Monday, December 22nd, 2003
Now that 2003 has been analyzed, poked and prodded a-plenty, it’s time to look ahead to 2004 and the riches it will bring. Consider this a sneak-peek look at the good bets to make next year’s list. Expect new releases from:
The Mountain Goats / We Shall All Be Healed (Feb 3)
Sarah Harmer / All Of Our Names (Mar 9)
Six By Seven / Down Here On The Ground (Mar)
Luna (Apr)
The Magnetic Fields (Apr)
American Music Club / You Better Watch What You Say (May)
Ivy (Spring)
The New Year (Spring)
Sparklehorse (Spring)
Spoon / The Beast And Dragon Are Adored (Spring)
Wilco (Spring)
Built To Spill
Tanya Donelly
Interpol
Tiny Mix Tapes has their year-end list up, and they TOTALLY stole my graphic treatment. I got my list up first, therefore they are the copiers. For shame! And they’ve also redesigned, but their stylesheet doesn’t work in Netscape anymore. Someone’ll be getting a sternly worded letter about that, believe you me. Hey Wyatt – what’s your email? I want to send you a sternly worded letter.
Thanks to Kazaa, I’m now watching season two of Six Feet Under. Nuts to waiting for the DVDs. Nuts, I say!
My Las Vegas trip has been shifted ahead a half week, so I think I will be able to go to the Mark Kozelek show on the 30th. Huzzah.
It was a good weekend for holiday-type get-togethers. After the company Christmas party Friday, I spent Saturday catching up with a gaggle of university friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen since, well, last Christmas. And to top things off, I finally got an email back from Ross who had been incommunicado in Toledo since his wedding in May. It seems that “Get in touch, you chimp,” is an effective guilting device. So we’re exhausted but feeling pretty good.
np – Bedhead / Transaction De Novo
Sunday, December 21st, 2003
My year-end list is a little late getting up, I know. Lazy, dontcha know. I wanted to dress it up a little bit more than just listing stuff off, and that equals more work, and… well, lazy. At least I’ve gotten it posted before Christmas. Oddly numbered lists seem to be the fashion, so I’ve gone with a happy baker’s dozen of top albums. After that, it became impossible to rank one album against another in terms of my preference – so the honourable mention should be read as “also good”. I’ve also elected to not give each album a writeup because, uh, I’m lazy. Maybe you haven’t been paying attention. I have linked the Metacritic review page for each record if you want to read some criticism/praise, and there’s a sample mp3 of one of my favorite tracks off each album linked for your enjoyment. And while it seems obvious/futile, if you like what you hear, for the love of God go out and buy the CD. All of these artists need you love and support.
There were a lot of great shows this year, but a handful stood out as outright celebrations of music and the effect it can have on people. “Transcendent” is a pretty loaded word, but sometimes it’s appropriate. I should also mention my top two shows that I am beyond sorry I missed – Ted Leo & The Pharmacists at the Rivoli in April and Steve Earle at the Kool Haus in May.
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 Belle & Sebastian, Rasputina
Massey Hall, Toronto
November 8, 2003
Photos and review
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Broken Social Scene, Stars, Apostle Of Hustle, Jason Collett, Amy Milan
Lee’s Palace, Toronto
June 13, 2003
Photos and review
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Billy Bragg
The El Mocambo, Toronto
July 11, 2003
Photos and review
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Beulah, John Vanderslice
Lee’s Palace, Toronto
November 8, 2003
Photos and review
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The American Analog Set, The Cansecos
The Horseshoe, Toronto
June 25, 2003
Photos and review
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Saturday, December 20th, 2003
Or last night’s, to be accurate. The office Christmas party went off without a hitch. Which is to say, I stayed mostly sober, awake and kept my dinner down (which is good because it was the finest steak I’ve had in over three years) – All marked improvements over last year. I even played a couple decent games of pool. Afterwards I swung by the Global Pop Conspiracy shindig a couple blocks away and met up with Sean from House of Hotsauce. It was crazy busy and impossible to talk or move, so I only stuck around a little while, retired to the Tap for another drink then back home to crash.
There seems to be the makings of a university reunion this weekend, as there’s a bunch of my old classmates in town for one reason or another. I expect tonight will involve some more drinking and shouting over loud music. Happy holidays.
Mark Kozelek plays a solo show at the Horseshoe January 30. Tickets $12.50. Sounds like a bargain. I will be in Las Vegas, however. Alas.
Lee’s Palace will be shutting down for two weeks at the start of January for renovations, including a new stage 2.5 feet higher and 4 feet deeper. Neat.
np – various artists / Global Pop Conspiracy: Best of 2003
Friday, December 19th, 2003
I spent last night in the rehearsal space with Brad and Clay recording drums. Sitting there listening to drums and drums only for two hours is interesting… but I think we got some good stuff down. A fairly low-tech, TapeOp-approved setup, but I think it was sounding pretty good. I doubt I’ll get around to laying any of my parts down till the new year at least.
Torontonians may notice that the Rotate This website has gotten a shiny new makeover. Very nice, took long enough.
Pitchfork’s top 50 albums of 2003. Grist for the mill. I have a big fat seven of their picks.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. George W Bush needs to visit a grassy knoll somewhere. A transcript of his interview with Diane Sawyer from this week. My eye starts twitching just reading it.
The company Christmas party goes off tonight, and hopefully this year I’ll be able to pass on the mantle of official company party punch line onto someone else. The open bar didn’t quite agree with my system last year and I was nodding off through dinner. Nothing horribly embaressing, but enough to earn me a year of ribbing.
np – Luna / The Days Of Our Nights
Thursday, December 18th, 2003
The Onion has posted their year-end lists. Real ones, not fake! I think.
Kraftwerk are coming to town April 23, and playing the newly erected Ricoh Colliseum. Kraftwerk = arena rock? I’m strangely intrigued.
Pitchfork’s Top 50 singles of 2003. Do people even talk about singles anymore? I guess so. I’ve only ever heard 12 of these songs, and that includes t.a.t.u.
Neutral Milk Hotel live and rare mp3s, including a Mountain Goats cover of “Two-Headed Boy”. Courtesy of LHB.
CDs make crappy gifts for kids. From Cranky Coder.
So I missed the Emm Gryner/Sarah Slean show last night – went out to dinner with a friend and by the time I got home, it was late enough that I was pretty certain it would have been sold out – all the advance tickets had been gone for days. Alas.
np – Cinerama / Cinerama Holiday
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