I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK:CBC Radio 3

I listened to CBC Radio 3 briefly when I had Sirius Radio, but I just learned that I could listen streaming online.  In addition to playing (as they say) Independent Canadian Music, they also have a really multifunctional website where you can input any band’s name, read about them and listen to bands’ tracks.  And of course, you can also listen to their live streaming station as it happens (you can even play recently played and even upcoming songs).

Since it’s a CBC station there are no commercials.  And since they are from the CBC they focus exclusively on Canadian bands.  I’m not sure how literally to take the Independent part; however, they don’t include Neil Young, Rush or The Tragically Hip.  But you can get City And Colour (and even AlexisonFire) and even Vancouver’s own 3 Inches of Blood!.

So let’s say you want to hear some tracks from Metric, a band you’ve heard good things about.  Type in their name, get to their page, and play away.  As far as I can tell, the band uploads songs and videos for you to stream.  And, unlike other streaming sites, you can listen to the same tracks multiple times.

If you like your music Canadian and independent, this is the place to be.  Check it out!

[READ: January 29, 2010] Festering Romance

Recently I complained that the Oni graphic novel Wet Moon had the worst title I have ever heard.  And then I found out that “wet moon” is actually an astronomical phenomenon, and I retracted that complaint.  Regardless, this graphic novel now replaces that one as the single worst title in the history of books.  Festering Romance?  Surely not.

Merriam Webster gives us this: 1. To generate pus  2. Putrefy, rot  3. To cause increasing poisoning, irritation, bitterness.

So, okay, the 3rd definition might work, but you have to overlook those first two really radically inappropriate definitions first. (And if you’re afraid to read a book with that title, rest assured, there is no festering pus of any kind in the book).

This terrible title does a huge disservice to what is a really, really great comic, and apparently the first self penned releases by Renee Lott. The artwork is fantastic (more on that in a moment) and the plot was really moving.  I enjoyed it enough to have already passed it along to someone else.

Before I get to the story, though, I have to talk about the art because it is so distinctive.  You can see most of the book online here.  But I’m going to post a page just so you can see (click it for a larger view).  The lines are solid and very sharp.  And this page serves as a good example of the varying styles she exhibits.

The first panel is very detailed.  The second panel is kind of over the top, but works very nicely in the style.  And by the bottom row, you have a good example of cartoon rage.  And the final panel is completely over the top.  And yet despite all that, Lott’s style remains consistent and recognizable.  I fell for it immediately.  I especially liked the technique of their eyes being (mostly) white circles, and the ghosts (for there are ghosts) having wispy lines for feet.

So let’s go on to the plot.  Janet is a college student who is single.  Her friends (particularly the aggressive (and very funny) Freya) work very hard to get her set up with someone.  In fact, Freya has already set up Janet on a blind date (much to Janet’s dismay).  Janet isn’t interested in Derek, especially when she learns that his job is as a tour guide with the local haunted bus tour.

But what really causes her concern is when she finds out that he has a ghost living in his house.  And she can see the ghost!  This freaks her out especially because Janet also has a ghost living in her house and no one can see her ghost but her. And despite all of this, Janet finds herself falling for Derek.

There isn’t a lot of plot in the story (which is not a criticism, just a fact), so I’m not going to give away the backstory about the ghosts.   Suffice it to say that Janet’s ghost causes some mayhem, and Derek’s ghost behaves rather poorly as well.  And that together they drive a wedge in the budding romance.

As the bitterness rises between them, I was concerned that the story would suddenly shift to a treacly storybook conclusion.  It doesn’t.  (And that doesn’t really give anything away, because the ending is great and quite unexpected).  I was surprised by how moved I was as the story worked towards the conclusion.

I really hope we see more books from Lott, but I hope she picks a better title for the next one.