Bolster Your Holster

No matter how much the Arts permeate our lives, they are often seen as ‘optional’ in the eyes of politicians and governments. At a Federal level the Stephen Harper led Conservatives have made Canada less environmentally, internationally and artistically friendly than it has been in years. In fact they celebrated their two year anniversary with a majority government and the Toronto Star has a good review of what they’ve done since then. No matter how much we criticize Canadian programming on the CBC, it was still ours and we secretly loved what we could get out of low-budget shows over the years. CBC’s funding has been cut drastically, CBC radio music studios have been closed almost everywhere, people have lost their jobs and we’re quickly losing our ability to embrace our peoples imagination and initiative as the Government tries to control the heart and soul of Canada’s media.

But that’s another story. What I’m concerned about is the Provincial Government and the recent funding cuts to the Edmonton Public Schools Music Enrichment Program. The Music Enrichment program has been a part of out city for over 50 years and gives students the opportunity to further their music studies after school in a safe environment with qualified instructors on a wide variety of musical instruments. This program benefits both students by encouraging their talents and parents by providing a safe, educational extracurricular activity. The students in this program are there based on their aptitude and commitment, these are students that want to play an instrument and may take it up as a profession in the future.

I never took part in this program, but there are thousands of people who have, many who have gone on to become full-time musicians or at least continued playing throughout their lives. It may not seem like much to some, but imagine cutting a school’s basketball or football team and see the uproar that would come from that. These students will go on to join orchestras, form bands, or maybe just play songs with their families, but in turn that will influence countless others. Our lives are shaped and lived by the culture that surrounds us and stifling that culture will make us look elsewhere and ultimately affect our growth as people and as a city. If you’ve ever seen the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, these are the students that become the musicians. If you’ve even seen a local jazz group, these are the students playing those songs. If you’ve ever seen a band at a local music venue, these students are that band. You get the picture.

Funding cuts to the Edmonton Public School Board from the Provincial Government has caused the School Board to look for ways to save money and ending the $220,000 Music Enrichment program was one way to save money. Now $220,000 per year is not a lot of money to continue a program that enriches hundreds of students lives per year and with the Government expecting a $5.2 Billion surplus in the next budget, it would be easy to save the program, which many parents, musicians and concerned individuals are trying to do. I would suggest signing this petition or writing your local MLA or the Premier directly.

-Kris

I wish you could be with me, as my life’s just begun,

You should see him lying there, he looks just like me, 

But I sure hope that it is you, that he grows up to be.

I miss my Mom.  I think about her all the time.  And lately it seems that nearly everything reminds me of her.  Special occasions, letters from family members, Billy Elliot, my two sisters and my Dad, and of course my wife and daughter.

I know that she would be proud of me.  Of my wonderful family.  Of my sister’s and how we live our lives.  She is, after all, why we do.

Recently I heard this song by Norwegian singer Jonas Alaska, and it really hit home.  It is about losing a brother, but as with all songs about loss, it becomes more than that.  I have found myself listening to it a lot lately.  It is one that gives me some form of reassurance.  Or it simply fills me with happy thoughts about my Mom.

I know that this isn’t the happiest of Easter posts.  But to me Easter is about family.  And this is just where I am right now.  But, trust that I am alright.  I am quite well actually.  I have Neko and Steph, who truly have large pieces of my Mom.  I have my sisters, who obviously carry on a lot of her Legacy.  And I have my Dad.  I have crazy good family, and I feel blessed.

So here is the song by Jonas Alaska off of his second album, if only as a ghost, that was just released.  A little slice of Norwegian Americana.

And a little quote from Billy Elliot (which happens to be one of my favourite movies), and although my Mom was amazing, this just rings true.

Mrs. Wilkinson: She must’ve been a very special woman, your mother.
Billy: No she was just me mam.

As I have mentioned before, my wife Steph and I had a baby girl on 12.12.12.  Together we had a variety of names that we kept swinging between.  Some she really liked.  Some I really liked.  And a few that we both liked.  We knew that naming your child is an important and difficult task.  We both wanted something that was unique, but not too unique.  Something that was artistic and athletic. Something that was pretty, but not overtly girly.

We decided upon 3 names.  One that stood out.  The others were great names and were there in case it just didn’t suit her. It did, and it does.

Her name is Neko Anne Scade.

Her middle name Anne was in tribute to my Mother.  It was her middle name and it came from her Grandma, and is a classic feminine name. However, we get asked quite often where the name Neko comes from.  Of course it comes from music.

Neko was named mainly after 2 musicians, but ultimately 5 artists influenced it.  Back in University I had a friend name Niko, and since then I thought it was unique sounding name.  There is a variety of spellings, Nico being the most popular.  But we felt that the most feminine version was that of the fantastic singer Neko Case.  For those that don’t know the works of Neko Case, she has been performing solo material since the mid 90′s and is also a member of the Canadian band The New Pornographers.  I have only had the opportunity to see her live once, which was in the 90′s.  She has one of those signature voices, and her 2009 album Middle Cyclone was on my best of 2009 list. She is also scheduled for this years Edmonton Folk Music Festival, so maybe Neko can meet Neko.

The other musician that the name is inspired from is Nico Muhly.  If you have read the music blog before, you will likely know that I am a huge fan of Nico Muhly and his compositions.  He is a prolific classical composer that works with many contemporary musicians.  Nico has released a number of albums/pieces through the label bedroom community and some of his more traditional work through the classical label Decca.  He has also worked with musicians such as Jonsi, Valgeir Sigurddsson, Grizzly Bear, Sufjan Stevens, Bjork, Antony and the Johnsons’s and most recently Usher, among many others.  He also composed the score to The Reader.

The other artists that had some influence on the name is Andy Warhol’s muse Nico who contributed to the self-titled debut album by the Velvet Underground and Nico.  One of the most influential rock albums of all time.  And to a lesser degree, Nicolas Jaar (who goes by Nico sometimes) and Nico Stai.  But they are mostly just supportive.

In the last 3 months we have found that Neko suits Neko.  And that any other name just doesn’t seem to fit.  It’s funny how that works.

So, in celebration of Neko, I have created a playlist that consists of music that inspired the naming of Neko.  Neko Case, Nico Muhly (and some of his collaborative arrangements), The Velvet Underground and Nico, Nico Jaar, and Nico Stai.  It is available for listening on 8Tracks.

The first half concentrates on Neko Case then transitions in Nico of the Velvet Underground, then Nico(las Jaar) and then into Nico Muhly and his collaborations.  8tracks unfortunately limits you to 2 song per artist, so that is the way it has got to be.

You can also check out some more pictures of Neko at our friend’s website Erik Hornung Photography, and a slideshow of her birth at Kelsy Nielson Photographer.

As you may have noticed, I have been a little absent as of late. Life seems to get in the way of what we deem extraneous activities. On top of this being the busiest 2 months of the year, I happened to start a new career move in mid August, and maintain the small business we run. This was something I wasn’t anticipating, and was somewhat unprepared for. Add into that, the fact that my wife and I are expecting a new baby in December, and you have one highly busy guy. I have several posts to make in the coming days/weeks/whenever i can find a spare 30 minutes. Posts about new local releases, symphonic performances, Fall playlists, new songs, and playlists for the coming baby.

However, today it is once again about Swedish Pop. I have fallen for the Nordic bands/girls this year. The sound coming from those beautiful countries just seems to grab me as of late. There is a blog that features only awesome music from the Nordic Countries called Ja Ja Ja, and I have been introduced to so many of these new artist’s from this site. This new track by Swedish Sister Duo, Saint Lou Lou, is of no exception. This isn’t a flashy Robyn or Niki and the Dove track. This is a slow and seductive track that teases itself into your ears with its whispery vocals and sensual slow mo Black and White video. Check out the video below, and the fantastic remix by Montauk directly below the video.

And if you can’t get enough Music from the Nordic Region, I am really enjoying the new Sandra Kolstad album and I highly expect it to be one of my top albums of the year. It tends to lean more towards the dark electronic side of the spectrum, borrowing from influences of Fever Ray, Kate Bush, and Bjork. This Norwegian artist is making waves over in Europe, and hopefully will reach a little crossover here in North America. Her new video is below. Enjoy!

And if you needed some more of my favs from this region, here are few more recent videos for your perusal.

More Dark Electronic Swedish/Norwegian Pop – Karin Park

Norwegian Retro Pop – Michael Paskalev

I may even post a playlist of my favourite Nordic Music sometime soon.

- Shaun

It was early 2000. I had read an article about a band that Thom Yorke highly recommended. I was working at HMV at the time, and my new friend Kris and I both ordered this album. It took forever to arrive. It had this weird little alien on the cover of this blue cardboard sleeve. I had no idea what to expect. I was house sitting for some family friends at the time. so I went to the house. Put it on their high end stereo. Turned it up. I had a friend over. I really wanted to experience this album that I so looked forward to. We both laid on the floor, and I closed my eyes. From the very first reverse looped vocals that faded into the signature sonar blips of Svefn-G-Englar, I was entranced. I had never heard anything like this before. Had never felt so much from an album before. I laid there transfixed. Stuck. Immobile. For over an hour.

This would be the beginning of my relationship with Sigur Rós. Today was another milestone. Today was a global stream of their new album Valtari. My favourite record store, Listen, was hosting listening party. I felt inclined to attend. To experience the album for the first time with like minded fans. But as the time grew nearer, I found myself wanting to experience it for the first time alone. I grabbed the laptop, a blanket, and some headphones. I went into my father’s backyard. Laid down beneath the clouds, and then closed my eyes. Once again I found myself immersed into the music.

The music is very reminiscent of Ágætis Byrjun. It is also a more ambient record. A solitary sounding album that I am glad I experienced in this way.

In an era of digital everything, I find that sometimes I just don’t dedicate myself to the experience as much as I used to. We are now in a time where life is multitasked. We don’t have time to dedicate an entire hour to simply listening to a record. 10 minutes to truly appreciate a piece of art. 15 hours to enjoy a great book. We hardly have enough attention to watch a 2 hour movie without checking our phones.

Our media consumption has changed. We now consume at a much higher rate than ever before. We see hundreds of photos a day. We hear music everywhere we go, sometimes over 100 songs a day. We watch video clips, making sure that they aren’t over 5 minutes long before we even start. We read in blocks of 144 characters, or in small chunks.

We forget that sometimes it isn’t the media that matters. But the feeling. The memory. The experience. If I think back to all of my favourite songs or albums, they all have a story. An experience behind it. Every time I hear that song/album I am reminded of that story. That experience.

I am a professional photographer. I photograph weddings and portraits. I am good at what I do. Ultimately, it isn’t how great my composition and lighting are. It doesn’t matter how good my equipment is, or how I post process my work. In the end, it is about the feeling. The memory. The experience. These images are pieces of our lives. Pieces of our relationships. They chronicle our moments. Instances, that when looked back upon, remind us of the experience. That time in our lives.

Little did I know 12 years ago, what the year 2000 had in store for me. It turned out to be one of the key transitions in my life. And that year, will always remind me of Sigur Rós. Of Ágætis Byrjun. Of Flugufrelsarinn. It was a year of growth, discovery, heartache, and so much more.

I anticipate this year to be another year of transition. And I vow to experience it. To pay more attention to life. To music. To art. To my craft. To my family. To my friends.

I don’t want to skim through life. I want to dedicate myself and my time to living.

I want to create. And I want to feel what others create.

- Shaun

I’ve not listened to The Band that much, but there is no denying their influence. From their early days as Bob Dylan’s backing band to The Last Waltz they were pioneers of roots rock and one of the early iconic Canadian rock bands. ‘The Weight’ may be one of the best known rock songs of all time, though not many known its actual title or who sings it. I was listening to the radio on my way home and Levon Helm was described as the backbone of the The Band. Robbie Robertson may be the best known member and main song writer, but Levon was the glue before and after their first break-up.

I was fortunate enough to see Helm live in 2010 at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, which the video below is from. He wasn’t able to sing much then, but just having his presence there was magical. We’ll miss you Levon, but you’ll live on through the amazing music you’ve left us.

The Head and The Heart’s debut album never connected me on the first few listens. That was back in 2010. In 2011 I was fortunate to see them live at the Calgary Folk Music Festival and by the end they had won me over. They managed to create a concert experience unlike one I’ve ever been at. Everyone was dancing, everyone was singing, everyone could feel the emotion and you could tell the band was too.

There was a song they played called ‘Rivers and Roads’ that I had never heard and when I looked at the version of the album I had the song was nowhere to be found. It turned out that they had re-released the album in 2011 with ‘Rivers and Roads’ as an extra track. It suddenly made the album more poignant and enhanced the tracks around it. I still don’t like the whole album but the middle of it is pure gold.

Shaun recently texted me about how ‘Rivers & Roads’ had been featured in Chuck and How I Met Your Mother. Shaun and I both had this song in our Top songs of 2011 (which you can find here and here on the blog). Usually I’m upset when a song I love is brought into the mainstream, but this song is just so beautiful and heartfelt that it needs to be heard. It’s a song of longing, distance, love, happiness, sadness that can really take over your emotions. It is a track of many guises. This is what makes it so successful and why anyone should be able to relate to it.

Very few lyrics this year hit me as hard as the, “but I miss your face like hell”, especially the way it is used in the song. I’d have to think that this song really hits the band close to home as you can almost always see Charity Rose Thielen cry during the refrain.

Check out the video above and read the lyrics below:

a year from now we’ll all be gone
all our friends will move away
and they’re going to better places
but our friends will be gone away

nothing is as it has been
and i miss your face like hell
and i guess it’s just as well
but i miss your face like hell

been talking bout the way things change
and my family lives in a different state
and if you don’t know what to make of this
then we will not relate
so if you don’t know what to make of this
then we will not relate

rivers and roads
rivers and roads
rivers ’til i reach you

It’s a line we have all asked at least once in our lives. Why didn’t you save me? It has so many possible occurrences. And unfortunately it is always a reactive question.

I have said it many times before, that sometimes you have to be in the right place to fully get a song or an artist. This is one of those artists for me. Nicolas Jaar has been around for a few years now. His full-length release from 2011 was highly regarded by many critics. I just couldn’t get into it then. There were big moments when I was brought in, but a few moments later it was gone. Nearly one year later, he releases a 2-track EP. I decide to give it a listen. Still nothing. Then one day it comes on in the car. And Bam. It hits me. It gets played over and over and over.

What has changed? Perceivably nothing? It was just the right moment. Life is full of the moments and instances that create reactions. A split second, and if you are lucky, more, where everything around you seems to click. These are the moments I live for. Music plays a huge part in so many of these instances. Maybe that is the main draw for me.

Both of the tracks on this EP start with a sort of foreplay. A long and seemingly subtle warm-up to the main attraction. “Why didn’t you save me” is what seems to be the B-Side of a 2 track EP. But, you could almost treat “Don’t break my love” as an extended session of foreplay to “Why didn’t you save me” (WDYSM). But that might be discounting the equal genius of that track. WDYSM starts off with a slow, barely there, static that generates into some organ hum, scattering electronics, and then cascades into a percussive frenzy beneath a filtered vocal sample. It eventually takes a darker tone when what sounds like a harpsichord chimes in. The layers build and separate all hinting at what is to come. Then a sombre piano piece fills in the space before being digitally shattered. And then it arrives. Everything combines into a perfect blend for just over a minute of dancey bliss to the sobering refrain of “Why didn’t you save me?” repeated for effect. And then is deconstructs and disappears. Leaving you alone with your thoughts. And the desire for more.

Of course, going back to his album, “Space is only noise”, I realize it was always there. I just wasn’t in the right mindset, or moment, for it.

You can hear both of the great tracks on this EP below, and in a generous move, you can also download it for free from his soundcloud site.

enjoy

-Shaun

Is it selling out? Moby’s album “Play” was used to advertise everything. He was accused of selling out. But, perhaps it was the best decision he made.

Midnight City, a song featured on my top 111 of ’11, is everywhere lately. I hear it on Satellite radio, in the malls and stores, the bars, and even soundtracking scantily clad supermodels with wings. A Victoria’s Secret ad released a few months ago features the fantastic track, focusing mostly on the instrumental synth parts that pretty much define the song. Some might view the usage, or permission of usage, of a song to sell commercial wares as selling out, however it seems that in today’s music marketplace the placement of songs on TV, whether it be in commercial or a show, is one of the best ways to promote your song. Especially in an era of Shazam and google, it has become increasingly easy to identify a song heard outside of the traditional methods of song distribution.

It is also a great way to promote younger and less popular bands, as purchasing rights to songs by lesser known artists will be significantly less than that of an arena selling artist like Coldplay or U2. Recently Nike used a rather epic portion of the song Snjóljón by by one of my favourite new bands Lockerbie. The exposure that this will give Lockerbie could be invaluable in pushing them forward. Below is the commercial for the Össur Flex-Run with Nike Sole.

And with the recent success of previously (relatively) unknown bands based off of television show placement, it looks to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. THe artist/band gets paid or free promotion, and the show/commercial gets a better scene or a more noticeable ad. In the past several months, bands such as fun. and Adaline have benefitted from these situations. fun.’s song “We are Young” has exploded after being featured in a Glee episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul-pLYo5MJ8&w=560&h=315

And Adaline has received a lot more attention to her debut album after being featured prominently during a very emotional scene during the Fall finale of Grey’s anatomy (and another song again in January).

Selling out? Cashing in? Mutually Beneficial?

Air has released one great record. There is no denying which record this is. If you picked anything other than Moon Safari then you’d be wrong. Their other albums are not bad by any means, well maybe a couple are, but nothing can live up to the perfect space lounge sound of Moon Safari. Maybe that’s why I’m excited for their new album which comes out next week on February 7 (6th for you anywhere other than North America). It has the word ‘moon’ in the title and putting it in french makes it that much more appealing. I’ve been really drawn to french lately. Someone speak it to me and I’ll just melt.

The new album looks to be an extended soundtrack to the classic Georges Méliès french short film from 1902. If you pre-order the album you could get a deluxe version that includes a copy of a colourized version of the film. It’s classic french cinema mixed with what could possibly be Air’s next great album. Oh, I hope so.

I also have a new love for Air because of their url: http://en.aircheology.com/  Preorder the album from their site if you dare.

They’ve released two singles from the album so far, I’ve listened to them and can tell you that they do sound like Air but with more drums. I’m not going to listen to them again until I can hear the album as a whole so I can’t be more descriptive than that. On February 7th everyone dim the lights, have some wine and take a trip to the moon with Air, your favourite french band. (or maybe you prefer Phoenix?)