For the records

and you're starting lineup...

• The Friday night basketball game I've been playing with a group of friends and others every week(or at least tried to play every week) resumed last week. Let's just say that not playing for a month really takes a toll on my stamina and I was panting like a dog on a hot day. But I at least I got my second wind an hour into playing. [You know a regular NBA game consists of only four 12-minute periods; I think we're overdoing it just a TAD]. And being busy yesterday during the day doing things and then crashing at home yesterday evening because of exhaustion, I haven't been able to update the good ol' blog. Some things to mention of interest:





• Was able to purchase that book The Secret History of Rock: The Most Influential Bands You'Ve Never Heard by Roni Sarig yesterday. By a glance of the table of contents, the author has divided groups of artists into broadly defined genres in order to discuss how these artists influenced the evolution of rock music. So for example, the author's discussion of 'post-punk' lists artists such as Wire and The Buzzcocks. Interdispersed through the chapter are other artists' recollections or anectdotes of how they were influenced by these artists. I was initially perturbed that a group such as The Smiths did not even make it as part of the author's list. Even the Velvet Underground didn't make it onto the author's list, but the Stooges and MC5 did. There's omissions galore but the author has covered a wide variety of artists that should inform any music fan.



• Also purchased a several-years-old edition of Dk Eyewitness Travel Guides: New York. I'd really like to go to New York City to experience the city, the night life, the live music, the restaurants, the culture, the people, and whatever else the city has to offer. Toronto(Ontario)[where I live near to] is sort of our version of New York City but it is always nice to check out the real thing. The book I purchased is compact but seems to have a lot of information which is neatly organized and attractively layed out on the pages. I'd really like to go to the Village Voice Siren Music Festival.



• Woohoo! A date for a Toronto show for Stereolab was just annouced! Here's some info I got from the official Stereolab web site:
  
  February 29 - The Tolbooth. Stirling, Scotland
  
  April 4 - Denver - The Gothic
  April 7 - Chicago - Vic Theatre
  April 9 - Detroit - The Majestic
  April 10 - Toronto - The Phoenix



• 
  I had a chance to watch parts of Belle and Sebastian's 'Fans Only' DVD yesterday. It contains alot of interesting footage. The DVD reminds me of a scrapbook because the organization of the content is very haphazard. It terms of watching the DVD from start to finish, this make the DVD very interesting. For example, you could be watching a music video, then the next segment would be interview/documentary footage, the next segment could be a live performance and so on and so on. The editing of individual chapters is interesting. For example, the chapter for 'Like Dylan in the Movies' starts out with very early footage of the band playing the song[I think they were in school] and then segues into the band's performance of the song on Sessions at West 57th. The same thing occurs with the band's performance of 'The State I Am In' which starts out at Glastonbury and then segues into their appearance at the Benicassim festival in Spain. There are alot of shots of photos and pictures, and how some these pictures ended up as the artwork for CD covers. My favourite performance by far was their performance of 'The Boy With the Arap Strap' at the Coachella festival(2002?) in California. The band was in high form, the sky was just turning to dusk, the temperature outside looked perfect and the band really looked like they were having the best time in their lives.[I really hope I make it to Coachella this year!]. The DVD even has a hidden track of the band performing 'Legal Man' on Top of the Pops. ... My only disappointment was that the DVD did not include their performance of 'I'm Waking Up To Us' from Late Night with Conan O'Brien [although the DVD did include a performance of the song from Later..with Jools Holland.] Stupendous DVD, and I haven't even watched the whole thing yet!




• Yesterday, I was also able to read the Belle and Sebastian interview from the November/December 2003 issue of Magnet Magazine. The band seems to have gone through alot over the last couple of albums but are at a point where they are enjoying themselves and are optimistic about the future. Even with the departure of Isobel Campbell from the band... I'm glad that Stuart Murdoch still thinks of her.




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