Wednesday, November 3rd, 2004

Timorous Me

Check out the excellently low-budget but wonderfully-executed video for Ted Leo & The Pharmacists’ “Me And Mia” here. From Donewaiting. Also make note of the official fan site at timorousme.org and Torontonians should know that tickets are now on sale for his December 5 show at the Mod Club ($12 at Rotate This) and the openers have changed. Matt Pond PA and The Vague Angels will no longer be warming things up, instead we’ll have locals The Junction and The Meligrove Band. For my part, I am absolutely loving Shake The Sheets. It started out as a pretty solid ‘like’ but has really shifted into a higher gear with recent listenings and is totally kicking my ass right now.

Monday night I stopped by the 360 to check out Aussie pop combo Augie March. I didn’t really know any of their stuff going in – my attendance was based on some positive buzz on a few mailing lists I’m on and a couple of positive comparisons in the show ads (Wilco/Flaming Lips/Sparklehorse, etc). As it turns out, Augie March were not what I was expecting – they were far more conventional and less bent than I was led to believe. Regardless, I enjoyed their set which reminded me more of the Hothouse Flowers or James (thanks to Inaam for the second reference point), mostly thanks to singer/guitarist Glenn Richards’ smooth voice and penchant for dramatic vocal inflections. There were some moments of fine three-part vocal harmony and whatnot and all in all it was a set of finely polished pop tunes, but the band were a little lacking in stage presence and it wasn’t revelatory by any means. Local openers The Old Soul were peppy and entertaining, if a little on the shambolic side. The first half of their set was comprised of some peppy keyboard-led pop songs while the second set wandered into jammy territory. Stylistically, a good match for the headliners. Some photos here.

In the latest issue of Harp, there’s a feature on Paul Westerberg in which they sum up all the activity going on with the Mats back catalog. Here’s the lowdown: Next Fall, Rykodisc will be putting out expanded editions of the Twin/Tone albums (Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash through Let It Be) with the requisite remastering and bonus tracks and Rhino will do the same for the Warner titles (Tim through All Shook Down). The box set, which will cover both eras, likely won’t show up until 2006 and a compilation of Westerberg’s solo material will be in stores next Spring courtesy of Shout! Factory.

Filter has made available their interview with Rilo Kiley from their Summer issue.

Ivy’s fourth (proper) album has a name! In The Clear will be out on March 1 through Nettwerk, not February 1 as previously reported.

Rolling Stone finds out what the world’s got in store for Nellie McKay. It appears the matter of her age is settled as she’s noted as being 22-years old. Not that that was important, anyway. Nope.

The Music are coming back to Toronto, just four months after their last show. This time, they’re at the Kool Haus on December 14.

Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson’s new outfit The Tears have a website. Not much there yet, though, unless studio pics float your boat. From Ms Pop Tart.

I went to bed last night before things were looking too clear, though it wasn’t very encouraging for the good guys. First thing I did when I got up this morning was load up the news and… you’re fucking kidding me. I’m sure there’ll be challenges and recounts and blah-diddy-blah, but I doubt that will change anything. I want to crawl back under the covers now. Everyone and their grandmother will be offering their commentary on the election, so I’m not going to bother too much. I’m feeling many things – disappointment, disbelief, fear, anger, ennui, hunger… Actually, what started as disappointment has been quickly growing into full-on depression as I wrap my head around what a Bush win means for America and the world, and utter dumbfoundedness that despite all the deception, incompetence and all-out evil that were hallmarks of the first Bush term, the American people have decided that he deserves another four years. And this time, there’s no conspiracy theories to hide behind for the defeated – I think the results speak for themselves.

This time, Bush didn’t steal the election, it was given to him by the American people – both the voters and the non-voters (17% voter turnout for 18 to 24? Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic). He won the popular vote, he won the electoral college, the GOP took more of the House and Senate, his ban on gay marriages were resoundingly supported. To me, this says that the majority of Americans actually want his brand of ‘leadership’, his vision of morality and his agenda of fear. I think all the high-profile activism of the past month and the political circles I hang out in have presented a skewed perspective on the political landscape in the States – if you were to go by the whole “people I know” thing, Kerry would have won in a landslide. So this is… sobering. I am, however, interested to see how many of the American touring bands I’ve seen in the past year who promised to move to Canada in the wake of a Bush win, and that’s pretty much all of them, make good on their promises.

And speaking from a Canadian POV, it was frustrating to not have been able to cast a vote or influence matters in any way at all even though the ramifications of the election are obviously going to felt globally. I do still want to do my part, however, so I’ll offer to help any Americans fleeing Bush’s America get settled up here in Canada. 8×10 glossies required, Y-chromosones need not apply.

np – Idlewild / 100 Broken Windows

By : Frank Yang at 9:03 am
Category: Uncategorized
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  1. satellite says:

    The Ted Leo album is definitely a grower.. improves with each listen.

    Frank, I have to give you credit for putting much of my election feelings into words. As an American living in Europe, I can’t describe the disappointment I have in my fellow Americans today. Many people across the world have a right to think of us as fools.

  2. toni says:

    i read your board all of the time and I feel like I need to comment on the US election.

    It sucks that the Chimp won but it looks like it was handed to him by the apathetic young non-voters. They should have gotten off their asses and voted. With all of this talk about it being such an important election you’d think more people would have voted. Looking at their system from an outsider’s perspective there are so many changes that need to be made, but as long as it works for the status quo it will remain the same.

    Unfortunately we will feel these ramifications but at least in our country (i’m Canadian) love overpowers war.

    Keep up the good work, I love chromewaves!

  3. Matt says:

    A very sad for the world at large. I can resettle a couple of American refugees in the UK if they want, same rules apply…

    Good call on the Idlewild CD, I really enjoy that one.

  4. shane says:

    i live in san diego and i too am stunned that the popular vote would go to bush. wtf?!!! topographically this is a great country, but it is almost unbearable to think of what life will be like here after 8 years of bush rule.

    canada, seriously, what is it like there? i’ve forgotten the alanis morrisette and celine dion incidents, and am encouraged by the whole arcade fire/broken social scene/stars thing happening. that’s about all i know of canada. except for maybe the fact that you don’t run around the world fucking it up for everyone else.

    i’m embarrassed to be an american. any info, pics, whatever of life in canada would be great. thanks.

    p.s. i love chromewaves too!

  5. Ryan says:

    i am 25, american, vehemently supported kerry, vehemently hated bush and worst of all, my whole family are staunch republicans from ohio (i live in baltimore)…there are just so many sheltered areas of america that are so ignorant(mainly the states bush won, surprisingly)…you think your depressed….try hearing all the gloating from your own family

    how much is a flight to toronto?

  6. tankboy says:

    i think you put it best when you said your began to realize how many americans support bush’s style of "leadership." after yesterday i’m seeing the same thing and am throughly depressed.

  7. Frank says:

    hey everyone. Thanks for the kind words, they’re small comfort right now, though. I’m still coming to terms with the fact that the world doesn’t work in quite the way I’d expected.

    What’s Canada like? It’s nice. I’m more pleased than usual that my parents decided to settle up here instead of Oklahoma (real scenario). To give you an idea, I think we, by and large, were following the US election at least as closely as America was and if the two candidates had been running up here, Kerry would have won by something like 70-30. Even our conservatives are more liberal than some of your liberals. We’re a helluva lot more secular than America, as well. I dunno, it’s similar but different. Cultural mosaic vs melting pot, etc.

    My favourite way of describing the distinction between us and US is "Americans are idealists, Canadians are pragmatists", followed closely by "Canada is what the American revolution didn’t prove". Take those as you will.

  8. Ashly says:

    Great job summing up the election. Man did you see how demoralized Jon Stewart was. I guess the Bush campaign did a great job scaring the bejesus out of people. Bizarre how people in Wyoming are so afraid of terrorist attacks.

    I don’t think I’ve ever been so disapointed in my fellow man. This is Apathy’s Last Kiss.

    great site btw.

  9. Rachel says:

    Now someone can tell Americans whom they can marry, whom they can’t abort, and what scare tactic they can die for. At least Ivy has a new album coming out. Hey, did you guys really wanna live forever? Oh, and don’t forget, there are a lot of young Americans who are Republicans. Just because you’re young doesn’t make you smart.

  10. Alpha says:

    That 17% is really depressing.

    I mean, sheesh, you have Eminem and P.Diddy telling you to vote… what more do you guys want? A free Xbox for every vote?

  11. bozairzere says:

    look at it this way, if the whole planet earth took the day off to protest W’s warfuntime (which we did)

    it still doesn’t matter. if there were global polls it still wouldn’t stop him. so uh, hows the job market in toronto? really.

  12. mr g says:

    i’m going to lay off the politcal commentary, because i have overloaded on it my this point. i’m just happy to be in a blue state (though it was close here in mn). i will say that i love that ted leo video, and was going to post about it at some point (and probably still will do so). take care, everybody!

  13. Victor Ng says:

    re: the election…

    i told you so.

  14. Frank says:

    yes you did. Does that make you feel better?

  15. janelle says:

    i’m single now! photo is on its way… heh.