This is the last repost of Forgotten Music from my livejournal. The next installment will be all new content!
RIP Lux Interior.
---
The Cramps are one of the best bands ever to play psychobilly and
horror-punk. Cited by some as the inventors of psychobilly, a style of
music that merged rockabilly with punk, The Cramps formed in 1976 in New
York City. The band had a rotating membership, but always used the core
of vocalist Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy. Active in the early
CBGB's punk scene, The Cramps released their landmark first album, Songs
the Lord Taught Us, in 1979. They recorded and toured steadily up until
Lux Interior's death early in 2009.
I became aware of this band
late in their career, after hearing the 1990 album Stay Sick at CKUL. I
fell in love with their sound and look immediately. They combined the
visuals of 50s rock with B-movie horror film and sleazy erotica. Poison
Ivy often posed in skin-tight vinyl and played her guitar in a sensual
way. At the time, "Bikini Girls With Machine Guns" was making its way up
the college charts, but "Creature From the Black Leather Lagoon"'s
manic approach really appealed to me. The video is one of the most
playfully demented things I've ever seen. If you like this, go listen to
"Human Fly" and especially "Garbage Man", featuring Ivy in skin-tight
gold pants!
http://youtu.be/Zt4lf6aR15Y
Monday, May 7, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
The problem with Cancon
I complain about Cancon laws a lot, but I'm glad we have laws that protect Canadian culture. The problem with the laws is the way they're implemented, which encourages laziness, especially in the commercial radio sector. I got another clear indication of this in the past few weeks.
One of the problems is that Canadian commercial radio rarely throws its weight behind a genuine Canadian artist. The only time this happens is when American radio picks up on a Canadian artist, then the Canadian stations really start pouring out the love for the artist. Admittedly, this can be hard to track just from listening to a Canadian commercial station. The proof in the pudding comes in the Top 40 Charts.
Two weeks ago, Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen cracked the Top 20 singles on Billboard, the American Top 40 singles charts. Before this, Jepsen was a token Canadian hovering in the low teens on the Canadian Top 40 singles charts. It's actually pretty rare for any Canadian artist to crack the Top 5 in Canada. I know this because I log both the US and Canadian charts each week as part of my job, and for the last year, I've been blogging about the Top 40 Canadian commercial charts on this very blog. Now, once the US charts got behind Jepsen and started playing her, the Canadian charts immediately responded, The week Jepsen cracked the US Top 20, Jepsen shot up to #3 on the Canadian charts. Before this, it had been at least a year and a half since a Canadian artist cracked the Top 5 in Canada.
Here is the reluctance of Canadian radio to play Canadian artists, and truly support them, laid out in black and white. It's very rare to see an truly Canadian grown artist get support on Canadian radio in the form of chart action. The last artist I can think of that we grew ourselves was Jann Arden. It usually takes US radio saying, "Hey, this is pretty good, we'll play it!" before we are able to say, "Hey, you know, this Canadian artist is pretty good! We'll play it too!". It's almost like commercial radio says, "We're not sure if we can support this Canadian act. Let's play some more American acts we know will work before we take a chance on this one." Why can't we say, "This is a great artist. Who cares if they're Canadian or not, we'll play them!"
One of the problems is that Canadian commercial radio rarely throws its weight behind a genuine Canadian artist. The only time this happens is when American radio picks up on a Canadian artist, then the Canadian stations really start pouring out the love for the artist. Admittedly, this can be hard to track just from listening to a Canadian commercial station. The proof in the pudding comes in the Top 40 Charts.
Two weeks ago, Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen cracked the Top 20 singles on Billboard, the American Top 40 singles charts. Before this, Jepsen was a token Canadian hovering in the low teens on the Canadian Top 40 singles charts. It's actually pretty rare for any Canadian artist to crack the Top 5 in Canada. I know this because I log both the US and Canadian charts each week as part of my job, and for the last year, I've been blogging about the Top 40 Canadian commercial charts on this very blog. Now, once the US charts got behind Jepsen and started playing her, the Canadian charts immediately responded, The week Jepsen cracked the US Top 20, Jepsen shot up to #3 on the Canadian charts. Before this, it had been at least a year and a half since a Canadian artist cracked the Top 5 in Canada.
Here is the reluctance of Canadian radio to play Canadian artists, and truly support them, laid out in black and white. It's very rare to see an truly Canadian grown artist get support on Canadian radio in the form of chart action. The last artist I can think of that we grew ourselves was Jann Arden. It usually takes US radio saying, "Hey, this is pretty good, we'll play it!" before we are able to say, "Hey, you know, this Canadian artist is pretty good! We'll play it too!". It's almost like commercial radio says, "We're not sure if we can support this Canadian act. Let's play some more American acts we know will work before we take a chance on this one." Why can't we say, "This is a great artist. Who cares if they're Canadian or not, we'll play them!"
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
My Top 20 Disks
I was talking with my girlfriend about this last night, I think it bears re-posting,
--
Not necessarily the best albums in the world, but 20 albums that changed how I view music:
Growing up, grade school and junior high
1) To it and At it - Stompin' Tom Connors (1973): I grew up on old classic country like George Jones, Conway Twitty, Charlie Pride, Porter Wagoner and Loretta Lynn. But this was my favourite as a kid. It's just a fun album and sing song enough to appeal to a kid. The title track is absolutely infectious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVjWCwZ8MI8
2) Highway to Hell - AC/DC (1979): I got this in Grade 7 as a secret Santa Xmas present from a friend I figured traded in the classroom to get my name for the gift (Thanks Andrew!) This was one of the first albums I ever owned and started me down the road to liking metal, if you call this and Def Leppard metal... I'll admit, my cousin who was living with us at the time also influenced me into metal. The funniest thing I remember about this album is how I didn't understand anything anyone said. I listened to the album on headphones many many times trying to figure out the lyrics, then suddenly, something clicked and I understood them.
3) The Cars - Heartbeat City (1984): In junior high, I started reviewing music for the school newspaper. The Cars were one of the first albums I reviewed and one of the first albums I owned on tape. I count this album as my introduction to new wave and the start of my life long love of the genre.
4) Rush - Grace Under Pressure (1984): This was the soundtrack to my junior high days. I never really enjoyed Rush's progressive stuff, but their synth-drenched stuff from the 80s appealed to me. I loved the video for "Distant Early Warning".
Senior High and Early College
5) Devo - Freedom of Choice (1980): I heard this for the first time in 1986 and it changed my life. I learned a lot about music during my grad years in 1986-87. New wave at it's finest. This album taught me that music didn't have to be generic to be good and that I didn't have to like everything else my peers liked. Devo's anti-establishment, geek-culture style appealed to me deeply at the time, and still does to a certain extent. Some of what they say becomes truer as each day goes by.
6) Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bullocks (1979): More music I heard for the first time in my grad year. I had never heard music so angry before. This, along with #7, got me into a brief punk phase which I grew out of really quickly.
7) The Ramones - Rocket to Russia (1978): More punk, this appealed to me because it was angry, melodic and kind of goofy. I'm less of a Ramones fan now, but this album affected me quite a bit.
8) Depeche Mode - Black Celebration (1986): Late 80s music was hair metal and the start of the shoegazer movement. Black Celebration spoke to this confused and depressed teenager a bit more than Jesus and Mary Chain's "Psychocandy" which was also in high rotation at this time.
9) Men Without Hats - Folk of the 80s Part III (1984): My intro to synth-pop. Driving, insistent and insanely catchy. I still love this band dearly, despite them being seen as a joke by most people.
10/11) Big Black - Atomizer (1986)/Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel - Hole (1984): A friend of mine gave me an unlabelled tape with both of these albums on it. I had no idea who or what I was listening to, but it changed me. The music was offensive and talked about things that no normal human being would talk about. This was my first introduction to industrial music, though I didn't know what it was at the time.
University, College Radio and Beyond
12) REM - Green (1988): One of my go to albums during my first years of university, melodic, moody and a bit frothy. Not a great album, but it was a fave at the time.
13) Skinny Puppy - VIVIsect VI (1988): My other go to album from university. It was my solace against the constant crap music my roommate played, who liked Lee Aaron, Honeymoon Suite and Alice Cooper. Depressing and violent, fit my disturbed mood at the time perfectly and it was another step along the road to my love of industrial.
14) Ministry - Land of Rape and Honey (1988): If I could pick one album that changed my life, I'd pick this one. A friend introduced me to Ministry in my first year in university and I fell in love with industrial (thanks Craig!). This album had the perfect balance between primal rage and musical precision. It remains one of my favourite albums of all time.
15) Elvis Costello - Blood and Chocolate (1986): This is the other album that I'd pick that changed my life. A friend at the college radio station lent it to me and the earnestness of the songwriting and rawness and ramshackle nature of Elvis's music spoke to me like nothing had before. It really took me a while to twig onto his work, I didn't buy my first Elvis Costello album until 1993, and it was one of his lesser albums, "Spike", but now he's my favourite musician of all time. I own every album he's put out.
16) Talking Heads - Fear of Music (1979): After I got into college radio, my tastes in music really expanded. I had discounted the Heads as a one hit wonder, but when I began to listen to their catalogue, I quickly changed my mind. The texture and feel of this album falls together so easily and flawlessly, it's hard not to love it.
17) The Pixies - Doolittle (1989): Not much needs to be said about this album. Perfect mix of quiet and loud. Shaped music for years to come.
18) The Beatles - Rubber Soul (1964): Hard to believe I didn't get into the Beatles until the 90s, but that's the truth. This was the first Beatles album I owned (given as a gift, thanks K!). I own every Beatles album after it now, but nothing before it. It's beautiful in it's own oddly structured way. Abbey Road is my fave Beatles album, but this was my first.
19) Pan Sonic - Aaltopirii (2001): My first real excursion into electronic minimalism. This album is stark, composed mainly of static, sparks and drones with no lyrics. Altered again the way I look at music and how it's constructed
20) Polysics - Hey! Bob! My Friend! (2001): Polysics are my current obsession. They take the oddball new wave sound of Devo and add in the energy of hardcore punk. Both Dadaist and rump-shaking at the same time.
Honourable mentions: Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon, Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A., Beck - Sea Change, Cub - Betti-Cola, They Might Be Giants - Flood.
--
Not necessarily the best albums in the world, but 20 albums that changed how I view music:
Growing up, grade school and junior high
1) To it and At it - Stompin' Tom Connors (1973): I grew up on old classic country like George Jones, Conway Twitty, Charlie Pride, Porter Wagoner and Loretta Lynn. But this was my favourite as a kid. It's just a fun album and sing song enough to appeal to a kid. The title track is absolutely infectious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVjWCwZ8MI8
2) Highway to Hell - AC/DC (1979): I got this in Grade 7 as a secret Santa Xmas present from a friend I figured traded in the classroom to get my name for the gift (Thanks Andrew!) This was one of the first albums I ever owned and started me down the road to liking metal, if you call this and Def Leppard metal... I'll admit, my cousin who was living with us at the time also influenced me into metal. The funniest thing I remember about this album is how I didn't understand anything anyone said. I listened to the album on headphones many many times trying to figure out the lyrics, then suddenly, something clicked and I understood them.
3) The Cars - Heartbeat City (1984): In junior high, I started reviewing music for the school newspaper. The Cars were one of the first albums I reviewed and one of the first albums I owned on tape. I count this album as my introduction to new wave and the start of my life long love of the genre.
4) Rush - Grace Under Pressure (1984): This was the soundtrack to my junior high days. I never really enjoyed Rush's progressive stuff, but their synth-drenched stuff from the 80s appealed to me. I loved the video for "Distant Early Warning".
Senior High and Early College
5) Devo - Freedom of Choice (1980): I heard this for the first time in 1986 and it changed my life. I learned a lot about music during my grad years in 1986-87. New wave at it's finest. This album taught me that music didn't have to be generic to be good and that I didn't have to like everything else my peers liked. Devo's anti-establishment, geek-culture style appealed to me deeply at the time, and still does to a certain extent. Some of what they say becomes truer as each day goes by.
6) Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bullocks (1979): More music I heard for the first time in my grad year. I had never heard music so angry before. This, along with #7, got me into a brief punk phase which I grew out of really quickly.
7) The Ramones - Rocket to Russia (1978): More punk, this appealed to me because it was angry, melodic and kind of goofy. I'm less of a Ramones fan now, but this album affected me quite a bit.
8) Depeche Mode - Black Celebration (1986): Late 80s music was hair metal and the start of the shoegazer movement. Black Celebration spoke to this confused and depressed teenager a bit more than Jesus and Mary Chain's "Psychocandy" which was also in high rotation at this time.
9) Men Without Hats - Folk of the 80s Part III (1984): My intro to synth-pop. Driving, insistent and insanely catchy. I still love this band dearly, despite them being seen as a joke by most people.
10/11) Big Black - Atomizer (1986)/Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel - Hole (1984): A friend of mine gave me an unlabelled tape with both of these albums on it. I had no idea who or what I was listening to, but it changed me. The music was offensive and talked about things that no normal human being would talk about. This was my first introduction to industrial music, though I didn't know what it was at the time.
University, College Radio and Beyond
12) REM - Green (1988): One of my go to albums during my first years of university, melodic, moody and a bit frothy. Not a great album, but it was a fave at the time.
13) Skinny Puppy - VIVIsect VI (1988): My other go to album from university. It was my solace against the constant crap music my roommate played, who liked Lee Aaron, Honeymoon Suite and Alice Cooper. Depressing and violent, fit my disturbed mood at the time perfectly and it was another step along the road to my love of industrial.
14) Ministry - Land of Rape and Honey (1988): If I could pick one album that changed my life, I'd pick this one. A friend introduced me to Ministry in my first year in university and I fell in love with industrial (thanks Craig!). This album had the perfect balance between primal rage and musical precision. It remains one of my favourite albums of all time.
15) Elvis Costello - Blood and Chocolate (1986): This is the other album that I'd pick that changed my life. A friend at the college radio station lent it to me and the earnestness of the songwriting and rawness and ramshackle nature of Elvis's music spoke to me like nothing had before. It really took me a while to twig onto his work, I didn't buy my first Elvis Costello album until 1993, and it was one of his lesser albums, "Spike", but now he's my favourite musician of all time. I own every album he's put out.
16) Talking Heads - Fear of Music (1979): After I got into college radio, my tastes in music really expanded. I had discounted the Heads as a one hit wonder, but when I began to listen to their catalogue, I quickly changed my mind. The texture and feel of this album falls together so easily and flawlessly, it's hard not to love it.
17) The Pixies - Doolittle (1989): Not much needs to be said about this album. Perfect mix of quiet and loud. Shaped music for years to come.
18) The Beatles - Rubber Soul (1964): Hard to believe I didn't get into the Beatles until the 90s, but that's the truth. This was the first Beatles album I owned (given as a gift, thanks K!). I own every Beatles album after it now, but nothing before it. It's beautiful in it's own oddly structured way. Abbey Road is my fave Beatles album, but this was my first.
19) Pan Sonic - Aaltopirii (2001): My first real excursion into electronic minimalism. This album is stark, composed mainly of static, sparks and drones with no lyrics. Altered again the way I look at music and how it's constructed
20) Polysics - Hey! Bob! My Friend! (2001): Polysics are my current obsession. They take the oddball new wave sound of Devo and add in the energy of hardcore punk. Both Dadaist and rump-shaking at the same time.
Honourable mentions: Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon, Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A., Beck - Sea Change, Cub - Betti-Cola, They Might Be Giants - Flood.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
RIP Christopher Reimer
His name may not be well known, but Chris Reimer put his stamp on many western indy rock fans souls. Reimer died in his sleep at the age of 26. Reimer was a member of the much loved, noise and drone rock band Women, who had released a landmark album back in 2010 called Public Strain. I named it one of my favourite albums of 2010. He was also a member of the electro/noise/rock band Azeda Booth.
It's not know what Reimer died of, but he did have an irregular heartbeat and sleep apnea. His family have set up a blog and music bursary in his name. If you have anything to add to remember the legacy of Reimer's contributions to the Calgary and Canadian indy rock scene, please post:
http://christopherjohnjosephreimer.com/
http://arts.nationalpost.com/2012/02/22/christopher-reimer-tributes/
http://youtu.be/-LElqwoBOJE
It's not know what Reimer died of, but he did have an irregular heartbeat and sleep apnea. His family have set up a blog and music bursary in his name. If you have anything to add to remember the legacy of Reimer's contributions to the Calgary and Canadian indy rock scene, please post:
http://christopherjohnjosephreimer.com/
http://arts.nationalpost.com/2012/02/22/christopher-reimer-tributes/
http://youtu.be/-LElqwoBOJE
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
RIP Pierre Juneau
I talk a lot about Canadian music on this blog, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively. But, Canada wouldn't even have its own music if it weren't for Pierre Juneau. Juneau died today at the age of 89.
Juneau was the first president of the CRTC and championed the idea of Canadian Content. For those not familiar, Canadian Content (or Cancon) laws dictate that a certain amount of Canadian content must be broadcast on Canadian stations, either radio or TV. It also concerned itself with the ownership of Canadian stations, ensuring that Canadian media would be created by Canadians for Canadians.
Under Juneau's watch, in 1970, Canadian music radio was required to broadcast at least 35% Canadian content. He was also an early supporter of the National Film Board, which produced a huge amount of Canadian-oriented short and long films. In 1982, he took over as president of the CBC, forming the cable news channel CBC Newsworld and mandating that 95% of CBC's radio content be produced in Canada. Juneau also held 4 honorary degrees and was an officer of the Order of Canada
Through Cancon laws, Juneau allowed the Canadian music industry to establish itself and to grow into what it is today. Without Cancon laws, we wouldn't have the thriving Canadian music industry, both the big names and the tiny bands working out of their garages. Nor would we have a Canadian movie or TV industry. There would be no chance to hear new Canadian music on a Canadian radio station.
I run down Cancon laws a lot, mostly in the way they are used to homogenize commercial radio. But, without Cancon laws, I wouldn't have any complaints about Canadian music. I'd likely be complaining about how many American artists are on our radio waves.
The Canadian music award, the Juno, is named after Pierre Juneau. There were few men more passionate about Canadian culture than Juneau. His presence in Canadian culture was towering and he will be sorely missed.
Juneau was the first president of the CRTC and championed the idea of Canadian Content. For those not familiar, Canadian Content (or Cancon) laws dictate that a certain amount of Canadian content must be broadcast on Canadian stations, either radio or TV. It also concerned itself with the ownership of Canadian stations, ensuring that Canadian media would be created by Canadians for Canadians.
Under Juneau's watch, in 1970, Canadian music radio was required to broadcast at least 35% Canadian content. He was also an early supporter of the National Film Board, which produced a huge amount of Canadian-oriented short and long films. In 1982, he took over as president of the CBC, forming the cable news channel CBC Newsworld and mandating that 95% of CBC's radio content be produced in Canada. Juneau also held 4 honorary degrees and was an officer of the Order of Canada
Through Cancon laws, Juneau allowed the Canadian music industry to establish itself and to grow into what it is today. Without Cancon laws, we wouldn't have the thriving Canadian music industry, both the big names and the tiny bands working out of their garages. Nor would we have a Canadian movie or TV industry. There would be no chance to hear new Canadian music on a Canadian radio station.
I run down Cancon laws a lot, mostly in the way they are used to homogenize commercial radio. But, without Cancon laws, I wouldn't have any complaints about Canadian music. I'd likely be complaining about how many American artists are on our radio waves.
The Canadian music award, the Juno, is named after Pierre Juneau. There were few men more passionate about Canadian culture than Juneau. His presence in Canadian culture was towering and he will be sorely missed.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
When does classic rock become classic?
I just took a trip down to Vancouver with my awesome girlfriend and her kids last weekend. We took a quick stop to let the kids go to the bathroom and I stayed behind in the car. The satellite radio was on, and it switched to Beck's "The New Pollution". The display said it came out in 1996. Hearing this song immediately took me on a little trip, back to the person I was in 1996. I remember exactly how I felt when I first heard Beck's Odelay, what was going on in my life at the time and how the album affected me. I had an instant cultural and personal touchstone to the song.
This got me thinking about how we react to music, especially music that we were alive and able to appreciate.
Take this example. I love the Beatles. I love all of their albums and love their music. But, I wasn't alive when they were making music, so I have no cultural or personal touchstone to the music. The 60s were a culturally vibrant and politically volatile time. What experience am I missing when I listen to the Beatles? I get a similar reaction when listening to progressive rock or disco. I was alive during their heyday, but I don't like the music, nor do I understand the time it came from. Is it because I have no cultural touchstone to tie it to?
Another example. I was alive and heavily into music during the grand days of the late 80s when hair metal bands roamed the Earth like shaggy dinosaurs. I really dislike hair metal, but I understand why it came about and why people loved it. I was there when it happened, and when I hear a Def Leppard song, it invokes a memory or emotion in me.
I wonder now, I feel visceral emotions and solid memories when I hear Nevermind or Devo's Freedom of Choice. The kids riding with us weren't around for Odelay's unveiling. They might as well be the Beatles to them. Or Beethoven. An album so important to me would have no meaning, no context for a four year old. Even when they grow up, they might appreciate Odelay, but will they really *understand* or *feel* it? And will someone like Rihanna do the same thing that Odelay does to me?
http://youtu.be/uxugaMpt1vU
This got me thinking about how we react to music, especially music that we were alive and able to appreciate.
Take this example. I love the Beatles. I love all of their albums and love their music. But, I wasn't alive when they were making music, so I have no cultural or personal touchstone to the music. The 60s were a culturally vibrant and politically volatile time. What experience am I missing when I listen to the Beatles? I get a similar reaction when listening to progressive rock or disco. I was alive during their heyday, but I don't like the music, nor do I understand the time it came from. Is it because I have no cultural touchstone to tie it to?
Another example. I was alive and heavily into music during the grand days of the late 80s when hair metal bands roamed the Earth like shaggy dinosaurs. I really dislike hair metal, but I understand why it came about and why people loved it. I was there when it happened, and when I hear a Def Leppard song, it invokes a memory or emotion in me.
I wonder now, I feel visceral emotions and solid memories when I hear Nevermind or Devo's Freedom of Choice. The kids riding with us weren't around for Odelay's unveiling. They might as well be the Beatles to them. Or Beethoven. An album so important to me would have no meaning, no context for a four year old. Even when they grow up, they might appreciate Odelay, but will they really *understand* or *feel* it? And will someone like Rihanna do the same thing that Odelay does to me?
http://youtu.be/uxugaMpt1vU
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Best of 2012? Howler - America Give Up
These are the doldrums of the music release year. Only in the first couple of weeks of February does the bulk of music releases begin to be released. But, the early part of a year can also bring some wonderful overlooked gems. Last year, it was Braids. This year, it just might be Howler.
Howler hail from Minneapolis. MN, which has given us such left-field brilliance as Prince, The Replacements and Husker Du. Howler are more in the Husker Du camp, playing a wild but angular style of rock and roll, with healthy 60s garage influences. There's not much that's fancy about Howler. But, it's rare to hear a band come along with a solid embrace of the spirit, if not the sound, of classic rock and roll. Check the term "rock and roll" too. Howler aren't a "rock" band (that is, the safe, commercial-safe and neutered form of music that's masquerading as "rock and roll"), they're dangerous and raw like classic rock and roll used to be. That said, they also have an arty, post-punk side, with some of their album clearly cribbing notes from bands like Wire and Public Image Ltd.
Check this out and tell me I'm wrong:
http://youtu.be/swg9X1LcXm8
Howler hail from Minneapolis. MN, which has given us such left-field brilliance as Prince, The Replacements and Husker Du. Howler are more in the Husker Du camp, playing a wild but angular style of rock and roll, with healthy 60s garage influences. There's not much that's fancy about Howler. But, it's rare to hear a band come along with a solid embrace of the spirit, if not the sound, of classic rock and roll. Check the term "rock and roll" too. Howler aren't a "rock" band (that is, the safe, commercial-safe and neutered form of music that's masquerading as "rock and roll"), they're dangerous and raw like classic rock and roll used to be. That said, they also have an arty, post-punk side, with some of their album clearly cribbing notes from bands like Wire and Public Image Ltd.
Check this out and tell me I'm wrong:
http://youtu.be/swg9X1LcXm8
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