home is where ever i'm with you...

Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is on constant repeat (in between Sufjan Stevens' christmas albums) in my itunes since I heard it for the first time a couple weeks ago and while it screams summer, it seems that it will be the anthem of my winter holidays. It's that song, you know, that really takes you back to a particular point in your life. I know that when I play this song 5 months from now, I am going to have that nostalgic wave of "christmas 2009" and all its glory (I hope!). Funny how music does that to us, eh? I suppose it is both good and bad, depending on the memories, but either way I sure think it's a beautiful thing.

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Seasons Greetings!! .. sort of..

Due to every student's favourite state of exams (in which i'm currently drowning) this post is but a brief announcement until I am free from the constraints of my books and my apartment and the library and my coffee mug and my books....

I wanted to link you to Chark, a new, group side project which will hopefully be the beginning of something super fantastic. For now, take a look at some great photos of some of the gang (I wasn't kidding when I said this was new, as in one post new!) posted by my partner in crime and founder of Chark, Miss Colleen Kirley. Please stay tuned in the new year, as Chark will start moulding into shape!

http://www.charkmag.blogspot.com/

this song makes me feel astoundingly hopeful in so many lights of my life

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Oh and by the way, on the fateful day of october 31st, the stars aligned and brought Charlie Fink and I together. I met him at work, in HMV and sold him adventureland on DVD. With a permanent smile plastered on my face and burning red cheeks, I tried to calmy articulate to him how much I love love love their music, their new album... and well, just him in general (!!!!!!!!!!!!)
I like my job. A lot.

i will be here in 65 days... the countdown starts today

Urubamba, Peru

resurrection

How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?
-Dr Seuss

Seuss here, took the words right out of my mouth! Time!!! You are sifting through my fingers faster than ever and it's scary as hell. But, on a happier note, I have decided to end this slight (slight!?) retreat from lets waltz. There are a lot of reasons why my blogging activity ceased this fall, but the fact of the matter is that I have risen from the dead. Yes, I know, finally.

If you have read my blog before, you will have most likely noticed of my love for Vincent Moon and his take away shows (he has my dream job. Fact.) So, I am going to stick with the tried and true and reanimate this space by posting a new video that I recently came across that has begun to mean a whole bunch to me.

This is First Aid Kit. They always warm my heart ever since I discovered them back in the spring. You may have heard their lovely cover of Fleet Foxes' Tiger Mountain Peasant, but this video in particular just screams "watch me, watch me, i will Really warm your heart!" First of all, I hadn't heard of either of the songs they play, which was a delightful treat and second, there is just something about the way the shots are pieced together. The girls are just so real and so incredibly talented. These two teenage Swedish sisters, with their brilliant harmonies, their folky charm, their messy hair, baggy sweaters and all, reminds me, more than anything, of my beautiful, beautiful sister Lauren ( especially because we both secretly wish we were them).

So, this is dedicated to you, Laur. I know you will enjoy this oh so very much- if you haven't already seen it.

First Aid Kit - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

www.myspace.com/thisisfirstaidkit

somebody take me here...

Lifetime Collective - SS2010 from Salazar on Vimeo.

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you have exploded in my heart

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Lisa Mitchell has been the soundtrack to my last summer days at home. I'm obsessed with her voice. I really, truly am. It is just so soft and effortless and original. AND she covers one of my favourite songs ever; Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits. Unfortunately I can't embed this one, so follow the link if you would like her to melt your pretty little heart. I promise you she will.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkfOmBSxJVU

"We just sat there. Our heads bent towards each other like flowers, in the small hours of the morning while light wandered in, like a warning that time is passing."

-Shane Koyczan

bitterlemons

i’m not calling you a ghost, but stop haunting me

laurence philomene

GLISTENING PLEASURE

Okay so I've been meaning to post about this band- Natalie Portman's Shaved Head - for a while. A bff of mine randomly discovered them when she was galavanting in Lyon France this summer (lucky lady, I know). She listened to a track of theirs on her totally cool swedish friend's (Sigrid) ipod and from that point on, their album Glistening Pleasure, became the soundtrack to her time in French paradise.

In a nutshell, it's a super hipster teenager bundled up into an incredibly catchy band with hilarious, sexually charged lyrics- singing about all the important stuff in life like: slow motion tag teams, beard maintenance, sideways ponytails and "hitting the night like a SLAP IN THE FACE." These kids know how to party.

Anyway if you want fun dance music, I could not possibly offer a better suggestion. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

So, thank you Mackenzie.
But especially thank you Sigrid.

Watch the music video for "sophisticated side ponytail" below for a little taste.

WARNING: IF YOU ARE PRONE TO SEIZURES PLEASE REFRAIN FROM VIEWING.



Also, these photos are highly appropriate.

http://pandemoniumwithoutanenemy.tumblr.com/

Dear Karen,

If you’re reading this, then it means I actually worked up the courage to mail it. So, good for me. You don’t know me very well, but if you get me started I have a tendency to go on and on about how hard the writing is for me. But this, this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write. There is no easy way to say this so, I’ll just say it. I met someone... It was an accident. I wasn’t looking for it. It wasn’t in the make. It was the perfect storm. She said one thing and I said another. Next thing I knew, I wanted to spend the rest of my life in the middle of that conversation. Now, there’s this feeling in my gut... She might be the one... She’s completely nuts in a way that makes me smile, highly neurotic. A great deal of maintenance required. She is you, Karen. That’s the good news. The bad is that I don’t know how to be with you right now, and it scares the shit out of me. Because if I am not with you right now, I have this feeling that we’ll get lost out there... It’s a big bad world full of twists and turns, and people have a way of blinking and missing the moment; the moment that could have changed everything. I don’t know what’s going on with us, and I can’t tell you why you should trust a leap of faith on the likes of me, but damn you smell good. Like home... like Christmas. And you make excellent coffee. That’s gotta count for something, right? Call me.

Unfaithfully yours,
Hank Moody

NEW SEASON OF CALIFORNICATION SEPT. 2009.
more sex, hedonism, sex, wit, love, charm and well, sex. PERFECT. Can't wait.

a kiss with a fist is better than none...

wake up, it's going to be a good day!

Oh. my. god.

You have to check out this blog "Simply Breakfast" because it is actually orgasmic, if breakfast foods are your thang. And if you are in the slightest an art admirer, then you will surely appreciate the aesthetic of the dishes as well as the photography!

Here's a couple taste-bud teasers:

Mmmm, to die for! The pictures have such a great rustic quality to them. The colours are so vibrant and everything is arranged to perfection. I love them. From a bird's eye view, they wonderfully exhibit these mouth-watering meals, beautiful plates and mugs and really cute napkins. The lady behind this breakfast photo diary is Jennifer Causer. You can check out some of her other photography on her website! It is all quite lovely.

It's the most important meal of the day, so here's a little inspiration! Start your day the right way and master of the art of breakfast everyone!

http://simplybreakfast.blogspot.com/

Holay shiat. Sujfan Stevens + Montreal + me = euphoria.

I know what you are thinking, you thought he fell off the face of the planet as well. But alas, our Sufjan withdrawal is over! Well only for those who can make it to this year's Pop Montreal festival September 30-October 4. I read the news on Pitchfork, where they confirmed that Stevens is a confirmed performer in the festival!! Date, times and venues haven't been disclosed but either way, I'll be there. Plus, I haven't ventured to Montreal since I was 14 so this is simply too good to be true.

I knew I needed to see him perform live about a year ago after I stumbled across this uh-maaazing video.

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the first days of spring in the last days of summer

Noah and the Whale's sophmore cd hits store August 31st!!!! I can't fucking wait. Especially because I initially got a small taste of what's to come from their show in Toronto back in April this year. I have also been religiously overplaying their two posted singles- "The First Days of Spring" and "Blue Skies" from their myspace as well as a couple remix mp3s that you can download off their official blog. How very nice of them.

http://www.natwofficialblogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/noahandthewhale

But for real, I don't remember the last time I was truly this excited about an album release? It very well could have been when I was 9 years old and I begged on my knees (literally) and promised and pinky swore my dad that I would never ever whine to him about being bored and having nothing to do if and only if he bought me "Backstreet's Back" (I guess I thought I was doing him a favour or something.) Thank god my cd purchases are no longer reliant on my father's money or approval or else I really wouldn't doubt it if history were to repeat itself on August 31st.

I am particulary lusting this new work of theirs because it is a piece of art in so many ways- music, photography and film all bundled into one sweet, sweet package. The album comes with an additional 50-minute film also titled, The First Days of Spring directed by the band's mainman Charlie Fink. Even though I am guilty as charged when it comes to internet piracy and the whole downloading frenzy (as is virtually everyone living in the 21st century), I really do hate what it is starting to mean for musicians and the music industry. That's why I think The First Days of Spring is so great because the accompanied film is a genuine incentive for fans to start buying records again and really supporting and treasuring the music they love and the artists that make it. Merci, Merci.

I can't give a full review until after I've given the album and film and fair listen and viewing. For now, all I can do is encourage you to do the same. So watch the trailer below! It doesn't hint much at the premise, but it's intriguing nonetheless in it's cinematography and various glimpses of characters. NATW blogged and posted pictures of the film in the making and said that they are resisting "the term 'feature length music video' as it is a narrative film but its backbone is the soundtrack. The narrative of the film and the narrative of the album are not the same but they are complimentary." Even better.

http://vimeo.com/5743677

The infamous Vincent Moon is a true NATW fan and thank God for that. This fourth (or fifth?) take away show of his is also a really wonderful preview of a couple of Noah and the Whale's new stuff. I can't even imagine sitting in that loft of theirs. The atmosphere is so intimate and calm and casual and perfect. The absolute ideal setting to listen to, appreciate and sing along to such great music. Unfortunately my computer is being stubborn and not allowing me to embed videos into this post. However, the link below leads you right to where you can watch it. You're welcome.

http://vimeo.com/4818316

Laslty...I had to share a couple pictures from NATW's show at Glastonbury taken by James Robinson. He's been a huge part of the band's various projects. I really do love the photography he has done for them. As far as his other work, I am only beginning to look into it since he has only recently started up a personal photo blog. You can see more from this concert there as well!

Ever since that fateful evening back in April seeing NATW front row center, it was only natural that quite the healthy... obsession ensued. I have now come to realize that Charlie Fink is in fact my soulmate. Marry me, please?

nice, nice, very nice

After an unintentional and lengthy hiatus from this space, I am back a changed woman. And by that, I really just mean I'm legal baby. Alas! No more fuss with stressful fake ids that look nothing like me and certainly no more walks of shame. Now that I am in my last 365 days as a full-of-life-care-free teenager, I have realized that it is time to get my act together and start accomplishing a bunch of small, but brooding aspirations. Or rather, it is more like a long-term to do list (things I want to introduce to my life and things I just simply want to do more often). First step: write them down. Check. As for the rest, I'll keep you posted on my progress, mainly for my own sake.

Moving on! Please allow me to rekindle with my blogging life and provide you with an outpour of music entries. Someone tell me what it is about summer and music? I think it's the eons time to discover new artists, to get your hands on dope album releases, to see live shows and festivals (ones which I can only read reviews and depressingly long to have been there) and of course to dance and drive to fun, catchy summer anthems. But it must also be the sunshine, porches and backyards, starry nights and the friends and family you get to share it with? Absolutely.

I suppose I'll jump into this with my current musical fixation. If any of you have yet to discover how absolutely sensational itunes podcasts are, I fervently suggest you to do so immediately. They are free and offer hours and hours of literally anything you could possibly want. Music, live or recorded, video clips, social commentary on pop culture, history and other subjects, guitar lessons, even you know, explicit porn podcasts......whatever strikes your fancy. It had been a long while since I updated and loaded some of the newer music podcasts and it wasn't until my dearest sister told me about all the truly amazing Canadian artists she was hearing on the CBC Radio 3 sessions. Specifically Dan Mangan, an acoustic, indie folk musician from Vancouver BC and Danny Michel, a folk rock, guitar-looping king from Waterloo ON. CBC 2 broadcasted the show the two of them put on in Ottawa this past April titled "Danapalooza." It is an hour and a half podcast of poetic and musical brilliance, to say the least. I fell in love instantly and I am giving you a plethora of ways to do the same. You can listen to each of their myspaces/website playlists and you can download the CBC podcast free from itunes. Free? Free. FREE! !

www.myspace.com/danmangan

http://www.danmanganmusic.com/

www.myspace.com/dannymichel

While both sets were outstanding, Dan Mangan won me over. His distinctive, gruff voice is endearing and soothing. When its paired with his lovely guitar melodies and wise, profound lyrics, Dan Mangan will truly melt your heart. Or make you want to cry. Yes cry. But one of those really wonderful cries because you just listened to something so beautiful. It's simply extraordinary how he manages to accurately articulate and express certain dynamics of every day life in the most penetrating way.

A couple of Mangan's songs feature Shane Koyzcan's spoken word, a guest performer and renowned poet for his wit, his passion and for his sincere words taken directly from the heart, for the heart. His lyricism alone is moving, but layered on top of Dan's guitar and coupled with his vocals, Shane's verses leave me breathless everytime. And man, he brings out the hopeful romantic in me, I must admit. Makes me long to see the day where someone loves me the way the he loves whomever he wrote these poems about. Please just listen to the podcast I tell you! If you still are not convinced by my two big thumbs up or atleast intrigued by Dan Mangan's striking resemblance to Seth Rogan...read this exerpt from "Fair Verona." It is a small glimpse at Shane's brilliance.

I dreamt once,
that even though we aren't related,
even though I'm a boy and you're a girl,
I dreamt once that we were siamese twins.
We spent most of our days brushing each other's hair
and playing scrabble.
It was awesome.
And then one day a doctor told us he could change our lives forever.
Filled our heads with ideas like privacy,
so we said yes.
So their wield us into the operating room,
and put us under ...

Then I had a dream within a dream,
I dreamt that I was running,
swiftly,
and with a grace I have never known,
ducking and rolling to avoid sharp branches.
I took lessons from Jesus Christ, lizards,
and learned to step lightly upon water
then ran across oceans,
stopping to catch my breath on the backs of whales that came up for air.
I ran so fast and so far I felt like a lawman trying to capture the escaped convict of my own breath.
Later I woke and discovered that we had been placed on opposite ends of the recovery room, you were sitting up in your bed crying.
So I asked you,
what's wrong?
And you asked me,
why did you run away?
So I limp toward you,
Climbed inside your bed, ran my hand through your hair and told you,
I didn't.
I was running to find you.

You can check out a lot of Shane's work (music, poems, books, biographies etc.) here at his main website:
http://www.houseofparlance.com/koyczan/index.html

Up Next:
I'll be giving a little love and promo to the fabulous Noah and the Whale.

Desiderata - Things Desired

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater
and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

Written by Max Ehrmann 1927

I love everything about Ehrmann's words, the bolded lines in particular. Read it, love it, and embrace the simplicity and truth in his poetic advice.

the birds, the bees and the snowmen

Today was the first morning (in god knows how long) that I haven't waken up to the sound of cold rain pounding on my bedroom window, a reminder of yet another dreary, damp, energy/soul- sucking "summer" day. I can't even begin to explain how bloody terrible it is and the cherry on top of the bloody terrible weather was mother nature's delightful surprise sunday morning. On the last day in May, fluffy white snowflakes covered roads and rooftops in this little home town of mine. But don't worry kids, it was the sticky kind! While I was on my return trip from Ottawa I unfortunately, or fortunately, missed the whole thing but a few friends of mine made the best of this summer-winter wonderland. I absolutely must share the evidence of this shocking truth (photo cred goes to jillian richmond) :

Oh the contradiction in these shots: a fatty snowman, lush green grass and blossomed purple garden flowers. Hilarious.

Anyways, the whole point of this funny little anecdote is that this morning's change of pace- waking up to the sunshine beaming, the smell of freshly mowed lawns and the birds whistling- was a beautiful treat. My morning anthem is "Birds Fly Away" by Theresa Andersson and is perfectly suitable for days like today. I found this glorious video on the super dope site www.booooooom.com but you can also search her on youtube. This song is amazing. She is amazing. And I fucking love loop pedals. I have a soft spot in my heart for musicians who are talented enough to :

a. play and incorporate that many instruments
b. have such impressive vocals

c. be co-ordinated enough to loop it all in one take and lastly

d. have so much damn fun while doing all of the above

She is inspiring and gives me no choice but to be in a marvelous mood after listening/watching-hence the obvious reason I dance and sing to it while I get dressed in the morning.

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forgotten film

I fiercely love my little sisters,

and of course the beauty of a sundrenched forest

thanksgiving 2008

this woman's work

I am currently sitting at my desk, at work, waiting for the phones to ring, giving off the illusion of productivity but mainly I am just trying to keep my mind off this horrific nightmare I unknowingly entered into this morning: ANTS. ants. ants! They are crawling everywhere except for my typical working vicinity (chair, computer, phone). Call me lucky. However, the site of their farm, home-base, kingdom, what ever you want to call it is still unknown.

Now, I suppose I should put this into context. I don't necessarily have the most .. professional, glamourous, or lets say (for a lack of a better word) sanitary of work environments (actually, that may be just the right word for it.) I sport Dakota steel-toe boots, paired with plaid fanel button ups and ripped, old, baggy levis because other than my "receptionist" job requirements, I have to DEEP clean a filthy office/garage, help install windshields and other miscellaneous labour activities.

You caught me. I am guilty as charged for two accounts:
1. Yes, I work at an auto garage and
2. Okay sure, I am being slightly dramatic.

To be honest, I absolutely should not complain. As a first year student, coming to a town of 50,000 people, during a so called "unstable economic climate"-I was desperado and rashly took my first offer. My saving grace, the silver lining in this ol' dirty mess of a summer job, is that my boss is quite the character- unbelievably easy going and a rather hilarious lad. Plus, he lets me play my music in the shop (hallelujah!!). I couldn't possibly ask for anything better in a boss. So, the past few weeks, I have and will continue to thoroughly enjoy the shuffle option on the pod, a wide array of myspaces and endless youtube videos (this is obviously inevitable when you have access to the web).

Some of my fave garage-banging beats so far this summer have been:

1. The Reeling- Passion Pit
2. Someone like Me- Royksopp
3. Nothing to Worry About- Peter, Bjorn and John

4. Heartbeats- The Knife
5. My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille - Beirut
6. Wrapped in Piano Strings- Radical Face
7. Knocked Up- Kings of Leon
8. Killing for Love- Jose Gonzalez
9. Wake Up- Arcade Fire
10. Two Weeks- Grizzly Bear

And in the mean time, I am trying to embrace this new, completely out-of-my-element job. I fully intend on absorbing and banking as much knowledge about cars my brain can retain. This of course, is in hopes of perhaps impressing any sexy, car-horny men whom I happen to cross paths with in my lifetime. And, I will shine my brightest if they want to talk about oh, anything from window tints, windshields, remote car starters or stonechip repairs on their uh... lets say, ML 350 Mercedes Benz.

p.s.
Speaking of the tenth track on the playlist: Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks" - watch this charming video edited by JT Helms. He brilliantly pastes the song with footage from Albert Lamorisse's short film (1956) "La Ballon Rouge" (The Red Balloon).

www.booooooom.com

scenic world

Typical May long weekend... one gorgeous, hopeful spring night filled with best friends, smiles, laughter, and lasting memories, followed by dreary days of incessant rain and SNOW (yes, there were indeed flurries!) Oh, the bittersweet beauty of living in Northern Ontario.

the lights go on
the lights go off
when things don't feel right
I lie down like a tired dog
licking his wounds in the shade
when I feel alive
I try to immagine a careless life
a scenic world where the sunsets are all
breathtaking

-Scenic World, Beirut

i need you so much closer

photography: katherine squier

and so it begins...

explodingdog

I am immediately regretting this whole "caffeine detox" idea...

Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down

Summer has officially hit for over a week now and on Sunday I headed north to return home, leaving the big city behind me for quite some time. It was a bittersweet farewell, let me tell you. While I am leaving behind a lot in Toronto, I know there's so much in store for me the next couple of months. Anyway, I am going to blame stressful exams, a choatic move and the whole "settling in" process for my lack of posts???...hmmm, yeah..that's it...

Nevertheless, this following post is long overdue:

On April 27th, the "british-indie-folk-pop group" Noah and the Whale, graced Toronto's Mod Club with their presence. They played a great mix of some of their tracks from their first album "Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down" and their upcoming cd. I could see how some fans might be slightly disapointed by this, since the majority of the show consisted of unfamiliar songs that shockingly have yet to leak on the web. Personally, I loved the exposure to what the band has in store. While staying true to their sunny, cute, romantic lyrics and melodies- they also showed us their edgier side, steering further from their folk-feel in their upbeat tracks and going in a more "rocky" direction- surely as rock as Noah and the Whale can get.

Either way, the familiar Rocks and daggers and Give a Little Love, struck me in a way, a wonderful way, that they never did listening to it through my headphones. It must have been the bands infectious energy and just simply, seeing it performed before my eyes. And by that I mean, the drummer's (Doug Fink) hilarious facial expressions while he passionately pounded away. Or Charlie Fink's charming stage presence and unconventionnaly deep, lovable voice. Vincent Moon, the man behind the take away shows, says it perfectly: "But what’s more important to remember is that they are a band in the most exact definition of the word—four individuals in harmony." The chemistry is undeniable. Even with their brilliant backing female vocalist Laura Marling missing in action, they were still such a joy to watch, sing and dance along to!

This three part take away show by blogotheque of Noah and the Whale in Paris isn't quite the equivalent of the live performance, but it's still worth a gander:

http://www.blogotheque.net/Noah-and-the-Whale,4150

www.myspace.com/noahandthewhale

**I would also suggest checking out one of their opening acts, Anni Rossi. I only caught the last bit of her set, but she was very interesting and very original. Her uniqueness comes from her use of the viola, the instrument which was clearly the centerpiece of her work. With the combination of plucking the viola like a guitar, bowing it, the use of a sort of a bass kick drum (ahh, i'm not sure what you call it?) and an effortlessly lovely voice, her music was rich and intriguing.

ch-ch-check it:
www.myspace.com/annirossi

I think I just came to the sudden realization that one of the biggest things I am going to miss about Toronto is the music.