Bone Thugs DENIED

Rap group Bone Thugs N Harmony's show tomorrow night at Pantages Playhouse has been canceled since the band has been denied entry into Canada. According to this site, it's because their music is "too violent".

I thought we had freedom of expression in this country?

Current rotation: The National - Boxer

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The Soundtrack Of Today

Taking the time to soundtrack your day is essential. Meticulously selecting just the right songs to wake up with, listen to while on the bus, during lunch, on your way home, at night, etc. can make an otherwise trivial day feel, well, exciting and refreshing. And if the day's already exciting, a good soundtrack complements it. So today I decided to record my soundtrack for posterity - it was a lot of fun.

1. Yellow-up (8:32): "Dream On" by the Chemical Brothers. A soothing track featuring the recurring lines "Sleep on/Dream on". Apparently I started the day with self-inflicted irony.
2. Pre-shower / Tea Prep: Select tracks off Ivy's Long Distance. Also quite soothing, but without the bitter irony.
3. Post-shower / Breakfast: Handful of tunes off Sparklehorse's It's a Wonderful Life. Tranquility is an emerging theme in the morning.
   
4. Bus-ride (to work): Kanye West's "Flashing Lights" x 2 and "Homecoming" x 2. Finally started to wake up. Chris Martin's guest appearance on "Homecoming" helped.
5. Mad-dash from bus stop to work: M.I.A. "Come Around". I pretended I was in a film being pursued by a pride of Lions; this served as its soundtrack. At one point I yelled "Ahh! Lions!" just to confuse passerbys.
   
6. One-hour downtime at work: The Kings of Convenience's Riot on an Empty Street in its entirety x 2. I was filling out paperwork.
   
7. Walk to the bank than to school: Key numbers from Mandelbaum Mix Vol. 1 including Duck Tales - Moon and The Go! Team - Huddle Formation. This got me pumped for school.
8. Walk back to work from school: see previous number, except this time MM V.1 got me pumped for returning to work.
9. Up till now (and currently): Kings of Convenience's Riot and Quiet is the New Loud. Plowing through some school work/procrastinating.
10. Before bed: undecided. Anything can happen!

Note: One noticeable ommission is "bus-ride home". A co-worker drove me, although, for the record, I had "Peaches" by the Presidents of the United States of America playing in my head.

Show news that made me do a double-take: Diana Ross is playing The Centennial Concert Hall on May 18th! She must be 100 years old! Tix: Friday.

Have you taken the time to soundtrack lately?

Current rotation: See #9

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If I Wasn't So Happy, I Wouldn't Be So Scared Of Dying

Breaking news...

Kim Barlow's show tonight at the WECC is cancelled.

Tom Petty tickets go on sale Monday with ticket prices ranging from $59 - $99.

Show news...

T.O.F.U. (Tons of Fun University) will bring their unique combination of spoken word poetry/music to the WECC on March 22nd. The group includes two winners of the National Poetry Slam competition. Sounds like an appealing University.

Coincidental news...

I learned earlier my co-worker went to university with Dan Snaith's (aka Caribou) sister. It's a small word indeed. My co-worker had no idea Dan is an indie prog-rock star.

Current rotation: The Boy Least Likely To - The Best Party Ever

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Everything I'm Not Made Me Everything I Am

Fleshing out some shows I missed...

Bone Thugs N Harmony are at the Garrick on Feb 1st. They still exist?

The Perpetrators are at Ozzy's on Feb 8th w/ Andrew Neville & the Poor Choices and Clint Crisher.

Big John Bates and The Voodoo Dollz pay their annual Winnipeg visit on Feb 22 at the Pyramid.

Oh and bad news procrastinating Hayden fans: his WECC show is sold out. Glad I got my ticket!

Current rotation: Kanye West - Graduation / M.I.A. - Kala

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Runnin' Down a Dream

Tom Petty is coming! Tom Petty is coming! Hooray! When? August 9th. Where? MTS Centre. Tickets? February 4th. Presale? Dunno. Stay tuned. Opening Act? Steve Winwood! Am I going? Thinking about it! Depends on ticket prices.

Gotta love Tom Petty.

Current rotation: Daft Punk - Alive

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The Vegetable Orchestra

This is fun and groovy and, of course, innovative. Enjoy!



Current rotation: Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

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Lousy Smarch Weather

Ace Frehley, two-time member of the pioneering 70s/80s "It's ok for males to wear make-up too!" movement group KISS, is playing a solo show March 12th at the Garrick. Tix $32.50.

Oh and the presale password for Lenny Kravitz's MTS Center show is SONG.

Current rotation: Kanye West - Graduation

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