Thought-Provoking Article about the Nature of Music Funding in This Country

http://www.canada.com/entertainment/band+versus+Canadian+music+funder/1824319/story.html

Having a Joel Plaskett-filled week

I don't think I've done much more this week besides work and listen to Plaskett. I thought I'd post the lyrics to one of my favourite songs from his new (and amazing) album Three.

ROLLIN’, ROLLIN’, ROLLIN’

Side of the road, in the ditch, you rust
A mouthful of mud from a fistful of dust
A heart full of hurt from a head full of wine
I’ll call you back some other time

No way I’m picking up my phone
I’m tired of talking, leave me alone
I can’t run and I can’t write
And I can’t make it home tonight

Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’
Gathering no moss
I don’t know where I’m goin’
But I know what I’ve lost

Talk is cheap but music’s cheaper
Deep in debt and getting deeper
The price is steep and getting steeper
I’m yours to keep, won’t you keep me?
I’m a keeper

Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’
Gathering no moss
I don’t know where I’m goin’
But I know what it cost

Pretty people posing questions
(I don’t wanna answer you)
Where’d you go? D’you learn your lesson?
(I put on my dancing shoes)
Who’d you meet and what’d you buy?
(Couple strangers, pair of jeans)
Just leave ‘em hanging high and dry
Bye Bye

Rollin’, rollin’ rollin’
With my imaginary friends
Imagining I know’ em
Then it’s time to roll again

Why so blue, tired and true?
(Just like that Irma Thomas song)
I’m tired of myself, not tired of you
(You’ve been gone “Two Winters Long”)
They say that good things come to those you roll
(Back to the place where you belong)
Back to someone beautiful

Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’
It’s time to get me gone
The yellow lines are glowing
Oh, highway roll me home
(Blacktop highway)
Highway roll me home

Plaskett is one of the only songwriters I know that can take semi-cliches and turn them into fun, memorable lyrics. He's also the only guy I know that's released a flippin' triple album that didn't suck and wasn't a "best of" collection. Truthfully Truthfully, he's just great. I'm sad I keep missing his shows when he comes to St. John's, but I heard he'll be back in the fall...*crosses fingers*

I would write more tonight, but after going to Al Tuck (another great Halifax-based musician) at CBTGS last night til 2 am, working an eight-and-a-half hour shift today, and getting out for a long walk with Marley, I'm knackered. I do have to save my energy for a weekend hanging with fashionable people, doing questionable things, looking just like magazines.

August is in a Rush to get here

The summer's almost over and I still haven't gone to Gros Morne. I don't think I've shut up about going camping there since last summer when I went to a cabin about 40 minutes outside of town with a few friends. I said "Cabin? That's not camping, that's a fucking house in the woods. If I wanted to get drunk in a house in the woods I'd go to my dad's place. At least there I'm not paying for beer or board."

Regardless of my stubbornness, we had a time and I wouldn't mind going back to Rabbit Pond (?can't quite remember if that's the right name...), but I still felt like I was missing the fun that tenting includes. To me, camping is in tents....sorry couldn't resist that well-worn pun, Candice, heh. Don't get me wrong either, there's a time and a place for cabin-going, like May 24th weekend and the like...

I had hoped I'd be leaving St. John's in August for school (which looks now like it's definitely not happening...at least not this year). I was adamant I'd go to Gros Morne when I returned back from the UK and have spent the past few weeks bugging friends that we should go because we're missing out on so much on the Avalon Peninsula.  I haven't been there since I was seven and considering that the first of August is going to be my 20th anniversary of living in Canada, I wanted to do something quintessentially Canadian, heading out into the deep dark woods.

Hell, at this point I don't really care if I'm on the West Coast, I just want to get a tent, some food to barbeque, some other camping "essentials," and my best friends, get far enough away from the city, and just pray that it won't rain. Actually, after the classic Scottish rain that happened at Rockness, which took place at Loch Ness, I think I can handle a bit of Newfoundland rain. I might just embrace it.

To sum up the degree of soaked-ness: I was standing 25 feet in the air for eight hours on an Oxfam observation tower, got soaked through a cheapo rain poncho, my "175 quid tabard" (it was considered our security deposit, if we lost it we wouldn't get our money back) a leather coat, fleece liner, hoodie, t-shirt, tank top, rubber boots, my jeans, socks,  and underwear, then had to put almost all of it all on the next day because my backpack with my layers in it got drenched as well. There's not much more disgusting than having to put on rain damp muddy clothes. And yet it was still the best weekend EVER. Even though the streamers I caught at the Flaming Lips show got soaked in my backpack and I had to toss them because it just looked like wet toilet paper. And I nearly ruined my grandmother's cellphone when it got water-logged. Luckily it only really rained for half the weekend....I can't wait to go back!

Taken from my observation tower when it WASN'T a downpour. Lovely view of the main stage, the Loch, and the toilets.

I'm pretty excited about tomorrow, I'm supposed doing a few interviews for the Current's Folk Festival cover story in the evening. I haven't done any proper music writing since before I went on holiday, so I'm happy to get back into it. Once they're published, I'll start posting the articles on here again. I should rack my hard drive some day for old interviews to post, there's a few I really liked, especially the Weakerthans piece where I completely embarrassed myself for the sake of a funny article...:)

More rainy day projects to add to the list (like unpacking my room...guuh). Maybe if I put enough clothes on top of the boxes they'll go away. Maybe.

My Top Five CDs of late:

Florence and the Machine: Lungs 

Robin Pecknold: Live at Neumo's, Seattle WA, 2009-07-11 (only available as a bootleg online at the moment I think.. http://www.soundonthesound.com/2009/07/13/getting-drunk-for-the-kids-with-robin-pecknold/)

Bibio: Ambivalence Avenue

Matt & Kim: Grand

La Roux: La Roux

White Stripes Canadian concert film to debut in the fall

Considering Donna and I were front row, center at the St. John's show, I can't wait for this to come out!: http://www.whitestripes.com/film/film.html

See! I haven't fallen off the face of the earth!

I have pretty much been the biggest slackarse in the world with this blog. I started it as a way to document my travels and wrote about five entries when I was in the UK, most of them written late at night after exhaustive days of traveling, done so out of a weird feeling of "obligation" to myself and the meagre few who may have read it. I also blame all the wine my grandparents were giving me with supper, I drank more there than I do here! Wine and traveler's exhaustion do make it hard to focus on writing something that makes somewhat sense.

After realizing that I haven't posted on here in a month I do feel like a pretty lazy writer. I went on a mind-blowing trip where I did so many crazy things and didn't have the energy to write about it. I was also more concerned with posting pictures, I still have about 1000 to do and Facebook just doesn't want me to do it. 

I've been in St. John's for three weeks now and because of moving and working nonstop, I didn't really feel like I did anything worth writing about until this week past when the Wreckhouse Festival was taking place. There needs to be a music festival every week of the summer, although I think I'd probably die of exhaustion/suffer from a perma-hangover. I seriously need a week to recover from all the fun we had. Summer is so fucking great. Wreckhouse was great. Going to work an eight hour shift with three hours of sleep and still drunk, not so great...Longest...shift...ever.

The week was full of fantastic, well-selected music. Although it's really hard to pick, my favourite act at Wreckhouse was definitely the Shuffle Demons. 

I'm sad I missed the "flash mob" parade they started, but catching them at the Martini Bar that night was such a treat. More bands need to start sporadic parades at their shows and sing about "Cheese on Bread." I'm sure all the prissy girls waiting to get into the upstairs part of the bar thought it was noisy and ridiculous, but isn't that what a good show's about?

Gypsophilia was really fun too, I got an advance copy of their CD before it came out so I was really looking forward to that show. I told a few of the band members afterwards that I really liked the album and the two shows and they seemed genuinely thankful. It's so nice to see humble musicians, instead of some of the snots I've interviewed or met. I guess Josh Homme feels entitled to his ego, but maybe thats the reason he keeps getting pelted with shoes at his shows.

I feel like I got hit on the head with a bottle of vodka. I HAVE to go to sleep.

Here's a shot of Gypsophilia taken at the Martini Bar.

Living my trip, rather than writing about it...

I'm a crappy travel blogger, I admit it.

After I went to Rockness Music Festival last weekend I swore I'd log on and write a long entry about what I've been up to in Scotland....but obviously I haven't. My reasoning was that I would rather take the evenings I have free to post photos, as I know more people are looking at them rather than reading this...kind of foolish reasoning I know, but I also don't want to have to go home to NL and have to upload 3000 photos (I've already taken about 2000, and I haven't been to Liverpool yet!).

I'll summarize my stay in Scotland:

- I don't want to leave.

- Rockness was the best, most exhausting weekend of my life. 

- Since arriving here I have visited Edinburgh Castle, Scottish Parliament, Scotland's Secret Bunker, Falkland Palace, St. Andrews, Anstruther Fish n Chips (the "Best in Britain"-they've won the award several years running), Dundee and Glenrothes (for shopping), Loch Ness and Inverness, Peebles village....there's probably more and I can't think.

- Edinburgh is probably the most beautiful city I've ever visited, and the people are nice to boot.

- Shopping here is great...I know everyone says it's so expensive in the UK (and it can be), but because of finding Christian Louboutin Dillian Flower Pump lookalikes for 18 pounds (as opposed to 2800), I am ecstatic. If you heard me talking about these shoes for the past few months (Karen O wore them in Spin), you'll understand how important this is to me. I tried to replicate them with my graduation shoes, but it just wasn't the same... I've bought about five dresses since I arrived here and I don't think I've paid more than 15 pounds for any of them. I love that this place is about six months ahead of Canada in terms of fashion, I can buy something on the sale/clearance racks and still be ahead when I go home, haha. Neon has become HUGE here, I bought a pair of neon pink jelly gladiators, which are hilarious, awesome, and comfortable. I've wanted jelly shoes since I was a little girl, but couldn't find ones that fit my alien feet/were comfy. I can't even list the rest of the stuff I've bought, but I have to pack tonight and am semi-dreading it. 

- I'm going to need a vacation to recover from this vacation. Or at least a drunken, bbq-fueled Canada Day (the day I return:). Katie Jackson, do you hear me? hahaha

Bonnie Scotland

I've been having an amazing time in Scotland. While I really enjoyed London, I could never see myself living there. Not that I don't like cities or can't handle the crowds, in fact I thrive on that stuff...I can't really pinpoint it. The history and sites were incredible, the shops were beyond my wildest dreams, and I can imagine the nightlife surpasses George Street by far. I just didn't dig the atmosphere of the place, if that vague analogy makes any sense. Maybe it's because I tried to see as much of the city in four days as possible, but either way I don't really see it as being somewhere I'd like to live permanently. 

Glasgow was really fun. I haven't seen Laura in eleven years so it was great to see her. We've both come very far from Titanic/Leonardo Dicaprio-crazed teenagers! The first evening there we went drinking at her friend's house and had a laugh, I had to keep explaining to one of them that Newfoundlanders have as strong an alcohol tolerance as Scots, hahaha. When I tried to change the iPod playlist he exclaimed, "But I worked so hard on that! It took me an hour an a half to create that playlist!" I wish I could party with them all again :)

On Sunday we went shopping and walking through the park, they have some really nice boutiques and vintage/thrift shops, I wish I WISH had more space in my suitcase! At one charity shop, I picked up a Topshop dress that looked totally new, a black trench coat, and a Shopaholic book that I haven't read yet (shut up they're funny) for just 20 quid.  For the same price (at another shop on the previous day) I also found a great watch, with big swirling numbers and a metallic face, now I won't be so clueless about the time. That's what I get for relying on my cellphone as a clock! I blame Bell mobility for their damned unlockable phones.

On my third and final day there I visited Kelvingrove Gallery and Museum, which was fascinating, I'll be posting pics on Facebook when I get the time.  I learned a lot about Scottish history that I didn't know and had the opportunity to see paintings by Matisse, Rembrandt, Picasso, Monet...something I definitely didn't think I'd get to do in my lifetime for sure. That evening, Laura's boyfriend Gary was a great tour guide and drove us around the city looking at the interesting architecture of the city, an aspect I had never really thought about Glasgow. I guess when all you hear is "stabbing capital of Britain" you don't really think that they have pretty buildings. Despite that grim statistic, I still think I'd really enjoy living in Glasgow.

I've been in Cupar, Fife with my grandparents since yesterday. As I'm developing a headache and my battery's about to die, I'll have to write about this part of the trip when I come back from Rockness music festival on Monday. Flaming Lips, Basement Jaxx, Dizzee Rascal, LCD Soundsystem...HERE I COME!!!!!!

Glasgow Bound on Virgin Rail

I only have a half hour of internet because I'm too cheap to spend 20 bucks on the net for 4 1/2 hours of traveling time. Stupid exchange rate. Come on Canadian dollar, strengthen up!

Yesterday was my last day in London. I got up around 10 and went to Windsor Castle, the Queen's Official Residence and the largest  still-in-use castle in the world. It was so interesting, I now understand why people have such an obsession with the monarchy. I always thought it was silly to be into that stuff, that it was such a dated and unnecessary existence in modern times but the history behind the British Royal family is so fascinating it's hard not to get wrapped up in it. I unfortunately couldn't take pics inside the castle or the chapel, so it's hard to describe the splendor and beauty of the places. 

Because it's the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's ascension to the throne they had a special exhibit about him in the State Apartments, full of portraits, information about him and his wives, and keepsakes. I stood on his grave in the chapel which although it was just a black square in the ground, felt really amazing to just be there. I saw original Da Vinci sketches, the largest and most beautiful doll's house I've ever seen, and so much more that I can't list with the 20 minutes I have left here. 

After I left the castle I wandered around the village of Windsor which is very interesting in itself. I visited Falstaff's Pub, located in the building where Shakespeare lived while writing The Merry Wives of Windsor. I then got the train back to London in hopes of making Kensington Palace and the Royal Albert Hall. Apparently the Palace closed early that day for a private function, so I just lurked around the gate and then headed up to RAH. The tours had ended for the day there as well, so I visited the gift shop, walked around and took photos. I wanted to go up early this morning but since my hotel checkout time was 12 pm I had no idea where I'd put my luggage. I also didn't want to risk missing my train at 2:30 from Euston. There will be another time to visit it...it ain't going nowhere!

In the nighttime I went on a "Jack the  Ripper" tour, with a tour guide that resembled Johnny Depp (who played Jack in From Hell). It was really informing and creepy, we visited the sites where they found the dead prostitutes bodies and the pub where the fifth and last victim Mary Kelly had her final drink. After that I headed back to Bayswater near my hotel for the most expensive meal I've ever ordered myself (again, stupid exchange rate), at an Indian restaurant where the food was yummy but the waiters weren't very friendly. I thought this was strange, they made jokes with the table full of Germans next to mine, and did nothing snide remarks to me. I should really stamp a Canadian flag on my forehead, or just say to everyone, "Hello, I'm not American, and I'd like some information please...."

Anyway I've got 5 minutes left and more to do on the net. Until the next time I pick up wireless...

Kirsten Joy: Tomb fRaider

The London Tombs is officially the most frightening thing I've ever been in. The Bridge tour was kind of cheesy, but still interesting, and they gave us the choice to continue on to the Tombs (which are actually full of dead bodies in the walls), warning it was not for the "faint of heart." Me thinking that it'd be a funny little stroll through flashing lights and smoke machines said "to hell with it", and proceeded. IT WAS SO FUCKING SCARY I CAN'T DESCRIBE IT IN ANY OTHER WAY THAN BY ABUSING CAPSLOCK. You can't see shit, there's things grabbing, noises everywhere, stuff is shaking, just all around horrifying. I have a souvenir picture of me "screaming" surrounded by superimposed corpses. Facebook will love it once I get near a scanner.

 Murphy's Law I was the only single person there and got stuck at the back of the line behind a terrified Chinese teen and his dad. I wanted to clutch on to his backpack but thought it might be a bit weird. The gnarly tour guide who described the process of how people had their heads put on sticks looked at me and bellowed, "It's not nice being alone is it?" Thanks for rubbing it in like salt on a decapitated head, dude (that's how you preserve them, tee hee I'm such a ghoul).

Because I was once again late leaving the hotel today (had to wait for my camera battery to charge) I didn't get to see the Royal Albert Hall but I'll probably check it out tomorrow on the way to Kensington Palace and Windsor Castle.

I did make it inside the Shakespeare Globe Theatre but because there was a matinee going on we couldn't go inside the actual area where they hold plays. We explored the streets around it, visiting the Rose Theatre archeological site and the original site of the Globe (sadly, now an apartment complex). We also went inside the exhibition which featured lots of artifacts from Shakespearean theatre and costumes that have been used in the plays put off there. It was neat but I was disappointed we couldn't go inside.

I really should have visited the Tower of London first, but my London Pass guide had the wrong closing time in it so I had a half an hour to do a tour that usually takes three hours that I had planned to do in one. I literally ran through the towers, snapping pics and asking the guides, "Hey where do I get to see the places where people were tortured and murdered, you know, the gruesome stuff?" I didn't make it to the site of the prince's murder, but did get to see the tower where prisoners were kept and inscribed their names and quotes on the walls, as well as the one where all the jewels were kept and you weren't allowed to take pictures.

Once again I grabbed my lunch/supper from a convenience store, a questionable, lackluster tandoori chicken wrap that just tasted like the sauce was made out of mayo and ketchup, it wasn't spicy at all, I was grossed out, and yet still ate it, because I paid for it. I might go to a real restaurant tomorrow night before the Jack the Ripper tour, depending on my money situation...

I wasn't disappointed by the dance/musical based on Marilyn Monroe's life that I saw at the Apollo Theatre near Piccadilly Circus. I've never been to a ballet before but I was amazing. People may make fun of dancers but if you look at the bodies of these people, they are fucking ripped, even the skinny women are super toned. The costumes, the stage, the music, the lights, it was all great. The couples on both sides of me left before it was over (the two girls to the left were gone about 15 minute in!), but I really enjoyed it. 

I'm starting to figure out the subway system a little better, it's a lot like Toronto's. I LOVE planned cities, or at least cities that plan their transport systems, haha. I made it from Piccadilly to Bayswater without any help (three train changes!), with just one accidental ride to Charring Cross (so I guess you can make that four train changes).

I am exhausted. If I want to go to the castles bright and early tomorrow I should pass out now.

Day Two in Londontown...

Wow I must have really been tired, because I slept for 12 hours and didn't leave the hotel til 2 pm today. So much for my "out the door by 9 am everyday" rule. C'est la vie I spose.

I went to the London Zoo today, which was lots of fun. I've been to zoos before but I really wanted to go to the one here. I saw sleeping lions, giraffes, and penguins, oh my! Took some pics before my camera died, thankfully not before the giraffes. I'm so pissed, the travel adapter mom gave me doesn't work and my camera has an ion battery that needs to be charged. Joanne gave me a pack of adapters but I left them at home thinking mine would be fine. I thought wrong. Now I'm gonna get up bright n early so I can go buy an adapter at Boots, come back and charge it, shower and eat, then head out. My original plan was to wake up early and avoid the shower so I could visit more sights, but I guess I won't lose that much time...I've figured out the underground/buses much better than I did yesterday, when I got a bus, got off too early and wound up spending 10 quid on a cab just to get close to where I'm staying because I was so sore from walking all day. Looks like my shitty sense of direction is valid in all countries.

After the zoo, I realized I wouldn't make any of the other sites because it was 5:30 and most of them close then. So I decided once more, to shop. I visited the London Beatles Store and bought an Abbey Road bottle open/fridge magnet and the It's Only Rock N Roll shop (bought a beaded Bowie tee there). Both shops were amazing and I could have spent all my money on the rare LPs they both had. Someday.

Next I visited Oxford Street, probably one of the most famous shopping streets on the planet. I spent most of the time just gawking at things I wish I could afford, like the entire Selfridges store. My camera died in the zoo, but god I wish I could have taken pics of that store. It's like their somethingth anniversary so there were art exhibits all over the store commemorating the designers like Yves Saint Laurent who have had their collections featured there. I felt very out of places amongst the people working there, it was an absolute designer dreamland. Where else would you pay six grand for a watch? Some of the clothes in that place cost more than my university education.

London Calling

Following about four or five hours of broken sleep I left St. John's Monday morning. Rather than do something that made sense, I flew towards inland Canada to get to London, rather than that lovely direct route across the Atlantic. The cancelation of European flights outta St. John's probably tacked an extra couple hundred dollars to my flight, but what odds, I got to hang out with Lucy and Arnob in the Toronto airport for a few hours. Woot?

After my last experience in the Pearson I never wanted to return again but it was really fun having overpriced beers with my fave Torontonians (besides George Strombolopolous... but he doesn't really count because he doesn't remember that one time we met in the Avalon Mall and he signed his Mary Brown's napkin for me :). It was so much fun, my watchless dumbfuck self almost missed her second plan out of Toronto in her life. Apparently while I was finishing the largest pint I've ever drank and chatting up a storm, they were paging me repeatedly. That's the last time I ignore the recommended boarding time. They were ready to take my fucking suitcase off the plane! The people at the gate bitched me out, "You've been here since 2:30, what the hell were you doing?" Uhhh, drinking beer and trying to pick out magazines for my flight, obviously. 

I was the last one on the plane, and was so late they didn't look at my passport. As I boarded the attendant looked at me and said with a cynical raised eyebrow, "Joy?" Yes I am, fuck you very much. Thanks to the nonstop turbulence that was so bad they didn't serve hot drinks the whole flight I didn't sleep a wink, I just pretended to in hopes I would pass out. It might have worked for about a half hour, then I'd get woken up by insane shaking once more. I guess it could be worse, I made it to London in one piece! Just a very sleepy piece, but that's nothing that the promise of a day of vintage shopping can't cure.

It took me about two hours to find the hotel that the guy from Hotels.com said was "right by Paddington Station." I asked directions from a few people and got different answers out of everyone. I assume if you're wearing a suit and smoking a fag outside an office building (look at me, using British slang already! Bahahaa) that you know how to get to a place that's a few blocks away, but I assumed wrong. Wanker.

Eventually I found Hyde Park Towers and was pleasantly surprised that it's really quite posh. I ate the best club sandwich I've ever had from the restaurant, where the service was absolutely great. I sat on the deck to eat, reading I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max, which is so hilarious. I don't care if he's a conniving piece of shit that uses women, his adventures are entertaining and kind of addictive to read. 

After starting to sunburn I decided to head for the shops, not deciding to stop and buy sunscreen. Smart girl that I am and all. I didn't even look up what stores to go to, I just kept walking down souvenir shop and boutique-lined streets adjacent to the hotel, until I came across Portobellos Market, vintage and cheap chic heaven. 

I literally lit up when I saw this place. I visited a shop, I can't remember the name for the life of me, where celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Sienna Miller, among others, like to shop when they come here. It was full of gorgeous stuff, lots of designers, and all expensively priced. I mean, some of the stuff probably cost more than what it did when it was new! I guess you can do that once people from Hollywood are plastered on your walls.

I found my treasures all over, especially at this place called Hideout Classics. I got a wicked silver/grey Diesel jacket for dead cheap, in addition to a leather bomber that was even cheaper. The guy working there gave me 10 pounds off for buying two, which was even nicer. The Diesel jacket kind of makes me look like Michael Jackson (I asked the shopkeeper if this was true and he said no and still howled with laughter), but fuck it. At least my nose hasn't fallen off before. Oh yea, I don't touch little boys either. I'm not surprised he canceled his first few shows here next month, what a weirdo. I bet the people that were flying here just to see him are PISSED.

I arrived back at my hotel, exhausted, sunburnt in stupid places, and loving it.

Toronto, London, Glasgow...here I come!

I'm full of ecstasy and disbelief.

This time tomorrow I'll be on a plane flying to London. I haven't packed a sweet fucking thing. Instead of gettin on the ball and doing that I'm writing about it.

I'm psyched to spend a day in the Toronto airport with Lucy. It will be much more enjoyable than the last time I was there when I got drunk on Halloween, missed my flight home, and spent an entire day waiting for a standby flight hungover  and trying to sleep on a very uncomfortable bench. The best part was being wedged behind two obese sweating drunk men the whole way back from Halifax and having to lift a man's stomach fat to change the channel *shudders* I'll take a contrary old couple any day over that. 

I had such a great weekend, the perfect way to celebrate graduation. The party bus was incredibly stressful to plan but was so much fun, it was absolutely ridiculous. I just won't be the one to book it in my name again, haha! Who knew it would be so hard to find 26 people to fill it? What odds, it was a blast.

I've had a great weekend of meals as well. Potluck Friday, Gypsy Tea Room and the Keg yesterday, and a BBQ at Sheneena's tonight. It's great, I haven't cooked in days! I should graduate from things more often...

I really should go pack. I promise to update as often as possible while I'm gone. Cheers.

Convocation week! Eek!

I graduated with my BA on Tuesday and although I am very relieved to be done that part of my school life, I'm also terrified. I like the security blanket school provided, instead of the doom-filled clouds I'm seeing now that I'm finished. It feels really strange that I'll never take another class at MUN, I'm thrilled but sad at the same time. If I don't get into journalism school I may apply for their English MA program, but I might do a lot of things. A year from now I could be living somewhere very far from here...
I leave in four days for the UK and I'm so excited it doesn't seem real. This trip is way overdue.
I wish I had the energy to write more, but this is a hard thing to do while I'm trying to simultaneously upload pictures from the ceremony. Mike took a hell of a lot of pics of people giving speeches!

Did not see this coming...but happy to hear!

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/05/20/tentative-nurses-deal-520.html?ref=rss

Gramercy Riffs: Keep Yourself Warm (2009)

If anyone ever told you there was no such thing as great pop music in this city, they're lying. Case in point, the Gramercy Riffs charming new five-track EP Make Yourself Warm. Although this quintet has only been playing shows since last June, they've managed to score tons of acclaim, open for Elliott Brood, and befriend the dude that played Chewbacca. Not to mention the fact that this is their second EP in the past year, the first being a download-only called You've Been Kind. Make Yourself Warm is a yummy five course meal that tastes of city summer nights, “young hearts that collide,” and long distance love.

Make Yourself Warm has the best ingredients for what the band describes as “heartbreak/ nostalgia pop”- darned catchy songs about “Silent Walls and Siren Calls,” written by real-life love birds, adding to the songs' authenticity. The album itself has gone a long distance, having been constructed in several parts of the country, recorded by Matthew Finateri on Long's Hill, mixed by Jon Hynes in Toronto, and mastered by Steve Lily in Montreal. The Riffs picked a good title for this fulfilling album that makes one feel all warm and fuzzy about being in love.

Although I enjoyed everything about Make Yourself Warm, my favourite part of this EP are Mara Pellerin's songbird vocals on “Little One.” Reminiscent of indie queens like Jenny Lewis or Cat Power, Pellerin's emotive voice sparkles on this track as she sings “Love is nothing but a painful attempt to keep warm.” Pellerin also plays keys and horn on the album, and is joined on vocals by boyfriend and co-songwriter Lee Hanlon, as well as Adrian Collins, who both play guitar. The talent is rounded out by Daniel Banoub on bass and Jamie March on drums (March also designed the cute penguin-adored album artwork).

There are so many reasons to check out this album: The Gramercy Riffs are a talented, musically experienced gang, who write and play lovely, danceable pop songs about ambitious, twenty-something romance. They have already made at least one friend in a high place (man, that Chewbacca guy is like seven feet tall!). I can certainly list more but, but I don't want the appetizer to ruin the entree. Serve with a glass of red wine (or Black Horse, your choice) and bon appetit!

Published in Current magazine, May 15-May 29 2009 Volume 11, Issue 13

Justin Haynes and Friends Pluck, Sweep, and Suit up with Freedman

Toronto-based jazz musician and composer Justin Haynes first love was the guitar, but he's been flirting with another instrument in recent years- the ukulele. “I was couch-surfing at a friend's place a couple years ago I guess, and they had a ukulele. I was without my guitar so I just sort of starting playing it and developed an affection for it. My friends had a recording studio in their apartment, so I had this idea that we should try making a record with the ukulele.”

Haynes will be taking his ukulele to our city when he plays at the Ship on May 21. He'll be joined by “best friends” whom he also considers to his “favourite musicians,” Ryan Driver on street-sweeper bristle bass and Jean Martin on suitcase (these guys know how to travel light!). They're touring for their new album, Freedman, selected interpretations of Toronto songsmith Myk Freedman's work. They will also be joined by Newfoundland piano virtuoso Bill Brennan on melodica, during what will undoubtedly be an interesting, unpretentious night of music. How often do you get the chance to see someone playing a suitcase instead of a drum set?

Haynes has been romancing the guitar for 24 years now, and doesn't consider the ukulele much different from it. He also plays the piano and is currently working on an album where he plays it, joined by two friends, one playing a church organ the other, a balloon (yes, like a party balloon). “You know how you play blades of grass? Well Ryan Driver does that with a balloon, he's amazing at it. It sounds really glorious, he can sound like a whale, or a gospel singer. He's kind of a miracle of nature. Playing with him is always a unique experience, because you're often hearing sounds that you're just not used to hearing, so it's very exciting.”

There seems to be an experimental trend here. I ask if that's something he strives for in his music, to which he responds, “Well, I like the experimental spirit, I like trying things that are experimental in nature. In other words, like if you're not sure if it's gonna work or not, or if people are gonna like it or not. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But while I like experimental music, it's not a means to an end, I'm not that interested in making it for the sake of it. I like a lot of the same things in music that everybody else does, like melody and harmony, or whatever. Beauty, groove, humour, and all that stuff I love. I don't want you to think that I'm like a physicist or anything,” he laughs. “I do like when that experimental spirit can create something that's really beautiful.”

Whether musical experimentation is something that they strive for or not, their experimentation with Freedman seems to be working well in their favour. They're touring dates all across the country this month to promote the release and have received great reviews for the album. Haynes seems a little taken aback by the success, saying, “It's amazing, people have been really interested and generous, and it feel really good. I'm quite proud of this group. It just feels like such a privilege to be able to travel and see friends all the country, see these great places. I'm pretty grateful.”

Haynes has played with Driver and Martin in St. John's several times before, more recently at the Wreckhouse Festival last summer. They've performed in several musical outfits, including the quirky-named BlahBlah666. “We've probably played thousands of shows together with different bands. We've had our own groups together, we've played with singer-songwriters, we've done soundtracks together, we've played with dancers...we've done lots of gigs together. We're old friends, we've known each other for probably 20 years. There's a lot of familiarity, but there's also a lot of sort of pushing each other, because we know each others playing and each other so well. I like that about it, there's a lot of trust. We're playing this Freedman material very loosely, pushing our instruments to see what we can do, with themes of love, absurdity, and joy.”

Published in Current magazine, May 15-May 29 2009 Volume 11, Issue 13

Nurses and all that Jazz

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/05/19/nurses-talks-break-519.html#socialcomments-submit

The nurses are going on strike. I'm not that surprised it would come to this. One thing I am surprised about the whole thing is the horrible, negative comments that people leave on the bottom of news stories such as this. I know some bored, nasty people just like to try and provoke other commentators, but do they not realize that a tired, hard-working nurse who just did an arduous 24-hour understaffed shift might get really upset after reading these horrendous words, saying he/she's lazy and ungrateful, and doesn't deserve to be paid a better wage for doing the work of four nurses?

These snotty people could at least consider the unfairness of Williams' offers and the impact on nurses who have been working for 10, 20, 30 years, receiving a lower pay than some graduate fresh out of the mainland. It's bad enough that these workers have to go on strike to receive benefits equal to the rest of the country, benefits which they are just as entitled to in this cold, isolated province. Why do we need to incite people to come here from other provinces when we have hundreds of graduating nurses in NL without permanent jobs or full-time work?

At least summer's coming and they won't have to bring their parkas and flaming garbage cans to keep warm against the snow that usually seems to plague striking workers in this province.

I was also disappointed when I read this today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/arts/music/20jazz.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimes

New York City is going to be without its Jazz Festival for the first time in almost 40 years. I'm not very surprised this is because of a lack of financial support/funding.

“Losing a major jazz festival kind of tells the world that maybe this music isn’t marketable,” said Joel Chriss, a booking agent whose roster includes Randy Brecker and Freddy Cole. “It’s potentially dangerous.”

Jazz music in both the US and Canada deserves more support, which is part of why I'm going to the Ship this Thursday night to see the Justin Haynes show. I interviewed him last week for Current and it sounds like it's going to be a really interesting night: he plays ukulele with his friends Ryan Driver and Jean Martin, who play the street sweeper swiffer bass and a suitcase. They're touring in support of their experimental album Freedman. I'll post the interview soon as I get the chance, I'm trying to get to bed on this side of midnight tonight.

Losing our nurses will also be dangerous. We should show our support for them, rather than making catty, pointless remarks in the bowels of the internet. For the sake of hard-working nurses who didn't really want to have to strike for their rights (like my mother), I hope it's a short strike.

"When Words are Scarce, They are Seldom Spent in Vain"

I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that this is the first real blog I've had in years.

I flirted with Live Journal at the end of high school...mainly using it to rant about boys, talk about music I liked, and just procrastinate in general. I abandoned it in my first or second year at university, and have regretted exiting the blogosphere ever since. I always said I would start a new one when I felt like I had something important to say or when I finally took up my grandparents' offer of a trip to Scotland.

I graduate next week from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Diploma in Professional Writing. On June 1st I'll be leaving St. John's to go to the UK for a month. I hope that six years of studying and 30 days of traveling my birthplace will inspire me to write. If it doesn't, maybe I should reconsider trying to become a journalist.

I called this blog "Nation of Procrasti" ("Procrasti Nation" was taken, unfortunately), just because I'd like to take the time I normally reserve for internet procrastination, and put it to better use than reading two weeks worth of Perez Hilton or looking at friends of friends' Facebook pictures. Oh come on, we all get curious as to who owns that cute baby or who went to Greece...