I’ve been slacking. No Friday Five for two weeks now. But I was sick with a bad cold and just didn’t feel up for making any selections. I’m all mended now, though, so I’ve pulled a bunch of tunes from my work playlists to share with you all. It’s really a mixed bag of music, but there should be something in this group for everyone. As usual, if you hear something you like, buy it! I don’t get anything from it other than the satisfaction of having influenced a listener out there, but in this day and age when so much music is simply streamed for free or illegally downloaded, I feel I need to nudge everyone towards supporting the artists with a purchase.
It’s a bit late to the table, but I finally uploaded the last haul video covering finds from my trip to the Pacific Northwest. I cover a lot of ground in this video — 10 record stores! — but there are some really cool pieces I picked up, so check it out!
Tomorrow is the final stop on the Tragically Hip’s Man Machine Poem tour. The band will play one final show in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, and then it’s radio silence as the world waits to see if Gord will be strong enough to make more music. As much as the band is preferring not to say this is the final show for them, it likely will be. I was one of the lucky ones to get tickets to the event, so we’ll be there to celebrate and cry with everyone in Kingston. It’s going to be an evening so full of joy and so full of emotion, too. It seems weird to think that this is my very first time seeing the Hip, and it’ll also be the last.
I’ve had their catalog playing non-stop for a few weeks now, so it seems appropriate to devote this Friday Five once again to the Tragically Hip. I shared my favorite songs last time, but there are so many gorgeous tunes. Here are a few of them.
We hadn’t purchased tickets to see Sarah Harmer at Whistling Gardens prior to our vacation, and, well, after the break-in and the massive amount of rebuilding we needed to do, it just didn’t seem to be in the cards. We’d canceled five planned concerts in New Jersey, Portland, Denver, and New York City because of all the time and money we needed to put our lives back together again. You don’t really think about how much time it takes to get money from your homeowner’s insurance company, but while you wait weeks and weeks for the check, you still have to replace furniture and repair windows and buy new clothes — and install an excessive amount of security features so that it never happens again.
But then we found we had enough Marriott points for a free hotel stay, and we realized that we’d been so immersed in the darkness following the break-in that we needed a bit of distance from it to reset. And what better way to nourish your soul than a Sarah Harmer concert under the stars?
It was a perfect evening. Even though the forecast called for possible storms in Wilsonville, Ontario, the sky was dotted with only fluffy white clouds as we arrived at Whistling Gardens. After ticket exchanges and hand stamps, we were ushered through the gardens to wine tents and the rows of chairs lined up to face a tiered section on which Sarah and her band would be playing.
Because it was a last-minute trip, we missed out on VIP tickets, which would have allowed us into the first four rows of seats, but we were content just to be there (despite very tall men with hats sitting in front of us). The setting sun to our left posed the biggest problem of the night, for it hadn’t dropped low enough behind the trees by the time Sarah took the stage, and many of us had to shield our eyes with our hands for the first three songs before it set.
The first set was full of the classics, like “The Hideout” and “Don’t Get Your Back Up,” and a few tunes from Sarah’s last album, “Oh Little Fire.” She also played a song called “St Peter’s Bay,” which might be new to folks who haven’t seen her in concert over the past several years, but it’s one we’ve heard at every show since 2012. Each time I hear it, I feel like she’s been tinkering with it, making it better and better. I keep hoping she’ll finally lay that track down (along with the two songs she sang at the 2013 Holiday Rock Show in Kingston that have haunted me with their beauty ever since). Hint, hint, Sar.
If you’ve seen Sarah perform before, then you know that she’s always on point; I’ve never left a Harmer show even remotely disappointed. Not only was Sarah’s performance excellent, but damn, the sound was absolutely perfect that evening. I’ve attended a lot of outdoor shows, and sometimes you expect the sound to be a bit muddy, but I can’t even say I’ve ever attended an indoor show with such good acoustics. After spending the past year at shows ranging from small basement concerts in rural Connecticut to sold-out performances at Terminal 5 in NYC, I’ve grown accustomed to sub-par sound. Even the best venues can’t seem to get it right. But the vocals were so crystal clear that it was almost like listening to a CD.
And the banter between songs? Primo. Sarah’s always one to chat a little with the crowd, sharing stories of how the songs came to be, but she had more funny quips than usual that evening.
By the time the intermission ended, it was dusky and we’d moved to a set of unclaimed VIP seats for a better view. Unfortunately, intermission gave a rather large group of twentysomethings time to imbibe more, which led to them filling the rows behind us and talking loudly for the remainder of the show — well, until they decided to get up and dance in front of us.
I’ll never understand the desire to spend money to see someone perform live only to talk through their entire performance — but I can appreciate the need to get up and enjoy the music. Most shows I see these days are general admission, and I’ve grown to love the feeling of being pressed to the rail, the excitement of hundreds or thousands of people surrounding you. I walked away from a string of Sleater-Kinney shows in December bruised and battered (from being pressed into the rail, not from moshing — I’m old), but all the better for the experience of communing as a crowd, the culmination of such unfettered love and adoration for a band that spoke to so many of us.
The closest I’ve come to being bruised after a Sarah Harmer show was at the 2014 Rockin’ the Square concert in my home-away-from-home, Kingston, Ontario. We were at the rail, and some overzealous teenagers and kids were slamming into us throughout the show. But I have to say that was probably my favorite show of all: Sarah’s vocals had almost a tinge of those old Weeping Tile days, and the energy was palpable. The midges were swirling through the air on that humid night, making a halo above Sarah’s head, and it was one of those moments of pure Kingston magic.
There were no midges at Whistling Gardens – not that I could see — but kildeer were swooping low over the crowd and through the stage lights, and they brought the magic with them. And that magic crested during what has become one of my very favorite Harmer tunes, a song called “Just Get Here,” which was written for a documentary about Al Purdy.
I first heard “Just Get Here” at the 2015 Sandbanks New Waves Festival in Prince Edward County. Rain had been threatening all day, but the skies opened halfway through AroarA’s set, and quickly the amphitheatre started filling with runoff and mud. Everyone scurried to the one giant tent to huddle together and wait out the storm. The skies cleared just in time for Sarah’s set, and even though we were soaked and covered in mud, everyone enjoyed the music under the stars. “Just Get Here” moved me to tears with its beauty that night. Who knows, maybe I was emotional from exhaustion (we had driven 6.5 hours from home that morning to be there) and being absolutely drenched and freezing, or maybe it was just the magic of that moment.
And the magic was recreated Saturday at Whistling Gardens — minus the torrential downpour.
When the encore came around, we all moved to the stone barrier and sang along to “Lodestar.” It was the perfect ending to a concert under the stars, and then we all tripped our way through the darkness (Whistling Gardens: For real, get some path lights) to our cars, smiling and happy.
Soul nourished; mission accomplished.
[Apologies for the lack of photographs. I usually bring my DSLR, and have captured some great shots of Sarah and her band at other events, but I left it at home this time and distance/darkness/stage lights are a nightmare combination for iPhone cameras. Instead, enjoy the videos, posted with permission from quietdictionary on YouTube.]
In this second installment of my PNW vinyl haul, I focus on my finds from the three Everyday Music stores in and around Portland, Oregon. I got some pretty awesome stuff at these shops, so check out the video below!
This past weekend, on a road trip to Canada to see Sarah Harmer perform, I finally had the opportunity to check out Dr. Disc in Hamilton, Ontario. I’d never visited the shop before, but Mark, the owner, was so helpful last year when my wife and I were looking for a Canadian record shop that a) carried the Polaris Prize 10″ Sarah Harmer cover sessions record, and b) was willing to send us that along with a Polaris Prize nominee record (the required purchase for receiving the free SH 10″). We’d tried a few stores who seemed clueless about the release while we were in Canada on vacation, but once we were home, we touched base with Mark who was more than happy to send us the records, and even sent them from the US to save us a little on shipping. He also threw in a Dr. Disc slipmat, which I thought was pretty cool.
My wife had kept in touch with Mark online after that, and so when we knew we were going to be traveling through Hamilton, she touched base and let him know we’d be by the shop. He was warm and welcoming, and hooked us up with some excellent swag — tote bags and t-shirts. It was totally unexpected and so appreciated, and it stood in such stark contrast to the kind of interactions I’ve had with shops I frequent in the US. I spend a lot of time and a lot of dough at one of my favorite shops, and yet they don’t even know my name. People don’t believe me when I tell them that Canadian folks are just a lot nicer and friendlier, but this is a prime example right here.
The shop is a good size, with two floors of vinyl and CD bins, plus a room full of turntables and DJ gear. Everything was so clean and organized, which made it easy to find some gems even though we were a little short on time. And the prices were excellent, for both new and used vinyl. I grabbed Alvvays’ 2013 self-released album, which has been on my wantlist for ages. I’m a sucker for anything RCMP-related (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), so when my wife discovered a 1970s RCMP band record in the bins, I had to snag that one as well. And I was able to find two Rankin/Bass Christmas albums that I’ve been wanting for years — “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas,” and “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland.” I can’t even explain how much I geeked out over finding those.
I wish we’d had more time to spend in the shop, because I’m sure I would have come home with a huge stack of records. But I was more than happy with my finds, and it was great to meet one of the nicest record shop owners around. Mark, thanks for the swag and the kindness, and for having a really excellent store. Congratulations on 25 years!
So many new albums and tracks have been released from excellent Canadian bands over the past couple of months. A good portion of my record collection is devoted to Canadian artists, and it makes me happy when I can introduce my fellow Americans to my favorite performers. Check out the tunes below and let me know what you think. Any Canadian artists you like? Tell me some of your faves.
Billy Talent’s new album drops today, so I thought I’d share my favorite track off the record. Actually, it might be one of my favorite BT songs in general, coming in at a close second to “Surrender.” I love the energy, and can’t wait to grab a copy of the album (hopefully this weekend).
July Talk released another track off their upcoming sophomore album the other day. It’s a bit softer than their usual fare, but I dig it. I’m so excited for this album to come out. Now if only I could get them to play somewhat near me on a Saturday night…
I feel like I’ve been waiting years to hear some new DIANA. Oh, wait, I have. I’ve been into these guys since seeing them at the Wolfe Island Music Fest a few years back, and it’s great to see them releasing some new tunes. This one definitely doesn’t disappoint.
Veda’s new album, Love Waves, was long-listed for the Polaris Prize this year, and if you ask me, it should have been short-listed as well. The album is a bit more synth-heavy than her previous work, but it’s as lovely as ever. The chorus of this particular song is perfection.
I’ve had Hannah’s new album on repeat all week. Love it. Can’t get enough. My favorite track is “Don’t Go,” but I already featured that one on another Friday Five, so I picked out another good tune.
The small town of Olympia, Washington, is saturated with music history. Think about all the great bands and labels that got their start in Olympia: Sleater-Kinney, Heavens to Betsy, Bikini Kill, Beat Happening, Excuse 17, K Records, Kill Rock Stars. Riot Grrrl. Kurt Cobain lived in Olympia.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
With such a rich history, it’s no wonder that Olympia is home to a gem of a record store like Rainy Day Records. I could have spent an entire day in there. Not only do they have a solid selection of records, but they’ve got cassettes (many local), CDs, t-shirts (their own, plus K Recs tees), pins, stickers, postcards, and all sorts of other goodies. I visited the store twice and came away with Le Tigre, Gossip, Tacocat, Yoyo a Go Go, Ex Hex, and a bunch of cassettes and fun stuff. That shop is definitely in my top 5 now, and I can’t wait to go back the next time I’m in the Pacific Northwest.
I thought I’d been thorough in my research, but apparently I missed adding Funk Fuzz Records to our Olympia itinerary while planning. I was under the assumption that Rainy Day was the only record store in town. But while shopping downtown, we noticed Funk Fuzz attached to Dumpster Values, a vintage clothing store. It’s a very small space, but it had some great stuff. I grabbed a few things that I’d been looking for, and then as I was making my purchase, I noticed an original 1991 self-released Bikini Kill cassette in the display case. I passed it up at that moment because of the price, but then I got outside and realized that I would likely never come across one of those in person ever again. They’re incredibly rare, and they go for big bucks. The one in the shop was fairly reasonable, considering what it was. Five minutes later, I had talked myself into buying it and went back in to purchase a piece of music history.
Check out my video below to see all my finds, and check back soon for the next installment in my vacation haul series. I went to so many record stores and purchased so much that I thought it would be better to break it out into a few videos. Enjoy!
Hello, friends and readers. It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. Almost a month now. And I wanted to share the reason why I’ve been gone.
I was on vacation last month in the Pacific Northwest, buying loads of vinyl and having an amazing time, when I got a call from home that my house had been broken into while we were away. My parents discovered the break-in and called the police, and we jumped on the first possible flight home from Seattle. The first thing I cared about was my cats and their safety. But then I started to imagine the house empty, all my belongings gone. All my records, all my guitars, all my jewelry and precious items. In the end, the intruders didn’t take my records, or my guitars. They stole rings I had from my grandmothers who had passed, some other jewelry, and some cash. And they destroyed my house. The place was ransacked. And not only was it ransacked, but they cut themselves climbing in the windows they smashed, and bled all over the house. Furniture had to be thrown out, hazmat cleaners had to be called in. It’s been an absolute nightmare.
The only piece of vinyl they touched was unfortunately a prized possession: my colored vinyl Sleater-Kinney box set. They didn’t steal it, but they handled it with their bloody hands, threw it down so that the corner of the box was smashed, and in the process of trying to clean up their blood, doused it with all kinds of liquids. It’s horrifying, especially because I paid $300 for that box set, and not very long ago. It had taken me a while to find one in mint condition, and that’s a good chunk of change to drop all at once. And here’s the thing — it won’t fit into a standard sleeve, so I had kept it in my bedroom so that it would be safe until I could make a custom sleeve to protect it. If it had been with my other records, it would have been safe, but the intruders trashed the room it was in the most.
This whole ordeal has been a wake-up call. We live on a main street in our small city, and even though the area has had an increase in drug- and gang-related crime, we still felt we were safe from it. Who would be brazen enough to break into a house on a major road, with constant traffic? And we live fairly close to our neighbors, and know them. We didn’t have a fancy security system, but you can bet we do now — interior and exterior. I’m truly heartbroken over the stolen jewelry, because my maternal grandmother just passed away last year, and we were extremely close. Having her ring stolen was a kick in the gut. And my paternal grandmother died when I was six years old. Her wedding rings and an ornate ceramic clock are the two things I had from her. I’m furious that these precious items were stolen from me. I don’t care as much about the gold rings from past boyfriends and whatnot, but family jewelry is different.
And here’s the thing: in the process of this, we’ve been asked for all kinds of things from our homeowner’s insurance company. Things like photographs, receipts, estimated value, etc. And I think to myself, wow, what would I give them if my entire record collection had been stolen? Would I be able to remember every record? And the condition? Would I be able to provide receipts for those purchases? Record collecting is an expensive hobby. Not only do you drop cash on these items — some of which can be very pricey depending on how rare they are — but you invest a huge amount of time into it as well. And now that I’ve been up close and personal with the idea of losing everything and having to try and recoup, I realize the importance of documenting. Having an inventory. As soon as my life calms down a bit, I plan to photograph every album I have, scan every receipt I might still have in my possession, and make an inventory of what I have so that if I’m ever faced with this again, I’ll have protected my collection as best I could.
I wanted to share this insight with everyone because it’s something I hadn’t truly thought about before, and maybe it could be of use to some of you. Maybe some of you collectors already do this, but for those who don’t, consider making some kind of inventory for your insurance company. It’s useful not only for recouping the monetary loss, but it could help the police track down the perp if they’re stupid enough to try and sell your records on eBay or Craigslist.
The break-in could have been a lot worse. We could have been home at the time, or one of our cats could have been injured. They could have taken everything instead of just jewelry. But it sucked nonetheless. And it caused us to cut our vacation short, so we had to miss out on seeing Wimps in Portland, and Quasi in New Jersey. Thankfully we have incredible friends who were thoughtful enough to send us Quasi goods to help ease the pain.
I have a lot of excellent vinyl finds to share with everyone once my life calms down a little. I came back from vacation with an overstuffed DJ bag full of music. I’ll be posting those finds soon, and am looking forward to catching up with everyone in the VC again.
vinylhysteria.com 