Fresh Tracks

Soundcloud is my new best friend

2011-09-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

The name had drifted through my crowd for awhile, but I'd never really taken the time to find out how cool Soundcloud really is. After working from home for a few weeks I discovered hanging out with Soundcloud is way cooler than putting together silly little playlists from tracks I'd bought off iTunes. When I really needed a pal Soundcloud was there for me, and still is, whether it's while I'm sitting at my computer feeling uninspired or need a boost as I cruise through VanCity...I can always get Soundcloud on the phone.

It's like this whole new scene opened up for me, and all of a sudden I realized I'm not alone, that people in this scene like the same kinda beats as me.

I've never been a top 40 girl, never will. In grade 6, I was listening to RunDMC and the Beastie Boys. By grade 9, the hip hop got heavier, hanging with TooShort, IceT and Brand Nubian. Me and my buddy would sit at the Ravina bleachers belting out lyrics that no 14-year-old should know. It was at the same time I also found house, when another friend would wanna wile away the hours on the dancefloor of all-ages club Focus hidden behind Toronto city hall.

My love for house has stayed true but has also gotten deeper and more complex. Seems I'm not the only one. Here are my a few favs for the week, and if you want a deeper dose of my reality, check out more tracks I heart

JUNIOR BOYS - FM (Tensnake Remix) by Tensnake

Moby - I Love To Move In Here (Holy Ghost! Remix) by future classic

I had absolutely no idea who this guy was either, but find myself missing him like family when I'm away too long:

29 min mix 2011 - GUIDO by guido productions

Sookie's Song of the Week: Niggas In Paris

2011-08-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Kanye West x HOV = WATCH THE THRONE / Niggas In Paris. from JM.TREFLE on Vimeo.

So Kanye West and Jay-Z launched their new album Watch the Throne this week, and I surprisingly can't stop listening to it. I'm happy Kanye moved away from the all too ubiquitous auto-tune treatment to his tracks and went for something bassy and glitchy like this. I almost feel like he and Jay have their finger on the pulse of us Northwest coast bass junkies. My fav is the pulsating Niggas In Paris, I know the lyrics are typical hip hop hype but I'm still down...knowing sometimes you gotta throw it down so hard and dirty like this muthafuckers will fine you.

Sookie's Song of the Week: Tell Me - Jacques Greene

2011-06-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in my social media web I found a little news nugget about Jacques Greene, a 21-year-old Canadian house music producer, soon to unleash an official remix for Radiohead's King of Limbs. Digging deeper revealed that Jacques had just spun here in Montreal for Mutek but i missed it! Fortunately I can probably catch up with him on the west coast where he's bound to spin some silky tracks for fans at Bass Coast project, my favorite music festival last summer.

Amazing Alien Toad on Discovery Channel

2010-07-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a story I produced on the pipa pipa ( Surinam Toad) for Discovery Channel's show Is It Possible? It was filmed at the Vancouver Aquarium where they had a "pregnant" and camera-shy Pipa Pipa:

Best Olympic Moment from Torino 2006

2009-06-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 10AM, when Olympic tickets were to go back on sale today, and quietly sat biding my time for a couple hours in the virtual waiting room of www.vancouver2010.com. The page refreshed automatically, every 30 seconds, allowing users random access to the ticket site. When I finally got my chance I made my picks of available tickets but they seemed to disappear under my nose. Fortunately I did nail the one ticket I wanted above all else, the Olympic Ladies' Snowboard Cross. I doubt it'll be anything like my favourite Olympic moment from Torino in 2006 but I'm ecstatic that I got a chance like the rest of the world to be part of 2010.

Eminem the Rapper Was Prepared for the Bruno Ass Cracker.

2009-06-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

So the MTV movie award stunt with "Bruno" landing in Eminem's lap was a stunt, according to my sources at Dose.ca (: . I knew Cohen's wires hadn't just had a Janet Jackson-style malfunction, he definitely knew what he was doing. The comedian recently had to stop filming his new Bruno flick because of an anal bleaching gone wrong - if that hasn't enough [press] to foreshadow the flying ass cracker manouvre I figured it had to be a stunt considering the Samberg sandwich with Timberlake in the limo. It was an obvious prelude of what was to come. What I can't figure out is, what benefit was it for Eminem? I think it would've been better if they kissed, a la, Britney and Madonna. It would've got all the mainstream press involved too, or at least CNN.

How to party like a 16 year old

2009-02-21T12:51:00.000-08:00

I did have some great parties in High School but nothing like this!

Self-defense for Beginners

2008-07-14T13:47:00.001-07:00

It's important to know self-defense I think. Here John Cleese demonstrates a proven method of protecting yourself against an attacker.

Spook in the City - Colborne Lodge

2008-06-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

Travel with John and Sookie to all the spooky places in the city like historic High Park where we reveal the ghastly hauntings of Colborne Lodge.

Spook in the City - Grenadier Pond

2008-06-12T17:11:00.001-07:00

It's said that a group of soldiers called the Grenadiers fell through the ice of High Park's Grenadier Pond during battle in the 1800's. Many did not make it out alive.

Spook in the City - Royal York Ballroom

2008-06-12T17:10:00.001-07:00

The Spook in the City series continues with the haunting tale of what’s been referred to as the Crystal Ballroom, the once vibrant then vacant top floor of the Royal York Hotel in Toronto.

Spook in the City - Royal York Hallway

2008-06-12T16:58:00.001-07:00

In this series John and Sookie take viewers to the scene of a high-profile haunting in Toronto. Follow us through the empty halls for a chilling tale.

Spook in the City - Royal York stairwell

2008-06-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

Delve into the scene of a high-profile haunting in Toronto with John and Sookie. Watch and you'll learn the dangers awaiting in the Royal York stairwell.

Hot Docs Festival Brings the Best of Documentary to Toronto

2008-04-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

The Hot Docs festival kicked off in Toronto last Thursday with a moving documentary, Air India 182, bringing to life the stories of families touched by the worst act of terror Canadians have ever encountered.

After this opening weekend the festival buzz is heating up, giving high honours to Football Undercover, a film profiling a Muslim women’s soccer team, as well as Carny, a colourful doc that explores the strong and unusual bonds of one girl on the road.

Cuban Song could be given a miss I’m told. The documentary follows in the tracks of other Cuban docs that show how life and music mesh in Havana, however it lacks the depth and tone set by its cinematic predecessors. Tiger Spirit failed to engage audiences in the story of divided Koreans reuniting for the first time in decades, while Club Native hit home showing the difficult side of life for Mohawk Indians uniting with partners off their reserve. (Thanks for the tips & reviews John, Lana & Diego).

I’ve got my festival pass – 10 films for $90 – but have been caught up preparing for a BBC micro-session on how to approach research for forensics documentaries. I’ll be presenting a Cold Blood case study Wednesday at 2:30PM. Those with an industry pass are welcome to swing by and see what you can learn about the field of archive and visual research from our experienced panel.

You Ain't Artsier Than Me

2008-03-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Knew nothing about The Grouch when I found his video Artsy on YouTube - best video I've seen in awhile. Of course he follows some of the breakthough, now mainstream, animation style Apple did for itunes (think Eminem), but he wraps it up in the last minute with a style so fresh it makes me wanna learn how to illustrate and make hip hip videos too.

Spook in the City: The Distillery District

2008-03-08T12:31:00.000-08:00

Spook in the City takes viewers on a tour of the dark side of Toronto to the scene of a high-profile haunting, because no one is too old for a chilling ghost story.

In this first of the series from Haloween 2006, John and I visited the Distillery District. It's the largest example of Victorian industrial architecture in North America and a top destination for shoppers, gallery lovers and foodies. Some seriously spooky stories lie behind its cold stone walls.

Women On Mars?

2008-01-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

NASA distributed recent pictures, taken by Mars explorer Spirit, on the red planet which news reports are speculating could be a sign of life on the planet. The photo, they say, depicts a female figure walking down a mountain swinging her arm. How they know the figure is female beats me, and without a sequence of images it's really difficult to believe that there's any movement of the figure. For all I know it could be a bizarre geological feature of the planet that creates such sculpted figures. Perhaps Henry Moore left something behind in a recent visit.

2008 Weblog Awards

2008-01-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

If you take your blogging to heart now's the time to stand up and nominate your favourite blogs for the 2008 Bloggies and get a little recoginition for your efforts and the efforts of those blogs you love. While entries can come from around the globe, finalists will be announced in Texas and on the web January 22.

Gmail Licenses My Fav Family Pic

2007-12-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

Seems Gmail scours flickr for free pictures too. In this case they came across my favourite family photo, one of my father and me as a small child in a Rocky Mountain snowfall. About a week ago they asked to license the rights for its use and tomorrow evening (the 25th) the shot goes live on their logout page for US users only.

Happy Hallowe'en Toronto!

2007-10-30T16:34:00.001-07:00

Five short episodes of Spook in the City are online at blogTO including the latest, the hauntings of Colborne Lodge.

Follow John and I as we reveal the dark secrets of some of Toronto's most historic places, and prepare to be spooked!

Colborne Lodge

The Distillery District

The Royal York's Haunted Stairwell

The Royal York's Haunted Hallway

The Royal York's Crystal Ballroom

Microstock Means Cheaper Stock Photography

2007-10-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

I've had a fair amount of success getting my photographs published using Flickr, but so far I've made only about $100, for one shot that hangs in a Yorkville hotel. Now I've begun selling my photos through microstock manager Fotolia.

Microstock sites are popping up frequently, challenging old licensing models and the expensive stills rates of traditional photographic agencies. Microstock sites, now used with more frequency by online and print media designers, can deliver high-quality photographs for super cheap rates, often starting at only a dollar. So far, I've only posted a few shots in my stills portfolio, but with my new Canon S5IS in hand, I intend to add dozens more and hopefully reap the rewards of my snap-happy hobby.

If you've got a bunch of snaps you think could sell commercially, click this link to Fotolia and sign up. I'll get a credit for the referral and you'll make some extra bucks doing something you enjoy.

BlogTV Fails to Engage

2007-09-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

It wasn't long ago blogTV.ca (no relation) announced its TV portal of the future by cruising the city in obnoxious Hummers screaming out for attention, and 'viewers'. Initially business was good for the social networking slash video site, owned and operated by Alliance Atlantis. However, since the launch in March, traffic had dropped steadily and sales never really got off the ground. Today, a memo explaining this and declaring that the end is in sight was circulated to employees in the interactive department. There's no future for these kids. Playback speculates several execs may go down with the ship too.

I can't say I'm upset about this. My first experience with the site was one of disgust. I'd attended Ron Jeremy's book launch at The Gladstone and suffered some audio issues with my camera. I needed some video fast. Since I knew the crew from blogTV had been there I scoped their site for some video of the event. The first I came across was a pre-Jeremy interview with two lovely ladies in the back of the blogTV limo, er, Hummer. The backseat sleazeball from the site kept zooming in on the girl's boobs then began asking them to take their tops off for the camera. It didn't seem like these girls had expected the 'interview' to take this direction. They politely declined, and then it just got gross. The 'interviewer' was fixated on getting his money shot and wouldn't take no for an answer. He kept repeating his proposal. They held firm, surely hoping Jeremy would soon arrive and break-up the routine. It was uncomfortable for me, so I can only imagine how these ladies felt. Next time I saw the blogTV Hummer parked on College Street I made a point of telling them how horrible I thought they were and never visited their site again. Adios sleazeballs.

According to the memo the site will cease operating on the 28th. As of yet no plans are in place to maintain or move user-generated content. Read what people think about the demise of blogTV on blogTO.

HBO's Flight of the Conchords

2007-09-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

I've got a favourite new show - Flight of the Conchords produced by HBO. I've been watching them on TMN on Demand. Problem is I've watched the whole first season over a week or two and now I'm hungry for more. I find myself cruising through YouTube to get a fix of the Conchords.

If I pitch it to you you may not be sold, you're gonna have to watch the video. It's just that the concept doesn't sound all that original, at first. I used to get similar pitches a fair bit when I worked in development.

Here it is anyway: A couple guys in a band struggle to make something of themselves in the big city. Difference is these are a couple of idiots from New Zealand living in New York City, they've got one fan and they're not actually any good when they perform - unless you're into hearing the lyrics "I Like to Rock The Party" repeated endlessly. Yet, when they break into lyrical reverie mid-conversation these guys are brilliant, and hilarious. Their musical paradoies rival anything Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake could dream up. Hopefully the show's duo, Jemaine and Bret, will one day have their big breakthrough too.

Trapped Premiers on History Canada 8PM Saturday Night

2007-09-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

On the 13th of October 1972 a turboprop plane carrying a rugby team from Uruguay crashed deep in the Andes mountains. Those who’d managed to make it out alive were stranded in one of the harshest places on earth. In the months that followed these men lived out one of the greatest survival stories of our time. Tomorrow night at 8PM, in the premier episode of the series Trapped, you can hear the stories of those that survived first hand. Nando Parrado will share details of his grueling trek across the mountains to find help, while Carlos Paez will reveal how he never gave up looking for his son, Carlitos, who’d also been a passenger on the plane.

Like many of you, I'd seen the movie Alive with Ethan Hawke years ago, but it came nowhere near in inspiring me as much as the real accounts of these men have. Working on the show as visual researcher I confronted the story daily, sourcing long forgotten footage of the rescue and the reunion with loved ones. I found photos of the survivors struggling to survive in such a desperate climate, living within a fuselage they’d made their home. Every bit I saw revealed an incredible strength of spirit, the kind of spirit that has now led each one of the survivors to positions of wealth and great personal success.

In a bizarre bit of irony, the film crew who was shooting dramatic reenactments at a rock quarry north of Toronto found themselves trapped by a severe snowstorm. Dangerous conditions such as white-outs had closed all roads in the area. Location Manager, Craig Williams took on the task of arranging a police escort for all film crew and their vehicles. Fortunately for them, this time help was close at hand.

Trapped will air on History Channel in Canada Saturday, September 8 at 8PM, Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th at 2AM and again next Saturday the 15th at 8PM.

National Geographic Channel will broadcast the series in most other countries in the world.

The UK premier on National Geographic is Monday, October 1 at 9PM.

All photos above borrowed from the DOP's flickr site.

The Simpsons Speak to America

2007-07-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

The Simpsons TV show has been running for years and had yet to really tackle the issue of homophobia. Wikipedia's main article today talks of a recent episode revolving entirely around this. In the episode Homer's Phobia, Homer meets a gay man but then distances himself when he finds out because he thinks the man's sexuality could negatively impact his son Bart.

I could care less that The Simpsons are doing a gay episode, in fact I think they're somewhat behind the times if it's taken this long to speak to America on issues of homosexuality. What's fascinating to me is that the Fox Network originally didn't want to air the episode because it was considered too racy. Fortunately there was a shake up with production executives and new execs at Fox released the show. Homer's Phobia went on to win four awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less) and a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding TV - Individual Episode".

I can't believe Americans still live in a society where network executives are afraid of anti-gay backlash. TV has an enormous influence on Americans and can help them, even through satire, realize that being gay and hanging out with people who are is the same as hanging out with straight people. It's astonishing really that there are still many many Americans who haven't yet realized this themselves. If Homer's cool with it, maybe they can be too.