Friday, May 16th, 2003
Spent last night holed up in Lake Holiday HQ laying down tracks for the new album… Okay, one track. For one song. But I have managed to reduce my recording time to track time ratio from one hour per minute to half an hour per minute. And I only needed four takes this time. No punch-ins. Huzzah.
Afterwards, I went to see Fruit Bats at B-Side. I now remember why I don’t drive anywhere… finding parking was beyond a pain in the ass. Anywawy, I was so beat that I was thinking I’d just go home but I found a spot and got to the show with about 10 minutes to spare. Immediately dozed off. Well, not immediately, but quickly. Dark + tired + warm = dozy. Anyway, I did stay awake through most of the set. While some might complain about the abbreviated set (45 minutes), it was perfect for me since I was ready to go home anyway. It was a good show – they sound like the quieter side of The Shins (new website!), John Vanderslice and Honeybunch. Wonderful 60s-ish folky pop music, dead-on male/female harmonies and bloopy synths. Good stuff – I also picked up their new album, Mouthfuls.
Spoon are releasing a 7-track mini-LP for That’s The Way We Get By in August on 12XU Records. In addition to the title track, there’ll be 6 live tracks and scads of videos from Kill The Moonlight. Okay, maybe not scads, but more than one. Maybe.
Free music. A clip of “Stacy’s Mom”, the first single from Welcome Interstate Managers is available for curious ears on the Fountains Of Wayne website. I wonder if Ric Ocasek’s lawyers have been mobilized yet?
Mogwai have put “Hunted By A Freak”, the leadoff track from Happy Songs For Happy People up in the Audio section of their site, along with five other rare tracks. Go get em.
Welcome Interstate Managers is out June 10. Happy Songs For Happy People is out June 17.
np – Fruit Bats / Mouthfuls
Thursday, May 15th, 2003
They may be bloated, over-the-hill undead with guitars, but if The Rolling Stones play a free show in Toronto to encourage post-SARS tourism, they’re okay with me. Though Keef is still scary.
I’m going through a Future Shop flyer this morning, and I see an ad for The Essential Shawn Mullins. Essential? Didn’t this guy only have one album in the first place? An odd inclusion alongside Dylan, Gershwin and The Clash. Hell, even Kenny Loggins. Oh, but it’s been digitally remastered, so that’s okay I guess.
np – Steve Earle / El Corazon
Wednesday, May 14th, 2003
Before May sweeps, I didn’t even know there was a 25th ammendment to the US constitution. Now I’ve seen it invoked on two separate shows! A pity life can’t imitate art. Still, an interesting twist on The West Wing tonight. I wasn’t expecting a cliffhanger since this was Aaron Sorkin’s last episode at the creative helm of the show. This means that an all new creative team will have to pick up the ball and run with it. Regardless, I’m happy to have my Wednesday nights tv-free for a few months at least. And after next week, Tuesdays are liberated from the boob tube as well!
Exploding Dog books! They’re nice, I want one, but they’re expensive!
np – R.E.M. / Up
Wednesday, May 14th, 2003
Some pros for taking the first week of July off. One – it seems we will be taking the Tuesday off, not the Monday. So if I take that week off, it’s just 4 days of holiday and not five. Two – American Analog Set is coming to the Horseshoe on June 25th.
Kyle is recommending to me Brendan Benson, who is doing an instore at Soundscapes the afternoon of June 1 and a show at the Horseshoe that night.
np – various artists / The Amos House Collection Volume 1
Wednesday, May 14th, 2003
Work is breathing down my neck to book off vacation days. I have nine days remaining before October 15th. Two or three of those are set aside for going to NYC/All Tomorrow’s Parties in September, though I wish they’d at least post the dates for the festival if not the lineup. Either way, I figure it to be a Friday-Saturday-Sunday affair, so that’d be three days off I’d need to reserve (the Thursday, Friday and Monday, at least). That leaves me approximately one week to play with. I’m currently eyeing the last week of June (23 to 27) though the preceding weekend I would not be able to get away because of the Wilco show on Friday and Andrea and Bryan’s wedding on Saturday. Not that I could really afford to go away for a full eight or nine days or whatever. I have to check if we are taking Canada Day on the 30th of June (the Monday), in which case I could sneak an extra day off onto the stretch. The other option is the following week, which would only cost me four days (on account of Canada Day). Downside, everyone would be travelling that week and transportation might be pricier. I don’t know. This is all to say nothing of the fact that I have no idea where to go or what to do. Suggestions?
np – Superchunk / Come Pick Me Up
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