Livin the dream

I have many regrets in my life and one of the biggest is the decision I made back when I was 9 years old to refuse the school band teacher's assignment for me to play the drums and instead force my parents buy me a flute so that I could take the class. An aside - who the hell lets a 9 year old make life altering decisions anyway? As a member of the army known as the flute section of pretty much every school and city band or orchestra in my youth, there was many a time when someone from my section was called upon to play one of the myriad of 'auxiliary percussion' instruments. I was at least smart enough to be the first to volunteer to pinch hit every time. Consequently, I have had the pleasure of playing cymbals, gong, timpani, bells, bass drum and even one time the back of a chair on stage at Massey Hall and Roy Thompson Hall (2 major venues in Toronto).

There are songs I LOVE I could no longer listen to because the feeling of needing to crawl out of my skin because I could not play them on the drums was too overwhelming. When I moved into my own home, I thought that it would be nice to have a set of drums but it was much more of a concept than an actual plan. For 11 years I have imagined and wondered and daydreamed about having a drum set. I am a girl with a percussion fetish, my 2 favourite words in the English language are 'percuss' and 'reverberate'.

As of today I do not have to wonder anymore, I now own (and after 4 hours of hard work, have assembled) a drum set. I have been trying to either talk myself out of wanting or into buying one for 11 years and after having the chance to play someone else's a couple of months ago - it got me really thinking about what it was that was stopping me. Then, 2 weeks ago while I was fast asleep and dreaming - in my dream appeared Levon Helm - and he said "Stop whining and get your bloody drums", and so I did. Who am I to mess with Levon Helm? It is by far the most ridiculous thing I have ever done in my life and it is AWESOME. My life was not complete until I owned a kick drum. Please don't get the impression I think I can actually play , I'm awful, I suck more than a vacuum - but today has been the best day of my life thus far and I'm having a blast trying!

I would highly recommend that everyone live their dream - it rocks!

Oh Canada

Juno noms are in, don't know what to make of them yet. Caribou for New Artist, have I hallucinated 4 whole years? Nice to see names like Owen Pallett, Chilly, Luke Doucet and Holy Fuck on the list though - Junos seem be branching out (better late than never). If Down With Webster wins Group of the Year I'm leaving the country though.

And because even though my heart bleeds BSS (who have 5 well deserved noms), kinda rooting for Owen to win just because he is the best thing to happen to Canadian music lately and if I could write , I would hope to write something as beautiful as Lewis Takes Action, here is some fantastic Owen . . .

The evolution of a song

I absolutely love this song for it's simplicity and have enjoyed watching it evolve with the band over the years. I have to say that they way it is being presented most recently is my favourite - but really, any way will work for me.

2005:


2007:


2007:


2008:


2010:


2011:

A sign of the apocalypse

The sheer quantity of 'Top _________ of 2010' lists that Kanye is on makes me want to vomit. That is all.

Another one bites the dust

As the year winds to a close and I look back at 2010 musically, it will be remembered for 3 things. Firstly, the long overdo release of Forgiveness Rock Record; secondly it is the year I sadly fell out of love with Arcade Fire and lastly; I will remember it as the year I fell hopelessly in love with Mumford and Sons.

It's about time

These guys are AWESOME. I had heard 1 or 2 of their songs but then a friend dragged me to the show a few days ago and I fell immediately in love. In general, I do not play the whole "Oh my god, I'm at a concert, I better get up front and be all crazy ridiculous" game - I kind of hang in the back and just listen to the music. I happen to think that The Sound Academy is the shittiest venue in Toronto, however - last weekend I really didn't care at all. About 3 songs in I was front and centre - well, a little right of centre actually - awestruck, directly in front of one Winston Marshall. The man is a freaking banjo virtuoso. I am a fan for life and had I been able to figure out a way, I would have stowed away on their tour bus and never looked back. I have not been this blown away by a band in years - the only thing that I think even comes close in the past few years was seeing Stevie Wonder live. I was floored, it was embarrassing - I think I actually stopped breathing for a while there and I may have drooled. Definitely the best discovery of 2010, great - just what I needed - now I just have to get me a banjo. Their music is poetic, cerebral, powerful, beautiful, stripped back, just bloody unreal and life changing. Oh, and did I mention that they all play at least 4 different instruments? I cannot say enough wonderful things about them - go listen, they won't disappoint.

White Blank Page

Ho hum

So, this makes me feel like I should go back to bed and not bother to get up and do anything as I can never hope to do anything even a fraction as fabulous as this . . .. And with a beautiful backdrop provided by Mother Nature, how can anyone not be moved by this? How can something so simple be so magnificent?