Taken from www.johanheltne.se:

2008-15-12
I dag skickas singeln “Hjärta. Instinkt. Principer.” ut till radio- och tv-stationer. Sedan tidigare finns videon att kika in. Särskilt Jonathan ser tuff ut.

2008-03-14
Nu är det klart. Vetenskapliga bevis för att Jesus lever släpps den 26 maj. Det är sisådär två och ett halvt år efter första inspelningen. Två och ett halvt år! Det som från början var ett litet kompisprojekt blev till slut ett stort kompisprojekt. Jag har till och med släppt in ansikten jag aldrig sett, nu när slutet och början är nära. Skivan distribueras av underbara dotshop.se, där går det att förbeställa. Och pr görs av göteborgare, vilket känns helt logiskt. Det ska bli spännande att se om människor som till exempel du tycker om. Hur som helst tycker Rickard om, det är skönt.

Johan Heltne - Hjärta, Instinkt, Principer
Give it a chance

(Toronto) Really, this show was a maybe for me, but when Rickys’ friend had an extra ticket, it became a must see.

We got there in time to hear the opener, The Mobius Band. I felt bad when they took the stage and started playing because they essentially played in the dark. The low mood that was used to illuminate the slew of instruments on stage as people entered the Phoenix, also served as performance lights for the Mobius Band. Needless to say, seeing them live didn’t want me open up iTunes to listen to them again. Bring on the Black Kids.

Since they formed in Jacksonville, Florida two years ago, Black Kids have:

-Got press in NME after performing at the Athens Popfest
-Released an EP for free download
-Got a ‘Best New Music commendation and an 8.4 from Pitchfork
-Signed with Quest Management (who manages Bjork and Arcade Fire)
-Named one of the best new bands of 2008 from Rolling Stone
-Recorded their first full length, Partie Traumatic with Bernard Butler form Suede
-I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You debuted at #11 in the UK.

So yah, they are riding some momentum into this year for sure. I guess the most obvious thing that I was interested in seeing was if they were actually Black or not. Upon them taking the stage I found out that the Black Kids are two-fifths black. The five-member ensemble took the stage in the usual American Apparel hoodies and T’s and reminded me, visually at least, of The Go Team! As for their sound, they have some catchy, dance tunes that I am sure will be re-mixed and released in the coming months.

Their stand out single “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You” was the highlight of the show for sure. If you are a band and you are selling a t-shirt with the title of one of your songs on it, it had better be a good tune. Songs that I hadn’t heard, such as I Wanna Be Your Limousine and Look At Me When I Rock Wichoo (it is really spelled that way too) were pleasant surprises that were not included on there downloadable EP earlier this year.

Apparently at their live show, their front man, Reggie Youngblood, starts every song with “Hey Toronto…” I’m not too sure how they are going to feel about this in Boston on May 12th. Maybe he thought we in attendance couldn’t remember where we were? I hate that shout out shit that bands do.

Ricky made a good comparison on the way home that they seem to be on the same track as Vampire Weekend. The lead singer has a unique sound, they are fun, and they are getting lots of press. They’ll be back in the coming months for a headlining show, guarantee.

Overall, a good show. When they come back, I want them to be louder with more energy.

After Black Kids, Cold Cut went on. If you saw them and want to leave a note about their contribution to the evening, please do.

 

 Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You: Play Now

I love Kathleen Edwards. I have been wanting to review here latest, Asking For Flowers, for quite some time now. Seeing Kathleen grace the cover of the Canadian music essential publication Exclaim! this month finally got me off my ass.

Kathleen is an Ontario based Canadian singer/songwriter. Compared to other singer/songwriters, there is something about Kathleen that really makes her stand out . She isn’t as alternative as Basia Bulat, not at country as Christine Fellows and not as poppy as Sarah Harmer. Kathleen is just a fantastic, honest singer who will send the shivers up your spine.

In her Exclaim! interview she mentions that the last thing she wants to do is write about her life. This really surprised me as I would assume that all her songs would be personal ones. I mean, what else do singer/songwriters have to sing about? After listening to Back To Me in 2003 I thought to myself, ‘Shit, somebody hurt this girl real bad’, and as a male listening to it, I felt guilty for something that some other asshole did to her. On Asking For Flowers, Kathleen can still pierce you with some gut wrenching, honest lyrics, which is what she does best and why I keep listening. I still get the feeling that she is hurting, but now, in 2008, she is going to kick somebody ass because of it.

Here is my favorite track from Asking For Flowers, Sure As Shit. Girls who play guitar and swear get the OK from the Panic Manual.

You sure as shit
Know me better than anybody else
And for that in my heart I am hopeful
So I helped you pack your bags
And I folded up your snap shirts
And when you come back it will already be the winter
If you look at other girls working out in the night time
I don’t mind but I don’t want to know

I just cried a little.

 

 Kathleen Edwards - Sure As Shit (2008): Play Now

Two movies from Vancouver. Lets start with White Vans

I love short films. White Vans is everything that a short film or short documentary should be. It was fun, to the point, had a beginning, middle, end and left you wanting to watch it again.

This is a story of Aren Hansen who had his bike stolen. He is so angry that he decides to set up a sting operation using a planted bike in a high bike theft area of Vancouver. He catches his bike thief on camera and in the act, but then something weird happens. These bike thieves who you hate for the entire film suddenly get compassion from you. As you watch this guy try and steal Arens’ bike, you end up wanting him to get away with it. This movie ultimately ends up being about compassion and trying to make the world a better place by doing what is right. Not bad for a 13 minute short.

Bad Boogie Balling from the Pink Mountain Tops was a nice surprise too.

Carts of Darkness

This movie was billed as being about homeless guys who race shopping carts down hills in Vancouver. But really, it has nothing to do with shopping carts and/or hills.

The movie starts out all about the extreme sport of cart racing and the homeless bottle collectors that do it. Then the movie shifts to focus on the lives and struggles that these men face and the choices they have made in their lives. The director, Murray Siple, told us during the Q&A that he made this movie with the National Film Board. During the process the NFB told him that he had to make the movie WITH his homeless bottle collecting cast, rather than ABOUT them. He did exactly this and it worked.

This movie is about Murray and how he connects to his homeless cast. In the final shot of the movie, it all comes together when Murray is able to give something back to his film friends who have given so much of themselves during the filming process. It is an inspiring moive that everybody can find something that connects to the struggles in their own lives.

Also some great Ladyhawk and Black Mountain in the soundtrack.

5/5

If you are keeping track, that is a grand total of 10/10 for these two Vancouver flicks. A solid program to see. The next showing is happening Thursday, April 24th at 12:00 PM at the Isabel Bader

 

 The Pink Mountaintops - Bad Boogie Ballin': Play Now

The Swedes gave us Ikea, the Germans gave us Volkswagen, and now the Swiss give us bags. Introducing FREITAG.

Made in Zurich, FREITAG products are made from used truck tarps, used car seat belts, used air bags and used bicycle inner tubes. Because each bag is made from an original piece of tarp, every FREITAG bag is different and colourful, and a tad expensive. The bag I recently got for my birthday is the Dexter ($200). It is a smaller messenger style bag that is good for two school binders, or one pair of sneakers and socks or about $15 worth of groceries. I have had mine for a week, and it is all thumbs up so far.

If you are thinking of ordering one on-line, I would suggest you stop by one of these retailers first to get acquainted with the sizes first as there are subtle differences between each one that are not apparent on the website.

Vancouver - Eugene Choo, 3683 Main Street
Calgary – Shed, 1022 17th Avenue
Toronto – InAbstracto, 1160 Queen West & Curbside Cycle 412 Bloor West
Montreal – Commissaire, 5226 boul St-laurent

How does this relate to music you might ask? Well, they make a pretty kick ass DJ-bag called the Nightclub that will hold up to forty 12inch records.

Here is an appropriate Peaches song too. Seriously, I couldn’t find a good Swiss band to post. Everything Swiss is hard and metal. Am I missing something?
» Read the rest of the entry..

 

 Peaches - Bag It (2003): Play Now

(Toronto) This past Saturday night, the well established Fredericton band, Grand Theft Bus, made an appearance here in Toronto for a CD release party at the El Mocambo for their latest, Made Upwards. As soon as I walk into the bar with my entourage of transplanted Frederictonians, I was greeted by fellow Frederictonian #84873, Chantelle Moobear, and her crew of transplanted Frederictonians. We gave each other the secret handshake and bought ourselves several rounds of Keiths. The night was off to a good start.

The last time I saw Grand Theft Bus live, some time in 2001, I remember them having a jammy, musical improvisation feel to them. Seeing them at the El Mocambo on Saturday night, I didn’t get this feel so much. They were tight, loud, a bit poppy, but still had the funk feel that I remembered. They were so funky that I found myself shuffling amongst my fellow Maritimers on the always sticky El Mocambo floor. The stand out performance of the night came from their shirtless drummer, Bob Deveau, who I was informed by several members of my entorage that he is one wicked drummer. Grand Theft Bus have some mad drums. Enough said.

If you ever find yourself on a bar stool somewhere between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia looking to make some conversation with the locals, throw out the name Grand Theft Bus and see who you hook.

Have a look for Grand Theft Bus in Halifax this Friday, April 18th, at the Seahorse.

Thanks to Kyle at Forward Music Group (more on them later)

 

 Grand Theft Bus - Private Wars (2008): Play Now