It's happening now, and it's always been like this

The New York Times Magazine Fashion and Style blog makes me so very happy.

Right now they're doing a really neat series - "The Nifty 50" where they showcase fifty very nifty people indeed. From musicians to coffee connoisseurs, they just do a brief write up of who they are and what makes them awesome. Some of these names you've heard before, others maybe not at all, but its all good, because by the end you definitely want to know more.

Some of my favourites have been on Annie Baker, Gabourey Sidibe, James Freeman, and Girl Talk.

They have been pretty heavy handed with the American model/actor interviews, but that is easily forgiven when they are so well written. I mean, there isn't a word or format choice I would want to see changed, which is crazy because I am the most critical person I know.

They have more to say than just how cool fifty people are though, check them out here for posts on latest lines from classic designers, or whats happening in the interior design world. It may sound like a housewife's wet dream, but in all reality, this shit is awesome and relevant and a part of everyday culture that isn't always looked at in such a critical and interesting way.

Oh no no no I'm a rocket man (T&S Series #9)

To even out the gendered mix playing field, these are some of my favourite male vocalists...

Matt Berninger is a vocal god. Listen to that control, that deep quiet power. To me, he raises the bar for all other male vocalists to meet today.

Leonard Cohen isn't a great singer in terms of his technical application of vocals. His voice is gravelly, and can be harsh at times, BUT, what he lacks in technicality is more than made up for in sincerity. I think that more than anything thats what counts. You can tell as a singer/songwriter he means every word he says in those songs, and Cohen is dedicated to his art. (As opposed to generated, auto-tuned, studio written pop songs)

The Beach Boys are revolutionaries. They made it ok for guys to sing loud, proud, and high. So very, very, high. Without them we wouldnt have such a positive reception to Mika, or Bon Iver. And lets face it, what world the do without any of those guys?

Elton John has another fairly feminine voice. But his voice is so smooth, and has such an amazingly controlled range. He's a classic.

Tom Waits is just the opposite. The man has abused his vocal chords to no end. In his case, drinking and smoking have an awesome side effect - a completely unique voice. (I mean have you listened to his album Closing Time?!)

Elvis Costello is another unique character. His eccentric presentation, and swinging/crooning (can you have both at the same time?) voice makes him a category of his own.

John Legend is all cool, smooth, jazzy vocals. He is pure R&B manliness.

Then theres Ewan McGregor. Not just a one dimensional actor. He's actually classically trained vocally, and the Moulin Rouge version of "Your Song" is the perfect platform to show it off. I'm not sure of what other musical work hes done... but he is phenomenal on the soundtrack for the movie, but phenomenal because he can actually sing. (Unlike a certain ex-James Bond when making his musical debut...)

Listen up.

I'm out of time.

This is my baby. My brain child. The thing that has taken up the bulk of my time for the past month. And I am very proud to present to the world this video, and it's message:

YES WE CARE!

We care about climate change, we care about COP15, and we most definitely care about effective long-term policy commitments on the part of the Canadian government to a resolution that comes out of COP15.

But most of of all, this video reminded me that MANY DIFFERENT kinds of people care about this. It's a universal concern, let alone a Canadian one. I talked to tourists on Parliament Hill, I've e-mailed people about this across the country, and across the world, I talk about this non-stop to the people I know in Ottawa, and post it online. It's a positive message that so many can agree with. 

And I couldn't have made this message available to all those people if it weren't for Oxfam Canada, ecoSanity, a very patient and talented friend in Toronto, and so many wonderful people in Ottawa.

Watch, talk about it, and send it on. Let the world know; Yes, you care too.

no amount of coffe, no amount of crying, no amount of whiskey, no amount of wine (T&S Series #8)

I'm listening to a lot of female vocals lately, so heres a mix of eight of my favourites.

Kristin Chenowith and Idina Menzel were part of the original cast of Wicked on Broadway. They are phenomenal. Defying Gravity is phenomenal. There is no other singer I can think of who puts as much power behind a song as Idina Menzel (and I'm sorry, but the Glee version can never measure up).

I met Dala at Summerfolk a couple of years ago, and immediately loved them. This song, Marilyn Monroe, is one of my favourites (the other having appeared on another mix).

Tegan and Sara. Where to start. I cannot say enough good things about them. I doubt I could say anything bad. Not only are they some of my favourite female vocalists, but some of my favourite vocalists in general. They are definitely in my top 10. I chose My Number because I think it shows off their vocal ranges well, and kind of encompasses all of the things they do in their music. Their new album is amazing, you should most definitely listen to it, but its good to remember the old stuff. This is off their second album, and oldie but goodie.

k.d. lang is just a good 'ol Canadian classic. Plus its nice to hear a female voice that isn't soprano every once and a while.

The Weepies' singer Deb Talan has a charming voice. Very soothing, very controlled, very nice.

I felt like all kinds of female vocals should be included, so voila, Judy Garland it is! Irving Berlin is such a talented composer and lyricist, and with Garland, they represent an era of music that was all quality.

Regina Spektor has a piercingly beautiful voice. Her music is simply composed with piano for accompaniment shows it off well. In Samson you get to hear almost her full range (based on other songs I suspect she can go lower, but this is as high as it gets).

The Song of Purple Summer is the final scene in Spring Awakening. Lauren Pritched is the vocalist featured. What amazes me about this show is that almost all of the kids who originated the roles in it were hand picked. Duncan Sheik knew exactly what sound he wanted to produce in this show, and so each person was picked to contribute to that sound. Lauren Pritchard as Ilse plays something of a haunting role to me, and her voice conveys that very very well.

These women are eclectic, yes, but unbelievably talented in my opinion. Just listen to what they can do with their voices.

with these distractions we could be having fun

i saw the junior boys in concert a couple of weeks ago. other than making me feel like an uber hipster, it was awesome. they are so much better live, and you really get to see how experimental and fun they are, something i dont think translates well on their recorded stuff. more than anything though, i love their vocals. so soft, contradicted with the sharpness of electronica.

au revoir simone does a similar thing. but these girls are a little less experimental, a little more into harmony, and a lot great. here they are on CBC's Q.




i think that junior boys and au revoir simone need to hook up. their shows would be the perfect kind of indie electronica. and then they could make babies and those babies would be perfect little indie electronica bands. and the world would be whole and right and good.


and i think when i grow up ill be a musical match maker.

and i shot at the poor boy's soul

i have fallen completely and totally in love with bandcamp.

since sam amidon wasnt on the last mix, here his is on his own. enjoy.

the road to hell is paved with good intentions

I try to make this blog less about adverts, spam, and shite, and more about random things that strike my fancy.

This is kind of an advert (sorry!) but also something i happen to think is a really great tool to get people interested in climate change issues, and to learn exactly what they are.





Also, I've been posting a lot lately to avoid writing horribly dull papers. And now that I'm done said papers, I might just post on here even more, because I''ll have so much pent up creative energy! (Or I'll be bored out of my mind and spend entirely too much of my time on the internet).

soaked to the soul

I have a lot of friends who are musicians.

This particular friend, Miz Lauren Best, has an album on the threshold of release. Listen and enjoy this demo, recently played on CBC Radio 2's "Deep Roots" program.

I cannot say enough about how gorgeous her voice is. I can say from experience though, that her concerts are one of a kind, so if you live in the Southern Ontario region, look her up!

what a relief to see all of your sins absolved without a washing cloth (T&S Series #7)

I have an addictive personality. Right now you could say I'm addicted to the mellow, acoustic, simplicity of songs.

You could also say I'm addicted to scanning the online headlines of the Globe and Mail, refreshing my Twitter page, and procrastinating when its time for me to sit down and write a paper.

Regardless, these eight tracks, beginning with Aidan Knight's "Jasper" (which I've played up in a previous post) fall into that category of mellow, acoustic, and simple. Ok, well not exclusively acoustic, what fun would that be?



I put the Civil Wars on this mix because they sound sooooo gorgeous. I love when two singers are perfect vocal matches, and I think these two are. I especially like it when a live show comes out sounding like theirs does - so clean! In that way they really remind me of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

Winter Song is something of an addiction right now. I just had to put it on. Don't judge. (But seriously, the layering of the two voices in the last 30 seconds of the song is perfect).

Fleet Foxes is just the epitome of all of the above classifications of music.

Cat Power is pretty chill too. She has her peppy moments (check out Aretha Sing One For Me), but for the most part keeps it on the straight and narrow of calm and bluesy.

This Alec Ounsworth song is off his solo album (he is the singer/guitarist of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah). Its much more low key that previous work. And I think I like this side of him.

I listen to Wilco on long car rides, or on early mornings on the bus. They're good gentle wake-up music too.

LUM's "Mysterious Ways" is just so soothing to me. I listened to this song on repeat for a night while writing a last minute paper. It totally calmed me down. Hence it being on the mellow 8 track mix.

And finally, a bonus 9th track. I know, I know, against the rules. But of all the artists in my iTunes, Sufjan Stevens has to be on this mix.

I so desperately wanted to put some Bon Iver up, but I'm pretty sure I've put him on two mixes now... a little bit of over kill if he were on three. Sam Amadon would be perfect for this too. So give them a listen anyway. Just not on my 8 tracks site this round.



So they're simple songs. (but maybe they're complex in their simplicity? is that possible? oooooh food for thought!) And mellow, no crazy beats this time. And, for the most part, they feature the ever charming acoustic guitar. I would say these tracks are good things to get addicted to. I mean, its wayyyy better than coke, right?

I think this time around, I am going to do it, like you never knew it (T&S Series #6)

I'm going to tell you a secret. (Shhh... Keep this on the DL because I don't do this often...)

I have dance parties.

Solo dance parties.

They may or may not involve singing at the top of my lungs, dancing around erratically, and awkward clothing choices.

This mix includes some of my favourite groovin' tunes. They are pretty classic tracks, and hopefully they inspire you to get your groove on too.

screaming infidelities

The other day I was having lunch at a friend's apartment. One of her roommates also had a friend over, we were all cooking together. We hadn't met the roommates friend before, so we did the usual pleasantry of introductions; name, where you're from, program you're in, yadda yadda. I answer his questions, nothing special, but when he turned to my friend, and she said she was doing a double major in psychology and womens studies, he blanched. He awkwardly paused, and then said, "so you're one of those feminists." He went on to blunder around by saying he didn't have "anything against us" and he "had dealt with feminist before", all of which just made my blood boil, and he wasn't even directing these comments at me.

My first thought: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS GUY?!

It is in these moments where I firmly believe you should think before you speak.

I don't go around saying I have learned to deal with patriarchal society, or that I've lived and worked with men before, as if it were some challenge to overcome. Why is it that today, in modern times, someone can still spit out the word feminism with a frown on their face and negative connotation attached to the word? From the way that guy said those words, you could tell the day he calls himself a feminist is the day pigs fly.

So let me just tell you all loudly, clearly, and most importantly, proudly.

I AM A FEMINIST. I BELIEVE IN FEMINISM.

And please, let me elaborate, so you understand just how serious I am.

I like to bake. I like to cook. I wear skirts and dresses. I wear heels. I have had boyfriends. I like getting good marks. I like to sing. I really like to dance. I know how to put on make-up. I like to wear make-up. I have stuffed animals. I like to knit.

Are you confused about the stereotype of a feminist yet?

I also think think that women are under represented in too many sectors of society, all around the world. I believe in equality, equal representation, and justice. I believe in a woman's right to say yes, and her right to say no. I believe in her body, her choice. I think that women's voices are discounted more often than not, and I think that is very, very wrong. I think that I shouldn't have been taught to be afraid when I walk home, by myself, at night. I think that there should be an international statement of apology for heinous crimes against humanity, because ignoring half the population's opinion, feelings, and needs for thousands of years should never be considered just another part of history.

I am not a man-hating, bra-burning, monster of a feminist, contrary to popular stereotyping. Instead, I am a complex individual who holds the ideals of feminism to be true.

And if a douchebag like my friend's roommate's friend (wow, kinda confusing) can still buy in to such an outdated perception of feminism, I think I'm justified in my continued belief of it.

should i call you officer... (T&S Series #5)

My mood dictates what music I listen to. Right now I'm a little homesick, and a lot tired. So, I'm going to be horribly nostalgic with this mix.

I won't go into what each of these songs mean to me, (frankly thats just sappy), but I will say that each of these songs reminds me of the 'Sound and that is just one of the many reasons why I like them.

Some of the artists are "home grown" so to speak, or others pop up a lot in campfire sing-a-longs. Who knows what makes me associate one with the other, but just know, if the 'Sound was an 8 track mix, this would be it.

but through it all i left my eyes on you (T&S Series #4)

To me, the bass line in a song is the drama of the song. Forget flashy guitar solos, or charming little melodies on the keyboard. Bass is where its at.

This mix is a tad eclectic. Who would ever dream of putting Bay City Rollers and Vampire Weekend and Northern State together? Not me. Thats for sure.

Joy Division's "The Kill" is so unlike them I love it (not that I dont always love them). For this charming song they made it a upbeat. What a revolutionary idea. The bass line definitely helps that along.

I might be crazy, but I think that this Bay City Rollers song is a little over produced. Maybe even all of "Rollermania" was over produced. (Can horrible cultural periods in history be over produced?!). Notice though, that no matter how much extra stuff they try to throw into this song, you can still follow the bass!

Dappled Cities are a group I should be listening to more of. They are going places. And their bass line is helping to take us there.

The use of the bass line in War Pigs really is just for drama. Its urgent, and insistent in the beginning and then just carries you through the song.

No matter how many times I listen to "If you love someone, set them on fire" it always surprises me. Dead Milkmen do something very unusual in that the bass keeps the beat, and the guitar is on the off beat. Percussion is thrown in there for accent, and the lyrics are just crazy. Throws me for a loop, and then I remember that its awesome.

Bullion is just plain classy. Thats right, classy.

I love Northern State (and not just because Hesta Prynn requested to follow me on Twitter). Just when you think you've got them pegged, they remind you that they're square, and its a circular hole. I think the bass line on Signal Flow is funky. They're pretty discriminatory in how they only feature it in the refrain, but there you have the drama.

Vampire Weekend is a favourite of mine. They REALLY know how to make music. They also REALLY know how to use a bass line. Not just on "Campus" either, but throughout the whole self-titled album. Give it a listen. Your ears will thank you.

A good bass line is a good bass line. So crank your bass and give this whole thing a listen. Maybe even playing it loudly. Your ears should thank you for that too.

came up to the water

Thanks to twitter my musical world has expanded ten fold.

Tonight Said the Whale directed me towards Aidan Knight and his music video for his new song Jasper.

You have to watch it.

Looks like the kind of video some friends of mine would make, and some friends of mine would be in.

You can bet this track will be on a mix soon.

then making a wish he tossed in the sea (T&S Series #3)

I hemmed and hawed over this weeks theme, and then stereogum introduced me to Arrows of Eros by Golden Silvers.

It is amazing musical genius.

Listen to it on repeat.

Or just listen to the mix on repeat.

I don't know about you, but when I think hand claps, I think up beat and fun. This mix... could be more peppy. But its all good, because listen carefully to the Julie Doiron and Iron & Wine tracks. They might not be the most cheery, but the clapping is quality, and more involved than the others.

If you're really in to poppy hand claps listen to OK GO's earlier albums. They've got that in the bag. Hence their appearance in the mix.

The rest of the tracks are just there to beef it out. (But three claps for them anyway!).

all you need is time, when you're cold and when you're tired, when things just aren't well (T&S Series #2)

This latest mix is Music for a Rainy Day, just because it's rained a hell of a lot over the last few days, and I don't know about you but I get into one of those musical funks where I just want it to warm me up, dry me off, and put into a little cocoon of good vibrations.

Consider this full of good vibrations.

Half the times I listen to this collection of songs I think they're sad. The other half of the time I think they're happy. Who knows. Maybe it depends on the weather. Good thing about rainy days though, is that they can be both. You can jump in puddles, pretend to be Gene Kelly, or play the wicked witch, stay inside, and commiserate with the weather man. I like to do both.

hey oh hey oh hey oh (T&S Series #1)

so this mix thing. Location, location, location may just refer to the the titles, but i think it flows pretty well. Flows like when you're traveling on a long car ride and the scenery out the window just melts together in one long blur.

Oh hey, travel has to do with location.

Black Mountain sounds like something my dad would 'make' me listen to in the car in one of those long drives. But I would love it. A lot. Somehow the song also reminds me of Vermont mountains, the forest around there, and seeing the sugaring shacks.

Eastern Shore because who doesn't love Feist? I think some of her songs, while awesome, are underplayed, and this is one of them. Learn to love ALL Feist has to offer.

Bat for Lashes singer Natasha Khan has such and ethereal voice. Her cover of A Forest is new and interesting. Plus, who doesn't love a good "Hey!" breakdown?

Amy Millan's cover is just classic. I might just like it more than the original. Less pop more... better?

You know those songs you can just drive to? Dreamworld is definitely one of those. Constant beat, mellow voices, electric guitar play in the bridge, etc. Quality.

I haven't actually listened to a lot of Atlas Sound music. I just really like the name. I want to believe that it's implying that music doesn't have borders, that it covers the whole world. I read up on him (Atlas Sound is the solo project of Bradford James Cox) and turns out he was born in Athens... Georgia. So, not really global music, but still very cool.

The two guys who make up Awesome New Republic really are awesome, really are new, and... i don't know what to say about the republic portion of the name. I'm sure they value equitable and accountable government. Anywho, their song Florida is not only a place but something that makes you want to sing along with them at the top of your lungs (and not in a disney movie kind of way).

I guess this is the long winded way of saying; sit back, relax, and enjoy the musical styling of eight pretty sweet musicians who just happened to all have one thing in common - they're on my first 8 track mix (and the obvious song title thing... but we covered that).

these are my twisted words, when i feel you still walking

It's that time again!

NEW BLOG THEME TIME !!!

let's go for something completely overdone, and do an itty-bitty music blog, entitled...

... TWIST AND SHOUT: THE EIGHT TRACK EXPERIENCE.

Rules are:

1. that I'll post no more, no less than eight songs that I'm really 'digging' in a week.

2. I'll post them as a an 8 track playlist on my site for you to enjoy.

Maybe ill talk about them a bit. Maybe ill get really excited to share music. Maybe ill even be sincere.