The Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America

Not too long ago, the Hold Steady played a show here in Winnipeg. I was indifferent, so I didn't go. The short bits of songs I heard The song used in the UMFM ad for the show didn't convince me that these dudes were worth the money to see 'em (which probably wasn't much cash in retrospect). For some reason, I just wrote 'em off.

That was until I heard "Southtown Girls".

I happened to be visiting my pal Zach Hobbes' MySpace page, and he had that track in the Flash-based player. As with most things on MySpace, the player was buggy at the time and didn't display the artist name properly. I was taken by the southern-sounding harmony of the repeated opening line:

Southtown Girls won't blow you away/But you know that they'll stay...

Then the organ came in. I had to know who this was, and when I found out it was them, I was taken aback. Call it a musical moment of clarity, or somethin'. Gee, maybe I was wrong about these motherfuckers.
Yes, yes folks, I was wrong. Right now (until Tuesday, I'm thinkin'), Vagrant Records is streaming Boys and Girls in America in its entirety, and I can say that I'm blown away. It feels like a concept album: guys n' girls in love, gettin' fucked up on booze and whatever else they can get their hands on, etc. This album has the youthful exuberance of high school (a time in my life that I admittedly pine for perpetually), and I don't drink, so I can live vicariously through this disc.
I'm thinkin' this is what Springsteen was like back in the day, but these dudes drink harder and have more guitar muscle.
I'm telling you right now...I want this album. So there.

Boys and Girls in America Listening Party

Random Thoughts: September 23rd, 2006

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Random Thoughts: September 18th, 2006

• On Saturday, I met the great John Van Hamersveld, creator of iconic 60s images. Really nice guy. The secret to his success boiled down to "just do it". Make connections, formulate a plan and just do it. You'd think I'd have learned that after all these years, eh?
• I'm painfully broke. Nothing new.
• Issue 7 of the MASSIVE PDF magazine Candy is out now. Cop that shit. Read it in fullscreen mode for full effect. It's free! This one has interviews with heavy hitters from all sorts of disciplines including WK Interact, Jason Munn (aka The Small Stakes), Alan Hynes, and Stefan Sagmeister. It's free illustration/design porn. There's nothing better! Well, except for free regular porn.
• Looks like I'm part of an informal art collective at the moment. More news as this develops.
• Thanks to Candy, I found the flickr™ photostream of Montreal expatriate Other. Killer writer.
• Gonna eat some Breton crackers n' go to bed. Peace.
  

My UMFM Shirt!

Word 'em up!

Random Thoughts: September 10th, 2006

My first tour poster!


Weddin' plans in full effect:



To follow along, keep your eyes on this flickr™ set.

Other stuff:

• I reached a year at the newspaper! It's cool, but it feels kinda weird at the same time. Cool: I work with great people, and I got to give a facelift to the oldest community paper in North America. Weird: I'm feeling the need to bounce, as I'm only there part time. I'm like, poor. Yup.
  
• My internet friend AnnMarie has found herself a UK guy, and I couldn't be happier for her! I always said she was too fine to be alone.
• Yesterday, I took in the second last day of the WAG's Funny Papers: Marvel Comics, Canadian Political Cartoons, and Conteporary Art and had a blast. I've been a fan of the late Duncan MacPherson's work since I was a kid, so seeing his shit up-close reinforced his position as "the dean" of Canuck political cartoonists in my mind. Malcom Mayes does some incredibly hot shit, too.
• If you're in my town in the next little bit, I recommend checkin' out the WAG's Manitoba Modernist Architecture 1945-1975 exhibit, which I also viewed yesterday. That, coupled with the Rodin exhibit coming through on the 30th of this month should be a good time.
• I neglected to mention a while ago that you can search my photos on flickr™ by their tags. Here's all of 'em.
• I'm goin' outside. Peace.
  

I'm losing reasons to watch Much.

Hannah Sung has left Much. I can't blame her, really. Apparently, she's shooting a documentary. Good for her.
All that's left for me is The Wedge, The New Music, and Going Coastal, all of which I don't watch as regularly anymore. *sigh*...whaterygonnado?