It’s interesting how things come around. In discussing a band I have rediscovered I will recall a concert I saw them give 2 years ago, and how they didn’t really impress me.
I came to rediscover The Parkas after hearing them on episode 14 of the CBC radio 3 podcast. But this story starts well before today. I first saw and heard The Parkas play in the fall of 2003 at the El Mocambo, because a friend had gone to school with them in Thunder Bay and recommended they be checked out. Rarely one to turn down a suggested night out, a few people met up to check out the show. Arriving at the show, a singer/songwriter by the name of Teitur was just about to take the stage; but that would be another story. As I recall it The Parkas were the 2nd last band, followed by a horribly loud and incoherent band. Now that I try and think about it, I can’t say I remember to many specifics about their set, other then I was left less then impressed, and the guys looked like a bunch of stereotypical computer science nerds trying to wear flannel and tight jeans. They weren’t a very tight as a group, and I had no desire to see them again.
Now it is 2005 and my musical tastes have slightly changed, matured, and morphed. I know this because I listened to the same 2 songs posted on The Parkas website from 2003 and thought, “These guys are pretty good. It’s a little bit pop, with great hooks, driving guitars, and lyrics that are simple and effective.” The 3 tracks I’ve been able to listen to are the first 3 tracks on the album (which is available at MapleMusic, amazon.ca, and iTunes). Continue reading ‘The Parkas’
I didn’t know to much about the film that won the 77th Academy Award for best Documentary this year, other then it’s title, and what I could infer from that; Born Into Brothels. I had a chance to view this documentary tonight and would recommend it to everyone.
Not one to ruin a good story, I will say I was surprised to discover that the film focused on photography, and how it was an escape for these children, and provided them with buckets and buckets of smiles.These children, who live in such trying and dire situations, still find time to laugh, to play, and be children. What really took my breath away was the quality of the photographs they took with simple, automatic, 35mm film cameras. No zoom, no manual focus, no long shutters. Just point and shot. I do concede that any photo that is of a place I am not familiar with is fascinating, and the images of Calcutta’s red light district fall into this category. That being said, the images they captured were spectacular, and can be seen at Kids with Cameras. Despite the digital age, nothing beats the richness, and detail that can be captured on film.
It got me to thinking about picking up a film camera. Digital is great and all, but my one main complaint is the delay between shutter press and actual image. I’m hoping someone can point me in the direction of a fun 35mm camera. Nothing fancy. Heck, I’d be happier with plain, and inexpensive. It is obvious the children in the film had a talent for photography. I would venture a guess and say it is because they are children and look at the world in a different way. I would also say it is because of the life and world they live in, and being able to capture images that show that, or not show as the case may be, is therapeutic.
I’m rooting for those kids. I hope they, and others like them the world over, make it.
Okay, so here’s what you’re going do for the good of your ears and your soul:
1) You’re going to listen to Greg MacPherson. Lucky for you stealing won’t be required, because he provides a large number of tracks for download from his site, you just have to know where to look. So, first go to the downloads page and grab those 9 tracks, then slide over to the discography page and grab 3 more ($6 All Day, Invisible and Genuinely Frozen). Just like that we’ve obtained 12 tracks from this wonderful east/west coast artist.
2) Now listen to Numbers first, then Good Times, then Bankrobber. Pretty good eh? Feel free to queue up the rest of the tracks, as they are equally good.
He was raised in front of a television, got a degree in Labour History in the mid-nineties, dug graves in a cemetery for 6 years, and turned to music both for an escape from the uniform and as an outlet for his considerable creativity.
I wish that I had some mind blowing commentary to share about this guy, but I don’t, and the brief bio above shines a bit of light into his life. I can’t wait till he comes back through town, as I would love to see him live. Reading it seems he’s played with the Drummer from The Weakerthans, so hopefully that friendship can result in a show together. oh ya, The Weakerthans. They rock my socks off, and are my current band of the moment. I think I’ll be able to find some words to describe them, and will in due course. I just want to put in writing that I found them first.
I like to consider myself a consumer of new or indie music, but when you get down to it, all I’m really consuming is bands that have already made it into some obscure review on some indie website or podcast. These are bands that tons of people know about. I guess they’re indie in the sense they don’t have a record label (which is the definition of indie, derived from the term independent), but than what do we call a band that has no album or label? Don’t matter really, was just wondering. Continue reading ‘How much for that van in the window?’
It was years of searching on and off, but recently I found the song that matched these lyrics that ran through my head.
It was circa 1996, and a mix tape was made of songs off the radio. I think I was trying to tape The Apartment Song by BNL, and let it run long, and in doing so caught a song that has run through my head for years.
“Wouldn’t it be exciting to be writing while we’re fighting”.
The mix tape was long gone, and I searched the internet. I got one hit on google, but the page I was directed to no longer existed. More time passed. It ran through my head again.
“Wouldn’t it be exciting to be writing while we’re fighting”.
I search again, years later it feels like, and this time I find the song. There it was. The entire lyrics, followed by the important song and band info. Big Chair by Reacharound. I went to work in obtaining the song from various places, and managed to find a 96kbps version. I listened to it. It was the song. Still quite catchy, with a brit-rock flair. (seems they are a LA band made of of Brits)
It reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld where at the end he figures out something that was lost to him the whole episode and concludes, “That’s not as funny as I thought it was”.
Funny thing is, I don’t remember what episode that was.
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