I’ll just start off by apologizing to the guitar nerds out there, of which I am indisputably one, for the relative lack of guitar geekery you’ll read here.* Because Eric Johnson is like the god that guitar nerds bow down to. But when I hear this song, I’m not reminded of guitar geekery, I’m reminded of the early ‘90s Toronto Blue Jays. Continue reading
This is the post this blog was made for. Since I started the blog back in 2010, this is only the second time the perfect song has come up on shuffle at the perfect time (here’s the first). It’s the ultimate in shuffled synergy and it made me feel alive. Continue reading
Let’s call this a little art experiment: I got off work early today so I thought I’d take a really bloody long walk along the entire length of College Street, throw my songs on shuffle, and take a picture that played while each song played. Two rules: no skipping songs and no picture do-overs. Is there any way I can write my way into making each picture make sense for each song? Good luck with that, Kev. But there’s definitely one near the end that blew my mind. I know, that’s a little click-baity, but it’s true. Continue reading
Weird is good. Weird is to be celebrated. Both the album, Juliana Hatfield’s latest, and the concept. I want to make sure that’s established before you think my listing of the weird in this album is anything but a celebration of the not-normal.
Sometimes with these year-end lists I like to keep it to songs that were released during the year in question. That would probably be the “professional” or “proper” thing to do. But this blog is neither. I’m the boss here and I say these are just songs I listened to a lot in 2018 and they made me happy – though most are 2018 releases. And, you know what? I’m not even going to bother ranking them this year because my current mood is “art ain’t no competition.” Also, I’m keeping it to one song per act. Continue reading
2018 was not normal. Like, what even was that? We were punked by the gods, perhaps? That’s about as comforting an explanation as I can come up with. And if that wasn’t the case, at least I was able to seek comfort, as I always do and always have, in music. Continue reading
I had a “moment” during Dear Rouge’s gem of a show at Danforth Music Hall in Toronto. A moment inspired by a moment in life relayed by singer Danielle McTaggart as she introduced “The Clearing,” the dramatic track that closes Phases, their latest album. Continue reading
To absolutely no acclaim, I ran on the St. Elizabeth Catholic Secondary School track team in Grade 11. It was the spring of 1989, just as Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance” was soaring to No. 3 in Canada and the U.S. I was fast, but not legit fast; I was baseball player fast, not track athlete fast. Continue reading
This is not a concert review. Yeah, I know what the headline says. So if you’re here for a retelling of all the face-melting rock majesty that Dave Grohl and company poured over the Rogers Centre crowd, I’m sorry to disappoint. The thing is, my attention wasn’t 100% on the show. My attention was on my boys, because it was their first ever concert. My 10-year-old little dudes have now been baptized in rock by Reverend Grohl and his rock and roll apostles, and I couldn’t be prouder. Continue reading
There are no words. That’s about the laziest thing a writer can say about anything. And yet it was the first phrase that came to mind about The Beaches’ homecoming show in Toronto Friday night, rounding out a headlining tour across Canada. So here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to use a fourth-grade poetry trick and use that hacky phrase as my guide to actually say some words. Continue reading
