New Immaculate Machine Video & Comic

Via the bands myspace blog a new video and comic from Immaculate Machine - one of Canada's most under-appreciated bands. You Can show them some love by being their fan on Facebook.





Immaculate Machine - C'mon Sea Legs




Click to Enlarge

Chop Shop starts Feb 4 on Slice

"Wednesdays at 8 pm ET/9pm PT beginning Feb.4 2009 on SLICE
Welcome to the CHOP SHOP, the anti-hair salon with a permanent sneer and a heart of gold. This fun, cutting-edge 13 x 30 docusoap follows bad-boy hair salon owner Daniel Hudon and his motley crew of punk rock stylists as they get into each other's hair every day. This counter-culture group forms a tight, rock & roll family who work, fight and party hard under the same roof while delivering wicked style to their clients at Daniels one-of-a-kind hair salon in Vancouver the Chop Shop."

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Boost: Canadian Film and Television is a Facebook Group that, once a week, asks people to watch a television or film trailer on youtube, rate it, comment on it and share it on facebook if they like it. There is frequently a link to a facebook group, page or other source where people who like the music can find more information or keep up with the band. Canadian artists frequently have little or no money for marketing/promotion - this is a small step to try and help them out by putting their trailer in front of as many eyes as possible.

A Free Holiday EP from Said the Whale

For the second year running Said the Whale is offering a free Holiday EP. This years 'West Coast Christmas EP' can be downloaded at http://www.pop-machine.ca/stw-xmas08.htm and if you missed it you can still grab last year's at http://www.pop-machine.ca/stw-xmas07.htm. Santa may like rich kids better but Said the Whale loves you all.

Vancouver: Free Black Mountain, Bedouin Soundclash show for Insite

Via Radio 3: At 4:30 pm, this Saturday (December 6) at the corner of Main and Hastings in Vancouver Bedouin Soundclash and Black Mountain will be playing a free show on behalf of Insite, Vancouver's safe injection site.

If you would like to keep up with or show your support for InSite there is a website and a Facebook group.

An Early Xmas Gift for Everyone from Mint Records

From CBC Radio 3 comes word that Mint Records has conjured up a free 7 song sampler featuring The Pack A.D., Kellarissa, the Buttless Chaps, the Awkward Stage, Vancougar, Novillero and Hot Panda. The only catch is that you have to have an eMusic account to access it - but the e-Music account is free so hop over to http://www.emusic.com/album/Various-Artists-Mint-Records-Mint-Records-Ridiculously-Late-eMusic-Sampler-MP3-Download/11332198.html and grab your 'Rediculously Late eMusic Samler'!

Also, if you are in the Vancouver area don't forget that Rediculously Early Xmas Party happens December 5th and 6th!

Free Downloads from the Choir Practice

Rumor has it that the Choir Practice was originally formed "as an excuse to drink wine and sing with friends." If that is true then the logic follows that if you are going to "drink and sing with friends" you might as well do it on stage and get paid.

The Choir Practice is an a'cappella vocal group from Vancouver consisting of "Coco (from The Gay and A.C. Newman) song writer, vocals and guitar, Larissa (from Kellarissa and P:ano) song writer, vocals and piano, Naomi (fashion designer) vocals, Olivia (from FanShaw) vocals, Jenn (from The Pokiok Falls) vocals and percussion, Kristen-vocals and gloc, Chris (from The Gay Straights) vocals and guitar, Ska-T (DJ) vocals, Shane (from Love and Mathematics) vocals and bass, Karin (photographer) vocals and percussion, Shira (from Blood Meridian) vocals and tamborine, Ida (from Great Aunt Ida) vocals, Sydney (from Hello Blue Roses) vocals, Marcy (from Heartbreak Scene) vocals, and finally KD (from the basement)". They are also the latest addition to this site's Podsafe Download section and the very first artists from Mint Records to be represented there.

the Choir Practice - Failsafe

Definitely Not Just a Radio Host

You may already know all of this but Sook-Yin Lee would appear to be one of the most naturally creative people at the CBC. In addition to being a Radio Host and Olympic Blogger and singer/songwriter and writer/storyteller and actress she is also a film director.

Toronto Stores to which she contributed a chapter premieres at this year's Toronto International Film Festival (Public 1 AMC 6 Tues Sept 9 6:00pm Public 2 AMC 2 Thur Sept 11 3:30pm). She has also written and is about to direct her first feature film.

"It's called, YEAR OF THE CARNIVORE. It's a comedy drama, a-coming-of-age-learning-to-love-and-screwing-up-royally-story. The plan is I'm shooting it in Vancouver this fall. It's really exciting for me, but I have to admit, making movies is tough stuff. I'm like a fireman. Everyday there's a new blaze to extinguish. But darn it all, I'm gonna do it. Please check back here for updates. "

Funeral Mixtape

The Pack A.D. doesn't get alot of airplay hereabouts. I think though that it's because DJs don't know what to do with them. The Pack A.D. is a blues band, but not a just a 'blues influenced' band - a smoky bar in the desert with a dirt floor and a broken jukebox blues band. The band, on their Myspace page lists their influences as

"Blind Willie Johnson, Junior Kimbrough, Robert Johnson, Son House, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Leadbelly, RL Burnside, Billie Holiday, Scott Joplin, The American Civil War, snow, the north, cowboys, bandits, coffee, the years 1860-1920, Koko Taylor, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Buddy Rich, John Bonham, MC5, The Sonics, The Groundhogs, Gordon Downie, Jonathon Richman, Sam Raimi, Harrison Ford, Guy Pearce, Jeremiah Johnson, Clint Eastwood, Howlin’ Wolf, Mississipi John Hurt, Manhunt, Cold Mountain, Andersonville, The Thing, Highlander, Snake Pliskin, OZ, Chris Keller, George Romero and all of his Dead movies, Patrick Swayze (in Road House)

- The band (consisting only of Becky Black and Maya Miller) has brought real blues into the 21st century. Blending blues vocals, rhythms and sensibilities with a modern tempo and energy.

They have been favorably compared to everyone from the White Stripes to Janis Joplin, but while they'll certainly remind you of both at times I don't think either comparison does them justice.

You will just have to give a listen to them yourself Songs from their new album Funeral Mixtape (out yesterday - Review on Herohill) as well as last years release Tintype can be heard on Myspace, New Music Canada, Zunior, and LastFM but the best way to hear them is live. Niether of the albums to date captures the energy of the Pack A.D.'s live show - where they play all the fast songs and speed up the slow ones while barely pausing for breath. The Pack is almost always on the road (the new album must have been recorded in the van) - coming up you can catch them here:

16-Aug Richard's on Richards Vancouver, BC, CA
30-Aug Doc Willoughby's Kelowna, BC, CA
05-Sep Gus' Pub n Grill Halifax, NS, CA
06-Sep Kings Arm Pub Kentville, NS, CA
07-Sep Teazer's TBD Amhurst, NS, CA
08-Sep L'Escogriffe Montreal, QC, CA
09-Sep Mavericks Bar Ottawa, ON, CA
10-Sep The Phog Lounge Windsor, ON, CA
11-Sep The Horseshoe Tavern Ontario, ON, CA
12-Sep Criminal Records Toronto, ON, CA
12-Sep The Black Shire Pub London, ON, CA
13-Sep LadyFest Dayton, OH
15-Sep Wilbert's Cleveland, OH
16-Sep Smiling Moose Pittsburgh, PA
17-Sep D.D.P. Baltimore, MD
19-Sep The Taphouse Norfolk, VA
20-Sep The Jinx Savannah, GA
21-Sep Frank's Front Row Daytona Beach, FL
23-Sep The Cinemat Bloomington, IN
25-Sep The Shady Nook Saybrook, IL
27-Sep Lager House Detroit, MI
28-Sep The Boathouse Saugatuck, MI
31-Oct Railway Club Vancouver, BC, CA

the Pack A.D. - What's Up There

Sep 24, 2007 at the Apollo Bar in Thunder Bay ON



On Edit: P.S. CBC Radio 3 just posted an interview with Pack A.D.

Does Anyone in Vancouver Play Keyboards Anymore?

A little over a year ago I posted that Said the Whale was looking for a keyboard player. Amazingly, they still are. I find it unbelievable that in a city the size of Vancouver that a band as good (and recently successful) as Said the Whale is having a hard time finding a keyboard player - but apparently that's the case. I hate to put email address in blog posts but if you are a Vancouver keyboard player, or know a good one, let me know at http://www.publicbroadcasting.ca/contact.html and I'll put you in touch.

Said the Whale- This City's a Mess

Remix Album from You Say Party! We Say Die! August 26

You Say Party We Say Die has posted a brief and cryptic message on their Myspace Blog. It reads simply:

" Remik’s Cube = Remix Record
more info coming before the august 26 2008 release date.
isn't that nice of us!"

Now, if my secret decoder ring is working properly that means that on August 26, 2008 You Say Party, We Say Die will be releasing a remix album entitled "Remik's Cube" and August 26 is soon!

You Say Party! We Say Die! - the Gap

Vancougar, Hey Ocean to Drop CDs on Vancouver Friday

If you live in Vancouver you have a tough call for Friday but one thing's for sure. You can't stay home. Vancougar AND Hey Ocean!

At the Biltmore Cabaret starting at around 8 p.m. Vancougar will be dropping their new disc 'Canadian Tuxedo' with the help of the Transmitors, Master Apes and Los Tycoons.

Herohill has an aweome review up of Canadian Tuxedo:

"Driven by the vocals of Eden Fineday - who I guess would play Riff Randle in this tale - and backed by CC's solid drums, Megan's shimmering vintage keys and Becca's fuzzy bass, Vancougar manages to jump between garage, 90's indie, and even toss in a ballad or two ((I Hope Your) Money (Keeps You Warm)). But the band does best when they crank up the energy, amps and distortion like they do on the catchy lead single Obvious. Eden's crystal clear vocals contrasts the huge sounds and makes for a catchy jam that transitions perfectly into the swirling, crunch of Vanity. With hand claps and ahhhhhs, Vancougar really hits on that pop punker sound that the Donnas used to be so good at.

They mix in elements of folk (the intro of the heavier Let it Go), but the goal of the record is making sure you have fun. Even on the 60's themed, slow dance paced Money, hearing Eden admit her rich man "can go to hell" is like a Pretty in Pink anthem for the new millennium. All too often, bands take themselves too seriously and strip away enjoyment from records like this, but Vancougar - like the name suggests - would rather see you smile than sneer. Works for me."

Vancougar is also featured on this week's CBC Radio 3 Sessions Podcast you can download it for free and nothing at http://www.cbc.ca/radio3/podcasts/sessions/CBCR3Sessions_2008-07-09.mp3.

While that is going on Hey Ocean! will be celebrating their new CD It's Easier to Be Someone Else at Richard's on Richards. From CBC Radio 2:

"This young foursome takes inspiration from every corner of pop music - combining folk, reggae, funk and jazz into a sound that is uniquely their own. Hey Ocean's music also borrows from several world music genres; largely because of David Beckingham's three years in Kenya as well as other members' travels in Central America, Asia and Europe. Passionate voices, pensive words and contagious fun keep this music honest and pure; from the heart, for the soul."

I have no Hey Ocean! session to lead you to but they are on Concerts on Demand on the CBC Radio 2 site which you can listen to at http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20080211ocean and there are a few songs you can download from their Myspace.

Whatever you decide to do, have fun Vancouver!

Whoa, the Jetlag...

I finally got back into Ottawa yesterday morning from an overnight flight from Vancouver Island, where I was happily priviledged to attend a wedding in the family. Those of you already following my home blog will have noted some of the posts I've set up, as well as some of the photography I took during side trips into Vancouver.

One thing you should really take in if you're in Vancouver in the next little while is Krazy, a pop-culture arts exhibit featuring comics/manga/BD, animation/anime, video games, and related stuff and non-nonsense. It's being held at the Vancouver Art Gallery until September 7th. I think it'll be worth the time and the money.

Myself? I doted maybe a little overlong on the original art from Chester Brown's biographical, Louis Riel...

Said the Whale CD Out Today!

Said the Whale's "Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia" is officially in stores today. The CD Release party, for those of you in Vancouver or who feel like heading to Vancouver is this Thursday at the Biltmore, doors at 9. According to their MySpace blog they are reasonably happy with the album "We feel like little boys with new tricycles. This is TRES exciting. If you're out shopping today, go buy it! It is, sadly, not on Zunior (I checked) so you'll actually have to go out and find a copy cause iTunes sucks!


Said The Whale - This City's a Mess

Montreal, Vancouver and How-To sections added

I've been busy working on the site today. There are new aggregators for Vancouver and Montreal (I'm looking at other cities and more will follow at some point). There is also a new How To section, fairly small for now but it will grow and will be dedicated to tutorials on how to...all kinds of stuff. Stay tuned!

Hey Ocean! Tour Dates

Vancouver's Hey Ocean! (Facebook, Mysapce) is getting ready to kick off a cross Canada tour (ok, not really cross Canada - they're not going east of Ontario on this one still ...) check them out if you can!

Friday, June 6th - Windsor, ON @ The Phog Lounge

Saturday, June 7th - Sarnia, ON @ Paddy Flaherty's

Monday, June 9th - Ottawa, ON @ Maverick's

Tuesday, June 10th - Montreal, QC @ Le Divan Orange

Wednesday, June 11th - Toronto, ON @ The Rivoli

Thursday, June 12th - London, ON @ Call the Office

Tuesday, June 17th - Sudbury, ON @ Loplops Gallery

Wednesday, June 18th - Thunder Bay, ON @ Jack's

Thursday, June 19th - Winnipeg, MB @ The Lo Pub

Friday, June 20th - Regina, SK @ The Club (Exchange)

Saturday, June 21st - Calgary, AB @ Virgin Festival

Wednesday, June 25th - Canmore, AB @ Canmore Hotel

Thursday, June 26th - Golden, BC @ The Roadhouse

Saturday, June 28th - Saskatoon, SK @ Lydia's

Tuesday, July 1st - Kelowna, BC @ Doc Willoughby's

Thursday, July 3rd - Victoria, BC @ Element

Sunday, July 6th - Vancouver, BC @ St James Hall (ALL AGES)

Friday, July 11th - Vancouver, BC @ Richards on Richards

Saturday, July 12th - Whistler, BC @ GLC

Dan Mangan Downloads

When it rains it pours, yesterday it was Edmonton's the Secretaries and Saskatoon's Carbon Dating Service continuing the Western swing today Vancouver singer songwriter Dan Mangan has added 3 songs to the podsafe Downloads. If you don't know Dan, you should - have a listen to the 3 songs, including "Journal of a Narcoleptic" (video below) and then go ahead and buy the album you won't be sorry.

Dan Mangan - Journal of a Narcolpetic

Said the Whale Album June 5

The new album (officially the first from Said the Whale) will officially be released on on June 3rd, but the CD Release party isn't until June 5th at the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver. From saidthewhale.com:

"I'm not sure if we have ever officially announced this...but we have a new record coming out! It is called "Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia", and is a combination of our first record and 7 new songs that we recorded in November. It will be in stores June 3rd, and to celebrate it's release we are having a party at the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver. Joining us on the bill will be our friends Lotus Child and Maurice. That show will also be somewhat of a tour kickoff party for us, as the next day we'll be booking it accross the country for the worlds fastest Canadian tour to date. Stay tuned for more info and songs from the new record!"

You can check out a brand new Said the Whale track "My Government Heart" on their Myspace page.

Said the Whale - This Winter I Retire

Vancouver Last Minute Show - Said the Whale

Said the Whale has added a last minute show - tomorrow night (Sunday, April 13) at the Media Club in Vancouver. The show starts at 9:30ish with "Maurice, Lotus Child, Aidan Knight, and possibly one more band whose name may or may not rhyme with "Gay Lotion".". This is also a "prom party"

Also, please note that this show is a PROM PARTY! That means ladies, dust off that old prom dress, boys, squeeze your fat ass into your old suit and slip a mickey of vodka into your boxers, cuz we're re-living prom night!

also note that this will be our LAST show in Vancouver until our CD Release show tentatively scheduled for June 5.

ok hopefully see some of you there!

Said The Whale - This Winter I Retire

They Shoot Horses: Taking a Break from Taking a Break then Breaking Up

Vancouvers They Shoot Horses Don't They decided awhile ago to take a break, with the plan being that they would, take a deep breath, write some new songs, and then hit the road again. Sadly, sometimes 'breaks' last longer than you wanted them to and it appears that the real, very last show, for the band will be at the Astoria in Vancouver on April 26.

From the blog:

"So the Real LAST SHOW... is it the real last show?  Who knows but for sure it will surely be the real LAST SHOW for a few years if not forever. Expect some surprises and old songs. We will be more or less sticking to our previous pledge that we won’t play the songs we played at the last show (unless even one person person merely mentions that it would be nice if we played a particular song...you know a request...we don’t refuse requests...it’s our policy...that would be rude!) One thing you may be pleased to know is that Julia(on vacation from her German living ways) will be playing drums. Exciting!
Anyways... That the word. official and all"

You can still grab a few tunes from the band in the download section.

Got Keys?: Established Bands looking for Keyboard players

Vancouver's Said the Whale is looking for a keyboard player ("must have chops, and be able to tour your ass off"" and Toronto's the Diableros are looking for an organist. I hate posting email address' on a blog due to the spam factor but if you are interested or have a candidate for either get in touch with me here or here and I'll pass along the contact info.