And the winner is ...

• TV: The Oscars are on tonight. Yes, I am one of the masses that watches(at least in part) the Oscars every year, regardless of all the bullshit. I was just checking the nominees at the Oscar.com and I must admit that the only films mentioned of which I saw were The Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King, Lost in Translation, and Big Fish[which was only nominated for Music(Score); what about Best Director for Tim Burton?)]. I'm hoping that Lost in Translation wins for at least Writing (Original Screenplay). As much as I'd like to see Bill Murray win for Best Actor, I've really heard alot of good things about Sean Penn's performance in Mystic River(which I have not yet seen). Sean Penn is a terrific actor and from the clips I have seen of Mystic River, he did alot more 'acting' than Bill Murray did in Lost In Translation. As much as I liked Bill Murray in Lost In Translation, his performance was much like I pictured him in real life anyway [think back to all those times Bill Murray was on Late Show with David Letterman and you'll know what I mean]. So here's to the nominees, and here's hoping that the bull-shit quotient is low this year.
  
  ps. At least Billy Crystal is hosting this year!



• DVD: One of the most refreshing films of last year that the whole family can enjoy is 'School of Rock' starring Jack Black. The music geek in me enjoyed all the music references! Music references aside, both adults and children should enjoy the film for the pure hilarity of Jack Black. 'School of Rock' is being released on DVD this Tuesday March 2, 2004.



• MP3: An mp3 of controller.controller's song 'History' is available at UmbrellaMusic. Their debut CD 'History' EP was just released this past February 24 on Paperbag Records. If you're not on the controller.contrller tip, check out these articles from Now Magazine and chartattack.com. Also, here is a music review of the new CD at sympatico.ca.



• music news: For all you Pixies fans, www.pixiesmusic.com apparently does not yet have status as the official Pixies site, according to Pitchfork. I checked out the site today and it's quite an attractive and clean-looking site which integrates the font and artwork of the Pixies album covers.



• purchases:




• Bowery Electric - Bowery Electric ($3 / record[blue vinyl])


• Romeo Must Die ($2 / DVD [no case])

ps. I played basketball on Friday, skiied with my nephews on Saturday; blogging is no fun when you're exhausted(and I hurt my hand getting off the ski lift of all things); thus the late update.

"You say you want a revolution" - The Beatles

• MP3:




• There's been a lot of talk about the unauthorized JayZ/Beatles remix album 'The Grey Album'. Vis-a-vis Abstract Dynamics, check out one of the comments about 40% down the page whose writer is offering a download of 'The Grey Album'. Act fact because it won't be for long! For more info on the controversy, Yahoo! News has posted an article.



• In honour of the High Llamas in Toronto tonight, I am offering the following link: the High Llamas site [media section] has for download the Black Sessions[13 tracks] in mp3 format. [alas, I won't be going to the show tonight. :-( ]




• movies:




• The Passion of The Christ was released to theaters today. Check out the article Passion of The Christ draws mixed reviews in today's Toronto Star. You know this film will be a big topic of conversation when the Toronto Star actually publishes a movie review on page 3 of the main section of the newspaper.




• books:







You're Ulysses!

by James Joyce

Most people are convinced that you don't make any sense, but compared to what else you could say, what you're saying now makes tons of sense. What people do understand about you is your vulgarity, which has convinced people that you are at once brilliant and repugnant. Meanwhile you are content to wander around aimlessly, taking in the sights and sounds of the city. What you see is vast, almost limitless, and brings you additional fame. When no one is looking, you dream of being a Greek folk hero.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.



- I think I'll take the above with a grain of salt. (link seen at largeheartedboy)

Suedehead Strikes Again

• music: Morrissey will be releasing his new album entitled You Are the Quarry on May 18th, the first new solo material in seven years by Morrissey. Check out this press release, courtesy of www.morrisseymusic.com.... Now I feel guilty for negelecting my Smiths/Morrissey CD's and records.



• concerts: I'm freaking out!!!! The Coachella 2004 lineup is so freakin' amazing! I think I'm gonna pass out. [time to book my vacation days!]



• TV: I checked out The Late Night TV Page and it appears that all the interesting music guests will be on Last Call With Carson Daly over the next week or so. Musical guests will include The Shins(today), Blondie(March 3), and The Von Bondies(March 4)!



• DVD: Was anyone disappointed like me when Star Trek Voyager series ended (and even more disappointed that the season finale sucked!)? Well, relive the adventure as Star Trek Voyager: Season 1(5 discs) was released on DVD today.



• movies: 680 News: After months of buildup, viewers get to see Mel Gibson's crucifixion epic - As a movie fan(and even moreso as a Catholic) I am very tempted to go and see this film just because of all the hype and controversy surrounding it. I'm pretty open-minded about things...for example, I wasn't offended by Kevin Smith's film Dogma which some Catholics took offense to. This time there's been alot of protest that Mel Gibson's new film is anti-Semitic...Who'd have thought that Mel Gibson was such a shit-disturber?!

Better Late Than Never

• Movies: I figure there's no time like the present so yesterday I decided to tackle the DVD's/VHS movies I've accumulated over the last year or so. I can't remember all the times I've been channel surfing and nothing's on... Lent is just around the corner and I think I'll try to be a little more selective with my television viewing habits... So rather than watch an episode of Seinfeld for the umpteenth time(no offense to Seinfeld because it's still an awesome show!) I think I'll try to watch a movie instead. So hopefully over the next several months, I'll try to post reviews of the DVD'S/VHS movies I happen to watch. And the insanity begins:
  
  movie review: So Close
  
  So Close...the asian Charlie's Angels? Well not quite. On the surface, you could say many if not all of the action sequences in So Close draw similarities from the recent Charlie's Angels. But then you could say the Charlie's Angels' action sequences were highly influenced from asian cinema. Let's not play the comparison game. However the main difference between So Close and Charlie's Angels was that Charlie's Angels was a comedy that took pleasure in its campiness while So Close is very much a drama, which at times borders on cliched and melodramatics. Thankfully, cliches and melodramatics aside, So Close is still a very enjoyable film.
  
  The action scenes range from martial arts combat, to gun fights and to car chases. Through and through, there's a creativity to the action sequences that I haven't seen before(or at least seen recently). The action sequences are almost poetic [think John Woo and Mission Impossible II]. There's underlying stories about the main character's[the two sisters) parents being killed, as well as a romantic story. There's the cliche of the cop who is hot on the trail of the two sister's who are suspected of killing a top executive of a firm. For every cliche or melodramatic moment, there are moments of surprise, especially the 'lesbian' overtones of one of the character's behaviour. The three asian actresses(Karen Mok, Zhao Wei, Shu Qi) display sexiness in refreshingly subtle ways rather than in an overtly 't & a' way and the film is all the better for it. Finally, any film that can integrate the Carpenter's song 'Close To You' into an action sequence will definitely get my attention.



• I had a chance to check out the The 'Advil' Outdoor Adventure Show. And yes Ryan Leech(Canada's top bike trials rider) did make an appearance at the Toronto show! He can pull off some really amazing maneuvers with his bike. Check out the videos page of Ryan Leech's web site to see what bike trials is all about and what Ryan Leech can do. I got interested in bike trials a couple of years ago...mind you I'm 32 years old and I don't think I'll be doing anything too crazy on my mountain bike but I hope to master some of the basic trials moves.



• television: The film The Corporation will be airing in three parts on TVO (in Toronto) starting Wednesday February 25, 2004, then continuing on March 3 and March 10 at 10 pm; it will repeat over three nights starting February 29, 2004, then continuing on March 7 and March 14 at midnight. (info taken from Toronto Star's Starweek(February 21 February 27 issue)). My friend recommended this film to me and said that if you're a fan of Michael Moore you should enjoy The Corporation.



• Food: Now Weekly's cover story this week is on comfort foods and the article inside has spotlighted several restaurants throughout Toronto. Whether I get a chance to sample these restaurants remains to be seen, but I'm getting hungry already. Mmmm, macaroni and cheese!(and I'm not talking about Kraft Dinner...homemade all the way!)



• CD'S purchased today(75% off @ Indigo Books):




• A Camp - A Camp


• Allison, Dot - We Are Science




• Records purchased over the weekend($2 each! @ flea market):




• Clash, The - The Clash


• Clash, The - London Calling


• Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain


• Depeche Mode - A Question of Time (Limited Edition)


• Depeche Mode - Everything Counts(in larger amounts)


• Maestro Fresh-Wes - Let Your Backbone Slide


• Pavement - Brighten The Corners




• Yahoo! News: Lost Beach Boys Album Premieres in U.K.



• MP3/videos: Check out meannmrmustard's Ryan Adams FTP site (well actually the link I've provided is a web page, but the instructions to log on to the FTP site, as well as what can be found on the FTP site, are there). I just downloaded a video of Ryan Adam's performance of 'So Alive' on Late Show with David Letterman.

The Good Life

• Pitchfork: Weezer Announce DVD Tracklist; Cuomo, Sharp Reunite For Acoustic Performance - This is so freakin' unbelievable! I remember hearing their song "Undone - The Sweater Song" for the first time during the mid-90's. I felt such an exhiliration for their sweet pop melodies combined with the buzz and crunch of their electric guitars. Topped off with vulnerable-boy vocals, the music was a perfect antidote to the angry grunge era. I was just out of university. Life was pretty simple back then. And bam! 10 years later, it feels like a lifetime has passed. So I'm feeling just a tad bit nostalgic that the ORIGINAL Weezer lineup will be back together (sniff, sniff).



• ilXor.com: I Love Music: does anyone still like Belle and Sebastian - I came across this discussion group while surfing the net. [it's good to know that I'm not the only who likes the "Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant" album!]



• DVD: DVD's purchased today(this is getting out of hand; I've gotta actually start watching some of these movies; do I hear a movie marathon beckoning?):




• Punck-Drunk Love


• The Truth About Cats and Dogs


• The Ice Storm




• this weekend: The 'Advil' Outdoor Adventure Show is happening this weekend. I think I'll go check it out. ALthough, it appears that Ryan Leech, who is Canada's top trials rider, will not be at the Toronto stop of the show. If you have never heard of trials, check out biketrials.com.

Amnesiac

• movie review: 50 First Dates
  
  Let's start off by saying that this is a very charming film. I've always had a thing for Drew Barrymore; she has the same sort of likability as someone like Sandra Bullock or Meg Ryan. I think she's found her niche in films such as this newest one and Charlie's Angels. Adam Sandler although has always been hit and miss. He's annoying as hell sometimes(Little Nicky) but sometimes really funny such as in Mr. Deeds and (and it comes as no surpise) in The Wedding Singer, in which he also co-starred with Drew Barrymore. The premise of this newest film is that Drew Barrymore's character Lucy suffers from short-term memory loss(as a result of a car accident about a year before) and basically starts each new day with a clean slate not remembering what had happened the day before. Lucy's father and brother have chosen to ease the burden of her existence by renacting the day of which her accident took place, which happened to be the day of her father's birthday and is the last point in her memories which she can remember. So Lucy goes about each day as she would have on the original day, by having breakfast at the local restaurant, from which she would then go to meet her father for their annual birthday tradition. It is on one of these days that Adam Sandler's character Harry spots Lucy in the restaurant and is won over. [Adam Sandler's character at the beginning of the movie is portrayed as a non-committal womanizer, although surprisingly a likable guy regardless.] Harry and Lucy meet that day and gain a mutual liking for each other. They decide to meet for breakfast the day after. Harry waits for Lucy the next morning at the restaurant, but when she arrives and he proceeds to greet her, to his astonishment she has no recollection of him. Harry is made aware of her condition by the restaurant owner and it is at this point the film really takes off. Harry proceeds each day to attempt to win Lucy's heart: this is the premise of the movie's title. Harry's success each day in having Lucy fall in love with him(at least not find him repulsive) varies each day. There's a lot of hilarious moments; some of the scenes with Harry's friend played by Rob Schneider are downright bellyachingly funny! But alongside the moments of hilarity are touching and tender moments. 50 First Dates is a simple and effective romantic comedy that gains even more credibillity for it's non-idealistic yet happy ending.



• Yahoo! Sports: NBA: San Antonio 86, Toronto 82 Went to the Toronto Raptors game yesterday at the Air Canada Centre with my sister and two nephews who had an extra ticket. Raptors actually managed to actually play well, and with a little help ie. Tim Duncan's way-off night on the free throw line, the Raptors actually managed to lead for most of the game. But then Chris Bosh went down and then Vince Carter hit the floor hard.



• Pitchfork: Shins to appear on Gilmore Girls - Gilmore Girls is actually a good show. The mother and daughter relationship stuff I can handle and I think the shows works best when they stay away from 'Dawson Creek' relationships territory. I must admit that I get giddy when there are indie rock references on the show, mostly from character 'Lane Kim' played by cutie Keiko Agena. The Shins on the show is just icing on the cake!

"But I don't want to be a pirate!" - Jerry Seinfeld

• Yahoo! News: RIAA Sues 531 Suspected Music Pirates (written by David McGuire, washingtonpost.com) - This is really bullshit. Privacy issues aside, I think the music industry is targeting individuals for the wrong reasons. They want to send out a clear message that they will not tolerate mp3 sharing because it is hurting the music industry. Who I find completely at fault is the music industry for their reluctance to substantially reduce the price of prerecorded music CD's within the last 20 years.



• Toronto Star: Janeane Garofalo, essayist - Actress, turned author, Janeane Garofalo will release a new book this fall called For Those About to Salute, We Will Rock You. She's quite the outspoken activist towards issues such as the War in Iraq and the 'failures' of the Bush Administration. I'll be interested in reading more of her views on these and other subjects.



• Yahoo! News: NBC's Conan O'Brien Issues 'Apology' to Quebec (from Reuters) - Conan is a class act. 'Nuff said.



• DVD: DVD's purchased today(I've watched these a while ago but I couldn't pass up the deal of 2 DVD's for $15 at Sunrise Records):




• Black Mask


• A Life Less Ordinary




• MP3: Check out this French site which has a bunch of great live concerts available in mp3 format for download. These live sets are performances from the La Route du Rock festival. I'm not fluent in French(you'd think after taking French all through elementary and secondary school, I would have learned something!) so I'm not sure if this is site is officially affiliated with the La Route du Rock festival. I'm hoping it stays up for a bit so I have a chance to download some of the concerts. The site includes concerts ranging from Portishead and Goldfrapp to Interpol! Enjoy!

The Popcorn Report

• Maybe it's the February blahs, but lately I've been thinking of going on a major movie binge: going to the theatre, watching the pile of DVD's and VHS cassettes that I've purchased over the last year or so but have not watched yet, and eagerly anticipating all the cool movies that should be coming out over the next several months.
  
  Over the weekend, I got to watch the trailers(on the web) for the following films:
  
  
  
  • Dawn of the Dead - This reminds me of 28 Days Later but I suspect that this one will be alot creepier(in a good way!). What really excites me is that Sarah Polley is in this one which I'm hoping lends some credibility to this film: read - I'm hoping that this film isn't cheesy.
  
  
  
  • Van Helsing - After seeing the poster for this film at the movie theatre, I had originally thought this was a sequel to Underworld because Kate Beckinsale's also in this one. However, I believe this is a totally different story. Considering the inclusion of Dracula, the Werewolf and Frankenstein, the concept is very interesting, in the same vein that literary characters were utilized in The League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Come to think of it, the trailer for Van Helsing displayed the same sort of Hollywood CGI sheen that The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen had. Is that a good thing? That remains to be seen. [Note: I thought The League of Extraordinary Gentleman was interesting but ultimately a letdown.]
  
  
  
  • Troy - Well Brad Pitts in it. The film reminds me of Gladiator. Mind you, I liked Gladiator and Brad Pitt has been in some good films[Snatch, Seven, Fight Club] but so far I have absolutely no interest in seeing Troy. Go figure.
  
  
  
  Purchased a couple of DVD's today:
  
  
  
  • Ghost World - Picked this one up today for about $12. I could not pass it up. It's a really quirky film and it'll be interesting to compare Scarlett Johannsen's performance in it as compared to her recent performance in Lost in Translation. And it's the first 'adult' role I think I saw Thora Birch in; really amazing performance.
  
  
  
  • So Close - Three beautiful asian women that can kick butt. What's more sexy than that? I think this one played at the Toronto International Film Festival last year or the year before. Also I caught a write up of one of its stars Zhao Wei in the current issue of Giant Robot.
  
  
  
  DVD's/VHS movies I've purchased within the last year or so but still need to watch:
  
  
  
  • Down With Love - I purchased this on a whim. The film I believe takes place in the 50's but rather than portray the wholesome image that films of that period usually did, I've heard it takes a rather modern racy approach to the dialogue. ...What it would be like to hear Doris Day say 'fuck you'.
  
  
  
  • Insomnia - I was tempted to pick this one up[used for about $9.99] after seeing Memento. They're both directed by Christopher Nolan. But then you already knew that.
  
  
  
  • The Virgin Suicides - I never got around to seeing this but was tempted to pick this one up after being so impressed with Sophia Coppola's 'Lost In Translation'. And the musical group Air does the score!
  
  
  
  • Grace of My Heart - This is an older film I never got around to seeing. As far as I know, it concerns a songwriter during the heyday of the Brill Building.
  
  
  
  • Waking Life - It utilizes an interesting animation technique. Oh and I picked this one up really cheap.
  
  
  
  DVD's/VHS movies that I decided to purchase because I thought they were were worth watching again(that I've yet to watch since I've purchased them):
  
  
  
  • A Life Less Ordinary - For those who like their romantic comedies with an edge!
  
  
  
  • Edward Scissorhands - Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder are perfectly paired in this modern romantic fairytale. I think it's one of Tim Burton's best.
  
  
  
  • The X-Files: Fight The Future - Let's just say The X-files was one of my favourite television shows ever! The movie was a fairly good extension of the television show.
  
  
  
  • Memento - This is a truly original film and is a modern classic in my opinion.
  
  
  
  



• The BAFTA Film Awards were held at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on Sunday, February 15th 2004. Lost In Translation won in the following categories:




• Best actor in a leading role
  Bill Murray - Lost in Translation



• Best actress in a leading role
  Scarlett Johansson - Lost in Translation



• Editing






• IGN.COM - FilmForce: The very cinematic television show Angel will be ending after 5 seasons.

"Keeping the Weekend Free" - streaming audio

• It's Valentine's Day. [notice the lack of an exclamation mark].



• Sports:




• 2004 NBA All-Star Weekend - The 2004 NBA All-Star Game tips off at 8:45 pm EST February 15, 2004. But tonight you can watch the the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk and the Foot Locker 3 Point Shootout competitions!




• MP3/FLAC/streaming:




• I'm disappointed having missed Death Cab for Cutie performing on Last Call With Carson Daly yesterday [I was playing basketball yesterday; I did remember to tape Late Night With Conan O'Brien though as it was the last of a week's worth of shows which were broadcast from Toronto]. However, I did find an mp3 of the band's performance yesterday. Download an mp3 of the band performing 'The Sound of Settling' [from www.dcfc-tour.net/dcfc-mp3s.htm: Death Cab For Cutie Tour History]



• And keeping with the 'spirit' of Valentine's Day, download a live set of Billy Bragg at Glastobury[June 20, 1987] , including his performance of 'Valentine's Day Is Over'. [in lossless format; from Live Music Archive]



• I located a streaming version of controller.controller's song 'History' which is the name of their debut CD as well. Click here to listen[from umusic.ca: ubuzz] . The CD will be released February 24, 2004.

Icon Boner

• Just in case you missed it yesterday, Toronto Star writer Vinay Menon gives a pretty good rundown of yesterday's Late Night with Conan O'Brien Show. I fell asleep before I had a chance to set the VCR, but the rerun is showing tonight on StarTV at 10 pm EST!



• Toronto Star: Grimly funky dance masters make History: Fans get controller.controller disc: Punk-disco band big on guitar sound - I've known for about a month that controller.controller's debut CD is soon to be released. Can't wait for those 'death-disco' grooves! I still recall how wicked the band was live during the 2003 Pop Montreal festival. By the way, the band plays live this Saturday February 14, 2004 at Rockit as part of Wavelength 200. See details below(info taken from Eye Weekly:Concerts):
  
  WAVELENGTH 200 Fourth anniversary festival feat controller.controller, The Barcelona Pavilion, Lenin I Shumov, Aids Wolf, Expensive Shit DJs. Rockit. PWYC. 9pm. To Feb 15



• Tour Dates: To my surprise the Pretty Girls Make Graves gig in Toronto on March 31(which I mentioned yesterday) is actually an opening slot for headliners The Constantines. Things keep getting better and better! Check out the details below(info taken from Eye Weekly:Concerts):
  
  CONSTANTINES w/ Pretty Girls Make Graves, Mahjong. Phoenix. $13.50 at TM, RT, SS, CD. Mar 31



• MP3: Download an mp3 of Death Cab For Cutie performing 'The New Year' on Late Show with Craig Kilborn. This was their national television debut. (from www.dcfc-tour.net: Death Cab For Cutie Tour History)



• music news: According to the Belle and Sebastian official site, news section:
  
  The band have recorded tracks for the following radio programmes, check out the links to listen in online. All times are GMT.
  
  Saturday 14th February, 1-3am on Virgin Radio - The Edge (2 tracks)
  
  Sunday 15th February, 7-9pm on Virgin Radio - Razor Cuts (1 track)
  
  Tuesday 17th February, 9-11pm on Xfm - Clare Sturgess (3 tracks)

Chaos Theory

• movie review: The Butterfly Effect
  
  I had really been itching to see this film for the last couple of weeks. The Butterfly Effect is one of those Hollywood films, starring one of its most Hollywood actors[Ashton Kutcher] that totally lives up to the expectations brought forth by the trailer. Kutcher does a credible job playing college student Evan, who has for the last seven years not had a mental 'blackout'. Evan experienced several traumatic events during his childhood and had unexpected blackouts and memory lapses which seemed to coincide with these events. Out of concern, his mother brought him to the local psychiatric institute to be tested. What results from those tests is the doctor's recommendation for Evan to keep daily journals in order that they might help jog Evan's memories. The film develops Evan's relationships between his childhood friends early on as they ultimately will play a large part in the film later on: Evan develops affection for his friend Tommy's sister; Tommy seems almost psychotic as a child(although this is ultimately explained later on in the film); Evan's other friend is a heavier, quiter kid who is quite intimidated, almost scared, of Tommy's bullying. Not to give anything away about why, but eventually Evan's mother decides to move. The expected reluctance of Evan to leave the girl he loves behind is shown. ... Fast forward to the future. Evan is going to college and has not had a blackout in 7 years. Through a series of events, Evan discovers his ability to time travel by reading his journals which transport him to the time of when those events happened. Gradually, he discovers that he can change the past which can ultimately affect the future. For better or worse, as Evan finds out. It's the cause-and-effect scenarios that play out amongst Evan, his mother and his childhood friends each time Evan transports himself back. As I said in my post yesterday, the film approaches the subject of time travel simplistically and never really explains how Evan is able to transport himself back to an earlier time. However, then maybe that would have complicated the film. What remains is a look at the human experience of time travel and the moral dilemma of Evan 'playing god'. Will he make the right choices?



• MP3:




• Check out an indiepop mix available in mp3 format at www.wiencis.com/mp3/feb2004.html. [It's available as one large mp3 file; good nonetheless.]



• Since Monday of this week, Gene fansite "You'll Never Walk Again" has been hosting an 'Acoustic Week' by posting mp3's of the band performing live acoustic favourites. Get them while you can. And while you're at the site, navigate to the Audio page and download several more Gene mp3 rarities including the band doing a live take of British boy-band Take That's classic 'Back for Good'. It's really quite good! [Although do not think I'll be wanting to hear any cover versions of any Backstreet Boys' songs anytime soon. ;-) ]



• Check out a couple of Pretty Girls Make Graves mp3's at the Matador Records site.[continue below for tour dates!]




• Tour dates:




• Pretty Girls Make Graves - The band plays in Toronto on March 31. Woohoo! 'The New Romance' is one of the best current CD's I have not yet bought[currently listening to a burned copy, but I'll surely purchase it legitimately if I can find it for a decent price.]

Conan, The Torontonian

• Computer problems have plagued me over the last couple of days, but things seem to be running smoothly now. What did I miss?



• The big news in T.O. - Conan began the first of 4 nights of taping Late Night with Conan O'Brien in Toronto at the Elgin Theatre. I have my VCR already to go for 12:35 am! Conan was on Muchmusic yesterday and had the crowd(of mostly teenage girls) enthralled. Justin Timberlake eat your heart out!
  
  Check out some related stories from yesterday's Toronto Star:




• Two dirty socks won't match up Conan's in town but Ed not invited: Did T.O.'s sock begat Triumph? - The article discusses the possibilities of Triumph The Insult Dog being derived from Toronto's Ed The Sock. You be the judge.



• Hurricane Conan hits town: Much crowd wild for talk-show host - Conan makes an ass of himself at Muchmusic. And we like him all the more for it!




• By the way, I just came back from seeing The Butterfly Effect. Awesome film! The science of time travel is approached quite simplistically but the cause-and-effect scenarios were really quite interesting... Sorry to get all, movie-critic. Felt like saying something intelligent. [I'll save the movie review for another time.]



• music news: What-the-fuck exactly! Pitchfork reports that The Pixies will play their first show in more than a decade, in all places, Winnipeg, Manitoba! And then checking out the tour dates below(courtesy of Pitchfork):
  
  
  
  • 04-14 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Burton Cummings Theatre
  
  
  • 04-15 Regina, Saskatchewan - Doris Knight Ballroom
  
  
  • 04-17 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Prairieland
  
  
  • 04-18 Edmonton, Alberta - Red's
  
  
  • 04-19 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Hall
  
  
  • 04-21 Victoria, British Columbia - Victoria Curling Club
  
  
  • 04-22 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
  
  
  • 04-23 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
  
  
  • 04-24 Spokane, WA - Big Easy
  
  
  • 04-25 Boise, Idaho - Big Easy
  
  
  • 04-27 Eugene, OR - MacDonald Theatre
  
  
  • 04-29 Davis, CA - Freeborn Hall
  
  
  • 05-01 Indio, CA - Empire Polo Field (Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival)
  
  
  • 06-02 London, England - Brixton Academy
  
  
  • 06-03 London, England - Brixton Academy
  
  
  • 06-12 Dublin, Ireland - Phoenix Park (w/ Red Hot Chili Peppers)
  
  
  • 06-15 Paris, France - Parc des Princes (w/ Red Hot Chili Peppers)
  
  
  • 07-10 Kinross, Scotland - T In The Park Festival (w/ David Bowie, The Darkness)
  
  
  
  Where the fuck is the Toronto show? Vancouver gets two fuckin' shows. Life is not fair!
  

"Music, makes the people, come together" - Madonna

• Television: I've been watching The Grammys for most of the evening. So far it hasn't been a total bore. Highlights so far have included:




• The White Stripes performing 'Seven Nation Army' which merged into some blues-punk freakout. [Beck introduced the performance.]



• Sting performing 'Roxanne' with guest ragga-vocals from Sean Paul. Watching the performance only made me realize that Sting's current music is so lame compared to his work when he was with The Police.



• Foo Fighters performing 'Times Like These' with Chick Corea on piano.



• Coldplay wins with 'Clocks' for Record of the Year.



• Christina Aguilera's dress...or lack of. ;-)




• DVD/VIDEO:




• 
  The Walmart near me has the DVD 'So Close' for about $25.00 which is the lowest price I've seen it for. I'm considering picking it up sometime. There's something about beautiful women who can kick ass(eg. Sarah Michelle Gellar from 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer', Jennifer Garner in 'Alias', Zhang Ziyi from 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon') which is really sexy. :-)



• Purchased today at Sunrise Records(2 videos for $10):




• Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense


• Daft Punk - D.A.F.T.: A Story About Dogs, Androids, Firemen and Tomatoes




• Purchased today at MusicWorld:




• Rage Against The Machine - Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium(DVD)






• CD: Thank God for liquidation outlets. Scored some great CD's(at rockbottom prices!) including:




• Afghan Whigs, The - 1965


• Babybird - Cornershop (cd single)


• Bats, The - The Law of Things


• Helium - Superball E.P.


• Hersh, Kristin - Strange Angels


• Janowitz, Bill - Lonesome Billy


• Long Winters, The - the worst you can do is harm


• Tsunami - World Tour and Other Destinations


• Verve, The - Bitter Sweet Symphony(CD single 2 of 2)





• MP3/MPEG:




• some Ben Gibbard mp3's as well as an mpeg of Death Cab for Cutie performing 'The New Year' on Late Show with Craig Kilborn available at www.hardlylove.net/mp3/. Get them while you can!


• Ben Gibbard's session on KEXP(in 2003) available in mp3 format at http://students.washington.edu/eeyem/drop/2003%20Ben%20Gibbard%20on%20KEXP





• music news: Zero 7 will release their new album on March 7 according to the official Zero 7 site. If you're a fan of Portishead, Hooverphonic and downtempo music you've probably heard of Zero 7 and are eagerly anticipating the new album.




• If you haven't heard of Zero 7, check out their song 'Destiny'(from their first CD 'Simple Things') available as a free mp3 at Epitonic.com.

"It was forty years ago today..."

• CNN.COM: When the Beatles hit America: U.S. arrival 40 years ago changed pop music, culture...It's funny; The Beatles started out as a pop band playing r'n'b covers and their own lightweight(yet enjoyable) pop originals but they(along with their producer George Martin) became pop music innovators. Who at the time would have thought.



• I received an e-mail from shibuya-kei@yahoogroups.com which is devoted to "fans of the Shibuya-kei style of Japanese pop (Jpop) music." The e-mail mentioned a record label called eenie meenie records which has just released a CD compilation called "PAR AVION-GLOBAL INDIE CLUBPOP". The following is the tracklisting:
  
  
  TRACK LIST
  
  1. YLK ORGANISATION- Happiness
  
  
  2. STEREO TOTAL- Hey Protest
  
  
  3. GALACTICA- Electronica
  
  
  4. FIGURINE- Impossible
  
  
  5. MAJESTIC- Nyra and Michelle
  
  
  6. EEL-FILLE UNIQUE- Homme Sympathique
  
  
  7. THE PANCAKES- Rock Guitar
  
  
  8. STARS- Elevator Love Letter
  
  
  9. I AM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER- Dancing Alone
  
  
  10. THE RAYMAKERS- Unending Capacity
  
  
  11. SEKSU ROBA- To Go or Not to Go
  
  
  12. VAU SHARRI- Machine
  
  
  
  Interesting compilation. I've only heard Stars' wonderful 'Elevator Love Song'. eenie meenie records looks like an interesting label, as the website describes itself "Forging a bridge between the Los Angeles underground music scene and Tokyo pop culture" . The page also has a bunch of mp3 downloads. Check 'em out!
  



• Toronto Star: Land of the Pilgrim, home of the prude - Peter Howell...Yesterday I read the article which summarizes my feelings in a nutshell regarding the Janet Jackson 'breast' controversy. Why is North American media so intent on censoring nudity and anything to do with sex but do not hold such high standards in censoring violence? It's really quite illogical. I'm not saying that hard-core porn, or for that matter images of Janet Jackson's breast should be part of our prime-time television diet; but this was an isolated incident, and it was only a breast. Can we all just forget about it and move on to the next topic?



• I've read several lacklustre reviews of April March's recent show at Lee's Palace. Check out the review of the show at UmbrellaMusic. See, I am one one of those fans who 'get' her music based on the CD's I have of hers(in particular, 'Chrominance Decoder'). I think I would have enjoyed her show in a small venue such as Lee's Palace, especially if I was given a unobstructed view of her. I can't blame her for being a bit unenthuastic considering I read that her van broke down on the way to Toronto from Montreal; in addition, I remember clearly that there was a snowstorm that day. And to add injury to insult, I read that there was not a large turnout to her show in Toronto(I wanted to go, but decided not to because of the weather). Let's hope that April March returns during the warmer months!

Music, man

• Check out all the cool concert announcements at Eye Weekly(for those in the Greater Toronto Area). Coming soon to a venue near me:




• THE HIGH LLAMAS. Lee's Palace. $12, Feb 25


• YEAH YEAH YEAHS w/ TV on the Radio. Phoenix. $20, (Early show: doors 5:30pm.) Feb 27


• NEKO CASE & THE SADIES. Lee's Palace. Apr 3-4





• MP3's: I checked out The Anti-Hit List by John Sakamoto which is published in Eye Weekly. Number 1 on the list (for the week of Feb.05.2004) is JAY BENNETT(ex-Wilco member), "My Little Wicked One", which is an mp3(along with others) that is available for download at www.bennettburch.com.



• Concert: Pulled this info off www.ontariomusic.com:
  
  FRIDAY FEB 6TH
  MIDNIGHT TRAIN IN BRAMPTON
  45 RAILROAD ST
  
  THE ABANDONED HEARTS CLUB
  CONTROLLER CONTROLLER
  ROSESDEAD
  SEETHING
  6/2/04
  
  DOORS AT 6:30
  $6
  ALL AGES
  
  If I end up going, it'll be to see awesome locals(well actually Torontonians) controller.controller. But then again, it's all-ages...I hate all-ages shows(years of going to see concerts at Molson Park have soured me).



• Grammy Awards: The only category that I'm really interested in is Best Alternative Music Album. Here are the nominees in that category(taken from The Grammys official site):
  
  Best Alternative Music Album
  (Vocal or Instrumental.)
  
  
  
  • Fight Test
    The Flaming Lips
    [Warner Bros. Records]
  
  
  
  • Hail To The Thief
    Radiohead
    [Capitol Records]
  
  
  
  • Untitled
    Sigur Rós
    [Fat Cat/MCA Records]
  
  
  
  • Elephant
    The White Stripes
    [V2/ThirdMan Records]
  
  
  
  • Fever To Tell
    Yeah Yeah Yeahs
    [Interscope Records]
  
  
  
  The 46th GRAMMYs will take place on Feb. 8 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. With a tribute to The Beatles and notable performances by The White Stripes, Foo Fighters, Outkast and George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic scheduled, this could be one of the more interesting Grammy's. And Beck will be presenting an award also!

"So What'cha Want "

• dotmusic: "The Beastie Boys are reportedly putting the finishing touches on their first new album in five years." As the article states, the new record is "all hip-hop". I have full confidence in their artistic endeavours at this stage of their lives but at some point I just can't see the Beastie Boys performing 'Sabatoge' when they're 50 years old. But I'm psyched for the new album, and a little nostalgic for the days of yore, when they would be releasing their album under their own imprint Grand Royal which is no more :-(.



• MP3's: I received an e-mail from the neverwalkagain@yahoogroups.com mailing list which is devoted to the British band Gene:
  
  "Hello Gene Fans!
  
  From next Monday (9th), there shall be an Gene 'acoustic' week at
  the 'Never Walk Again' site.
  Whats this?
  Well it will be different MP3's avaliable to download each night
  from various Gene acoustic sessions from over the years.
  Each individual MP3 will be avaliable for 1 day only and will run
  from Mon - Sun.
  
  Please keep this message as a reminder as i will probably forget to
  send another one before the time!
  
  Take Care,
  LewisX"
  
  Yes, this band is still around, they released a swell record "Libertine" a couple of years ago, and is still touring. In order to have access to the mp3's you'll have to sign up to the group through Yahoo! I can't wait till next week!



• MP3's, part II: Surf to Bradley's Almanac, and check out the almanac mp3 of the week, as well as some full live sets(currently of Fugazi and Unwound) available for download.



• Sports: NBA.COM: The 2004 NBA All-Star reserves were announced yesterday. Check out the complete rosters.

"Wake me up"

• A friend of mine at work lent me her Evanescence CD 'Fallen'. The vocalist has a a beautiful ethereal voice. I'm not a big fan of today's mainstream alternative music but some bands such as Evanescence, Linkin Park, Billy Talent etc...have caught my attention on occasion with their singles. I'm sorry to say, but nothing on Evanescence's CD 'Fallen' tops their singles 'Going Under', 'Bring Me To Life', and 'My Immortal'. Some of the other songs on the CD have a more prominent 'goth' feel, and I've never really been a fan of that music. The piano balladry of 'My Immortal' is beautiful and gives me chills. 'Going Under' and 'Bring Me To Life'(especially with that rap break) are tough melodic hard rock songs. I'll give the CD a few more listens before I really make up my mind.



• I picked up the new issue of Exclaim! today. Of note is the advertisment advertising the Exclaim! 12th Anniversary Cross-Canada Concert Series. So far the west coast dates will be featuring Broken Social Scene, The Stills, and Raising the Fawn. The east coast dates(including Toronto) will be featuring so far Tortoise, and Four Tet. I'm sure these are all interesting bands on one level or another(I'd especially like to see Broken Social Scene but they're not playing in Toronto), but so far I'm not really excited about this year's series.



• News on the music front! : dotmusic: Pixies reunited...It can only be a matter of time before The Pixies tour North America! (well, let's hope)



• DVD news: Oscar nominee/Golden Globe winner Lost In Translation is out on DVD today. For a DVD that is fairly bare-bones(ie. lack of special features), the DVD is fairly expensive: the cheapest I saw it was for $26.99 at Futureshop. I like the movie alot but I'll like it even better on sale.



• MP3's: a shitload of mp3's for download at this Modest Mouse web site [click on sounds]



• While I was at Futureshop today, they were playing House of Pain's 'Jump Around' which is a really wicked song. DJ Muggs is the man! Click here for the mp3 to the song.




• Also check out the DJ Muggs site for the latest news on his Mash-Up Radio show(check out some samples on the main page). The site mentions that he worked on the new Cypress Hill album which is to come out in March!

"I'm Sorry Ms. Jackson"

• No Apologies Necessary ;-) : Yahoo! News: Janet Jackson Apologizes for Bared Breast



• Made it out to Blue Mountain yesterday(with my bro' and cousin) for my second ski trip of the season. Picked up my season pass(allows me 5 days/7 nights a week skiing for an early bird price of about $100.00). My photo for the pass turned out ....let's just say I'm far from thrilled. The slopes at Blue Mountain are a little more difficult than I'm used to, but at least no wicked wipeouts...when in doubt, snowplough!



• yet another trip to Indigo Books yields the following CD purchases(at 75% off the regular price!):




• Daft Punk - Homework


• Daft Punk - Discovery


• Various Artists - Free the West Memphis 3 [COMPILATION]


• Jayhawks, The - Smile




• Also purchased the following cassettes(remember those?) in the bargain bin at Sunrise Records:




• Divine Styler - Spiral Walls Containing Autumns of Light


• Fugazi - End Hits


• Bats, The - Silverbeet


• Various Artists - Means to an End: The Music of Joy Division




• late night TV alert:




• Fountains of Wayne, LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, CBS, Thursday February 5, 2004


• The Walkmen, LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, NBC, Friday February 6, 2004


• Dizzee Rascal, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE, ABC, Tuesday February 10, 2004


• Presidents of the United States of America, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE, ABC, Thursday February 12, 2004


• Starsailor, THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, NBC, Friday February 13, 2004