Live at the Hattery, with Will Fournier & Friends

So as we’ve already discussed, Tuesday is New Album Release Day. Since today is Thursday, that means all the new albums for the week should have been out for two days then…right?

Well let me go ahead and change everything you ever thought you knew with one word: NO.

Today, Thursday 28 October 2010, is the official release day of Will Fournier & Friends’ new album, Live at the Hattery. 

(…that being the case, the album actually went up on itunes yesterday, but that still isn’t Tuesday, now is it?)

 Will Fournier himself sat down with me in Internetland to answer some questions about music, making the album, and what the heck a hattery is.

After the Goldrush, the August Arrival

Before you read any further go look at a globe. First, lock your eyes on the world’s belt, the equator. Now, look up – waaaayyy up. Past Drugwarland. Past Canada’s Bow-tie and into America’s Hat. Keep going up – a little left…wait…no, don’t go all the way into Alaska…you don’t have the eyesight necessary to see the Russians coming…ok stop! Look around, you should be in the Yukon, in or near the city of Whitehorse.

If you aren’t in Whitehorse, sorry I think you’re lost – but don’t worry cause somebody should find you before the abominable snowman does. If you are in Whitehorse, you’re in luck because the place seems to have quite the thriving music milieu. I sat down in Internetland with members of the band the August Arrival to find out more about the music, people, and of course the weather in the Great White North.

The story of the August Arrival began in the usual, normal way bands get together: In a tent.  

Forget the labels, but don’t forget Ari Up

Blast from the past: “The Slits are an all-girl band featuring a 14-year old singer called Arianna who stamped and screamed into a tantrum as the equipment made rude noises. This was at their world debut, opening for The Clash at Harlesden’s Colosseum…Noisy, aggressive, and trashy, but lotsa fun.!” (Kris Needs, “And the Best of the Rest…” New York Rocker 1977)

Ari Up passed away 21 October at age 48. The band that she formed when she was 14 years old, the Slits, “are known to many as an all-female punk band, such as the Clash is not known primarily as an all-male punk band.” (my italics, Rombes, 2009)

Down at the Crossroads

Ian Stewart

Growing up in Red Deer Alberta you can be certain of 3 things:

1– Anywhere you stand in town you can see three liquor stores. 

2– Anywhere you stand in town you can see three huge trucks. 

3– Anywhere you stand in town you can see three people Ian Stewart taught how to play guitar.

An immensely important and influential musician and teacher in the Red Deer music milieu, Ian Stewart picked up his guitar and headed down to Michigan – the land of Motown, the MC5 and Iggy Pop and the Stooges. I sat down with Stewart in Internetland to discuss what it was like changing locations after being a regional fixture in Alberta for so long, and of course from there the conversation naturally goes from Eric Clapton to the heart of the economic recession.  

Under the Hooded Fang

Ok so, it’s Wednesday today.
Which means, if you can follow my logic – yesterday was Tuesday.
Which means – IT WAS NEW ALBUM RELEASE DAY! 
Yesterday.

But it wasn’t just any old Album Release Tuesday Day. Hooded Fang, from Toronto – put out their new record. In spite of the impending fame and glory that’s surely coming their way, Lane Halley took the time to sit down with me in Internetland to answer some questions about the band, the album, and Billy Bob Thornton.

hype from the house show

 When I walk into a room, I always hope that when I open the door there’ll  just happen to be someone playing great music to a full house jam-packed with people enjoying the heck out of it.

Now while this doesn’t occur as often as I would like, fortunately this very thing did take place last night.   

Steph Macpherson was playing a show at my friends’ house. It was rad.

And NOW, she needs your help!

Converse’s new brand is bands

Converse is getting into the recording business. What took them so long?

“Looking to a Sneaker for a Band’s Big Break” 

The New York Times 6 October 2010

The butter’s on the wall

Germany has been in the news a lot in the last week, and all because of the most important of subjects – HISTORY.

For one, they finally paid back all the money they owed France and the other sore winners of the First World War. It’s already 92 years since the fighting stopped, but WWI is now officially over.

For two, it’s been 20 years since West and East German got back together after several decades apart. It’s such a big deal that even Russian president Medvedev said congrats! 

Although there is all this talk of history and conflict, there is one name missing in all the chatter that really deserves to be mentioned. And that name is, of course, Dr. Suess.

Rally to Restore Sanity

March to Keep Fear Alive