Triple Music Feature...Best of 2012! Also: Idle No More, Pothole Truck Scandal and a 1971 Barracuda

Issue 3, Volume 2

Our On The Streets segment features a very odd 1971 Plymouth Barracuda. Every once in a while you see a cool collectible muscle car that you know would probably cost north of 50k to buy, that perfect restoration where the paint is like glass, the tires and wheels shine, the parts are all 'period correct' and the car has a big 'do not touch' sign in the window. This is not one of those muscle cars. While of course, every remaining E body from 1970 to 1974 is collectible, this one is an oddball for the fact that it is in such good shape, but encompasses exactly none of the describing features I just indicated regarding a collectible muscle car.

Plymouth started building the Barracuda in 1964, on the Valiant chassis. It was very similar in styling to the Valiant, and was powered by either two slant six motors, or the 273 V8. There were a few Hurst modified Valiant Barracudas that drag raced with huge hemi motors, but not many for sale at any dealership. Really, the Barracuda was Chrysler's first attempt at a pony car, similar to the Mustang, long before GM had anything similar. The Mustang was based on the lowly Falcon compact, and the Barracuda was based on the lowly Valiant compact, both were stylish fastback coupes, and both could be had with small block V8 power. It was really Shelby who stepped up the Mustang and made it a performance car, more than just a stylish compact coupe. The Barracuda also added some packages to get in on the performance craze of the late 60's. In 1967 the Barracuda was restyled with coupe, fastback, and convertible versions. Still on the Valiant platform, many more were sold with a 273 as the base engine, but the car could usually be had with the hot 340 small block. The Formula S version had special suspension, tires, and was even available with a massive 383 big block, which deleted the power steering, because there just wasn't enough room under the hood. There were also, towards '69, small runs of 440 or 426 hemi powered big block cars, which ruled the drag strips. But while Mustangs got bigger, and had bigger power plants, the Camaro also was running larger and larger engines with more horsepower and more tricks, and both cars had fresh and bold styling. In 1970, the all new Barracuda, on it's own platform shared with the Challenger (called E bodies) was released. The entire gambit of engines could be had, along with a few different styles. To be clear, there were Barracudas and there were 'Cudas (it actually said 'Cuda on the rear nameplate). While 'Cudas were typically stripper sports models with performance options, Barracudas were the pedestrian base models, or the luxury models.

The car you're looking at above is likely a Barracuda (disputed, however), and one of the luxury versions, based on the shark gill vents, the high rent grille, and the hood lifted from the Challenger R/T (known as a Rally hood). These packages, and the colour, were typical of higher end 'Gran Coupe' Barracudas. These cars came standard with a console shift, bucket seats, and a 383 big block, among other things. This car has some non standard items, however, that are probably period correct, which would have put this car in sort of a 'rice' category in the mid 70's, if not for the fact that it has a big block to back it up. First of all, the hideous gold plating treatment is pure mid to late 70's fare, right down to the trim rings on the rally wheels. Second, the factory go-wing was not a Gran-Coupe option, it would have been added after, along with the window slats. These were features common on performance models, like the Hemi 'Cuda. Taking cues from a different Barracuda, the AAR (for All American Racer) you will see the side exit exhaust poking from just in front of the rear wheel. Dan Gurney struck a deal with Plymouth to build custom small block cars outfitted for road course duty, so they could compete in the SCCA Trans American Sedan Series (Trans-Am). They got a cool side exit exhaust, which doesn't quite look at peace here. Half cheesy luxo-cruiser, half muscle stoplight bruiser, this car doesn't know what it is, but it does know that someone took a perfectly good Barracuda and around 1977, messed it up. There's something to be said for a vehicle that also exhibits history of fashion trends (however tacky) of the time too.

Also: Props to my man Craig for recognizing this as a 1971, not a 1970. The gills are a 1971 feature, and although it's impossible to tell what was period-correct added on, and what wasn't (due to the mash up of period correct 1970 Mopar parts on this thing - it's likely the gills came with the car. Thanks Craig!

Idle No More vs. Tipping Point - The Non Aboriginal Guide to Bill C-45

I was driving back from a site visit when I ran into the Idle No More movement coming down Jasper Avenue. It was not far from the Aboriginal permanent sustainable housing project I manage. While I knew personally individuals who were marching in the protest group that was moving up the street, in a peaceful and orderly manner I should indicate, I declined to leave my car by the side of the road and join them. Sometimes in the business world, non-affiliation, and also being expected back at the office in a reasonable time frame, are expectations that cannot be ignored. That does not mean I don't have an opinion one way or another on the subject. But to have an opinion, one needs to be informed.

I decided I would become informed after a friend who had been reading Tipping Point felt motivated to put together a small experiment reflecting the book. What he wanted to do was to have people sing an impromptu O'Canada at the legislature in mid January. I immediately ran into the road block of feeling that if I was to show up at the legislature, not rallying any issues, and began singing O'Canada to support our country, it would almost seem as if I was in some sort of opposition to the recent protests by supporting my country. So, respectfully, I declined. I didn't want to show up to the legislature, start singing O'Canada and have it looked like I was singing the government's praises while other individuals are there protesting C-45.

But what is Bill C-45 and what would my stance be if I actually knew what was going on? I'm not an aboriginal person,so maybe C-45 doesn't effect me - but on the other hand, maybe it does? And even if I'm not aboriginal, I'm still a Canadian, and so are aboriginal peoples, and so C-45 affects us in kind because it effects Canadians. That's reason enough for me to get to know about it. But I wanted to know about it from the perspective of those who are most adamant about it; those that participate in the Idle No More movement, Aboriginal Canadians. While all Canadians should be concerned about C-45 for it's removal of something like 80% of currently protected waterways; ones we depend on for drinking water, recreation, and that habitat depends on, the bill also includes amendments to the Indian act. One very active Idle No More protester that I know, a very smart guy indeed, indicated that it is not necessarily what it changes, but that it changes a very old and very important act without consulting anyone. There is also an environmental side to the bill, in which the changes to the waterways protection acts are being done so such that oil pipelines can be built through them.

Just a little background here about C-45 as an omnibus bill. Watch any US economic documentary, and you will see massive 300 page bills introduced into senate where certain senators criticize the bills for being sweeping and all encompassing, and having a lot of unrelated content in them. One of the most recent was the last financial stimulus package which was said to be full of pork and had a lot of strange tack-ons. Essentially, when there is an emergency or pressing issue that will likely pass, the bill gets amended and voila, the little piece of legislation that might have been contentious or never would have stood on its own all of a sudden squeaks through. In the case of omnibus bills, they're usually packaged with the budget for the year. While the main issue is budget topics, like infrastructure, healthcare, or education, as well as debt repayment or surplus, sometimes 'pork' gets tacked on. In this case, a little piece of legislation that makes changes to the Indian act such that possibly oil pipelines could be built across reserves and in waterways that run through reserves was what got by.

The main issue, and what Frog Lake Cree First Nation is now suing over, is that the bands were not consulted before the legislation was changed.

Anyway, I am not an Aboriginal person who this omnibus bill directly affects. However, it does affect Canadians. Not to mention, omnibus bills are generally economically and socially irresponsible. They can be a way to push an agenda where the topic never gets fully argued or researched, thus allowing a bad idea to get through the system of checks and balances built into our government. So yes, I am opposed, and for that reason, won't be singing O'Canada at the legislature, although I love my country, just so that it doesn't look like I'm supporting the government and not supporting the Idle No More movement, which by being idle, I'm indirectly supporting ironically.

Would You Leave Your Ferrari In A Snowbank? The City of Edmonton would...

The city has an abundance of work vehicles. The most popular one this time of season is the International trucks WorkStar. The heavyweight dual-axle. 1100lb-ft of torque beast is the most popular platform for the city's sanding ploughs. The city even dialed it up a notch this year, for 2013 they purchased trucks with extended crew cabs. These trucks have hydraulically operated dumping beds and ploughs, and special computer controlled salt and sand mixer and distributor features. The WorkStar sells for approximately $110,000 without any options. These special rigs employ a host of specialized equipment added to them that could easily put them north of $200,000, or more expensive than a Ferrari. Some of the vehicles in the city's fleet would likely dwarf the average price for a house. With the average homeowner paying roughly $3500/yr in property taxes, it would take a full 31 houses in a year to afford to buy one WorkStar, that is without all said equipment. These 31 households likely would find it a strain to pay for a new battery for their own car if they had left it out and let the battery run down. That would be a shame. Certainly, no one would do that on purpose.

Now's where I start getting to the point. The city would do something like that on purpose. In fact, they would leave a very expensive vehicle, with a very expensive battery to sit out in the open on a city street unprotected for several days, with the hazards on, until the battery runs dead. At least that's what they did at 109th Street and 82nd Avenue.For at least three days, if not possibly an entire week, a sanding truck was left in a closed off lane with it's hazard lights on. On the third morning I passed it by, the hazards were barely flashing, indicating the battery had been run down. If the truck had an issue, wouldn't it have been prudent to have it towed to be serviced as soon as possible? Rather than leaving it out in the middle of a street? I contacted Ward representative Don Iveson of city council. I indicated there may have been a good reason for this I don't know about. Iveson replied promptly to my email, calling the incident "curious" and assuring that my email would be passed on to the proper individuals in order to get me an answer regarding why this happened. Iveson did this on holiday no less, so I have to say that obviously there are some responsible individuals who work for the city, but in the case of this sanding truck, perhaps some not so responsible ones.It was a very short time later that I received a call from the southwest yard from a manager that was obviously upset at the situation. It turns out a mechanic had gone home sick while he was waiting for a tow, never told anyone, and the tow truck never arrived. Oh, and by the way, it turned out to be a pothole repair truck, not a sanding truck. I'm sure he was ready to kick some ass himself. So what's my point of the story? Well initially I set out to rant about how irresponsible the city was with dealing with our assets, but after this, I was happy that the city was very quick to discuss my opinion and apologize for the problem. Note, on my way home, the truck was gone, and the lane was open again.

TRIPLE MUSIC FEATURE - THE BEST OF 2012

Music & Culture - The Best of 2012

Best of lists are always difficult to compile, and I stopped last year, because not only was my budget for purchasing recorded music much smaller, but the amount of music I was listening to was much greater. This spanned all decades, rather than just singled out to a specific year. Meanwhile, there definitely were some albums released this year that I feel will be classics going forward. So rather than just breaking down the top 10 albums that I bought or listened to this year, I'll give you the highlights of the best of the best, and in no particular order.

The Antlers - Burst Apart

The Antlers are a 'collective' of three musicians headed by Peter Silberman from Brooklyn, who originally made waves with their concept album Hospice. That album, while lyrically brilliant and musically ambient in a pleasant and evocative way, was still somewhat difficult to listen to at times, which can happen with a concept album. Burst Apart is much more cohesive, with more diversity in terms of the musical writing. It is not nearly as lyrical, however, that doesn't mean the lyrics are bad, even in songs where there are only three whole lines of poetry. I think whileHospice would always be a favorite of indie lovers, Burst Apart proves that The Antlers are for real.

The Shins - Port Of Morrow

Who are The Shins really? That's a question I've been asking after James Mercer has replaced almost his entire lineup x2, firing some of his longest long-time members just before recording this album. Joe Plummer from Modest Mouse appears on drums in what is another hit from The Shins. Regardless of if the Shins are a band or if they really are a continuation of Mercer's solo project post Flake Music, it doesn't matter. This guy plays a great live rendition of The Magnetic Fields - Adam In Drag, and he, like Paul McCartney, is fantastic at arranging all different types of music. The Shins are still undeniably The Shins, but they've come a long way since Oh, Inverted World, and you see Mercer's maturity in songwriting develop. Fall of '82 and Port of Morrow seem to be new territory for The Shins, and seem to draw a distinct line to Mercer's time in Broken Bells between albums. While 40 Mark Strasse is a great acoustic number, sort of what The Shins are known for. The album is 'more upbeat' as Mercer agreed to when asked, but it's the darker songs that will make a lasting impression on you, and probably keep you putting the needle in their grooves, or not deleting them from your MP3 player for a long time. 

EveryTimeIDie - Ex Lives

Every time I feel like this band might be getting off track, they pull something off that should be in the metal history books. I don't know of any other band that is quite as verbose, and doesn't quite adhere to the rules as EveryTimeIDie. Keith Buckley again pens a winner, while his brother and other band mates form a hard acid rock shell to beat you over the head with it. The first single Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space might be harder than anything else I've heard from them in a long time. Not very swinging, which this band can be from time to time. There is always an element of playfulness. Meanwhile Revival Mode starts off with this melancholy sort of slow dirge, but opens up to a full blown floor pounder. Good from beginning to end, this is one to roll down the windows to and crank up on a sunny day.

Jack White - Blunderbuss

This is one of those albums you picked up right when it went on sale, didn't you? You did, didn't you? If you can't find something you like that Jack White does in any of his projects, from The White Stripes, to The Raconteurs, to Danger Mouse, to The Dead Weather to...okay you get the point. This guy never sleeps. All these musical projects in addition to running Third Man Records, and getting fired from producing a film soundtrack (or whatever happened there) the question had to be there all along: when will Jack White release his own fucking record. Well he did, and it's great. I've often been accused of not liking this album, because I never play individual tracks from it in the car. Trust me, the local modern rock radio station will beat us over the head over and over with whatever they can turn into a single from this album. And really, the album only makes perfect sense when you listen to it cover to cover. But when you do, you'll realize, as you did after you watched It Might Get Loud, that White is someone who has something extra, as if he sold his soul at the crossroads. He's got some other way of looking at music that 99% of the 1% of the best musicians in the world still don't have. As one of the most formidable yet minimalist songwriters of our time, or any time, you might as well call this an instant classic.

The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten

I've taken a lot of flak for liking this album, but I think in the long run, this type of music will outpace stuff from bands like fun, as catchy as We are young might be. Why? Because it's good old fashion rock n' roll, that's why. This album has also taken a lot of flak from critics, even pitchfork's review was fair in it's assessment but it ultimately was awarded only a 5.7, compared to the 8.6 that '59 Sound garnered. Brian Fallon indicated he was going back to his roots with this one, rather than targeting just the new fad of Springsteen indie rock (which has worked well for everyone from The Killers to...well that's the only other one I can think of right now, but I think there's a lot). The result sounds a lot like '59 Sound. And again, that's not a bad thing! I think most people who grew up with 90's alternative as well as their parents' old rock records will appreciate this album. That makes it a highlight of the year for me. 

The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter

The band that is best known for January Wedding from their 2009 I and Love and You full length that hit #16 on the US charts did a multiple better this time, hitting #4 with The Carpenter. If you don't know the Avett Brothers, they actuallyare  brothers, and play with about 3 other individuals. You could call them folk, or indie alternative, or folk indie alternative, or folk indie, or indie, or whatever you want, but like chocolate and peanut butter, it is a combination that no matter which way you put it together, it's good. I was first introduced to the Avett brothers through their January Wedding single, which had been on my fiance's iPod for a very long time. Now, the hard drive of her Wrangler is loaded with the songs. Whereas I had liked the one single before, I didn't realize that I was tacitly falling in love with the Avett brothers until a few rides with nothing but them to listen to in the Jeep. Now I'm sold. 

Mumford & Sons - Babel

Of course, you would have to believe that I like a group or album to put them up here. That obviously I wouldn't just put something up here because it was trendy or I thought it would make me cool. Let me explain my attraction to this album. First of all, in our household, Mumford & Sons is played quite a bit. And if I didn't like them, I don't think I'd ever throw them on the turntable. Second of all, I cannot stress how important this album is. Aside from just being a great album to listen to, this took a whole entirely different genre of music (Modern Manchester Folk - I know wtf is that right?), and thrust it into the limelight to the point it would be harder to ignore than Beiber, Minaj and Kanye combined.Babel got more play in 2012 and was talked about more than even Kim Kardashian. Yes, I went there. I took that stupid pun. To bring the roots of Celtic folk into the mainstream, not even the Pogues or Flogging Molly could do what Mumford & Sons did. While Layne Mitchell from Sonic FM might be right in saying the next big group isn't doing what Mumford & Sons is doing now - in other words, part of this type of music, and the others on the Railroad Revival Tour is a fad, like hipsters. But because it is getting right down to the roots of folk, it will always be around in some form. I should mention that Babel also had the most sales of any album in it's debut in the US in 2012. The album peaked at #1 on 7 different charts world wide, including the Billboard 200, where it finished out the year in 7th. And then the guys all bought each other Mandolins for Christmas. Expensive ones.

Thrice - Anthology

Yes, here is a live album, something I would not normally touch with a ten foot pole. Anthology, however, is Thrice's farewell release. The concert soundtrack to the similarly named DVD, Anthology was recorded on Thrice's farewell tour. For those of you that don't know, Thrice disbanded, or went on indefinite hiatus last year. Dustin Kensrue indicated it wasn't a break up of a traditional sense. No one's feelings were hurt, no one was fired or decided that they couldn't get along with one another. In Dustin's words, he has "three daughters at home" and really needed to be there for them, and touring didn't quite make sense anymore. So there could be a Thrice in the future, but based on how people change and grow, and especially your children (whom Thrice has disbanded for), it's more likely that a reunion tour might be what you get, or some small acoustic side projects. Thrice, since their debut in the late 90's, has been a Tour De Force in alternative music. Starting as an average So-Cal punk band, they threw off those chains, and got harder, got more interesting, wrote more intricately, did concepts, did good albums, and always wrote great songs. Having seen them live three times, the intensity of a Thrice show is brilliant, because those that love them, love them a lot, and are in tune with the music. It will be difficult to say farewell to them, but one should have this live album as a keepsake of all the good times had.

Deftones - Koi No Yokan

I have never made a best of list that, if the Deftones had an album, they weren't on. And that is quite simply because they are my favourite band. NO! That is quite simply because they don't stop cranking out really fantastic work. There's something about the Deftones where they continue evolving, but are somehow always uniquely them.Once described by Alternative Press as, "the biggest underground bend in the world," their non mainstream success continues with their latest release. This is the second album recorded with bass player Sergio Vega, as Chi Cheng is still in rehabilitation with (unfortunately) limited consciousness after his 2010 car accident. The Deftones have always stuck to the fact that Cheng is still their brother, and the decision to go on with the Deftones was what he would have wanted in their words. I feel the progression here does not come from the fact that they perhaps have a new bass player, while Vega's lines are decidedly different than what Cheng would potentially write, I think the big push comes from two things. One is Stephen Carpenter's continuously increasing number of guitar strings. Although the 8 string baritone was present on the last album, in this one the subtle differences and increase in Carpenter's experience with the guitar means a more cohesive experience in the super low register; a tone that you could float away with, or be totally ripped to shreds by. There are also influence of several side projects of the other members of the band. Ultimately, when I first heard Leathers and Tempest I knew the album was going to be unbelievable. But the entire album on it's own stands as what some people have said is the best Deftones album since White Pony. That's saying quite a lot! While I might disagree, it's another home run for the band from Sacramento. 

The Lumineers - Self Titled

I have to be honest, it was Ho! Hey! that sucked me in to purchasing this album. The song was infectious. At first I was just singing the chorus. Then I was singing the whole song. Then I was playing the song around the house on Sarah's Epiphone acoustic. Then I bought her a Mandolin for Christmas and forced her to play and sing along with me. Sarah, at the same time, bought me the album for Christmas, which is great, I had tentatively planned to purchase it for myself anyway. After listening to the entire album, I can't put my finger on what exactly makes it great. The songs are quite simple, they are folk-indie, which is nothing new, and it's part of a trend. But I think the Lumineers transcend the trend by having essentially written an album that could have stood on its own merits; whether or not folk indie happens to be trendy at the moment. If you happen to listen to Trampled by Turtles, or Dr. Dog, or even the previously mentioned Avett Brothers, you will still see the Lumineers are somewhat more cohesive and less repetitive in their writing. Moreso, there's a romantic flow to the entire album that is great as a background to a good conversation and a bottle of wine. In its softness, it's not dark either, but rather there's a sort of sunniness to the album that is inexplicable, even if the song is one of heartbreak or about credibility linked to the sighting of Japanese submarines. If I purchased this on my own, I would have been taking a chance, hearing only two singles from the record. But it's up for a Grammy nomination because it is really so damned good, well written, well performed, and enjoyable. 

Band of Horses - Mirage Rock

This is probably not my favorite Band of Horses album; that one I'll reserve for Infinite Arms. But then again, it's always difficult to move past your first favorite album by a band, whatever got you hooked on them is probably the yard stick by which you'll judge every other album by that band. So I'll be fair here, and put my yard stick aside. This album is really the culmination of probably where you thought Band of Horses was heading, or perhaps where you thought they came from influence wise. I personally hear a lot of Neil Young from his Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young days. There is definitely a folk-rock element that is present through all their music. This album is also, I find, as mellow, but not necessarily as dark as previous B.O.H. albums. For tracks like Dumpster World and Heartbreak on the 101, you're going to want this album. While it might not be exactly what you expected from Band of Horses, it's still them, and they went somewhere potentially new, but it's still somewhere I feel is reasonable for them to have gone, and most importantly, it's good to listen to!

BUT WAIT!

Like Levar Burton used to always say in reading rainbow, "don't take my word for it!" Rick Lee from Sonic 102.9 FM Edmonton also zoomed me a quick email with his favorite picks of 2012. Among them were:

Mumford and Sons - Babel

Rick called this one 'grandiose' - 'subtle' and 'a game changer' when describing it. His take seems to harmonize with mine, that the album isn't just among one of the best albums of the year, but one of the best things period to come out of 2012, and a cultural beacon.

Of Monsters and Men - My Head Is An Animal

This one was said to have been good throughout by the mid-day radio show host, and top 20 compiler.

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball

Called, "a darker album for the working class" by Rickster, this album came in at #1 on the Rolling Stone Magazine best of 2012 list.

Garbage - Not Your Kind Of People

Dubbed the 'most underrated album of the year' by Lee, this album marked the end of a six year hiatus for the band.

Nelly Furtado - The Spirit Indestructible

Lee indicated this album was good through and through, and her best album since Folklore. It certainly thrust the Canadian pop princess back into the limelight, and she wrapped up 2012 by singing at the Global Canadian new years countdown.

U2 - U22

Rick cited that Coldplay should have listened to this U2 Album, which is 22 live tracks from their 360 degree tour, before releasing their own live album. 

Read Rick Lee's entire rundown here: http://www.sonic1029.com/2013/01/01/the-best-of-2012/

BUT WAIT! THERE IS YET MORE!

Sarah Holly Karb decided to also give us a list of some of the best songs of 2012 to a hardcore indie lover. So if you are into the out-there, check out this list she penned for us!

I would like to thank you for the guest appearance spot in your blog. Please note, these songs may not be weird to all, but I am a 

connoisseur of awkward yet magical indie music that is thrown into the world and straight into the vastness of where the wild Sarah's roam. 

Without further adieu, here is my list:

1. JPEG Hoarder- Acid Glasses: I found this little GEM on Blalock's indie play list. It is a perfect mixture of indie electro east meets the salty background noises of the west. Also, the words are really hard to figure out, so you're free to adlib whatever you want. On my drives home, I would miss out on the rage that usually would make me want to drive over people in my Jeep because I was too busy making up words "OH Leave it alone!".

2. Dis/connect- Atlas (BIRP playlist): "and I could catch you when we fall in and out of luck". The magical undertones make a delicious bed for the savoury lyrics in this sexy yet innocent love song. But is it love? There are words such as baited breath, but falling in and out of luck?. The middle has a great pick up featuring a nice guitar riff of creamy retro connect. Ending with more of a lounge-like wind down performance.

3. Dreams (cover)- The Band in Heaven- When I was recently divorced, I left all my music on my ex's laptop. Years and years of music I hand picked, ripened and kept was gone. So I went back to the barren and bold land of weirdo music, and came across this beautifully distorted cover. Ryan is not much of a fan, but knows when he hears this, it's me. So he smiles. And even sings along. But don't tell anyone.

4. Blondes posing as red heads- The Barcode experiment: This is one of my declarative war cry songs. As a natural red head, I decided to go darker a few years back. But then all the birds seemed to flock the same way and I found myself in a sea of reds-blondes posing as. This song's punk anarchistic movement of rage is what explains my rage at the time of all the flakes trying to make it in the crimson light. Except, they're missing one thing which truly is woven into us true red- Chaotic beauty.

5. Red Head Walking- Beat happening: Which brings me to this song. The doors-like background hum beat is completely thrown off by the lead singer who not only has the most off kilter bass voice for this type of song, but honestly, I don't think it would work if he wasn't there. It makes me feel like I'm sitting in the Powerplant at the University, a second year, watching this indie band up on stage while everyone around them are too busy with being cool to look up. While I, am clenching the most recent Vue Weekly with them on the cover biting my lip in excitement.

6. This Fall- Big Tree: Ah, by far one of the most favorite songs of 2012 for me. The beautiful duet tones of these girls makes me feel giddy and fuzzy like a teenager just kissed for the first time. Early drum beats enter 30 seconds in, and continue to cascade into a whimsy altered time tune. Jazz undertones and foot stomping beats make me want to stand up for whatever they believe in. In my world, this song is being blasted while I drive my Jeep across the ocean :) 'I cannot risk being too modest".

7.  I'm always manic when I'm around you- A Big Yes and a Small No: Just as the title explains, this song is about manic love. The big band sound is equally weird as well as annoying. I guess I can only listen to it when I'm manic. This would however, make a pretty cute opening song to a cute TV series. 

8. Sky is Falling- Blackalicious: This song was given to me about a decade ago. This rap group is by far one of my favorite and nto just because of their saucy name. The beginning of this song builds suspense that leads to a vocal preparation of a end-of-the-world feeling in your gut. When I would listen to to this either walking or riding my bike, I would become so wound up the song would end I would be running away from nothing or taking a faster pace to my pedaling. Something was out there, and it was getting me. 

9. Insomnia Olympics- Blockhead: This is my "I'm rocky, in my sweat-suit and I'm warming up....WHAT" song. Although most of blockhead's music has a silent hill, dark-don't disturb me sound, this song makes me feel like an athlete on a Nike commercial. Mid song- an indian chipmunk wallows and it reminds me of the dirt that builds up on 109 street right before the highlevel. The dirty windows, and looking at myself covered in the same mud, running.

10. One Whole Year- Bombadill (BIRP): I feel in love with the bassline at the beginning but then was doubly in love because of the undertones of the Harry Nilson kind of story and the "great unwashed" narrative of hippies squatting and owning up to nothin! Cuz you can! Unfortunately was only one year of good story.

11. Lemonade- Cocorosie: The lyrics are insane and crazy beautiful. It's hard to believe this is a two man plan from France! Anyway, the growly voice and the deep horns with the grand piano sets the scene with a world of a red sky and electric grass. I was having a really hard time trying to sleep a couple years ago and would often find myself walking downtown and in the river valley at all hours of the night and this song brought some brightness to my night and a softer landing to my insomnia breakdown. 

12. Terrible Angels- Cocorosie: They use a robot dinosaur as a tempo percussion!

Welp, that's it or else I would be here all night.

cheers

SHK.

AND THAT'S ALL!

Don't forget, if you wish, feel free to send a letter to the editor at istillhaveatapeplayer@gmail.com Thanks for getting us almost 2000 hits!

This Download has 24 minutes left...a Out My Passenger Window experiment

Our on the streets issue has no photo this issue! We WANT YOU to send us an interesting photo, along the lines of something we would publish, in this one time only reader submission. Why not?


Issue 14, Volume 1
Thursday, October 13, 2011


24 Minutes
This week I thought I'd challenge myself. Having a lot to put together for the metal issue, and a short time, it's still in the making. Instead of not doing anything, I thought I would write and put together a new issue the simple way - the way I would just write my thoughts down before I decide to have so many different sections. The time frame? Twenty-four minutes while I wait for my GT-5 upldate to complete. Here are the issues.

Change - And A Government, what that means?


Obviously one of the largest topics that doesn't include a knife, unless you're talking about a proverbial backstabbing one, is the discussion of 'Change' and a proposed provincial election. Already the Wild Rose Alliance is dissing Redford for not calling an election, and not making $110 million worth of school funding reversals happen. This I'm glad about, because that's impossible.

Change is thrown around at every election. But what can we expect from politicians? Can we expect change at all? Politicians are people who win, or are appointed to, their jobs. They then go in to work like every other person on this planet, and I'm sure a lot of them phone it in. If they really wanted to change things, we probably wouldn't have things like recessions. It is because they change things we have some sort of liability to the way things were. Most changes for the positive in good economic times turn out to be changes that screw us over in bad economic times. Take healthcare for instance. Tommy Douglas was a man that inspired change. Universal healthcare was great. The problem is it's a huge liability when it comes down to affording it during times when Canadians are out of work and have to draw assistance rather than give it.

There's also the hero/villain boom/bust cycle. See, any politician that is in power when the economy takes off and times are good for everyone looks like a hero. Be a politician during a time of recession, and even if you keep your province out of it (Alberta did the best of any province by the way, and if Canada did the best of any country through a recession than we obviously did pretty good - but we still had it hard) you're on the losing end. Any politician elected now is going to probably look like hell, and then not so bad, as their term extends out of a recession into somewhat of an economic recovery. It's like they're doing things, but really, they're not. It's the economy all along.

No One Wants To Hear About Your Cats


This isn't true. Sometimes we want to hear about your cats, but only in a very amusing sense, especially if it's followed by video of your cat doing something hilarious. Occasionally hearing about your cats is okay, given it's not the primary thing you want to focus on. So here's a guide about status updates:
-Don't talk about your fucking cats
-Don't talk about your religion or what you're doing with it
-Don't talk about your kids
-Don't talk about your divorce and/or child custody battles
-Don't talk about someone else's divorce
-Don't repeat the same type of post over and over again. For example, if you're a programmer, it's okay to talk about programming every once in a while, especially since your other programmer friends will get it (OMG PROGRAMMERS HAVE FRIENDS) kidding, of course. But if every post comes out to be something like "I spent all this time today reformatting my SQL to fit my DEV framework only to have by debug line code //you are not here and then I freaked out //RETURN and found out the database wasn't what we needed anyway. Or whatever.
-Facebook has this annoying deal of doing this thing where if you comment on someone's photo that has 'friends of friends' security clearance on it, I get to see it it my news feed, even though I don't know the person. I haven't decided if this is good or bad, because I've seen some fairly bizarre, and funny stuff of people I don't know at all. Have not seen nipples. So I guess it's bad.
-Don't write cryptic shit people don't get, because it's frustrating.

Here's a good rule of thumb: if it's none of your business, or if it's none of anyone else's business, or people wouldn't want it to be their business, then don't post it. If you got into an accident, are sharing an amusing link, especially SMBC comics, then it's all good.

INSTALLING
(this means I have some time left)

Idiocy in Idealism
I'm not going to comment on the occupy/99% thing here, this is fairly interesting, but I think it's hypocritical. I'm sure most of these people, given the chance to be in the 1% would. I'm not sure what they expect to happen either. A redistribution of wealth? Okay then. There is likely someone poorer than you too, so how about we make everyone in the 50%, including them, and use your 85% to get them there? I'm not specifically against this movement, I just get that this is part of the recession, and there are some economic changes that need to be made - like bailout packages. Back in the day, if something went bankrupt, it went bankrupt. You don't see Packards or AMC cars on the road. The idea is, in competitive markets, this should be great for competitors. That or people will want to get out of that market, because no one is buying what you're selling. Either way, it used to be the natural cycle of things. The problem is we let companies get way too huge, and form cartels, monopolies, and tacitly collude so they can screw us over. One company might have so many subsidiaries, that letting it die would put a ton of people out of work. It should have never been allowed to get that big in the first place.

Here's some other idealist isms that are driving me nuts right now:

Story of the Mermaid or the Whale
You've heard this one, where the gym says you want to be a mermaid or a whale, and the parable ends with it saying women want to be whales because their excess weight is love and experience. I have no idea how so many people thought this was a beautiful story and bought into it. What you need to do is let your body weight and idealism be about you when it comes to this type of thing. Carrying a lot of excess body weight (may not but) could mean that you are at risk of hypertension, diabetes, and a slow and paintful death So how about instead of thinking about being a mermaid or a whale, and if it means you're a mom, or have experience, or love to give, why not think about how you can be in a shape that allows you to be a strong, independent, loving woman for longer, and feel better about it.

Out Of Time


Letters To The Editor
rbw2@ualberta.ca

Upcoming Issues
-the Metal Issue - reviews, information, local bands and more!
-Halloween!

Our background is still pink due to October being breast cancer awareness month.

Fat Nightmare: Ousting the Overweight (also) On Street Bike Paths are a Parking Lot and The Naked and Famous

Issue 8, Volume 1

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Our On The Streets section is a photo from 113th street and Jasper Avenue at roughly 9:00pm. The photo is of Sarah and I going to coffee at the Second Cup at which we first went to coffee one year ago to discuss guitar lessons. That would eventually turn into a beautiful relationship. It was also the site of a pedestrian-car collision earlier that week. This was a much more joyous occasion, however. You might have noticed that we don't have our fashion issue this week, and for that I apologize. It will be coming next week. We'll be examining the latest trends in everything from clothes, styles, furniture, toys, cars, music and more, complete with a photo spread.

Fat Nightmare: Ousting The Overweight

This isn't the 80's, and being a railroad track of bones isn't attractive. But numerous campaigns that advertise beauty in any body type; to be comfortable in your own skin may be going over the top.

A friend of mine recently indicated that a coworker had made fun of her for losing weight. This is acceptable. But certainly, it is never acceptable to make fun of gaining weight. The very same point was a joke on the redneck comedy tour. It's okay to alienate smokers, but we don't alienate obese people the same way. We try to teach them that their bodies are beautiful. How beautiful is type II diabetes, congestive heart failure, COPD, hypertension, and early death?

It's not beautiful.

The fact is that the United States used to be the fattest nation in the world. Now its us, at a whopping 49% of the population that is overweight. And please, spare me the rhetoric of redefining what 'overweight' is - this is a medical thing, not an aesthetic thing. Curves are fantastic, until curves ultimately kill you.

This is a difficult thing to talk about. I am in no way trying to say that anyone who is overweight is a bad person, or isn't attractive, or isn't beautiful. But should we hold our tongues when it comes to making mention of their weight? It truly is okay to say, "hey, you look skinny, you should put some meat on those bones." Imagine going up to someone and saying, "hey, you look like you've gained some weight. Maybe you'd better get off your fat ass and get some running shoes on, and change your high sodium and sugar diet for a reasonable portioned dinner based on the Canada food guide!"

But, hey, get this! That 49% of people will likely be hospitalized more than a few times for the complex care they require, because they will likely have two, if not more, of the things I mentioned above that will lead to extreme complications by the time they are in their 40's. And since we have universal health care, that means a weight our system might not be able to bear.

We don't have to say overweight people are bad people. We don't have to say they are ugly if they're pretty, and we don't have to say they're stupid for being fat. But should we be saying, "be comfortable in your own skin?" Because ultimately you will be very uncomfortable in your own skin.

Just remember, BMI no more than 25; a balanced diet based on the Canada food guide, and an hour or so of physical activity a day. And no, I'm not saying I'm perfect and exempt to my own preaching.

On Street Bike Paths Perfect for On-Street Parking

I didn't steal this one from Metro, The Sun, The Journal, CTV, or any-freaking-where else, than driving down our own 106th street.

I mentioned a few issues back about the On-Street bike paths, and how it was just paint and signs. Oddly enough, a few days after semi-bashing the idea, some city councilors called the idea ridiculous because the paint was going over badly worn and pot-holed-heaving streets. What I saw was hilarious.

Signs that indicated 'single file' for cars and bikes were immediately followed by sings that said 'share the road' showing a car and a bike next to each other, completely contradictory. As for the dashed line that marked off the curb lane from the regular vehicle lane so that cyclists could have their on street path - residents took this a totally different way. It seems as though the lanes are roughly about 6 feet wide, or about the size of a standard parking lane. So the curb lane is now entirely resident parking. And with no 'no parking' signs, the city is without anything to do about the problem, whilst cyclists now either have to bike single file or share the road with cars on extremely thin residential roads.

Now I recognize that some sections are probably single file, and others are shared sections, but this isn't indicated too clearly.

Thank you, Edmonton, for that fail. Oh yeah, and the potholes still aren't fixed. But do we really want more construction?

The Naked And Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You

I decided to check out if the Naked and Famous were legit, after the success of their most popular single off of their 2010 release Passive Me, Aggressive You. The late-coming single to North America (on local modern rock radio and Alt-Nation on Sirius-XM) is due to the fact that this 'indie rock' electro-pop quintet hails from Auckland, New Zealand. The digital download of the first single off of their album did not hit North America on November 14, 2010. The entire album was available in September of 2010 as a digital download in Canada, but not on actual vinyl or CD until March 14, 2011. The single Young Blood, still didn't hit charts until later though, but had many television appearances, including on the series Chuck and on Gossip Girls.

Young Blood reached #1 on the NZ charts, and as high as 10 on the Canadian alternative charts, and was certified platinum in NZ; very popular in their own country. For international success at this point though; with a top 10 single internationally and still on an independent label, that is phenomenal for any group, especially in alternative where there are so many different types and styles of music. Let's face it, it can be pretty hit and miss.

So how does Passive Me, Aggressive You shape up compared to the single Young Blood? Not too shabby. The entire album does not sound like the first single, although distorted synthesizers are a big part of this. The heavy drums you hear in Young Blood; distorted and pounding, reverberate in A Wolf In Greek's Clothing; an electro-punk romp that will make you think of some things you heard in the early 90's - very nearly sub-pop records material. In fact, the fuzzy synths and drums on most of the tracks will remind you of Trent Reznor and old NIN, which is a good thing here, just not as 'hurty' as Reznor went.

Funny; because their label is called 'Somewhat Damaged' - if you recall, a track from The Fragile. In fact, the beginning of Girls Like You - supposedly the third single from this album, sounds like Echoplex. Go even further, in the middle of the album you'll find a track called The Source, which is essentially a version, as I see it, as The Frail, although I've also been told it sounds very similar to Right Where It Belongs off of With Teeth.

But they aren't rip-offs of NIN. Just inspired. Couple that with the fact that they have a very nice Stars-type boy-girl thing going on, with a little 80's pop (the good stuff we remember), and you have a group that hits heavy. And the Naked and Famous wouldn't be so heavy if they were a one trick pony. Take Girls Like You, and what you might hear is a direct comparison to The Cure. Not all of it is upbeat though. Frayed is decidedly down tempo, whereas The Sun is downright dark. There is just enough here to appeal to a wide range of listeners, and The Naked and Famous do it well. Fantastic for a group that is only as young as 2008, and who's first album's singles didn't register on charts at all, not even in their home NZ.

There are some songs on here that are pretty much copies and could have been B-sided, however, and that definitely takes some points off the album; as it's not one that you can listen to without skipping a track or two that you're not interested in. But the solid effort by this New Zealand tribute to NIN and the Cure and any electro-synth-pop boy girl band earns them a solid 7/10 for their efforts.

Letters To The Editor

Soon we will have a frank discussion about the YEG Slutwalk. Until then:

rbw2@ualberta.ca if you have anything to add or discuss with me!

Next Issue Of Out My Passenger Window

-Fashion Issue: Clothes, Cars, Furniture, Martini Parties!

The Walterdale Bridge and BMO 63: Infrastructure vs. Heritage (also) Green on Go, Pushing Singles and Matthew Good

Volume 1, Issue 7

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Our On The Streets photo shows the first of 7 days of rain; the thunderstorm last week that occurred as I was driving home from work. Note the solid wall of water on the other side of the 97th Avenue Legislature Underpass. Edmonton finally emerged from the rain to three thunderstorms yesterday. This type of traffic is generally what I sit in every day. A recent poll done by CAA indicates that 86% of motorists feel that people have become 'rude' and 'in-courteous' whereas they rate themselves a 'B+' in terms of their driving habits while other drivers are a 'C+'. This indicates people are also unwilling to realize that the problem may be them. The question is continuously raised about why drivers in Edmonton have become so horrible. Could it be the infrastructure? Could it be that the city wants us to drive badly?

YEG Stupidity; Heritage versus Infrastructure Growth

Perhaps you've seen this:

This is a designer's rendering of what the new Walterdale Bridge replacement will look like if all goes as planned. But wait, whilst improving infrastructure, we will be throwing away a 100 year old piece of Edmonton history...(!)

The reports indicate that likely the bridge project will go ahead as planned, citing the Walterdale would cost $12 mil for a rehabilitation, and in spite of that $2 mil afterwards for upkeep each year. That is one huge money-sucking project when you think of ALL of the infrastructure in the city. The project was approved in April after costs were said to be $130 million for a new one; half of the original estimate. Considering you could probably get another hundred years out of the new bridge, that's a savings of $82 million over one hundred years, assuming the costs of

maintaining this bridge cancel out any other rehabilitative projects of the old bridge, and that the Walterdale would continue to cost $2 mil a year to fix. It's creative math, I know.

Ultimately I have heard some things like, "pieces of the bridge would be used in other projects." Or put in parks, around the city, what have you, to preserve the heritage. And then, just last week, a group of business owners said that the Walterdale should be kept open, but as a pedestrian bridge/cycling bridge. The great freaking hilarious thing about that is that the bridge would still require a $12 million overhaul, and $2 million a year in upkeep. Of course, the salon that patroned this idea did not say they were interested in ponying up any dough to keep the Walterdale going.

So if it's so cut and dry, why am I sharing an opinion about this? Well ultimately I feel like it's

the cries of the Edmonton Historical Board that the bridge has important historical value, specifically to native peoples (I'm not sure how this works out), and should be preserved. I feel that this is the cry of a desperate board that has let too many important buildings get destroyed in the name of expansion and are now trying to save ones that don't matter. It's an old bridge. Yes, that's kind of sad, okay, it's been there for 100 years, but let's face it, it's not an architectural juggernaut by any means. It's an old mess of scrap metal that the city has said has come to the end of it's usable life. Yes, the span of the bridge is over, heh heh. Joking aside, this is a piece of infrastructure, and as much as we love the historical here in Edmonton, it seems like fixing our failing infrastructure system should be first and foremost the priority. A new usable bridge that makes it easier to drive, bike, and walk, and costs less to maintain is probably exactly what we need there.

But It Gets Worse: BMO 63

You might also recognize this thing:

This is the tenement that stands on the corner of Jasper Avenue and 100th Avenue. It is the 1963 BMO building, which apparently has sat vacant since the early 1990's. There have been many petitions to save 'Edmonton's first modern bank' but unfortunately GE Capital, the owner of the building, is going to demolish it. The 'Save BMO 63' petitioner's website indicates the historical architectural value of the building as the reason for saving it, and that it was made of, "superior materials that will stand the test of time." Well, actually the building is a complete piece of shit, and no one wants it. That's why it won't be retrofitted, and GE Capital, to ensure there's no more blocks, have jumped the gun on taking it down. See the structure is not quite 50 years old, and if they wait until 2013, then it qualifies to be added to the city's heritage building inventory, and thus it'll be harder to knock down. The society has asked that the structure be revitalized and retrofitted into the current plans GE has for the space. But here's where the problem occurs. Representatives from GE indicate they've tried; and it can't be, because the granite and brick that hold the building together are actually decaying quite rapidly, and unfortunately the building is falling apart. In other words, they tried, they had plans to, but it won't work because it's structurally unfit.

That sucks, but such is buildings; sometimes they fall apart. Especially when no one wants to use them for up to 20 years, indicating that there must have been a problem with either Edmonton's commercial incentives to set up shop in a highrise here, or the Downtown Business Association, for not pushing to get someone in that space.

What really sucks is what GE is deciding to do with the location, and this, I think, should be intervened with by the DBA and the City of Edmonton. They plan, get this, to put up a two-story low rise with a parking garage. That's right, more fucking parking, and a two story building right in the heart of downtown. I think that if the plans say it can accomodate 30 stories on the new plan sheet that the city released after the airport runway closures; that's what SHOULD go in there, not a recommendation. So we lose a highrise to a two story and parking garage structure. That's disappointing. That's Edmonton as usual.

Speed On Green: Blatantly Taking Your Money

I read an article in the Metro (yup) where city representatives finally said that the initiative to put 'green on go' or 'speed on green' cameras back into effect. The city had to return $16 million, according to CTV news, after supreme court judges found the 'checks' ticket processes went through were inadequate and quashed 105,000 tickets. The company that originally had the cameras up said the tickets went through 5 different checks before they were sent out, but judges at all levels saw it differently, when a ticket came through the system that indicated a man sitting in gridlock was doing 140km/h. Now the cameras are going back up, and there are 'several checks' that the tickets have to go through before being sent out. Wait, weren't they already going through 5 checks? Also, according to CBC, the problem with the cameras were a breakdown in insulation in the electric wiring, which caused the cameras to malfunction. Now the cameras are said to be '100% foolproof.' To me, saying something like that is setting yourself up for looking like an ass later. Why not say, "they are much more accurate and reliable." Or, "With the new retrofitting, the cameras are so reliable and accurate that we cannot find any fault in the system after rigorous testing." This is obviously the mistake they made the first time.

The city estimates it will take about a $1 million cut from the cameras per month, and indicated they were 'hemmorhaging' this amount. Pretty much blatantly indicating the cameras are required for proper functional budget. They tried to cover their tracks by indicating to CTV that the accidents at intersections since the cameras went down were about 10 times higher. Of course, we don't get to know what intersections those are, or if there's a seasonally adjustable variable. I have a hard time believing this stat, because you're not really supposed to know what intersections have speed on green cameras. So what the city is trying to say is without them, accidents at intersections are ten times higher, as if we all know all where they are, and all knew when they stopped working, for how long, and during that time, we were all speeding and it was causing 10 times the accidents. Really? That's kind of a stretch. The EPS actually indicated they did not have firm data to back up the city's claim, not ones to have their physical officers with radar guns upstaged by fixed cameras.

To me, I consider photo radar a 'speed tax.' Getting hit with demerits that up your insurance and potentially spiral into you getting your license taken away is an actual punishment and a way to remove repeat offenders. Traffic cams are simply cash cows. I don't believe they stop people speeding, but they sure shove money into city coffers. What makes me angry is that the city doesn't just admit this. Just admit that you make money off them. Publish what the accident rates are monthly and what they are at intersections before and after camera installations. If you're going to call it a safety measure, show us the data that it works. Otherwise, don't try to pretend. We're not that stupid. You only hope that we're that nonchalant and have enough disposable income to keep speeding through the damned things.

The city WANTS us to drive irresponsibly. If we didn't ever speed through intersections with fixed cameras, the city wouldn't ever make any money from us. Not even enough to justify spending on the cameras, because they wouldn't break even.

Think about it. If these things worked perfectly, they would cost the city money.

Pushing Singles - An Introspective into Current Music Industry Trends

Matthew Good, forty years old, recently was interviewed by Sonic 102.9FM's Rick Lee. The subject was his current single Zero Orchestra off of the album Lights of Endangered Species. His problem was the conceptual idea of modern rock radio playing a song that he called, "...[his] best shit..." but something that was entirely devoid of guitars, made up of piano, cello, keyboards, violins, and a horn section. Zero Orchestra in fact, does include an actual orchestra. Although it is conceptually difficult to play music like this, there is a reason that modern rock radio can get away with it; and there is also a reason that In Place of Lesser Men got bumped so fast for the second single. The same is true for Foo Fighters and Rope, which quickly was replaced with Walk. The reason, in my opinion, is that anyone need only know that these albums from these modern rock powerhouses (Matt Good at least in Canada) exist to go out and get them.

This is in stark contrast to groups like Foster the People, where Pumped Up Kicks has been on the airwaves since the snow was still flying. It takes a lot more convincing for individuals to buy an album now. We are back to the days of singles with iTunes, where people don't need to get entire albums to hear songs they want to listen to. They just have to pay $0.99, as if they were buying a 7", and have the song. The great thing about the 7" single is that it either always came with some other bonus, or introduced you to a different song that wasn't a radio single. There is a certain persuasion, or even duping if you will, that goes on by pushing one single for so long on modern rock radio. Take Middle Class Rut for example, who's song New Low has graced the airwaves for quite some time now. Listening to M.C. Rut's album, you find that their music is actually decidedly harder than that simple single. Foster the People's next single may not be at all similar to Pumped Up Kicks from what I listened to (that's really up to you to decide). People need to be tricked into buying albums.

How does this new industry trend fare for the larger acts? Not good. Each play on a radio station earns a couple of pennies worth of royalties. This means your favorite larger groups like the Foo or Good earn less money for their music by not being pushed on the air as heavy as brand new groups.

How does this fare for the new acts? Also not good. The overplaying of one song, and flooding the market constantly with new music inundated and barraged into listeners could turn them off of the group completely; not to mention possibly making the songs irrelevant and disposable.

My solution would be to let the best man win on the countdown charts. Instead of pushing certain new singles more; trying to get other people to buy into the idea of new groups like Foster the People, Awolnation, and the like, play all the singles equally, and let the better songs be voted upon. But then, I believe that people will like pretty much anything you feed them. For example, how the hell did Christian Hansen get popular? That one will never make sense to me.

Matthew Good - Lights Of Endangered Species

Since 40 year old Good nearly offed himself with ativan and beer (by accident) after his divorce, spawning the release of Hospital Music, he has been riding a wave of success and a somewhat new wave of sound. His latest album, Lights of Endangered Species is a continuation of that. In this album you will hear songs that could be B-sides from Vancouver, such as Extraordinary Fades. Then there is some new, great stuff, like In Place of Lesser Men, and What if I can't see the stars, Mildred? that show a clear progression in Matt's work under his 'new' sound. Finally, Zero Orchestra doesn't even feature an acoustic guitar, which is what we've been expecting from Mr.Good lately, and instead features a real orchestra. In fact, Matt's credit list is 19 people long of musicians that joined him, mostly classical.

Ultimatley we're starting to get used to this sound from Matt since Hospital Music, and it's really working. Unfortunately, Matt stands in the shadows of some great acts this year, like The Black Keys, Foster the People, and on the other side of the coin, the return of Blink 182, making his music get buried in the lists of other stuff that take a back seat to his time tested and well honed song writing. You don't consider your own stuff, "the best shit you ever wrote" unless it is really, really, really, really, really, really fantastic. To a bipolar perfectionist like Matt Good, he really means it. I give this album a solid 8/10. I hope that it doesn't get lost.

Letters To The Editor

remember to hit me up at:

rbw2@ualberta.ca

if you have something you'd like to discuss. I'll post your thoughts right on the blog.

Speaking of which, we actually released our second most popular issue last week, showing our new circulation date is working great. Thanks to all that are reading.

Next Issue

-Rockabilly Retrospective: The Fashion Issue

Clothing, furniture, decorating, cars, music and more from the hottest new trends. Plenty of photos, plenty of style ideas.

Canada Day Special: 10 Things I Love About Canada (also) What You Love About Canada, Road Crew Firings and Young The Giant

Issue 5, Volume 1
Friday, July 1, 2011

This special Canada Day Issue reviews some of the great things about Canada. Above photograph for the On The Street section is from Ottawa, circa 2008. This is myself, on the Lester B. Pearson statue.

10 Things I Love About Canada
I've been a Canadian all my life. And although there have been many times that myself, and others that I know try to discuss our cultural heritage as if it belongs to the Irish, German, French, Ukranian, etc. - in the end, we are all Canadian. I am Canadian. As much as I rag on our patriotism, where's mine? Well I'd like to show a little by including the 10 things I love about my country. This is in no particular order.

1) The Music
We are all a part of The Canadian Sound: the interesting isolated and frigid music that we identify as having a sound all our own. The Tragically Hip, for example, have used a ton of references or written about, specifically Canadian things. It's one of those things where you have to live here to get it. In terms of our independent musicians, Canada cranks out some of the best indie has to offer. Think about Arcade Fire's international success, for example. Our music is good, thoughtful, and has a certain sound that we all love.

2) The CFL
I've heard people complain before about how 'Canada is the United States of the North' and that we let too many franchises like McDonalds or Wal Mart set-up on our soil. The CFL is an example of an unwavering Canadian institution that is uniquely ours. Most of our CFL clubs date back to the turn of the last century, which is more than the NFL (AFL/NFL formerly) can brag about. Through time, we have always kept the CFL consistant by requiring a certain amount of non-import players (and if you think this can't make the CFL good - look at the Riders' former canadian air force of Fantuz, Dressler et al that ate defenses alive). We have also stuck to our own rules, field size, and amount of men on the field.

3) Our Alcohol
We've got some of the best booze on the planet, which is strange for a relatively young country. Our microbrewed beer is always the best; and the less mainstream labels like Sleeman's and Keith's are decidedly better than most other countries in the world. Canada has always been able to brag that we have good beer. But hey, look at Crown Royal. We've got some great other stuff too.

4) Our Geography
Where else can you go that has prarie, frozen tundra, mountains, glaciers, two different oceans, boreal forests, rain forests and technically a desert zone. Yeah, okay, the States, but ours is all way closer. In Alberta alone we have prarie, grassland, mountains, foothills, forests, lakes, rivers, tundra, desert, and if you keep driving into BC, you can also see rain forest and the pacific ocean. Not bad. Not bad at all. The great thing about our geography is that we have so much of it for only 35 million people or so. In other words, we all get to use it quite a bit.

5) Canadians
I've been able to work with Torontonians, party in Ottawa with their locals in a sports bar while the Sens were making a cup run. I've gone to Karaoke at a Legion with Vancouverites. I've worked with a lot of Newfies (and haven't we all). I've got friends from big cities and small towns. And everyone, when it comes down to the fact we're Canadian, gets along. There is some question of how we treat each other lately, unfortunately, but for the most part, we're all awesome.

6) Our Famous People
I'm not talking about Celine Dion, Justin Bieber or Michael Buble here. But for the most part, our internationally known stars always stay Canadian. We're always proud of them for all the things they do. Michael J. Fox, Ryan Gossling, Mike Meyers - these are people we see, and go "hey he's Canadian you know!" And they always do us justice by being great, polite, well mannered and behaved ambassadors from our Country. When was the last time you heard about a Canadian star being on house arrest for drunk driving?

7) Our Economic System
We are lucky to live in a Keynesian economic system. Our partially socialist state allows post secondary education to be affordable for most people (I priced out UCLA, that stuff is messed compared to here), to have the ability to have free health care, and to have social programs that help assist us through rough times. In addition to this, our Keynesian system means that our country will always attempt to adjust interest rates and stick a hand in where they feel they might help us economically speaking. Now, of course, I am a very critical of our system, but that's only to prove on the great stuff we already have, or to keep what we have from falling apart. But ultimately, we do have a high quality of life.

8) Our Political System
We live in a place where we have the ability to vote for our elected leaders, and are free from persecution for our political beliefs. Post election, there are a lot of you that are upset, especially about the ruling to withdraw funding from parties on a per-vote basis. However, we aren't in a bi-partisan system, a dictatorship, or a pretend-democracy like so many other places around the world. We had a socialist 'communist' party run in our riding. They didn't get shot by military personnel. Their members didn't get blacklisted and put in jail for possibly being communists. We're free to express our political nature, our religious beliefs, our sexual orientations, our outlook on life, and I can freely bash the government on here all I like. In China, I probably wouldn't have access to a blog.

9) Literacy
Although rates have fallen in the past few years, we're still one of the most literate countries in the world. What goes with this? Not only do we know the capitals of our own provinces and territories, but we also know the capitals to a lot of states and provinces in other countries, and find them on a map too. We can sing the US anthem, when a lot of their own performers forget the words. We are smart people. But - we are also humble about it. Canadians don't need to brag.

10) Our Armed Forces
Now and in the past, our Armed Forces have always done the best we could to not only uphold our country's freedoms, but uphold the freedoms and human rights in other countries with the UN and in peacekeeping missions. Of course, our greatest achievements, and something we should never forget, are our victories in World War I and World War II, where we sent many a brave men to die on the field of battle, and in spite of America's late entry in to the conflict, so many battle victories can be pinned squarely on the Canadian Forces.

Things You Love About Canada
What exactly do other Canadians love about Canada? Aside from hockey and beer. Jamie indicated, "that I have the freedom to leave it behind me, to not participate in elections and to say I fucking hate the way this country is run without being subject to the threat of violence by our authorities." There is a lot in that one statement that represents the type of freedom we have here. While a lot of the time we blatantly insult or ignore our federal system, this is okay for us to do, because we live in Canada, and freedom of speech, without commiting hate crime, is acceptable. Commentary is the biggest thing. We can talk about our country as poorly as we want, but the worst someone can say is, "maybe you should move." Being critical of our own political system does not constitute treason here. On a more positive note, Craig simply wrote, "the people." I indicated the same earlier. That no matter where you go, you can find polite people and people who could potentially be your friend; and that we're all united by that one simple fact that we are Canadian. On a lighter note, Ashlee wrote that, "they have the best ceasars." True to this fact. I know that Ashlee has tried Ceasars in Mexico and in the States and the taste there has come up short of however we happen to make them here (slightly different than anywhere else apparently). Hey, sometimes it's the little things that mean the most.

I Have No Editor - Road Crew Firings
So I read this in the Metro, I know, great source right? But then I saw it later on Global, so it must be true. Apparently Edmonton felt that so many projects were not taken care of on time or on budget, and too much meandering was done, that most of the individuals in charge may be sent packing. Meanwhile, city infrastructure is reporting that they realize that there are too many projects right now, and that Edmontonians are frustrated, but we are in a period of low construction costs, and therefore are trying to get as much done as possible.

What I'm hearing is essentially two conflicting stories. On the one hand, the city is blasting their infrastructure department because things were ill planned, and on the other hand, you have the infrastructure department saying that we're doing this because the city told us to get as much done as possible while the price is down. The city is saying these officials have f'd around enough to be paying too much for projects. The department is saying they are doing so many projects to avoid paying too much. So who's right?

I agree with getting things done on time, and on budget, and if budget means a specific time, then so be it. It's better than us living with a giant infrastructural mistake for several years, as we often do in this city. But 'recognizing Edmontonians are losing their patience' isn't enough. It takes me 45 minutes to make a drive home that usually should take me under 10 minutes at non peak times. And if you recommend transit to me, I don't see how that's a fix. The bus has to sit in traffic just the same as I do.

Ultimately the city might just be blasting the department so we all feel a little relieved. "Oh, the city gets our pain now, thank God." Yeah, well, that doesn't mean anything's being done about your ridiculous commute.

Music This Week - Young The Giant
I was going to do Matt Good, I really was, but actually there is a good reason I'm saving it for next week. So instead, I wanted to listen to another chart topping artist, and tell you if this one is really worth it or not.

Young The Giant hails from Irvine, California (that's in Orange County) and their self titled debut was released in late 2010. Strangely, on Roadrunner records (formerly mostly metal), YTG has found most of it's success with their first single My Body on the Canadian Charts, where they reached as high as #2 on the CDN Alt Rock charts and #4 on the CDN rock charts. They rose only to #5 on the US Alt charts and #16 on the US rock charts.

One of the reasons for this is that YTG has a little more in common with bands we seem to love alternatively here in Canada. The quieter and more subdued tracks on this album draw a parallel to Pilot Speed, like in Islands or perhaps the Shins or the Stills. There is even a little disco-rock sound on the track St. Walker reminiscent of Finger Eleven.

Ultimately though, I find this album fairly boring, and something that would make great background music. Sure the album has a great lead off single in My Body and their next single Apartment will probably be decently well received, but aside from tracks like St. Walker and Cough Syrup, the album begins to sound very sonically repetitive after a while.

Great work for their debut, but all in all, I'd have to give this album a 6/10. In other words, getting this album on vinyl is a waste of your money. But downloading it and putting it on as background music during dinner with your friends works.

Letters To The Editor
Write me at rbw2@ualberta.ca and I will post and respond fairly to your letter.

Next Week
-Pushing Singles: The State of the New Music Industry
-The AutoShare Revolution: Don't need a car all day, every day? Share it.
-Matthew Good and The Foo Fighters
-All New Art

Have a fantastic Long Weekend, and Happy Birthday Canada!