Film

• I don’t know the difference between Iron Man and Iron Giant.
• The best review ever written.
• Scott Pilgrim review.

Food

• POUTINE!
• My first brunch experience at the Old Nick… I now go there weekly… at least.

Literature

• A personal tale about knowing an author, Stacey Fowles, and then reading her novel. I would then embarrass myself by not recognizing her in a future meeting.
• Reading about Canada & Mr. Diefenbaker.

Music

• Questions about where the groove might actually be.
• Dan Mangan performed at Trinity St. Paul’s.

Photography

• This photo is my lock-screen photo on my iPhone.
• Some of my best portrait shots are of Allegra.
• I had fun taking photos of Natalia.
• While the subject might not have been too fond of these pictures, I think they’re quite good. Sure, the subject is ugly¹, but that doesn’t matter much.

Politics

• Correspondence with the PMO.
• Prostitution!
• William Lyon Mackenzie on democracy.
• Thoughts on democracy in Canada.

Autre

• I proposed to Neko Case this year.²
• My vacation to Vancouver.
• Musings on birthdays.³
• Musings on some cassettes from my olden days.
• I got the inspiration to write to all the women I ever dated.

Best insights into humanity, as written by me

• “If you see a penis, it’s a comedy; if you see a vagina, it’s a drama. It explains why women laugh when I remove my pants.”
• “Either I’m becoming a normal human being, or I have liver failure.”
• “Her prose are compelling, straight to the point, and beautiful in their nude honesty.”⁴

1. I know she’s not really ugly, but our friendship is based on mutual hatred.
2. Actually, I also proposed to Aviva. 2011 is sure going to be busy.
3. “Alone in a corner, surrounded by candy.”
4. Proud of that one, because of how true it is.

“The Indie Queens Are Waiting” by Dan Mangan

• This is my favourite Dan Mangan song, and I’ve been on a bit of a kick of listening to him endlessly.

“Hibernation Song” by Whale Tooth

• This is not just my favourite Whale Tooth song, but everyone’s favourite Whale Tooth song. They’re a lot of fun, but this song specifically is addictively catchy.

“Oh, Alberta” by Elliott Brood

• If you’re going to make a mix of mostly Canadian music, how can you ignore the most Canadian song ever written. “Ontario, that’s where I’m from.”

“Fourteen Hour Day” by $100

• This is such a tragic tale of loss and heartache.

“The Ballad of Poor John Henry” by Cuff The Duke

• Number two in the Cuff The Duke’s “Ballad of…” series, and definitely my favourite.

“Nowhere With You” by The Joel Plaskett Emergency

• This song is just addictive and fun. I often forget about the Make A Little Noise EP, so I figured this was a good way to give it some love.

“Morning Dove” by Greg Keelor

• My favourite song from Keelor’s depressing, but beautiful Seven Songs for Jim album.

“The Nun’s Litany” by The Magnetic Fields

• How can you not love a song with the lyric “I want to be a dominatrix, which isn’t like me, but I can dream. Learn S&M and all those gay tricks, and men would pay me to make them scream.” FYI, on the album Shirley sings the song, but in the video Stephin sings it. He did after all write it.

“The Gambler and His Bride” by Daniel, Fred & Julie

• I never noticed how long this song was until Beth, the recipient of this playlist pointed out how bloody long it actually is. It’s a great song, DF&J played it both times I saw them live recently.

“Many Lives -> 49mp” by Final Fantasy

• The violin is so pretty.

“Jumpers” by Sleater-Kinney

• Not many better songs about killing yourself. “My falling shape will draw a line between the blue of sea and sky; I’m not a bird, I’m not a plane.”

“Sunndal Song” by The Apples In Stereo

• Easy to forget that Hilarie Sidney was in The Apples In Stereo, but I think she added a much needed secondary voice to Robert Schneider’s.

“Step Off The Map and Float” by Library Voices

• We’re all just pinpricks on a paper continent.

“Two Girls From Montreal” by The Bicycles

• The first Bicycles song I got stuck in my head. After seeing them live for the first time (years before their first album was released), I left the venue singing this song.

So, yes, there are one item in there by an international artist, The Magnetic Fields, but not enough people know Stephin Merritt, and that’s just a sin.

A few nights ago, I saw my friend Emily, and somehow my enjoyment from making mix tapes/discs/playlists¹ came up, and she asked me to make one for her, so this is what I came up with.

1. “Tina’s Glorious Comeback” by Dan Mangan
   • Dan Mangan started the previous one off so well, why not carry on. This one is another that I’ll happen to listen to days ago, and still be singing it. My coworkers must think I’m insane.
2. “I’ll Have To Dance With Cassie” by God Help The Girl
   • My favourite God Help The Girl song, and I think Emily would understand the thoughts behind this one.
3. “Cop Song” by Entire Cities
   • One day I was walking down the street listening to this song, and a cop was slowing following me in their car.
4. “Snowsuit Sound” by Sloan
   • Though I’ve given up my love of Sloan, I still understand that they used to be awesome, and this is one of the songs which can perfectly capture it.
5. “Yelverton Hill” by The Inbreds
   • “A ring is an awful thing…”
6. “Great Lakes” by Valery Gore
   • The last mix had Valery’s doppelgänger, so this one should include the original.
7. “Seduced And Abandoned” by The Magnetic Fields
   • This is the tale of an abandoned woman, left without her lover, but with a baby. It’s not the first time that Merritt has told this story, but I think it’s the best rendition of the tale. See: “The Night You Can’t Remember“
8. “Highschool” by The Flashing Lights
   • This power pop anthem is as good as it gets.
9. “Girlfriend” by Eric’s Trip
   • Grunge!
10. “Don’t Wannabe / Like By You” by Julie Doiron
    • Hehe, I put Julie Doiron right after Eric’s Trip! This is the song women sing when I get a crush on them.
11. “Glitter” by The Superfantastics
    • This two piece is just sugary fun.
12. “Your Island” by Young Rival
    • I like Young Rival, I think Emily would dig these Hamiltononians.
13. “Scott Pilgrim” by Plumtree
    • With the new Scott Pilgrim film coming out soon, this song is a perfect piece.
14. “We Are Being Reduced” by Thrush Hermit
    • My lord, this song is stunning.

1. Any music nerd has this love.

Films I saw (28/52) – 54%:
In The Loop | Originally released 2009
Inglourious Basterds | Originally released 2009
Eastern Promises | Originally released 2007 :canadacry:
The Last Station | Originally released 2009
The Silent Partner | Originally released 1978 :canadacry:
Shivers | Originally released 1975 :canadacry:
Zombieland | Originally released 2009
Videodrome | Originally released 1983 :canadacry:
Weird Sex and Snowshoes | Originally released 2004 :canadacry:
Les Raquetteurs | Originally released 1958 :canadacry:

Albums I bought (23/52) – 44%:
Thrush Hermit box set :canadacry:

Shows I attended (11/52) – 21%:
Bitter City & Ramona @ Rancho Relaxo; March 25, 2010 :canadacry:
Thrush Hermit (w/ All Night Long) @ Lee’s Palace; March 26, 2010 :canadacry:
Thrush Hermit (w/ Attack In Black) @ Lee’s Palace; March 27, 2010 :canadacry:

Saw Thrush Hermit tonight. You’d expect that a show cannot live up to eleven years of expectations. It surpassed it.

Now that that’s out of the way. I ask you, all a very important question, but first! First you need an explanation. You see, I have this friend, his name is Adam³. I posed a question, asking, “What should I listen to?” and this wonderful and charming man said “Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem.” I thought, “YES!” Who wouldn’t?

So I want to know, who’s your favourite member of the Electric Mayhem?

Is it Dr. Teeth (keys)?

How about Floyd Pepper (bass)?

Janice (guitar)?

Animal (drums)?

Zoot (sax)?

The new guy, er, Lips (trumpet)?

Their manager, Scotter?

Tell me, comment!

1. Hi Mom!
2. Hi Mom!
3. He’s not actually me, we just share a name. There’s a lot of Adams

Thrush Hermit announced new dates to makeup for the missed tour, and unfortunately it was on a date I couldn’t attend. Thrush Hermit broke up.

Since then, I’ve seen Joel Plaskett, The Joel Plaskett Emergency², Tigre Benvie³, and Camouflage Nights⁴ too many times to count.

Thrush Hermit are not the greatest band in the world. They were hokey and immature and sometimes downright horrible.

There were always highlights to their work, but a lot of lowlights, too. The band seemed stuck in the grunge sound of the early nineties, a sound that had previously pushed their compatriots Sloan to the foreground of Can-rock. The grunge sound on their records seemed more and more out of place as the nineties progressed. They did slowly evolve out of it, and move into a mesh of grunge and pop on their record Sweet Homewrecker. And while you can see a definite improvement in the band on this record, it wasn’t until 1999 when Thrush Hermit released their final album, Clayton Park that they had a record that was a complete departure from anything they had done before, and a complete masterpiece.

Clayton Park is a balls-out rock and roll extravaganza. Yes, there’s a large supply of guitar-wankery, and one must be in the right mood for that form of wanking, however, all 11 songs on the album are damn good! The second half of the album, however is where the band truly shines. It’s all Plaskett, but they create something which is so very unique to the band and their future solo output.

Let’s all get down to songs for the gang.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Hermits are playing in Toronto. Last night they played at the Starlight Ballroom in Waterloo, and you can watch that show below, I haven’t watched it yet, as I’m seeing them in person on Friday.

1. Not to be confused with Clanton Park, in Bathurst Manor.
2. With and without Ian McGettigan.
3. Rob Benvie’s temporary solo act.
4. A band featuring Benvie and McGettigan.

Disc 1- Clayton Park

Disc 2- Sweet Homewrecker

Disc 3- Smart Bomb and The Great Pacific Ocean

Disc 4 – All Technology Aside – 22 songs – outtakes, b-sides and unreleased

Disc 5 – Hits and Giggles – 23 songs – early singles, eps and unreleased tracks

Disc 6 – Embarrass Ourselves Awake – hodge podge of really early material from Nabisco Fonzie, The Hoods, The Hermit and The Tim Robbins Experience.  Truly embarrassing stuff to keep you awake on long drives

Disc 7 – DVD consisting of Learn to Party documentary (1999) and lots of extra never before seen footage from 1990- 1999

Will also include a 24 page booklet with lots of photos and liner notes written by Rob Benvie.

Sounds like they’re trying to get this ready to go for the tour. Sweet!

In this edition of Lyrics, we’re going to discuss my favourite misheard lyrics.

Back in 1999, Thrush Hermit released their defining record, Clayton Park. During the opening track, they had what is perhaps the best lyric.

If I were Phyllis, I’d take a bullet and impress my friends.

Who is this Phyllis chick that randomly takes bullets to impress her friends. I’d like to know a bird like that. Turns out it was:

If I was fearless, I’d take a bullet and impress my friends.

Not nearly as awesome.

Next we have a song by Kingston’s The Inbreds called “Amelia Earhart.” Mike O’Neill sings:

I know she’s safe
because she’s an excellent alligator

Since when was Amelia Earhart an alligator? Well, why not, she should be, Amelia Earhart surely is one of the coolest women in history… and if she wants to be an alligator, all power to her! Oh, what? She’s not an alligator?

I know she’s safe
because she’s an excellent navigator

Well, that’s slightly disappointing.