List'O'Rama: "RADIO SONGS"

Time for a new feature in order to fulfill my geek cravings and my endless desire to ruminate on the musical universe; LIST-O-RAMA- basically, theme based musical lists. Today's list is inspired by one of my previous postings, Radio Nowhere. These radio themed songs seem to fluctuate between two categories, either nostalgia for the grand old days of radio, or disgust over the appalling and disconnected state of the airwaves. Enjoy;ELVIS COSTELLO - "Radio, Radio" (1978) - classic Costello from his new wave era, lots of choppy synths and guitar - 1 part nostalgia mixed with 5 parts biting social commentary. I love this young and angry version of Mr. Costello , and these lines could have been written about the state of the world today;

"Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead/But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed/You either shut up or get cut out; they don't wanna hear about it/.It's only inches on the reel-to-reel/ And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools tryin' to anaesthetise the way that you feel

JOY DIVISION - "Transmission" (1979) - It is a bit of a stretch to use the word "hopeful" when describing a Joy Division song, but in this case Ian Curtis seems to find redemption through the blissful airwaves. Despite the "blind destruction" and isolation of the night there is also beauty in joyful and rapturous sound ; "No language, just sound, that's all we need know/ to synchronise love to the beat of the show/And we could dance.... to the radio". One of my all time favourite songs, forever etched into my subconscious. (Here's the video courtesy YouTube)

JURASSIC 5 - "Radio" (2007) - an old skool inspired love fest - J5 give props to all the Hip Hop pioneers they listened to on the radio growing up, and they make their own connection to the present, noting that "J5 is rockin' on the radio". This is pure nostalgia.

THE RAMONES - "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio" (1980). This Phil Spector produced track is a true classic where the Ramones pay homage to the 50's era radio songs they grew up with; "Do you remember lying in bed/With the covers pulled over your head?/Radio playin's so no one can see". The Ramones knew their musical roots, and despite their punk rock stylings they were essentially just a great rock band that took their music back to the simple essential elements. Great fun! (Here's the video courtesy of YouTube)

R.E.M. - "Radio Song" (1991) - This opening track for the Out Of Time album is one of my favourite R.E.M. tracks. It builds up gradually from Michael Stipe's opening line - "the world is collapsing around our ears", to the closing rap/rant by KRS-1; "DJs communicate to the masses/Sex and violent classes/Now our children grow up prisoners/All their lives radio listeners". Some fairly direct commentary from a band otherwise known for fairly cryptic lyrics.RUSH - "The Spirit of Radio" (1980) - This Canuck rock anthem was inspired by legendary Toronto radio station CFNY, 102.1 FM, which at that point in history was a cutting edge indie station that was playing a lot of the music you weren't hearing elsewhere on the dial. The song espouses the joy when the DJ " plays the song that's so elusive". Obviously written
before the digital era, where there aren't many songs that are so elusive anymore, often a mere download away.

PUBLIC ENEMY - "How To Kill A Radio Consultant" (1991). An all out assault on the complacent airwaves. Chuck D is pissed off at stations in black urban markets that don't reflect the reality of street life; "Only black radio station in the city/Programmed by a sucker in a suit/Slick back hair he don't even live here". Nobody sticks it to the man quite like Chuck D. Public Enemy are always a cathartic listen.

REGINA SPEKTOR - "On The Radio" (2006) - Regina Spektor is a wonderfully eccentric artist and reminds me of less intense Tori Amos. This chorus of this piano based song expresses the simple pleasure of hearing a beloved song on the radio; " On the radio we heard November Rain/ That Solo's really long, but it's a pretty song/ We listened to it twice 'cause the DJ was asleep". This song captures those rare moments that take us outside of ourselves, often inextricably linked to a song that will always hold a strong and deeply personalized association.

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS - "You Can't Say Crap On The Radio" (1980) - Some classic punk rock thrown in for good measure. Clearly some poor DJ was frazzled by the band's use of expletives, and the band notes the irony of not being able to "say crap" on the radio, though the DJ gets to "play shite all day" The classic disconnect indeed!

TOM ROBINSON - "Atmosperics: Listen To The Radio" (1982) - This track that Robinson co-wrote with Peter Gabriel is a classic. This song evokes images of a displaced foreign national, working alone in a foreign land. There is comfort found in the little rituals of life; buttered toast, coffee, "smoke another cigarette, and listen to the radio" . Connections to others are made through the airwaves, however distant the transmission may be. (Click to listen to this song via Robinson's site).

(Kudos to Robinson for providing free downloads on his site - a justified reaction to the fact that the record company gets 5x the amount per Itunes download than he does)

MY MORNING SERENADE

Today I was the privileged recipient of a morning serenade from my 6 year-old son who was having an impromptu concert with his kazoo. He played a medley that included a wide variation of improvised material, interspersed with some recognizable numbers such as Jingle Bells, Robot Parade (by They Might Be Giants), and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. The ever evolving repertoire was accompanied by a joyful dance and mini-parade around the house.

It was a truly precious moment, and in my son's mind there is no time like the present to express yourself through music, even at 8am. Of course I am also thankful that my neighbour who rents the suite below is very tolerant and just happens to adore my children.

The kazoo is wonderful - just hum any melody into it and - VOILA! - instant gratification achieved through the blissful art of improvised humming amplified by joyful vibrations. You can even use a comb and some wax paper to achieve the same effect.

It is the ultimate egalitarian instrument, inherently uplifting and accessible to almost anyone. It makes any song sound happy - just try playing Love Will Tear Us Apart, Smells Like Teen Spirit or any other angst fueled musical anthem with a kazoo and hear it transformed into a rapturous call to embrace the silliness and absurdity of life - I dare you!

Also - for anyone interested, I have included a diagram that shows the inner workings of this fine & complex instrument, (courtesy of Manchester College);

BOOK BLOGGING: "THE GUM THIEF" - part 2

WHAT THEY DON'T TEACH YOU

Roger is a sad middle aged man who sees little hope of change or redemption from this point in his life until the time that he is food for worms in a few more decades. He is missing the liberation that can come from living your life within the context of a larger narrative, one that takes you out of yourself and into a realm where your connection to the larger world and to others is more important than who you are .

Perhaps this is Coupland's point, that Roger is the natural bi-product of our individualistic cultural milieu, one that teaches us how to strive for the "good life", but offers few resources to deal with its inevitable collapse at times.

Here are Roger's jaded observations about what they should be really teaching you in the school of "Real Life";

...Falling out of love happens as quickly as falling in
...Good -looking people with strong, fluorinated teeth get things handed to them on platters
...Animals spend time with you only if you feed them
...People armed with shopping carts who know what they want and where they're going will always cream clueless people standing in the middle of aisles holding vague shopping lists
....Time speeds up in a terrifying manner in your mid thirties

In the spirit if this I thought I would add a few curriculum items from my own school of "Real Life";

• Venting and cursing in your car while stuck in standstill traffic is a futile endeavor, and it only increases the awareness that you are spending countless moments of your life stuck in a people mover, spewing pollution into the atmosphere so you can get to work and thus be able to pay for this very source of your endless frustration and impotent rage.
• People are not as preoccupied with you as you are - this actually hits you as you leave adolescence and enter early adulthood - that form of egocentric thinking known as "imaginary audience syndrome" dissolves - kind of liberating and frightening at the same time. when you first realize this
  
• "Independence" is highly overrated
• Falling in love with someone is the easy part (really) - whereas staying in love is a helluva lot of work. It is not about maintaining an emotional state of "love", but it is the manifestation of a series of actions whereas as you actively, and consciously choose to love another person through your actions - therefore we progress from the involuntary (falling in love) to the voluntary (choosing to remain in love) - I honestly believe this

*******

I am on about page 84 - lots of writing back and forth between Roger & Bethany via Roger's diary. These folks are quite sure that there lives will continue in a meaningless direction until they die. Lots of detachment from the larger social order, peppered with a great deal of anxiety over a sense of impending apocalypse (i.e a typical early 21st century novel?)

As usual, there is a great use of metafiction as well via Roger's own (poorly) written novel Glove Pond, about similar middle aged characters also with thwarted ambition. Excerpts from Roger's Glove Pond novel are infused throughout the book, and you can see Roger working out his own issues through is gin-soaked characters. Perhaps this is also Coupland's playful way to explore the cathartic, and often self revelatory process of writing, albeit in a humorous manner.

The Roger & Bethany characters seem to be on a one way ticket to loserville, yet as usual Coupland has an ability to find something that is redeeming, however faintly, when like-minded misfits find connections with each other and can therefore infuse some form of meaning into their lives. Perhaps this is what makes life more bearable for some. More to come....

BOOK BLOGGING: "THE GUM THIEF" - part 1

THE NOTION OF "WANTING OUT"

I took a week away from the blogosphere, and I am still surprisingly OK, holding up nicely thank you very much. I had some withdrawal symptoms, but I am still vertical and breathing.

I Just picked up Douglas Coupland's latest novel The Gum Thief from my local library and just started diving in right away. Admittedly, ever since his masterpiece Life After God forever altered my universe 12 years a go I have felt compelled to read every book that he has come out with since.

So with little further ado, I thought I would blog as I read this book. Kind of a fun way to share my experience of it, and more engaging than just posting a review. There will likely be quite a few posts on this - you have been warned!

To start with, even if Coupland's overall narrative structures can be illusive at times, he has the ability to capture the type of thoughts or ideas that can pass through your mind in a heightened moment of angst or when you step back and really look around, though they are rarely articulated to anyone else. In Coupland's universe these types of thoughts are regular conversation pieces.

Case in point, the opening two paragraphs, taken from the diary of a middle aged man clearly unhappy with the direction his life has taken:

A few years ago it dawned on me that everybody past a certain age - regardless of how they look on the outside - pretty much constantly dreams of being able to to escape from their lives. They don't want to be who they are any more. They want out. This list includes Thurston Howell the Third, Ann-Margret, the cast members of Rent, Vaclav Havel, space shuttle astronauts and Snuffleupagus. It's universal.

Do you want out? Do you often wish you could be somebody, anybody, other than who you are - the you who holds a job and feeds a family - the you who keeps a relatively okay place to live and who still tries to keep your friendships alive? In other words, the you who 's going to remain pretty much the same until the casket?

I was chewing on this passage for a while. In terms of the notion of "wanting out", my initial thoughts were around what is the source of this perpetual self dissatisfaction that Coupland refers to? Is there an innate form of restlessness that is just part of the human psyche, or is it more a symptom of the era we live in?

Putting it another way, did kings counting their gold and serfs working their fields in the middle ages also dream of shedding their skins, or is this merely the affliction of our age, the natural bi-product of being subjected to decades worth of advertising telling us that there is always a better you?

Admittedly I am a fence sitter here; I think as humans we are naturally prone to wander and dream, though perhaps what in the past may have been fanciful musings during on an idle moment has now mutated into persistent and nagging desires that are as accelerated as the culture we live in.

Personally, I don't "want out", though like everyone else I can could easily make a list of personality traits or habits I would like to transform. I do agree that we are essentially the same person from cradle to casket, and that despite being altered by our experiences and the world around us, I believe the same overarching themes persist throughout our lives. They just become more complex, couched in different language, coloured by new experiences, but remain essentially the same.

OK, all this from the opening two paragraphs! I am actually having fun so far, and as usual Coupland's universe is inhabited by quintessentially post-modern characters riddled with enough angst to fuel 10 Nirvana albums. So far we have a middle aged man and a 20 something goth girl exchanging thoughts in an open diary in order to alleviate the tedium of working a mind numbing job at a Staples business supply store in North Vancouver. This is classic Coupland indeed.

More to come for sure - I am 40 pages in for anyone who wants to follow along and read as well - please do, I am an extroverted reader!

Also check out this little promo clip for the book from YouTube, about the middle aged Roger character - very Couplandesque!

BLOG ACTION DAY!

TAKING A PARENTAL LEAVE CAN HELP REDUCE YOUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

I was trying to think of what I could contribute from my little corner of the universe for Blog Action Day and it dawned on me that the fact that I am able to slow life down, to take time to write and think was itself symptomatic of something wonderful that has emerged recently in my life. Allow me to explain;

Living in Canada, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to take a paid parental leave from work after the birth of my third child (the most beautiful baby girl in the known universe) Above and beyond the many other benefits of this for my family, such as having more time together and reducing our costs, I have been thinking about the tremendous environmental benefits of being able to take an extended time off from work, which in my case has been about 9 months.

The most obvious environmental benefit has been a dramatic decrease in the use of my car. Prior to taking the leave of absence I was commuting approximately 300 km/week (1200 km/month) , whereas I drive that amount now only every two weeks or so (about 600km/month). This has reduced my carbon emissions significantly and I have also had the chance to walk around more and become a generally more healthy human being.

I am so thrilled about this that while I have been off work I have been taking the time to contemplate ways of transferring closer to home for when I do return back to work, not only to reduce my ecological footprint, but to eliminate an excessive and soul sapping commute (that is only redeemed by a fantastic array of great podcasts that are my lifeline).

My mental environment has also been transformed as well by this experience, giving me time to step out of the rat race for a while, breathe, and take a look around. It has given me freedom to take on little projects like composting, making healthier homemade foods, writing, scheming, walking my neighbourhood and shopping locally - things that are better for the earth, my soul, and my family.

Anyways, this is just my small story and I realize that not everyone is in a position to take a leave of absence from work. If you live in jurisdiction or work for a company that doesn't have legislated parental leaves I would recommend lobbying for this, as the benefits are tremendous. With the increasingly digitized workplace there are also more opportunity than ever to work at home. This is also a positive step.

Any chance to get out of your people mover and be closer to home is always a great moment indeed!

Also, check out Clean Air Pass as one way to invest in projects related to fighting climate change that are in direct proportion to your own estimated level of carbon emissions per year.

FORGING A BOLD NEW LANGUAGE

SOME THOUGHTS ON TODD HAYNES'S UPCOMING NEW FILM ABOUT DYLAN

In the New York Times Magazine Robert Sullivan recently explored the illusive nature of Dylan's identity and sees Todd Haynes's new film I'm Not There as capturing "what Dylan is all about...which is changing, transforming, killing off one Dylan and moving to the next, shedding his artistic skin to stay alive." In this context a non-linear, multiple actor portrayal makes perfect "sense", if such a word can be used.

Having recently read Dylan's own Chronicles Vol.1, it is evident that Dylan himself is an illusive character who felt little connection to his own history, and was constantly finding his muse through a diverse range of sources. Once certain expectations of him were established (i.e folk music purist, protest singer) he would reject such conventions and find fertile new ground, seek out a new muse for his often hard to pin down artistic vision.

His shifting persona is captured brilliantly (and satirically) in this description from the Buffalo News in 2001, that Dylan later appropriated and had played at the beginning of his own concerts;

Ladies & Gentlemen please welcome the poet laureate of rock 'n' roll. The voice of promise for the sixties counterculture. The guy who forced folk into bed with rock, who donned makeup in the seventies and disappeared into a haze of substance abuse, who emerged to find Jay-sus, who was written off as a has-been in the late eighties - and who suddenly shifted gears, releasing some of the strongest music of his career beginning in the late nineties"

(Read the excellent "Like A Rolling Stone" by Greil Marcus for this and a fantastic contextual analysis of Dylan's music)

When you read his own reflections on his work you get a sense that he was very consciously charting new territory and felt that he was creating a bold new language. Although he was adept at melding an infinite number of influences into his art, it always seemed to take on a dynamic new form through his own unique and ever changing voice. There is a lengthy passage in his book where Dylan describes in great detail his attempts to develop new vocal techniques that would literally alter his voice and make his songs come alive again in a new way.

In many ways language is rarely static and evolves considerably over time. In this context when you think of Dylan as creating a new language, it is feasible that Todd Haynes would capture his constant evolution by using bold snapshots and impressionistic character studies, rather than crafting a traditional linear biopic to tell his story.

Needless to say I am really jazzed about seeing this film, and be warned, I will probably write about it incessantly afterwards. Admittedly I am a late convert to Dylan and in the last few years I have grown to be deeply inspired by his pioneering spirit. More to come on this without a doubt!

If you want to share more of my giddy excitement, check out this clip from YouTube- a scene with Cate Blanchett playing a mid-sixties era Dylan meeting the poet Allen Ginsberg for the first time.

COMPILATION RECORDS CAN OPEN DORMANT NEURAL PATHWAYS!

20TH CENTURY MASTERS: THE BEST OF READY RECORDS 1979-1985

I am having loads of fun with my latest ITunes purchase. This compilation is a lovingly compiled piece of musical history, at least in my musical universe. Ready Records (1979-1985) was a Canadian indie label that was home to a number of bands in the Toronto area. For the most part the artists were in the post-punk/new wave vein. Many of these songs are immediately nostalgia inducing for me.

As a result of strong government cultural protectionism in the form of Canadian content regulations for radio (known as "Can Con") and good indie radio in Toronto in the 80's, many of these songs were a familiar part of my background soundtrack growing up. I am having lots of fun listening with my headphones, reliving some obscure, though highly personal musical history. Here are the standouts from this compilation;

DEMICS - "NEW YORK CITY" - This is a Canuck punk rock classic from this short-lived cult band. The gravelly voiced singer is bored, pissed-off and wants to go somewhere exciting like NYC "because they tell me it is the place to be". A familiar refrain for any misplaced suburban misfit looking for some kicks. This was played a lot in alternative clubs.

BLUE PETER - "SAME OLD PLACE" - A punkier number from a band known more for their synth driven New Wave numbers. Interestingly, another song about boredom and suburban alienation; "Everywhere I turn, always see the same old place". A theme for the ages.

THE EXTRAS - "CIRCULAR IMPRESSION" - This novelty song with a slightly ska feel to it is essentially an ode to the condom, and the longings of a young man who clearly isn't getting any action; "circ-circ circular impression/leading to a state of depression/in my walla-walla wallet /I can't wait to install it". I think I remember hearing this one a lot on the Funny 5 on the Dr. Demento show when I was a kid, though I wasn't sure what it was about at the time!

SPOONS - "NOVA HEART" - I was enthralled by this sprawling New Wave epic as a pre-teen. I think this is the shorter single version, as I remember a lengthier mix with a really long intro that builds slowly with the haunting keyboard melody. This song evokes a sense of romanticism and longing that typifies this era for me. The Spoons achieved some top 40 success with some poppier songs a few years later, though to me this was always their artistic zenith.

BLUE PETER - "RADIO SILENCE" - Complete with chirpy synths and choppy guitars this track is the product of its era (now currently back in vogue). Another new wave classic.

SPOONS- "ARIAS & SYMPHONIES" - A song about trying to break away from stifling social conventions. Similar to Nova Heart, this has longer stretches of brooding keyboard melodies and base lines to capture the underlying mood of longing. A bit dated this one, but still a good listen taken in its context.

There are a couple of forgettable tracks as well, though this compilation was well worth the purchase to facilitate my late-night, nostalgia laden soundtrack and related blogging. I do think that some of these songs may even appeal to music aficionados who don't have the same historical connection to them.

So for those not acquainted with the origins of the musical underground in my great northern homeland... enjoy, eh!

RADIO NOWHERE

CONTEMPLATING THE AIRWAVES

When was the last time you listened to the radio? I can probably count on my hands the number of the times this year, and mostly for practical reasons, such as trying to find that illusive "quick route" via traffic reports- "every 10 minutes on the dial!".

When I do I turn it on its usually CBC radio for some thoughtful conversations; recently it was a rather sensible discussion regarding the role of the U.N food program and the Canadian military in Afghanistan. I can't entirely write-off the airwaves, there is some good discourse.

I know that I certainly don't listen to the radio for music. In the IPOD/Podcasting/personalized music universe why would I subject myself to inane chatter and sensory assaulting adds just to hear that 1 in 10 song that may be half decent? This what I am thinking about while listening to Bruce Springsteen's blistering new single "Radio Nowhere". Great lines about the state of the airwaves;

I was sitting around a dirt dial Just another lost number in a file. Been in some kinda dark cove Just searching for a world with some soul. This is radio nowhere.Is there anybody alive out there

Good pop/rock songs still have the ability to make me giddy, and when Springsteen hollers "I want a thousand guitars/I want pounding drums/I want a million different voices speaking in tongues" I momentarily quiver while I listen in my car, feeling the message like a recent convert at an old time revival.

As always, I love to make connections. The Springsteen lyrics echo the sentiments sang by The Verve 10 years a go in the classic track Bittersweet Symphony;

Well I never pray. But tonight I'm on my knees,
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me,
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now

There it is, the brutal disconnect (for me at least). There is so much brilliant, soul changing music out there and very little of what makes the airwaves reflects this reality. Who knows, I may be part of the last generation to have any meaningful memory or reference point to traditional radio.

I do remember fondly making tapes of my favourite songs as a ten year-old, when the "top 10" would come on the airwaves, always trying to stop the tape before the DJ would cut in. As a teenager there was for a time decent, truly alternative radio in Toronto via CFNY 102.1 FM. This station played the soundtrack to my adolescence on a regular basis (bands like The Smiths, The Cure, New Order etc) before it became just another corporate entity with the "Edge" moniker in the 90's.

Anyways, I am only partially nostalgic here, as there is at this point in time so much brilliant music available from multiple sources, and it easy enough to customize your own "airwaves". This does lack the shared experience that radio provided, though I guess this is partially why peer 2 peer sharing is so common place, despite the rampant denial of this from the RIAA.

(Once again I have to post Thurston Moore's article regarding the art of personalized mixes and the powerful instinct to share music)

That's all for now. Excuse me while I go and create a new playlist for radio Matthew!

ARE RADIOHEAD "STICKING IT TO THE MAN"?

It looks like Radiohead's new album "In Rainbows" will only be available digitally through their website for the time being, sans any connection to a major record label. Additionally, you can purchase the album from their site for any price of your making, making it essentially like a donation-based product. Radiohead will also release a vinyl/CD version in December for those of us craving something more tangible.

I am not sure if this is a clever marketing ploy in tandem with a label or if this is truly a radical re-shifting of the music industry. I hope it is the later, though time will tell. This sort of thing works well for bands like Radiohead who already have a ravenous cult following. Why would they go through a major label when they can use technology to distribute their music themselves?

Are the record companies shitting bricks? I certainly hope so, especially after the RIAA's insipid pursuit of lawsuits against downloaders in the U.S. Rather than being innovative and finding ways to use the new technology to promote artists, they would rather file huge lawsuits against single moms who download and share music online. The time for change has come.

This Radiohead story, though not fully played out yet, could be a sort of benchmark of things to come. Its not surprising that this would come from a band who themselves are innovative, refreshing and a genuine alternative to the type of crap that the record companies are trying to "protect" from illegal peer to peer file sharing. I mean, is it really a crime sharing 25 year-old songs by Journey over the internet, as per the recent case in Minnesota? Shouldn't they be giving these away?

Anyways, because I am a HUGE music geek I will be following this story closely. I am very curious to see what Radiohead will net from their donation based system. Perhaps this will encourage more people to buy their album, seeing as it will be quite affordable. Also, even if many folks are only paying a dollar for many of their album purchases it may mean a few less peer to peer downloads. At least they are trying something different. The RIAA could learn a few things from this.

NOTE: Check out the RIAA website - there is an Orwellian link so you can report illegal downloading - for those folks who feel a great deal of sympathy for record company monopolies

Radiohead