, coupled with the knowledge of the aurora borealis being God, gives him the strength to start to carry on again."

Take that Traveling Wilburys!

Madlib - Movie Scenes Vol 1-2

This, right here, is a sprawling, sampledelic, schizophrenic party record. Madlib's been digging elbow deep in those dusty old record bins and he's trawled up nothing but the freshest of beats. Be they familiar, random or impossibly obscure, Lib fuses them together with unparalleled panache. he's divvied the mostly instrumental tracks up into two minute scores for scenes from movies that may or may not actually exist. Think of it as a Blaxploitation themed fondue party, with funk instead of cheese sauce.

Buck 65 - Strong Arm(Image from buck65.com)

Mr. Sixty Five released this earlier last year as a free-to-download two part mixtape, available solely through the Show and Tell quadrant of his website. What a lovely fucking gift. It's comprised of two tracks, Side One and Side Two, each being roughly twenty minutes long and each being, "Holy frig there's a lot going on in these here songs!". It's got everything from sketched out gospel chants to wrangling with the devil himself; even a sweet little ditty about newborn babies. If you're a fan of Buck's older, more manic DIY type stuff this is not to be missed.

Comets On Fire - Avatar

Blissed out Sabbathian revival record of the year. Just as heavy as their previous album, the mightier than mighty Blue Cathedral, but infused with a taste of the uppermost peripheral of modern psychedelia. Cathedral was a ballistic missile fired through a Marshall stack. This time they aimed for the stratosphere. Bulls eye.

The Advantage - Self Titled

Nintendocore at its finest. These guys aren't just doing covers, they're elevating the compositions of the games they love and turning out impossibly tight and completely faithful nerd rock masterpieces. Castlevania 2, Contra, Metroid and my ever-beloved MegaMan 2 are all represented, made gloriously headbangable by these curators of 8-Bit fetishism. Put down your controller and pick up that Air Guitar.

Loose Fur - Born Again In The USA

Round two of this Jim O'Rourke / Jeff Tweedy side project finds our boys staggering down a song-ier more sing-alongable dirt road. it's a delicious blend of rootsy Americana and weirdo alt-country, more hummable than their last outing, and the lyrics are sharper than your grandpa’s pocket knife. Download 'Hey Chicken' and see for yourself.

Beck - The Information

This is what I've been waiting for. After the heart-rippy-outy hangover of Sea Change and the well meaning, but awkward sounding, Guero, it's good to hear Beck letting loose again. And this, my friends, is letting loose in a grand fashion. The production is immaculate, wrapping itself around the jaunty white boy robo funk he hasn't visited since Midnite Vultures, and even dabbling in the twangy, found sound noise of his early days. Compound all this with a weird hybridic slickness we haven't heard from him before, and you've got one hell of a Beck album. Welcome back.

Chad VanGaalen - Skelliconnection

Without a doubt the quirkiest, smirkiest and sincerely yet awkwardly heartfelt record I’ve heard all year. Mr. VanGaalen's got a knack for whipping together insanely catchy bedroom folk (literally) and decorating it with strange, almost whimsical, tweaks and creaks from instruments that he builds himself. But the strangest instrument here is his voice, almost absurdly warbled but always painfully honest, even if he is singing about... whatever the hell he's singing about. His immune system? Probably. All images from amazon.com except Buck 65

Image from www.massconcerts.com

Starting Jan. 27/07 and running for six months, a tribute to the longest running touring festival, the Vans Warped Tour, will be on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

From 1995 to 2007, the Vans Warped Tour has held concerts showcasing the best of the punk rock and skate community.

The opening night party on Jan. 26 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame includes Paramore, Pennywise, Bouncing Soul and Bad Religion - sadly, it is already sold out.

Images from usatoday.com, and dynimg.rte.ie

I've always had a real soft spot for REM. Not only do I really like their earlier work, there's a personal connection there as well - or, at least the second cousin of one.

You see, way back in the old days, before Dave and I even knew each other, he began writing an alternative music fanzine. He started this in high school with a friend, and it was actually quite successful - the Vancouver Sun newspaper did a full page feature on these two young school kids who were writing this 'zine. Dave and his friend did all sorts of interviews with some of the big alternative acts of the day - X, Black Flag, and the like.

One particularly memorable interview occurred when somehow, these two underage kids got smuggled into the back of The Commodore Ballroom for REM's sold out show - the was during The Reckoning tour. They ended up doing an interview with one of the band members in the bathroom of the Commodore, backstage. Fast forward twenty years, the there's Dave standing in line at Chapters on Robson in Vancouver, when he happens to notice that the guy in front of him in line is no other than the same REM band member he had interviewed, lo those many years ago. They struck up a conversation and it turns out both remember the interview - or rather, the situation - very clearly.

Hence my soft spot for the band. So I was very pleased to hear that REM, along with Patti Smith, the Ronettes, and Van Halen, were to be this year's inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place March 12 at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Last time I was in California we had taken the Pacific Coast Highway from Oregon down to Los Angeles, going past San Simeon on the way. This time, we did that section of the trip in reverse primarily because we wanted to fit in a visit to the famous San Simeon.

San Simeon, or the Hearst Castle as it is commonly known, is located on the Pacific Coast Highway about half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco (approximately 200 miles south of San Francisco). The closest large down is San Luis Obispo, which is about 1/2 an hour south of San Simeon.

San Simeon was the dream of publishing baron William Randolph Hearst. Originally envisioned as a modern style bungalow, the dream quickly took on a life of its own. Today, it's not just a mansion or castle; it's more of a small village, with a number of large and small residences and guest houses on site, in addition to the various recreational facilities. The residences are built in a Spanish Renaissance style with some Gothic influences. The large outdoor pool, however, has more of a Greco Roman facade. Hearst took a lot of his inspiration from the art works he had collected throughout his lifetime, and which now adorn the castle.

Interestingly, Hearst, who was not a trained architect, had much to do with the design of his dream. To help him out, he employed a very talented (and patient!) person, the San Francisco architect Julia Morgan. Morgan was not only a trained architect, she was also the first female architect licensed to work in the United States - as well, she was also a trained Civil Engineer. Quite the lady! And all that training came in handy, as the site, far atop a hill, miles and miles from any town (and supplies) had more than its share of challenges. Hearst, too, could be a challenge to work with - his ideas were constantly changing, which meant that the buildings had to change, too. Together, Hearst and Morgan built San Simeon for seventeen years (1922 to 1939). Construction was halted right before Hearst's death; however, some buildings remain uncompleted to this day.

San Simeon was famous for its parties; Hearst enjoyed surrounding himself with famous people, and Hollywood provided plenty of potential guests for him. The guests were flown in on Hearst's private plane, and were treated like royalty. Not only were the accommodations and views spectacular, but guests were provided with anything they needed - even bathing suits. There were both indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, a movie theatre, and hundreds of thousands of acres upon which one could ride. Hearst even had a five mile long pergola erected so that his guests were able to ride in the shade. He had also had the world's largest private zoo, with over 300 different animals. Nice place to go for a weekend - or two.

Following Hearst's death, San Simeon was donated to the State of California. It now operates as a State Park, and as such, offers tours year round. There are five different tours to choose from (prices are $24/person; $12 for children) and pre-booking is strongly advised. In fact, we had pre-booked but due to an unplanned stop at Santa Monica beach on our way out of town and a two hour traffic jam through Santa Barbara, we ended up missing our tour! By the time we arrived, all tours had been sold out for two hours - but the staff was very, very kind and managed to fit us in with another group. Whew!

If you're in the area, I strongly recommend a trip to this historic site. And even if you're not in the area, do what we did and take the detour. It's well worth it.

We're recently returned from our sojourn to the sunny state of California. At times I felt like I was very much at home, while at other times, I felt very much a stranger in a strange land. 80 degrees on Christmas Day? A bit hot for my Canadian blood. And all those signs that they have posted everywhere about 'substances on this site have been found to be hazardous to one's health, including causing cancer and birth defects' - a bit disconcerting, especially considering that these are literally everywhere.

Anyway, once we got there, it was a case of what to do, what to do? Sure there's tons and tons of options, but not too many people can fit everything in. Here's my quick and dirty tour of LA for you, in a nutshell.

Universal Studios - Studio City. My advice is, if you've seen it once, you don't need to see it again. I went back in the mid '80s, and, quite frankly, should have saved my money this time. At over $50 per head, the tour (which is really what you're there for, right?) is almost exactly the same - and you never see any bona fide movie stars while there. The best we could manage was Spider Man and the Green Hornet. What is new there is a smallish (compared to Disneyland) theme park, with about four major attractions including Jurassic Park (I understand this one is good, although I did not partake). The tour I liked; the amusement park I could have done without. Also new is the setting of the city in the entrance area, which I did like - lots of shops and restaurants with way, way, way more variety than you get in Disneyland, and much better piped-in music (The Polyharmonic Spree!... and others). If I had my druthers, I'd go for the Warner Brothers Studio tour, which is apparently a little more 'real' and is also about $15 cheaper, per person.

La Brea Tar Pits, 5801 Wiltshire Bl. (Image www.destination360.com).

I grew up watching The Flintstones, but oddly enough, pretty much everyone I've talked to about my visit to the tar pits has been mystified by it, to the tune of, "How did you hear about that?" I thought it was commonly knowledge, but perhaps I was reading more into what Fred and Wilma were saying than I had previously thought... Anyway, to make a long story short, the La Brea Tarpits are one of the world's most famous fossil sites, and also offers the largest and most diverse assemblage of extinct Ice Age plant and animals remains. Located smack in the middle of downtown Los Angeles along the Museum Mile and just a couple blocks from Rodeo Drive (I had always imagined the tar pits being off in the hills on the outskirts of town somewhere), the pits are located on what used to the Rancho La Brea, a working ranch. There is a large park, and scattered amongst the lawn area you can find the pond, with a replica of a Wooly Mammoth family struggling for its life, and some actual tar deposits such as those that have been trapping animals for the past 40 000 years. For a more thorough understanding of that history of the tar pits, you can visit the George C. Page Museum (Page made his fortune in shipping oranges and other California fruit around the world) which is not only a museum complete with fossilized remains on display, but is also a working lab. Pit 91 of the tar pits is still being excavated, and the bones are cleaned and assembled right in front of your eyes in the glassed off lab area. Entrance to the museum is extremely reasonable, around $5 per person.

The Getty Museum had the best exhibits while we were there off all the galleries - but check things out for yourself.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre (formerly Mann's Theatre [1972-2000] ), 6925 Hollywood Bl. (on the corner of Hollywood and Orange) is probably one of Los Angeles' most famous historical and cultural landmarks. In fact, it was declared a landmark in 1968, and deservedly so, as it's the most famous movie theatre in the world. Opened with great fanfare in 1927, the 2200 seat theatre is full of artifacts imported from China; murals adorn the walls and the floor is done in red carpet - very appropriate, considering the theatre has been the site of more movie premieres than any other theatre in the world, and was, during the 1940s, home to the Academy Awards. As well, its equally famous forecourt is home to the hand prints and foot prints to the stars - there are ever a couple nose prints and profiles there, as well as Trigger's hoof prints. And just outside the forecourt is the Hollywood Walk of Stars where you can probably find the name of your favourite actor or singer. To walk around the forecourt is, surprisingly, still free, as is the Walk of Stars, and admission to the movie theatre is a very reasonable $10 ($7 for children). I visited this site in the late 1980s and was saddened to see that it had fallen into neglect; the construction of the new Hollywood and Highland almost next door (the new home of the Academy Awards) has helped to revitalize the area.

Image - buylosanglestours.com

JANUARY

9

GREEN DAY Kerplunk! (Arthur and the Invisibles sndtk) (image from greenday.net)

16

VARIOUS ARTISTS Country's Got More Heart

23

PRETTY RICKY Late Night Special KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD 10 Days Out...(Blues From the Backroads)

30

ART GARFUNKEL Some Enchanted Evening MADONNA The Confessions Tour TRAVIS TRITT Best Of Travis Tritt (image from thederbyblog.com)

VARIOUS ARTISTS Chick Flicks: The Collection VARIOUS ARTISTS From The Heart 2 VARIOUS ARTISTS From The Heart: The Classics

FEBRUARY

6

BARENAKED LADIES Are Men BLOC PARTY A Weekend In The City (image pcp-agency.com)

DISTURBED 10,000 Fists (Special Edition) OST Daddy's Little Girl TEDDYBEARS Soft Machine ASHLEY TISDALE Headstrong THE USED The Berth

13

BEAUTIFUL SOUTH Live In The Forest 8 BALL & MJG Ridin' High (image mixtape-bangers.com)

CRIME MOB Hated On Mostly BILL ENGVALL 15 Degrees Off Cool

20

BLACK LIPS Live In Tijuana

MARCH

6

RY COODER My Name Is Buddy METHENY / MEHLDAU Metheny & Mehldau Volume II NOTORIOUS B.I.G. Greatest Hits OST Music FromThe Motion Picture 300

13

MUSIQ SOULCHILD Luvanmusiq (image from gottempo.com)

OST TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) LAURA VIERS Saltbreakers

20

JOHN BUTLER TRIO TBD

27

BILL ENGVALL 15 Degrees Off Cool DVD IBRAHIM FERRER TBD MIKE JONES The American Dream (Chopped & Screwed) JONI MITCHELL Covers (image from popjournalism.com)

BLAKE SHELTON Pure BS WORLD CIRCUIT World Music Compilation (2 CD)

(Day not specified - March releases)

JACK'S MANNEQUIN TBD LEELA JAMES Live At The Fillmore MURS Murray's Revenge TOM PETTY Highway Companion (Special Edition) STATIC-X Cannibal (image from debaser.it/)

VARIOUS ARTISTS Unholy Alliance NEIL YOUNG Live At Massey Hall

APRIL

3

JOSHUA REDMAN TBD THE ACADEMY IS... Santi ASHLEY TISDALE Headstrong (Special Edition) TWISTA TBD PAUL WALL Get Money, Stay True

17

PORCUPINE TREE TBD

24

THE CLIKS The Cliks

(Day not specified - April releases)

TALIB KWELI Ear Drum (image from /kr.atari.com)

MELEE Devils & Angels

MSH SESSIONS PRESENTS BENNY BENASSI W. FERRY MSH

(Image from downloads.nl)

Benny Benassi was born in Milan on 13 July 1967. He works as a producer in collaboration with his cousin Alle Benassi, who has been a musician and arranger at Off Limits, in Reggio Emilia, Italy, the internationally successful production unit run by Larry Pignagnoli. The first club hit was ‘I feel so fine’ by KMC feat Dhany (N? 1 club charts UK) in 2001 ...More

WHEN: January 19, 2007

TIME: 9:00 PM - 3:00 AM

VENUE: Plush Nightclub

ADDRESS: 750 Pacific Blvd

PRICE: First 100 $35 ONLY @ CZ /Next 200 $40 / Thereafter $45

TICKETS: Club Zone

GUESTLIST: No

TYPE OF MUSIC: Progressive / Electro / Vocal House

DRESS CODE: No

THE BUFFALO CLUB PRESENTS: THE ART OF DYING W/ QUARTERED & COVER BAND STAR 69 (PAUL LAINE)

This Vancouver, British Columbia CANADA, Alternative-Rock band is comprised of singer Jonathan Hetherington, guitarist Greg Bradley, bassist David Mariacci and drummer Flavio Cirillo ...More

WHEN: January 12, 2007

CARNIVAL 2007

Experience what it's like to party with over 400 Brazilians in the First off-season Brazilian Carnival in Vancouver! The newly-renovated Atlantis nightclub offers party-goers a clubbing experience unique to any other venue in Vancouver. With lavish visual effects and a classy style ...More

WHEN: January 18, 2007

OLIVIER DESMET (AMENTI, SANA FRANCISCO)

West Coast house producer Olivier Desmet makes his Vancouver debut. His Amenti label has had tracks featured on mixes by the likes of Mark Farina, Derrick Carter and DJ Heather and his silky smooth mixing skills will having you begging for more. In 2007 Amenti continues to gain in popularity ...More

WHEN: January 19, 2007

AUTOMATIC PRES. ED RUSH + OPTICAL - JAN 23RD

Ed Rush is one of the current leaders of the new school drum and bass. One of the originators to bring back the dark sounds of drum and bass and push it to new levels, Ed Rush continues to make waves with each new release. Born in West London, Ed Rush originally started out into Hip Hop ...More

WHEN: January 23, 2007

OXY COTTONTAIL LIVE SHOW

(Image from highsnobiety.blogspot.com)

Over the past 2 years, Oxy Cottontail has distinguished herself as a restless and relentless promoter in NYC nightlife. Fresh out of Philadelphia by way of Baltimore, she helped establish her close friends and favourite party, Hollertronix (Diplo & Low Budget) as two of the most in-demand DJs in New York City...More

WHEN: January 24, 2007

THE GAME ALL AGES SHOW

All Ages Event!! The Game with Special guests...

Compton's own the Game (aka Jayceon Taylor) issued his debut LP The Documentary in 2004 through Aftermath/G Unit/Universal. With everyone from Dr. Dre and 50 Cent to Nate Dogg, Kanye West, and Just Blaze contributing to the album, The Documentary made it ...More

WHEN: January 25, 2007

THE GAME

Blackbird and Silverwaters entertainment present: The Game with Special guests! Compton's own the Game (aka Jayceon Taylor) issued his debut LP The Documentary in 2004 through Aftermath/G Unit/Universal. With everyone from Dr. Dre and 50 Cent to Nate Dogg, Kanye West, and Just Blaze contributing ...More

WHEN: January 25, 2007

STANTON WARRIORS #1 BREAKBEAT ACT - UK / VIVID, PH1, TIGERSTONE & TWENTYHZ VIVID & TWENTY HZ

present The return of one of the biggest shows of this past year-STANTON WARRIORS(Dom B)! ‘...truly untouchable right now...’ as quoted by IDJ Magazine. "There are three strings to the album," says Dom. "There's a hip hop angle, there's the way we put soulful, jabby vocals ...More

WHEN: January 26, 2007

TWISTED & SEQUENCE PRESENT... JAY-J (SHIFTED/DEFECTED)

In the world of dance music production, Jay-J has forged the reputation as the producer with the "Midas touch", known for his signature 'sexy, soulful, dance floor driven' style; a blend of elements from funk, soul and disco combined with sultry vocals. Jay-J has collaborated with many of the dance industry's top ...More

WHEN: January 26, 2007

WINTER BREAK 3

Take a Break... a WINTER Break and come down to the Waldorf hotel on January 27th. Presented by SILVERWATERS and MGF. Featuring Danny Taylor, Capital J, Martin Palin & Adam Reznik, Ill-Esha, Lady AK, Infidel, Vanguard, DJ Junior, Baobinga, J Break, RC Lair ...More

WHEN: January 27, 2007

?UESTLOVE FROM THE ROOTS (3 HOUR DJ SET)

(image from drummerworld.com)

Drummer/producer Ahmir Thompson is a living link between the digital science of modern hip-hop and the flesh-and-blood textures of vintage R&B. He co-founded the Roots, universally hailed as one of the most sonically inventive hip-hop acts. Meanwhile, his collaborations with such artists as D'Angelo, Erykah ...More

WHEN: January 31, 2007

SHARAM JEY - BLUEPRINT & VIVID PH1 DJ

(image from www.worlddj.com)

producer, label maker, Sharam Jey from Cologne [Germany] is a real all rounder. As a true lover of music and artist he uses any chance he gets to bring his music closer to clubbers all around the world. His name now has become an international synonym for kickin' club music that just can't be categorized ...More

WHEN: February 2, 2007

"TEASE" SATURDAYS AT CLUB 686

Looking for a rammed Saturday night with an edge? Join us as we take partying to the next level with a sizzling crowd at full capacity every TEASE Saturday Featuring: South Beach Inspired Decor with lavish drapes, lights, and palms & Hot, Sexy, Whistle blowing ...More

WHEN: Every Saturday

Eyestrings' debut album, Burdened Hands was released in January 2004 by Split Difference Records. Their second album, Consumption, was released in October 2005 by Split Difference Records.

Eyestrings' music is sometimes dark, sometimes light, but always compelling, Eyestrings creates music that is as emotionally charged as it is complex. The band plays songs that vary widely in mood, sound, theme, arrangement, and duration. Their release, Consumption, is a document of the band's progression, demonstrating a more dramatic musicality and a polished sound, with multiple epic-style pieces showcasing their range.

The band’s name arrived when Ryan adopted the term Eyestrings (directly from a volume of Shakespeare) an unnerving term which now serves as the band's moniker.

The Cd, Consumption, was released in October 2005 to much critical praise, and is available for order through this web site (see link) as well as record distributors.

The 2nd release by Eyestrings has received much critical praise, especially from within the progressive rock community. Featuring long-form compositions and melodies that alternately flow delicately and rock intensely, the album is an emotional roller-coaster, culminating in the 20-minute "Lifelines."

"Even though this review, and undoubtedly others, mentions the darker style of Eyestrings music, the album is ultimately rather uplifting and a joy to listen to." (9 out of 10) - Mark Hughes, Dutch Progressive Rock Page (DPRP)

http://www.eyestrings.com/

Image Source: www.capcan.com

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with BC Entertainment Hall of Fame inductee, Dal Richards. Dal Richards and his Orchestra will be playing at the River Rock Show Theatre on Wednesday, February 14th at 8:00 (doors open at 7:00).

Dal Richards and his Orchestra have compiled an astonishing number of 'firsts' in Vancouver's entertainment industry. The Dal Richards Orchestra was given the honour of opening Empire Stadium in 1954; played at the B. C. Lions Football game when the team first entered the Canadian Football League; (Dal) received The Order of Canada by His Excellency The Right Honourable Romeo LeBlanc, Governor General of Canada, as well as an Honorary Doctor of Technology degree from BCIT.

Dal is known for performing at Big Band nostalgia dances, as well as on cruise ships, at conventions, conferences and fund raisers. Today, Dal Richards divides his time between his weekly music 'gigs', his weekly radio program on 600 AM (featuring music from the 30's, 40's and 50's) and Variety - The Children's Charity.

Enjoy Dal Richards' energy, enthusiasm and ‘big band sound' with a loved one this Valentine’s Day. Tickets are $89.00 per single seat or $155.00 per couple (+Service Charge & Facility Fee). Doors open at 7:00 PM and the show begins at 8:00.

Tickets available at all Ticketmaster Outlets

Charge-by-phone (604) 280-4444

Order on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca

Best Party: hmm. There wasn't really a lot of competition in this category this year, sadly, but the honour goes to (drum roll, please...) Ian and Pia's wedding. Yup, a 1940s film noir theme, fantastic food, a great setting and more famous/semi famous actors, actresses and writers than you could shake a stick at.

Best Read: Just before Christmas, I finished Anthony Burgess's great book A Clockwork Orange. The movie I had seen before, but the book I had somehow overlooked. And what a fantastic story. The whole question of personal choice and morality was really something to ponder; the nadsat language was fascinating; and the whole message of forgiveness at the end was wondrous, especially in light of Burgess's personal connection and inspiration for the story.

Best Eats: This year I have travelled all over, and consequently eaten in restaurants, from as far north as Terrace, British Columbia, to as far south as Anaheim, California. I have eaten a meal prepared by Iron Chef Rob Feenie; I have eaten at McDonald's. And yet, for best meal of the year, I have to fall back on my perennial favourite, La Masia (Fraser Hwy, Surrey, BC), a very intimate Spanish/continental restaurant. It's not cheap - a meal for two (sans alcohol) usually runs in the $120-140 range - but the food is fantastic, the service impeccable, and the atmosphere charming. I, once again, give it two big thumbs up, and am looking forward to my next visit.

Image Source: www.chainerotisseurs.org

As you might imagine, being married to a guy like Dave, I've been through my fair share of record stores. In fact, I can claim to be pretty intimately aware of the interior of a variety of record stores in at least five different countries. New, used, records, CDs - it's all the same to him. If it's music, that's what matters. Dave has even gone on record as stating that he'd rather hear a recorded version of most acts rather than the real (live) thing because, generally speaking, the sound quality is better. The man's a fanatic!

Anyway, here in Vancouver, I've got to say that if I'm going to spend my time in a record store, that store had better be Zulu Records (1972 West 4th, Vancouver - info@zulurecords.com). Zulu is a fantastically funky store that has a fabulous selection of records in a number of different genres, always has the hippest choices available, and yet still seems to be a throwback to the 1970s with it's 'futuristic' mismatched furniture and old video games. They even sell tickets to all the best shows there - the ones I actually want to go to!

Well, you can imagine my surprise and Joy when we found Zulu's big cousin, Amoeba Records, when we were down in California. We heard of Amoeba through Dave's friend David M. of the band No Fun. David had recently been in LA and visited tower Records, but found Amoeba a little further down the road (6400 Sunset Bl., www.amoeba.com). Amoeba is like Zulu in a funky, individualistic sense; it's into all the hippest of the hip, and offers a stunning selection. But what is absolutely mind-boggling is the size of the place. It's like a big box store in size, if not larger, and is packed to the gills with music of every type imaginable. They have buyers who specialize in each type of music, and the expertise of these people shines through. While in San Francisco, we visited the Amoeba there - 1855 Haight Street. It's not as shockingly large, but still filled with tons of music and people who know their stuff. Turns out there's a third Amoeba, as well, in Berkley - 2455 Telegraph Avenue.

So if you're in California, definitely look this place up.

Revellers,

Images by www.cantabphotos.com/ Claude Schneider

New Years' Eve and the first guests are beginning to arrive for our end-of-year bash here in East Vancouver. I got home from my US tour a few weeks ago and have since been sorting through the chaos accumulated after a year on the go. In the past twelve months I have spent approximately 27 weeks on tour with "The Rap Canterbury Tales", including visits to Australia, Scotland, Northern Ireland, England, Canada (including central Canada and Quebec), and the USA (including the deep south). During this time I also recorded and released a new album, Lit Hop, re-recorded the whole "Rap Canterbury Tales" CD, and had my first book published. Now I'm just taking stock of it all and making plans for the next phase.

I have learned from experience that this lifestyle is only possible as long as I have momentum; it's like pushing a cart across a level (sometimes not so level) plain. Sometimes I can hop on board and coast, but mostly it only rolls if I keep pushing. Therefore, I am determined to continue to tour as much as possible in 2007, and to release as much new music as I can. I am founding a record label "Lit Fuse Records", and I will use this to release projects I am involved in, as well as music from talented new artists I have encountered along the way. All of my music will be available for download from the iTunes store and other websites as of January (Swordplay is already online). You can preview songs at this link:Visit Swank’s Home Site

In other good news, my publisher sold out the first print run of a thousand copies of "The Rap Canterbury Tales" within the first few months of its release, and it is now in second printing. If you haven't got a copy, you can get them from my website, or from online stores like Amazon.com. Although I appreciate the sales, it is actually more helpful for me to sell them through other retailers, so that demand stays high, and it is especially helpful when the people who buy them online leave positive reviews of the book (nudge, nudge).

Another factor that has spiced things up recently is an Associated Press article about my visit to Wellesley College that syndicated to dozens of newspapers and news websites across the USA. It was feature on Yahoo.com as a front-page entertainment story, and was rated the sixth most emailed link of the day, ahead of Britney Spears' divorce even. This appropriately caused dozens of yahoos from around the states to email me and pronounce their sage opinions, and hundreds more to do so in blogs and online forums. Most of the response has been positive, but not all, and the blogs especially tend to get under my skin, when I cave and allow myself to read them. If you are curious about what I mean, try googling "baba brinkman" (in quotation marks) and see for yourself. You can also read the yahoo article at this link: Yahoo article on Baba

Other positive press recently came in the form of this article from Virginia about a high school performance I did there: Virginina press

And this story on NPR radio, which broadcast nationally to 300 stations across the states: NPR Radio

I am open to any and all proposals or suggestions about places to bring my show in the new year, and new ways to spread the word, as well as collaborations, connections, or anything that might give me a leg up. For now, I wish you all a happy and fulfilling new year, and thank you for following my bizarre saga. I am only staying on course thanks to the people who take an interest and choose to support me through their actions and good wishes. Okay, back to the party.

baba

I know that with my siblings, we would begin to recount an event, yet each of us would add a detail that the others did not remember. In our stories, it merely made the stories more lively to tell.

..

Having been in a second marriage, I am finding that my two children and my husband's two children are taking away totally different perspectives of how they were raised.

So I guess my small family gets to be formally filed under 'dysfunctional' after I came to some conclusions over Christmas.

I decided to remove this post after some inward reflection How is this post any different than my stepdaughter's post (on her myspace blog)? Perhaps I am not giving tbloggers the full story because my perspective is... well, my perspective...? Maybe I am leaving out something important (although my son assures me my version is spot on, but then again, he is MY son ;)

As well, stepdaughter did phone her Dad and 'make nice' - no apology for the note and she has no idea of how 'aware' I am regarding her blog. She stopped by for the requisite 2 or so hours and, in exchange, scooped away her gifts cards from hubby and my mothers. I made sure that I was not around as I would not be able to bite my tongue.

Already I can feeling myself getting bitchy, so I shall leave it there. Thanks again everyone for your wonderful words. What an amazing group.

1. Salmon/halibut - Heart disease, Cancer and Skin

Salmon has a perfect Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acid balance - these oils ward off heart disease and certain cancers, as well as alleviating some skin conditions. But these Omega-3s can also help you feel better and look better. They've been shown to fight depression and even fight wrinkles. Grilled salmon makes for a delicious and healthy entree and add avocado for more Omega 3 benefits.

2. Brazil Nuts/Walnuts - Skin and energy

The best source of SELINIUM which helps keep your skin (largest organ of the body) healthy and is essential for fertility, especially for men because it gives sperm more mobility. Brazil and walnuts are the best source of MAGNESIUM - Magnesium shortfalls manifest itself in weakness, nightly cramp, loss of appetite and low energy. If you have insufficient levels of magnesium in your blood, your body will draw from your bones, increasing your risk of osteoporosis.

  3. Blueberries/strawberries - Immune System

Very high in Vit C (skin and immune system) but also very high in flavonoids. While they are not considered essential nutrients, flavonoids support health by strengthening capillaries and other connective tissue, and act as anti-inflammatory and antiviral agents. They are also easy to nibble on as snacks.

  4. Water - Everything Water benefits your body in countless ways: feeling, performing and looking well - if you drink the recommended 2.5 litres a day. Water makes you feel focused, energetic; your skin will look supple and your eyes will sparkle . When drinking water with a meal, it will help you to digest food more efficiently and assist the bowel in getting rid of waste products. Drinking water after a night out is the best way to re-hydrate your body and thus, avoid a hang over. The best way to gauge whether you are drinking enough water is to look at your urine which should be very pale in colour.

  5. Oats - Energy, anemia, reducing cholesterol

Oats provide iron which the body requires to manufacture red blood cells - a lack of which can cause anemia. As well as releasing energy slowly into the body, keeping us more energetic for longer, oats can help cut the risk of diabetes and reduce cholesterol by a third, as well as helping to reduce the risk of cancer. Whole grain oats contain seven B vitamins, vitamin E, and nine minerals, including iron and calcium. The quality and quantity of the protein in oats is far superior to that of wheat and most other grains. One ounce of oats has TWICE the protein of wheat or corn flakes. The soluble fibre is what gives it the gummy texture, and it helps lower cholesterol levels in the blood.

6. Cooked Carrots as well as legumes - Arthritis, Heart Disease and Cancer

Beta-carotene, which occurs in high levels in carrots, is probably the best known of the carotenoids. By cooking carrots, more beta carotene is retained and more easily absorbed into the body. Beta carotene has long been known to be an immune booster and has been proved to be effective against arthritis, cardiovascular problems, longer-lasting colds and even cancer. There is also suggestion that beta-carotene has anti-aging qualities. Legumes (beans and peas) contain relatively high amounts of vitamin E. Separate from their vitamin E content, legumes have been associated with low risk of Parkinson’s disease. In other words, “high vitamin E intake” may be a marker for diets high in legumes, and legumes may protect against Parkinson’s disease for reasons as yet undiscovered but unrelated to their vitamin E content.

7. Sweet Potatoes/yams - Headaches, menstruation

The magnesium in sweet potatoes can help stabilize moods associated with the menstrual cycle; it even works on headaches.

8. Broccoli, Spinach - Aging, Cancer and Heart Disease

Dark green, and leafy vegetables help a woman's heart and prevent cancer. These vegetable have a very, very high ORAC score (oxygen radical absorbence capacity). This score was devised to measure the effectiveness of foods at neutralizing free radicals. Free-radical damage causes aging, particularly of the skin, and diseases such as cancer and heart disease. The higher the ORAC score, the more protection the food offers us against these diseases. Broccoli is also very high in vitamin C which is the best way to boost your immune system.

  9. Watercress, Soy Products- Anemia and Hair Loss/menopause

Soy products like soy milk contain phytoestrogens that can alleviate some of the symptoms of menopause, plus it may lower the risk of breast cancer. Watercress is full of iron which helps protect you from anemia, which is a blood deficiency which can cause tiredness. In turn, anemia is the largest cause of hair loss - and so eating watercress can help to prevent this problem.

10. Garlic- Anti-septic and Anti-viral Garlic is a natural remedy with potent antiseptic, anti-viral and decongestant qualities. It also appears to have compounds that help lower cholesterol, thin the blood, and possibly act as a cancer preventative if about one or clove of garlic is consumed per day (not supplements).