Slow down and breathe

Sometimes I feel as if CJAM is actually much much larger than one can conceive of in the on-air studio in the middle of the CJAM building, which sits idle in the basement of the CAW Student Centre at the University of Windsor. Sometimes it's almost as if the stars align perfectly, and there are synchronous values within Canadian independent music sources.

Take for example, todays generous feature on CBC Radio 3's blog: The Mohawk Lodge. The Mohawk Lodge are a band, of course, from the west coast on Vancouver's White Whale Records (alongside Castle Project and others). They've got a brand new CD out that's been playing like mad all over Canada and CJAM alike, but their debut features one of my favourite off-day songs. By off-day, I'm referring to the times when one can tap their feet without worrying of the coming evenings events, or when you just want to match the vocal harmony and the end of Making Music when he croons "Slow down and breathe", and you do so.

Well, it was those off-day qualities that prompted me to bring in a couple Mohawk Lodge tracks the very first day Jon and I did the Breakthrough on CJAM. If I'm not mistaken (which I might be, but still it's equally congratulatory that my memory is still somewhat accurate) The Mohawk Lodge's track "Making Music" was the first song I played. Regardless of if it was, or if Jon requested Cadence beforehand, it was a damn long time ago. Coincidence it must be, that we ran across their debut LP Rare Birds yesterday before our show and decided to spin "Making Music" one more time. But what an even greater coincidence is the fact CBC3 posted their song of the day today as THE MOHAWK LODGE - MAKING MUSIC!@!!

This is the second time CBC3 has copied Thom and Jon in the morning, with the first time escaping me at the moment. Here's a cool band.

Hey Rosetta! - Another Pilot

Slow down and breathe.

Where have all the rhubarb boys gone?

Where have they hidden? I've been away, but Jon has just not updated! I've yet to indulge in certain books, yet to redeem coupons that expired today and yet to reach equilibrium. Here's all I got tonight, as it's been a long week.

Ron Sexsmith will be in Amherstburg this upcoming September 6th for the Erie Shores Wine Festival. Tickets are 20,00$ in advanced. This song is from Blue Boy, released back in 2001.

Ron Sexsmith - Cheap Hotel

Hey you in the car, stay out of my bedroom! You weren't invited and you wouldn't know what to do anyways.

Take down

God awful is the PEI university campus. Here is a sample of some of the tracks you'll be hearing in just 5 hours on CJAM 91.5 fm.

1. Eulogies - One Man
2. Sunset Rubdown - Up on your Leopard, Upon the End of your Feral Days
3. The Most Serene Republic - Sherry and Her Butterfly Net
4. The Weakerthans - Night Windows
5. The Constantines - Draw Us Lines
6. Tay Zonday - Chocolate Rain
7. Good Shoes - It's Imposible
8. Kyp Malone - Playhouse
9. Destroyer - Streets of Fire
10. Dntel - I'd Like To Know (Ft. Lali Puna)
11. Boards of Canada - Dayvan Cowboy
12. Ten Year Drought - Kill This Month
13. Regina Spektor - That Time
14. Ohbijou - St Francis
15. Final Fantasy - The CN Tower Belongs To The Dead
16. Great Lake Swimmers - Motion Picture Silent Film

The whole "mp3thisface" is going offline tomorrow (today) so Print Screen to your wildest fantasies boys and girls and children and mothers and sisters and daughters and wives!

Two Hours Traffic

You know when you find that one thing in your life and it just works like a great song, and you never want to let it go. Well this song is very much like that good thing, although "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" reminds me of the good (some may even say great) thing this song is slowly becoming a close second. Two Hours Traffic hail from the hideous campus of Prince Edward Island University** yet somehow manage to make beautiful music.

Two Hours Traffic - Jezebel

Love,
Jon

**I can say this because the campus is in fact much uglier than my own University of Windsor.

Strongerthan

I'm leaving the new layout, maybe for another week or so. A few days won't hurt, would be nice if archive.org could save it like this (huddle laughing).

The new few days will feature some new and anticipated Canadian indie from a variety of genres. First and foremost are The Weakerthans, who are going to put out their 4th album (in over 10 years of existence) this fall. It's titled Reunion Tour, on-par with the short stump album names they go for (Fallow, Left and Leaving and Reconstruction Site) and an arm lengths behind tracks like Psalms for the Elks Lodge's Last Call and Confessions Of a Futon Revolutionist. This new one is called Night Windows.

The Weakerthans - Night Windows

If only they toured Detroit. Oh wait, Wednesday, October 24th - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick AA/18+. Although not listed on the Majestic's website, it's on Ticketmaster-which makes it official. This will make up for missing them on December 18th, 2004 in Detroit-the last time they got over here, 3 years ago.

Planning to Conspire

Mad props right away goes out to Jonathon Nehmetallah. While I was sick, alone in my sweaty bed, Jon and compadre Norman (which I have a stuffed duck-fake duck-of the same name) did an excellent job taking over The Breakthrough. My cold held me like a crystal in my bed and then on the couch while hours stacked to nearly 3pm. Jon ultimately never got his phone call, which I apologize for, but it doesn't matter--not because I'm a rude friend--but because I'll make it up by taking him to a ballgame. His eyes better not slip past that last sentence, which appears to be against him if it were not for the second half.

Nevertheless, this is a music blog and not Livejournal. I would officially proclaim this digital flag-in-the-ground a living organism of music journalism, but I'm afraid the definition of journalism in America includes the necessity of getting paid. Thus we are not journalists, but isolated bloggers. Fair enough, I say, thanks again Jon.

This is the new license plate for Oklahoma. Funny, isn't she? The music portion of this post goes to my main man, the fist of action against institutionalized racism, Mr Tay Zonday. I didn't hotlink, also.

Tay Zonday - Chocolate Rain

But next Thursday marks a tremendous landmark in the Northern, Indie Blog Hemisphere. The flag-in-the-ground I spoke of earlier returns here: next week is the official reunification of Thom and Jon, the forces of good and evil, respectively. Our show will revamp ourselves totally, revamp up the ramp to purity. Starting when school does, in the all-but-too-soon future: the return of your favourite Canadian indie program a la CJAM 91.5 fm, redefining radio in Windsor and Detroit.

For there have been too many crying mothers, crying babies, crying fathers--whose distress, at the cause of the dissolution of segments such as The Royal Canadian Solute, City vs. City and Rock, Paper, Scissors--can only be reversed with the reinstitution of segments such as The Royal Canadian Solute, City vs. City and Rock, Paper, Scissors. I thank you, reader, listener, and more importantly friend, for getting through all of this, and understanding the sentiments in this post, and in every post we get to share with you.

This is not a letter of resignation,

With Love,
Thom (1/2)

P.S You didn't think I'd really post "Chocolate Rain" did you? But then you actually downloaded it and realized it's a good song.
P.P.S Equally qualified Jon? You think Norm is equally qualified? What the fuck is this nonsense?

Caugh

The worst formatted post we've ever done.

http://www.myspace.com/basquiatstrings

Basquiat Strings, from England.

RIP Ingmar Bergman

Today my favourite director died and I can't help but feel a little bit sad. He was retired so I didn't expect to get any new films from him but now knowing that even the possibility of new material is gone turns my gut.

Full Story Here

On a more pleasant note thanks to mp3this reader Gbenga, I have moved my ass and decided to post the Cat Power Show today. Hopefully the host for the file works out. Due to the constraints of my schedule for the last month I was unable to divide and edit the mp3 but hopefully everyone can enjoy the raw unedited file.

Cat Power Live at The Majestic in Detroit

Love,
Jon

*8Hopefully the file download should work now.

The Rest Will Follow

Help me not be sick.

Shotgun and Jaybird - Secret

Help me enjoy summer.

Our Love is all of God's Money

This Post goes out to two people.

1. Steve Injic. He is the sexist pudgy man I have ever known, and my legacy who along with my little brother are my gift to this world.

2. Chris "Chonkey" White. The best music director on the planet. period. That's all there is to it.

Chonkey is so fucking cool that he supplied the CJAM studios with an audio cd of Jess Tweedy's new DVD. Without further rambling on my part so I can get some sleep here are two songs one for each respected individual.

Jeff Tweedy - The Thanks I Get (Live) For Sir. Chonkey
Jeff Tweedy - Acuff-Rose (Live) For Sir. Steve.

Love,
Jon

I skipped my last party

From England, a dedication to a friend. It's still just a demo, but good.

Cajun Dance Party - Colourful life

Listen in some 12 or so hours, at 6am EST, to Mornings with Thom and Jon on CJAM 91.5fm. Bringing to you the fanciest ear food in the Windsor-Detroit market.

Doer

Toronto band Major Maker is famed online and in the living rooms of many for appearing in a commercial for Maynards Candy. The band has only recently put out an official full length (an early release has been in my hands shortly but is a bit different) and their unreleased track "Rollercoaster"--which appears in the commercial--will be available on iTunes in Canada July 31st.

Major Maker - Window

Who's hungry?

O B jzhou

Mission Memoirs, Series I, Part I, Take III

As I'm perusing through the selection of Ohbijou videos that Youtube has to offer, I run across a promotional video; the type record labels will often use. It was very interesting to watch because of the unorthodox style of promotion. Need not exercise memory of offshoot antics, need not apply here. The video was more concerned with their current story, practising in their basement as friends--7 of them together--telling stories of moments in time. But at 2:08 into the video, I notice a bright red shirt with capitalized, bolded Times font reading "Bolohan Constr." Mr Bolohan, of Bolohan Construction, was my fathers good friend from University. The company was started both by his brother and himself, in Tilbury. Me being observant? Yes, as always. Me being surprised by the condensed nature of this world? Not at all.

Although not close to being a Phiten titanium necklace, this song sure makes me croon for love.

Ohbijou - The Woods (Demo, recorded live)

The Ontario band is gaining some incredibly deserved recognition for their debut album Swift Feet For Troubling Times. Thankfully, wherever I go to school next year will be within a couple hours tour distance from the band. Henceforth, a chance to see them live. I hope they like the young fans...

Tokyo Police Club + Saddle Creek

Tokyo Police Club has signed to Saddle Creek Records of Nebraska.

Full Story Here:

The Great Canadian Thunder Stealing Incident

Oh me, oh my. The White Stripes in Canada. I never would've thought, after being turned on to White Blood Cells when I was still just a young kid, that their grandeur would afford them the most enthusiastic tour I can recall inside the The Great White North. Nevertheless, their secret shows all across Canada (one of which my cousin in London was able to witness, before they played the John Labatt Center) were on par with the ever praised holy grail of Canadian indie, when Montrealers The Arcade Fire completely wowed the audience of a 200-seat Polish church (in which stood a former principal of mine who scored tickets online.)

At the core of all of this is good, honest fun. The White Stripes need not showcase their talent, extravagant ways or wardrobe to us citizens. We understand them. And when the premise for their Saint John show involves playing a single chord/single drum beat, you know they understand it's all just fun too.

____LINK++++ (To the video of the entire show)

The White Stripes - Hotel Yorba (Live at the Hotel Yorba)

It's rumoured when Jack and Meg were married, they spent their honeymoon at the Hotel Yorba.

3265

Tales, Tape I, Take VI

Snailhouse - Birds and Bees

Michael Feurstack means something. Remember his name.

Cat Power

The audio from the show will be put up as soon as I can find an hour or so to fix it up. Until then these pictures will have to hold you over.

Kids

Tales, Tape I, Take V

I don't like spoiled children as much as much as Sebadoh doesn't. But I also don't really think that fact has much to do with the intent of their song, "Spoiled Children" which by the way, was on the soundtrack to NYC-based film Kids. Alongside the score were the likes of Daniel Johnston, The Folk Implosion and did I say Sebadoh?

Sebadoh - Spoiled Children

Go buy the film!

Animals

Tales, Tape I, Take IV

FROG eyes
WOLF parade
DESTROYER

Swan Lake - A Venue Called Rubella

Off of Beast Moans, from Jagjaguwar.

Andorra Tomorrow

Tales, Tape I, Take III:

The new Caribou (formerly Dan Snaith's Manitoba) album is out very soon. Because this is a music site and not a personal blog, here's the song.

Caribou - Eli

Love,
Fag