Parachutes and Airbags

Sea Wolf are at the Park Theatre on June 7th. Tix $14 @ Music Trader.

Local H are at the Albert on June 17th. Tix $14 @ Music Trader.


Current rotation: Beth Orton - Trailer Park

Read more...

Final Exam Question: Is Googling Your Own Name Self-Indulgent? Discuss.

I learned something new today: Trent Reznor and his industrial band of troubadours (aka Nine Inch Nails) still exist AND are coming to town on July 31st. The show is at the MTS Centre and ticket information is TBA. (Side note: I wonder if they have a favourite colour?)

In related news...it is great to see Canada now has a major indie rock festival: "Pemberton".

The lineup includes:

• NIN
• Jay-Z
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  
• Death Cab
• Interpol
• The Flaming Lips
  
• Vampire Weekend (yay!)
• My Morning Jacket
• Metric
  
• Fiery Furnaces
• DJ Shadow
• Mates of State
• Buck 65

And tragically, The Tragically Hip (I believe a Canada Federal law was passed stating all music festivals on Canadian soil must include The Tragically Hip on the bill). Plus many, many more talented indie acts.

Current rotation: Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out

Read more...

M.I.A. + Sarah Slean

The uber-talented M.I.A. will be showing off sounds from her brilliant 07 release Kala at the Burt on May 30th. Tickets go on sale Friday. I am considering hitting this show, although I've heard her dynamic sound doesn't translate well live. Something to research further...

*WARNING* M.I.A.'s website may cause epileptic seizures.

Also, Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Slean will be at the Burt on May 11th (Mom's Day). Tickets this Friday at ticketmaster and the WECC.

Current rotation: Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan The Great Lakes State

Read more...

Live From Minneapolis!

I'm currently vacationing in Minneapolis and unfortunately there are no really enticing shows this weekend while I'm here...

Also, there doesn't seem to be any new Winnipeg concert announcements to report.

Hopefully when I'm back on Monday, I'll have some news.

Current rotation: nothing

Read more...

My Wilco Experiment

Title of Experiment: Operation Wilco Tickets

Objective: To determine which method brought about the best possible Wilco tickets for their May 2nd show at the Burt.

Hypothesis: Wilco's fan club will secure the best tickets.

Materials: Computer w/ Internet connection; two presale passwords + membership in the Wilco fan club

Method: At exactly 10:00 am both passwords were entered on ticketmaster.ca and Wilco's secure ticket site was visited. First presale password (MUSIC) was entered. While this was loading a different password (skyblue) was opened under tab #2. As both loaded, instructions for obtaining tickets through Wilco's site were followed under tab #3.

Results:

Presale password #1 MUSIC: 11th row, first balcony.

Presale password #2 skyblue: 12th row, first balcony.

Wilco's site: 10th row, floor.

Analysis: Presale passwords, in this case, were an ineffective means for securing prime seating. Tickets offered through Wilco's fan club were not only a floor lower, they were closer.

Conclusion: My initial hypothesis "Wilco's fan club will secure the best tickets" was verified through rigorous, intense experimentation. Presale passwords help ensure advance tickets, but not necessarily the best tickets available.

***

Folk legend Tom Paxton is playing the West End on April 4th w/ guest Lindsay Jane.

Current rotation: Vampire Weekend - S/T

Read more...

Wilco - The Make-Up Show

After canceling their August 15th show at the Burt due to guitarist Nels Cline contracting the chicken pox, Wilco are returning to the Burt on May 2nd. And I'm going! If you're on the fence about this, I will stamp this show with my highly coveted "Painting Over Silence Guaranteed Great Show" stamp. And I don't pull this stamp out often!

I saw Wilco at the Burt about three years back, and that show is definitely in my top 5 shows of all time. Could be as high as #2 (behind Sigur Ros in Minneapolis). Anyways, tickets go on sale tomorrow if you have the presale password (ROCK).

And Iron Maiden are hitting town too! They're at the MTS Centre on June 9th. Tickets range from $35 to $69.50 and go on sale March 28th.

Current rotation: Vampire Weekend - S/T

Read more...

I'll Fly Away In The Morning

So ol' Sir Paul only had to pay about $48.6 million to his ex Heather Mills. "Only" is a shot at the $250 million she was originally asking for.

I guess the real lesson here is: never underestimate greed.

***

The Details are at the WECC on April 12th w/ Mike Trike. Tix $10 @ Music Trader.

Killswitch Engage are at the Burt on May 23rd. Tix $31 @ Music Trader. We sure get a lot of hardcore acts rolling through town. Why don't more indie poppers come?

Current rotation: O Brother Where Are Thou? - OST

Read more...

I Love Heinekegs!

Apparently tickets sales for 311's March 24th show at the Burt are not going well since tickets are currently being offered (until Sunday night) at a special 2 for 1 rate. It's a great deal if you're a procrastinating 311 fan.

Not a lot to report this week...

***
So I've officially succumbed to the major hype machine surrounding indie-poppers Vampire Weekend and am currently grooving to their wonderful debut long player. Here's the band performing "M79" on SNL last weekend. Gotta love those strings!



Current rotation: Vampire Weekend - S/T

Read more...

General Tomato Ketchup

Swedish Metallloids Arch Enemy are playing The Garrick on May 21st with Dark Tranquility, Divine Heresy, and Firewind. Tix $30 at ticketmaster.

Bad news Lenny Kravitz lovers - due to illness, his Monday show is postponed until October 29th. Plenty of recovery time.

Current rotation: Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff / Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope

Read more...

And Are You Just Like Me?

Andrew W.K.'s sure-to-be-an-ass-kicking-good-time of a March 15th show at the Albert is sold out, so another show has been added for the next day. Andrew W.K. must love Winnipeg - props to that! Tix $13 @ Music Trader.

Local denizens Sons of York will be releasing their cd at the Park Theatre on March 28th. Tix $7 @ Music Trader. Oddly enough, I saw someone wearing a Sons of York shirt earlier at the U of W.

New Model Army is at the Albert on April 9th. Tix $12 @ Music Trader.

***
I caught Vampire Weekend's two song performance on SNL this weekend, and both tracks were fantastic and tons of fun (I've never heard their music prior to this, although I've been exposed to the ubiquitous hype). Check out the whimsical "A-Punk" below. And put on your dancing shoes.



Current rotation: Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs

Read more...

Come On! Feel The Illinoise!

Buck 65 is playing the Garrick on April 29th with special guests Cadence Weapon and Skratch Bastid.

***
Interesting news...if you head over to YouTube's homepage from now until midnight, you'll see all the featured landing page videos were selected by no other than this fella's favourite band: Sigur Ros. Pretty cool of ol' YouTube.

Current rotation: Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans

Read more...

The Months Ahead

I realized earlier I don't know much about new records scheduled for release this year and decided to probe further. Without further ado, here's some select notable releases coming up between now and the end of May

March:
Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams
Sarah Slean - The Baroness
Panic! At The Disco - Pretty. Odd.
She & Him - Volume 1 *
*note: this is a collaborative effort between M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, Will Ferrel's Elf co-star with the lovely voice*

April:
Moby - Last Night
Muse - Haarp Live CD/DVD
Sun Kill Moon - April (aptly titled)
REM - Accelerate
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!
Clinic - Do It
The Breeders (first release since forever) - Mountain Battles
Colin Meloy (Decemberists Frontman) - Colin Meloy Sings Live!
Peter Moren (of Peter Bjorn and John) - The Last Tycoon
Spoon - Don't You Evah EP
Tapes n Tapes - Walk It Off
Portishead (first release since forever) - Third
M83 - Saturdays = Youth
Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha
Islands - Arm's Way
Constantines - Kensington Heights

May:
Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Scarlett Johansson (yes, THE Scarlett Johannson) - Anywhere I Lay My Head

***
The list of aging ex-mega rock stars hitting the Peg continues to grow. Former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler is playing the Centennial Concert Hall on July 11th. Anyone purchasing two tickets (exorbitantly priced between $71 - $101) receives a free copy of his latest album Kill To Get Crimson. Presale password is ROCK.

Presale Password for Kanye West at the MTS Centre is also ROCK. I just scored two floor seats with this password.

Current rotation: Radiohead - In Rainbows

Read more...

Stay Inside Our Rosy-Minded Fuzz

Ok. So.

I've been completely addicted to the track "Apartment Story" by Brooklyn-based indie rockers The National over the past few days, often playing the track in a continuous loop. I decided last night to youtube for a live performance (side note: I love verbing nouns; youtubing, do a google, perform a wikipedia) and was surprised that an official video exists for the song. AND that the video is quite good.

For the first two minutes the band play in front of an unresponsive audience at a formal affair - perhaps a wedding or a social or a work party. A woman adjusts her unshaven man's tie; a pair of reticent fellows sip beers, idly observing the crowd; an aging slickster chats with several women; no one pays the band the slightest attention. But, fleeting glances start happening and Slickster finger drums the rhythm while others tap their toes. Finally, an audacious pair of red heels (likely attached to a woman) hit the dance floor, acting as catalyst for others to follow suit. Unexpected jubilation at an otherwise dull party ensues.

It's well shot, for an indie video. Enjoy!



Current rotation: Albert Hammond, Jr. - Yours To Keep

Read more...

Harry Potter and The Wyrd/Weird Sisters

Is it just me or is this ongoing Wyrd Sisters/Harry Potter/Warner Brothers legal battle incredibly stupid?

Click here to read the article.

$40 million dollars??? WTF? That's excessively greedy and arrogant. The ironic thing is, I hadn't even heard of the Winnipeg-based "The Wyrd Sisters" until they launched the initial lawsuit a couple years back (which they understandably LOST), so there's no way I would've associated them with Harry Potter. And I kinda follow music...Of course, this is just my humble opinion.

Leave JKR's series alone...she's was just trying to get kids to read again...

What's your take?

***
New York based progressive rockers Coheed and Cambria are playing the Burton Cummings Theatre on May 27th. Tix go on sale Friday.

The Trews are also there on April 25th.

Current rotation: Mum - Finally We Are No One

Read more...

Josh Ritter - Live At The West End

I'm sure the two opening sentences in the book Photography for Dummies are similar to this: 'Before shooting, ensure your batteries are charged or have enough power to last an entire photographic session. Always carry back ups, just to be safe.'

This was a lesson I learned the hard way last night - my batteries were doa and I possessed no trusty back ups. So, no pics from last night's Emm Gryner/Josh Ritter show.

Pictures or not, the show was fantastic. Emm played a 40 minute set of mostly sombre ballads and while I enjoyed her songs, I'm not sure they'd be something I'd actively listen to on a regular basis.

Josh Ritter hit the stage at approximately 9 O'Clock and played an electrifying two hour set of songs from his entire folk/rock/pop repertoire, leaning heavily on his latest release: The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. For nearly the whole set, Josh had a wide grin from ear-to-ear and this combined with his natural charm, wonderful sense of humour and assured stage presence thrilled the crowd. The performances were rock-solid and the four piece band touring with Josh skillfully fleshed out all the songs.

Unfortunately, the show wasn't seated and about half-an-hour before it ended, my feet and lower back were beyond sore. And I wasn't the only uncomfortable one - I noticed most people shifting back and forth in an uneasy manner, repeatedly pressing their hands to their lower backs. Standing still for two hours is torturous.

But that's just a minor point. Overall, it was a terrific show.

***

KAAAAAANNNNNNNNNYYYYYYYEEEEEEE! Mr. West is gracing our city with his presence for the second time in less than a year, playing the MTS Centre on May 26th. He's touring with Rhinanna, Lupe Fiasco, and N. E. R. D. Ticket prices range from $53.50 - $93.50 and go on sale March 8th.

I think I'm gonna go.

Current rotation: Kanye West - Late Registration (UK)

Read more...

So Worry Not, All Things Are Well

Very little to report...

Andrew W.K. will be kicking and punching invisible opponents (hopefully) while performing his rock-pop numbers at the Albert on March 15th. Tix $15 @ Music Trader.

Well, I'm off to Josh Ritter at the WECC tonight. Thoughts and pics tomorrow.

Current rotation: The National - Boxer

Read more...