What We're Reading:

G&B: Apologies to Sting

It's been a blast, folks. The Worlds Most Popular Podcast is signing off. Truth to be told, there's not enough hours in the day for ...

Monday, August 31, 2009

soul system..


My stomach was hurting today. It was moving around. Up and Down. Sideways. All over. It was odd. I'm not sick. I don't think. I think I'm just thinking too much. Thinking about things. Thinking about stuff that I shouldn't be. I just can't stop thinking about it. It's something that will be thought about for a while. It's going to happen. I know it'll pass, too. I just have to trust in that.

Head hurts, too. It's all about what's going on right now. Nothing major. Just regular growing pains. Pains I've had so many times before but it's just has to come back sometimes to remind you that you're human and everyone goes through it. We are human. Funny that sometimes we tend to think we're an experimental force on this world greater than any other creature, plant, body of water. We tend to forget that we're as vulnerable, sensitive, caring, loving, and emotional than other creatures and living organisms. We just show it a different way. We choose to forget that we're human. When something happens, we remember that we do bleed, cry, laugh and everything in between. At first it's the shock that we're actually feeling something about something that you didn't think will ever again. Then reality sets in. Finally we start to deal with it. Find out how to progress and evolve. The funny thing is though that even though in the great scheme of things, the situation might seem the same. It's not. Different players. Different stage. Different script. We have to learn from our past and use those experiences to learn how to change this one. It's harder than it sounds. What I do is either walk away from it for a while. Like how I do with my painting. I start a piece. Finish it. Walk away then come back to it a few days later and see a totally different canvas. Totally different idea on what I should do. Life is like that. Keeping a clear sober mind on things that are bothering you is very important. If it's not coming. Take a break. Come back to it later. Life isn't too hard. We just have to learn how to take control of it better and remember we're part of the universe and it will always be there to help us out.

vmt: chicks rule


It's been a bit since I laid down a virtual mixtape on you guys. This time, I'm going to bring back a pretty popular theme. Chicks Rule. This theme showcases only women who have made some really good music. For those who don't know, The Virtual Mixtape is not an actual mixtape. It's a collections of songs put together by myself chosen to educate and also entertain you. I usually go deep into the virtual crates and look for some little lesser know tracks from popular artists or songs from unknown singers. This feature is to have you search out the songs you don't know and also open up your ears to new types of music. Anyway, enough of the blabbing. For the Chicks...

Chain Reaction - Diana Ross
Your Love was Good For Me - Marva Whitney
Butterfly - Mariah Carey
When You Walk into the Room - Agnetha Faltskog
I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett
California - Maylene Farmer
Why? - Anni Lennox
Suzanne - Anni-frid Lyngstad
Autumn Leaves - Beth Gibbons
Dreaming of You - Selena
Fool's Gold - Lhasa de Sela
Eternal Flame - The Bangles
I Will Remember You - Sarah Mclachlan
Help Me - Joni Mitchell
Without You - Dixie Chicks
Like A Virgin - Madonna
Poster of A Girl - Metric
1980 - Estelle
Let Me Blow Your Mind - Eve feat. Gwen Stefani
Whatta Man - Salt'N'Pepa feat. En Vogue
I Wanna Be Down - Brandy feat. Yo Yo, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah

am pals pay tribute through twitter


More on DJ AM from Here..

As news broke of DJ AM’s death on Friday, celebrity friends took to the Twitterverse to express their condolences. DJ AM, born Adam Goldstein, was found dead in his New York apartment with drug paraphernalia next to him. The 36-year-old had a history of drug abuse but had claimed to be been clean for upwards of 10 years.

The DJ was well known for his “mash-up” style of spinning and also for making it into Hollywood’s “in” crowd, having dated the likes of Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore.

Nearly a year ago, he and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker were the only two survivors of a plane crash in South Carolina. On Saturday, Barker, who is currently on tour, took to his Twitter account, writing three separate posts: “Don’t know how i am gonna play 2night but i am for AM. My brother is gone. i love u and miss u, i’ll never forget all the good times we had,” then, “I’ll never forget everything we’ve been thru and every time i play the drums i’ll think of you. U were an amazing friend/DJ/human being.”

Minutes later, he added, “Rest In Peace my brother, this really f—s me up.”

Other celebrity pals also tweeted their feelings. “Adam and I were friends since I was 15. He had a heart of gold and was one of the kindest, funniest and most talented men I have ever met,” Paris Hilton wrote, followed by: “It’s so hard to accept that I’m not going to be able to see him or talk to him again. There are no right words for this, I feel so sad. :(”

“The shock of DJ AM has me at a loss for words…his joyous spirit was a gift to us all,” Demi Moore wrote.

Musician John Mayer had several tweets in reaction to the news, starting with “In complete shock.” He later tweeted: “We’re supposed to lose our friends to time, at an age when we’re ready to agree to the terms of having lived a long life. Not now.”

Other celebrities to react to the news on Twitter included P. Diddy: “DJ AM Rest In Peace” and Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz: “R.I.P. . I’m sorry to loved ones. So unexpected.”

“i can’t believe this.. i’m in shock. why? why? r.i.p. adam,” Lindsay Lohan wrote.

DJ AM’s final tweet on Aug. 25 is also receiving attention: “New york, new york. Big city of dreams, but everything in new york aint always what it seems.” The tweet is a foreboding lyric from Grandmaster Flash’s song “New York, New York.

rip dj am


Sad news in the American club industry...

DJ AM, who less than a year ago survived a plane crash, was found dead this afternoon in a New York apartment, TMZ reports; his real name was Adam Goldstein, and he was 36. Police, called by a friend who hadn’t seen Goldstein in several days, found drug paraphernalia at the scene after breaking down the door of the SoHo apartment.

Goldstein and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker were aboard a private jet that crashed in South Carolina in September 2008, killing four others. Goldstein, a fixture on the celebrity circuit, had been romantically linked to Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore.


UPDATE:
Details of DJ AM’s final hours are beginning to come together, and police sources tell People he sent out his last text message at 1am the day he died. Two friends received the message, about his gig in Las Vegas that night—and 16 hours later, a friend called 911 after Goldstein failed to answer his phone or leave for his scheduled flight.

Meanwhile, celebrity remembrances continue to pour in, including one from ex-girlfriend Mandy Moore. “I am absolutely heartbroken,” she tells Us in a statement. “For those of us lucky enough to have known him, Adam radiated a contagious exuberance for life and also personified the very definition of a true friend. To say that he will be missed beyond words is an understatement. My heart goes out to his loved ones.”

Thursday, August 27, 2009

cuts at cfrb


Cuts at CFRB. They say it's to boost ratings? Why would you fire your producers who you would still need when you hire the new talkers? I'm thinking it's a money thing. Gone are that bald dude and the married couple. I smell them doing American talk shows come fall. And yeah. That'll help ratings. As if.

Here's the official note..

Those of you who are close and careful listeners to Newstalk 1010 CFRB will know that we have made some significant changes to our programming schedule and we want to bring you up to speed on what's gone on.


Today, we begin a new chapter in CFRB's storied tradition.

But change rarely happens without challenges or some difficulties. This change is particularly difficult for many of you and for all of us here at CFRB, because we part company with and say good bye to some long-time and trusted friends and colleagues.



Carol Mott, Paul Mott, Michael Coren, and Jacqui Delaney are among them. We are grateful for the contributions they've made to CFRB. We know this is a tough time for them and are doing our best to help them deal with this transition.



Newstalk 1010 has always been and remains committed to excellence in broadcasting. CFRB has been a media mainstay in Toronto for more than 80 years, a respected News leader and has been long been home to colourful characters and commentators - from Gordon Sinclair and Pierre Burton to Bill Carroll and John Moore.

Stay tuned. We will be announcing our new programming line-up in the weeks to come.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

being honest and all..


It was a while since this happened, but I thought I'd share. I'll leave out the names of the innocent. I was sitting down having a drink with a best bud of mine a while back when I asked him if he was seeing a shrink. I had heard from someone else he was. He admitted to it. I told him I went to a couple. Once a couple years ago and the previous time back in high school. We talked about how shrinks are pretty cool because they just listen. You can go there. Sit. Talk. Tell the truth and all they do is just listen. Be quiet and listen. Sometimes, they would nod or just ask why, how, where, when, or with who? My pal and I also talked about the drugs that we had to take. That was the fun part of the conversation. Now that I'm much better I feel like I'm in a better place to be that shrink to others. I know it's a tough road to take when you are seeing one. You feel embarrassed. Small. Weak. Helpless. But actually, you're huge. It takes a big man to admit they're going to see a shrink.

I'm not saying that I don't need one anymore or won't need one anymore. Maybe I do. Maybe I will. I don't know. I just know that I'm able now to focus my negative energy and thoughts in positive directions. Painting, Writing, Creating. I know how to vent. I know the times when I have to stop drinking and just sit at a coffee shop till the wee hours of the morning and do nothing but think. I know now. I'm sure they'll be a time when something happens and I go back down that road where I became an obsessive drinking, snorter and crying wreck, but for now I'm good. Thanks, Doc.

My writing has really helped. The feedback I've received from people who read my entries on here during those times have helped. My love I've gotten from friends has helped. My new direction has helped. It's not being small to ask for help. It's always out there. Just have to ask for it.

miles jones is...


This afternoon I was waiting for my Mom to come home so we can go out for dinner. As she walked into the door, I ran upstairs to greet her. She had picked up the mail and left it on the kitchen counter. I looked over. On top there were the obvious bills that are always sent and then underneath the depressing news, was a brown package. It had my name on it. I opened it and was pleased to find a copy of "Miles Jones is Runaway Jones" from Mojo Recordings and Publishing and Urbnet Records. The record features a mixed bag of local top production heavyweights including our friend, DJ Serious, the legendary Mr. Attic, Black Milk, and Natural Diggers. The album also features a hot track with underground mainstay Percee P called Rhyme Like This which is a slow soul type joint that compliments both Jones and Percee's rhyming styles. The tracks on this album are all over production wise. Obviously, with the versatile production lineup, but also with the wonderful versatile showing of Jones' rhyming capabilities.

I was shocked with the heavy beat given by DJ Serious in his track Runaway which was an unexpected surprise. I have to say that the track took a couple of listens to really get used to. Same thing goes for Enter Time Machine and Never Wrong. It's refreshing to see talent try new things to evolve their craft, however it sometimes comes as a shock which kinda makes you not want to listen for a while. The open minded music fan will really enjoy this album. For me, My favorite tracks are the slower, funkier singles like Say What featuring Shad K with production from Slakah The BeatChild and the dope NuSoul track, No More featuring Marinda who has a refreshing jazzy voice that can warm any soul. Like, Jones, I'm sure you'll be hearing much more from that diva in the making.


Jones, who also heads up Mojo Recordings and Publishing is a very talented artist who produced two tracks on this album (Again and Things You Do). As I wrote yesterday, it's been a great year for Canadian Hip Hop. ...Runaway Jones is another example of what great roots we have growing in our own backyard that must get more sun, water and love. With the right food and attention, Jones will blossom into something beautiful.

house of cards - the foreign exchange feat. muhsinah



See if you spot RJD2 in this brand spanking new video. There's other cameos to watch out for, too..Philly Stand Up!


vintage: 80s music doc about smash hits


This is part 5. You can check the whole documentary here...

Documentary covering the Teen Music magazine Smash hits, featuring the Interviews and music of a host of 80's stars such as Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Boy George, Pet shop boys, Bananarama, etc etc.

classic: enjoy yourself (it's later than you think) - the specials


The most popular version of the song, recorded by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, was made on November 27 (some sources give November 28), 1949. The recording was released by Decca Records as catalog number 24825. The record first reached the Billboard charts on January 13, 1950 and lasted 19 weeks on the chart, peaking at #10.[1]

Another recording, by Doris Day, was made on January 13, 1950 and released by Columbia Records as catalog number 38709.

Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra made a recording on February 2, 1949 which was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-3375.



you're wondering now - the specials feat. amy winehouse live at v fest 2009


Amy sounds amazing with The Specials here on this live cover of the Specials classic..

rip ted kennedy


Sad news hitting the Kennedy clan today. May he Rest In Peace..

Sen. Kennedy’s endorsement gave Barack Obama’s Democratic presidential candidacy a major boost in the 2008 primary season.

On May 20, 2008, doctors reported that the statesman had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor after suffering a seizure days before. That June, he underwent a three-hour surgery at the Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina.

Kennedy’s only surviving sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver passed away on August 11. The senator was too ill to attend her funeral service.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

new cobra september 22...


I haven't posted a lot from these guys in a while. They've been in the studio making music. Now that they have new product coming out next month off of Urbnet Records, I'm sure I'll be posting more from OK Cobra. Today I found out that the duo have released their first single from their forthcoming album, Delirium Tremens. It's only available on the groups Myspace page so you'll to have to go here to check it out. The track is called I Quit (I Give Up). It's some good Cancon Hip Hop. Urbnet is releasing a bunch of good Hip Hop from local folk this year. We're in the works for a full album review. Stay tuned.

mary kate and ashley present elizabeth and james


The two starlets are in town tonight at Holt Renfrew to present their new line Elizabeth and James. They'll be showing off their 2009 fall collection. Here are some pictures from the line..




home for a rest..


I've partied way too much in the past few weeks. Birthday parties, trying to just enjoy the summer type of parties, parties just to party parties. Relaxing mid-week parties. I've consumed way too much. I've done too much of other stuff, too. It's home for a rest. I'm going to take this week off. No smoking. No alcohol. No nothing. Just me and my healthy foods along with a bunch of rest and some exercise added in there for good measure. Today, being my Veggie Day, I had a fruit waffle for breakfast. Salad for lunch. Been drinking water the whole day. I actually also had some tea this morning. It's day two of this detox thing and I feel healthier. Cleaner. I'm going to try to do this more. I don't do detox weeks as much as I should. Maybe I can make this a two week thing. Most likely not, but I think it's good I'm doing it now. I would like to add some meditation into my weeks schedule. I think it would make me reconnect with myself after a wild, stressful, busy and hectic few weeks. We'll see.

when our music got cued up


Another killer article from The Star's Greg Quill...

Somewhere in the late 1970s Canada's fledgling music business joined the big leagues.

Soon after the institution in 1971 of the challenging and visionary ruling by the Canadian Radio-Television Commission, demanding a minimum of 30 per cent Canadian musical content from commercial radio stations across the country, the seeds that were sown in isolated pockets of musical creativity in the 1960s finally flowered.

Canadian music, for the first time in history, started doing nationwide business. Supported by FM radio airplay and a rudimentary concert infrastructure, bands could tour from coast to coast. Record sales rocketed. Labels sprang up like tulips in springtime as money greased the cogs of this new and vital homemade machinery.

Without those still-divisive CanCon regulations, Canada would likely still be a small part of the U.S. music business.

This update is brought to you courtesy of This Beat Goes On, the second two-hour installment of veteran Toronto music journalist/producer Nick Jennings' and Gary McGroarty's continuing chronicle – and celebration – of Canada's pop and rock music history makers.

It's old news, of course, but to thousands of young Canadians making their way in a new musical landscape, This Beat Goes On provides a bridge to similarly driven pioneers in the not-too-distant past.

"I believe in history, and I believe this story needs to be told," Jennings said last week, after a gathering at the Gladstone Hotel by many of the 1970s and '80s music stars who contributed to his films.

"We need to know where we came from. It's important to our culture. Our musical legacy runs deeper than Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot and Leonard Cohen. Thousands of artists have made invaluable contributions to our musical life, and they need to be on the record as well."

The documentary features some 50 abridged musical clips from the 1970s, interviews with music stars of the period, as well as with their artistic offspring in this decade, and with long-time Canadian music industry movers and shakers. It airs in two parts in CBC-TV's Doc Zone at 9 p.m. Thursday and at the same time the following week.

A third part of the series, Rise Up – airing in the same slot Sept. 10 and 17 – examines how music videos and MuchMusic cranked a new crop of TV-friendly Canadian pop and rock artists to previously unimagined levels of international acceptance, and plugged them into a new global music market in the 1980s.

The documentaries, which took almost three years to put together, are sequels to Jennings' and McGroarty's lauded Shakin' All Over, the two-hour, 2006 TV special based on Jennings' book Before the Gold Rush, which examined the origins of a new national consciousness expressed in music and song in the 1960s. Proud as he his of that book, Jennings is mystified by its lack of companions.

"In America, Britain, Australia, a sense of cultural history is ingrained," he said. "In other countries, dozens of books have been written about music in the 1960s. In Canada, as far as I know, Before the Gold Rush is the only one, and I think that's shocking, particularly because songs and music are Canada's strongest and most meaningful forms of self-expression, stronger than literature, movies and art.

"Music holds this country together."

This Beat Goes On – the title is borrowed from Vancouver party rockers The Kings' breakout 1980 single – and Rise Up, referencing Toronto band Parachute Club's politically charged pop hit from 1983, sticks to the formula that made Shakin' All Over a memorable TV event.

"The trick is to make the big-picture story clear without too many sacrifices on the music side," Jennings said. "That means we have to move pretty fast. The stories have to set in the context of the times, and illustrated with lots of music, both classics and cult classics."

In both programs, Jennings and McGroarty – he managed Francophone folk-rockers Cano in the 1970s and went on to produce, write and direct Stand and Be Counted, the TV series about the role of music in 20th-century politics – achieve a balance between instruction, revelation and nostalgic entertainment.

It's surprising to learn, for example, how many current pop and rock artists took their musical cues not from big international stars, but from Canadian bands and songwriters they saw in local clubs and arenas in the 1970s and 80s, more or less proving Jennings' thesis.

"We tried to be as inclusive as possible, given how expensive it is to obtain clearances (rights) to air the music," he said. "But there's always someone left out ..."

A couple of glaring omissions in This Beat Goes On will certainly raise eyebrows: Vancouver-based hard rock band Heart, and Montreal songwriter Michel Pagliaro.

"We had a long discussion about Heart, whose key members are American," and ruled the band out, Jennings said. "I'm not sure it was the right decision."

And Pagliaro? His manager rejected the idea of being part of a retrospective, Jennings said.

"`Michel is a contemporary artist with a contemporary audience,' he said."

Monday, August 24, 2009

don't text and drive psa


Here's the controversial PSA going around now urging people not to text and drive. It's pretty disturbing....



Don't Text and Drive - Watch more Funny Videos

Saturday, August 22, 2009

what we do


Another article of mine from Our Kids..

Another question that sometimes comes up when parents are looking for a school for their their children is: what happens after an education at that school? Do the kids survive in the real world? How does the education effect the students’ lives after graduation?

Martina's band Dragonette

For me, I knew I wanted to be in the broadcasting industry in some way or fashion. I took a year off and then went to broadcasting school in Southfeld, Michigan. I then returned after my schooling to go to Trebas Institute here in Toronto since I got the music bug. I took music business and spearheaded my own concert promotions company for a few years.

Like myself, most Waldorf graduates are somewhere in the arts. We’re known for our musical talent.

Laura and Hunter Valentine. Laura is the one on the right..

Class of ‘98 Graduate, Laura Petracca is part of an all-girl band called Hunter Valentine. Meanwhile, other graduates like Emma Cook and Layah Jane are also inspiring musicians touring and selling their creative product.

Martina Sorbara, who graduated a year after me, is probably the most well known of the Waldorf music crew doing her folk solo thing for years now and part of an electropop group called Dragonette.

Other Waldorf graduates I know have went on to use their creative energy that they picked up at the school to be in graphic design, professional artists, and sculptures. However, not all Waldorfians leave the round school to pursue their art dream. Some have gone on to be in real estate, the computer industry, medicine and business.

Some Waldorifans head worldwide for their life long goals. Some take up backpacking around Europe or other parts of the world and work small jobs just so they can afford a place to stay and some food. It’s that Waldorf adventurous sense in them. The school creates that passion of wonder.

Whatever we end up doing, it’s not usual. There’s always a small Waldorfian reason behind our life goals. Waldorf seems to change us that way. Keeps us wanting that type of amsuement. Wonder. Curiosity. Passion for self accomplishment.

If you can see your child as being a creative genuis, definitely send them to Waldorf. They’ll cater to their needs better than most schools. If you don’t see that creative spark, you can still send them to Waldorf as they’ll most likely pick up something they haven’t thought of.

Most importantly, though: They’ll come out as a rounded invividual and will be a better person in the workforce because of it.

Do you have any ideas for future articles? Have any subjects you want me to tackle? Give me a shout at Famenator@gmail.com or via Twitter or Facebook. Feedback is always welcome and appreciated.

And oh yeah..Waldorf will be having an Open House later this month.

Editor’s Note: For all private school events see the Events Calendar or the weekly What’s On column.

Monday, August 17, 2009

special lady...


Something about Ali always made me swoon into her blue eyes. I still remember that day when I saw her for the last time. It was the summer of 1980. We had just finished graduating. Her blond hair was blowing in the air while she was throwing around her blue cap and trying to take off the accompanying blue robe to expose a beautiful red dress she had gotten at the mall the week prior to the big ceremony. She ran up to me and gave me a huge hug. I lifted her up and we screamed to each other that we graduated. At last. Four years. Four long years finally done. Now, it's time to see the real world. Car payments. Marriage. Starting a family. Starting a career. Growing old. Becoming grandparents. Moving to Florida. Waiting to die. Adulthood had hit us so fast. I still remember the days when Ali and myself used to swing on her swing set after dinner and talk about what these days will be like. I never knew they'd be so real. So ordinary. I don't know. I guess we both thought they'd be more special. High tech. Hell. Back in the 50s, I thought we'd be flying by then. Like that family on the TV. Guess not.

Ali and I dated back in high school. Still remained best of friends, though. She actually set me up with my University girlfriend. We broke up a few weeks before the grad since she decided to go to Vancouver and I decided to stay in Toronto. No biggie. I was ready to deal with the world. Didn't really want anything standing in my way. Holding me down. That night, at the party I was Ali's date. We thought it would be appropriate as we both helped each other out so much during our school days and well, we were both single. I bought her some flowers. She bought me some beer. Good deal. We drank in the back of the hall and then went in later. Avoided all the talking from the teachers. We just wanted to dance and eat free food. That night was unbelievable. Everyone was there. It was one of those nights that goes by so fast and you just wish that you can have a second of that night back to experience again. Looking back at the pictures today I can't seem to even start to feel the happiness we all felt that night. The joy of being done. Starting our lives. We were also feeling the loneliness where we knew after that night, our friendships we had built for the past four years and for some, longer will never be the same again.


As quick as it started, the end soon came. The last dance was called. I searched out Ali and grabbed her hand. We had to dance this song together. The huge hit at the time, Ray Goodman and Brown's Special Lady started. I took Ali close to me. We didn't talk at all. We just danced. Hugged each other knowing it was our final moments before things changed. Forever.


Things did change forever after that night. Ali and I tried to keep in contact. A few letters here and there over the summer but they died down after October. I got a couple of Christmas cards for a couple of years but that was it. I didn't see her. She didn't see me. I heard she had moved out of town. Nothing confirmed, but I had a feeling she actually might have.

I went on with my life. Married. Had a baby boy. Divorced. Married again. Had a baby girl. Divorced again. I was in love being a traveling salesperson, I guess to really commit to someone. Someone who wasn't Ali. It had been over 20 years and there was no sight of her. I hadn't heard from her. I heard rumors. Some said she had moved to Washington and works with the government. Others say she had died in a car crash. I didn't really listen to anyone. Even though I should've. It would've given me closure on the whole thing.


It was the summer of 2002 as I was walking around in the suburbs of California looking for this guys office who had promised me will buy a bunch of my product. I needed something to eat, though. Maybe a drink, too. It was getting late. I called him and told him that I was caught up with another customer and I'll go see him tomorrow. Make him think that he wasn't the only one after my stuff. Anyway, I decided to wonder into a pub that was right by my hotel. As I sat down, I was enthralled by the conversation three guys were having in the corner. They were graduating. Just hearing them talk about what life will be like. It amazed me. Amazed how I guess everyone seems to be so innocent about what's out there. What could be. What will be. How unpredictable it is. How it changes before your eyes. I clued back in when I heard someone faintly calling my name. I wondered who it was. I looked around and there stood behind the counter a tall blond who didn't look older than 25 asking me by name where the hell I've been all her life. I rubbed my eyes. I shook my head. It was her. It was Ali. I couldn't believe it. It was her. I stood up and raced behind the counter and gave her a huge hug just like that one we gave each other on graduation day. We both couldn't believe it. We caught up over some beers. She convinced her boss to let her off early so we could have a few drinks. Her boss said it was OK on one condition. She closed the bar. She agreed.

That night we laughed in between shots. Shared stories before finishing pitchers. We played pool and showed each other our new cell phones and laptops. We talked about old times and reminded each other of things we had done. Suddenly, it was time to close down the joint. Our reunion was coming to an end. As the last customer strolled out, I went over to close the door. Ali decided to put up the music and dance while she cleaned. As I helped her put up the last stool, just like if it were written in a book, a song came over the radio that made us both freeze in our tracks. Special Lady. That song we had danced to so many years ago was again in our lives. We both looked at each other and chuckled. Wondering how cheesy this really is. How someone must have set this up. But no one did. And it wasn't cheesy. It was kinda nice. I went over to her and grabbed her dirty rag from her hand and threw it over the bar and took the mop from her hands and placed it on the floor. I gently took her by the waist and we started to dance. Again to Special Lady. We didn't talk while we were dancing. We just enjoyed the moment. In that dark, empty small pub on some street in Northern California. After the song was done, she walked me to the hotel. We exchanged numbers. Promised to call. To E-mail. Of course we didn't.

That was the last time I saw Ali. Stopped by a few months ago to see if she was still there. She had left. To Washington, actually. Had triplets with a regular. I was happy for her. And even happier that we had our last dance together. Me and my Special Lady.

veggie day...


I was sitting in class today eating my lunch. I realized that I'm eating pretty healthy today. That's when I realized that maybe I should do a veggie day four. No, three. No two times every week. Don't want to get ahead of myself, now. Yeah. Twice a week being a veg would be good enough. To start. So here we have it. Today on my first veggie day I had: Cut up peaches with strawberry yogurt for breakfast. Salad with ranch dressing and garlic for a snack along with apple juice and water for a quick snack. For lunch, I had a good helping of chickpeas with olive oil with green tea on the side. It feels good. I feel healthy. My second day of the week where I go all veg will be Wednesdays. I think this will help me clean my soul from all the garbage I tend to put into it on weekends and sometimes when I eat out. Balance. That's what we all need. Balance.

vintage: cold front records release party 1991


This gem is from here...

This is something special for my Toronto headz! Here we have the Cold Front Record Release Party at Live At The BBQ featuring interviews with Executive Producer John Bronski and various groups involved in the project. You also get an ill freestyle cypha with DJ X on the wheels dropping beats for Toronto's finest out in the parking lot of Much Music. Featured Emcee's include Base Poet, Thrust & 10-Kay repping KGB, Sonya Live, Maestro Fresh Wes, T Soul, Kish, Motion, as well as former Maestro Manger and Canadian Idol judge Farley Flex stepping out and kicking some lyrics which had the crowd going crazy!


Sunday, August 16, 2009

toronto community radio almost silenced


Great article from BlogTO...


I have a soft spot for community radio. Where else can you hear programming by and about sex-workers, psychiatric survivors, independent artists, ethnic communities and other voices that mainstream radio doesn't include.

So, it was news to me when I heard about the drama threatening another of Toronto's alternative radio stations, the University of Toronto's CIUT.

While infighting, lawsuits and arrests led to dead air at Ryerson's once progressive CKLN, the U of T's community radio station was getting the boot with no appropriate home in sight. Lucky for CIUT, the boot turned out to be a major upgrade.

CIUT is moving into a $1.3 million renovated space at Hart House this month once construction is complete. The station will occupy a section of the first floor and all of the third floor.

"We knew one day we'd be asked to move," says Brian Burchell, CIUT's station manager for a decade. The Rotman School of Business is expanding and taking over the Victorian building that CIUT aired from for most of its existence. It was a long fight to find another appropriate space for the forty-year old radio station. At one point, the university offered the basement of one of its off-campus buildings beside the offices of custodial staff. Burchell wasn't thrilled.

Then Hart House entered the picture. The campus' commuter student space, known for its library-like quietness, wants to increase its traffic and relevance to campus life and the surrounding community. Community radio, say hello to the archery club.

Burchell says the new location will be an experiment in radio. He describes the first floor set-up at Hart House as stage-like versus the usual studio-as-fishbowl effect, where you can watch the show outside of the studio's enclosed glass. Instead, a sliding glass door will be there to divide the live-to-air studio from passersby. But Burchell intends to keep it open for all to see.

"Live radio is a dying commodity. Why not put it on stage?"

He's doing it to make community radio (literally) more accessible. Hopefully, this gamble pays off as more conversations surface about the relevance of campus radio stations: do they serve the surrounding community or the student body?; are they getting too corporate?; etc.

But this story isn't all about happy endings. CIUT's old home is going to be demolished to add Rotman's 10-storey expansion. In the original plans, the building's façade was to be left intact.

Burchell says he isn't going to miss the old building. "Running a radio station is hard in an narrow, old Victorian...When we'd forget something for the studio, we'd have to run up and down all those flights of stairs. I definitely won't miss those stairs."

the highway dream


I haven't wrote about dreams in a while. Thought I would write this one down that I had last night. It was an odd one.


I'm at my house preparing for something. I think someone is coming over. I'm cooking. Cleaning, making sure everything is just right. I forget something. I go into the garage and get into the backseat of a car. No one is driving, but I'm moving. Moving really fast. I think we're heading to the mall. I forget something. We have to turn back. But I scream to myself that the car isn't moving fast enough. I get out. I'm walking the shoulder of the highway. The DVP in Toronto. I'm walking real fast. I go through this huge tunnel trying not to be hit by a car. As I'm walking I see a family pull over on the shoulder. I wonder if they want to give me a lift. No. They all get out of their car. They seem drunk. They're all going to the washroom in the bushes.

I wake up.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

acting normal - slum village


Exclusive...

Exclusive SLUMVILLAGE VIDEO "Actin Normal" from SCRAPDIRTY on Vimeo.

four - d-sisive


The countdown has begun.

Alternative hip-hop recording artist, D-Sisive, has just released
'Four': the first installment in a serious of pre-release singles in
anticipation of his November LP, Jonestown. 'Four' features the
instrumental 'Alley Spying', hijacked from Slim Twig's critically
acclaimed album 'Contempt!'. Watch out for D-Sisive's forthcoming
digital only release entitled 'Jonestown', available on November 18th,
2009 - The 31st anniversary of the Jonestown Massacre.



Monday, August 10, 2009

what's wrong with ryan seacrest


Great read from Bill McMahon's Blog..

"On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" is a microcosm of what's wrong with radio right now. The problem has nothing to do with the show being created in Hollywood and syndicated to local radio stations across the country. The trouble is the show's content. It's ordinary, average, and forgettable. Mindless, soulless, lowest common denominator stuff the media, including most cookie cutter morning radio shows, are saturated with -- vacuous interviews with celebrities hyping their latest projects, a steady stream of superficial celebrity news and Hollywood gossip clipped from the pages of People, Us, and The National Enquirer and read breathlessly with much manufactured enthusiasm and amazement by Ryan and his cohorts. This is sad stuff.

Here's what's really scary. In the past few months, "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" has spread to approximately 140 markets, including most of the 50 largest cities in America. How did this happen? The show has no record of ratings success. The content is no different and no better than the average local radio morning show. Okay, Ryan gets more and better celebrity guests, but who cares. There's absolutely nothing special about his interviews -- no intimacy and no revelations. Listeners can get the same information by reading the press release for the new movie, CD, book, or other project the celebrity guest is hyping. Make no mistake about it; these are not Howard Stern-like interviews. There are no surprises in Ryan's fawning and shallow conversations. The show is not live, but that probably doesn't matter given its content. It's just a bunch of unoriginal recycled bits from Ryan's morning show in Los Angeles, which by the way, is not even the highest rated show on KIIS FM. So, what's going on here? Why is this show spreading? It's definitely not a virus.

"On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" exists for two primary reasons neither of which has anything to do with what comes out of a radio’s speakers or making radio listeners’ lives better. First, Ryan Seacrest is famous -- not for extraordinary talent, not for producing amazing radio content, not for producing stellar Arbitron numbers. Ryan Seacrest is famous for being the host of American Idol. Ryan Seacrest is famous for his boyish good looks. Ryan Seacrest is famous for hanging out with Simon Cowell. Second, "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" is cheap programming -- a money-saving alternative to paying local personalities in 140 markets. So radio station operators blinded by fame and celebrity and driven by the need to reduce expenses are programming this drivel. Yikes!

Radio is in deep doo doo right now. Radio needs to create relevant and original content to survive. Radio needs rebels, mavericks, characters, passionate artists and innovators. Radio needs people to challenge the status quo not perpetuate it. "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" is the status quo -- a very ordinary and average version of it. Exactly what radio doesn't need right now.

Radio is headed for extinction if things don't change quickly. How did it come to this? Lee Abrams provided some pretty good answers in a recent interview conducted by Al Peterson at NTS MediaOnline. Here's what Lee had to say about the radio business and the source of great ideas. "Radio was one of the last great bastions of creative thinking. There were no rulebooks, you could come up with a new format idea in your basement, take it out and try it somewhere, and if it worked you were in business. Unfortunately the radio business, which was once a place with very few rules, evolved into a business with a whole lot of rules.... all great ideas start emotionally then you use science to determine whether or not you're full of it. In most big media today everything starts scientifically and the whole emotional component gets left out entirely."

Lee's description of how radio's best programming ideas came to be and where great ideas begin sounds remarkably like what's happening on the Internet today. All kinds of goofy original ideas are being created. There is lots of experimentation going on. People are creating stuff in basements and garages all over the world and putting it out there in cyberspace to see if it flies.

Big ideas like Google, Facebook, Pandora, and YouTube started as little experiments in a basement, garage, or dorm room. These ideas began with emotions, instinctive reactions to real life in the real world. The creators didn't do focus groups or seek approval from the corporate office. They just began to create stuff that they thought was missing in their lives, stuff they wanted and needed. They didn't try to predict how their ideas would be received or if they'd be accepted. They just created stuff they thought was cool and necessary. They created stuff that would make their lives and/or the lives of their friends better, more interesting, more fun.

This is exactly how many of radio's most successful formats and shows came to be. Rush Limbaugh created the show he wanted to listen to -- a show reflective of his ideals, his values and beliefs -- a show that broke the rules and challenged the status quo. He discovered there were lots of listeners just like him who were looking for a place to hang out and connect with like-minded people who shared their conservative values. Howard Stern created the show he wanted to listen to. Lee Abrams created a format with the music he wanted to hear. Both discovered lots of listeners just like them who liked what they liked.

Now radio creates stuff for some mythical target audience defined by simplistic and superficial research. No one breaks the rules or challenges the status quo. There's no experimentation. No risk taking. No new ideas. No innovation.

There is lots of cloning and copying. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern wannabes trying to duplicate everything these originals do. Nearly every morning show has a boy and a girl. Most are obsessed with presenting "pop culture" defined by superficial and sensational celebrity news and Hollywood gossip delivered by the girl. They talk about the same current events and news stories. Try finding a radio morning show this time of year that isn't talking about American Idol. Yes it's the top-rated show on television, but it's watched in less than 20% of homes with TVs. Radio morning shows across the dial and around the country use the same show prep services for their inspiration. Formats, music, and imaging -- all the stuff of radio programming -- have become fully homogenized at a time when the real world -- fueled by abundant entertainment and information choices made available by technology and the Internet -- has become anything but homogenized.

The problem with "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" and far too much of the programming heard on the radio these days is that it's not distinctive, it's not relevant, and it's not essential to listeners because it doesn't make their lives better. That's why mobile phones, iPods, and computers are far more important in people's lives than radios.

she loves me..



Back in the day when I was a teenager ,
Before I had status, before I had a pager,
I found hip-hop and fell in love with the hits
and though I’ve grown up yeah I’m still pumpin it’



When I fell in love with Hip Hop music and knew SHE had made an imprint on my life, I wanted to give back. I wanted to do something to represent the culture I was falling in love with. I wanted to pay back my imaginary friend. The one who was beside me through many teenage down times. I tired to break dance. Tried for a while, but then my back surgery happened. Had to quit. I wanted to get into radio, so I thought the next natural step would be djing and in a way, I kinda was. I didn't spin but I would make mixtapes with my collection of tracks I picked up from the tape store and stuff I would get from the radio. When I tried to actually use a turntable, I sucked. Never got the hang of it. I then tried to graf. Did that for a while. Love it still. I still bomb once in a while and I use the knowledge I picked up from that in my paintings and graphic art. As a writer, I thought I would be a great emcee. However, I can't freestyle. Last weekend a friend asked me to drop a flow. Couldn't. Ask me to write a paragraph about my day? Sure thing. I can do that. No problem. But ask me to rhyme it out over an impromptu beat at a house party half wasted? You gotta be kidding. For a while there, I thought I had disappointed my friend in the dark. I thought I couldn't give to her as she had given to me. I thought I was a bad friend.

During my confinement of companionship from the culture, I realized that Hip Hop never asked me for anything. Just to be there. It's that type of friend. She never wants anything. Just knowing that you care is good enough. When she was with me when I heard some tracks and lyrics that hit me because they were so true, she realized how much I cared. How much I would have loved to appreciate her more by giving her back something. To this day when an emcee spits a line about the culture I still get teary eyed. I still want to sit down and wonder why this nonphysical life form has effected me so much. But then I remember it is physical. It's physical in me, you and everyone else who practices the culture. The DJs, the emcee's, the graff artists. The breakers. Hip Hop is alive and well and physical in many life forms. Just listen to KRS One speak. That's Hip Hop right there. Kris is just the messenger.

Most recently MC Serch known from his days with 3rd Bass, rhymed a rhyme that gets me every time I hear it. It goes like this;


I am Hip Hop music and I use it to get by
and this culture accepted me for the skin that was on me....
.

When I hear a line like that I'm reminded how much love I have for her. And how much she didn't care that I didn't really have anything to give her. Maybe just being there and appreciating the beauty she possess' is good enough for her. Maybe she just needs acceptance back. Maybe she needs us to love her. I think she might need that more than ever.


She knows I'll be there..

tonight's raw


I don't really cover wrestling on this site. I thought I would at first, but I realized against it for various reasons. I never really cover sports on this site, at all. I don't know why. I watch sports. I enjoy them, but it's not something that's as huge in my life than let's say - music. Anyway, tonight I'll be covering Monday Night Raw for Live Audio Wrestling's website. If you're a wrestling fan and not familiar with the LAW, you should get familiar. They've been around more than ten years and have become one of the most respected wrestling talk shows on the planet. First on FAN then to TALK 640 then to CFRB and now on the Fight Network, LAW has recently branched out to also cover MMA and UFC events. The guys are looking for a new weekly 'scriber to write about each weeks' Raw. I'm the first one to audition. The review should be up tonight. If you have time, check it out. You'll find it here.

show for the ages..


I stayed by the window last night watching the thunderstorm. I love them. I woke up at around 2am to hear loud noises coming from my window. Blistery winds, rapid beats of rain pellets, and the roaring drumming sound of thunder. Awesome. I woke up. Headed downstairs to make sure our garden was still OK and that the storm didn't hit our hanging plants, and then made some tea. Hot tea by the window watching mother nature throw down a fierce spanking onto the world. Great entertainment. I was upset knowing that I couldn't watch it for long as I had to wake up early in the morning. I wish we had a better show earlier on in the evening because I would've loved to had seen the full drama unfold. It was a show for the ages.

in pictures: when lightning strikes - thunderstorm 2009







.Thanks to BlogTO for the pictures. There's also some great pictures over at Torontoist.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

so here we are - bloc party


This song reminds me of winter in Toronto. Christmas shopping. Hot chocolate milk sitting in a coffee shop watching the shoppers putting the finishing touches on their gifts. Holiday cheer. Cold nights. Skating. Skiing. Blistery winds. This single was released around Christmas time in 2005, so maybe that's why. However, I'm sure it's just because of the cool chilled out beat.

young folks - the kooks


I never knew about this cover before. Good redo. I might just like this version better.

we rememeber: john hughes


Here's a couple favorite scenes from the John Hughes collection..


Planes Trains and Automobiles


Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Thursday, August 6, 2009

rip john hughes

Sad news from the film world...From Asia One News


John Hughes, best known for directing a string of 1980s hit movies including "The Breakfast Club," and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", has died, his publicist said Thursday. He was 59.

Hughes suffered a heart attack while visiting his family in Manhattan, his Los Angeles-based representatives said.

A prolific screenwriter and director, Hughes was the creative inspiration behind a series of teen-oriented films throughout the 1980s before penning the screenplay for the smash 1990 Macaulay Culkin film "Home Alone."


The family film - about a boy who is accidentally left behind when his parents head off on a Christmas vacation and who has to fight off a gang of bungling burglars - was Hughes's greatest commercial success.

He also penned a less successful 1992 sequel "Home Alone 2".

After starting out as a copywriter, Hughes began writing comedy for National Lampoon magazine before forging his successful movie career.

His breakthrough movie script came with the screenplay for the successful "National Lampoon's Vacation" in 1983.

His directorial debut, 1984's coming-of-age teen drama "Sixteen Candles", starring Molly Ringwald was a critical hit which set the tone for the films that were to define Hughes's career.

He later followed it up with "The Breakfast Club", about a group of teenagers who bond while stuck in detention, and 1986's classic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," about a mischievous truant played by Matthew Broderick.

The film arguably launched Broderick's acting career and was one of the biggest hits of the decade, grossing more than 70 million dollars in North America alone after being made for around six million dollars.

Other Hughes hits from the time included "Weird Science" and another Ringwald film "Pretty In Pink."

His films were also notable for their choice of music, which helped propel bands such as "Simple Minds" and "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark" to chart-topping success during the 1980s.

"I just used what I was listening to at the time, bands I liked," Hughes said in a rare 1999 interview. "It was my own personal taste."

Hughes branched out from the teen genre in 1987 with the slapstick comedy "Planes Trains & Automobiles" starring Steve Martin and John Candy, the late comic whom he teamed up with again for 1989's "Uncle Buck."

Yet is was 1990's "Home Alone" that cemented Hughes's reputation as one of the most successful talents of his generation.

The film - which took nearly 500 million dollars worldwide - remains the most successful live action comedy of all time.

thought...


The what have been's. The could've been's. The maybe so's. The should've beens. That's what makes us live. Worry? Yes. Regret? Never. It's funny how we find that we find that it's more fun to think about that rather than reality and what is. What's current. What's now. I think we have to have a balance between the two to appreciate what is and accept what could've been. If you dwell on either you will go crazy.

Just a thought.

classic: tears - da king and i


Da King & I, whose members include MC Izzy Ice and DJ Majesty, were signed to Rowdy Records in 1992 and were often compared to another MC/DJ duo, Pete Rock & CL Smooth. The duo's first release was the five track maxi single entitled Flip Da Scrip, which was released on November 24, 1992. A few months later on July 13, 1993, Da King & I's first and only album, Contemporary Jeep Music was released, containing the singles, "Flip Da Scrip" and "Tears". Although the album did gain many positive reviews, the success and poularity of Gangsta rap led to the album becoming a commercial failure. The duo disbanded shortly after the release of the album.



Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Saturday, August 1, 2009

breaking news: rip baatin from slum village


Sad news again today from the Hip Hop world. From Hip Hop DX
Various outlets have confirmed that Battin of Slum Village has died.

No details are currently available concerning the details of the rapper's death.

Producer 9th Wonder was among several artists who sent their condolences out via twitter. "RIP BAATIN of SLUM VILLAGE-LETS CELEBRATE OUR PEOPLE WHILE THEY ARE HERE..........we are losing folk," wrote 9th. "R.I.P. baatin of slum village forever,” wrote singer Dwele on his page.

Baatin, along with J Dilla and T3, was a founding member of Slum Village. The groups released two albums, 1997's Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1), and 2000's Fantastic, Vol. 2 (2000).

When Dilla left the group in 2002 in pursuit of a solo career (and was subsequently relpaced by Detroit rapper Elzhi), Baatin followed in suit prior to the release of Slum Village's 2004 releae Detroit Deli. Baatin reportedly left due to undisclosed medical issues.

As previously reported, Baatin [click to read] was set to rejoin the group.

Talib Kweli also expressed his shock regarding the rapper's passing, as frequent collaborator Hi-Tek was going to man deejaying duties for Slum Village tonight.

“I’m at a loss right now,” wrote Kweli on Twitter. “Hi-Tek was set to dj for Slum Village tonight. RIP Baatin. More influential than you can imagine. Slum Village forever.”