SOUNDTRACK: AHI-Tiny Desk Concert #693 (January 16, 2018).
AHI is apparently, inexplicably pronounced “eye.” He is an Ontario-based singer. There’s nothing strikingly original about his sound, but his songs are pretty and thoughtful and his voice has a pleasing rough edge.
Bob says,
AHI’s gruff but sweet voice and openly honest words were my gateway to this young Ontario-based singer. AHI says he sings Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” at the end of every set with a sense of hope. It was powerfully moving, without a note that felt clichéd or overly nostalgic. At that moment, I knew he needed to play a Tiny Desk Concert.
With a tasteful band comprised of Frank Carter Rische on electric guitar, Robbie Crowell on bass guitar and Shawn Killaly (a man of a million faces) on drums, AHI put his heart into three songs in just about 11 minutes, all from his debut album We Made It Through The Wreckage, which came out a year ago this week.
“Alive Again” builds slowly, but by the time the chorus comes around and he adds some whoops, the song really moves. I’m quite intrigued at the constant soloing from guitarist Frank Carter Rische. It’s virtually nonstop and really seems to propel the song along. It’s a catchy and fun song the way each round seems to make the song bigger and bigger.
About “Closer (From a Distance)” he says, we all have relationships. Some are good; some are bad and some are just awful. You may care about someone with your whole heart only to realize that you care about that person more than they care about themselves. No matter how strong you are your strengths may not be as strong as their weaknesses. Sometimes the only way to save the relationship is to walk away–“maybe we’ll be closer from a distance.” This is a really heartbreaking song. The lyrics are clearly very personal and quite powerful. And the soloing throughout the song is really quiet and beautiful.
“Ol’ Sweet Day” is bouncy and catchy with a propulsive acoustic guitar and lovely licks on the lead acoustic guitar. The drums are fun on this song as Killaly plays the wall and uses his elbow to change the sound of the drum at the end of the song.
The burning question that is never addressed is way he is wearing a helmet –motorcycle? horse riding? It stays on the whole time. At one point he even seems to “tip” his hat. How peculiar.
[READ: December 8, 2017] Glorious and or Free
The Beaverton is a satirical news source based in Canada. It began as a website in 2010 and then added a TV Show in 2016 (now in its second season). To celebrate 2017, the creators made this book.
They have divided the history of Canada into 13 sections. As with many satirical history books, you can learn a lot about a country or a time from the kinds of jokes made. Obviously the joke of each article is fake, but they are all based in something. Historical figures are accurate and their stereotypes and broadsides certainly give a picture of the person.
Some of the humor is dependent upon knowing at least a little about the topic, but some of the other articles are just broadly funny whether you know anything about it or not.
When we made this book our goal was to transport readers back to grade school to remember what they were taught n Canadian history class. And so what if your teacher was hungover most of the time?
~30,000 Years of History in About Four Page (3,200,000,000 BCE – 1496)
“What the hell is that?” –God after forgetting he made beavers. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 