Archives : all posts by Dan

Mike Andrews - "Before the Echo"

Mike Andrews makes me consider if music can have a purpose. Can it insulate your house? Can it feed the neighbourhood kitty? Can it keep a row of books from falling over? Absolutely not. Music is useless.

And yet I use this song. I wear it sewn to my coat, I take a hot tray out of the oven with it, I lick it and stick it. Such is the contradiction of Mike Andrews: simultaneously played and playing, at once influenced and influential. I like it a lot. [Buy]

Material (feat. William S. Burroughs) - "Seven Souls"

The Sopranos has started again and, via Jack Fear via The Face Knife, I've decided to discuss the song used in the opening sequence of the new season.

It's a simple list of the seven souls thought to exist by Ancient Egyptians, those which are set free into motion at the time of "bodily death". I have no idea how historically accurate it is, but I'm not too concerned with that.

What interests me is the pecking order. It's a six-minute descent to one word - remains. We start at the most transcendent of the souls, the director, and fall slowly to what I can only assume is some representation of the individual, one's mind. This would be the one thing in the whole steamy tangle that has any agency, any responsibility, yet it's under the pull and push of six other forces. But it's still the base, the core that all the souls hang on to to survive. Like a slave, essentially. Even in the land of the dead, a tool for the survival of others. That's fucked up.

see The Face Knife for the full text, and read his excellent movie reviews.

Arab Strap - "There Is No Ending"

If I were 16, I think I'd love this song, so this is dedicated to that possibility. And this is also dedicated to the possibility that you never get over someone, that they kill you with their words. And to the possibility that someone can depend on you, completely, so much so that you make them up, as in constitute them, and yourself. To the possibility that you deserve half the things you dream up.

I really don't like this guy's voice, but I love when he says "each weak knee." [Buy]

About - "Stack of Marshalls"

This song is a video game with only some squares and a circle in a box with one door. The squares are a beat that takes practice, the circle is a lovechild of Ben Gibbard and Data, and the door is a chorus that's as reliable as jeans. Once you get the hang of this song (you might think it's downloading improperly, but it's not) it's really pretty fun, you should go back and play it again. You'll be better at it.
[this is not available, but Free Sampler Album]

Dorian Hatchet - "Buffalo"

After this, I will post Dorian Hatchet one more time (when their album comes out) and then you're on your own. They were recently called "torturously bad" in a local newspaper, so I decided I would work against that rumour. I saw them again the other night, and they are still getting stronger and stronger. The piano lines walked over me with lead shoes, the drums and I were high-fiving. There was almost no one there, so it felt really personal.
But we are dealing here with their recorded material. This song is like going up in one of those glass-walled elevators. Where at the top you can see the whole city, or the whole inside of a mall. If you were to stage a dance for this song, it would best be done in a squirrel costume. But lots of paper lightning would be used, and fake blood.

To help me with this, meet me (right now!) at the glass-walled elevator at Centre Eaton with a carpet swatchbook and some bristol board. I'll bring the boom-box. [Site]

Thunderbirds Are Now! - "This World is Made of Paper"

This song is a testament to never throwing out music. I've had this forever, but I guess never gave it its due. This song has a swagger so fast you can't even swagger fast enough to keep up. The riff, however, is wearing the most neon clothes, so everything else is lit from its glow, but I'm okay with that. I understand that sometimes, we can't all be strong. That makes these two songs opposites, in a way. One is the kind where the dancer is the leader, the other where the dancer is the follower. [Buy]

Bing Crosby - "An Irish Lullaby"

Today is St. Patrick's Day, and Bing Crosby can autograph my entire life if he wants. I remember Saturday night ceilis, the smell of smoke and beer thick in the air like regular air, and this song being hooed through bad amps as old people swayed and smiled. I was probably 8, still in my kilt from having danced an hour before, thinking about the video games I would play the next day. [his geocities site]

--

So, I haven't posted since you guys gave us all the help we needed in the span of six hours. So, thank you. And, as promised, we have gifts for you. There are eleven sad tales up now, featuring the names of the donors (or the names they requested).

Hello Everyone,

I don't usually do this (talk as myself) but I am in charge of introducing the first ever Said the Gramophone Funding Drive. We have been growing in popularity for a couple of years now, and the computer bills have begun to add up. We'd pay them ourselves, but we just can't do it, so we're turning to you. I'd explain in more detail, but Sean has done such a great job at the page he's set up, that I think I'll leave the details to him (fun gifts!). One thing Sean doesn't mention is the sheer amount of work that goes into this site. This is not to make you feel guilty, but rather to try to give you a sense of the goodness your money is being invested in. We were talking once about how long each of us took to post, and each of us independently thought they took by far the longest, but we realised we all average between 2 and 4 hours per post. This is the amount of time, twice a week, that upsets girlfriends, sends you home early from a night with friends, and makes you count your sleep on one hand. We are dedicated, and we will continue to work hard at this, if you're with us.

thanks,
Dan

The Said the Gramophone Funding Drive Page [Update, less than six hours later: Funding drive over! Thank you so much!]

--

Psapp - "New Rubbers"

I bought a Kant book for 50¢ the other day. And then that night I went to see a play involving a character from Königsburg. One was certainly the other's justification, because coincidences that I notice must have way more significance to the world than the ones I don't. In regards to this song, the coincidence deepens because I can successfully assert that I ought to listen to the cash-register ding and distant spring thaw children noises because it is true that everyone ought to listen to them too. [Buy old stuff]

Envelopes - "I Don't Like It"

I once got called closed-minded for saying that I didn't want to try shampoo in bar form. Which is kind of a closed-minded opinion to hold, guy didn't even ask me about all the pre-judging I don't do. Besides, sometimes you need to judge in advance, otherwise you'd be drinking lots of spoiled milk just to make sure your sense of smell isn't wrong and walking into walls just to make sure you're not a ghost. So, I'm going to go ahead and make this judgment: even without ever having done it, I don't think I'd like an Envelopes concert. But I like an Envelopes song, this one, and even though I've never done it, this song is perfect for listening to during cut-and-paste crafts. I am, however, a huge racist, so don't trust my word on this. [Buy]

Candy Bars - "Landscapes"

If genres were nations, and they are, Candy Bars would have, and has, many passports. They even have a passport to my bedroom, where they have arrived this evening and thrown everything about, and now they're just sitting here. I think I saw Mark Mothersbaugh too, but I can't be sure, I think one of them might have just muttered his name under their breath, while another was screaming about my parents. But they painted all my walls (even my ceiling) with this mural about history. I think it's supposed to be about history being born and dying every day. I don't get it, but there's a lot of blood and wings around me now. [Buy]

Lycaon Pictus - "Death Disco"

This is when the weird guy who's been dancing by himself all night, one shirtsleeve way longer than the other, one side of his hair curly, the other straight, gets up on stage and suddenly commands the attention of every hipster, alcoholic, and flirt in the room. People kind of look around, surprised, but then by the end there's dudes acting out the cocaine zombies. [Buy]

--

Also, I made what I call a 'visual accompaniment' to that Casiotone song I posted. I don't want to call it a 'video' because that connotes purpose and intention, this really has neither. It's an experiment that came from the idea that video ipods should really be using their video screens more effectively. If I could make one for every song I post, I would, but I can't, I can only hope I have the time and energy to make more than one. (i guess it also depends on the response)

The Figurines - "Race You"

(this sounds like) The opening chords of a musical, the main character comes out of a pile of garbage, wearing a tattered business suit, and clutching a small piece of paper. It's an IOU, and the story is about him searching for the person it's from, trying to reclaim something he's owed, but he doesn't know what it is or where to find it. I believe the show ends without him finding it.

The Figurines - "The Wonder"

It's easiest to hit a homerun when the pitch comes right down the pipe. This song comes right at you, right at your face, and you can let it go, let it pass, or you can knock it really far. Sometimes I let pitches like this pass, but not today. Today, I like things that are easy to like.

[Buy, and they're playing in Montreal tomorrow, Ottawa tonight]

Love Is All - "Make Out Fall Out Make Up"

The Singer:
The singer of this band, one hundred AM radios, knows both the meaning of "aurora" and the best way to get me to run down the street for no reason.
The Melody:
I'm a cast member of Annie, suddenly thrust into a circle of watching dancers. And I'm able to break dance, really well.
The Drums:
The Hottest Girl At The Party
The Chorus:
Feels like the last day of school; so much potential when the bell rings. [Buy]

Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice - "Don't Love the Liar"

Barely more than an interlude, this song breeds danger and sets tones like knives and forks. Telling someone not to love "the liar" is like asking someone not to push "that button". But the Wooden Wand know that very well, they kind of want you to do it, so you can see what they had to go through. [Buy]

--

I'll be moderating a discussion on blogs and music publicity this Saturday at the Royal York Hotel as part of Canadian Music Week. If you show up at 3:55pm, and talk to me, I can probably get you in. To what's probably going to be a pretty boring hour. Unless I lose my shit and throw a chair at Carl Wilson.