Some cute Kelowna kids, saving this dark and rainy Saturday morning

Yukon Blonde

New Arcade Fire, Coming in August

In the suburbs, I
I learned to drive
And you told me I'd never survive
Grab your mother's keys, we're leaving

You always seemed so sure
That one day we'd fight in
In a suburban war
You put it down against mine
I saw you standing on the opposite shore
Nobody down, the first bombs fell
We were already bored
We were already, already bored

Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm moving past the feeling
Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm moving past the feeling again

The kids won't be so hard
In my dreams we're still screaming
Running through the yard
And all the walls that they built in the 70s finally fall
And all of the houses they built in the 70s finally fall
It meant nothing at all
It meant nothing at all
It meant nothing

Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm moving past the feeling
Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm moving past the feeling into the night

I just can't understand
How I want a daughter while I'm still young
I want to hold her hand
Show her some beauty
Before this damage is done
But if it's too much to ask
If it's too much to ask
Send me a son

Under the overpass
In the parking lot we're still waiting
It's already passed
So move your feet from hot pavement
And into the grass
Cause it's already passed
It's already already passed

Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm moving past the feeling
Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm moving past the feeling again

I'm moving past the feeling
I'm moving past the feeling

In my dreams we're still screaming
We're still screaming
We're still screaming

Vancouver, Canadian Politeness & Patriotism

It's nice to be nice, but I'm missing a bit of THIS bragging.

NBC Brian Williams, Leaving Behind a Thank-you Note to Canada

{59/365} thank you vancouver ~ thank you canada!, originally uploaded by beesquare.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor, NBC, from Sunday, February 28, 2010

After tonight's broadcast and after looting our hotel mini-bars, we're going to try to brave the
blizzard and fly east to home and hearth, and to do laundry well into next week. Before we
leave this thoroughly polite country, the polite thing to do is leave behind a thank-you note.

Thank you, Canada:

For being such good hosts.

For your unfailing courtesy.

For your (mostly) beautiful weather.

For scheduling no more than 60 percent of your float plane departures at the exact moment when I
was trying to say something on television.

For not seeming to mind the occasional (or constant) good-natured mimicry of your accents.

For your unique TV commercials -- for companies like Tim Hortons -- which made us
laugh and cry.

For securing this massive event without choking security, and without publicly displaying
a single automatic weapon.

For having the best garment design and logo-wear of the games -- you've made wearing
your name a cool thing to do.

For the sportsmanship we saw most of your athletes display.

For not honking your horns. I didn't hear one car horn in 15 days -- which also means none
of my fellow New Yorkers rented cars while visiting.

For making us aware of how many of you have been watching NBC all these years.

For having the good taste to have an anchorman named Brian Williams on your CTV network,
who turns out to be such a nice guy.

For the body scans at the airport which make pat-downs and cavity searches unnecessary.

For designing those really cool LED Olympic rings in the harbor, which turned to gold when your
athletes won one.



For always saying nice things about the United States...when you know we're listening.

For sharing Joannie Rochette with us.

For reminding some of us we used to be a more civil society.
Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us.

CANADA, our home and native land

Far Away, in some lovely way I hear your call

Folk Singer and Canadian Legend, Kate McGarrigle has died. I heard the news as a movie trailer was on the tv, Martha Wainwright, her daughter, was singing The Third Bar. That was ironic. My thoughts are with her children, who gush with talent and emotion, Martha and Rufus.

Countdown to Christmas....

It's raining stoopid people (but we have umbrellas), originally uploaded by dogfacedboy.

Hawksley Workman...while he does indeed exist, he's only in the precious peripherals of Canadian ears still. That's alright. We love him enough.

Hawksley's Christmas song link. Listening to these songs is my gift to those I forgot to buy for.

Gish gets it.

Daytime Funk

Today I have to admit is the first day (despite its historic significance) I've felt "a little lost". I wouldn't go as far as Hartwick to label it a Category 5, but I would say that it did cross my mind to batten down the hatches. I know myself well enough to know that I need the balance of structure and creative autonomy. It's not even two weeks since I left ParkLame, however, I'm the type of person that doesn't fair well under stagnant situations. Who doesn't? All was redeemed late this afternoon luckily, when Bravo aired Montreal based Stars on Live at the Rehearsal Hall. So if you're unaware of this little marvel of a band, I strongly suggest you check them out. Smarty-pants me has been a fan for five years.



And just now, as the televised performance from the Stars ends, Bravo is airing "Ferron: A Girl On The Road". Fantastic. The excerpt from Bravo outlines "A beautiful portrait of Canadian folk singer Ferron, known for influencing Jane Siberry, The Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco. This one hour film captures Ferron’s salt of earth folk stylings and features a live performance in Vancouver as she re-unites with her old band mates after 10 years."

If you're unfamiliar with Ferron and you have a penchant for Canadian Folk, well, get channel 40 right now!

For Ferron, "artistic expression is not only essential, it's revolutionary." From 1980, Misty Mountain, still stands sturdy as a gracious example of her lyricism.

Ferron Myspace Site
Ferron Wiki

We Know It's Over

This morning I sit in front of my Mac browsing the online headlines and drinking reheated Italian espresso (I know - why wouldn't I just make another fresh pot? Because I hate waste, that's why.) I'm trying not to look outside and face the incessant fog that has bared down on this city over the last few days, ruining my mood and my hair.   I'm on CBC.ca first, searching for a story that muffled partly into my brain during the snooze alarms, without luck thus far, I'm still astounded and shaking my head over that American Airlines Airbus ditching successfully into the Hudson yesterday. Thank God everyone was safe and I hope there was only luggage in the cargo below.  Which reminds me to type this:  People, please, do not take your animals when you travel. Do not subject these beautiful creatures to such lunacy. Cats and dogs and bunnies don't have any desire to travel. Get a babysitter, take your Ativan and wear sensible shoes so that you can stand stable on the wing of the plane.  This is my sincerest advice. 

Back to my favored newsfeed (the CBC of course), and I found a fabulous piece, "Our favourite pop culture mementoes of 2008".  So I abandon my quest to find the story of the artist Andrew Wyeth who died early this morning in Philadelphia, the one who painted "the hidden melancholy" of landscapes and people; but I'll get back to that later.

Signs of sentimental journeys still hit the airwaves and cyberpaths, bidding farewell to 2008. Top album and best-of lists continue to attract web-hits daily. 2008 is thankfully over but what a year it was for souvenirs of pop culture.  I have to admit Pop Culture is something that intrigues me. And even though my iconic sayings is "People - they're the worst", I still have to wonder what makes people tick, gets our attention, what trends pave tracks into our psyche, raising buzz and hairs on the backs of our necks.  I find it even more interesting to understand what is separated in pop culture - like what is the difference between popular and mainstream. What's just plain cool and what's just plain boring.  What's real or what's just fake transmissions of propaganda - or as I like to refer to it, pop-aganda.  There is a difference, trust me. I just spent five years watching a few executives call out 'marketing trends' and 'identify' target markets - and they were so wrong that they now sit on a whole ton of weak designed, overpriced home inventory they can't flog to to their grandparents. 

The article of 100 mementoes of 08 does have some head-scratchers for me though. I mean, where was I when some of these things were popular or even newsworthy?  Hartwick will be pleased with Part I's inclusion of There Will Be Blood, of which they also make note of its creepy soundtrack - totally.  

The endorsement of  Canadian writers' brainchild, Joyland.ca is a true plus - this is the little website that could story that in short order features webfeeds from New York, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, as a go-to spot for readers of short fiction; so kudos to Emily Schultz and Brian Joseph Davis.   Part 2 of the article names Mad Men as "TV's sharpest, most stylish drama" - which I wholeheartedly and religiously agree.




100 Mementoes also reminds me to spend some of my retirement release money on Julien Temple's documentary movie, The Future Is Unwritten, the "gloriously unsentimental appraisal of the late, great Clash frontman Joe Strummer", though I'm a little horrified to classify dear Joe Strummer as 'pop culture' - I mean, Joe Strummer is more cool iconic as opposed to popular cool.  



And while I'm at Chapters, I'll heed the article's Part 3's advice and purchase Lush Life by Richard Price, Lower East Side poet's eighth novel telling of that district's alteration.  


Though I haven't seen a single episode of the televised series Swingtown, due to the fact that Canadian Molly Parker (I adore Molly Parker) has a staring role and it being set in the beloved 1970's, I'll be making every effort to get the DVDs from Rogers.   

Finally I'll mention their elective of Man On Wire, a film based on the true story topic that my extreme anxiety will only allow me to view it's trailer.

The Two-Minute Miracles

With the intervention of a trip to Costco the last Saturday before Christmas with Steve Jones, and CBC Radio 2's "Deep Roots" program, I now am enlightened about the Canadian (Toronto) band, The Two-Minute Miracles. These guys are so under the radar but totally authentic and unwary roots rock.



The video above is of a live performance of "Stall Tactics", which I encourage people to purchase off iTunes, from the album Volume III The Silence of Animals. Weird title, but that's good. I purchased several songs from various recordings of theirs and then burned a CD for Steve for Christmas. This I hope, will push him to set up his iTunes account on his "new" iMac and buy the albums in full. So far, Steve loves these guys.

This video link is of a more polished production; an upbeat sort of tune, which I will also buy, from the album "Lions of Love". Title song from that album is also really good.

find from Radio 2

Talented and young Canadian singer-songwriter, Matthew Barber, from his album "Ghost Notes", the song is "And You Give". Mellow music to wake up with.

Radio 2, I apologize

Months ago I had a post about my disappointment for CBC Radio 2's reformatting. I made a big deal about Radio Host, Tom Allen being reduced to introducing strictly Canadian 'pop' bands like Barenaked Ladies or Bryan Adams. Well, I take it all back. Not only am I listening to CBC Radio 2 on the way to work, but I'm streaming it as I come to and get ready for work.



Tom Allen I love, obviously. He's a smart, witty, good Canadian guy all around. But their playlist is not only interesting, but it's just plain good; concentrating on singer-songwriter roots/rock/folk type music. Despite the Barenaked Ladies song "Jane" that just started (:/), I now know that that I really Matthew Barber and his single "And You Give" from the album On Ghost Notes.

Overall, it's great morning sound. If you ask me. And you know, you never do.

Everywhere music takes you ... or should we say, Music Lives Here?

It is day two for the remodeled national FM station, CBC Radio 2, which Canadians have come to rely upon for steadfast classical music programming and I’m wondering what to think and where to stand on these changes. I will never hear again the radio's slogan, "Everywhere music takes you." What a shame. Somehow the new slogan "Music Lives Here" is a little lame for my liking. I mean, when they stated "everywhere music takes you" it was all encompassing, suggesting that something more than just music was going to happen here on the national station.

Several months back the entire country was in an uproar over the CBC’s heavy-handed change orders. I remember reading a National Post article where even the “young” listeners were in complete disapproving mode over the prospect of losing the Nation’s classical culture dose. There was even a Facebook Group called “Save Classical Music at the CBC.” Pathetically there were only 16,000 people to join.

Now according to CBC Executive Director of Programming, Chris Boyce, the new Radio 2 “will be more relevant to more Canadians.” When I first read this statement I thought – great, now CBC can be as mainstream, dull, boring, unintelligent, monotonous and characterless as the rest of radio programming in the Country – just what Canada needs.

As I drove down Taylor Way and approached the Lions Gate bridge this morning, I crinkled my brow and listened to dear old Tom Allen almost struggle to introduce discs and albums of alternative groups like Broken Social Scene, (a band I dearly love by the way), and I thought what a shame it was to mute all of his amazing knowledge for classical music and its composers. Now we’ll get nothing out of our dear Tom Allen, because this genre of music is simply not his thing.

I for one will long for the mornings where I can relax and listen to Bach, Haydn, Mozart and Chopin – and true disc-jockeys like Tom Allen and Peter Togni, as they would enlighten and account for the lost golden age of music. Thanks to the bind-folded executives at the CBC, the shovels are heaving the last piles of soil over the crypt of symphony, chamber and choral music in Canada.

Well, at least I still have my iTunes Radio where Public Radio reigns supreme on a Sunday morning.



Classical Facts:
Since we won't be hearing from our beloved CBC Radio 2 for this relevancy

Classical Music describes the specific period from 1750 – 1820 and the music of major composers such as Johann Christian Bach, Mozart and Haydn when music was modeled after the ideals of the philosophy and art of Ancient Greece and Rome – balance, proportion and disciplined expression.
There are many styles of music within classical music, including symphony, opera, choral works, chamber music, Gregorian chant, the madrigal, and the Mass.



Classical music is broken down into historical periods: Medieval (including Gregorian chant and all monophonic music before 1400); Renaissance (1400 – 1600, music that was related to the church and expression of piety); Baroque (1600 – 1750, including the music of Bach and Handel. This was the period during which opera began and music became more ornate and textured); Classical (1750 – 1820, including the music of Johann Christian Bach, Mozart and Haydn during which music became an expression of balance, and discipline and the structure of its harmonies were transformed. Public concerts became very popular.); Romantic (1820 – 1915, including the music of Johannes Brahms, Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky. Music became more centered on ideas of fantasy, spontaneity and sensuality); Modern (1915 – present day, including Copland, Gershwin, Stravinsky, Barber. During this period older forms have been revisited and reinvented and technology has played an increasingly important role).





The term classical music was not used until the early 19th century in order to canonize the period from Bach to Beethoven as an impressive, "golden" era of music.
Many studies have proven that early experience with music provides the basis for more serious study later, so many parents expose their children to classical music at an early age and introduce them to instrumental lessons. The 1990s showed an interest in research papers and popular books on the so-called Mozart effect: a temporary, small elevation of scores on certain tests as a result of listening to Mozart. Other similar studies of different composers have produced positive effects on academic studies and child development.

Classical music is often associated with communication of transcendent emotion and universal ideas about the human condition. Many times composers will express inspiration from folklore, poems, paintings or other pieces of fine art and culture.


The Symphony is revered as one of the largest and most impressive fixtures in classical music. The following symphonies are some of the most perfectly representative of the structure: Mahler Symphony No. 9 in D Major; Haydn Symphony No. 34 in d minor; Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in c minor; Mozart Syphony No. 25 in g minor; Barber Symphony No. 1 in G Major; Haydn Symphony No. 94 in G Major; Dvorak Symphony No. 9 in e minor; Ives Symphony No. 1 in d minor; Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D Major; Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in d minor.

The contemporary classical American composer Samuel Barber and his brilliantly moving Adagio For Strings...

Say what you will...

But I could give a rat's ass what people say about Pamela Anderson. She is more than our Canadian West Coast beauty, she's our PETA poster-girl, fightin' babe. And I, like my dad, happen to love her. She's kicking around the dough heads with regard to animal experimentation and you know - she's actually got some power to do it. Good for her!

I gotta go. Canada just got her Reality Show on regular Cable and it's on right now. Hey Myles - there's got to be something in knowing a real life cable guy.

What Would Gordon Downie Do?

I think men should wear hats more often.

I found this Flickr site with Pemberton Festival photos. This shot of Gordon Downie is perfect.

I just need to clarify one thing though. I'm waaaaay too old to have gone to the Pemby Festival. Yeah I know a bunch of cool bands were just an hour and a half a way from my front door in the gorgeous Pemberton Valley, but I don't even have the desire to do such a three-day trek. Camping, hoards of 20-year-old Facebook-addict-Jagermeister-drinkin (out of a DOT skull cap), and standing in line to use a public Johnny-On-The-Spot. I don't think so.

But it is terribly true that I would have had a real bad case of boy-craziness in seeing the man above, Gord Downie of The Hip and this man:



But I have to say, Gord is really my favorite. He knows how to wear a hat and cut his facial hair. Those are two talents I really appreciate. Oh yeah, that and really stylin foot wear. Men rarely get that right. If you're a guy and you have Birkenstocks or Crocs hanging in a shoe-tree in your closet - then just go ahead and kill yourself right now. There's really no point in waiting until you're sporting white polyester slacks that come up to your breast-bone. Really. I mean it. That's dreadful.

Please ask yourself "What Would Gordon Do?" I'd bet my mom to the Arabs he wouldn't put that footwear on. He's wearin Dayton's baby.

So here it is: Hat yes, Crocs No. Toque yes, Birkenstocks No. It's really quite simple.

Please - Ash & Dan- I'm going to need you to chime in on this fashion sos. Hats? Oui? Birkenstocks - Definitely No.