the bad kind of Certs that taste so good...

Eels
@ The Phoenix. Saturday June 25

my thoughts:

wow, what a show! "E" (the lead vocalist and songwriter) sauntered in wearing a tweed suit of sorts, and sporting his trademark bushy beard and post-nerd glasses. he lit a large cigar in the otherwise smokeless concert theatre, the effect of the smoke as immediate as it was powerful ... the lighting was perfect ...

he was surrounded by six other wonderful multi-instrumental musicians: one of the best upright bassists i've seen outside of the jazz scene; a guy alternating between creating rhythmic heaven with only a stick and a saw, and the tapping out of percussion magic with an additional stick, a suitcase, and a modified trash can; and a four-person string section, playing in a variety of styles ranging from classical and picking, to awkward jerks worthy of the Eels songs they accompanied ...

the sound was perfect .... the music was perfect ....

they played an encore ... the house lights came on afterward .. a CD started playing ... the crowd persisted in clapping and screaming for five minutes ... the band came out and played a second encore ... again, the house lights were turned on completely and a CD started playing ... some people left ... the rest of us hooted and hollered for a full fifteen minutes while the crew started clearing the floors ... the band eventually came out again, this time wearing their casual clothes, E already in his pajamas! they were floored by our response, thanked us profusely, and played one more song ....

the second disc of their latest double-album is quickly becoming one of my favourites of the year ... listen to the tracks "hey man (now you're really living)" or "if you see natalie" if you have a chance ....

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Modest Mouse
Broken Social Scene
Metric
Do Make Say Think
@ Olympic Island, Sunday June 26

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Billy Corgan
@ The Carlu. Saturday July 2

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Jimmy Eat World
Green Day
@ Molson Park. Friday August 12

good music, eh?!

there is ssoo much great music coming out of canada these days!!

the arcade fire
broken social scene
metric
stars
junior boys
godspeed you! black emperor
death from above 1979
braintoy
buck-65
even k-os

your ex-lover is dead

It's nothing but time and a face that you'll lose
I chose to feel it and you couldn't choose
I'll write you a postcard, I'll send you the news
From the house down the road
from real love

live through this
and you won't look back

~stars

boys you won't remember

i've lived through 'underrated'
'getting jaded'
to wind up with no one
hiding in new places
getting wasted
singing "i guess we're done"

i don't want you to wonder why
i don't want you to wonder why
it won't do any good
you don't know what you got into
until you know
when it's all gone wrong

and i don't feel the need to try and explain
excuses sounding insane
you're gonna find, you're gonna find
i've been knocked down
but i've stood up
~the wrens

what am i without love
what is love without attention
what is attention without awareness

but what if awareness is without i
my attention is on you
and i am without love

what then

what if
i loved you
you loved me
and that was
was then

ocd101

how can i explain
the triggers in my brain
that only when i am without
am i stable within
but that you
with a knowing grin
(and a scribbled NIN)
should make me seek
to rearrange

but how shall i begin?

no matter my efforts
my burdens fail to rest
and with veiled regret
i tread through a sea
that waves cruel greetings
bashes security
and capsizes intent
but seldom waves goodbye

unremarkable perhaps
the turbulence fights for my devotions
and when i emerge
weary and battered
you see the self loathing
and fragile emotions
as i wait in fear of relapse

you will say give it time
that dimension which does not seem to bind
i just hope that you will stay
to know and love
all that is my mind