Hearts Beats Often

Modern times have yielded a deluge of dance music of varying degrees of quality. Ranting in person, on the phone, or in spaces like this, probably using the blanket label "new dance music" because I don't want to say "blog house" or any of the other pejorative terms, that I won't even use here. The reason I won't use the terms here is as follows: lest the word section of this spot get cursed by nefarious juju borne from the last grim fears of a house music studio bongo specialist that iced himself on giraffe tranquilizers after his job got taken by expensive german software.

This song is not what I'm talking about when I get on about "borderline unlistenable" and "flashy but boring." I usually won't play you what I'm talking about, because I've wasted my time finding it, and yeah, it will probably offend you. Offending people's ears is not what I'm about.

Here's the tune:

LIL WAYNE - A Milli (Nadastrom Remix)

Dave Nada and his homey Matt Nordstrom change Dwayne's voice and use "UFO" to take it mindwhirling to the (post?) cyberpunk pleasuredome. Old ideas, a bedrock sample and rave rap with a much remixed song is a recipe for meh-diocrity, but Nadastrom turns it into the current incarnation of newness, hotness and badassism. It is radical, necessary, timely and most of all HUGE!



It begins with an urge to dance, and what sounds like a girl's voice repeating "Side One" (I can only hope this is content indicating where the song will be on the upcoming Nadastrom Record Album, so many levels! metastic!)!



The last time I was in Winnipeg, I was talking Frays The Cabbie (Footwerk of the Nutty Klub to basshead webcrawlers) about his crew's rising star in the prairie nightlife.

ME: "Man, I travel to all these big cities, live there and miss shows IN WINNIPEG!"

F: "That sucks, I feel bad for you (paraphrased)"

I made myself a promise that I wouldn't look through party photos of a non-family party that I wasn't at - that I just broke - augmenting this post. I'd heard that the party Fraser threw with Tittsworth and Dave Nada was legendary, in that savage and serial party city.

Here's a shot of Dave Nada preparing to grab one of The Pyramid's ceiling rails. Hanging off the ceiling of that cabaret was always a highlight of the all ages punk shows of my tweens.



I saw much in the galleries I browsed: 20/20 ON THE MIC. Chocolate laughing his ass off. Hot girls that I'm on a multiple nickname basis with. Dudes that I'm pretty sure I went to Oakbank Elementary with, and lots of young folks in humorous dance costumes. But the chili on the burger is:

Co-op holding a bag of Donuts aloft, like the head of a felled opponent.



I was in Winnipeg at Thanksgiving, and it was pretty crazy. I saw a scrap between old friends, one wielding a plunger, while the other howled "it looks like you're wearing lipstick". I broke The Muffin Man's Kraft Dinner Pot by drumming on it too hard. The Crumbs accidentally did a comedy show in a bar full of cops. I barely slept. It was wild, you need to brace yourself for fall in that town. I give thanks, but it was good to winter elsewhere.

I'll be back.



PS: Shout out to this kid blue steeling in the dorky aerobics/spring ski get up. Simply because, say what you will about geeked out neon from beyond party dress, but the tetra pak of french rabbit in the club is SUCH A GOOD LOOK. I'm not even going to front. I'm gonna copy him. Bottle service? No, Tetra Pak. Inspired. Plus you can cap it, which is the number one problem when drinking red at a dance party.

Slaying

Discovered this gem-jam while setting up the Canada Day Sale at the Best Little Record Store In The Cowichan Valley (tm).



I'm going to coin the phrase Sainte Ma-REAL TALK right now.

Making Me Happy

I've written numerous rhymes in opposition to tight clothing. Sadly, none of them have made it to mp3 or video...yet...thanks to Thug Slaughter Force (yeah, that's really their name) for having the chutzpah to air out the form-fitting faux pas.



Here's a summer jam by the masterful Dj Ayres.

Spank Rock and Amanda Blank - Loose (Dj Ayres The Potion Remix)

It's not about clothes, in fact it's kind of about no clothes, but it is about pants and panting and sweating...and sweats...I'm about sweats...



Stay Comfy



Rock On

A Drag I Snagged

Wilco perform "Always In Love", from the essential documentary (ahem, rockumentary...uhhh...rckmntry....no, never rckmntry) I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.



Resisting the temptation to leave you with poems about drag queens, dragons, dragons dressed as drag queens, drag racing, aerodynamics and drag theory, why red dragons are my least favourite variety of dragon, how awesome Thunderball is...etc...

Be Excellent

I promised myself to limit these obituary posts. However, George Carlin went down today, click the following youtubes for examples of the man in a characteristic ridiculously trivial rage (Guys Named Tod) and performing the art of oration and craft of comedy with peerless excellence (Modern Man).





That is a tough comic to lose, but we've still got a few tough comics left.

Bigger Than This

"Underwater stovetop,
Blue flame,
Scientists, come out with your skills up."
-Erykah Badu

One of my favourite songs of the winter got exactly what it needed. A great rapper with a great voice speaking in science.

"It's bigger than Hillary
It's bigger than Obama
It's bigger than McCain
It's bigger than the pope
It's unity, it's faith, it's change, it's hope"
-Pharoahe Monch 08'

ERYKAH BADU feat PHAROAHE MONCH - The Healer (Remix)

Early reports indicate that mad science is hatching a plan to visit Vantasy Island.

Physical Health

Another smoke, another joint (in the headphones)

JUNIOR BYLES - Fade Away

Granny Smith's so real.



I like that this ^^^^^ picture is on the granny smith wikipedia. It's good to see green apples so well represented in wiki.

This Granny Smith came up too.



I can hear her telling me: "Boy, you need to eat some breakfast."



Water so pure, sorry coffee...we had a good run baby...I think we both knew what this was...don't worry berry blend, I got you too.



Have you ever seen dipsetmuthafucka's take on "Fade Away." I'm not saying it's good...but it is what it is...



I think we both know what this is.



I just copped this off a garage sale hunter.



Now I've go this (the great white album, released on Anthem Records, 1981) cranked up "Like Zeppelin."



Doug's knocking bottles over and Bob is so mad at him. He's totally screwing up the beginning of the album.

and now we pause for reggae.

Calypso?

Some jerk (not me) bought all the reggae in my store, but...



I was just outside having my smoke, and sang along to this song over my headphones.

ENJOY

Jacob Miller - Tenament Yard



It sounds/feels like this inside:

Does That Even Look Good?

Hey gang,

What's up? I'm nursing a hangover so serious that I couldn't even bathe properly (just brush teeth, hair, dirt off shoulders, hood up, eyes down). I know some of you feel the same.



A red haired lady who gave birth to me will be bringing sandwiches to this office, and politics, nationalism and anthems are on the menu.

When I felt like this, I used to skateboard (if I could) or walk (if I could) to a restaurant called The Chelsea Bun where they cured this feeling. Plus, you'd be sitting there, dominating the cheesiest breakfast allowed by law and look over from your seat on the patio to go "Hey what's up Bob?"



And Bob says: "Ssstrrruuuuggllle-ing mate..."

I've got literally a gallon of blueberry and raspberry juice blend. Steve Miller on the Hi Fi and smokes.

It's not the bun, but it's a living.



Watch this, it'll help.

Sunthing Special

This summer the world's brightest Dj's have been breeding mixtapes like rabbits. It's caused a diversion in our usual course of weathered standards, dance music you can play for mom and raps for life.

This just in:



That's right! Dancing songs, car joints, club a/c, cancon, new songs all mixed together by Sammy Bananas. The Sammy Bananas, Sprang maker, New Englander, vivacious dude and smoove operationalist.

SAMMY BANANAS - Summer of Sammy

Metro Area - Orange Alert
Estelle - American Boy
The Juan Mclean - Happy House
Corona - Rhythm of the Night
Sammy Bananas - Ooh Bop
Foxy - Get Off
Afro Rican - Give It All You Got
Sammy Bananas - Ladies
Treasure Fingers - Come True
Dominic Fabrig - Ain't No Fun
Laidback Luke & Steve Angello - Be (Fourcolorzack's Wineup mix)
DJ Sega - Brighter Days
Sammy Bananas - Work Me
Nadastrom - Pussy Soul
San Serac - Dub Tactics
CC Peniston - Finally
Sammy Bananas - Get Set Go
Chromeo - Bonified Lovin (Yuksek Remix)
The Human League - Love Action
Janet Jackson - Rock With U
Only Freak - Can't Get Away (Solid Groove Mix)



Here's two summer jams from Sam that slam like Bam Bam.

CHROMEO - Tenderoni (Sammy Bananas Pump This Party Remix)

SAMMY BANANAS - All The Girls



Sam is also a member of Miss Fairchild. A band who made a mixtape that I still listen to all the time. If there ever was a record for the summer, this is it. They are awesome guys, mad talented and on the rise. Get in now, so in due course, when they're having video game characters designed in their likeness you can say to your kids "Yo, but do you have the mixtape? The one where Daddy Wrall raps with Keb Mo. the one with Peg on it. You know, the one with Cee Lo, Bonnie Raitt, Common Sense and The Doobie Brothers. You got that?" See how nice they are:

Dear Whoever you are,

"We love you. Please except this gift as a token of that love. It’s called Miss Fairchild Presents the Miss Fairchild Mixtape and is a collection of some of our favorite music blended by your favorite dj, Samuel P. Nice."


THE MISS FAIRCHILD MIXTAPE



After a week of actual re-winter, the sun shines on the island again. I'm playing this and waiting to see you.



Fun fact, my uncle Bill used to call me "Jasey and the Sunshine Band"

See ya!

My Racoon Has Hepatitis

Last night, I watched I'm Not There. It's great. It makes me happy to know that a film I am willing to watch 1000 times is about a character beloved by most of my friends. Here's a sample moment of the future:

ME: Hey, do you wanna watch that Bob Dylan movie that you could watch like a thousand times?

FRIEND: Sure.

But Don't take my word for it.





When Heath Ledger explains that he had Dylan tabled for exploration later in life. Wow. Don't wait. Dig whatever perks your fancy because you or they could die.

For the last decade and a bit Dylan has been making joints like this one, get into it:


BOB DYLAN - Cold Irons Bound

"I see people in the park forgetting their troubles and woes
They're drinking and dancing, wearing bright colored clothes
All the young men with their young women looking so good
Well, I'd trade places with any of them
In a minute, if I could"
-Bob Dylan





Shout out to BIZZLEZ for photos and Melle Melissa for being all that and a bag of chips.

(and a bag of chips, cliche alert/blogchronicity alert!!!)



Clap your hands for:

1) Popular demand!
2) Old Dutch snack foods keeping the siesta-ing (siestizing?) gaucho on the package.



Shout out to Haydnundai Chryslerson (you know, the new old Darth Vader) for playing such a good Bob Dylan in Factory Girl, but the clips are too long and Edith Sledgewick is too sad.

Missoura. Recognize!

I quoted this at the end of my last post, then I had it in my head, I think this will get it out.



The Wiz and I used to stay up very late at night, living computer lives that had us as pallid as vampire mimes, PUMPING THIS SONG. I used to write Missoura's Witch's Hat myspace messages like "Yo, dudes, I know times are tough, but don't give up, your band is what people are talking about when they say "next level" even if they have never heard of you, when they say "next level" they mean "akin to Witch's Hat" please come to England and play a show, you can stay at our house."



Even now, when I hear the do-do-do-do-do at the beginning...awww man...get me a tall can of red stripe, a big blue couch and some sunglasses.

WITCH'S HAT - Glodyany 1972

Grilling It is looking extremely forward to drifting east from Vantasy Island this July. The working title is "Suzy Q and The Only Sun, Fun on Highway #1, Road Trip 08'(OH WAIT! No, Go!)" but I just made that up right now.