I would make a terrible blogger. I never remember to post here. Just follow on Twitter or Facebook to stay in the loop!
Contest info from August 2012
This August marks 15 years on Thursday mornings at CKCU for me. I figured that was a good reason to give away some stuff. Everyone loves prizes and I have some real goodies!
1) Two day passes to the Ottawa Folk Festival.
- To enter via Twitter, follow me and tweet this out: Want to win 2 day passes to the Ottawa Folk Festival @ottawafolk ? RT this and follow me to be entered. Winner announced on my show Aug. 30.
Winner revealed during my show on Thursday, Aug. 30.
2) A date night at The ByTowne Cinema (2 tickets to a movie before Dec. 31, 2012 + medium popcorn + 2 drinks).
- To enter via Twitter, follow me and tweet this out: I’m giving away a date night @bytowne Cinema. 2 tix+med popcorn+2 drinks. RT this and follow to enter. Winner announced on my show Aug. 30.
Winner revealed during my show on Thursday, Aug. 30.
3) The opportunity to host an episode of Whatever's Cool With Me. You pick the music for 2.5 hours and I push the buttons. (Giveaway via email contest. Email me at [email protected] and tell me why you should win a chance to host my show. I'll pick the best one. Winner revealed on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
4) Two tickets to see Mystery Machine on Friday, Sept. 21 at Zaphods courtesy of Spectrasonic. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
5) Two tickets to see Rich Aucoin on Friday, Sept. 21 at Ritual courtesy of Spectrasonic. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
6) Two tickets to see Blu with guests Notes to Self on Thursday, Sept. 6 at Ritual courtesy of Kapacity Entertainment. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
7) Prize packs:
A) CDs from Jenny Whiteley, Corb Lund, and Rita Chiarelli. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
B) CDs from Jack White, Ohbijou, Artic Monkeys, and The Elwins. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
C) CDs from Metric, Emily Haines, Bright Eyes, and a DVD from The Stars. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
D) CDs from Pharell, and DJ Khaled, and a Buck 65 12" + limited edition autographed poster. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
Stay tuned for info on how to win!
This August marks 15 years on Thursday mornings at CKCU for me. I figured that was a good reason to give away some stuff. Everyone loves prizes and I have some real goodies!
1) Two day passes to the Ottawa Folk Festival.
- To enter via Twitter, follow me and tweet this out: Want to win 2 day passes to the Ottawa Folk Festival @ottawafolk ? RT this and follow me to be entered. Winner announced on my show Aug. 30.
Winner revealed during my show on Thursday, Aug. 30.
2) A date night at The ByTowne Cinema (2 tickets to a movie before Dec. 31, 2012 + medium popcorn + 2 drinks).
- To enter via Twitter, follow me and tweet this out: I’m giving away a date night @bytowne Cinema. 2 tix+med popcorn+2 drinks. RT this and follow to enter. Winner announced on my show Aug. 30.
Winner revealed during my show on Thursday, Aug. 30.
3) The opportunity to host an episode of Whatever's Cool With Me. You pick the music for 2.5 hours and I push the buttons. (Giveaway via email contest. Email me at [email protected] and tell me why you should win a chance to host my show. I'll pick the best one. Winner revealed on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
4) Two tickets to see Mystery Machine on Friday, Sept. 21 at Zaphods courtesy of Spectrasonic. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
5) Two tickets to see Rich Aucoin on Friday, Sept. 21 at Ritual courtesy of Spectrasonic. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
6) Two tickets to see Blu with guests Notes to Self on Thursday, Sept. 6 at Ritual courtesy of Kapacity Entertainment. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
7) Prize packs:
A) CDs from Jenny Whiteley, Corb Lund, and Rita Chiarelli. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
B) CDs from Jack White, Ohbijou, Artic Monkeys, and The Elwins. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
C) CDs from Metric, Emily Haines, Bright Eyes, and a DVD from The Stars. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
D) CDs from Pharell, and DJ Khaled, and a Buck 65 12" + limited edition autographed poster. (Giveaway to a lucky caller at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30.)
Stay tuned for info on how to win!
Hottest Canadian Bands of 2010
Each autumn, Matthew at iheartmusic.net asks music journalists, bloggers and radio hosts to submit who they think are the 10 hottest Canadian bands. This is my second year participating. You can see the results by clicking here.
I chose to leave out acts like Justin Bieber and Drake due to the nature of my show and Matthew's blog. However, I do feel badly about leaving K'Naan off my list. I plain forgot about him. I really like him and with one of his tunes chosen as the theme for the World Cup (soccer), he's big-time now. I blame my oversight on the fact that I didn't like his last album and put it out of my mind. Here's what I submitted:
10) Wintersleep/Postdata- While their latest album is my least favourite, it’s getting a lot of run and the seem to forever be touring overseas. The lead singer also released a side-project with his brother called Postdata which is hauntingly beautiful.
9) Rifle Eyes Music Collective- Canada is not stranger to music collectives when we think of bands like Broken Social Scene, but Rifle Eyes Music is more of an off-stage collective. Ten bands/artists have come together to cross promote a thoroughly excellent talent pool of rap, electronic and even a little indie. Best of all, they make much of the music free to download on the site: http://rifleeyesmusic.wordpress.com/
8) The Acorn- Their new album, No Ghost is their best yet and they are touring the hell out of it.
7) Todor Kobakov- Indie rock, electronic or classical. He does each beautifully and you’ve never heard of him right? That doesn’t mean he can be one of the hottest acts, does it? He’s done arrangements for Stars, Emily Haines, Dan Mangan, Jason Collett and Sarah Slean to name only a few. One of his bands, Small Sins, has an excellent new album and when he’s not scoring films or commercials, he’s working with the likes of Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio.
6) Ketch Harbour Wolves- They had the tall task of following up the excellent Dead Calm Horizon and they did it with an equally incredible Anachronisms. They’ve always been criminally unknown but with one of their tunes being featured in an episode of Degrassi, it seems the good word is getting out.
5) Stars- The new album is really good; definitely better than the last so-so full-length. They are touring like fiends and had a song featured in the NBC TV show Chuck.
4) Karkwa- Like Fucked Up before them, Karkwa was the surprise winner of this year’s Polaris Music Prize. And like Fucked Up, sales of their album spiked after the award. Now it’s time for them to take advantage of the exposure.
3) Arcade Fire- They are one of the biggest acts on the planet and deservedly so. Their new album is excellent and they are touring the world. In addition to providing one of the best live experiences out there, they are endeavouring to use technology to their advantage. Using Google’s mapping technology, they created a music video for “We Used To Wait” that personalizes the viewing experience for everyone.
2) Shad- Much like either he or Mangan would have been my choice for the Polaris Prize, Shad could have easily been my hottest Canadian act. Shortlisted for the Polaris Prize while making the best music videos around, he was recently named the best rapper in Canada by the National Post.
1) Dan Mangan- For me, it was him or Shad who should have won the Polaris Music Prize. However, making the shortlist is nothing to sneeze at. He also cleaned up at the 2010 Western Canada Music Awards and toured the world including a stop on one of the big stages at Glastonbury.
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I chose to leave out acts like Justin Bieber and Drake due to the nature of my show and Matthew's blog. However, I do feel badly about leaving K'Naan off my list. I plain forgot about him. I really like him and with one of his tunes chosen as the theme for the World Cup (soccer), he's big-time now. I blame my oversight on the fact that I didn't like his last album and put it out of my mind. Here's what I submitted:
10) Wintersleep/Postdata- While their latest album is my least favourite, it’s getting a lot of run and the seem to forever be touring overseas. The lead singer also released a side-project with his brother called Postdata which is hauntingly beautiful.
9) Rifle Eyes Music Collective- Canada is not stranger to music collectives when we think of bands like Broken Social Scene, but Rifle Eyes Music is more of an off-stage collective. Ten bands/artists have come together to cross promote a thoroughly excellent talent pool of rap, electronic and even a little indie. Best of all, they make much of the music free to download on the site: http://rifleeyesmusic.wordpress.com/
8) The Acorn- Their new album, No Ghost is their best yet and they are touring the hell out of it.
7) Todor Kobakov- Indie rock, electronic or classical. He does each beautifully and you’ve never heard of him right? That doesn’t mean he can be one of the hottest acts, does it? He’s done arrangements for Stars, Emily Haines, Dan Mangan, Jason Collett and Sarah Slean to name only a few. One of his bands, Small Sins, has an excellent new album and when he’s not scoring films or commercials, he’s working with the likes of Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio.
6) Ketch Harbour Wolves- They had the tall task of following up the excellent Dead Calm Horizon and they did it with an equally incredible Anachronisms. They’ve always been criminally unknown but with one of their tunes being featured in an episode of Degrassi, it seems the good word is getting out.
5) Stars- The new album is really good; definitely better than the last so-so full-length. They are touring like fiends and had a song featured in the NBC TV show Chuck.
4) Karkwa- Like Fucked Up before them, Karkwa was the surprise winner of this year’s Polaris Music Prize. And like Fucked Up, sales of their album spiked after the award. Now it’s time for them to take advantage of the exposure.
3) Arcade Fire- They are one of the biggest acts on the planet and deservedly so. Their new album is excellent and they are touring the world. In addition to providing one of the best live experiences out there, they are endeavouring to use technology to their advantage. Using Google’s mapping technology, they created a music video for “We Used To Wait” that personalizes the viewing experience for everyone.
2) Shad- Much like either he or Mangan would have been my choice for the Polaris Prize, Shad could have easily been my hottest Canadian act. Shortlisted for the Polaris Prize while making the best music videos around, he was recently named the best rapper in Canada by the National Post.
1) Dan Mangan- For me, it was him or Shad who should have won the Polaris Music Prize. However, making the shortlist is nothing to sneeze at. He also cleaned up at the 2010 Western Canada Music Awards and toured the world including a stop on one of the big stages at Glastonbury.
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Interview with Bonjay
I'll be interviewing Bonjay Thursday November 11 at 11:30 a.m. If you don't already know how great they are, tune in to find out.
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I keep forgetting to add stuff here. I'm better at updating the facebook group and the twitter feed. I'll try to be better.
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I keep forgetting to add stuff here. I'm better at updating the facebook group and the twitter feed. I'll try to be better.
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The Human Facebook
I know, I know. I haven't updated the news section for more than six months. I suck. Stuff has happened, but I always forget to write about it. I'll try to be better. That's why it's nice when someone else writes about you. Check this profile of the show:
http://humanfacebook.com/2010/07/06/college-radio-more-than-just-funding-drives/
It was done by Steve Ladurantaye (www.twitter.com/syladurantaye) who writes for the Globe & Mail and rocks with The Snipes.
-posted July 7, 2010
http://humanfacebook.com/2010/07/06/college-radio-more-than-just-funding-drives/
It was done by Steve Ladurantaye (www.twitter.com/syladurantaye) who writes for the Globe & Mail and rocks with The Snipes.
-posted July 7, 2010
Interview with Sadie Hell
On Thursday, Dec. 31, at 11 a.m., I'm interviewing the band Sadie Hell and they will performing a song or two live in studio. Their CD release is this Saturday (Jan. 2, 2010) at Club Saw. sadiehell.com.
-posted Dec. 30, 2009
-posted Dec. 30, 2009
Interview with the Ketch Harbour Wolves
On Thursday, Dec. 17 at 11 a.m., I'll be interviewing the Ketch Harbour Wolves. This is a band you should know about. Just awesome stuff! They're playing Saturday night at Zaphod's. Tickets are dirt cheap, so go check them out. If you're unsure, tune in to hear some of their tune or visit their Web site where you can download their latest album for free. www.ketchharbourwolves.ca.
Check this video: http://www.vimeo.com/2288405.
-posted Dec. 16, 2009
Check this video: http://www.vimeo.com/2288405.
-posted Dec. 16, 2009
Win Tickets to the Bytowne Cinema
On Thursday December 10, I'll be giving away a pair of tickets to see the movie It Might Get Loud at the Bytowne Cinema. Check out the description here:
http://www.bytowne.ca/cgi-bin/film-descript.cgi?film_id=ITM001
A big thanks to the Bytowne Cinema!
-posted Dec. 4, 2009
http://www.bytowne.ca/cgi-bin/film-descript.cgi?film_id=ITM001
A big thanks to the Bytowne Cinema!
-posted Dec. 4, 2009
A Big Thank you!
Thank you so much to everyone who donated to the show during our funding drive. Your support is greatly appreciated!
-posted Nov. 11, 2009
-posted Nov. 11, 2009
Hottest Canadian Bands of 2009
Every year, Matthew from the iheartmusic.net music blog does a poll to see who the hottest Canadian bands are. He solicits top-10 lists from other bloggers, radio hosts, critics, etc... The only two criteria were:
1) the bands must be Canadian (however you want to define that); and
2) they had a good 2009 (again, however you want to define that).
You can see the final results here: http://www.iheartmusic.net/serendipity/index.php?/archives/1726-Hottest-Bands-in-Canada,-2009-edition.html
This was the list I sent him. It changed many times and would likely be different if I were to do it again today.
1) Fucked Up- It’s easy to pick them after they walked away with this year’s Polaris Music Prize, but the emphasis should really be on how unexpected it was. It’s easy to cheer for an underdog and even easier when the album really is good. Apparently, sales of The Chemistry of Common Life went up 400 per cent after Fucked Up won. I’m one of those who purchased the album after the win. I had played one of their tunes on my show a few times, but never made the time for the whole album. I’m glad I finally did. There’s much more depth to this album than the screaming, half-naked front man might lead you to believe.
2) Ohbijou- They released maybe the best album of 2009. It’s a gorgeous album that actually stirs up my Canadian pride. It makes me want to tell anyone and everyone so that people can get a taste of how great Canadian music can be. This album is getting great reviews worldwide and they look like they could bust out. Fingers crossed.
3) Dan Mangan- Matthew asked for hottest bands and I think Mangan is sizzling right now. His tunes are great, he’s touring the world and the critics are gushing. He’s Mr. Now.
4) Timber Timbre- Both albums are brilliant and he recently signed to the ever excellent Arts & Craft label. "Lay Down in the Tall Grass" is on the short list for this years SOCAN ECHO Songwriting Prize. The latest album was on the Polaris long list and Eye Weekly named it album of the year.
5) Jokers of the Scene- These guys have spent 2009 making people dance all over the globe. They’re being asked to remix big artists and their music has helped light up the CN Tower. http://vimeo.com/6640692
6) Malajube- A band from Quebec, singing in French and still getting major love from Pitchfork and music bloggers around the world. Music truly is a universal language.
7) Chad Van Gaalen- Despite his love of cakefarts, he makes great music. In 2009, he released a B-sides EP to his Polaris Prize short-listed album and then released a full-length instrumental/electronic album under the name Black Mold.
8) D-Sisive- You wouldn’t know it from my list, but I love the rap music. There’s lots of great stuff from Canada, but little that I would call hot right now. Except maybe D-Sisive. Great flow, great tunes, great production. He’s starting to catch ears.
9) Metric- Yes, they are popular. Yes, Fantasies is a very radio-friendly album. So, why are these considered bad things? It’s a really good album and they are reaching a larger audience because of it. Good on ‘em!
10) Ketch Harbour Wolves- Their album isn’t brand new (2008) and they don’t tour a lot, but they are great live and the album is one of my favourite of all time. Not favourite Canadian album or favourite of 2008. Of - all - time. It actually bothers me when bands who are this good are so unknown. Every single person I have told about them has fallen in love. They should be one of the hottest bands.
Posted Nov. 4, 2009
1) the bands must be Canadian (however you want to define that); and
2) they had a good 2009 (again, however you want to define that).
You can see the final results here: http://www.iheartmusic.net/serendipity/index.php?/archives/1726-Hottest-Bands-in-Canada,-2009-edition.html
This was the list I sent him. It changed many times and would likely be different if I were to do it again today.
1) Fucked Up- It’s easy to pick them after they walked away with this year’s Polaris Music Prize, but the emphasis should really be on how unexpected it was. It’s easy to cheer for an underdog and even easier when the album really is good. Apparently, sales of The Chemistry of Common Life went up 400 per cent after Fucked Up won. I’m one of those who purchased the album after the win. I had played one of their tunes on my show a few times, but never made the time for the whole album. I’m glad I finally did. There’s much more depth to this album than the screaming, half-naked front man might lead you to believe.
2) Ohbijou- They released maybe the best album of 2009. It’s a gorgeous album that actually stirs up my Canadian pride. It makes me want to tell anyone and everyone so that people can get a taste of how great Canadian music can be. This album is getting great reviews worldwide and they look like they could bust out. Fingers crossed.
3) Dan Mangan- Matthew asked for hottest bands and I think Mangan is sizzling right now. His tunes are great, he’s touring the world and the critics are gushing. He’s Mr. Now.
4) Timber Timbre- Both albums are brilliant and he recently signed to the ever excellent Arts & Craft label. "Lay Down in the Tall Grass" is on the short list for this years SOCAN ECHO Songwriting Prize. The latest album was on the Polaris long list and Eye Weekly named it album of the year.
5) Jokers of the Scene- These guys have spent 2009 making people dance all over the globe. They’re being asked to remix big artists and their music has helped light up the CN Tower. http://vimeo.com/6640692
6) Malajube- A band from Quebec, singing in French and still getting major love from Pitchfork and music bloggers around the world. Music truly is a universal language.
7) Chad Van Gaalen- Despite his love of cakefarts, he makes great music. In 2009, he released a B-sides EP to his Polaris Prize short-listed album and then released a full-length instrumental/electronic album under the name Black Mold.
8) D-Sisive- You wouldn’t know it from my list, but I love the rap music. There’s lots of great stuff from Canada, but little that I would call hot right now. Except maybe D-Sisive. Great flow, great tunes, great production. He’s starting to catch ears.
9) Metric- Yes, they are popular. Yes, Fantasies is a very radio-friendly album. So, why are these considered bad things? It’s a really good album and they are reaching a larger audience because of it. Good on ‘em!
10) Ketch Harbour Wolves- Their album isn’t brand new (2008) and they don’t tour a lot, but they are great live and the album is one of my favourite of all time. Not favourite Canadian album or favourite of 2008. Of - all - time. It actually bothers me when bands who are this good are so unknown. Every single person I have told about them has fallen in love. They should be one of the hottest bands.
Posted Nov. 4, 2009