The Graveyard in Matrix Sent To Graveyard

My tenure with Matrix Magazine has ended after three or more years. I was orginally brought on board to manage their album reviews section, and then about a year and a half ago, I was offered a column, which we called The Graveyard.

The Graveyard ran at about 1,000 words a pop, and I usually tried to avoid carrying them on Urban Camouflage, simply because most people don't want to read 1,000 words on their computer screen. I blame computers.

However, a couple of people recently asked about a couple of the columns, so I thought I'd carry a post that linked to all of them. So here are the collected Graveyard columns, for you to enjoy:

Graveyard - May 2006: This is the first column, and talks about the Exclaim Cup hockey tournament, indie rock and (at the time) new releases by Destroyer and Raising the Fawn.

Graveyard - September 2006: This column featured reviews of 5ive independent, Canadian albums, as my own version of the Polaris Prize (note: I did not give away $20,000).

Graveyard - January 2007: This edition of The Graveyard looked at Eno's idea of ambient music, and I related it to two glitch-hop inspired artists, EdIT and Murcof.

Graveyard - May 2007: When I wrote this column, I had spent a looooong time watching music documentaries, so I decided to write a top 5ive of ones I had recently seen. Obviously not an exhaustive list, but a fair assessment of some of the better music docs out there.

Graveyard - August 2007: Another "film" related column, this last edition of The Graveyard looked at three independent Canadian albums that took a 'cinematic' approach to songwriting.

To anyone out there who has read The Graveyard columns, or told me that they had enjoyed reading one - I just wanted to say thank you. I enjoyed writing The Graveyard, and I hope this small collection of columns, above, offers you something to read and enjoy.

I will not see you next time in the Graveyard. But I do appreciate you stopping by.

Gazette Piece on Alternative Spaces

Just a quick note to say that the piece I wrote on Montreal's alternative performance spaces (for the Gazette) was published today. It is available in print around the city (hurry! hurry!), or on the Gazette website for a week (requiring free registration after that).

However, I decided to also throw the full article up online, so if you are interested in reading it, please follow the link. I had a good time writing this and think it could warrant a much longer, more exhaustive piece at some point in the future. A future where I am not as busy and sleepy.

Let me know your thoughts on this article. I realize that there are all sorts of performance spaces that I didn't even mention (both legal and not), but must stress again how word-count became a factor in the overall presentation of the piece. The key was to keep the piece tight and focused.

I should also say again how working with the Gazette editors has been a professional and clean experience, as it continues to be notable. Also, the fact that my girlfriend is a genius and makes me look much smarter than I actually am.

Enjoy the article.

Urban Camo Update - Work & Upcoming Writing

My devoted roster of long-time readers will probably notice that there's been a bit of a gap since my last post here on Urban Camouflage. My deepest apologies - I'll send reimbursement cheques to you all soon.

The update is that I've just started a new job at a software company, and I'm very iBusy learning the e-ropes.

However, I am working away on another piece for the Gazette on some of Montreal's alternative performance spaces - a few of the abandoned or repurposed buildings around the city now being used for creative output. This little honey should be out in print in the first week of August, and I'll have it online shortly thereafter.

Also, a few people over the last few days have mentioned that the link to the last Gazette piece I wrote (on Montreal's emerging dubstep scene) requires registration on the Gazette site, so I decided to post the whole piece here.

I hope you are able to read it and enjoy it. Leave a comment if you are feeling so inclined.

Montreal Dubstep Coverage in the Gazette

Over the last several weeks I've been spending time checking out Montreal's Dubstep scene. I've been going to DJ nights and Mutek performances, doing interviews with promoters and musicians and generally just researching what is going on here with this dark and spare electronic music.

The piece I wrote about the scene ran in today's anglo newspaper, the Gazette, in their Arts & Life section. The piece can be read online, or it can be glaumed in paper form from the nearest Dep whilst picking up some Red Stripe.

On the whole, it was a great experience, and I must say that working with the Gazette was very pleasant and simple: I got clear direction, and their editors made suggestions that made sense. Now that the piece is written I feel like I can attend some of these events without being a journalist, necessarily, and just sink into the syruppy thickness of bass-driven tracks. Also, drink more.

Good times.

Ongoing Suoni Per Il Popolo Coverage

Another quick post to alert readers to the Suoni Per Il Popolo coverage that Midnight Poutine writers are providing right now. I just posted a review of the Sunburned Hand of the Man show last night at Sala Rossa, and thought it ruled with a straw-filled fist.

I'll be checking out the Sea & Cake show tonight (posting about it tomorrow), and some other weirdness a little later in June, but there should be daily coverage of the Suoni festival on Midnight Poutine for the next several weeks, if you want to know what's going on. Worth checking out.

Mutek 2007 Coverage - Dubstep

Just a fast post to say that Mutek is going on right now, and I've been checking out some of the goods. Last night's Dubstep night was heavy and impressive, featuring great sets by Sam Shackleton, Kode 9 & Spaceape, and Rhythm & Sound. I reviewed it on Midnight Poutine, so if you want to check it out, do so.

Standing around at the SAT last night I was reminded that a great thing about Mutek is the number of dudes who look like me - sporting a sort of a non-intentional Moby look (skinny white guy, short-shaved hair, glasses). Everywhere I looked, there was another near-doppelganger dancing the night away, and it occurred to me: I should round up a team of these guys for some bank heists. Nobody would be able to describe the robbers beyond generalities. If I fail to make my zillions as a freelance writer, watch out!

Midnight Poutine Podcast Guestspot

Montreal has officially entered into syrupy heat, as full summer descends on us like a hot, moist blanket. The city (famously) uses this opportunity to expose its skin, and in recognition of that, a brief note to say that I'm part of this week's Midnight Poutine podcast, where we discuss local shows, upcoming events, and the wearing of shorts and flip flops.

This is the 43rd edition of the Midnight Poutine podcast, and I'm pleased to be a part of its charming dorkdom, ably moderated by Jeremy Morris and John MacFarlane. You can have a listen here, and the podcast will give you a chance to hear everything from bluegrass and folkrock to experimental noise, synthpop and alt-riff-rock, all from bands playing in Montreal in the coming days. Remember to leave a comment if you listen in.

Enjoy the weirds! Don't forget the socks under the sandals. So cool, even today.

Tarwater - Spider Smile

Tarwater
Spider Smile
Morr, 2007

Years ago, during a brief "bulking up" period, I regularly went to the gym to work out. I would trundle down to the YMCA and set up on a cross-training machine, which is essentially a Stairmaster-type of device that also works your arms (hence, "cross-training"). I'd put on the discman, punch in my weight, height and age, and try to get my heart-rate up to 180 bpm for 20-30 minutes. Getting the heart-rate up was never a problem, not dying in the process sometimes was.

Even though I was in a major city and living in a scenester part of town, I was surprised that I was the only indierock type of guy in the gym. All around me were brawny, waxy guys in spindly tank tops on weight benches, and packs of women with nine-pack abs looking at each other with pure hate across the constantly occupied running machines. I am certain I was the only person in the gym listening to the type of music that could really only strengthen your chin-scratching muscles.

Case in point, my favourite "workout" album at the time was Tarwater's Silur. Following the now-familiar Tarwater formula of strangely translated English vocals, sing-spoken over fractured digital percussion and half-realized guitar lines, the album was one of the few that could engage me enough to distract me from the burning in my lungs, legs, and tingling in most of my left side. While cross-training my flab away I wanted to announce aloud with the singer:

"I like,
To yell,
When it's snowing."

Now back with their tenth release (2nd full-length album on the formidable Morr Music label), Tarwater present Spider Smile - probably their strongest release since 2000's Animals, Suns & Atoms. Given how popular the electronic-indierock hybrid has become, either in bands such as Postal Service and Rogue Wave, or in European post-rock such as the Notwist, Lali Puna or Ms John Soda, I am always surprised by how little attention Tarwater receive. The German duo is more known for one member's involvement in To Roccoco Rot than their own output, particularly here in North America, despite Tarwater's consistency and unique voice.

Spider Smile is a specifically post-9/11 album, capturing some of the anxiety and resignation that society now feels, and setting these themes against hooky but damaged synth lines. The songs are propelled forward by snapping cuts and clicks, and everything is held together by sparse arrangements, an austere aesthetic and the usually forgotten sounds from guitar and bass (for instance, the streaking sound between notes, knocking on an instrument's body, or electrical hum all sometimes feature more prominently than traditionally played notes). Spider Smile is infectious and another engaging release from one of Europe's most consistent and consistently overlooked post-rock bands.

Spider Smile is available via the Morr Music website.

Leafcutter John - The Forest and the Sea

Leafcutter John
The Forest and the Sea
Staubgold, 2007

Regular readers of my music writing will know of my love for the micro-genre, where already obscure music differentiates itself from its roots by an emphasis on singular elements or unique combinations of sound. I always think of mid-90s electronic music as the zenith of this, where albums and songs themselves were parsed out as "genres" unto themselves. Dizzying and ridiculous, this technique has the advantage of consistently allowing artists to reinvent themselves and avoid being typecast as creators of a certain type of music.

To me, a micro-genre that deserves greater attention than it receives is "laptop folk". Essentially predicated on the idea that "folk music" is that beardy stuff from the 60s and 70s that you don't tell your friends you listen to, laptop folk takes the familiar, organic elements of folk, and squeezes them through the electronic recording and processing equipment that has changed modern recording. This type of music captures the zeitgeist in an interesting way, as so much of our lives are mediated by technology (even 24bit, digitally remastered folk classics). Why music such as Leafcutter John is considered laptop folk and not simply the modern version of folk music I have no idea. Maybe its all those militant folkies pulling the world's strings and hiding their weed from us. This machine kills fascists, indeed. Bastards!

Taking cues from Christian Fennesz's thick fuzz-scapes and influenced by glitchy electronic pioneers such as Pole and arguably Mouse on Mars, Leafcutter John have sculpted a very moving and sophisticated album. The Forest and the Sea hybrids delicate fingerstyle guitar and multipart vocal harmonies with unpredictable electronic experimentation, using cut-ups of traditional folk instruments (strings, accordians, what sounds like dulcimers) and found sound to create an all-enveloping universe. It usually feels odd to discuss emotional attachment to something so influenced by digital processing, but the technology in Leafcutter John is used so orginally, and remains so intrinsic to the atmosphere they create, that it is impossible to think of the laptop as anything except a traditional folk instrument in their hands. Blended with the acoustic instruments in trad folk, these electronic phrases and twists offer a Brechtian push-pull effect, and offer a texture that gives the music a staying power.

As an added incentive to allow yourself to be completely immersed in Leafcutter John's music, The Forest and the Sea is a concept album, loosely telling the story of a couple that falls asleep in the deepening forest night, only to awake on a clifftop surrounded by the sea. The album pulls you along with them, in a somnambulant haze. I cannot recommend this album enough, especially to those who like their experimental music to still occasionally veer back toward melody and structure, or to those who need more grit in the gears to really engage with acoustic instruments and folk music. Leafcutter John's The Forest and the Sea is available via something called iTunes.

Reactable - Possibly the Best Musical Instrument Ever

Like many musicians, when I finally made my peace with technology and its relationship to the music I was trying to make (initially with coal-fired 4-tracks, then 2-bit hardware and finally HAL-esque computers and tabletop devices), I became interested in exactly how far the technology could go. Many musicians and scholars have written about the liberating potential of music technology, and in many cases I agree with their positions. However, I've also seen enough "laptop shows" to recognize that sometimes the machine can trump the man, and become a screen that disguises a lack of originality or, at its worst, a lack of musicianship.

So you can understand my excitement and trepidation at seeing Reactable - an interactive tabletop that uses light and physical devices to generate synthesis and sound. Watch this video to see the action - it seems to be the kind of instrument that you could play by simply moving devices around until you found something pleasing (or not!), but unlike other music technology it seems that the more understanding you have with regard to synthesis and sound generation, the more interesting the work could be.

In an ever-accelerating world where the human-and-technology inter-relationship becomes more fluid, I actually welcome intruments such as the Reactable, as it is the first device I have seen that offers a truly intuitive hardware/software interface, and breaks the mold of what an instrument should look like.

On the down-side, you pretty much have to have your own museum or be a billionaire (or both) to own one.

Hip Hop Literacy Project

Over the last several weeks, I've been volunteering at the Atwater Library for something called the Hip Hop Literacy Project. This involves teaching groups of 10-to-13 year-olds how to construct beats in Fruity Loops, write raps to put over the beats, and then - like magic! - how to put the two together.

It's been a really fun and at times hilarious experience. Some of the kids are really good at beat construction, others have really clever rhymes and surprisingly skilled deliveries, and a few have both - which is inspiring and intimidating to see in an eleven year-old kid. You're never too young to have Mad Skillz, apparently.

Anyway, this coming Tuesday (May 1st), these kids (and others) will be doing a project-end performance at the library. If you are around, I recommend coming out to see what the youth of today are capable of. The performance starts at 6pm sharp, and if the dress rehearsal I witnessed is any indication, it will totally slay.

The Graveyard & New Matrix Magazine Website

Matrix Magazine - Issue 76 is on newstands now, featuring a clean new design throughout, and carrying several pieces in memoriam of Rob Allen.

My column for this issue was written while riding subways and walking across snowy fields in the dead of Montreal's winter, listening to the iPod. I recommend that you pick up a newsstand copy of Matrix, of course, but if you visit Matrix's solid, newly designed website you can read my column, The Graveyard, there.

I'm working on the new column now, and it's 17 degrees and sunny.

The Sally Fields Are Often Confused With Sally Field

I do a solo musical performances under various names. My longest-running alter-ego is The Sally Fields, which was originally named as a mashup of The Salvation Army and Magnetic Fields - another one-man band (at least, it was when The Sally Fields started).

I consistently get emails and letters from fans of Sally Field, the actress best know for The Flying Nun, now starring in some TV hoo-haw. These emails arrive in the inbox, and always blow me away because of their sincerity.

I thought I'd include a few here, for people to check out. Take note that when people email me / Sally Field, they include their full names, email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers and in one case fax number. I have blanked all that stuff out, but I thought it was worth noting to show how open these people are (to a perfect stranger, and as it turns out, not even the one they thought):

From "Robyn":
Hey Sally,
I think you are the greatest female actor in the world. I’m 37 year old mum with 2 girls, I love you & I’m so glad to see you back on TV. Your kids are so gorgeous, you should be proud, you know I just wanted to tell you, I admire you so much that you a great person you are gorgeous BE PROUD YOU ARE ONE IN A MILLION. GO GIRL
LUV ROBYN AUSTRALIA

From "William":
You are amazingly inspirational for us all. You are a true treasure in the fortunes of time. With the world in all its broken dreams and drudgery you are a beacon to show it is still a beautiful world. If I ever make it in the entertainment industry it will be a pleasure to meet you someday. If not this is just a chance to say Thank-you. 555-555-5555 2911 Blank Blank Harbor Florida 55555

From "Bill":
Dear Sally, I am an old 85 year old fan and I have never tried to contact a movie star before, but I just wanted you to know that you are the best. You put your heart and soul into your part. My wife, Mary and me never go to movies many more, she is deaf, but if on TV, in CC, we watch it. Mary and I have been married for over 61 years and are still in love. Our love to you, Bill and Mary.

Far be it from me to make fun of the sincerity and candour in these notes. I just wanted to post them, to give a bit of an inside view of what goes on at Sally / Urban Camouflage HQ. Between receiving these notes, writing hit songs, earning millions as a journalist, and my work as a part-time Air Traffic Controller, things are very busy for me here.

Exclaim Cup Round Up

Well, I'm back, beat up, and (of course) watching the NHL playoffs. Because this is a music blog, I'll resist writing a lot about the Exclaim Cup weekend and all the hockey that went on. I just thought I'd let you know I did a brief round up of the weekend on the Midnight Poutine blog, trying to show the Montreal connections.

On the musical side of things, I will probably never again be able to hear "Let Your Backbone Slide" without hearing it in bluegrass style. Thanks a LOT, Peterborough Pneumonia.

Exclaim Cup Hockey Tournament Weekend

Heading down to Toronto this weekend for the 9th annual Exclaim Cup hockey tournament. This is the annual tourney for musicians and general arty-types. I am pleased to say that this will be my eighth year playing, and seventh year with the Humiliation. It has gone from a fun, overly sincere pond hockey festival (of four teams) to a 31-team mega-juggernaut(tm). But it is still a fun, competitive tournament and is always one of the highlights of my year.

I am under less pressure as I head out because the Humiliation won the coveted Dominion Cup last year, awarded to the team that "displays the most inspired artistic expression throughout the tournament". Usually around this time I'm learning how to play and sing 5 or 6 songs with switched up "comedic" lyrics. Fun, but stressful.

This year, all I have to worry about is judging other teams' performances via an ultra-secret scientific method the Humiliation is employing. It is not an exact science...it often mixes alcohol with some of the other chemicals in the lab, and research funding is generally distributed through bribes. But exact enough, I am sure.

By the way, I glaumed that image above from a schweeeeeet website that is worth checking out!

Go Humiliation Go.

The MegaNiche, The Long Tail and Some Delicious Pie

Over the last 12 hours or so I've stumbled across some very interesting articles and posts about how our shifting economies are influenced by technology. Well, technically, the economies are often shifting because of technology, but there are some interesting theories that have emerged because of all this, and for some reason, they've all come my way rather unexpectedly.

For my part, I think of record labels, and how the industry is largely being crushed due to peer-to-peer sharing, file leakage and general digital distribution. I worry about people I know who work for small labels, and bands that work their asses off to generate a fanbase; however, I also rail against copyright controls being suggested by the CRTC and other industry players that suggest keeping clocks permanently turned back, so the recording industry's outdated model can survive. While this is a huge Sarlaac pit that I am not willing to wade into, there are others (such as Michael Geist) who seem able to articulate a point and stick to it.

I am torn, of course. If consumers can get albums for free, they probably will. However, models like Chris Anderson's Long Tail theory (suggesting that smaller, niche products are more viable in today's marketplace than mainstream, shelf-reliant products), offers hope for independent labels and non-mainstream businesses. Perhaps for every 5 albums downloaded free, consumers would be inclined to buy 1 or 2 as well if they were more aware of their role in the long tail.

Also worth considering is the idea of the MegaNiche - essentially any niche, spread out over the internet-connected world - which suggests that having access to one-tenth of one percent of internet consumers still equates to a million consumers. It's an updated version of the old indie-rock concept of an audience in New York: it doesn't matter how weird or avant-garde your music is, New York is big enough that there's an audience for anything. The MegaNiche takes this idea globally, and coupled with tastemakers such as bloggers and critics, and taste-shapers such as Pandora.com, makes it possible for anyone, anywhere to fine-tune their consuming habits to the micro / individual level, and support an independent label or artist.

However, the question remains: will they?

I am not completely sure of the answer to this question - it is one I am still struggling with. However, I hope to speak to a few independent label heads in the coming weeks and get a sense of how they see the transformed economics that the internet has brought us. Is it a scourge to artists and their support system as the CRTC suggests, or is it a viable (albeit rapidly changing) marketplace that demands adaptation? I'll endeavor to find out what people have to say.

However, if you have thoughts, please leave a comment. Do you download stuff? Do you also buy stuff? Do you run / work for a label? What do you think the future holds for independent artists and their support network?

BNW - Stories from Other Bloggers

While I've been collecting up listeners' reminiscences about Brave New Waves, a couple of Toronto-based writers have been documenting the on-coming changes at CBC and pretty much offering a blow-by-blow for their readers.

Michael Barclay's Canuckistan blog has been keeping up with the changes, staff dismissals (including one Michael Barclay), and broadcast stoppages of late. However, being a longtime fan, Barclay also has a storehouse of old interviews with CBC late night personalities such as David Wisdom and former BNW host Brent Bambury to draw from to inform his position. Barclay is open about his love of BNW and seems a fan of the radio format generally. His stuff is worth checking out, if only because it balances a real respect for the show and its importance, while acknowledging that it probably should have been cancelled. Not an easy position to maintain, but one he is capable of.

Also of note would be Carl Wilson's Zoilus blog, which has been following the switch away from BNW and listening to the proposed replacements with interest. Wilson's position is similar to Barclay's in that he believes in the importance of radio, the significance of BNW, and the logic in its demise. His blog is worth reading through even if you are not in Toronto (which is an official medical condition now), because even if Wilson's posts about BNW's end are balanced and even, the comments from his readers speak to the anger and confusion a lot of CBC listeners feel. It is an interesting way to cross-reference the reaction to the end of BNW.

Personally, I don't understand a lot of the changes at CBC, both literally (as in, I don't know what shows have been cancelled, are in short-term re-runs, or are on permanent hiatus), and strategically (as in, why certain shows have been cancelled in the first place). Why Brave New Waves was not given the opportunity to become a podcast, especially given the popularity of Grant Lawrence's Radio 3 podcast, I will never understand.

The saga continues, I suppose. I just wanted to post about some of the more skilled commentary that has been tracking the end of BNW, to promote the understanding that these changes are being felt across the country.

Amon Tobin - Foley Room

Amon Tobin
Foley Room
Ninja Tune, 2007

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to get a guided tour of CBC’s Foley studio from the resident sound technician. It was pretty incredible. She explained how she created the sound of many oars in a lake with a bathtub, some baffles, and a few strategically placed microphones. She took me down a long, gravel-filled hallway, noting how the echo deadened as we walked further, until the crunching sound underneath us was completely isolated. The craziest thing, though, was she said she is so attuned to listening for sounds-within-sounds that she can wake up and know whether it is going to rain or not by the sound of the trains by her house; the sound of the train differs, she explained, depending on the barometric pressure.

When she said this, the only sound in the room was my mind being blown.

So it is with Amon Tobin’s latest release, Foley Room. Recorded in various settings around various cities, the album shows Tobin utilizing different source material for his experimental, head-nodding electronics. After many years of success cutting and re-sampling, this album marks Tobin’s first attempts to make an electronically-inspired album that combines found sound and “real” instruments. The concept is not especially new, as Tobin acknowledges on the DVD that accompanies the disc, but I have a lot of respect for an artist who is willing to push themselves toward change, and broaden their sound. And Tobin’s previous work informs Foley Room as well: there are thickly thudding bass sounds, high-end twitters and whirs, and an overall drive that seems out of keeping with such an experimental album. However, on this release, those electro sounds are provided by Kronos Quartet, the Bell Orchestre and field recordings from silos, farms and other non-traditional recording spaces.

My only complaint about Foley Room is that it seems to still root itself firmly on the dance floor, whereas I would have liked more tracks that let the sounds grr and whorl in their own beauty. However, this is merely a matter of taste (aaaaand the fact I almost never go dancing), and Foley Room remains an interesting, texturally rich album worth exploring.

On tour through europe now.

BNW Stories - Keep Them Coming

Okay, so I have started talking to people about Brave New Waves and its impact on their lives growing up. I am working on this idea that BNW acted like the internet to many of us, providing a music resource of depth and breadth before the internet was as widespread and ubiquitous as it is now.

A couple of conversations have happened and an email or two have come my way. However, I am still looking for more snapshots from former BNW listeners. And frankly, I think almost everyone has a story or two. Here's something Andrew Wedman said in a note:

"bnw was definitely important to me. not only did it expose me to all sorts of new music, but they were also one of tinkertoy’s biggest supporters. patti was playing the first cdr shit that we made. I always loved that she would play pretty much anything from anyone as long as she thought it was interesting."

And these are the sorts of reports that I am trying to track down. Drop me a note with a couple of lines about your favourite BNW stories, and maybe I'll try to cook up some sort of prize pack.

(Note: prize pack will not actually involve cooking)

BNW Stories - Philly

My request for peoples' Brave New Wave stories is beginning to yield results. Today I received an anonymous comment on the original post about this, but it was so moving to me, I thought it deserved a post of its own.

I don't know how this little blog was seen by someone in Philadelphia, but I am honoured to have such honesty shared with me. So thank you, Anonymous, for your story. Have a read:

"I'm a rare breed, I'm a long time American listener of BNW. I don't live in Detroit/Windor, or Seattle/Vancouver. I live in Philadelphia, PA. And by some force of sheer luck, one night 15 years ago, scanning the dial I discovered this show was simulcasting on one of the local public radio stations here. I was 12, about to turn 13, and at the time I was living with my family in a shelter. I hated being there, the food was awful, and the beds were not that much better. I heard this crazy cut-up of Heatwave's "Grooveline", and everything changed. I had no idea what it was, but it was the escape I needed every night since. To make a long story short, the simulcast didn't last long, and then when we found a new place to live and I got online I have been listening ever since. All I can say that it wasn't just my musical tastes that have been altered by this show. It also affected my philosophies as well. Losing this show is losing the driving force of my life, and as much as it has changed over the last few years, I still come home from work listening to it and being blown away by what I hear. There will be nothing on Earth like Brave New Waves again, and I'm glad I got to know it so well and for so long."

If you have a comment, or a story you'd like to share, by all means, send it my way. Thanks again for such candour.

National Registry of Recordings - Inductees for 2006

My accomplice and I watched the News Hour with Jim Lehrer last night (reason enough to support PBS) and toward the end of the broadcast, James H. Billington of the (US) National Registry of Recordings was on, discussing their 2006 inductees.

The Registry is part of the Library of Congress, and their objective is to preserve (in digital format) the audio recordings that have shaped America, in one form or another. Many of these recordings are on brittle pre-78 forms of vinyl, audiotape or wax cylinders, none of which are particularly well-suited for long-term storage. But delicious on a salad.

Generally, the list of recordings is impressive, and contains significant speeches such as Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech and , important sports events recordings (including the second Joe Louis-Max Schmeling fight of 1938) , and otherworldly audio (such as Neil Armstrong's remarks on the moon), along with a great deal of jazz and soul, country and folk, classical and contemporary musical recordings. Take a look at the complete list - it is pretty cool.

Impressive to me, of course, is that in 2004 the National Registry deemed fit to include Nirvana's Nevermind and Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. Likewise, in 2006's crop of inductees there is the seminal VU album The Velvet Underground and Nico, released in 1967, alongside Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech, Ginsberg's Howl, and the National Defense Test by John Joseph Pershing.

One strange thing I noticed with the Registry is the inclusion of the Beatles Sgt Pepper's. I couldn't find any American affilation, other than its impact on the US, or minor pressing differences. My people are working on it.

Lastly, the coolest thing is that you can make suggestions to the Registry for pieces you feel should be included. Billington and his team sort through everything I guess.

Music Docs - Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul

Last night I watched Fatih Akin's Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul. The film essentially tracks ex-Einsturzende Neubauten frontman Alexander Hacke across this Turkish metropolis in 2005, as he interviews and records various Turk musicians from different generations and different traditions.

To me the most interesting material was found in younger musicians either resurrecting, or re-envisioning traditional Turkish music. The Turkish tradition of composing a dirge was seen through the lens of metal, postrock and rap, and the translated lyrics would make most Smiths fans feel like glee-club members.

While these younger musicians often cited the musical influence of groundbreakers such as Erkin Koray (once stabbed for having long hair!), Orhan Gencebay (whose acting career is briefly summarized in a hilarious montage) and Sertab Erener, I found Crossing the Bridge spent too much film-time showcasing their often sentimental pop hits. Far more interesting was hearing the struggles of younger artists singing in Kurdish tongue, which was outlawed despite being a native language in Istanbul, or reconciling living in a city culturally divided between Asia and Europe by the Bosprus Strait.

As noted, the film drags in places, and Alex Hacke often seemed a little too aware of when the camera was following him, but Crossing the Bridge offers a unique view of music in a city of contrasting cultures and traditions, and is an inspiring example of how musicians strive to follow their own artistic vision.

Plus, there was Turkish breakdancing.

Circuit Bent Casio Played in Silo Number 5

On a whim I thought it would be fun to play the little piece from the modded Casio through the Silophone, located in downtown Montreal.

The Silophone is an interesting thing: essentially it is an abandoned grain silo, outfitted with microphones and speakers, with an internet connection. The idea is to play pieces in the grain silo, and take advantage of the natural acoustics and reverberations that colour the sound. The internet connection takes this experiment one step further: it allows home users from around the globe to upload their audio and play it back to themselves through the Silophone.

To hear the modded Casio through the Silophone, visit the site, click the 'play the silophone' tab, and find the track by Faunaflage, posted on March 1st (Faunaflage is a project name I am working under right now).

Bear in mind that the Silophone uses RealPlayer, which is easily the worst file player possible (though one of the most common, internationally). Also, take note that it will take about 1 minute or so for the sound to come back to you. It may, in fact seem like nothing is actually happening, but I can confirm it does work. I think sometimes you have to wait for other files to stop playing first, too.

I thought this was an interesting experiment. All the sharp trebles in the piece are muted, and the thick, glitchy organ is rounded off and warmed up considerably. Also it is a very cool thing, to hear your stuff played at some remote industrial location downtown. Playing it back once I heard some random dude in the building talking. The unexpected happenstance of an experiment like this.

Give it a try. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

(photos provided by the Shearwood photo essay in The Reservoir section)

Audio from Circuit-Bent Casio SK-1

More on the modded Casio SK-1 (see a previous post).

Just letting you know that I’ve found a crude way to provide some audio of the circuit-bent synth. No player will open, no sales agent will visit your home. This piece was something I was working on to see how different circuit-shorts would sound and colour chords. I’m finding there is much to learn about recording this keyboard. Despite its overall freakiness, there are a lot of subtleties in texture that can get rail-roaded without some finesse with EQs and limiters. Like the keyboard itself, it is an ongoing learning curve.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think of the piece.

Also, here are some links to various other circuit-bent resources, if you are looking for some general information, more specific information, or craaaaazy information.

The End of Brave New Waves - Your Stories

Canada's premier weirdness radio show, Brave New Waves, has been cancelled by CBC radio.

Since 1984, Brave New Waves has been generating late-night strangeness for insomniacs and underground music fans alike. I happen to be both, so it was perfect for me.

Long before the internet was a household reality for most of us, BNW was the primary source of bringing us the newest music from outside the margins, and filling in the blanks in our music knowledge with their extensive artist features. As a reformed record-store snob, I can say that these artist profiles helped me understand the interconnections and collaborations between artists in different cities: Portland, Oregon; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Louisville, Tennesee; Cologne, Germany. This kind of stuff used to be really important to me.

Lying in bed in the desiccated suburbs of an Okanagan town, my world expanded every night. In university, we had a party to mark Brent Bambury's last show and Patti Schmidt's first. What I've found over the last few weeks is that everyone I talk to has a similar story. Brave New Waves had a major impact on a lot of people, over the years.

Let's celebrate it.

I'm looking to collect some of these stories from Brave New Waves listeners. I am pitching pieces at various magazines about the end of BNW, and how important it was to us, and I am looking to hear some peoples' anecdotes about the show's impact on their life. This is not about getting CBC to change their decision (that can be someone else's job), it is simply about officially recognizing the cultural impact of this important show.

If you are interested in participating, either leave a comment below or email me. I'm looking for all Brave New Waves tales, be they tales of woe or tales of WHOAH!

Circuit Bent Casio

I realize it has been about three weeks since I last posted, but I've been busier than I expected I'd be. I will endeavor to have more posts up more frequently in the coming weeks. Of course, you can always click the "Midnight Poutine" link at right to get your weekly fill of my unique brand of the lowest-form-of-humour.

Part of what has been keeping me busy is a recently re-acquired keyboard. I've had this Casio SK-1 kicking around for many years, but about a year ago I gave it to circuit genius David Smith to re-work. The idea of "circuit bending" is to create short-circuits inside the keyboard that result in unpredictable (often non-repeatable) sounds. The SK-1 happens to be particularly suited to these modifications as it was one of the first sampling keyboards made, and has this strange one-key-play function, which allows you record a phrase and play it back bit by bit with a single button.

I'll figure out a way to post some of the short pieces I've made with the modded Casio, but I thought that I'd post some images of it, just to explain my absence and also, you know, make people jealous. I'll be using it in a few upcoming projects, but right now am simply trying to figure out what happens when I plug cables into various touch-points. The variations are very nearly endless. Which, for a guy with very limited skillz, makes for a very steep learning curve and gobs of post-it notes. Stay (altered) tuned...

Johnny Rotten & Justin Timberlake - Are They The Same Person?

I happened to notice that today is the birthday of both ex-NSync'er Justin Timberlake and ex-Pistol Johnny Rotten. Justin turns 26 today, whereas Johnny turns 5,001...sorry, I mean 51. Just like with punk, I got hung up on the zeros.

Think the similarities between these two end there? Well, think again. To make this coincidence even stranger, I found out that Johnny Rotten has suggested that in an upcoming movie about all-things-Sex-Pistol, Johnny wants Justin Timberlake to play him.

I have respect for Timberlake, and like Johnny Rotten, but I have to say that I would not have seen this coming. It's like a really unpleasant surprise, wrapped in a box.

The Cure for Great Days

Yep. Been a great day. A really great day...ugh.

About the only thing making anything (at this point let's say, everything) better is a great girlfriend and "By This River" from Brian Eno's Before and After Science.

It's the same kind of "better" that a pitch black room offers, to be honest. But it seems to help.

That's it, but right now, it's worth saying. If you have the album (or either soundtrack it is on), put it on now -- think of me. I'd do it for you.

Music for Winter Storms

There are a few essential elements when facing the elements - in this case a snowstorm that is obliterating Montreal. My defenses against winter today include: a parka, headphones, and the music of Arvo Part.

There is enough stillness in Part's compositions that you can hear the snow crunching beneath your feet, and yet the consonant melodies of Alina seem to add overtones to that strange melancholy that winter can produce.

A completely enriching experience, albeit a little cold.

Musicians Who Died in 2006

2006 has been a year of death, really. International conflicts and natural disasters kept death in the news all year, and cast a very dark pall over New Year's celebrations.

Yet it was also a year to lose some significant musicians and artists, many of whom spent their careers trying to inspire and move people. Here's a short list of some artists that passed on in 2006.

The list could have been far more extensive, but I chose to only post about those people who moved me directly. Obviously, another writer could have a very different list.

Most notably, in 2006 we lost James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. Dutch Mason, the Canadian blues guitarist, died late in the year. Sid Barrett, the original singer of Pink Floyd and a notable solo artist in his own right also died this past year.

Ahmet Ertegun, while not a musician, was a force behind artists as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis and Ray Charles. He died from injuries sustained backstage at a Rolling Stones concert. While sad, it could probably make some other list of "best ways to go".

Robert Lockwood, Jr, like all blues guitarists, died described as "a legend". Billy Preston, (see image above) was described by many, including himself, as the 5th Beatle.

Ali Farka Toure, guitarist and singer, achieved some commercial success in his later years, whereas J. Dilla, hip hop producer and DJ (and some would say genius) created an indelible mark despite his young age.

It is no exageration to say that scrolling through the seemingly endless lists of notable deaths in 2006 made for one of the hardest posts I've had to write (and took much longer than expected). Seeing all the "notable" people made me think of how we'll each be remembered. And obviously, addressing the death of others can often inspire thoughts on one's own mortality. Not fun when scanning hundreds of names of the deceased.

However, I can take some solace in listening to the works of the above artists, or the artists they were most associated with, as we move forward in 2007.