Sonic "JB"log

Horse, Foxes

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:30:00 +0000

The Boxer The Horse EP, The Late Show is now available at Zunior.com! The write up pretty much says it all:

"The new Sloan? The new Pavement? Boxer The Horse! - Tuesday 15 July, 2008
Okay, so we may be laying it on bit thick but we really like a new band from Canada's East Coast called Boxer The Horse. The new ep is like Pavement fronted by Bob Dylan with Jay Ferguson on tambourine. A great band that you can see for yourself right here on Zunior.tv. Their new EP is only $5.55 on Zunior."

I also really love this quote from a review on the Wolves, Hawks and Kites blog: "Simply put, with its six diverse tracks The Late Show exhibits more potential and vivacious know-how than most bands can fathom. " Not. Too. Shabby.

Other than just loving Boxer in general and spreading the good word where ever i go, i've also been listening to the Fleet Foxes Tunes on myspace. They're so pretty...

Best Video of the 90s

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:28:00 +0000

Happy Friday. Have Coffee & TV!

Preview The New Matt Mays & El Torpedo Album

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:43:00 +0000

Terminal Romance, due out next Tuesday, is streaming in its entirety on the MuchMusic site. If you're curious... http://www.muchmusic.com/music/firstspin/mattmays/

PEI Pop Explosion

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:54:00 +0000

I don't know what's in the water over 'on' PEI these days, but there are some fantastic pop / rock bands coming from there as of late. Two Hours Traffic seem to have started the trend, then along came the Danks, Smothered In Hugs and my very very favourite band in years, Boxer The Horse (who I've blogged about before).

Smothered In Hugs - If you like a good indie pop 80s vibe. The songs on myspace aren't my favourite on the record, but you get the idea.
Boxer The Horse* - If you like The Kinks, Pavement, Bob Dylan, music in general, or if you still want to be my friend...
The Danks (see vid below) - If you like cute Strokes-like indie rock.

*More about Boxer The Horse. Since I already blogged about them the day I heard their first demo, I was going to try and refrain from going to crazy on Boxer posts... but I can't help it. I LOVE this band. Their EP, The Late Show will soon be available on Zunior.com. Buy it.

A few of us recently took an overnight road trip to see them play live in Charlottetown and it was WELL worth the trip. The show was great, the guys are so sweet, and finding out that they were only 19 & 20 years old impressed me even more. The band is barely a year old, and they really have nowhere to go but up. Seriously... keep an eye on them. Herohill blogged about them today as well, so it's not just me. Although I do feel like I am slightly obsessed with this band of youngin's, I make no apologies. I am a Boxer cheerleader. And I won't stop until the country takes notice. or until they politely ask me to quit with the crazy...

Concerts Announcement: Summersonic Festival

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:07:00 +0000

We're excited about this! I, personally, am excited for Wintersleep to come home and to see Black Keys again. For two dudes, they can certainly make themselves heard. I saw them twice before while opening up for Radiohead in a Montreal theatre and thought they were pretty fun... You?

Black Keys:

Sonic Concerts Announcement: Bloc Party

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:03:00 +0000

Sept 14 & 15. Info and tickets: http://www.sonicconcerts.com/

And tonight... The Sadies!
Watch this video of them backing GORD DOWNIE, singing one of my very favourite Iggy & The Stooges songs. This is almost too much goodness. Be prepared... (just pretend the sound was better).

So You Think You Can Do This?

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:49:00 +0000

I have a guilty Reality TV pleasure (ok, quite a few - but this one's my favourite) in "So You Think You Can Dance". Although it's still in the kind-of-boring audition stage, THIS was on last night and I can't stop watching it. I honestly have trouble doing a full sit up, and I can't (and never could) bend over and touch my toes. I never ever felt bad about that until now. Check this guy out:

"So Wonderfully Wonderfully Wonderfully Wonderfully Pretty..."

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:40:00 +0000

THE LOVECATS

I Just Saw Leonard Cohen

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:56:00 +0000

(photo from Halifax Herald)

Leonard Cohen. May 12. Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Halifax, NS. 8-11pm.

Brilliant and beautiful, last night's show was all that I was hoping it would be and more. Spectacular band, lighting, sound, voice, crowd... I've loved Len for years, but now I just might be obsessed. Maybe obsessed isn't the right word. But...either way, whatever I am, that show was UNbelievable. One of the top 3 best concerts I've ever seen. And I've danced on stage with Pearl Jam, watched Radiohead in a soft seat theatre on their last tour, saw the legendary BB King, the White Stripes in a small pool hall with about 60 other people, Wilco on the Waterfront, Do Make Say Think outside in a field at sunset, and my first big show was Bob Dylan in the 1990s.

Set List:
1. Dance Me to the End of Love

2. The Future

3. There Ain't No Cure for Love

4. Bird on the Wire

5. Everybody Knows

6. In My Secret Life

7. Who By Fire

8. Anthem (Ring the Bells)

INTERMISSION

9. Tower of Song

10. Suzanne

11. Gypsy Wife

12. Boogie Street

13. Hallelujah

14. Democracy

15. I'm Your Man

16. Take This Waltz

ENCORE

17. Heart With No Companion

18. So Long Marianne

19. First We Take Manhattan

ENCORE 2

20. Closing Time

ENCORE 3

21. I Tried to Leave You

ObliVideo

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Wintersleep - Oblivion (By Darren Pasemko)

Little Radio

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:12:00 +0000

Although I sometimes forget about it, I recently rediscovered littleradio.com. For someone who is as terrible at finding new bands these days as I am... it's a great way to discover new things. It's the best streaming 'radio' station online. A sample playlist is below.

Annuals - Around Your Neck / Hayden - Worthy of Your Esteem / Sonic Youth - Do You Believe In Rapture? / Red House Painters Grace Cathedral Park / The Cave Singers - Seeds Of Night / Muse - Citizen Erased / Radiohead - Reckoner /The Hives - Puppet On A String / Holy Fuck -The Pulse / White Stripes - Jolene / Preston School Of Industry - Get Your Crayons Out! / The Detroit Cobras - On A Monday / Pavement - Soul Food /Carbon/silicon - Tell It Like It Is / Gruff Rhys - Beacon In The Darkness / Dinosaur Jr - Back To Your Heart / Grizzly Bear - Knife (coverd By Css) / Califone - 3legged Animals / Andrew Bird - Dark Matter / Neko Case - Blacklisted / The Little Ones - Lovers Who Uncover / The Pink Snowflakes - Our Electric Hair /Yo La Tengo - The Room Got Heavy / Afghan Whigs - Turn On The Water / Pink Mountaintops -Cold Criminals /Band Of Horses - Lamb Of The Lam (in The City) / The Von Bondies - Save My Life / Camera Obscura - Let's Go Bowling / Grizzly Bear - Deep Blue Sea (daniel Rossen Home Recording) / Animal Collective - Cuckoo Cuckoo / The Flaming Lips Free Radicals [the Bird And The Bee Mix]

Annnnnnnnnnnd in other news... new Beginners album on its way!

The Almighty Roots Crew

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:38:00 +0000

It's official. The Roots just released my favourite album of 2008.
Guests include Common, DJ Jazzy Jeff, mos def and more. soooooooo sooooooooo good. the perfect addition to your spring and summer. If you like The Roots...even a little bit...go get this now. Buy older albums that you don't have while you're at it.
Choice tracks upon first listen (ok after 3 times through): "Criminal", "I Can't Help It", "Singing Man", ... whatever, screw it, they're all good.

More vids + stuff here: http://www.myspace.com/theroots

"Tall Trees Hangin' Over The Road..."

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:48:00 +0000

New Matt Mays & El Torpedo song is up at www.myspace.com/mattmayseltorpedo
New tour dates coming up as well. With Kid Rock. No lie.

Soup and New Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:46:00 +0000

I was all set to "appreciation post" about my love for Blind Melon's Soup (It's easily one of my favourite albums of the mid-late nineties... i don't care what you say Mike G...) - but I got completely distracted by Nick Rose. You see, Danny G (that's 'Dan Griffin' for those of you who don't speak in JB uber fan language)'s touring drummer stopped in today. While talking music, he suggested that I check out Rose on Myspace. And I did. And I love it. Pretty folk/country/indie niceness. If you like Paul Simon, Blue Rodeo, pedal steel... you should really take a spin through the 4 songs on myspace. Thank you Rich Knox (who I see also plays in the band... how sneaky ;) ).

And also... listen to Soup.

SONIC CONCERTS Announcement: MM&ET Return

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:39:00 +0000

So I heard some songs off of the new record coming from Mike's office. There's some good stuff about to come out from these guys... Debuting songs from the new album, Terminal Romance... Matt Mays & El Torpedo. Marquee. June 6. Tix at mattmays.com.

Juno Weekend Wrap Up

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:07:00 +0000

Highlights:

- Tim "Squirly D" D'Eon scoring a goal for the Rockers against the NHLers team in the JunoCup game. And also watching his fight (resulting in a penalty shot) with Macoun.

From The Calgary Herald: Tim D'Eon of The Rockers gets hit by Jamie Macoun.
Photograph by : Todd Korol, Reuters

- Watching Jim Cuddy and Lanny MacDonald in a sing-off at centre ice

- Staying in the hotel that claims to have created the Caesar (the drink, not the salad...and yes, I had a few). Wikipedia article here.

"The cocktail was invented by bartender Walter Chell at the Owl's Nest Bar in the Calgary Inn (now Calgary Westin Hotel) in Calgary, Alberta in 1969, to accompany the opening of a new restaurant, Marco's."

- Being in the building to see the guys accept a Juno.

Now You Know

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:31:00 +0000

I'm off to Juno weekend in Calgary. First, a present from 1990 for you before I go:

"Never trust a big butt and a smile..."

Ryan Cook & Sunny Acres Vs. Wintersleep

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:47:00 +0000

Ryan Cook and I went to high school together. He is from Yarmouth like me and Paul and Tim are. Today is his birthday.

Ryan used to sing in a hardcore band. Is that what I call it? Hardcore? Metal?... either way, now he sings awesome old school County & Western songs. WhileI was searching for a facebook wall on which to post some birthday wishes, I came upon a player that allowed me to stream some of the above mentioned awesome old school Country & Western songs, and which also offered up a Ryan Cook & Sunny Acres version of Wintersleep's "Orca". Hear it here. Listen to the other songs also!

More songs, dates, photos @ http://www.myspace.com/ryankcook

Nude Remix

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:19:00 +0000

Radiohead are issuing a challenge: http://www.radioheadremix.com/information/
So far Holy Fuck is in the lead. Check it out: http://www.radioheadremix.com

"If I Could Give You Anything..."

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:10:00 +0000

...I'd give you these vids of Wintersleep in Tokyo (compiled and edited by mr. L Campbell) and Sonic Youth's "Cinderella's Big Score". Both are posted below.
Now that I have your attention, I also feel compelled to let you know that SNAILHOUSE will be playing at Gus' Pub this Thursday, April 3. Aaaand DAN GRIFFIN will return to the city on Wed., April 9 for a full band set at The Seahorse. yay and yay.

Travels in Tokyo:

Classic SY:

Songs For A Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:21:00 +0000

Will Cookson of Edinburgh requested that I add him as a friend on myspace. Because I think he songs are pretty, I think I just might. Another good myspace find. What have YOU done for me lately, Facebook?

Check out songs on myspace or click on "Listen to some songs..." on his website.

Song of the Week: Come Clean

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:42:00 +0000

"10 lbs" is great, "Karate Man" is a classic, but this song is where it's AT. From The Super Friendz' Mock Up, Scale Down (1995)... i give you "Come Clean" (choose from the menu on NMC). As good today as it was 13 years ago...

Friday Songs

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:27:00 +0000

I find that on Fridays, I tend to listen to loud hip hop or Bruce Springsteen at least once throughout the day. Today I've been into both. In honour of Friday, coming out of a long week, I give you Jay-Z and a song Springsteen supposedly originally wrote for Elvis Presley (yet ended up being a hit for The Pointer Sisters)...

FIRE

(Holy hell I want to see Bruce live)

DIRT OFF YOUR SHOULDER

Cohen At The Cohn!!!!!!!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:46:00 +0000

"One by one the guests arrive /The guests are coming through /The open-hearted many / The broken-hearted few

And those who dance begin to dance / And those who weep begin / Welcome, welcome, cries a voice / Let all my guests come in..."

- L. Cohen

Just saw a press release saying that Leonard Cohen will play the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium - May 12 and 13. Tickets are expensive but I will pay top dollar to be as close to him as possible. Some brilliance:
"Suzanne" - Isle of Wight (1970)

Cohen Interview clip + Rufus Wainright singing "Chelsea Hotel"

"You told me again you prefered handsome men, but for me you would make an exception..."

"So Long Marianne" - Live (1979)

Reciting "A Thousand Kisses Deep"

Lyrics:

"IF IT BE YOUR WILL"

If it be your will
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before
I will speak no more
I shall abide until
I am spoken for
If it be your will
If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill
I will sing to you
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing (MORE)

"HALLELUJAH"

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
HallelujahHallelujahHallelujahHallelujah (MORE)

Tokyo Eye

noreply@blogger.com (JB) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:40:00 +0000

A few photos from our trip to Tokyo:

1) Upon landing at Narita...happy to be on the ground after the 10 hour flight from Vancouver.

2) Getting off the bus from the airport in Shibuya...

3) Tomoko at Shibuya Crossing. My first look at the world's busiest intersection. I explored while the guys ate Shushi.

4) Shushi...the aftermath

5) Sake barrels on the way to Meiji Shrine

6) Le Shrine

7) Back at Shibuya Crossing - hanging out with Hachikō

8) Exploring...