You've got to pick up every stitch

It must be the season of the witch......

And so it is. I love Halloween, I think it's even better than Christmas, and people give me stuff at Christmas. Now for a scary holiday to be my favourite is odd, because if you know me, you know I am a fraidy cat. Seriously wimpy when it comes to scary. I couldn't even get through the opening of American Horror Story. But that being said I have come to love a few classic horror movies (tame by today's standard) but you cannot deny the classics like Dracula, Frankenstein and gems like that but my two favourites are the cheesy classics; Halloween and Sleep Away Camp. Halloween, I love this movie, I still have my VHS copy, and I even have a Michael Myers doll that when you press his belly it plays the theme song - it rocks. I even like the franchise (or at least try to like the franchise). Sleep Away Camp, probably the most ridiculous thing but man, it was shocking to see when I first watched it. Plus it's camp in more ways than location.

There is something about the mystery of Halloween that I love, also people are generally happy. You're not dressing as a smurf because your angry and you hate going out. Your dressing up because it's fun, people will usually give you candy, and it's fun to see what crazy carving people can come up with on a pumpkin.
These two particularly ROCK:

I try each year and am getting better, but those are WAY out of my league

An definately no blog would be complete without some song mention, so here is Season of the Witch by Donovan. 

Happy Halloween!

Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself.

and so it does and has.

I do not have an actual review planned for today, instead I just want to wish Yep Roc Records a Happy 15th Birthday. Perhaps one of my favourite labels for music, Yep Roc was Founded in 1997 by Glenn Dicker and Tor Hansen, and this label is home to several well recognised and highly revered artists; including Nick Lowe, Fountains of Wayne, John Doe, Pall Weller, Southern Culture on the Skids, and Tift Merritt, to name just a few. Seriously this is the tip of the iceberg. This label is amazing.

Having worked in music retail for a good chunk of my life I appreciate a label that still believes in what they are doing and why they began this journey and why they continue doing what they do.

I highly recommend you go to their website buy their pint glass, and listen to you 14 digital download tracks from their awesome roster of artists.

And so the conversation turned

Until the sun went down.
Fascination is probably the best Human League song.  It's a great 80's track and who honestly doesn't love a little 80's music in their lives.

My friend Vin has been posting random 80's gems off and on for a while, and it's always fun to see what he's unearthed. Probably my favorite from the past while was Dancing in Heaven by Q-feel. I only knew the song from the terrible, but secretly awesome movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun. And damn it, if that song doesn't stick in your head.

That being said, maybe it's because of the changing seasons, but I am so tired lately. I just simply cannot get enough sleep. It doesn't matter what I do. This is how I feel (Perry Como - SCTV)

Well enough about my being tired (boohoo, right?). On with my music musings for the week.

The Arrogance of Youth by Riley Etheridge Jr. I read in the "sounds like" section that the sound was Country/Rock. Well yes on the Country music sound. There is even a track or two on here, where he sounds exactly like Lyle Lovett. While I think the music is well written, played, and produced, it boils down to this not being a record that pulled me in. It's not terrible, it's just not for me. If you are a fan of new Country music give it a try, you might really enjoy it. http://www.rockridgemusic.com/rileyetheridge/

St. Peter & 57th by Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Sort of a catch 22. The music is unquestionably wonderful, but the whole time I was listening, I was wishing I was seeing them in person. I have had the pleasure of seeing them perform, and once you see it, you're hooked. The musicianship is stellar. Honestly, listening to them is like drifting onto the streets of New Orleans and absorbing their rich and wonderful culture. BUY IT!!! http://www.preservationhall.com/band/

Agua Del Sol by Hijos de Agueybana. Fun Latin rhythms. I found myself tapping and humming along in no time. It's super fun and very catchy. I am not going to go into detail - I will just simply say. AWESOME.

http://www.myspace.com/hijosdeagueybana

Half Made Man by Ben Sollee. At first pass I was a bit surprised at the variety of sounds, the variety worked and was not at all messy which is a hard feat. So right off the bat I was impressed. I then found out his primary instrument is a cello. I didn't honestly notice, and took a second listen to see if I could hear it. You can to a degree, but bottom line, he's a talented musician with a great sense of sound and how instruments work with each other. It's an easy listen and I recommend giving it a try. http://bensollee.com/

Alright, gotta run. It's pot luck day for my work, and the crowds are restless for my famous slow cooked mac & cheese.