2010 in Review!

Album: Expo 86- Wolf Parade

Film: Gainsbourg

Book: (not from 2010, but that I read in 2010) Unless by Carol Shields; Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter

Tv series: Mad Men; IT Crowd

Internet video: Things I hate ; 80s Video Dating Montage

Exciting new discoveries: Jezebel.com, Said the Whale, my love for French pop of the 60s, Daisy & Lola's in Norwich, that I can actually be a vegetarian.

Joy: Actually writing a dissertation, not failing my MA, Scottish Screen Archive work placement, going to Bologna, trips to the coast, visits from Wendy, Zoey and Briony, starting work, love, amazing friends, so much more.

The Polaris Music Prize 2010

AKA the only music awards that matter.

Hi kids, I'm back (sort of). Procrastinating because I don't want to work on my dissertation yet on this fine, autumn morning (yes, it's autumn in England already. brr!) and wanting to write something, because I actually have the motivation to.

So! The Polaris Music Prize. For those of you not in the know (ie: you're not Canadian, or you don't listen to Canadian music), it is an annual award of $20,000 given out to a group or individual based entirely on the artistic merit of their music. Record sales and the like are not a factor. The process is fairly standard for artistic awards (like the Booker, for example) with a long list being announced first, then narrowed to a short list of 10 albums, and finally a gala event where the winner is announced. Past winners are Final Fantasy, Caribou, Fucked Up, and Patrick Watson.

Although the Polaris is becoming a bit of a marketing tool for bands (most will advertise as their "Polaris-long listed album"), I still really like the idea of a prize that awards a band for just being really, really good. Even if the concept of a "good" record is subjective. Still, it's nice that our lesser-known bands are starting to get some recognition. Canada does, in fact, have more music than Nickelback, Bryan Adams, and Celine Dion. Thank God. Also, there are worse ways of advertising, and let's be honest, no one aside from Canadian music nerds has heard of most of these bands, so a little exposure has never hurt.

Now, I'm not going to go over all the long-listed nominees, because that would take, way, way too long. Just think of any Canadian band who has released a record in the past year. They were probably on the long list. That is, with the notable exception of Said the Whale, who I think were unfairly overlooked. Islands Disappear is a terrific album. I haven't heard Ohbijou's latest, though I assume it's on par with the beauty of their first album, and thus there was also some huff over them not making the long list as well. Wolf Parade's Expo 86 was released after the deadline for this year, but I'd consider it a strong contender for next year's award. I seriously listen to that album almost every day. SO GOOD. More on that in my Spencer Krug post though.

Okay, so the shortlist! The nominees are: Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record, Shad: TSOL, Radio Radio: Belmundo Regal, Dan Mangan: Nice, Nice, Very Nice, Owen Pallett: Heartland, Caribou: Swim, Tegan and Sara: Sainthood, Karkwa: Les Chemins des Verre, The Sadies: Darker Circles, and The Besnard Lakes: Are the Roaring Night.

Now, to be honest, I haven't heard many of these albums in their entirety. Only the Sadies and Caribou's (which I heard while getting my hair cut, true story). Still, when has that ever stopped me from making uninformed decisions? This is my blog, I'm allowed to do that. Therefore, I am hoping the winner of this prize is The Sadies. Not just because they're one of my favourite bands, but because they're seriously so so good, and so unrecognised for their talent. They're easily the best live band I've ever seen (narrowly beating out the Cons), and when they're up there, you know you're watching a band that just loves what they do. However, their live shows could be what work against them. I love the Sadies in the studio, but even I can admit that it's not the same experience as seeing them live. A lot of people really don't get what makes the Sadies so good until they see them live. Regardless, I think they should win. They deserve it.

I'd be quite surprised if it went to Caribou or Owen Pallett, both previous winners, even though their albums are both (apparently) really terrific. Same for Dan Mangan. I like Dan Mangan, and think he's a beautiful songwriter, but I mean, we're kind of known for having a ton of amazing singer-songwritery typed bands in Canada. I'm not saying he's generic, because he definitely made the shortlist for a reason, and he has that voice that really sets him apart, but I just doubt that the jury will select him as the winner.

I do think it's very likely to go to Shad or Radio Radio though, our hip hop selections. Thinking of it, there's been no previous winners in hip hop, so perhaps the time is right. Shad is generally regarded as one of our best, and I've really dug whatever I've heard of his. As for Radio Radio, I think they're awesome. Really quirky and fun. They rap in Chiac, which is a mixture of Acadian French and English, and it makes for a really interesting sound. I'd say probably the most "out there" of the nominees, which puts them in good standing.

Anyway, I should probably stop being lazy and start doing work, but enjoy! We'll see on Monday who wins.

Things I like and dislike: July 2010

Like

1. Television. My lost love! I’ve watched so much CSI (along with like… so many other programmes). Also, good way to bond with new flatmates? Channel 4’s Sex Show.

2. Expo 86. Great album. Also, I was at Expo 86, whilst in my mother’s uterus. Fact.

3. How adverts have to put the actual statistic in fine print when they make bold claims. What makes this so hilarious is that most of the time the stats are not at all impressive. ie: 57% of 1153 women surveyed. Especially great when viewed in a cinema.

4. Vegetarianism. Been on this train without falter for like… five months now? Lovely. It makes my body feel gooood.

5. Gainsbourg. Very clever, creative film; much more than an ordinary biopic. More biopics should approach narrative like this: focusing on a few eras in Gainsbourg’s life, and jumping between them seamlessly, it covers significant ground without trying to show us everything. And it’s not pretending to be the truth. The actors are fantastic, and eerie dead-ringers for those they portray too. Although this is not mandatory for a biopic, it definitely helps. Great film all around. Also, Jane Birkin = the coolest.
Bonus: Youtube Gainsbourg and Whitney Houston on French TV from the 80s. Hilarious.

6. Said the Whale. The latest band added to heavy rotation on my iPod. Islands Disappear is fantastic.

7. Glasgow Film Theatre, Biblocafe, Grassroots Organic, Glasgow Vintage, Tinderbox, and Thai Siam. You are my favourite places in Glasgow thus far.

8. Film archiving. That’s right, I love it. I want to stay on placement forever! Or, you know, get paid to take care of film. SOMEONE HIRE ME PLEASE!

Dislike

1. Television. Wow, you make my productivity levels even lower then normal. Also, advertising has effectively gotten worse since I last watched TV on a regular basis.

2. BP Oil. This goes without saying, and frankly I should probably just write an entire post about it, but seriously. Billions of dollars to clean up the spill and they’re still planning another offshore drilling sight. And like… it took them fucking long enough to even stop the leak… and they’re not even sure it’s fully sealed! Like how many times can we fuck with Mother Earth before she stops forgiving us? Fuckers.

3. When hot pepper juice remains on my hands and burns my eyes hours after consuming the peppers, and in spite of the fact that I’ve washed my hands like five times.

4. Shoes. Why is it so hard to find pairs of you that don’t hurt me in some way? WHY?

5. When someone sits opposite you on the train and stares at you the ENTIRE TIME. It makes an 11 minute journey feel much, much longer.

6. Places that charge for wifi. This is just cruel, and sometimes I am desperate.

7. When buttons fall off and you don't have a needle and thread. Life is hard.

Dissertations. In theory. It’s not like I’ve written one yet or anything. Or started. Uggggggh.

la de daaa

I bought new skin cream this week for ma face.  

It claims it will make my skin "supple".  

I'm not sure I want to be supple... it feels kind of wrong.  But we'll see!  I am vain about my skin.

SO FAR, my skin looks pretty and hydrated, but like... that could very well be from all the water I have consumed to counteract all the alcohol I have consumed.

Okay, time to go to this Visa monitoring check.  Really looking forward to THAT queue.

orange juice blues

(Missing home)

Springtime.  

A perfect Saturday:

1) Get up early and catch the bus into downtown.

2) Buy my vegetables, jalapeño bread, a poppyseed danish from the German bakery, and a coffee.

3) Walk home in the sunshine.

4) Clean the apartment while other roommates slept.

5) House trip to Len's Mill for new yarn and craft ideas when they awoke.

6) Reading and letter writing in Waterloo Park.

7) Afternoon cuddles/ nap with Little Bitch Cat.

8) Movie (or Boosh episodes) and takeout dinner (Ben Thanh! Pepi's!) with roommates and Wendy, Katy and/or Zoey.

9) More friends and The Heart and Soul of Rock n Roll on AM 740.  Resulting in an oldies radio dance party, obviously.

RE: "Stealing Tomorrow" Video

Watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GvdQG46vkc

Great Lake Swimmers are seriously popping out the videos for this album!  (see: "Palmistry", "Pulling on a Line", "Still", and I believe there is one for "Chorus in the Underground" in the works.)  Five videos!  Before this, there were two for Ongiara ("Your Rocky Spine", Backstage With the Modern Dancers"), two for Bodies and Minds ("To Leave it Behind", "Bodies and Minds"), and none for the self-titled album (there was a film for "I Will Never See the Sun"- a friend saw it on CBC's now-defunct ZeD, but I have never seen it, and it doesn't haunt the Internet).

Now that I'm finished showing off, I'll get to the point.  This increase in videos is good, because it is clearly reflecting a degree of success and an increase in money devoted to promotion.  The band has been touring like crazy, released a live album recorded in a Canadian Legion, and were even nominated for a Juno!  They lost to a band I've never heard of, but that's not the point.  And let's be honest here, winning a Juno isn't exactly something to be proud of.  I mean, it's Canada's version of the Grammys, and almost as bad given that Nickelback and Avril Lavigne usually win more than anyone.  Winning a Polaris is what you really want, because they actually award creative merit.  Oh, GLS have been shortlisted for a Polaris before.  Oh yes.  

So this brings me to the "Stealing Tomorrow" video.  While it is perhaps a bit cheesy in parts, it still kind of melts my heart.  Great Lake Swimmers often make me really miss Canada.  They are one of those bands so rooted in place, but also displacement, and this is something that really resonates with me.  From references to the CN Tower to evocation of small town Ontario, they truly just remind me of what I know.  I'm convinced that the photographs on album art for "Bodies and Minds" are the shores of Lake Erie.  I just love this band with all my heart.  They're great music for train rides through small towns, late nights when you can't sleep, and long walks through forests.  They're also one of those bands that have a certain sense of timelessness, which I think is the best.  There are no fads here, only beautiful songs.

Oh, and I'm kind of totally in love with Tony Dekker.  Seriously, did you watch that video?  LE SIGH.  I want to go for walks in grassy fields with him.  He also has a killer beard, lovely voice and writes some of the most beautiful love songs ever (ie "Unison Falling into Harmony"*).  One time, I saw this video where he was playing some songs in a grain silo**, and he hoisted himself out of it to go get his guitar, and it was seriously like the hottest thing I've ever seen.  I normally don't really dig guys with guitars, but I'd let him sing me songs any day.  I'd also like to think he really likes canoeing and Tom Thomson paintings.

* Seriously, if someone were ever trying to win my heart, they should put that song on a mix tape for me.  "I will try to know you, though you defy my grasp" SWOON.  Fuck, I could do an entire blog post about how that song just floors me every time I listen to it.

**For those not in the know, the self-titled Great Lake Swimmers release was recorded in a grain silo.  Other albums have been recorded in churches, community halls, and similar awesome locations.

interim

Hey James Cameron,

You know what I'm NOT doing on Earth Day?

Buying/ watching Avatar.

I'm going to go outside, thanks.  That's because I love nature and not overhyped 3D CGI bullshit (okay, so I haven't actually seen Avatar, but whatever!  I'm allowed to have uninformed opinions!  Especially when the spotlight is stolen from Mama Nature.)

Love,

Kayla.

Best Concert Moments

Holy shit!  Two posts in one afternoon!  That'll keep you kids quiet for a while (all 5 of you who read this).

It's time for me to reminisce about my favourite concert experiences!  I've been to a fair amount of gigs in my time: some great, some terrible, and some I don't remember all that well (thanks 130 King St. !).  

Here we go.

5) The Sadies- "My Heart of Wood".  Fall 2008 at the Starlight in Waterloo, Ontario.   This was the first time I saw the Sadies, and this moment was when I really fell in love with them.  If you know me and my taste in music, you probably know that the Sadies are one of my favourite bands, and "My Heart of Wood" is one of my favourite songs.  This was the show that really started it all.  I went with my roommates Justin and Catherine, and we had an amazing time.  The Sadies played a double set, and a total of... shit was it 57 songs?  These guys are really the hardest working band in Canada.  "My Heart of Wood" was what really hooked me, and I listened to exclusively the Sadies (and Neko Case) for weeks after.

4) Great Lake Swimmers- "Various Stages" / "There is a Light".  Stay Out of the Mall at the Ebar in Guelph, Ontario.  I believe it was November 16th, 2006.  The show had six acts, with Great Lake Swimmers being the final act of a very long night.  The audience was full of hippies, some dancing, and some sitting on the floor.  I remember standing, in awe.  They opened their set beautifully with "Various Stages", which happened to be my favourite song of theirs at the time.  Later in the show, they played a new song.  One that I had in my head for weeks after.  It had this great lyric of "put all your weapons away, and end all your casual ties" (see that sweet wordplay!).  It ended up being "There is a Light", which is on their third album Ongiara.  How perfect.  I'm kind of in love with Tony Dekker.  These songs are two reasons why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO1-V3HUblo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V69X4XSvXNY (song actually starts about 3:15 in)

(these aren't actually from the show I went to, obviously!)

3) Broken Social Scene- "All the Gods".  January 21st, 2006.  Kool Haus in Toronto, Ontario.  This show was fucking incredible, and I was like the most rabid bss fan at that time.  The way they opened with "All the Gods" is seriously one of the most perfect musical moments I've ever experienced.  The anticipation for the show to begin was so tense.  We'd been waiting there for hours, somehow found our way relatively close to the stage, and were waiting impatiently for the band to actually take the stage.  No opener to sit through, this show was serious.  "All the Gods" was a b-side that had leaked like the week before the show, and the band came out, and started playing it mostly in the dark.  As they hit the lyrics with Kevin Drew screaming "all the Gods!", the stage was lit in bright white light.  A bit cheesy sure, but fuck, it sent chills down my spine.  Here's a video of the show... "Almost Crimes" with Feist and Amy Millan.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-am9Hm7BdWA

2) Constantines- "Nighttime Anytime" (It's Alright).  The Starlight in Waterloo, Ontario.  The date on this one I have a hard time remembering.  I've seen the Cons a few times, and each show is incredible.  I think this was the second time I saw them somewhere in late 2006 or early 2007.  I'll give you a video of what they're like live, but seriously, videos fail to capture just how intense and awesome Cons shows actually are. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWlNqqYUWXU  Anyway, this show was the first time really that I went to a gig that felt like a party.  Pretty much all of my friends were there, and it turned into this awesome dance party for us, because we were all huge Cons fans.  "Nighttime Anytime" was my favourite moment, because my friend Matt Paterson (of Trap Tiger.  Sure, a shameless plug, but it's also his birthday!  Happy birthday, Matty!), grabbed my shoulder at the start of this song, and went "THIS SONG'S FOR YOU!"  I always think of that whenever I hear that song.  Thanks, Matt.  :)

1) Wolf Parade- "I'll Believe in Anything".  August 9th, 2008.  Kool Haus, Toronto, Ontario.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVNZBtuNnaE  This one should come as no surprise to anyone who was there.  Another show I went to with a huge pack of friends, we went absolutely mental during this song (the one that speaks to us all, we'd been waiting for it the entire show).  It was the last song of the encore, and we knew from the opening notes what song it was.  I remember Dan's sweaty hair hitting me in the face, us screaming along the lyrics, Spencer Krug calling us "sweet", and so so so much love.  It was perfect.  Absolutely perfect.

Things I do instead of work: episode 1

Well if I haven't made it clear enough already, I'm a huge procrastinator.  Take today, for example.  I have an enormous stack of books on my desk relating to the imminent research I have to do on Jean-Luc Godard and women in silent film, but instead I'm drinking tea, listening to The Smiths, and writing this blog.  Hell, one time I started writing down all the things I did in term one instead of my work, but seriously, I didn't even finish the list.  That's how bad I am.

SO!

Sunday evening, my dear friend Kyla told me to look up MEERKAT MANOR.  I was not disappointed.  Have a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIARDIz4E5U

First off, meerkats are adorable.  That in itself is frankly enough to get me to watch.  However, there's so much more!  Although I'm just repeating what Bill Nighy tells you in the narration,
I'm going to tell you again... just in case you didn't actually click the link.  Anyway, these meerkats are the subject of a study by Cambridge University, and the show follows a family called the Whiskers.  It's a telling of their daily lives, which are filled with all kinds of danger and drama.  I'm only on episode four, and already so much shit has gone down.  Babies have been born, snakes have attacked, leaving one meerkat on the verge of death, predators have threatened attack, and there has even  been West Side Story-esque territory battles- forbidden romance and all!  It's seriously like a Shakespearian tragedy at times... appropriate given that there is a meerkat called Shakespeare.

When introduced, Flower, the dominant female, has given birth to a new litter of pups who are about ready to be introduced to their environment.  Before they are ready, the pups stay underground in the borough.  Okay, this is amazing, because meerkats live in a sort of matriarchy with the dominant female in control.  There is a dominant male (Zaphod), but he still not the one in command.  From what I understand, the dominant male is the one that the dominant female chooses as a mate, and he can be overthrown, whereas there has been no indication that a coup for female leadership can take place.  This is made clear when we learn more of Youssarian, who the title sequence introduces as having "[social problems]", as he was once the dominant male and Flower's choice for a mate, but was eventually cast aside in favour of Zaphod.  Just as an aside, Zaphod is totally Youssarian's brother.  How's that for some sweet drama.  Oh, without giving too much away, [social problems] is a serious understatement.  I think because Animal Planet probably can't say [total fuck-up]. 

As indicated by this photo, baby meerkats are like the cutest thing ever.  And this show has lots of 'em!  In addition to Flower, her wayward daughters Mozart and Tosca have given birth to their own litters of pups.  This is totally dangerous too, because only the dominant female is allowed to reproduce.  She may choose kindness and let the transgressions go unpunished, but she may also choose to banish her daughters and their pups, or worse, kill the pups!  Meerkat pups are subject to so many predators, and the more pups there are, the more need protecting.  It's a dangerous world we live in, especially when you're just a tiny pup.  Thus, large numbers of pups at one time are not ideal for a family.  Moreover, Flower would want her own pups privileged.  Watching the meerkats protect the pups is also totally incredible.  For one, when there are pups, the meerkats take turns being babysitting them while the others go out looking for food.  Incredible.  And when there is a predator nearby, a bunch of the meerkats will surround the pups (kind of like whales do!), while others will bob up and down in an attempt to confuse the predator.  Similarly, if a meerkat is injured, others will stay with it to provide company, and to keep eyes ready for predators.  My God, animals are incredible.

The only real downside of this show is that it is really intense, and sometimes a bit too much to handle.  I didn't need to see a dead pup lying in the desert.  I really would like that image removed from my memory.  Also, you grow so attached to these little critters that when anything bad does happen, it's just so so tragic.

Regardless, check this show out if you haven't already! 

p.s. Mozart is totally my favourite.  She's described as [caring],

sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble

I'm back, bitches!

Seriously this time (I probably said that last time).  Up my sleeve I have long-overdue reviews/ rants about Bright Star and (500) Days of Summer, and a handy list of archiving acronyms that you should learn to make my life easier so I don't have to continually explain what things like FIAF are.

In the meantime, check out things that made me laugh hysterically this weekend:

Stop Making That Duckface, which amused me for a good 40 minutes at 3am last night when insomnia hit.  Living the dream right here, folks.

http://antiduckface.com/ 

Look at That Fucking Hipster.  

http://www.latfh.com/

Incredible.  The Internet outdoes itself sometimes.

Now, I must return to my soup, even though an enormous daddy long legs sits above my kitchen sink and is totally threatening to jump down into my hair.  Normally I'm not that afraid of daddy long legs (they only have six legs- it's the creatures from Hell with eight legs or more that really get my phobias going).  Wish me luck.