Best Shows of 2010.

Last year I was a bit lazy/distracted and only attended 23 shows... so I tried to make up for it in 2010 and I made it out to 34... I saw so many good shows this year it was hard to cut the list down to only 10... the year started off right when I discovered Diamond Rings opening for Owen Pallett at the Mod Club... I saw John O'Regan three times in total around Toronto who also introduced me to my other favourite new act of 2010 PS I Love You... Surfer Blood made me love sweating upstairs at Sneaky Dee's again... and Kurt Vile introduced me to the Great Hall with feedback that would make J Mascis proud... Tune Yards unveiled new songs to a packed Horseshoe with a full band... and Best Coast and Male Bonding made it possible for me to smoke weed inside Lee's Palace once again... Carey Mercer took his yowl outside when Frog Eyes played the courtyard at The Music Gallery... and Damien Jurado shone through the smokiest venue known to man in Hamburg... while Sufjan Stevens tried to steal the best show of the year again when he played Massey Hall with Royal Robertson inspired video and sci-fi clad backup singers... but Deerhunter took it in the end with one of the loudest shows on record especially when they almost brought the house down when they played Nothing Ever Happened and ended the night with one of my favouite songs of the year He Would Have Laughed.

Best Shows of 2010

01. Deerhunter
The Opera House - Toronto, Ontario
October 19, 2010

02. Sufjan Stevens
Massey Hall - Toronto, Ontario
October 13, 2010

03. Damien Jurado
Kulturhaus III&70 - Hamburg, Germany
September 15, 2010

04. Frog Eyes
The Music Gallery - Toronto, Ontario
June 15, 2010

05. Best Coast & Male Bonding
Lee's Palace - Toronto, Ontario
September 25, 2010

06. Tune Yards
The Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto, Ontario
June 13, 2010

07. Caribou
Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, Ontario
May 3, 2010

08. Kurt Vile
Great Hall - Toronto, Ontario
July 20, 2010

09. Surfer Blood
Sneaky Dee's - Toronto, Ontario
March 6, 2010

10. Owen Pallett & Diamond Rings
The Mod Club - Toronto, Ontario
January 12, 2010

Best of 2010.

Best Albums of 2010
01. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
02. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
03. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
04. Best Coast - Crazy For You
05. Wavves - King of the Beach
06. The Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
07. Caribou - Swim
08. Frederick Squire - March 12
09. Frog Eyes - Paul's Tomb: A Triumph
10. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
11. Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts
12. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & The Cairo Gang -
The Wonder Show of the World

13. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
14. Owen Pallet - Heartland
15. PS I Love You - At Munster Station
16. Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
17. No Age - Everything In Between
18. Sleigh Bells - Treats
19. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
20. Sam Amidon - I See The Sign
21. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt
22. The Morning Benders - Big Echo
23. Twin Shadow - Forget
24. Gil-Scott Heron - I'm New Here

25. Spoon - Transference

Honourable Mention
Diamond Rings - Special Affections
The Drums - Self Titled
Daniel, Fred & Julie - Self Title
Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart
The National - High Violet
The Black Keys - Brothers
Scout Niblett - The Calcination of Scout Niblett
Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking It Easy

Best Songs of 2010
01. Wavves - Green Eyes
02. Deerhunter - He Would Have Laughed
03. Sufjan Stevens - I Want To Be Well
04. PS I Love You - Facelove
05. Best Coast - Boyfriend
06. The Arcade Fire - Suburban War
07. LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
08. Caribou - Found Out
09. Joanna Newsom - Jack Rabbits
10. Male Bonding - Pumpkin
11. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
12. Twin Shadow - Forget
13. Damien Jurado - Beacon Hill
14. Frederick Squire - Pretty Bird

15. Surfer Blood - Slow Jabroni
16. Owen Pallet - Oh Heartland, Up Yours!
17. The Tallest Man On Earth - A Lion's Heart
18. Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La
19. Frog Eyes - A Flower In A Glove
20. The Morning Benders - All Day Day Light

21. No Age - Glitter
22. Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill
23. Gil-Scott Heron - I'm New Here
24. Spoon - Written In Reverse
25. The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio

Dum Dum Girls.

One of my favourite records so far this year has been the Dum Dum Girls debut album I Will Be... plus I've always had it in for girls who wear stockings on a regular basis... and you add some smearing punk rock on top of that... it wasn't hard for me to become a quick fan of Dee Dee and co.

On March 1 they'll follow up with a new EP titled He Gets Me High out on CD, 12" and digitally via Sub Pop... and head out on a North American tour with a Toronto date included. Dee Dee also made an apperance on Broken Dreams Club with former tour mates Girls... she sings on the song "Substance".

He Gets Me High tracklist:

01. Wrong Feels Right
02. He Gets Me High
03. Take Care of My Baby
04. There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (Smiths cover)

Dum Dum Girls tour:

12-21 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex
02-16 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
02-18 San Diesgo, CA - Casbah
02-21 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
02-23 St. Louis, MO - Billiken Club
02-24 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
02-25 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
02-26 Toronto, Ontario - El Mocambo Club
02-27 Montreal, Quebec - Il Motore
03-01 Burlington, VT - Club Metronome
03-02 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
03-04 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
03-05 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
03-06 Washington, DC - Black Cat
03-08 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
03-10 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
03-11 Jacksonville, FL - Jackrabbits
03-12 Orlando, FL - The Social

Rob Ford.

At the end
of the day
will Toronto
really have an
overweight,
homophobic,
racist
mayor?

Girls.

One of the worst live shows I've ever seen was the Girls show last November at the El Mocambo... maybe it was the fact they just switch guitarist... or they were tired... or they just snorted too much cocaine the night before... whatever the reason... I almost walked out... with that halfhearted solo on Summertime they came close to ruining one of my top tracks from 2009... not that I didn't have any love for their debut record last year Album... quite the opposite... I listened to that record so often I can almost sing it from start to finish... and maybe I dance to it while I'm alone... but I won't admit to anything.
In 2010 Girls are following Album with the 6 song/30 minute Broken Dreams Club... an EP that was recorded at the band's home studio that will be released on November 22 via True Panther... and if the track Heartbreaker has any refection on the rest of the EP... I'll remain interested... you just might want to pass on the live show.
Download the track Heartbreaker here.

Tracklist:
01. The Oh So Protective One
02. Heartbreaker
03. Broken Dreams Club
04. Alright
05. Substance
06. Carolina

Kurt Vile.

I've been listening to Childish Prodigy on repeat since it was released last year... and catching his show at the Great Hall back in July made my Kurt Vile addiction even worse... and to feed my habit once again Matador will be releasing a new single from the Philadelphia guitarist October 25 digitally and on a limited edition 7" November 9... you can also buy it directly from Kurt himself at shows on his current tour.
The single also comes with two b-sides, "Early Dawnin'" and "Sad Ghost"... Vile also has a forthcoming John Agnello-produced album due sometime next year... but right now you can download "In My Time" here.

Destroyer.

Destroyer is the solo project of Dan Bejar (Swan Lake, The New Pornographers)... and in 1998 he released City of Daughters... one of the greatest records of all time in my opinion... so when I hear about a new Destroyer record... I get excited... really excited... and Dan has never let me down with one of his wordy solo albums... in fact... every time my ipod becomes stuck on that new release for two or three months... in a weird way he's like that teacher who captivated you as a kid... you can't stop trying to dissect his lyrics.
His ninth album Kaputt will be released on January 25 via Merge.
In a press release Bejar listed 22 things we might want to know about the album...

"Kaputt by Malaparte, which Bejar has never read… Kara Walker, specifically the lyrics she contributed to the song 'Suicide Demo for Kara Walker'… Chinatown, the neighborhood bordering on Bejar's… Baby blue eyes… 80s Miles Davis… 90s Gil Evans… Last Tango in Paris… Nic Bragg, who played lead guitar on every song, again… Fretless bass… The hopelessness of the future of music… The pointlessness of writing songs for today… V-Drums… The superiority of poetry and plays… And what's to become of film?… The Cocaine Addict… American Communism… Downtown, the neighborhood bordering on Bejar's… The LinnDrum… Avalon and, more specifically, Boys and Girls… The devastated mind of JC/DC, who recorded, produced and mixed this record from fall of 2008 to spring of 2010… The back-up vocals of certain Roy Ayers and Long John Baldry tours… Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence…"

I'm really glad he cleared everything up.

Here's the tracklist:

01 Chinatown
02 Blue Eyes
03 Savage Night at the Opera
04 Suicide Demo for Kara Walker
05 Poor in Love
06 Kaputt
07 Downtown
08 Song for America
09 Bay of Pigs (Detail)

Hunter S. Thompson

October 1958, a pre-fame Hunter S. Thompson applied for a job at the Vancouver Sun. The Ottawa Citizen recently published the quintessentially-Hunter cover letter... which is amazing... check it out below...

TO JACK SCOTT, VANCOUVER SUN

October 1, 1958 57 Perry Street New York City

Sir,

I got a hell of a kick reading the piece Time magazine did this week on The Sun. In addition to wishing you the best of luck, I'd also like to offer my services.

Since I haven't seen a copy of the "new" Sun yet, I'll have to make this a tentative offer. I stepped into a dung-hole the last time I took a job with a paper I didn't know anything about (see enclosed clippings) and I'm not quite ready to go charging up another blind alley.

By the time you get this letter, I'll have gotten hold of some of the recent issues of The Sun. Unless it looks totally worthless, I'll let my offer stand. And don't think that my arrogance is unintentional: it's just that I'd rather offend you now than after I started working for you.

I didn't make myself clear to the last man I worked for until after I took the job. It was as if the Marquis de Sade had suddenly found himself working for Billy Graham. The man despised me, of course, and I had nothing but contempt for him and everything he stood for. If you asked him, he'd tell you that I'm "not very likable, (that I) hate people, (that I) just want to be left alone, and (that I) feel too superior to mingle with the average person." (That's a direct quote from a memo he sent to the publisher.)

Nothing beats having good references.

Of course if you asked some of the other people I've worked for, you'd get a different set of answers.

If you're interested enough to answer this letter, I'll be glad to furnish you with a list of references — including the lad I work for now.

The enclosed clippings should give you a rough idea of who I am. It's a year old, however, and I've changed a bit since it was written. I've taken some writing courses from Columbia in my spare time, learned a hell of a lot about the newspaper business, and developed a healthy contempt for journalism as a profession.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a damned shame that a field as potentially dynamic and vital as journalism should be overrun with dullards, bums, and hacks, hag-ridden with myopia, apathy, and complacence, and generally stuck in a bog of stagnant mediocrity. If this is what you're trying to get The Sun away from, then I think I'd like to work for you.

Most of my experience has been in sports writing, but I can write everything from warmongering propaganda to learned book reviews.

I can work 25 hours a day if necessary, live on any reasonable salary, and don't give a black damn for job security, office politics, or adverse public relations.

I would rather be on the dole than work for a paper I was ashamed of.

It's a long way from here to British Columbia, but I think I'd enjoy the trip.

If you think you can use me, drop me a line.

If not, good luck anyway.

Sincerely, Hunter S. Thompson

All Delighted People.

Sometimes I wonder if I was on another planet... in another life... if Sufjan and I could be happy together forever... or maybe I am just drunk and still at work... at least it's Friday.
Nonetheless... Sufjan Stevens released his new EP today... titled All Delighted People... you can download the entire album for only $5... or stream the entire 8 tracks for free here.
Sufjan, I love you from the top of my heart.

PS I Love You.

On occasion you get pleasantly surprised by an opening band... and Wednesday evening was one of those nights... I went to see Diamond Rings... a part of Summerworks which is a Toronto indie theatre and arts festival... and if you've never witnessed John O'Regan aka Diamond Rings... he definitely falls into that category... but it was PS I Love You that stole the show... a band from Kingston, Ontario... originally a solo vehicle for multi-instrumentalist Paul Saulnier... and later he added Benjamin Nelson to replace a drum machine... and after bearing witness to endless fuzz and fret tapping that can only be made possible by growing up with a guitar as your best friend... accompany that with a driving drum beat and you have PS I Love You... so try not to think of the Beatles song or a crappy movie with that douche Hilary Swank... think of pure awesomeness... they are currently touring and will be releasing their debut album later this year... until then you can download the track "2012" here.

Tour Dates:

09/15 Chicago, IL - Schubas
09/19 Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar *
09/20 Santa Barbara, CA - Jensen’s *
09/21 Santa Cruz, CA - Crepe Place *
09/23 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *
09/24 Boise, ID - Neurolux *
09/28 Nelson, BC - Hume Hotel*$
09/30 Banff, AB - Wild Bills *$
10/01 Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room*$
10/02 Regina, SK - Distrikt*$
10/03 Winnipeg, MB - Pyramid *
10/04 Saskatoon, SK - Louis' Pub*$
10/06 Calgary, AB - Republik*$
10/08 Victoria, BC - Logan's Pub *%
10/09 Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre *%
10/10 Seattle, WA - The Highdive
10/11 Portland, OR - The Rotture
10/12 San Fran, CA - The Hemlock
10/13 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar
10/14 Los Angeles, CA - The Mint
10/17 Denver, CO - The Hi-Dive
10/20 New York, NY - CMJ
10/21 New York, NY - CMJ
10/22 New York, NY - CMJ
12/12 Guelph, ON - Ebar

* with Japandroids
$ with Frog Eyes
% with Ladyhawk

He just ordered a giant glass of milk.

Ticket Stub Diary.

I've always kept my ticket stubs over the years... except on a few occasions when they fall victim to the washing machine or when I was drunk scrounging for pizza money at evenings end and they ended up on the floor or some random street corner... for years these stubs have taken over my photo albums... I've always planned to do something with them... and finally I did... I found a Ticket Stub Diary online and ended up having to buy two of them for all my tickets... and looking back through time is as hilarious as it is memorable... I might have attended one too many Primus concerts?!?!?
You can buy a Ticket Stub Diary here.

RIP Harvey Pekar.

Today we lost an underground comic book legend... a writer best known for his work on American Splendor... he lived and died in Cleveland, Ohio and was found by his wife this morning... Harvey had a public battle with lymphoma... and had been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.... he was 70 years old.

R.I.P. Harvey Pekar (1939-2010)
"Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff"

Polaris Prize 2010.

The short list has been announced for the 2010 Polaris Prize... if you're Canadian and your record is more than 30 minutes/8 tracks long... you qualify... but there's a catch... the musical pool in Canada in deep and we release more albums per capita than any other country... and in the past there has been some amazing records that have won the $20,000 prize... Fucked Up Chemistry of Common Life (2009)... Caribou Andorra (2008)... Patrick Watson Close to Paradise (2007).... Final Fantasy He Poos Clouds (2006)... and for 2010 the short list is as follows...

Artist: The Besnard Lakes
Album: The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night

Artist: Broken Social Scene
Album: Forgiveness Rock Record

Artist: Caribou
Album: Swim

Artist: Karkwa
Album: Les Chemins De Verre

Artist: Dan Mangan
Album: Nice, Nice, Very Nice

Artist: Owen Pallett
Album: Heartland

Artist: Radio Radio
Album: Belmundo Regal

Artist: The Sadies
Album: Darker Circles

Artist: Shad
Album: TSOL

Artist: Tegan And Sara
Album: Sainthood

This year the competition in once again great... and two of my favourite records of the year so far made the list... Caribou and Owen Pallett are both nominated... and both have won the prize in previous years... so winning again would be doubtful... yet deserved.
The winner will be announced on September 25th at 9pm.

Wavves.

Nathan Williams is from San Diego, California and plays under the moniker Wavves... and is set to release his third album King of the Beach on August 3 via Fat Possum Records... this time around Nathan has a complete rhythm section backing him... consisting of Stephen Pope and Billy Hayes... both formerly of the late Jay Reatard’s touring band... Wavves self titled record received notable praise in 2009... mostly from us blogger kids... and well Pitchfork... and the bar is set even higher with King of the Beach... for the last week I can't seem to stop listening to stand out tracks... King of the Beach, Take on the World, Green Eyes and Baby Say Goodbye over and over again... thanks mediafire... I've literally been ignoring the other 13,000 songs on my ipod... I even uploaded it for my girlfriend... but I fully expect her to make a vacuum sound crossed with a pissed off badger next time I see her... she lacks a love of low-fi... but I don't know how anyone can't love surf music no matter how it's produced... I think it helped that I grew up with my dad beating the steering wheel and singing along to the Beach Boys on those long drives to the cottage... lying in the back of that old brown Dodge pickup truck with my brother and a mattress my mother cut out of foam... a pocket full of garbage pail candy and popeye cigarettes... maybe I was just hyperactive from the sugar yet part of it came from hearing Brian Wilson's familiar voice and knowing I would be spending the next two months in nothing but a bathing suit ... I realise now how much of an effect that has had on me... with Surfer Blood, The Morning Benders and now Wavves coming out with records this year... surf music is dominating much of my playlist... even though I haven't been seen in a bathing suit for years.
Stream King of the Beach here.
King of the Beach:

01. King Of The Beach
02. Super Soaker
03. Idiot
04. When Will You Come?
05. Post Acid
06. Take On The World
07. Baseball Cards
08. Convertible Balloon
09. Green Eyes
10. Mickey Mouse
11. Linus Spacehead
12. Baby Say Goodbye

Les Savy Fav.

So I missed Les Savy Fav when they played at the Wrongbar during NXNE... a band I've never seen live... and how did I miss my favourite band playing in my backyard do you ask? Well... I attended Pavement and Broken Social Scene that day on Toronto Island... and by the time Pavement was playing Stop Breathing for their encore... I was spinning around in circles like a drunken child... kicking empty cups and being belligerent to everyone within twenty feet... I was in no condition to see Les Savy Fav when they took the stage at 1:00am... and I most certainly would have been turned away because of the incessant hiccups and the fact I was only using one eye to keep the world straight... I was better off passing out on the couch with a joint in one hand and the other in a bag of ketchup chips... but there's still hope for me... Les Savy Fav are releasing a new album Root for Ruin on September 14 via Frenchkiss... the most anticipated album of the year in my opinion... and if it's half as good as 2007's studio album Lets Stay Friends... I'll be one happy boy... and just maybe the music gods will smile upon me and Tim Harrington and Co. will make another stop in Toronto later in the year... and my all my dreams will come true... *fingers crossed*.
Root for Ruin:

01 Appetites
02 Dirty Knails
03 Sleepless in Silverlake
04 Let's Get Out of Here
05 Lips n' Stuff
06 Poltergeist
07 High and Unhinged
08 Excess Engergies
09 Dear Crutches
10 Calm Down
11 Clear Spirits

Personal Life.

The Thermals will release their new full length Personal Life due on September 7th via Kill Rock Stars... and I am hoping for a returned to form like on their 2006 release The Body, The Blood, The Machine... I'm not going to lie... I was disappointed with 2009 Now We Can See... I haven't gone back to that album since the first month I purchased it... yet things seem on the up and up with the b-side Canada that I posted about earlier in the year and now the punchy first single from Personal Life "I Don't Believe You"... which you can download here.

One touch is never enough.

365 days of lovers!

Wilson.

When I was growing up I always suffered the embarrassment of my father talking to anyone who would listen... my Dad talks more to the person sitting on the other side of him than me when we attend baseball games... if you ask him why... the response will be the same every time... "I find people interesting."... in that way my father and I are polar opposites... I avoid talking to strangers at all costs... maybe that's why I've spent the past 20 years with headphones on... I just make fun of strangers to the person I'm with... and on occasion to their face... it depends on my level of intoxication at the time... and shockingly enough... up until this point I haven't had my ass kicked... and while I was reading the new graphic novel Wilson by Daniel Clowes... I thought to myself... he is exactly what my Dad and I would become if you could combine our personalities... it would be like releasing the ultimate talkative asshole accentuating negativity on society at every turn... but lucky for society... this will never happen... that doesn't mean we can't read about it and live vicariously through a cartoon character... Wilson is a 40 year old divorced loner... a loud mouth that will disrespect anyone willing to listen... and once again Clowes has developed a character that is self loathing and cynical... similar to Enid Coleslaw in his breakthrough novel Ghost World... Wilson is 71 standalone strips that shift styles and is Daniel's first book in five years... published by Drawn & Quarterly... and for some reason he chose a small publisher out of Montreal rather than a New York giant which he was used to with Pantheon... I'm sure this will end up on many best seller lists... and people everywhere will be laughing out loud at what it contains... and some... like myself... might just identify with him.
You can buy a copy of Wilson here.

Marta Chudolinska.

There is a unwritten rule about supporting your friends when it comes to their artistic endeavours... no matter how bad... but after seeing your friends band or gallery opening... you put on a smiling face and tell them how great they are for pursuing their dream... no matter what you might actually think... and I've done this more times than I can count... mostly at art shows while drinking wine that no doubt came from a box and secretly wishing I was somewhere else... but that all changed on Saturday afternoon... for the first time... someone I actually know made something worth while... I was attending the The Toronto Comic Arts Festival... mostly to buy a copy of Wilson... the new book by Daniel Clowes and to meet the man himself... but there was another surprise waiting for me... I walked through the front door to find a familiar face... Marta Chudolinska was selling her book Back + Forth with a little man holding a sign behind her announcing her nomination for a Doug Wright Award in the Best Book category... and I suppose Marta is far too modest for her own good... because this was the first time I heard of this... but if it was me and my name was mentioned alongside Seth and Marc Bell... everyone would have heard about it... whether they wanted to or not... and while waiting in what felt like a never ending line up for Daniel Clowes I read Back + Forth... a wordless graphic novel that is made up of 90 linocuts... a print making technique where images are carved into linoleum and pressed onto paper... in which Marta takes you down a recognizable road... a story that is familiar to so many of us... similar stories in my life that I've tried so hard to forget... yet Marta has courageously bounded them in a book for everyone to see... while going through the captivating images Marta pulls you into her life... so much so that you feel you're on an adventure with her while she's asleep and awake... locking horns with life and coming to terms with a failing relationship... a heart-wrenching and beautiful story by an amazing lady... a friend that is finally worth supporting.
Marta lives and works in Toronto... and you can buy a copy of her book here.

Treats.

When I started this blog my first post was about Sleigh Bells... and since then I caught them live at Wrongbar in Toronto... were they impressed... even though their set was only 30 minutes and they played to a crowd that was more interested in snorting coke off the back of a urinal then the band onstage... but still turned out to be well worth the $10 cover... their first track "Tell 'Em" from the highly anticipated album Treats which is coming out on May 11 via Mom and Pop and M.I.A.'s N.E.E.T. imprint... can be downloaded from the official Sleigh Bells website here... and you can watch live video at N.E.E.T.'s site here.
This is pop music that is meant to be listened to at a high volume... just saying.

Treats tracklist:

01. Tell 'Em
02. Kids
03. Riot Rhythm
04. Infinity Guitars
05. Run the Heart
06. Rachel
07. Rill Rill
08. Crown On the Ground
09. Straight A's
10. A/B Machines
11. Treats

Glen Bazouzi.

I normally don't resort to these sort of antics on my blog... but I've been left with no choice.
I've been living in a condo in downtown Toronto for the past 10 years... and with every condo comes a building manager... unfortunately I've been stuck with Horizon Property Management Inc.
Just over a year ago I had a flood in my unit that destroyed the floor, some drywall and some of my contents... these things happen and that's why I have insurance... but when you're dealing with the condominiums insurance and your own insurance... things can become difficult... especially if your management treats work like an obligation... I was living elsewhere and my insurance company was paying the bill... I had $9000 for accommodation while my unit was being repaired... which you think would be plenty of time to get my floors and some drywall replaced... yet after waiting for two and a half months with constant follow ups to Glen Bazouzi who owns Horizon Property Management... they still had yet to get my insurance the money for the standard fixtures in my unit so they could begin the repairs... after over three months of delay... work was finally being done and in the end I was away from home for almost four months and my accommodation had run dry... and when I returned to my unit I had noticed that my brand new Hunter Douglas blinds had been damaged by the company Glen hired to gut my unit... upon noticing this I immediately reported it to Horizon... and I was told my blinds would be returned to normal... after another three months had past and following up several times... an employee for Horizon finally came to my unit to inspect the damage... another month past and someone came to measure for my new valances... of which four needed to be replaced... he reassured me it was a small job and I would have my blinds back to normal in a couple of months... four months past and still nothing... I followed up with Glen once again... and he said... "I have no idea what happened. It's like a needle in a haystack!"... so I asked him to once again send someone to my unit so we could put this behind us... several weeks later and more phone calls Glen returned with a sample... which was a different colour than the blinds I had... and he found out that they had discontinued the blinds completely three months ago... the next offer that was made to me was that I could have stripped blinds... this was out of the question... I paid just over $1000 for my blinds new and they were less that a year old... and I wanted them to return to the way they were originally... so I told Glen that it was only fair for him to replace all the valances... it once again took several days for a reply... and when came back to me he asked my why I was so "entitled" and that this wasn't his problem any longer... it turns out Glen found out that insurance wouldn't cover the cost because it took him over a year to report it... and he would have to pay for his mistake out of his own pocket... after several written statements that he would fix the problem... now he refused out right... I threatened to take him to small claims court and Glen once again disappeared for several weeks.
Glen has proved over and over again that he and his company Horizon Property Management are nothing but incompetent... several store fronts have remain empty in the building for years... the common areas and stairwells are always in disarray... and reporting problems with your unit or the building is met with a "it's not my problem" attitude.
Several people in the building have told me they've had problems with Glen in the past and they're less than satisfied with his service... and before you look into Horizon Property Management for your building... consider this a warning... Horizon Property Management should be last on your list.

UPDATE: After 14 months of incompetence and complaining my blinds were finally replaced... I think it had something to do with this blog post... Glen asked me to remove it completely... but I refuse... maybe in the future Glen will handle these types of things in a more professional manner... and treat people the way he would like to be treated.

The Morning Benders.

A foursome from Berkeley, California made up of Julian Harmon, Tim Or and Chris Chu.... recording their follow up to 2008's Talking Through Tin Cans after touring with Grizzly Bear in 2009... have recorded Big Echo via Rough Trade Records and co-produced by Chris Taylor... after listening to this record three times in a row... I can't wait to hear it again... a full length stocked with catchy hooks that gets better as it goes on... you can listen to a few tracks from Big Echo here.

You can also catch The Morning Benders when they stop in

Toronto at The Drake on April 14.

PETA.

Its been nine years since I became a vegetarian... and when I decided to take the plunge... I wasn’t trying to save the animals so to speak... I just looked at myself in the mirror one day... and at 22 years old I didn’t like what I saw... I was way over weight and some 80 year old smokers had more stamina then I did... I was supposedly in the prime of my life... so I decided to change my eating habits... and the next thing I knew I was replacing double cheese burgers with raw food and two litre bottles of coke with water... I shed 70 pounds in a year and I felt like I had a new lease on life... I also realized the stigmatism from not only becoming a vegetarian... but as a man who eats lettuce on a regular basis... besides... meat has never been a major vice for me... except when I smell bacon... who can resist that? But the one thing that is associated with being a vegetarian is PETA or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals... an organization that boasts over two million members world wide... and some of the propaganda they spew out on a day to day basis must mean most of those two million members are uneducated or at he very least uninformed... I don’t give a shit when I see Pamela Anderson and her giant fake tits standing in front of a KFC with a sign that reads “KFC Tortures Chickens!”... Pamela Anderson has been torturing me with her ever changing face for the past 15 years and until now I’ve yet to complain... but when I see Animal Collective pose for a picture in matching seal shirts to support Peta... it makes me cringe... I somehow doubt David Portner, Noah Lennox or Josh Dibb have ever been to Nunavut... let alone talked to a family that is supported by the seal hunt to hear their side of the story... the Inuit have been hunting seals for centuries and if anyone has the ability to balance nature... all we have to do is look north... in 2010 predators of seals are few and far between... and besides... there is a limit on how many seals are culled each year... and not only do the seals provide food and clothing... they also provide a third of their annual income... coming from a small town in northern Ontario where hunting a way of life I’ve seen this first hand... I was one of the few kids that actually attended school during the first two weeks of November... everyone else would retreat to a hunting camp... and up there hunting wasn’t just for kicks... it provided your family with venison for an entire year... a deer tag would cost only $24... and in a place where so many people rely on government housing and kick backs... a 240 pound deer helps more than you can imagine... is what they’re doing cruel? I doubt it... Peta supports free range chickens... so why don’t they consider hunting to be the ultimate in free range? Is there a difference when a seal is hit in the head with a hakapik or crushed by the jaws of a polar bear? I don’t think so... what Peta has failed to realize is that we live in a cruel world... death is a part of life and there is no easy way around it... so the next time I mention to someone I’m a vegetarian and I hear... “Oh, are you one of those vegetarians?”... I’m going to kill a baby seal right then and there... okay maybe not... but most days I just wish Peta would disappear so people will stop associating my food choices with an organization of two million small minded people... and Animal Collective would just stick to making great records.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

Very few things rubbed off on me after living in a town of 1,800 people... my hate for Garth Brooks and David Wilcox has proven that... yet it's hard not to grin when I hear someone pluck a banjo... or when a cheese grater is turned into a musical instrument... it brings back memories of plates full of hash and drinking reserve sixties at fifteen years old while Neil Young and Johnny Cash play in the background... yet I didn't truly realized my love for country music until I left that town in my wake some fourteen years ago... I came full circle when I discovered Will Oldham at twenty... after hearing I See A Darkness in late 1999 I was hooked... and I have almost everything Will has produced under various monikers... the Bonnie "Prince" Billy album "Beware" showed up at #16 on my top 25 records from last year... and he's at it again in 2010... Drag City has confirmed a new record titled "The Wonder Show of the World" and it's credited to Bonnie "Prince" Billy and the Cairo Gang... and is out on March 23rd and will feature ten songs... you can hear a non-album Conway Twitty cover titled "Play, Guitar, Play" here.

Frog Eyes.

The first time I had the pleasure of hearing Carey Mercer was in 2003 after the release of The Golden River... Frog Eyes opened for Destroyer at the Horseshoe Tavern... coincidentally... it was first time I saw someone reading a heady novel while a band was playing... at first glance it was humourous to watch Mercer and his knee buckling guitar riffs as he shook his head violently back and forth... and the girl with the thick framed glasses beside me never looked up once from her copy of Resurrection by Tolstoy... but after a minute or two you almost feel like you're alone with Mercer in a washing machine... this is where Frog Eyes sucks you in... and with a brand new release right around the corner... I can hardly contain my excitement... even though I never understood Love in the Time of Cholera.
Frog Eyes will be releasing their follow up to 2007's Tears Of The Valedictorian and first with the label Dead Oceans on April 27th... titled Paul's Tomb: A Triumph... you can download the opening track from the album... over nine minutes in length... called "A Flower in a Glove" here.

Paul's Tomb: A Triumph

1. A Flower in a Glove
2. The Sensitive Girls
3. Odetta's War
4. Rebel Horns
5. Lear, in the Park
6. Styled by Dr. Roberts
7. Lear in Love
8. Violent Psalms
9. Paul's Tomb

Support C.A.R.A.O.S.V.A.W.R.

Canadians Against Random Acts of

Stormtrooper Violence Against Wild Raccoons.

Eventually I will accept paypal.

World Sick.

Broken Social Scene is back with the first single World Sick from the up coming album Forgiveness Rock Record... they've narrowed the band down to six members for this record... consisting of Kevin Drew, Brendan Channing, Charles Spearin, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, San Goldberg and Lisa Lobsinger... but I imagine half of Toronto will make a guest appearence somewhere on the album... which is due out on May 4th via Arts & Crafts... you can download the single here... in exchange for your email address.
And the kids will be playing Toronto Island on June 19th with Pavement and Band of Horses.

Last.fm

I've been a member of last.fm for an entire year now... and I find myself wondering... does anyone else really want to know what I'm listening to on a daily basis? Probably not... but I like to follow my own listening habits more than anyone... it's almost like musically stalking yourself... since February 15th last year I've listened to 28,020 songs on my ipod alone... which works out to an average of 76 songs per day... that doesn't count the music I listened to on my record player... where would I be if I didn't know how many times I listened to The Purple Bottle by Animal Collective in the past 12 months? If you really need to know... it was 52 times or scrobbles as last.fm puts it... and I needed confirmation when it comes to my love for Bonnie "Prince" Billy... I actually listened to 915 songs sung by Will Oldham in the past year alone... and that doesn't include Palace, Palace Songs, Palace Music, Superwolf or his solo work... it gives me kind of a warm feeling inside... even when Lil' Wayne appears close to the top of my list at #23... who would of thought I had a special place in my heart for gangster rap? I'm currently saving up for a diamond faced watch and I'm in the process of refering to my girlfriend soley as "My Bitch"... it gives me more street cred... kinda like John Mayer or Celine Dion.
Last.fm isn't only for counting the songs I listen to... it also tracks the live shows I've attended and recommends new bands and people with similar musical taste to my own... which is great... except when my ex's show up on that list... but what better way to avoid them at the next live show... I've predicted that last.fm has saved my from dozens of awkward moments in the past year alone... and yes it is possible to avoid someone at the Horseshoe Tavern if you really try... I used to actually have to do some research to find out about new bands... or go early to shows and catch opening acts... now it just pops up for me on my home page... it's as easy as velcro shoes when it comes to discovering new bands... because why should I pick up NME or Spin anymore... Raygun was the last great music magazine anyway... and I'm sick of the holier-than-thou shit that Pitchfork spews out on a daily basis... so for now last.fm is all I need... until the next best thing comes along... or Lil' Wayne becomes my top artist.

Gil Scott-Heron.

Gil Scott-Heron is just as well known for his poetry as his music... releasing his thirteenth studio album through XL Recordings and his first album in sixteen years... titled I'm New Here... and I have little doubt it will end up on mine and many other shortlists for 2010... yet the best part about the record... is what's written on the sleeve inside... Gil writes a letter to the listener... and when it comes to the way the average person is listening to music in 2010... I don't think anyone could have said it better:

There is a proper procedure for taking advantage of an investment.

Music, for example. Buying music is an investment.

To get the maximum you must

LISTEN TO IT FOR THE FIRST TIME UNDER OPTIMUM CONDITIONS.

Not in your car or on a portable player through a headset.

Take it home.

Get rid of all distractions, (even her or him).

Turn off your cell phone.

Turn off anything that rings or beeps or rattles or whistles.

Make yourself comfortable.

Play your LP.

LISTEN all the way through.

Think about what you got.

Think about who would appreciate this investment.

Decide if there is someone to share this with.

Turn it on again.

Enjoy Yourself.

~Gil Scott-Heron

You can listen to the new single "Me and The Devil" here.

Beard-O.

Blame The Thermals.

The Thermals have recorded an ode to Canada... apparently this song was written by Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster in less then a half hour... while sitting in a van on the way to Toronto from Buffalo, New York... where they just played a less-than-spectacular show south of the border... and were excited to play a sold out show at the Horseshoe Tavern... which I attended I might add... and yes... The Thermals are amazing... and they prove it once again... you can listen to Canada here.

The Thermals forthcoming album Personal Life will be out on September 7 via Kill Rock Stars.

Die Antwoord.

A Zef-Rap band from Cape Town South Africa... meaning The Answer in Afrikaans... I think it's supposed to be a joke... but it's funny no matter what it is... and they've had such a serge in popularity this year... that it brought down their website until it was moved to a larger server... you can watch a video here.

Danny Sullivan.

How can I thank you enough for making me laugh on a daily basis? All I have to do is pull up that youtube video and my day seems a little brighter... I'd like your address to send a small token of my appreciation... I know you would receive more people showing up at your door trying to kick your ass rather than sending you cheques... but thanks for pushing Noel Gallagher into that stack of speakers in 2008... possibly the most annoying Brit on the planet... only to be out done by his brother and maybe Princess Diana... Danny has pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm for the September 7th attack that broke three of Gallagher’s ribs... and Mr. Gallagher is supposed to show up in Toronto himself to read his impact statement to the court... but come on... give the guy a break... Oasis has been causing me pain for years with their shitty music and blatant Beatles ripoffs... and what do I get? If I see Noel walking around Toronto anytime soon... I'll be sure to give him a shove too... and Danny... one day I'll buy you a beer... I promise.

Guten Tag.

Hot mustard + beer stein = good times.

Caribou.

Dan Snaith... better know as Caribou... will be releasing Swim on April 20th via Merge Records... the highly anticipated follow up to Andorra... the Polaris Prize winner of 2008.

This is Dan's take on the new record...

“The most important thing for me with this record was finding my own sonic vocabulary. That’s why I’m proud of this record.”

Yeah... and don't forget he'll be releasing it on 4/20... hopefully I'm out of hash by then... download the song "Odessa" here.

Tracklisting...
1. Odessa
2. Sun
3. Kaili
4. Found Out
5. Bowls
6. Leave House
7. Hannibal
8. Lalibela
9. Jamelia

Kate Carraway.

I used to read the Toronto Weekly's religiously... spending a huge portion of my early twenties in smoke filled music venues... where the floor acted as an ashtray and cigarette burns in the back of your shirt came with the territory... I relied on my trusty Eye Weekly to inform me about which bands were going to make a stop in Toronto... I would flip to the "Just Announced" section usually before my ass hit the orange cracked vinyl seat... but lets be honest... post 2000... rarely does Eye Weekly inform me of a live show before google reader or last.fm... and every time I pick it up there seems to be less and less actual content... and for awhile columns were disappearing on a weekly basis... I had thoughts of never picking up Eye again... it's not like that's the only weekly in my fair city... yet it's so conveniently placed inside Ossington Station... and when I've hardly made a dent in my morning coffee... that extra twenty-five steps to the Now box at the corner... feels like a mile... so I find myself going back to that trusty old black and yellow cover like the predictable guy that I am... as long as Kate Carraway keeps her column My Life, My Fault that is... she also contributes to LA Weekly and Nerve.com... I have slight crush on any woman that can accentuate the negative as well as I can... besides she makes me smile on Thursday mornings... which is difficult... only because my weekly marketing meeting makes me want to gouge out my eye with a dull pencil... so Miss. Carraway performs an unbeknownst miracle at 8:50am sharp every week... and if Eye Weekly knows what's good for them... they should hold on to her... because my Thursday mornings just won't be the same... or you could just skip all that newsprint nonsense and follow her blog here.

Josiah Wolf.

Most people know Josiah Wolf as being the drummer in the band Why?... or the older brother to Yoni Wolf (Why?, Clouddead, Hymie's Basement, Reaching Quiet)... but soon you'll know him as the man and not the afro... Josiah after allegedly taking vocal and guitar lessons in secret then recording all the songs outdoors deep in the woods of Cincinnati... is releasing his first solo record titled Jet Lag via Anticon on March 2nd... until then you can listen to the track The Trailer And The Truck here.

Jet Lag

1. The Trailer And The Truck
2. Master Cleanse (California)
3. The Opposite Of Breathing
4. The New Car
5. Skull In The Ice
6. The Apart Meant
7. That Kind Of Man
8. Ohioho
9. Is The Body Hung
10. In The Seam
11. Gravity Defied
12. The One Sign

Sometimes dreams do come true.

Just when you think things couldn't get any better...

Jesus (who is obviously a fan of indie music)...

does something like this!

Tickets for a range life... go on sale January 22.

The Calcination of Scout Niblett.

Scout Niblett's fifth full length record The Calcination of Scout Niblett comes out on January 19th via Drag City and after 2007's This Fool Can Die Now... I'm looking forward to more moody freak outs from the Staffordshire native... once again returning to the studio with Steve Albini and promising a collection of great slow-dance songs... who isn't excited? You can listen to the track The Calcination of Scout Niblett here... and hear more album previews here.

Twelve months of transit.

January - The Year of The Ox

February - The Great Flood

March - I Went Crazy

April - Granny Flat Living

May - Boy Meets Girl

June - Reorganized Music Collection

July - Smitten

August - Smitten

September - Slow Dance on top of the Eiffel Tower

October - Smitten

November - Smitten

December - Smitten

If only my ttc passes could talk.