oops...a freudian slip of large proportions.....sorry Brian , thats Brian not Brain...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/102-5234485-5187367

Check out the above box set Brain, you could just bring this one album to marcs... Its a box of 80's music just released... It looks pretty good to me , even though Pitchfork dont love it... Derek it doesnt have any Rick Astley but you might still like it.... You guys all know more about his vein then I....Is it any good?
Stuart

And, just as importantly, who's going to bring some new music on my behalf? I'm a little light this time 'round.

So who's bringing the new Constantine's disc to the club this Friday?

yeah I missed the Sleaters....fucking annoying, but when the opening act is finished by 8:15 what are you gonna do? What is wrong with society that a rock show starts at 7:20?? Once again the jazz guys seem to have it right. 2:00 am IS the right time to finish a show, not 11:10.

So I didn't know who the opening act was 'cause I got the tickets on the morning of the show, but was curious, knowing that Pearl Jam often has pretty great openers. When I arrived (late, at, you know, 8:20) I asked everyone who the opening act was, and the best answer I got was "I don't know, man, just three girls". It sounded ominous, but I didn't connect it with Sleater Kinney until the next day.

Brian if only you'd mentioned that Sleater Kinney were opening you would have had me at "hello..". Can I assume then that you missed them as you were getting quickly hammered?

Both Brian and Stuart have 4 of my discs and the only CD I currently have belonging to anyone is Marc's Shout Out Louds disc which I shall return next Friday. I appear to be the music lending library here so perhaps someone owes me a beer.

OK OK Stu...I do indeed have the eponymous homo-erotic album by the Bowie sound alike....I enjoyed parts of it, but the pure unfettered (almost sycophantic) copying of personal style, song, and production values was to much for me - Ziggy plays on and on.... I know you mentioned that they were contemporaries (i.e., unaware of each other's evolution), but I'm not buying it. I'll try to remember to give it to Yvette tomorrow night, if not then next Friday.

And Derek, I have at least four of your CD's, but given that you forewent free tickets to see Pearl Jam with me at the BMO box, and thereby condemned me to a night of hanging out alone with (a) inoffensive but appalingly dull BMO types and (b) the big boss' university-aged kid and five of his fist-pumping classic-rock-listening testosteronoids, you've abandoned rights to ownership of said disks. Or at the very least you owe me a beer.

Pearl Jam was suprisingly (for me anyway) good the other night. It sure helped that the crowd was so into it (plus drinking six or seven beers in the first couple of hours) but after a tepid beginning I began to buy into the whole thing. Bono's appearance at the end was irrelevant if fun.

earth to cd club, come in please....hello... do you read me....
( a simple no thanks I dont have your god damm cds would suffice.
yours humbly...

I seem to have misplaced a couple of cds and I wondered if by any chance I had loaned them to any of you. One is the first coldplay cd parachutes.....I know some of you may find it hard to own up to borrowing it , but at least you can say you didnt buy it...(It is actually quite good stuff unlike the new album). The second is an artist who sounds similar to David Bowie....I cant recal his name, but its a pink cd (he was gay... now hes dead) its a reissue from 73 and he is liked by Morrissey...
If anyone can recal his name that would help to? I thought I loaned this one to you Brian ,but im not sure..

Sufjan (apparently pronounced 'suf-ee-ann', not 'suph jenn') Stevens put on a spirited show on Saturday night. His 6 member accompaniment, decked out in orange and black cheer uniforms, were an impressive backup. They stuck mostly to the recent Illinois disc, though they didn't play the first two tracks on the album which are two of my faves. The pep-rally-like cheers that introduced a number of songs added a touch of whimsy to the proceedings and the backup vocalists produced some really sweet harmonies.

Less impressive was the venue itself. Uncomfortable seating and lack of any airflow aside (it's an old structure so I can be forgiving on this point), what was really disappointing was the sound. I was led to believe (perhaps I imagined this or others had posted to this effect) that Trinity-St. Pauls had great acoustics. Sadly, this was not the case. In fact, it was quite irritating to hear a tinny reverb throughout most of the proceedings; it was akin to listening to an album on a cheap set of speakers that are not able to absorb any bass, the rattling sound becoming most annoying during the quieter, vocal-only bits. Not in any rush to attend another concert there any time soon.

Still, the Hamilton Tigercats were utterly humiliated and destroyed 48-0 by the Toronto Argonauts, which has absolutely nothing to do with music or the above post, but is nonetheless stated for obvious reasons.

Since I'm blogging all over the damn place tonight I thought I'd mention that I listened to the entire Brian Wilson album "Smile" tonight. No, I didn't purchase it but borrowed it from the local library. So my only comment is, "what the fuck". This is a record that ended up #1 on the year end Metacritic list with an average score of 97.

http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/2004.shtml

I kid you not, 90 fuckin 7. Perhaps these idiots/critics should listen to the Mamas and the Papas "Got a Feelin".

Tracks 1-16 of this record might as well be one continous 40 minute track as there are no discernible songs in this melange of crap. "Good Vibrations" at track 17 finally shakes up the proceedings and there is no doubt this is a classic. As for the preceeding fodder it can't hold a candle to this standout.

Quelle catastrophe. L'homme a ce qui tu parle n'est pas possible moi j'espere.

…well I would have enjoyed Wolf Parade if it weren’t for the boozer sitting next to me complaining about not having a beer in hand and hounding me to go back to Allen’s for another pint!

Speaking of Jonesing for tickets...I'm pissed at myself for missing out on Sufjan (waited too long and they were sold out), and am definitely available to go at the last minute if any of you boys who hold tickets feel a little tired, a little worn out, can't quite make the effort to leave your abodes tomorrow night.....call me.

Kyle, I'm not seeing movies until Monday but will contribute heartily to Film Blog thereafter (I know you know that....I'm so not the guy who needs encouragement to blather on). Curious to hear your thoughts on the President's Last Bang, which was one I thought looked intriguing. May see you at Entre Ses Mains.

I remember Marc enjoying Wolf Parade at the Arcade Fire concert while I gave them short shrift for much of their set. My complaint was that they were too enthusiastic (is that possible?) while being derivative of a whole slew of 80's and 90's indie bands. Having said that, by the end of their set they had kinda changed my mind and that was without the benefit of a few pints (the Danforth being dry) and playing in a venue that wasn't all that conducive to their manic playing style.

They are playing at the Horseshoe and for $12 according to the shoe's site so I believe you can count me in. If you need me to pick up the ducats give me the signal.

Got 3 movies tomorrow so need to look out my pen and paper and get a good nights sleep.

marc, you've made me want to rediscover 'rattle & hum', which i did not particularly like back in '88 when it came out, but perhaps i was unfairly comparing it to 'joshua tree'. in light of the act of nature /criminally negligent abandonment of the poor and disenfranchised in the southern u.s., it may be ever more poignant. you'll have to play us a few select tracks on september 30th, which i will certainly attend.

stuart, wolf parade is good and i've enjoyed a few of their downloaded tracks, one of which you can get here. i wasn't blown away when they opened for arcade fire at the danforth music hall show in april but it was a solid show and for $15, it's certainly worth checking out. not sure if i'm in town that day but if so, i will join you. since it's at lee's, i'm guessing that it will be possible to get tickets at the door. kudos for the suggestion.

here's another plug and call to posts for the Film Fest Blog. Okay, enough already. Back to downloading ethiopian music.

I dont know if any of you have been following the hype for Wolf Parade , but it reminds me of all the hype pre arcade fire sucsess....and since that early arcade fire show at lees palace which some of us went to was so bloody good , Im thinking maybe lightning will strick twice. Can this much hype be wrong, well yes of course, but they are playing at the Horshoe for about 15 bucks and its not much to wager , so I think Im going to check them out. They play Oct 17 (on a monday after the previous weeks decemberists show I know) Any other takers?
s

Going back to an earlier blogversation about live albums…I don’t recall if U2’s Rattle and Hum was mentioned. Sometimes I feel like a broken and somewhat shallow grooved record, going on about U2 incessantly…but here I go again…I happened to have a copy at the job site towards the end of last week when the not so proverbial shit was hitting the fan in the deep south and I was blow away by the way the album cast it’s tale of the struggles of the down trodden souls of the world…15 years on, and it is more poignant that the day it was conceived.

Being the follow up album to J Tree that is arguably one of the Greatest Rock Albums ever written and sandwiched by Achtung Baby, R&H somehow pales in comparison, but instead of competing with their studio albums, it tells the story of a voyage in a personal way that reaches deeply into the human experience…some experiences I can relate to, and others that I can gladly not.

“am I buggin’ you?…I don’t mean to bug you!…’k Edge, play the blues!”

Hey guys, I know it’s been a while; I seem to be only now emerging from under a rather large rock, well ok, a large kitchen as well as mess of wiring, plumbing, drywall, beams and studs. ..oh such handsome studs!…so much for d’em summer holidays!

…so I was thinking of having a listener appreciation gathering at the end of September…anyone interested?…oh, so you say the 30th works well for you, great…that was easy…see you then…looking forward to it. Planning a party is so much easier when other people do it for you…thanks Stu.

Looks like I gots my reading to catch up on!

Thanks for the support, Bri! That was probably the best blog post I've ever read! EVER!!!

No musical notes before the long weekend but I wanted to point out two things:

1) The film festival blog will be up and running next week. Attendees are invited, nay, encouraged to share their thoughts on films they've seen. I've only got 5 tickets this year, am having trouble coping with this small number, and will be living vicariously through you all. Don't let me down! I'll post the URL on Thursday.

2) I know there's a link to the Onion on the right, but I almost peed myself laughing at one of this week's stories . Had to point it out.

Have a nice long weekend, all!