On some level I feel ashamed for not having known about this earlier. I knew about pretty much every little Google tool that existed but somehow reader and RSS eluded me. Apparently RSS refers to 'really simple syndication', but prior to me learning about Google Reader it wasn't quite simple enough.
I like to follow a lot of political blogs as well as a lot of music blogs and I can easily spend a few hours a day catching up on the latest news, releases, etc. More accurately I like to check blogs quickly a few times per day to see what's going on.
Google Reader has actually simplified my internet use (unlike a lot of these applications!) by letting me see quickly which blogs have updated and by letting me easily scroll through the headlines and stories.
A few links to my favourites:
music:
http://www.buddyhead.com/feed /
http://www.peacedogman.com/feed2.xml
politics:
http://www.balloon-juice.com/feed/
http://feeds.feedblitz.com/alternet
Monday, December 6, 2010
Best Albums 2010
It seems like it's a bit to early to do this (a lot can happen in one month!), but all the big magazines have theirs out already. This is only fair.
10.Coheed and Cambria – Year of the Black Rainbow
I was really worried about Coheed, because the album before this was disappointing. Luckily, they pulled it back together for this more streamlined album.
9.Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
I had high hopes for Halcyon Digest because Deerhunter had one of my favourite releases of the past few years in Microcastle. This album took some time to enjoy because the songs were more abstract, but it was worth it.
8.Janelle Monae – The Archandroid
Janelle's debut EP set the standards high for this, and she somehow exceeded them in every way. The Archandroid is both more experimental and has one of the year's best singles in 'Cold War'.
7.Manic Street Preachers – Postcards from a Young Man
The Manics are my favourite band, so even if this album was a bit of a disappointment I probably listened to it more than anything this year.
6.Kaki King – Junior
Kaki King is an excellent guitarist so it was interesting to see her in the more 'rock' context that Junior provides. I listened to this a ton at the start of the year and still get the songs caught in my head.
5.Nachtmystium – Addicts
This is a really indescribable release, because it's moved so far away from the black metal sound and yet doesn't touch the psychedelic, post-punk, or standard metal sounds it's hinting at. Either way a brave move stylistically and with great songs throughout.
4.High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine
High on Fire are an unbelievably consistent band and this is no exception. They're beginning to make their sound more melodic and diverse, and so Snakes for the Divine is their most immediate and accessible album.
3.Deftones – Diamond Eyes
The circumstances surrounding this album are quite sad (Deftones' bassist is currently in a coma), but somehow the Deftones were able to make a consistent and hard-hitting modern rock album. I'd call it a comeback if I didn't like Saturday Night Wrist so much.
2.Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
I hadn't listened to Ariel Pink before this album - a shame, because this is great. The songs balance catchy melodies with hazy retro synths and layers of noise, so the album is both modern and experimental and somehow familiar.
1.Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
I might be in the minority in that I prefer Darkthrone's newer material to the 'classic' period (which is still great!). This might somehow be the best of the lot - Darkthrone's new speed/crust/black sound suits them extremely well and sounds extremely distinct next to more polished releases.
10.Coheed and Cambria – Year of the Black Rainbow
I was really worried about Coheed, because the album before this was disappointing. Luckily, they pulled it back together for this more streamlined album.
9.Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
I had high hopes for Halcyon Digest because Deerhunter had one of my favourite releases of the past few years in Microcastle. This album took some time to enjoy because the songs were more abstract, but it was worth it.
8.Janelle Monae – The Archandroid
Janelle's debut EP set the standards high for this, and she somehow exceeded them in every way. The Archandroid is both more experimental and has one of the year's best singles in 'Cold War'.
7.Manic Street Preachers – Postcards from a Young Man
The Manics are my favourite band, so even if this album was a bit of a disappointment I probably listened to it more than anything this year.
6.Kaki King – Junior
Kaki King is an excellent guitarist so it was interesting to see her in the more 'rock' context that Junior provides. I listened to this a ton at the start of the year and still get the songs caught in my head.
5.Nachtmystium – Addicts
This is a really indescribable release, because it's moved so far away from the black metal sound and yet doesn't touch the psychedelic, post-punk, or standard metal sounds it's hinting at. Either way a brave move stylistically and with great songs throughout.
4.High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine
High on Fire are an unbelievably consistent band and this is no exception. They're beginning to make their sound more melodic and diverse, and so Snakes for the Divine is their most immediate and accessible album.
3.Deftones – Diamond Eyes
The circumstances surrounding this album are quite sad (Deftones' bassist is currently in a coma), but somehow the Deftones were able to make a consistent and hard-hitting modern rock album. I'd call it a comeback if I didn't like Saturday Night Wrist so much.
2.Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
I hadn't listened to Ariel Pink before this album - a shame, because this is great. The songs balance catchy melodies with hazy retro synths and layers of noise, so the album is both modern and experimental and somehow familiar.
1.Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
I might be in the minority in that I prefer Darkthrone's newer material to the 'classic' period (which is still great!). This might somehow be the best of the lot - Darkthrone's new speed/crust/black sound suits them extremely well and sounds extremely distinct next to more polished releases.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Alun Piggins
So, a few Saturdays ago I was pretty pumped because my band was playing our first show in a good few months at a venue that really likes us (the Boathouse in Kitchener).
This show was put on by Busted Flat records and they had grabbed an artist working with them to open the show. Given the act's name (Alun Piggins) and the label's reputation (modern folk), I was expecting something that was, at the worst, somewhat boring.
It turns out that he wasn't a solo act (he was accompanied by a drummer and bassist), he was extremely high-energy, and he was an established act in his own right. Alun and Jay, the drummer, were members of the Morganfields, a Canadian alt-rock band that had minor success in the early-to-mid '90s. Sound-wise, I would describe them (him?) as a drunken, angry Matt Good.
Either way the band was amazing and had tons of energy. Their bassist took a text message onstage and Jay the drummer improvised a haiku and was really chatty afterwards. Overall a really fun time.
This show was put on by Busted Flat records and they had grabbed an artist working with them to open the show. Given the act's name (Alun Piggins) and the label's reputation (modern folk), I was expecting something that was, at the worst, somewhat boring.
It turns out that he wasn't a solo act (he was accompanied by a drummer and bassist), he was extremely high-energy, and he was an established act in his own right. Alun and Jay, the drummer, were members of the Morganfields, a Canadian alt-rock band that had minor success in the early-to-mid '90s. Sound-wise, I would describe them (him?) as a drunken, angry Matt Good.
Either way the band was amazing and had tons of energy. Their bassist took a text message onstage and Jay the drummer improvised a haiku and was really chatty afterwards. Overall a really fun time.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Coheed & Cambria
So, this is a little belated, but about a month ago I went to see Coheed & Cambria at Elements in Kitchener. This was pretty strange/great for a few reasons, 1) They had just played Toronto over the summer (which I was also at) so this tour was pretty surprising, 2) I'm in Kitchener a ton and have friends there, and 3) Some of my friends there are obsessed with this band and inevitable dragged me to this show.
In Toronto the show's opener was Circa Survive (who I was really impressed with), but for this tiny Canadian tour the only support act was Fang Island. This was super disappointing - Fang Island reminded me of a tech-y post-hardcore band but with more keyboards and less singing. Very boring. My friend said they sounded like a Christian band. I'm not sure how that works when there isn't any singing, but there you go.
Coheed themselves were really good. This was the last date of this tiny tour, but instead of looking burnt out they seemed pretty loose. The mix wasn't great (too quiet on the vocals), but worked, and the crowd was really great (aggressive, but somewhat respectful).
The setlist was kind of a mixed bag. They focused mostly on their 2003 and 2010 albums, but didn't change much from the summer. Luckily, they rotated in new songs from 2002's 'Second Stage Turbine Blade' album. Overall, the show was great - if I hadn't seen them so soon previously, I probably would have preferred Kitchener.
In Toronto the show's opener was Circa Survive (who I was really impressed with), but for this tiny Canadian tour the only support act was Fang Island. This was super disappointing - Fang Island reminded me of a tech-y post-hardcore band but with more keyboards and less singing. Very boring. My friend said they sounded like a Christian band. I'm not sure how that works when there isn't any singing, but there you go.
Coheed themselves were really good. This was the last date of this tiny tour, but instead of looking burnt out they seemed pretty loose. The mix wasn't great (too quiet on the vocals), but worked, and the crowd was really great (aggressive, but somewhat respectful).
The setlist was kind of a mixed bag. They focused mostly on their 2003 and 2010 albums, but didn't change much from the summer. Luckily, they rotated in new songs from 2002's 'Second Stage Turbine Blade' album. Overall, the show was great - if I hadn't seen them so soon previously, I probably would have preferred Kitchener.
Monday, November 22, 2010
the song that inspired the blog's name
So here's the song that I stole the blog's name from. It's pretty cool that Sonic Youth is still this good 20+ years into their career, too.
The name also became a great Canadian 90s band, so I'm not the first to use it.
For this blog I'm planning on posting about music and a few random thoughts. Either way it should be interesting.
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