May is another theme night for our little record club. We will be meeting up at Smith's Pub on Tuesday May 29th, 2012 to play some of our “Guilty Pleasures.”
I don't really know what constitutes a “guilty pleasure” because you enjoy it. Why should you feel ashamed for your music taste? I'm sure everyone has some Unknown Pleasures (sorry had to make the joke). If you've ever spent some time with me on the road, at a party, sat in my living room, or just know me well you'd know I love new wave.
To put it simply Big Country's The Crossing is one of my favourite albums. You probably know their one song “In A Big Country” and that's about it. The 1980's put out some great music like Chalk Circle, The Psychedelic Furs, Boomtown Rats, and Rough Trade. That's not even the bands I love the most like Echo & The Bunnymen, The Church, and New Order.
I've had a girlfriend almost break-up with me because of how much I liked “In A Big Country,” but what can I say she had bad taste in music. I guess my love of new wave borders on something more. Most people hate it so I guess that makes it my “guilty pleasure.”
First up is Talk Talk's “It's My Life” off the album It's My Life. You'll know this song right away. If not for the original it would be for No Doubt's cover of it. I first came across Talk Talk on a mixed cd a friend gave me in high school. Ever since I've loved them.
They are also one of Matt Good's favourite bands (I saw that in an interview once).
Further studies: Lots of wildlife in the original music video, wikipedia, and No Doubt's cover of “It's My Life.”
My other “guilty pleasure” that borders on an unhealthy love for is Toto's “Africa” of Toto IV. This is my pump-up jam. I put “Africa” on if I want to get ready for something big and exciting. If you see me listening to headphones while walking around the Rifflandia Music Festival it's me trying to to get into the right headspace to shoot a major headliner. Chances are Toto is blasting through the speakers directly into my earholes.
I even want this song to be our theme song for the annual Build-A-Boat Race here in Sidney, BC. I have this grand vision of Shayne, Brian, and I standing together holding hands, creating a triforce, while singing about how we blessed the rains down in Africa. They are against it though for some weird reason.
Further watching: Toto's music video for “Africa,” wikipedia, and Peter Griffin smashing a vase full of flowers.
Hurry boy that download is waiting for you.
Download disappears on May 31st, 2012.
]]>April was the first month I've been in Record Club when there was a theme. A very loose theme though. Not everyone knew there was a theme this month, and others assumed it would be a Record Store Day show-and-tell.
At our March meeting we half decided we were going to do a High Fidelity themed record club meeting in April. We were all to bring a list of our “Top 5, Side One, Track Ones” as well hopefully be able to bring at least two of those to record club to play.
Unfortunately I'm from that dark gap in human history where a lot of my favourite records only came out on compact disc. It was a bit of a struggle for me this month to find something I had on vinyl let alone being in My Top 5. I ended up just heading in with two records I really love, but have solid first tracks on them.
The first record of mine we fired up was The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. Oh, that's really cliché isn't it? Why not Some Girls or Sticky Fingers? Exile was one of the first Stones albums I seriously got into (that wasn't Hot Rocks). I've been a Rolling Stones fan my whole life. It's in my blood. My grandpa has been a fan for as long as he can remember and the love of the Stones has been passed down through the generations. Heck, The Rolling Stones was my first concert. That's how much we love the Stones.
A friend of mine once described “Rocks Off” as a punk song before there was punk rock. For me it has always been that opening riff. It always has. There is just something about it. It always sucks me right into the album. Kieth really figured that one out in his rented house in the south of France.
When I watched Stones in Exile last year with my grandpa it really made me appreciate the album a lot more. I had always thought the album had been recorded in America. It just had that sound and feel of the “south.” Turns out having the blues in south France you come up with similar sounds.
Further studies: Robert Frank's footage of The Rolling Stones in LA/New York in 1971, wikipedia, and a promo video for Stones in Exhile.
Up next was Archie Bell & The Drells with “Tighten Up.”
Oh, you brought a funk/Motown record? Hipster. Yup, you caught me. I'm an asshole who has always liked R&B, Funk, and the whole Motown sound. I remember my sister buying a best of Atlantic Records cd when we were kids and I think for the next 6 months it was the only thing the family listened to. My mom always had Etta James playing around the house too. I think that's why I've always identified with this type of music.
Further watching: Sandy doing the Fishstick, and a live television performance by Archie Bell & The Drells in 1968.
It's funny to think now how much my family has influenced my taste in music. Inheriting my mom and dad's record collection has been amazing too. Pink Floyd, The Who, Rush, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, The Ventures, and hundreds more has certainly been a blessing.
Who knew my parents had such great taste in music?
]]>I know it seems like an ominous title for a blog post, but it seems like the right thing to call it at this point. This feels like the first part of something bigger. We will see.
I've been thinking a lot about the future, the past, and the present lately. Maybe that's why I've found it so hard to produce anything for the blog. I can't say that for certain. All I know is that I haven't “written” anything in weeks maybe even a month. Time flies when you are being self reflective and panicking about the uncertainty of the future.
I come home most nights with good intentions. I'm going to sit down at the computer, bang off some words, edit some photos, or work on my portfolio. Strangely those things rarely ever happen. Generally when I plop down in front of the computer I spend pointless hours scanning my tumblr dash, writing toots, and watch television shows I don't really care all that much for.
Why do I do it? I assume it has to do with the fact I don't want to actually do anything for myself. I don't want to make my life better or have something to be proud of. Or is it just laziness? It's probably a mixture of both. I think the idea behind it is that if I don't try I can't fail. It's kind of been my life's motto up until recently.
I've tried to make commitments before. Things like “I'm going to write 750 words a day” or “I'm going to post something on my blog at least three times a week.” Oddly I think it's okay not to fulfill my own goals when it comes to my writing. Because it's me setting the goals, and I'm not being told to do them. The same goes for working on my new photography website that was supposed to be done in March. It's easy to let it slid and never quite finish it when it's only you that's going to be disappointed.
Too often I look back at what I haven't accomplished, but had intentions of completing. If you know me you know I'm always working on a “project” that will never be completed. I want to change this. I want to finish at least one thing before I can move on to the next “project.”
So, what are my projects? This blog is one. I want to give it an overhaul. A new look, and edit some of the archives. There is some revisionist history going to be taking place over the next few months. When I look at things they are a disorganized mess. Things need to be straightened up.
My photography website is probably the biggest priority. It's actually 2/3 done. My problems at this point have to do with being bored with my design already and not being quite able to do what I want with squarespace. That has to do with my limited knowledge of building websites though.
After that there really isn't anything too serious left in Tyson Elder Enterprises to get done. Well, a small website directing you to all the places I can be found on the internet. There may also be a smallish project Kat and I have been talking about doing for a long time.
This wasn't going to be a post about me quitting the internet. Although the idea has come across my mind a few times. Not quitting, but starting fresh. In the meantime you can still find me in the normal places putting off things.
Can you start bugging me weekly to finish things?
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90's Canadian rock band Big Wreck played their first show in support of their new album Albatross / reunion tour at Victoria's Club 9one9.
The night was full of a obnoxious crowd, technical problems, and a uninterested Ian Thornley. I still enjoyed the show though. It brought back a lot of memories of the late 90's back for me.
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Life has taken some interesting turns in the last few weeks, but that doesn't mean I stopped taking photos.
On Record Store Day (April 21st, 2012) one of my favourite local musicians, Kathryn Calder did an instore at Ditch Records. I shot my first video with my T3i there you can check out her song "One Two Three" on my vimeo.
Later that week I shot Yukon Blonde, Library Voices, and Great Bloomers at Club 9one9. It was lots of fun and I got to discover new bands to love.
Kathryn Calder / Yukon Blonde / Library Voices / Great Bloomers
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It was a busy weekend for me. The V.I.C. Fest 2012 launch party with Quoia, Kytami, DJ Whiz, and the Cheesecake Burlesque Review. I also caught a Grapes of Wrath reunion show at the old Harpo's.
]]> Money woes, and other fun excuses on why I can't do anything with my life.
As most of you know I broke my foot back in January. It's been a painful couple months of limited mobility, anti-inflammatory medication, and just a general hatred of doctors. If there is one thing that came from the whole experience it was the reaffirmation of my dislike of the medical system and doctors.
Here I am just over three months later and my foot is healing. The scare of having pins put in my foot is gone, and I'm finally on the mend. I still have to take it easy. I've been back at work for a couple weeks now. It's hard being on light duties. I'm surviving and putting the hours. It's not that I missed working while I was off it was more that I missed having something to do with my time.
The money from the insurance company came through sporadically and fluctuated in consistency. Don't get me wrong, I very happy that I can benefit from something like this. Keeping my head above water (barely) while I'm unable to work. I know there are lots of people who can't and don't have that option. It's beneficial having a benefits package at your place of employment (see what I did there).
So, when it came to coming back to work I was more than ecstatic to make some real money. Like REAL fucking money. Unfortunately I didn't make all that much between my last disability check and my first paycheck back.
I'm stuck. For the first time in my life I've had to borrow money from my parents to pay my rent. How embarrassing is that? I don't generally like asking for money, and this was hard for me.
I've spent money on things in the past I shouldn't have, and I did have a budget in place to make sure this wouldn't happen. Then I went and broke my foot. All that money and overtime hours I planned on making was gone. I've had to make some decisions without consulting people in the last few days to make sure I can at least do the one thing I wanted to do this summer.
Here's the big unveil. The thing I've been so vague about in this whole long post about nothing.
I'm not going to the Sasquatch Music Festival this year.
I've got to sell my ticket and premiere camping pass. I know I'm going to be disappointing some folks that really wanted to do this trip with me. Likewise I was excited to do this trip with some really awesome friends and music this year, but it's not going to happen. I should have known before buying the ticket anyways.
I'm going to MaxFunCon the following weekend, and I really don't want to be a burned out mess for that. That's what I'm really excited for. A chance to learn, laugh, and have some real fun with folks I really respect and admire.
Here's my craigslist add for my Sasquatch ticket.
You can also contact me through here if you want to buy it off me. I really wanted to go this year, but I had to man up and make the adult decision. I'm expecting a guilt trip from some of my friends, because I'm posting this before actually telling anyone. I welcome it, but they need to know I didn't make the decision lightly. I did it because I have to, and there is no other way around it. I can't afford to spend hundreds of dollars on camping, drinking, and not getting laid before flying off to do the same thing the next weekend.
I'm not twenty-two anymore.
This time our meeting wasn't at someone's house, a weird art space, or some back alley record shop. It was at Smith's. You know the one. That hipster bar in downtown Victoria where you'd expect there to be some kind of monthly “record club” meeting. On like the last Tuesday of the month for the rest of time.
I've been staying at my folks a lot lately dogsitting while they've been off gallivanting around Mexico on various vacations so I didn't have access to my records really. I rushed home on my coffee break on the Tuesday of record club and grabbed a handful of records to think about playing. I grabbed a Glen Campbell best of, some Long Winters, a Shins 7”, and a couple more.
I drove into town still not knowing what I wanted to play despite talking about it with Jay over twitter days earlier. When I got there I just grabbed the first two things I saw, but would only end up playing one of them.
First up was the b-Side off John Vanderslice's single for “D.I.A.L.O.” called “Do What You Want.” It's a jam I dig a lot. John has been one of my favourite artists over the last few years, and I to this day would still declare one of the nicest people in the music business.
John owns and operates Tiny Telephone in San Francisco. It's one of the last analog recording studios out there, and you'd be surprised how many of your favourite artists have recorded there. I recommend looking up John Vanderslice he has a great discography, is an amazing photographer, and is an all around great guy.
Further watching: John Vanderslice on The Merlin Show, and the music video for "Overcoat."
Next up was going to be The Long Winter's song “Fire Island, AK” but that didn't happen. (Yes, Jeremy I did bring The Long Winters twice.) Instead Michelle (ehbseasides) found a free record with a live recording of one of my favourite songs by Big Country. Unfortunately that didn't get played either because Jer couldn't read in the dark.
Further watching: John Roderick on The Merlin Show, and Top of The Pops.
So here is all three songs up for a limited time.You missed it. Again if you miss it you miss it. I love all these bands and own multiple copies of most of their stuff so support them by buying a record or two.
John Vanderslice - “Do What You Want” b-side off the 7” single for “D.I.A.L.O.” off the album Romanian Names.
The Long Winters – “Fire Island, AK” of the album Putting The Days To Bed.
Big Country - “In A Big Country” of the album The Crossing.
Download disappears April 4th, 2012.
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Some shots from the Steven Page show last night (March 14th, 2012) at Alix Goolden Hall in Victoria, BC. Steven Page was joined by Craig Northey of The Odds as well Mike Edel and The Archers opened.
More photos.
What if you could face your fears?
Would you do it? Would you swim with sharks? Would you jump out of an airplane? Would explore a foreign land?
If you were given the opportunity to face those fears you've had your whole life would you?