My Fav Tracks Of 2K9

Phew! That was exhausting!

I spent the better part of my afternoon scouring the 2009 ranks, trying to cobble together my all-star-song team of 2K9, part of my lifelong goal (that I started two years back...sadly) of composing a best-of cd at the end of every year. Then, returning years, perhaps decades, later and seeing which were timeless and which were relatively ephemeral.

I just finished crossing the t's and dotting the lowercase j's on this year's choice cuts, so, without further rambling, here are my favourite tracks, in playlist order.

1. Ohbijou – Intro To Season
2. Neon Indian – Deadbeat Summer
3. Au Revoir Simone – Anywhere You Looked
4. Phoenix – Fences
5. The xx – VCR
6. The Rural Alberta Advantage – The Air
7. Kings of Convenience – Mrs. Cold
8. Volcano Choir – Island, Is
9. The Dirty Projectors – Stillness Is The Move
10. Delorean – Deli
11. Japandroids – Sovereignty
12. Jay-Z – Empire State Of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)
13. Sunset Rubdown – Idiot Heart
14. Timber Timbre – Until The Night Is Over
15. Junior Boys – Dull To Pause
16. YACHT – Ring the Bell
17. Neko Case – This Tornado Loves You
18. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Soft Shock
19. The National – So Far Round The Bend

What were some of your best-loved tracks of the past 365?

Infinite Playlist: See Above!

Read more...

A Drop Of Blood On A Sugarcube - A 10,000th Day Playlist

So last month I celebrated a unique sorta birthday - I lauded the day I turned the big 10,000. Days old, that is. This monumental date happened to fall on Wednesday, September 16th, so I threw a bash on the 19th and subsequently shattered the old record for most people in my apartment (whilst drinking one, maybe two, too many brews).

I intended on making a 10,000th day playlist for my party, a definitive, 27-song set of indispensable songs in my life (27 was chosen since it's how many years old I was at the time of turning 10,000 days). The list did not happen in time for my party since constructing it proved painfully difficult, incredibly time-consuming, and frequently futile. Finally, I've settled on the 27 tunes below, although I should qualify my selections by stating these are my choices at this exact moment in time. I'll probably change them tomorrow. A couple times.

It's been a great 10,000 days for my ears.

Postal Service - 'The District Sleeps Alone Tonight'
Yo La Tengo - 'Sugarcube'
My Bloody Valentine - 'I Only Said'
Radiohead - 'Fake Plastic Trees'
Erasure - 'A Little Respect'
The Smashing Pumpkins - 'Glynis' (video below)
Portishead - 'Wandering Star'
Pinback - 'Loro'
New Order - 'Temptation'
Kings of Convenience - 'Winning A Battle, Losing A War' (video below)
The Chemical Brothers - 'Where Do I Begin?'
Sigur Rós - '1' aka 'Vaka'
Interpol - 'Obstacle 1'
M83 - 'Run Into Flowers' (video below)
Califone - 'Trick Bird'
Jenny Lewis - 'Acid Tongue'
Nick Drake - 'One of these Things First'
Stereolab - 'Tomorrow Is Already Here'
Beck - 'Que Onda Guero'
Manitoba - 'Brandon'
The Cure - 'Pictures of You'
Iron & Wine - 'Naked As We Came'
Mum - 'I'm 9 Today'
Depeche Mode - 'Blasphemous Rumours'
Goldfrapp - 'A & E'
Peter Bjorn and John - 'Up Against The Wall'
Sufjan Stevens - 'In The Devil's Territory'






Infinite Playlist - The above playlist

Read more...

Mandelbaum Mix - Volume Two

So I was out running the other day, enjoying a rare beautiful spring morning while sweating profusely, when suddenly it hit me like a sack of doorknobs: my running playlist, Mandelbaum Mix Volume One, just ain't cutting it no more! (The playlist is named after the octogenerian fitness buff on Seinfeld, aptly portrayed by the late, great Lloyd Bridges in the above clip).

Nothing personal against the songs populating Volume One, but some fresh, healthy change was badly badly needed. And after studious consideration and lots of adding, deleting, rearranging plus a few frustrated tears and overjoyed Eurekas!, I have devised, what should be, pure sonic motivation.

Tomorrow night...It's go time!

1. The Flaming Lips - Fight Test
2. El Guincho - Kalise
3. MGMT - Kids
4. The Go! Team - Doing It Right
5. Stereolab - Three Women
6. Beck - The New Pollution
7. Cut Copy - Feel The Love
8. Vampire Weekend - Ottoman
9. Mates of State - My Only Offer
10. The New Pornographers - Sing Me Spanish Techno
11. The Postal Service - Some Great Heights
12. Belle & Sebastian - I'm A Cuckoo

Running Time: 50:45




The video for the Belle & Sebastian entry is thematically fitting, making the track an ideal one for injecting some down-the-home-stretch, second-wind energy. At least I hope so.

What's on your workout playlist?

Infinite Playlist: Mandelbaum Mix - Volume Two

Read more...

Guess I Should've Caught Your Call

Zounds! The classy, legendary and prolific singer /songwriter /musician /poet /novelist Leonard Cohen is comin' to Winnipeg, playing The MTS Centre on April 30th. While he's getting on in years (74!), reports across the board say he's still an intoxicating performer. Now according to preliminary info on TM's site, tickets go on sale Monday, March 2nd with prices ranging from $89 - $249.50, but I'm sure there'll be presales galore. Stay tuned.

I just remembered I own his novel Beautiful Losers (unread) - might have to up it in the ol' reading queue.

Star of Austin Powers 3 (the weakest of the trio IMO) slash R&B songstress Beyonce will be at The MTS Centre on March 28th. Presale password is BOY.

Montreal indie-rockers The Stills play The Garrick on May 16th.

Songwriter/performer Geoff Berner is at the Ellice Theatre on March 14th with the always-entertaining Bob Wiseman.

Oh and as previously noted, I was the guest host on UMFM's "The Electric Tongue" last night. My personal global-trekking playlist was:

• Kate Steele - 'Bus Stop' (Canada)
  
• The Awkward Stage - 'Your Heart Serves Only You' (Canada)
• The Books - 'Take Time' (US)
• Mates of State - 'Get Better' (US)
• Parachutes - 'Your Stories' (Iceland)
• Foals - 'Big Big Love Fig. 2' (England)
• Camera Obscura - 'Happy New Year' (Scotland)
• Royksopp - 'Remind Me' (Norway)
• Peter Bjorn and John - 'Up Against The Wall' (Sweden)
• El Guincho - 'Kalise' (Spain)
• Stereolab - 'Kyberneticka Babicka Pt. 1' (France)
• Architecture in Helsinki - 'Neverevereverdid' (Australia)
• Flight of the Conchords - 'Inner City Pressure' (New Zealand)

Other countries covered (not by me) included: Russia, Japan, Wales, Holland, and Germany.

Infinite Playlist: Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block

Read more...

Load Playlist - Hornby Ishiguro Mitchell

I've been reading, writing, and studying an awful lot these days. While doing so, I listen to carefully chosen music - usually some down tempo songs that cozy up nicely in the background. Like Mum or Sigur Ros, say.

However, I realized on the weekend that I am tired of exclusively listening to their stuff and made a playlist specifically meant to be played while reading, writing, and studying.

I call it Hornby Ishiguro Mitchell, named after the surnames of three of my fav authors: Nick Hornby, Kazuo Ishiguro, and David Mitchell.

Since it's creation, I've been playing it in an eternal loop, and under its hypnotic spell have produced unparalled works of literary genius. Just kidding.

Behold!

1. Stars - Write What You Know
2. Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun (Acoustic)
3. Parachutes - Your Stories
4. Goldfrapp - Some People
5. Valgeir Sigurdsson - Focal Point
6. Yo La Tengo - Last Days Of Disco
7. Iron & Wine - Naked As We Came
8. Broken Social Scene - Shampoo Suicide
9. Air - La Femme D'Argent
10. Sparklehorse - It's A Wonderful Life
11. Kings Of Convenience - Cayman Islands
12. Yo La Tengo - Don't Have To Be So Sad
13. Mum - We Have A Map Of The Piano

Oh, and yes, I am aware the above playlist has both Mum and Sigur Ros on it. I couldn't completely exclude them.

Any suggestions for the next one I'm making?

Infinite Playlist - Hornby Ishiguro Mitchell

Read more...