SOUNDTRACK: GALAXIE 500-“Big Bang” (2006).
When I saw this band come up on CBC Radio 3, I thought, I didn’t know that Galaxie 500 were Canadian. Well, they’re not. At least the early 90’s band Galaxie 500 aren’t. But THIS Galaxie 500 are from Montreal.
Now, I understand that there are a lot of bands with the same name. It’s prettyinevitable as there’s only so many permutations of common words. But “Galaxie 500?” How could they not know there was another band with that name, especially as seminal an act as Galaxie 500 was? So, what is their name? A tribute? I just don’t get it.
And so I was prepared to hate this band on principle. But then I heard the song. It’s noisy, crazy, brash and ballsy. It’s not exactly punk, it’s sort of a garage band with sound effects (in many places it sounds like the more raucous Sloan songs).
They also sing in French (which means they have more right to the spelling of Galaxie than the previous incarnation of the band). Even though “Big Bang” comes from the top album Le Temps au Point Mort, I really enjoy this lower album cover more (and the songs from it (which you can hear on the band’s website) are also great. As is the video (available there, too).
[READ: June 15, 2010] “A Few Acres of Snow”
This story starts out in reality and slowly shifts into a more fanciful realm. As it opens, a man arrives at a cabin. His intention is to write a book called One Hundred and Twenty-Seven Paintings To See Before You Die (I love the conceit of this, a sort of lazy man’s guide to touring the world).
He is isolated (which is what he wants), with no phone or contact with the outside word (or his family). And then it starts snowing. It snows harder and harder and plies up to his windows. And then it goes higher still. (more…)
SOUNDTRACK: THE SLEW “100%” (2009).
The Slew
SOUNDTRACK: YOUNG RIVAL-“Got What You Need” (2009).
I was only able to hear this song once. It’s surprisingly on available on the 
SOUNDTRACK: TEENAGE HEAD-“Picture My Face” (1979).
Teenage Head is a punk band in the vein of The Ramones. If I were younger I probably would have enjoyed this song more. Not because it’s a punk song (and I’m old) but because it’s so derivative of just about every Ramones-inspired punk song I can think of.
SOUNDTRACK: THE RUSSIAN FUTURISTS -“Paul Simon” (2010).
Continuing my march through 
SOUNDTRACK: RAH RAH-“Arrows” (2010).
This issue of The Walrus features the Summer Reading Issue, which nine short fictions about Canada. In concert with that I decided to listen to 
The Walrus’ July/August issue features a summer reading collection. Nine authors all answering the call “to write the most Canadian story they could think of.” Over the next week or so I’ll review them all. But as an introduction, I wanted to mention the artwork of Seth.
SOUNDTRACK: Philadelphia Radio Stations (circa 1990 and 2010)
There’s a Dead Milkmen song called “The Big Sleazy” in which the chorus is
I’ve always been amused by the song, especially when I travel to Philly and hear these stations. That song is from 1990, so 20 years later I’m not sure what the band would think of their new playlists.
Now, I have no idea what XPN was like before, but, yea, I can see that he folk Nazis are in charge. Of course, I rather like that. However, XPN also plays a bunch of artists who are broader than the folk label, so I wonder if they have changed even more since 1990.
SOUNDTRACK: THE ZOLAS (3 Tracks on CBC 3 Radio) (2009).
I must have heard “The Great Collapse” on CBC 3 a few weeks ago because I heard it today and it was so catchy I was sure that I knew the band. And yet, when I saw the artist, I’d never heard of them before.
SOUNDTRACK:CBC Radio 3
I listened to 
SOUNDTRACK: DO MAKE SAY THINK-Other Truths [CST062] (2009).
I’ve always enjoyed Do Make Say Think’s CDs. They play instrumentals that are always intriguing and which never get dull.
I Just Read About That... 