the Genre Fiasco.

remember when genres of music used to be quite plain and simple?
you had your jazz, you had your pop, you had your rock, you had your country, you had your rap, folk, classical, dance, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...

nowadays, though...oh my.
it seems that the list of sub-genres in the music industry keep getting longer and longer nd longer every single day.
it seems that almost every hour there is a new type of music being fused with other genres to make way to new sub-genres.

it may be getting a wee bit out of hand, perhaps?
i can understand bands that would like to be categorized as being different from others - especially, when they want to differentiate/disassociate

their sounds from other bands.

let us look at an example, shall we, to try to put this into some sort of perspective.
say, a new band comes into play...and they have to describe their sound. let's say that they would fall under the rock category.
now, what other category would they also be put under?
rock-pop? punk rock? country rock? electro-rock? prog rock? indie rock? classic rock? glam rock? soft rock?

or say they were a jazz group. what kind of jazz, then would they be? classic jazz, soul jazz, brass band, New Orleans jazz, rhythm & blues...

that is the trouble with genres and music, nowadays - there is just too many genres and sub-genres out there, which makes it even more difficult to place each artist or band into a certain category/genre.

at times though, it will be extremely obvious as to what genre a band would be put into though - like...Britney Spears. definitely pop.

but i am talking mostly about the other musicians out there that usually don't get enough airplay on the radios. bands that are usually unheard of by the general population.

experiment: pick an artist/band/group/whathave you - one that is not so obvious as to what what genre they fit into - and then try to describe what their sound is.

(personally. i wish that music genres would be just simply "good", "bad", "fun", or "terrible".
but then that would bring about a large quantity of debates over subjectivity.
and thus would not work.)

the 51st Grammy Awards

so this year's Grammy Awards Ceremony was so last month, i know.
but i was just going through some old videos, and i thought i'd post this. i would've earlier as well too, but...just didn't.

i do have to say that this year's ceremony was the best i've ever seen, with a few exceptions.
here's just a short list of things that i noticed whilst watching the awards.

1) impromptu performances are not always terrible, nor do they appear to be not not rehearsed either. (ya'll know what i'm talking about.)

2) Jonas Brothers are fakes. 'nuff said. (if you really do feel like challenging me for some reason, watch the one brother there who is supposed to be playing the guitar. he is in fact not. FAKE.)

3) Justin Timberlake does have a lot of soul in him.

4) Coldplay's jackets were amazing. and their performance was also amazing. i loves them.

5) Radiohead should now take that same marching band with them whenever they go on tour.

6) Katy Perry needs to hone up on her dance moves. Seriously. And also, not use any sort of giant fruit on her tour.

7) Katy Perry may actually be overrated. (Sorry to all those who do in fact listen to her. Sorry!)

8) If you are indeed due to give birth the night that you are supposed to perform on stage, you probably still can - if you're M.I.A though. She still looked awesome with the "Rap" Pack. Schwagger like that.

9) Jennifer Hudson is definitely up there with all those great singing 'divas' - Whitney Houston, Tina...umm...Whitney Houston....

10) Paul McCartney is still great. Of course. And Dave Grohl is Animal. No doubts.

11) T.I may be the only rapper out there that i can understand. He's also hot. Oh, and JT can play piano? huh.

12) Get a washed-up old rocker and a country-folk singer together, (and also one of the best producers too) and you're guaranteed to get a few grammy's.

13) Neil Diamond may be hiding something from us all...(hahaha.) Either way, he still reminds us that "Sweet Caroline" can get stuck in our heads for days.

14) Come backs & Re-unions should be definitely be said whilst on live air, on stage.

15) Where in the world did Robin Thicke come from, and who would've known that he would be a good choice for a duet with Lil' Wayne?

and last

16) No one should ever cut off Stevie Wonder. Ever.

the Radiohead complex.

Radiohead, Radiohead, Radiohead...
are they not one of those bands that you either listen to and love, or listen to and hate?
[some exceptions here allowed, for those inbetweeners.]

as a self-proclaimed music snob, it is shameful of myself to say that i really have not listened to Radiohead until the release of In Rainbows. yes, i've heard their hits before then...Creep. Lucky. etc...

but i didn't really listen to them.
Thom Yorke was...(in my eyes) this pompous, arrogant singer. Jonny Greenwood? who? huh?
yeah. i do admit it, that...i was not fully into Radiohead way back when.
[then again, i was listening to the likes of BSB, NSync...all that great 90s pop music.]

more and more recently, i am finding that my appreciation for Radiohead is growing. as well as my appreciation for Thom Yorke. i no longer see him as that pompous, arrogant frontman from a band that i've never really listened to.

why this sudden change of thought, you may ask?
well, for one...i have been listening to In Rainbows quite a bit over the past couple of days.
[one word: genius. everything just goes together quite perfectly.]

also, i've been watching their live stuff.
and Thom Yorke live...is just awesome. take, for example, their live performance recently at the Grammy's. incredible.

ok. with Thom Yorke though, i think, at the start of Radiohead, he was less...charismatic?
[*note: i could be completely and totally wrong on this, and i will let anyone call me out on this.]
charismatic may not be the right word i'm even looking for...
but, definitely over the past years, he's become a much...better performer. i think.

again, i could be completely wrong. he could've been great from the get-go. and maybe this is just me thinking all of this.

so, to end off...to say the least, In Rainbow's is great. should've won the Mercury Prize. damn.
and Thom Yorke's lyrics are a piece of literary genius.
what's in store for me iPod: more Radiohead. definitely.

what was i thinking?

okay. this is just hilarious, so much so that i had to share.

"What Was I Thinking?" by Christine Lavin

Obama's Playlist - from CBC...

so, CBC Radio 2 had this thing go down: 49 Songs From North of the 49th Parallel.
aka, Obama's Playlist.

it is indeed a great playlist. great songs from some of the greatest Canadian artists.

so we have:
(as listed in alphabetical order, by artist; my fav's with an *)

*Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
*Barenaked Ladies - If I Had $1,000,000
Beau Dommage – La complainte du phoque en Alaska
Ben Heppner - We’ll Gather Lilacs
Bruce Cockburn - Wondering Where the Lions Are
Buffy Sainte-Marie - Universal Soldier
Daniel Bélanger - Rêver mieux
Daniel Lanois - Jolie Louise
Daniel Lavoie - J'ai quitté mon île
Diana Krall - Departure Bay
Gilles Vigneault - Mon pays
*Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variations
Gordon Lightfoot - Canadian Railroad Trilogy
Gordon Lightfoot – Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
*Great Big Sea - Ordinary Day
Harmonium - Pour un Instant
*Ian & Sylvia - Four Strong Winds
James Ehnes - Barber Violin Concerto
Jesse Cook - Mario Takes a Walk
*Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now
Joni Mitchell – A Case of YouKarkwa - Oublie pas
k.d. lang - Hallelujah > as much as i love this song...her version...is just okay.
Leonard Cohen - Democracy
Leonard Cohen - Suzanne
Malajube - Montréal -40°C
Marie-Jo Thério - Évangeline
Marjan Mozetich - Affairs of the Heart
Measha Brueggergosman - I’m Going Up a Yonder
Mes Aïeux - Dégénérations
Michael Bublé – Home
Moe Koffman - Swingin' Shepherd Blues
Neil Young - Rockin' In the Free World
Neil Young - Helpless
*Oscar Peterson Trio - Hymn to Freedom
*Oscar Peterson – Place St. Henri (from Canadiana Suite)
Parachute Club - Rise Up
Raymond Lévesque - Quand Les Hommes Vivront D'amour
Rush - Closer to the Heart
*Sam Roberts - The Canadian Dream
Shad - Brother (Watching)
Stan Rogers - Northwest Passage
*Stompin' Tom Connors - The Hockey Song
The Arrogant Worms Canada's Really Big
The Guess Who - American Woman
The Tragically Hip - Wheat Kings
The Tragically Hip - Bobcaygeon
The Rankin Family - Rise Again
*The Weakerthans - One Great City!

wonder what he'll think of Sam Roberts: "S.O.C.I.A.L.I.S.M. is here to stay"?

23 of the best bought albums of 2008

why 23 you ask? hmm i dunno. some strange coincidence perhaps...?
(really it just came out that way)

as the year draws to an end, you can see the onslaught of those lists. you know which lists i mean. those 'best of' lists by Spin, Exclaim!, Associated Press, Rolling Stone, The Guardian...etc.
so just as the title says, i have made my own little list of the best purchased (and some...not...exactly purchased. shhhh) albums that were released this past year. keep in mind, of course: bias. i am being completely biased here. my own opinions/thoughts/loves...you can dis/agree with any of these. it's all for jolly good fun !
oh and, the list is in just a loose order.
so, let's go !

#23: Vincent Vincent & The Villains "Gospel Bombs"
their first (and last) album, "Gospel Bombs" is an array of great fun, reminiscent of the old 50s rock. First heard of through my love of Charlie Waller (The Rumble Strips). They recently split though. Sadly.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: On My Own, Sweet Girlfriend, Beast.

#22: Hayden "In Fields & Town"
first time that i saw singer Hayden, i didn't exactly know that it was him...Ottawa Bluesfest, the night that Brian Wilson was also playing. him and i am guessing his father were just looking around at the merchandise for Wilson...i thought he looked like Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne. it was only til later on that i realized that it was Hayden.
another anecdote: his album, i have to say it, was not purchased by me. it was found, rather, at work. he played at the National Arts Centre with Feist...annnnnnnnnnd someone had left that CD there. (how sad...) so, i gave it a listen as soon as i got home...and really enjoyed it.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Van Song, Did I Wake Up Beside You?, Damn This Feeling

#21: Matt Costa, "Unfamiliar Faces"
such a pop-influenced album, really. but i love it, from the opening "Mr. Pitiful" til it's closing "Miss Magnolia". he strings in light melodies throughout as well, perfectly matching his voice, with "Never Looking Back"...
Songs Worthy of a Listen: besides mentioned, Emergency Call and Cigarette Eyes

#20: She & Him, "Volume One"
i've liked Zooey Deschanel's voice from first hearing her sing in Elf. such a richness she has...
(and she's so cute in that film! pinch-of-the-cheeks kind of cute.)
she's teamed up with a guitarist, M. Ward, for this album which is also very much a pop album, but so great.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?, Sentimental Heart, You Really Got A Hold On Me

#19: We Are Scientists "Brain Thrust Mastery"
with a title that is just as strange and crazy as them, one can only expect that it's just as great as their first album - and it is! it is, indeed. as they have put in their own words, their music is "rock music of the thoughtful, sometimes epic, often loud, vaguely danceable, implicitly humanist variety". without Michael Tapper on drums and backing vocals though, they've still created an awesome album.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Ghouls, Impatience, After Hours, Chick Lit

#18: Said The Whale "Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia"
i first heard "The Light Is You" from a commercial for Sun Rype - an orange juice of some sort - and it just stuck in my head. had to look it up. lo and behold, it was Canadian band Said The Whale. took a listen to their other songs, and really liked them. really, really liked them.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: The Light Is You, Curse of the Currents(! kleenex song !), Fish & Stars II, Live Off Lamb

#17: The Black Keys "Attack & Release"
a friend of mine had recommended them to me, and since then i've really enjoyed this album.
it is also reminiscent of the blues-rock genre of music, in the strain of Hendrix...(i find.)
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Strange Times, Psychotic Girl, Oceans And Streams

#16: Ray LaMontagne "Gossip In The Grain"
that soft, sultry voice of Ray LaMontagne comes back with Gossip In The Grain. again, i have to say that's it's infused with more pop-ish sounds, but does still have those slow/sweet songs that LaMontagne is so exceptional at...
Songs Worthy of a Listen: You Are The Best Thing, Meg White, Hey Me Hey Mama

#15: Matt Mays + El Torpedo "Terminal Romance"
a much more pop-ish sounding album than their first one, but still rock-infused.
with some songs it still has that 'epic' sound to it...
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Tall Trees, Terminal Romance, Long Since Gone

#14: Born Ruffians "Red, Yellow & Blue"
this album is teeming with awesomeness. from the yelps of Luke Lalonde, through to the pumping bass line of Mitch Derosier, to the drum beats of Steven Hamelin. they are just a lot of fun, and it is shown most definitely in their music. they even have fun song titles - "Badonkadonkey"..."Foxes Mate For Life".
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Hedonistic Me, I Need A Life, Little Garcon, Barnacle Goose

#13: Plants & Animals "Parc Avenue"
yet another great Canadian trio. to be honest, i hadn't heard of them before they played at the Ottawa Bluesfest this year, and i had watched them perform. i was drawn into their music. (and also their drummer, Matthew 'the Woodman' Woodley - he has such a different way of drumming: up front/centre making his presence known, instead of skulking in the background.)
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Good Friend, Mercy, Feedback In The Field

#12: Fleet Foxes "Fleet Foxes"
such indie-hippie-rockers these guys are. and they have made an album that is such a great achievement. they've had a lot of great reviews from the music industry,blogs, etc...and they do deserve it. this album is definitely a 'must-hear' for everyone.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: White Winter Hymnal, Ragged Wood, Blue Ridge Mountains

#11: Conor Oberst "Conor Oberst"
conor oberst never really ceased to surprise me. except with this solo album. yeah, so his music with Bright Eyes always had a little bit of that folk undertones to it...but you could practically call this a folk album. folk-rock. they - as in music critiques and those music peoples - would see him as possibly the next Bob Dylan, or the Dylan of our generation (even if Dylan is still going.) and i can see why. the lyrics tell wonderful stories. the music is just right.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Cape Canaveral, I Don't Want To Die (In the Hospital), Milk Thistle

#10: MGMT "Oracular Spectacular"
the new psychedelic-indie band of the year...in Britain. yeah, they've apparently become huge in Britain. but doesn't everyone? (that's arguable.)
this album though is the definition of what is called the "new psychedelic-indie-rock."
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Kids, Pieces Of What, Time To Pretend

#9: Radiohead "In Rainbows" *
this one is an exception. released digitally in 2007, BUT i am not talking about digital here. i'm talking bout physically released. on CD. on an LP. on an actual disc. holding it right there...in your hands. oh, you get the idea. so it is yet another awesome album for Radiohead. what more can i say?
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Nude (also, if you can find the Holy Fuck remix of this song), Bodysnatchers, Videotape, The Reckoner

#8: Sam Roberts Band "Love At The End Of The World"
Sam Roberts came back with even more rock 'n roll in this album. a lot more fun as well. just an overall fun-to-rock-out-to album. seriously. try to give a listen without dancing/jumping about. it's difficult.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Detroit '67, Lions Of The Kalahari, Words & Fire, Fixed To Ruin

#7: Jason Collett "Here's To Being Here"
more Canadian folk-rock, and Jason Collett at his best! even as i write this i'm listening to...
okay, so maybe not this album, but his Idols of Exile album. anyways, this one really is...is...
i don't want to say great. or awesome. even though it is both. how to describe? it's...it's...
it is Jason Collett at his most creative, lyrically and musically. you just need to listen to it.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Charlyn Angel of Kensington, No Redemption Song, Out Of Time, Not Over You

#6: Wolf Parade "At Mount Zoomer"
the only thing about this album that i have to complain about is that it is too short!
okay, well maybe not, because it all just works somehow - there is just enough songs to be completely satisfied with, since it's one great second album from Wolf Parade. besides, "Kissing the Beehive" takes up about a good 10 minutes or so...so, it really does make up in the end. it's a great collaboration between Krug's enigmatic lyrics (and wonderful voice. i am so captivated by his voice) and Boeckner's seemingly-simple-but-not lyrics. those two just work together oh-so-well. as well as the drummer and the other synth. player...who at present moment cannot remember their names...
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Kissing The Beehive, Animal In Your Care, Call It A Ritual

#5: Flight Of The Conchords "Flight Of The Conchords"
if you have not even heard of these guys - "Formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo" - then you must have been living under some sort of rock for the past year(s). one quick search in youtube, and you will soon be laughing till it hurts in no time. hilarious. 'nuff said.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Business Time, Albi the Racist Dragon, Bowie, Hip-Hopopotamus vs. The Rhymenoceros

#4: Vampire Weekend "Vampire Weekend"
like MGMT, they've become one of the biggest bands in the UK. as well as here...i think.
and who couldn't love their preppy-pop-indie-rock sound? even their style screams "I AM SO LIKE TOTALLY PREPPY." it's the hooks though that got me. no, the lyrics don't have to make any sort of sense! it's just a lot of fun to bounce around to! fun times all around! hurrah!
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Oxford Comma, Walcott, Mansard Roof, M79

#3: Cold War Kids "Loyalty To Loyalty"
honestly. one of the most underrated indie bands today. they should be in the press a bit more, because they are one amazing band. and this album shows off their wonderful musicianship. i've wrote about this before and i cannot stress enough the amazing songwriting of Nathan Willett. he seems to capture reality almost perfectly. seemingly depressing lyrics, they are stories of people, told and sung in just the way that no one else really could. "Loyalty To Loyalty" should be on everyone's iPod/music lists...what-have-you.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: all. in particular though: Welcome To The Occupation, Every Valley Is Not A Lake, Golden Gate Jumpers, Cryptomnesia, Dreams Old Men Dream

#2: Muse "H.A.A.R.P"
THE quintessential Live album. ever. laced with songs from their their best selling albums, as well as with oldies that were also best-selling - this is the perfect compilation and is exceptional live! from Wembley stadium! one of those "wish-i-could-have-been-there" type of concerts.
Songs Worthy of a Listen: Knights of Cydonia is amazing live (sure gets you pumped), Apocalypse Please, Blackout (although, not on the CD, only on the DVD), Stockholm Syndrome

and coming in at Number 1:
Surprise, surprise - Coldplay "Viva La Vida/Prospekt's March" Version
double-whammy of hits! exciting! amazing! awesomeness! Coldplay at their best since A Rush Of Blood...
right, so X&Y was also great...but really. this album is so incredibly different from the rest. it's practically one great song after another. i have sympathies for Coldplay though, most recently with their song-controversies...
Songs Worthy of a Listen: (besides Viva La Vida, Lost, and Violet Hill)
on Viva La Vida: Strawberry Swing, 42, Lovers In Japan
on Prospekt's March: Postcards From Far Away, Glass Of Water, Prospekt's March/Poppyfields

it's been a long time, long time now

i am really quite impressed with Beirut's Zach Condon.
a 20-something, Santa Fe native, high school drop-out...making Eastern European-Balkan-inspired-gypsy music, and becoming more well-known around...well, everywhere.

what impresses me the most about him - not his youth (well, relatively young-ish age)...
not the fact that he's from Santa Fe and singing Balkan-styles of music...
nor the fact that he started recording electronic-influenced music at the age of 15...
nor the fact that he also made a doo-wop-Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers-inspired record at the age of 16...

it's...his voice.
especially live (although, i have not had the pleasure yet of hearing him live, and in person - you know, like 10 feet away-type of deal)

but from these Take Away Shows that i love to watch now and then when there's a good or interesting band, he manages to sound almost perfectly in pitch.

the first song he sings, Nantes, struck some sort of emotional chord within...that i was practically on the verge of tears.
yes. i admit to it.

i think it's the perfect combination of melody, and his tone that really gets me, as he seems to have a very 'warming' quality to his singing voice. (okay. warming is not...the right grammatical way of putting it. deal.)

also for Zach, himself. he's energetic. he's fun to watch...as he's uber cute (!!!), but also fun to watch because (you can tell) that he loves to make music.
"Frail Zach, with his skinny yet magical arms."

as for his music, the two records that are out now (Gulag Orkestar, and The Flying Club Cup) are incredibly good to listen to if you do enjoy the East-European-Balkan-gypsy styles of music.
DeVotchKa come to mind first, Gogol Bordello is a bit too too punk, but still insanely great nonetheless.

go: more Beirut on the Take Away shows.

photo courtesy of: *Ethel on Flickr.