Tuesday, December 28th, 2004
A late Christmas present to you courtesy of Torr – a recording of the first ever Tears gig from the Zodiac in Oxford on December 12 of this year. The download page Torr links to has a horribly annoying download interface and transfer restrictions, so I’ve taken the liberty of uploading the show to my own server here. The recording is a little rough, but the material sounds pretty good – not as arch and dramatic as old Suede, but solid. And it’s always good to hear Bernard Butler on the gee-tar.
I’ve mentioned in the past my love-hate relationship with Douglas Coupland… Well, that’s actually overstating how much I like and dislike his work. I’ve always been mildly frustrated with his books – he wants to be wacky and he wants to be profound, and the end result always seems to suffer for it. Well he’s finally written a book that I genuinely enjoyed start to finish – Hey Nostradamus!. It starts with a Columbine-esque high school shooting and ripples outwards to see how it affects various people, both directly and indirectly. Maybe it’s because of the weightiness of the subject matter that he decided to tone down the humour aspects of this book, but it really works – instead of being caricatures, the characters are fully-realized and empathic. The opening section of the book detailing the actual shooting is particularly affecting.
My impression of the book is no doubt influenced by the event I saw with him at the International Festival of Authors back in Fall 2002, wherein he discussed the Columbine shootings and how it affected him. A lot of the topics and themes he talked about I see directly in Hey Nostradamus! and it really adds to the weight of his words. If you want to read about it, take a trip in the wayback machine. I actually started and finished the book yesterday afternoon, it was that engrossing. I’m excited that I seem to have finally gotten over a hump with Coupland’s work, and have reserved Eleanor Rigby at the library – here’s hoping Hey Nostradamus! wasn’t a fluke.
Next up on the holiday reading list – Richard Russo’s Empire Falls.
So the day after I discover Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Each Note Secure gives us this link to two live GYBE! shows. Coincidence? I think so.
I went to the optometrist yesterday morning to get my eyes checked out, and naturally they put in those dilating drops to get a good look around my peepers. Which was fine, except it also happened to be one of the sunniest days in weeks and the downtown is still largely sheathed in white, shiny, reflective ice and I didn’t bring my sunglasses… So if you were on Yonge St yesterday around noon and saw some guy running down the street screaming, “AAHH! MY EYES, MY EYES!”, that was me. How you doing.
np – M Ward / Transfiguration Of Vincent
Monday, December 27th, 2004
It’s hard to discuss House Of Flying Daggers without making comparisons to the other Zhang Yimou film that came out in North America this year, Hero. It’s a less ambitious film than Hero in scope, symbolism and narrative style, but I found it a little more engaging – probably for those very reasons – and enjoyed the martial arts sequences even more. The battle in the bamboo forest, in particular, is spectacular. It’s not as visually arresting as Hero – with a few exceptions, there isn’t the same elaborate use of colour – but it’s still a treat for the eyes.
The story is fairly simple – soldiers attempting to break open a ring of rebels, the titular House of Flying Daggers, concocts a plan to trick a blind assassin of the house into leading them to their hideout. Kung fu fighting ensues. At around the 2/3-way point that the plot takes a large twist that could have taken the film to another level completely, but I felt that it squandered the opportunity by taking the more formulaic route. Okay, it made perfect sense in the spirit of the film to do what they did, but I would have preferred to go the other way. Either way, with House Of Flying Daggers and Hero, I’m pleased to see that there’s an audience for martial arts movies that actually have some plot and emotional content in addition to the chop-socky fighting.
Largehearted Boy got a site redesign for Christmas!
A quick round-up of my Boxing Day haul from yesterday:
Godspeed You Black Emperor! / Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven!
Manic Street Preachers / Lifeblood
Sigur Ros / Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do EP
Spiritualized / The Complete Works Volume Two
M Ward / Transfiguration Of Vincent
Rachael Yamagata / Happenstance
After about one listen each, here’s my impressions – Godspeed very good, Spiritualized not really necessary, Sigur Ros definitely not necessary but it only cost me $5, Yamagata better than I expected, M Ward very good. There’s still a few more things I’d like to get on sale, and hopefully Soundscapes will scratch that itch today.
It’s been a tough year in Blue Jay land. Besides a dismal season, the departure of franchise cornerstone Carlos Delgado and the health problems of long-time broadcaster Tom Cheek, there were the deaths of former pitcher and broadcaster John Cerutti, former manager Bobby Mattick and just this weekend, former player Doug Ault passed away. Ault is in the record books as the first Blue Jay to hit a home run for the franchise, launching two dingers past the outfield fence in Exhibition Stadium against the Chicago White Sox on a snowy April 7, 1977. Here’s hoping ’05 wears better for the Jays.
Sunday, December 26th, 2004
Frenchmen and Germans, touring together, mass hysteria… M83 and Ulrich Schnauss, aka the “Keyboards, Not Guitars Shoegazing Revival” travelling minstry, are in town to spread their gospel on April 19 at Lee’s Palace, donations $15. Schnauss’ A Strangely Isolated Place came out in North America this past July and M83’s Before the Dawn Heals Us is out January 25. I have been trying very hard to get into their last effort Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, with only modest success. Still, I will be going to this show hoping to be converted.
Emm Gryner picks her top albums of 2004, and then changes her mind (from Foxymoron). Speaking of Emm, her new album of Irish covers, Songs Of Love And Death isn’t out till January 18 but Mishie has an advance copy and a sneak preview.
Matt Pond PA’s Winter Songs EP will be out January 25. Lots of great covers on this one, including Neil Young, Richard & Linda Thompson and Neutral Milk Hotel. From Unfinished.
I spent yesterday kicking around the old homestead, being reminded of just how DULL it is back in Oakville. But a good kinda dull. Thanks to the World Juniors, there was some actually worthwhile hockey on television to be watched in the afternoon (7-3 over Slovakia!) and I went to see House Of Flying Daggers last night (review on that tomorrow, I think), but otherwise I just sat around catching up on some reading.
Today being Boxing Day (that’s Crazy Post-Christmas Sale Day for you Yanks), I will be spending most of the day – and in fact, the next week, spending obscene amounts of money on things I don’t really need. I am going to attempt to stay out of the electronics stores but I promise nothing.
Friday, December 24th, 2004
While I highly question the authenticity of these children’s Christmas letters to Christopher Walken, they’re still pretty dang funny.
JAM! collects some quotable quotes from 2004 and assembles their own albums of the year list.
Sterogum has his year-end list up, complete with non-album mp3s for each record! Keener.
Stylus spikes the egg nog with some haterade, listing off the 40 worst albums of 2004. Considering the list is identical to their Best of 2004 list, I think we can assume that their tongues are planted firmly in cheek.
Also from Stylus – Top 10 inevitable reunions for 2005. As much as I’d like to see some of these (Replacments, My Bloody Valentine), I don’t see much hope for most of these prospects.
Res Magazine has a Q&A with Jeff Tweedy about the whys and wherefores of The Wilco Book.
French Kicks at the Horseshoe March 10, $10.
Since it worked so well for Stars, Metric have added a second, all-ages show to compliment their Mod Club date on the 21st of January. The underagers can get their rocks off on the 22nd at a 7pm early show.
Bored over the holidays? This zoomquilt will keep you occupied for hours. Or drive you stark raving mad.
I am looking to book a hotel for SXSW. Is five miles far? I don’t understand your crazy moon distances.
It was Christmas Eve day, in the drunk tank… I expect many if not most will be en route to homes or whatnot for the weekend. I myself am heading back to the homestead this afternoon and enjoying the start of a full week off from work. Everyone have a happy holiday weekend, and for God’s sake – be careful out there.
np – Stars / Set Yourself On Fire
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