Radio - Sproll

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Oh I love that band! I had such an awesome interview with them! We finally worked out a way to host the interviews on the Maple Minutes. Here is the link:
http://theblaze1260.com/events/

We are working on getting more including Marianas Trench, Blood Lines, The Superfantastics, In-Flight Safety (sigh!) and ...Eek- Peter Elkas!

Take that Situation - Nick Heyward

Tidbits today

*One of my racing best buds won a huge National event here in Phoenix this past weekend. I was happy for him but went into sad mode that I don't race anymore. My mind debates the issue of returing ot racing often. As Dan pointed out, when we get the tax money I plan to buy a ticket to Nova Scotia, not fix my car...

*I still haven't decided if I am going to Toronto or LA. At this point, it looks like neither since I have nothing BOOKED! The Mark Inside is one of the reasons I want to go to Toronto! Really!

*I love The Hollies.

*This weekend is the Rubber Stamp Convention. I am more excited for this than the drag race last weekend. Another clue I might be over the racing portion of my life.

*Kill the Lights is a new band I love. I also discovered a singer yesterday named Jon McKiel. Looked him up, from Halifax-what a shock!

*I definitely decided on NS over Alaska BUT I need help deciding how and if I go to NFLD. I think I would be happier just driving all over NS but I want to see Icebergs, Northern Lights, whales, etc.. I need help figuring it all out. I relish the idea of driving where ever I want. I think I need to not plan to tight depending on that huge July 1 P.E.I. Festival of Lights. I just have a "feeling"

*A Canadian band - Hello Operator is playing The Blaze's Kick Ass Spring Concert thanks to my noticing they were playing in Tucson the day before. Yes! It will also be the last day of CV's class so what a fun way to end the semester!

*I am constantly thinking about decorating my new office in the Cronkite school when we move in July. I am already crafting items for it! I am going with a music/radio theme. (How bizarre!-;P) I am looking for old radio items, I am going to frame some KASR/KASC items, use some of my gold records and frame some band photos. I guess if I don't have a window, I should be glad as it means more wall space-LOL!

*I love that blogger now automatically saves as I recall losing a post or two. Way to go blogger.

*Maple Minutes tomorrow. My favorite day of the week.

xo

She's got fashion in her eyes, fashion in her eyes, eyes, eyes...

I think someday I will finally meet Jian Ghomeshi because he is everywhere in my life. Admittedly this because I listen to him on CBC everyday but seriously how could I not? I think I have documented this before but indulge me. Back in those forgotten Canadian 80's, I saw a video for a band called Tall New Buildings on Good old Sam Taylor's show Video Hits. Hooked... Searched and searched, only found the 12 inch mixes for "Breakin on through her walls" and "Fashion in her eyes".

As I entered college and started my creative writing courses, I needed my male hero for my short stories. That character was the image of the guy I saw in those Tall New Buildings videos, yes...my character was Jean (as Jian was known then) I got A's on all my Creative Writing classes! I never got an "A" in a broadcasting class. One of my fave silly facts about me. "Jean" and "Andi" went through a lot together-LOL!

While doing the Maple Minutes in college, I interviewed a gal and her brother known as Candi. They were a dance hit duo. In Candi's video, guess who reappeared! Yep, Jean was in their video, I even asked her about it. I recall her being surprised and said "you know who he is?" My guess by her reaction was, he was "close" to her. Hmm?

Now here comes the ridiculous, fuzzy, middle period with Jian in my life. Years pass, I hear of a band called Moxy Fruvous. I was at a festival in Barrie, Ontario that they played but did not get there in time to see Moxy but someone handed us free cassettes. I have no idea our hero Jean is now in Moxy Fruvous using his real name Jian. It gets worse. KBM and I go see Nick Heyward here in Phoenix, guess who opens?! Oh yes, I SAW Moxy Fruvous. We loved them, bought merch, I start collecting their CDS. Seriously, still no clue nor make the connection. Remember there was no internet back then. I read liner notes but how would I have translated Jean in TNB to this guy. I live in Arizona, I didn’t have videos on youtube, only one magazine, etc..

Now fast forward to about 6 years ago. In my fave ebay searches I would always looked for Tall New Buildings. I was still in the dark whether there was a full length LP or just those two 12 inch singles. (I still have this mystery) One night, while working with Wake at Rockaway, I notice in the title line in one of the TNB 12 inches it says Moxy Fruvous. I was perplexed so I head over to the M section; grab a MF CD we happen to have in stock. It was one of my favorite discoveries of all time....there he was...Jean! Then I hit myself over the head a zillion times fully seeing him in my head playing with Moxy Fruvous.

The rest is what you would figure. I research, see him on The National when I still had that on cable, turn on all the CBC shows he has been a part of online. (I never saw him on The Hour, living in the US has it's limitations you know...)

He walked by my table last year at a High Dials show during Canadian Music Week. Ask my T-dot friends how I dealt with that...

So why the Jian fawning today? My Maple Minutes co-host and Cancon pal Andrew is really into this Toronto band Lights. Andrew emailed Lights' manager for an interview on the Maple Minutes. Lights' manager? Jian Ghomeshi.... I told Andrew forget Lights, get me Jian on the phone! Don't you think?! Jian responded promptly today, said we had Lights for next week. Andrew told him I was a fan. Is that the correct definition at this point?

Shake Some Action - The Flamin Groovies

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It is one of those work days where I just want to come home, curl up in bed and read. Over a year ago, I ordered this book. Somehow Not Lame lost my name, I wrote them several times and finally, according to the owner, I got the very last copy! I am eager to read it, see how many of the Top 100 power pop lps I own, etc.. I started glancing through it briefly and got a tad discouraged. First off, my fave LP of all time "Dear 23" by The Posies was #84 below some lps that I think pale in comparison. Then I am reading the post script of artists that didn't make it.

Some other artists didn't show up because they either seemed too inconsistent for my taste (Split Enz/Crowded House, The Lemonheads,Let's Active, Grin, The Odds, The Last and Apples in Stereo all fall into this camp) or because quite frankly, I never did - and still don't "get" them. (The Jam, Frisbie, The Sorrows, Zumpano, Sloan, Weezer and the Dandy Warhols are the best examples.)

Needless to say this turned me off to the book. I am angered enough to blog about it-lol! But I can somewhat see his point as I think more about these artists. I know you think I am angered about Sloan but seriously, there is no Sloan record that is completely power pop. Andrew Scott does not write power pop. I was most stunned by two of these bands mentioned. One is The Jam inclusion, this guy has to be deaf to not get The Jam's contribution to melodic hooks and melodies. The second floors me but not many will understand because they don't have their LPs. One of my pop Holy Grail finds was The Sorrows. I first heard "Christabelle" on a compilation around 1980 called Exposed. The song is power pop magic as are both Lps which are impossible to find and expensive. (They must have had the same distribution problem Candy did.)


I will attempt to read some of the book, forgetting the postscript. Guess I should not have skipped ahead. I think they should have done singles also to make use of some of the bands who's entire records may not be power pop.

I really need to stop buying these kinds of books. I picked up the Top 100 Canadian LPs of all time while I was in Toronto. I will count for certain but it may have only had 10 lps from the 80's. (If that many!) And trust me, those are whatever Hip or Blue Rodeo records came out then. Canada avoids it's own 80's music like the plague. Are they afraid to admit "Thin Red Line" by Glass Tiger won 6 Junos in 1986. It is a brilliant record whether it is cool to like GT or not.

I flipped a page to see Kyle Vincent's Ten Favorite artists. His #6 is Gin Blossoms. Hmmmm I had See Spot Run on the Maple Minutes a few weeks again and Chris, their singer, brought up his love for the Blossoms too.. I guess they are ok for the author to mention. I will comment again after I read some more.

Vs.

I missed bloggin so much! I am BACK! I don't have nearly the time I used to but I am going to make a big effort to update often.

Today is about travel choices. This March I would like to take a mini spring break. Last year I went to Canadian music week. It was perfect, I got to see 12 Canadian bands in 4 days. This year, I have been watching the line-up and have not been as impressed. In the meantime, while deciding Matthew Good announces a U.S. tour. This happens never. Matt may have toured here once, pre-Underdogs. So my Canadian music loving pal Andrew and I have been planning a trip to California to see Matt's LA and SD shows. Yesterday Ruh tells me what I expected to hear, Sloan is playing Candian music week. My husband says go see Matt, I have seen Sloan and will see again. I would love to see Sloan in a small club again like last year. Plus new music... Any point and counter point discussion would be appreciated. Meligrove Band on Sloan bill, Matt Good playing acoustic.. What to DO?

Next in this versus discussion, I may have another decision to make for summer plans. I have had it in my head I was going back to NS and NFLD this summer. IN fact, I was not far from buying the plane ticket when I get our taxes back. However, my cousin Susan and I talked tonight. She says she wants to go to Alaska in July. Wants me to come too. Says the Northern lights woke her up last night! (She is there right now, as my Aunt Janet lives there) Place to stay in Alaska would be cheaper than hotels in NS BUT I have been plotting the return in my head since I left there in 2006. BUT I have wanted to go to Alaska since I was a kid. I haven't askedmy hubby's opinion yet but I know what he will say, go to Alaska, you haven't been there. Again, I am going to be so torn.

Sloan vs. Matthew Good
NS vs. Alaska

???