Bw’s Blog

The 2009 Juno Awards took place in Vancouver last night, and the big news is Nickelback’s hat-trick. They took home awards for Album of the Year, Group of the Year, and Fan-Choice.

If you have been following this blog, you’ll know that I’m not fond of Nickelback (read about it here), so I’m a little disappointed with the results. Not all Canadians like this band! It still boggles my mind that so many people like their music.

Thankfully, people with taste can take solace in the fact that some great artists were also recognized for their talent. Dallas Green took home the award for Songwriter of the Year, for his solo project City and Colour. Lights was awarded the Best New Artist Juno, and I’m satisfied with that. If you haven’t heard her music before, I’d recommend taking a listen (myspace.com/lights).

So the night wasn’t a total loss, but maybe next year people will open their ears to some better Canadian music…just check out my blog, I write about it all the time!

Sincerely,

BW. 

I was just recently introduced to a band from Milton, Ontario, called The Most Serene Republic. This band is signed to Arts & Crafts, a record label which brought us Stars, Broken Social Scene, and many other great artists. They certainly haven’t let us down this time.

The band is similar in style to the other bands on the label - which is to be expected - but they’re the most interesting I’ve heard yet. The Most Serene Republic uses odd time signatures, fast tempos, and eclectic sounds to bring us their unique music.

I haven’t gotten a hold of their 2007 album, Population, but they have a few songs up on their myspace page which gives me a good idea of what it’s like. These songs have a strong emotional value that’s immediately apparent, and the use of many different instruments gives the music an orchestral sound that’s nothing short of epic.

The drum playing on this album is fantastic. The rhythms are highly creative, and the drummer obviously knows what he’s doing. This band is a refreshing addition to indie music. I can’t wait to hear the full album, and according to their website, they’re working on a new album right now.  Go to their myspace to see what I mean!

Sincerely,

BW.

If you’ve never heard of The Airborne Toxic Event, you’re not the only one. I only recently heard this band’s single, Sometime Around Midnight, on the radio, but I was blown away.

I’ll be the first to admit that this song is pure cheeseball. The lyrics are sappy, and the singing is fairly emo. But if emo stands for emotive, I think it’s a perfectly suitable category for this band.

When listening to this song I can’t help but zone out and feel what I’m supposed to feel. The lyrics talk about a guy who has recently broken up with his girlfriend, only to see her at a bar with another guy. I think most people can relate to this situation - even if it hasn’t happened to you personally, I think anyone can realize this would be a bad situation.

The man proceeds to get wasted and roam around town. The lyrics in this song really tell it like it is - no subtleties here - but I think it works perfectly. I can’t wait to hear the entire album from this band…although I don’t expect anything too amazing.

If you wan’t to check out the song, visit myspace.com/theairbornetoxicevent

Sincerely,

BW.

Wow. If you haven’t heard Smell Yo Dick by Riskay, you’re in for quite a treat.

Although I’m sure Riskay is a talented young lady, this song is offensive on many different and complex levels. Apparently Riskay is suspicious of her lover who is sneaking out of the house and coming in at 5 in the morn’. Her crafty way of finding out if he’s cheating on her? “Drop yo boxers an let me smell yo dick!”.

Even though she “done text his bitch ass” Riskay’s boyfriend “ain’t respondin to nuthin.”  This makes me wonder: why’s he coming home at 5 in the morn’? I’m about to ask him to remove his boxers so I can take a whiff of his penis myself. Oh, and if smells like its been inside another woman I might just “get mad and pull out my nine.” He’ll be sorry.

It gets better though. Riskay’s boyfriend gets a chance to respond…in rap form:

“Smell my dick? Wait a minute hold up
That’s how a bitch get’er eye swole’up
And I don’t give a damn wat your homegirl seen
When I was in the club, what the fuck u mean

They ain’t got no bisnuz, eyein’ me like dat
You ain’t got no bisnuz, tryin me like dat
I wasn’t even feelin Diamond like dat
I was wilin’, but I wunt clownin like dat”

Oh…I see. Riskay better be careful incase she get’er eye swole’up. The main problem with this song is that I know there is at least one teenager out there who thinks this is a real song. He/she might even think it’s a good song.

I’m going to go have a shower.

Sincerely,

BW.

In past months I’ve posted lists of 5 punk songs you should know , but now I’m going to enlighten you with 5 current pop songs that I frequently enjoy. I hope you do too.

Kids (MGMT) - This song is awesome, but I’m getting a little sick of it due to non-stop radio play. The song can literally give you shivers if you’re in the right mood, and the choruses are addictive. Great song.

Fifteen (Taylor Swift) - I first heard this song on the 2009 Grammys, and subsequently reviewed her album (read it here). This song is pop at it’s finest: a fairly predictable structure, catchy melodies, epic choruses, etc. Even though it’s about a fifteen-year-old girl feeling sad, this song spoke to me for some reason…

My Girls (Animal Collective) - You might need a few listens to fully appreciate this song, but it’s definitely worth it. Animal Collective’s album, Merriweather Post Pavillion, is full of great songs like this one. If you haven’t listened to them yet, do it.

Dead and Gone (T.I ft. Justin Timberlake) - This is another song that was performed at this year’s Grammys, and it’s another good one. Although this song is a T.I song, I think that JT is the main attraction. His vocals are great, while the melody is simply perfect. T.I doesn’t attribute to much.

Use Somebody (Kings Of Leon) - I think this song kills their prior single, Sex On Fire. The verses are my favorite part of the song, as lead singer, Caleb Followill, sounds absolutely amazing. The choruses are cool too, but not as breath-taking.

There you are, 5 pop songs that are worth a listen or two. Stay tuned for a review of Kings Of Leon’s album, Only By The Night. 

Sincerely,

BW.

If you watched the Grammys last night, you witnessed some great performances and some real stinkers.

For me, the Grammys aren’t about the awards, they’re all about the performances. Last night’s show was jam packed: Coldplay, Radiohead, Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, and Paul McCartney just to name a few.

I think the hands-down best performance was Radiohead. Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood played 15 Step accompanied by members of a college marching band. Thom and Johnny were great, but I have to give it up to the marching band - they killed it. 

Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift performed a pleasant song about being 15 (that number is everywhere). Swift is clearly the better singer of the two, but Cyrus did a good job.

I was surprised by Justin Timberlake’s collaboration with T.I - it was actually good! The vocal melody was awesome, and adequately performed, while the rapping was decent. The drummer in Timberlake’s band laid down a sick beat.

The Jonas Brothers were (surprise surprise) a huge flop. They fake-strummed their guitars like their lives depended on it, and huddled around Stevie Wonder like he was a mall Santa handing out gifts. Just terrible.

Kanye West’s performance was also pretty tame. He looked like he went back in time to the 80’s and he didn’t seem too excited about the show. His female singing partner doesn’t even deserve a mention.

So that’s about it for the 2009 Grammys. Hopefully Radiohead will be back next year!

Sincerely,

BW. 

Continuing on from last month’s post of 5 punk songs you should know , the following is a list of 5 more punk songs. If you know punk, you should know these songs!

Radio (Rancid) - This is a classic Rancid track from the 1994 album Let’s Go. They still commonly play this song live so if you ever get a chance to see them, listen out for it.

Rudie Can’t Fail (The Clash) - You probably know this song already. If you don’t, it’s a good thing you’re reading this article. Rudie Can’t Fail is one of the best songs from The Clash’s epic album, London Calling.

Son The Father (Fucked Up) - By far the most recent of the five songs. This song was released on Fucked Up’s 2008 album, The Chemistry of Common Life. Read my review of the album here.

Bob (NoFx) - If you know NoFx, you should know this song. Really energetic, catchy, and hilarious at parts. Kickin in heads at a punk rock show…

Unity (Operation Ivy) - This is one of my favorite songs from Operation Ivy. Hearing a crowd scream the choruses would be amazing. Too bad they’re long gone…

So there you have it, 5 more punk songs for you to go out and listen to. The term “punk” is very loosly defined, and the above songs/bands fit the criteria for me…you may or may not agree. Eitherway, thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

BW.

If you paid any attention to punk/hardcore music in the 90s you will know of a band called AFI.

The band formed in 1991 and released four albums in that decade. Each of these albums had a distinct punk feel to them - fast drum beats, yelling vocals, etc.

But once the new millenium struck, AFI went through a transition of sorts. With the release of The Art of Drowning, the band started moving in a direction that focused more on Davey Havok’s softer side. 

In 2003 AFI had their major label debut: Sing the Sorrow. While still a great album (in my opinion), most of the hardcore/punk sound had been completely irradicated.

If fans were confused by this, they were simply baffled by the 2006 album Decemberunderground.   

While working with the late(and great) producer Jerry Finn, the band developed a much “poppier” sound. Soon after Decemberunderground, Davey Havok and guitarist Jade Puget came out with an electro-pop album under the name Blaqkaudio. This further outraged fans of the band’s previous punk edge. 

While some might say this transformation was a natural one for the members of an 18 year old band, others might argue that they succumbed to the all-mighty dollar. The truth may lie in the next album…we’ll soon see.

Sincerely,

BW. 

I have a serious issue with these two newlyweds. To my surprise, I find myself more irritated by Pete.

After all, Ashlee’s music came and went fairly quickly, but Fall Out Boy is here to stay (kill me).

If you happen to see the front cover of a certain magazine, you will be blinded by Pete’s dumb-ass pants…not to mention his dumb-ass pose. I will gladly overlook an annoying image to hear some good music, but Fall Out Boy has nothing to offer in that department.

This begs the question: why do I still remember Ashlee Simpson’s name? Is it the same reason I knew it in the first place? (Jessica). No, its because her and her moronic husband are plastered on every magazine, website, and TV in North America.

Ooh, they love each other! Ooh, they got married! Does anyone actually care? I wonder what craaazy thing they’ll come up with next…a baby? Oh dear god…

So what’s the truth about Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz? Absolutely nothing. They’re as fake as they come.

I just hope that one day they will go away.

Sincerely,

BW.

Here’s my January list of 5 punk songs you should know. Next month I’ll give you 5 more. If you don’t know these songs, you must find them and listen to them over and over. They are all classics in their own right.

Tearing Everyone Down (Anti-Flag) - This opener to Anti-Flag’s 1999 album, A New Kind of Army, is extremely energetic. It’s definitely a must for this list.   

Arcarsenal (At the Drive-in) - The opener for this band’s most well known album: Relationship of Command. Let’s just say it starts with a bang - this song will make you want to destroy everything around you. 

California Uber Alles (Dead Kennedys) - This list wouldn’t be complete without the Dead Kennedys. California Uber Alles highlights this bands intense playing and insane attitude (see picture).

Turnover (Fugazi) - I consider this song to be the best thing to ever come out of Fugazi. You may argue against me, but I know you’ll enjoy this song.

Tonto (Battles) -You might argue that Battles isn’t a genuine punk band, but their experimental music is pretty close. Tonto, from the album Mirrored, is a necessary listen. Try not to bob your head to the slow-down at the ending…I dare you.

Go listen to these 5 songs. You’ll thank me later.

Sincerely,

BW.