You’d better leave my kitten alone
I brought a new little kitten into my household last month. So far, so good.
My older cat, The Chairman Meow, has adapted well to miss Imelda Meowcos. And by that I mean, he sometimes pins her to the carpet with his giant jaw. Enjoy that while you can, buddy. She’s getting bigger every day.
Sigh. They grow up so fast!
I’m leaving them alone together for more than 24 hours for the first time tomorrow morning and I’m a little nervous. I’ve been hesistant to go away, but I’ve had these tickets for this show, see. And I don’t like to waste money. Okay. That’s a lie. I do like to waste money, but I like to actually consume the stuff I’m wasting it on. You know. Like liquor and nailpolish. And Calexico shows at the Mod Club. Calexico!
Sometimes, I wish my life was exciting enough to warrant a soundtrack. Can’t you just see me, poised and cool at a cantina, wind whipping my hair as I watch for my man? He appears on the horizon as the sparse, spare notes of Calexico’s cover of Guns of Brixton pluck their way across the desert. As the horns build to a fiery pitch, he stalks closer. Is he an illusion born of the sweltering heat and my long dry spell concerning the gueros? Perhaps. Or perhaps I should look into a career as a Harlequin writer. Lord knows it’d have to pay better than freelancing feature articles.
I like Calexico in almost all of their styles, but the mariachi/Ennio Morricone/sizzling southwestern flavour they bring to the longer epics are my faves. In particularl, I love Crystal Frontier. Which recently woke up the astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery! So sure, your favourite band is probably pretty awesome, but could they rock in SPACE? I thought not.
This show is going to be something to behold. Because I just now discovered that if you’re planning to attend, you should most definitely not skip the opening act to get drinks elsewhere. Because Calexico brought my FAVOURITE Calgary band, Woodpigeon, with them! Hooray!
Woodpigeon played the first show I saw last year in January at Broken City. That show set the tone for a year of amazazing concerts for me. I owe it all to Woodpigeon. They also cleared up my skin and helped me get better grades. Before Woodpigeon, I was a loser. Now, I’m still a loser, but I listen to Woodpigeon on my iPod sometimes. You should, too!
Woodpigeon - Home as a romanticized concept where everyone loves you always and forever
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In other news: I live in Guelph. There are lots of artists here. Lots of musically inclined folk. It’s nice because, I could probably walk to 127 Grange St. and buy up every album Burnt Oak Records have to offer and not be disappointed once.
But if I were to make a couple of recommendations based on my perusal of the catalogue of this artist collective, I would tell you to very seriously consider Elbow Beach Surf Club’s EP Billy Club, released last November. Holy shit, is it good.
Guelph, it turns out, is in Ontario. Guess what’s not in Ontario? A beach where you can surf. I don’t hold it against the province though. There’s plenty of other things to recommend it (I’m canoing the Elora Gorge in August) and besides, Elbow Beach Surf Club’s tune Turf Dream is like, Dick Dale meets Sonic Youth. This music doesn’t make me want to surf as much as it makes me want to get in a Detroit muscle car, strap my surfboard to the roof and drive to Tofino.
Elbow Beach Surf Club - Turf Dream
Burnt Oak also gives Guelph group Green Go shelter from the storm.
Hey, Albion Hotel, I come to your hallowed halls almost every Friday to get my drink on. I can’t say I don’t miss the old, divey Albion, but I don’t mind the decor so much as the music. Every Friday, I am forced to listen to hideous, loud, dance music. I love Michael Jackson remixes as much as the next person, but could you get in gear and play some LOCAL musicians? I promise, Mad Man Max will inspire as much frenetic grinding and flailing as, say, Billy Jean and give you some sweet indie cred to boot! How bout it?
Elbow, Saskatchewan has a beach too. I don’t think that’s the one they meant because you can’t surf there either.