Hello, is it me you're looking for?

'Cause I wonder where you are..or in my case, where you've been.

Sorry folks, it's been a while since I've posted. It's been a chaotic few weeks in my life, but I am slowly getting back on track.

So first off Happy Black Friday to my American friends. You know what you should be thankful for? Not voting in Mitt. Yep, that would have been terrible. So now that the world has collectively exhaled, we can let you folks start getting stuff done.

I don't really have reviews for today. I will get back into that next week. I would however, like to mention one thing:

This year Stevie Wonder's Talking Book is 40 years old.

Originally released after Stevie was on tour with the Rolling Stones this amazing record hit the shelves on October 28. It's sort of alarming to associate albums I know with milestones like this, but facts are facts. This was also the first record of his, to reach the top of the R&B charts, and it stayed there for 3 weeks. I know that's not a long time, but the influence of this record cannot be denied.
Original pressings contain Braille lettering of Wonder's name and the album title, along with this message: 
Here is my music. It is all I have to tell you how I feel. Know that your love keeps my love strong. - Stevie

Here is a video I found on You Tube: I cannot help myself, I think the 3:18 mark is my favourite:

I  know there is no way for you to know this, but this blog has taken a while to write, I have just freed myself from a soul/funk You Tube trap. I will admit however, that I did not struggle, and went there willingly - do not blame the funk.

I watched some Soul Train footage and instantly I am transported to Memphis, and memories of my trip last March. One of the many highlights was my trip to Stax Records.

There is a spot in the museum area, where there is a big dance floor with Soul Train on a loop. Way too awesome. I have always loved R&B and Stax just happens to be the label of the great group, and one of my favourites, The Bar Kays. In fact when a Soul compilation came out while I was still at HMV, in Saskatoon, I made my staff listen to this song, probably a bit too much: 

But really after seeing that, can you really deny how awesome it is.... no I'm right.

Anyways I digress. Honestly, I could post video after video, but even I would get tired of that plus I only really wanted to talk about Stevie Wonder, and his greatness.

It's my goal for 2013 to see Stevie Wonder with my best friend Darin - that's all we ask. Please Stevie, go back out on tour, we'll even come to you.



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.

If Looks Could Kill....

...They probably will in games without frontiers war without tears. So said Peter Gabriel.

I have long been a fan of Peter Gabriel and I am quite sad that I don't live anywhere near one of his concert stops. I also wish I was rich so that I travel to see him play. Oh well, such is life.

This week was actually last week, but things got very chaotic at work with the launching of the Arden Season with Joel Plaskett, so my time got sidetracked. So without further ado, here are my thoughts on a few CD's I listened to last week.

The Sound of the Life of the Mind by Ben Folds Five. AWESOME, but then again I am completely bias. I love this man, his writing is clever, and the music is always top notch. He's creative and wonderful. It's always nice when an artist you appreciate maintains his level of artistry, staying true to himself, yet evolving. It rare to find. Go buy this CD immediately. http://www.benfolds.com/

All the Way Home by Ocean Carolina. Solid laid back feel, reminiscent of a Josh Ritter or John Wort Hannam. While I liked this album, I found it faded to the background a little to easily for me. It's pleasant enough and it's sure to please many, it's just not one that will likely stay with me for long. http://www.oceancarolina.com/

When the Ledge is Home by Bi-Polar Bear. With a title like that and the group name I knew I was in store for a pop explosion of fun.......what? wait. Oh, right this CD was depressing. The writing and music was decent, but it didn't surprise or offer anything you would expect. There is potential for this band, as they are talented, and in spots the beats remind me of Jurassic 5, but let's just hope they continue to grow and step beyond their sad shadow or they will become the self fulfilling prophesy and end it all. http://rollwiththebear.com/ (PS: google searching bi-polar bear is super interesting)

Mirage by Band of Horses. They're happier on this record then I ever heard them before. It took me by surprise. And, I will admit it was a bit hard to hear, but I liked it. Super catchy rhythms and for the most part the lyrics were good, but not their best effort. Especially the track Dumpster World - super odd lyrics. Decent outing for a group who I suspect collective would like to be Neil Young when they grow up. http://www.bandofhorses.com/us/home

Carny Life by Pebaluna. Loved it! Great melodies and an amazing voice and instantly an atmosphere was created that drew me in. Some Jazzy guitar riffs lead into some Bossa Nova moods which drifted towards a quirk of ukulele - but it all works. Find it, Buy it. http://www.pebaluna.com/

Look into the Sky by James Iha. It's sort of reminiscent of a 60's/70's pop record. I really appreciate this record, it's cosmically breezy and easy to listen to. There is also a great list of guest artists on this record who all contribute, but don't overtake the sound James is creating. The only misstep for me was the track Appetite. It had an Iggy Passengers-esque sound that just creeped along and felt totally out of place. http://www.jamesiha.org

That's about it for last week. I plan on getting back on track with my regular Friday postings.

And as always, go buy music at your in a local record shop, they know what they're doing and will likely suggest something to you, that will blow your mind.

Video Killed the Radio Star

Did it ever, I had last week off, a stay-cation if you will, and I listened to no music. Zip, ziltch, nadda.

First off let me say that I tend to be busier when I take time off. I cram so much into my days, that I inevitably don't get done those little chores that I always promise myself that I'll give attention to it when I take time off - yeah right. It's also tough when you know you will have to include a nap into your daily routine for the week. This gal has priorities.

So you can imagine how low on the list my music blog was. I apologise to the 5 or 6 people that actually read this thing.

I have a really great excuse for not investing time into music. The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries Season 2 showed up in the mail about a week prior, and well...........I needed to watch every episode. Plus there was a cavalcade of great guest stars; Linda Dano, Kasey Kasem, Kim Cattrall, Rick Springfield and Lorne Green - to name just a few.

I love late 70's and 80's detective shows. They had to rely on hunches and intuition to solve mysteries, plus can you imagine how tough it must have been to solve crime without a cell phone? I mean people can't even grocery shop now without phoning home to see it it was 2% or 1% milk they needed to pick up.

This is a slippery slope for yours truly. I think I will have to search out some more detective shows online. Maybe Barnaby Jones is online?

Anyways, I digress. I could talk about awesome TV all day.

I also saw a fantastic movie - Moonrise Kingdom. Wes Anderson is a genius. I highly recommend this movie.

Alright, enough for now - I better get back to work. Music reviews will be coming for the end of the week.

They say the world has had enough of silly love songs

..............well thank you Sir Paul McCartney, but I look around me and I see it isn't so.

So what's new in music this week. Well sadly not much good. I have been trying to listen, but when it's a new Matchbox 20 or a Smash Mouth, I just cannot do it. Sorry.

I didn't mind 3 CD's, but 1 of them is borderline.

Havoc and Bright Lights by Alanis Morissette. I really enjoyed this. It's a solid record from start to finish. Fine rock selections but mostly mellow, but happy. I think her anger is almost gone, you can truly hear the happiness in these tracks. Personally I think that happiness started to appear when she connected with Ryan Reynolds, but that's just me. He's enough to make any girl smile. http://www.alanis.com/

On a Ride by Wax Poetic. Another decent release. The tracks flowed well, and the use of guest vocalists for the most part was a good choice. Some weaknesses but for the most part the flow was there and I found myself digging the jazzy chill-out vibe. Sort of a Zero 7 feel at some points. This record definitely created an at"mood"sphere - yep, I made that word up. Norah Jones and Natalie Walker both guest on this record - nice work ladies. http://waxpoetic.net/

Highest Wish by Bill Ortiz. I am by no means a jazz purest, but I do like the genre. Now this CD is littered with guest vocalists, and I use the term littered because I don't think it works on the tracks. The best parts of this album is not the guest work but the actual playing. Bill is an amazing trumpet player, adding all these guests cloud his playing. the BEST parts of this CD is when we get to hear Bill do what he does best. http://billortiz.com/music/

             Why is it whenever I hear Jazz I think of Kids in the Hall. "With a rap tap tapping on the window, and a voice saying Hey let us in Beano's clarinet is getting wet" baaahahaha classic Kids.

On a side note, I heard the song Poison by Bel Biv Devoe yesterday on the radio. I am impressed that I remembered most of the words and that it still holds up as an amazing song. It totally made me want to dig out my cassette single and play it over and over.

Viva la New Jack Swing!

--odd combination of words, but I do feel that in my heart

Also I am helping out at the Blue Revue next week. So it's only a matter of time before I confirm who all the "naughty kids" are in Edmonton.