CKLU Adds Deep Archives

I just got word via Nathan Lawr's Weird Waves group on Facebook that CKLU in Sudbury has added a one month archive to their website. When you visit http://ckluradio.laurentian.ca/index.php#2009-01-08 you can enter the day and times you are interested in hearing and then have the option of downloading the audio or listening to it online in streaming format. CKUT in Montreal offers a similar service and it is pretty shocking to me that more radio stations don't. Imagine being able to listen to any program on CBC Radio any time you feel like it (not just the ones they decide to podcast.) This is definitely a future trend and an excellent way to increase your listeners.

Nathan Lawr's show (Weird Waves) is on Thursday's from 9-10 am if you'd like to give it a listen and test CKLU's software at the same time!

Nathan Lawr's wEIRD_wAVES Premeires at 9 am Tomorrow

Nathan Lawr has a new radio show 'wEIRD_wAVES' premiering tomorrow morning at 9 am (until 10am EST) on CKLU FM in Sudbury in which he promises to bring you the "weirdest in afro-soul-funk-and-jazz-ISH" If you're not in Sudbury that's not a problem CKLU is now Steamed live around the world. According to the Facebook Group it will go like this:

"Featuring the "Ignorant Alien" segment where I ask famous musicians the question: "If some aliens came to earth and wanted to know about the breadth and beauty of music on this planet but were pressed for time, what three songs would you play for them?" Stay tuned for answers from some of Canada's favourite musicians."

Nathan Lawr on Canadian Elections

From Nathan Lawr's Myspace Blog - his suggestions for a brand new Canadian Political System, based on April Wine songs.

"With a federal election looming and the party leaders jockeying for our sympathy and understanding, there has been much ink and breath spent on determining just how the average Canadian will cast their ballot.

All five party leaders are falling over themselves to seem like "normal," "reasonable" people, just like us.  To say nothing of Stephen Harper's creepy "I'm just a fathering kind-of-guy" ads and other blatant attempts to appeal to the most uninformed morons in the country (I thought we were electing people to govern us, not spend time playing piano with us, am I wrong?), I for one am already tired of this pandering to lowest common denominator.
Thus, I have come up with a solution for the party leaders.  If Jack, Gilles, Stephen, Stephane, and Elizabeth really want to appeal to "average" Canadians they must place themselves in a forum that "average" Canadians really understand, namely: Canadian Idol.

I suggest each of the party leaders pick their favourite April Wine song (come on, how's that for average and Canadian?), and belt it out to the best of their ability on prime-time television.  Then, "average" Canadians can vote on the person they think is the most charismatic and charming, and who possesses the best pipes, which, let's face it, really come in handy during Question Period.  Not only does this approach satisfy democratic ideals of "one vote-one person," it also allows the laziest of the population to vote at their convenience.  All you have to do is pick up the phone!  Hell, you don't even have to talk to anyone, you can just text your pick!  This eliminates any hassle connected to showing up to vote in person, which, as everyone knows, is practically a waste of time.

So I say, the hell with any kind of civic responsibility we all may have  So what if voting and paying some attention to current issues is the most minimal obligation we have to our democratic system.  Screw the fact that we are privelged to live in a country like Canada at all.  We must make voting and the whole electoral process much more entertaining.  Plus, think of all the albums and spin-offs...we could be milking this election for while yet.
Get on the phone and vote!"

Reminder: Nathan and Kate are Coming

Nathan Lawr and Kate Maki are about to whip through Southern Ontario and Quebec starting tonight in Guelph.

Friday, September 5 @ 10:00pm - Carden Street Cafe - Guelph, ON
Saturday, September 6 @ 10:00pm - The Cameron House - Toronto, ON
Sunday, September 7 @ 4:00pm - The Black Sheep Inn - Wakefield, QC
Friday, September 19 @ 9:00pm - House Concert - Sault Ste. Marie, ON (email: ewainio@shaw.ca for ticket info)
Saturday, September 20 @ 11:00pm - Townehouse - Sudbury, ON
**Wednesday, October 15 @ 10:00pm - Casa Del Popolo - Montreal, QC
**Saturday, October 18 @ 8:30pm - Gordon Best Theatre - Peterborough, ON (**new dates, not in the summer, but...)

RVT: Kate Maki - We Are Gone

Kate Maki, who is about to embark on a mini-tour with Nathan Lawr has a new video out today for the song "We are Gone" - it was directed by Scott Cudmore and shot by Lee Towndrow.



Kate Maki - We Are Gone

Nathan Lawr & Kate Maki - Mini Reunion Tour

Not that they ever split up, but Nathan Lawr and Kate Maki are 're-uniting' to fill in a few blanks from their spring cross Canada tour.

"The dynamic duo will take turns singing each others songs and switching up on instruments for evenings of "the White Stripes meets the Everly Brothers meets Statler and Waldorf". - The Coast (Halifax Weekly)"

If you've never seen the two of them together (or either of them individually) you owe it to yourself to make it out to these shows:

Wednesday, August 27 @ 8:00pm - Pie Bird B&B - Nipissing Village, ON
Friday, September 5 @ 9:00pm - Carden Street Cafe - Guelph, ON
Saturday, September 6 @ 10:00pm - The Cameron House - Toronto, ON
Sunday, September 7 @ 4:00pm - The Black Sheep Inn - Wakefield, QC
Friday, September 19 @ 9:00pm - House Concert - Sault Ste. Marie, ON (email: ewainio@shaw.ca for ticket info)
Saturday, September 20 @ 11:00pm - Townehouse - Sudbury, ON

You can also download, for free the Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs session from CBC Radio 3.

Kate Maki - To Please



Nathan Lawr - Righteous Heart

Live on Your Computer: Nathan Lawr, Hawksley Workman, Bison and Vancougar

Coming up on Wednesday the podcast (mp3) version of Vancougar's session will be up on the Radio 3 site. But as posted yesterday on the Radio 3 site. There are new full sessions up that you can listen to (but not download) from Hawksley Workman, Nathan Lawr, and Bison as well as Vancougar. If some live in Studio performances in the comfort of your own home would brighten up your weekend pay them a visit.

By the way, for anyone who missed the news somehow there is a new
Facebook group and Facebook page up for the Radio 3 Sessions as well as a new fan page for Canadian Music in general.

This Saturday In Toronto: Kate Maki and Country French

Kate Maki and Will Currie and the Country French will both be playing this Saturday in Toronto. Unfortunately they are not playing at the same venue.

Kate Maki "& Guests" will be playing at Mitzi's Sister. The Guests in this case include Nathan Lawr (obviously) as well as Cindy Doire, Ryan Bishops, Andrea Ramolo and Sean Pinchin.

Will Currie and the Country French will be playing at the Horseshoe Tavern with The Golden Dogs and 6ixty8ights.

Have a hard time being in two places at once? I know. It's hard but North by Northeast is just around the corner - time to hone those skills!

Kate Maki Tour Dates

Dates have been announced for the upcoming cross-Canada Kate Maki tour. There is also a new Facebook Group if you'd like to follow along and be reminded when the tour swings your way!

Your chance to see Kate will be

May 8, The Cavern: Winnipeg, Manitoba
May 10, The Velvet Underground: Edmonton, Alberta
May 11, The Boomtown Casino: Fort McMurray, Alberta
May 12, Paddy McSwiggin's: Fort McMurray, Alberta
May 14, The Canmore Hotel: Canmore, Alberta
May 16, Lorenzo's Cafe: Enderby, British Columbia
May 17, The Minstrel Cafe: Kelowna, British Columbia
May 18, The Railway Club: Vancouver, British Columbia
May 19, The Garage Showroom: Duncan, British Columbia
May 20, Caffe Vicente: Tofino, British Columbia
May 22, The Old Firehall: Rossland, British Columbia
May 23, The General Store: Twin Butte, Alberta
May 24, Ottoman Lounge: Medicine Hat, Alberta
May 25, Lydia's Pub: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
May 27, Shooter's: Kenora, Ontario
May 28, The Apollo: Thunder Bay, Ontario
May 29, Loplops Lounge: Ste Sault Marie, Ontario
May 30, The Townehouse Tavern: Sudbury, Ontario
May 31, Mitzi's Sister: Toronto, Ontario
June 1, The Black Sheep: Wakefield, Quebec (Kate only)
June 4, The Montreal House: Peterborough, Ontario
June 5, The Carden Street Cafe: Guelph, Ontario
June 6, The Artel: Kingston, Ontario (Kate w/ Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs and The Gertrudes only)
June 7, The Black Sheep: Wakefield, Quebec (Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs and Kyrie Kristmanson only)
June 8, Le Divan Orange: Montreal, Quebec
June 11, The Shadowlawn Inn: Rothesay, New Brunswick
June 12, The Capitol: Frederickton, New Brunswick
June 13, Stutt's Gallery: Sackville, New Brunswick
June 14, Gus's Pub: Halifax, Nova Scotia
June 15, Mersey House: Liverpool, Nova Scotia
June 17, Baba's Lounge: Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Concerts on Demand: Kate Maki

Kate Maki, the celebrated musician and Sudbury school teacher who recently released the widely acclaimed album "On High" featuring the single Blue Morning and is reportedly working on a "cool new band" with partner and frequent collaborator Nathan Lawr has a full concert up on the CBC's Concert's On Demand site.

"In February, Sudbury artist Kate Maki finally released her CD "On High" after almost two years of healing a serious case of pinched nerves which halted her musical career.

She's back in action, and brought her northern folk-pop to rock the house at the National Library of Canada in December with music that's been called Jazz, Folk, and Americana...and compared to early Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams."

This is rapidly becoming one of my favorite parts of the CBC website and, because it's Sunday and Kate Maki's music is close to perfect for Sunday listening - go and give it a spin (or whatever we do now that everything is digital).
http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20071207kmaki - you can also visit http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/ for the Concerts on Demand home page.

Nathan Lawr's Busy Winter

Nathan Lawr has posted a bit to his Myspace blog about

Playing shows with Kate Maki

Working on a new Fembots Record

Writing radio theme songs for the CBC and

Working on a new record with Kate Maki and a "cool new band"

So if you wondered what people do all winter in Sudbury - now you know.

Breaking Links: Monday, December 3, 2007

Michael Geist has a list of things you can do to fight DCMA: The bill was bought from the Canadian Republican (aka 'conservative') party by US lobbyists and would essentially align Canadian copyright laws with those in the States.

"First, the bill is likely to include provisions (the anti-circumvention provisions) that have been proven to create significant harm to education, privacy protection, security research, free speech, and consumer interests.  Indeed, anti-circumvention legislation trumps fair dealing, effectively eliminating crucial user rights in the digital era such as the right to use digital works without permission for research, private study, criticism, or news reporting.  The government has emphasized the need to implement the WIPO Internet Treaties, however, those treaties provide far greater flexibility than what is found in the U.S. DMCA.  It can meet the WIPO standard and preserve the copyright balance, but it must reject the U.S. path to do so."

Happy Birthday to Spacing! Spacing is releasing their 10th issue today and in celebration they are throwing a little party at the Berkely Church.

"For those interested, this event is the release of our 10th issue (!!!) and the exact date of Spacing’s 4-year anniversary — we launched our first issue at the 360 Legion Hall (now closed) on Queen Street West on Dec. 3, 2003."

The Constantines will release their first 7" on Arts & Crafts in January.

"The Toronto rock band's limited-edition white vinyl release will feature "Hard Feelings," from their forthcoming and still untitled fourth album, backed with "Easy Money," which will be exclusive to the single. The LP is expected to arrive in April."

Nathan Lawr has some insight on the upcoming Fembots album (amoung other things).

"I have been working with my FemBot pals on their new record. It is shaping up so far to be a work of utter genius. They are really outdoing themselves this time. Special props go to Iner and his fabulous, if A440-challenged junk-struments."

Toronto Indie has some great things to say about the Framework's new ep

"Right off the bat, The Framework’s self-titled EP is reminiscent of 80s Brit rock, the Manchester Brit pop scene of the early 90s and electro-synth rock borrowing from The Cure, The Smiths, Suede, Pulp and Blur—the list goes on. Although the quintet’s sound isn’t new, there’s something to be said for getting the sound just right; The Framework succeeds in doing just that."

Via thingsaregood.com: Beijing is going to add a 'green belt' around the city granted, it's not much of one for a city that size, but given the population and price of real estate it's a good step.

"Authorities had reserved a 1 km (half-mile) swathe of land between two ringed highways on the capital's fringe purely for parkland, the Beijing News said, in the face of soaring land values and rampant property development."

Finally, Chimpanzees have outpeformed university students in a memory test

""Our study shows that young chimpanzees have an extraordinary working memory capability for numerical recollection, better than that of human adults," reported Tetsuro Matsuzawa and Sana Inoue in the Dec. 4 issue of the journal Current Biology."

RVT: Nathan Lawr - Barking at Your Door

More from Nathan at nathanlawr.com

You Have to like Nathan Lawr

The more I find out about Nathan Lawr the more I like him. It's not just his resume - having played with Royal City and the Fembots, and it's not just his music (don't worry I'll get to that). If you go to his Myspace page he lists his influences as "the sea, the moon, electromagnetic fields, planetary orbits, solar wind, food and sometimes alcohol. If you read his recent interview with blogto he is asked "What does the future hold for you?" and responds

Oh, lord only knows. What's the funniest joke you can tell god? "I have a plan!"

Personally I'd always heard the saying "If you want to make God laugh tell him your plans for the future" but the sentiment is the same.

In brief Nathan's music (at least one the new album) sounds like a Torontonian transplanted to Sudbury. It has all the complexity of the city (guitar, bass, percussion, horns, cello, and complex harmonies) but the thoughtfulness that only comes to you when you get away from the city for a bit. The album "A Sea of Tiny Lights" has a bit of everything. As savedbyradio puts it

"like the story of Jim Loney, the Christian kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq ("Footsteps"), Gus Van Sant's Columbine interpretation Elephant ("There's A Devil"), and Uruguayan author Eduardo Galleano's Book of Embraces ("Swimming Like a Needle in the Haystack of the Sea")."

Go ahead and read this from Wolves, Hawks and Kites well.

Nathan Lawr's CD Release Party at the Supermarket on Thursday was everything an indie show should be...well from a fans point of view anyway. First of all there was Nathan Lawr who is an amazingly talented musician and songwriter, and alot of his friends including opening acts Andy Swan and Kate Maki. There were, of course, the Minotaurs and then there were friends and family of many of the above. Beyond that inner circle were maybe thirty people who had come to see the show without the bonds of family or friendship to pull them in.

Then there's the important part, the part that happened on the stage. There was the new album, which was brilliant. You can get a taste of it at the Myspace (go ahead and download Righteous Heart and We Go Down) and old favorites like "Barking at Your Door" there were seemingly improvised collaborations, and obvious mistakes without embarrasement - "What's the point in continuing when you've so obviously fucked it up."

note: only at small indie shows do you get free do-overs

It is intimate, it is fun, and it is participatory in a way that no stadium show ever will be. I know it's not ideal from an artists point of view. It's hard to pay the bills on shows like that (That's why you've always got to buy the CD) but if you really, genuinely like music you can't do better.

Also, just a heads up, Kate Maki's new CD is out in February, based on the previews Thursday you'll want to go ahead and grab that too.

Nathan Lawr Waxes

Just a quick note to let you know that Nathan Lawr has been blogging up a storm on Myspace. It's not just the usual tour info and 'new song' info either. There are lengthy ponderings on 8 tracks, touring, songwriting, coffee, beer and most recently Nathan's take on the effects the internet has had on music.

The "industry" is concerned with selling us a thing. This is why they are scrambling like a drunk at the end of a party after the house lights came on.  It is the best interest of everyone for the physical artifact to get less attention.  Listening to albums by bands who have decided to worry less about moving units convinces me that they are having more fun making music.  It is as if the selling of cds hindered them.  This is good for the listener as well.

Definitely a blog worth the subscribing to.

While I'm on the topic, Nathan's new CD A Sea of Tiny Lights will be making it's Toronto debut next Thursday at the Supermarket.

Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs

Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs new album Sea of Tiny Lights is due out October 2nd. Many of you may never have heard the name Nathan Lawr and I might not have heard of him either if I hadn't seen him open for the Hidden Cameras at a church in Guelph. Even if you haven't heard of Nathan, if you're paying attention, you've heard of his friends - he has played with King Cobb Steelie, Royal City, the Fembots, Jim Guthrie, and the Constantines amoung others. He has also caught the attention of a few music press types:

"one of the best–kept secrets in the Ontario indie scene right now" Sean Palmerston, View (Hamilton)



"Lawr harnesses an instinct for a tradition of Canadiana like the Skydiggers, occasionally dipping a toe in Tom Waits waters." James Keast, Exclaim!

Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs is another new addition to the Band Blogs and you can find more stuff from him at nathanlawr.com, New Music Canada, or on MySpace where you can download a copy of "Righteous Heart" if you like what you hear and you're lucky enough to live in Ontario - there are plenty of upcoming opportunities to check out the band (and buy the new CD):

September 21 at Loplops Lounge in Ste. Sault Marie
September 22 at Cambrian College Students Center in Sudbury
September 30 at Sneaky Dees in Toronto
October 12 and 13 at OCFF in London
October 18 at the Supermarket in Toronto
October 19 at the Spill in Peterborough
November 8 at the Casbah in Hamilton
November 9 at the Island Grille in Kingston
December 8 at the Babylon in Ottawa

While you're checking you're calendar here's the video for "Bury Me Blues"