It's that time again, to look back and reflect upon all the events of the past year.
According to Chinese astrology, the year of the Tiger is one of rapid and dramatic changes. Think fast! I would say that it's been a pretty accurate description of the past year for me and for quite a bunch of people I know as well. Lots of ups and downs, sometimes at the same time. For the Ox: " 2010's whirlwind moments and sudden challenges meant the Ox had to adjust his thinking and change direction on a dime!".
2008, was a time of recognition for hard work, 2009 was slow and patience testing in all areas and I would say 2010 was a time of accepting all these changes and just going with the flow. I suppose it's the only way to deal with fast change. So let's see what went down this year. I'll follow the same basic template as the last two years touching on the top activities/events, as well as music and general entertainment of 2010.
3 events
Leaving the continent for a month
I made an entire post on this earlier this year. Paw and I went on a month long trip to Spain, France and Italy. It was a much needed trip on my part where I learned a lot about other cultures, but also about myself.
Finishing my Masters degree
I am most proud of the fact that I wrote my thesis and defended it in French. It was a challenge that I had decided to undertake when I started in 2008, just to see if I could do it. Overall, doing my degree in French university was one of the best decisions I've made, ultimately making it possible for me to work in both languages in my field. :)
Performing throughout the year
So, the Brazilian drumming of last year continued for most of this year (up until the end of August). The difference is this year was filled with a lot more performances, the most eventful of which was the Jazz Festivals closing parade with over 100 000 spectators. It was also special because my dad's choir was performing as well. Other performances: yearly Carnival, Les Bobards, end of summer show w/ another drumming group, Just for Laughs, Nuits d'Afrique, Les Weekends du Monde, as well as some other parades. So, I'd definitely say I satisfied my performer urge, at least where drumming is concerned.
3 Food discoveries/chill places
Avesta
Turkish food on Ste Catherine in between Atwater and Guy metro. I've been there 4 times this year. What attracted me to the place was the lady making fresh flat bread in the window. The food is great, but the service is rather slow. I don't have a huge problem with it as I'm usually not in a hurry when I go. I really like their spicy potato gozleme.
Cafe Tinto
A friend of mine introduced me to this place on Amherst/Ste Catherine. It's a small cafe in the gay village that serves Colombian coffee as well as other delicacies like arepas and Pastel Gloria (a personal favorite). I really like their coffee and the place itself is quite cozy, with reddish walls and comfy seats. It's also rather quiet,tucked away in it's little corner.
Kazu
A small and authentic Japanese restaurant that opened not long ago on Ste Catherine, near Guy metro. When I say small, I mean tiny and always packed, especially during lunch time. I've been there once, but intend to go again to try their ramen. So far, I've had their onigiri and okonomiyaki, and sampled from other people's bowls :P
3 movies
Soul Kitchen
I saw this movie early this Spring after seeing it advertised at Cinema du Parc. It's a German movie about a guy who aspires to be a chef and tells about all his hardships along the way. The movie is really funny and I really enjoyed the soundtrack as well.
5 dias sin Nora
Part of the Latin American film festival at Cinema du Parc, this Mexican movies talks about a lady who has committed suicide and left instructions for her ex husband to execute for her funeral. It's quite funny, but one of those heart warming movies. Unfortunately, I haven't found it here yet on DVD :(
Besouro
This movie was part of the Brazilian Film Festival at Cinema du Parc. It makes my list just because it's a martial arts movie that is not Asian, haha. Finally, we get to see a martial movie with Capoeira. Based on a true story, it takes places I think in the 1920s where even though slavery had been abolished, the Portuguese were still treating the Blacks as slaves. Lots of action and the special effects weren't exaggerated. I also thought it was interesting that it integrated elements of Candomble, touching on the different Orixa's and the powers they are associated with. Exu is particularly fearsome in this movie :P It also had its comedic moments, particularly its transition from strange/experimental/mystical music to hard rock every time some one was about to kick some ass.
New general entertainment
Before, I mainly touched on TV/Comedians, but I actually watched no tv/new shows this year. So I will include books and activities.
Balkan Beats
A new group formed this year called Balkan Beats Montreal East, and about every month they host a night at Divan Orange just to party it up Balkan style. I have gone twice - the second time in particular was a lot of fun. Divan is a rather small place, but in a way, that's what makes it even cooler. You're crammed with a bunch of people, jumping and dancing the night away to eastern European music. I will definitely go back, just not sure when :)
The Taqwacores
I'd seen the documentary "Taqwacores: the birth of punk Islam" last year and was curious about the fictional book written by the author, so I decided to buy it. Basically, it's about a bunch of Islamic students who go to university in Buffalo. The main characters live together in a house. It's a bit slow to get into because of the writing style and because the author makes references to things I am not familiar with because I have never practiced Islam or studied it. But once you do get into it, I'm telling ya - you feel totally grungy and punk rock after. I also enjoyed the spectrum of characters in the book, each having their own interpretation of Islam and each raising different issues surrounding it. Coincidentally, a movie based on the book is supposed to be released soon.
The 100 mile diet
As the title of the book suggests, the authors, who live in Vancouver, challenged themselves to eat locally (anything grown/produced within a 100 mile radius) for a year. I had heard of this book because the authors ran a reality show where 6 families did this for I think 4 months. It reminded me a bit of Sleeping Naked is Green, but the style of writing is different, where the authors alternate writing chapters. It also doesn't cover the day-to-day changes - it summarizes each month. The authors talk about their discoveries, their joys, adventures and difficulties with the challenge. I was tempted to live on a farm (for a short while) after this, haha. Or, at the very least, try to reduce the amount of food I eat that is not local. One other thing I enjoyed about the book was that they spoke about the history of their region (varieties of crops available prior to the arrival of settlers, agricultural techniques, fishing, etc).
Music
3 favorite albums
Beach house - Teen Dream
This album was officially released in Jan. 2010. A slight departure from their previous albums, I find the songs are more polished and slightly less spacey. I think it may be my favorite of the 3 albums, with Silver Soul, Used to be and Take Care being my favorite songs (even though I like all of the songs).
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
This album definitely is one of the best of this year, hands up and down. The variety of artists and beats/rhythms used is impressive and I can say without hesitation I like all of the songs. It is the perfect balance of electro, pop, hip hop and world music, making it so easy to dance to and incredibly catchy as well. Favorite songs are hard to pick, but I'd have to say White Flag, Empire Ants and Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach (I cannot deny Snoop's awesome attitude).
Massive Attack - heligoland
At the end of last year, I was already hooked on Paradise Circus. Then the rest of the album got me. In this album, Massive Attack recaptures the darkness of Mezzanine (which is my favorite album thus far) with a little extra. These dudes know how to do trip hop :) My favorites of this album are Paradise Circus, Atlas Air and Splitting the Atom.
3 songs that stayed in my head (not included in previously mentioned albums or by same artists)
Broken Social Scene - Sweetest Kill
After seeing "This Movie is Broken" with Pamela, I had this song in my head for a good week or two. In general, BSS is an epic band, but the live rendition with all the artists of the supergroup was awesome.
Arcade Fire - Rococo
I was working on my thesis at school and listening to the Arcade Fire on grooveshark. I hadn't listened much to the new album "the suburbs", so actually didn't know any of the songs. But, once I heard this one, I couldn't stop listening to it. It's got the depressing/cheerful combo that the Arcade Fire masters so well.
Yeasayer - Tightrope
I think I was reading about this band on Pitchfork and just decided to check out their myspace. As soon as Tightrope came on, I was hooked. Even more so when I saw their performance of this song on Blogotheque. It's got bells, clapping and guitars and general yay. Extremely catchy.
3 concerts: all in the Fall
Gorillaz
October 3 at the Bell Centre - I was determined to see this band as it was their first time doing a world tour and they started in Montreal (yay!). I think I posted about it, but either way, it was a total blast. I think they played all the songs I wanted, had guest artists, giant screen with the animated cartoon members and music videos. I also became an even bigger Gorillaz fan after (I wasn't super into Demon Days before and now I really love that album as well).
Massive Attack
Trippy times at the Bell Centre. The opener was Thievery Corporation which was surprisingly good as well, but of course I was there for Massive Attack and they did not disappoint (well except for the fact that they did not play Paradise Circus). I imagine these guys would be even better in a club show, but I definitely had fun dancing to the large concentration of Mezzanine and heligoland tracks :)
Broken Social Scene
Second time seeing this band and as I said, it may have even beaten the first time. It was a giant party on stage with guest artists, 25 songs, brass section and a happy crowd. Broken Social Scene is just so epic, it's almost impossible to not be caught up in the excitement and enjoy yourself.
Adios 2010. You've been an eventful year to say the least. I look forward to the new adventures of 2011 and will carry the lessons of this one into the next. I wish you all the best of luck and generally an excellent year to come!
Last night Paw and I went to see Broken Social Scene for the 2nd time @ Metropolis (first time was halloween 2008).
The opening act was "here we go magic" - a band from NY who do kinda indie spacey rock. It was pretty enjoyable.
But, of course, Broken Social Scene was amazing. They played an epic set of 25 songs, over 2.5 hours, with guests like Amy Millan and Andy Kim :D Most of the band was suited up. I particularly liked Kevin Drew's jacket.
Setlist:
1) Pacific Theme
2) KC Accidental
3) Texico bitches
4) 7/4 Shoreline
5) Fire-eyed boy
6) Forced to love
7) All to all
8) Arthouse director (most awesome horns in this part, with a choreography by the brass section!)
9) Sweetest kill (SO happy they played this song)
10) Cause = time
11) hotel
12) Guilty cubicles
13) All the best wooden toys come
14) Superconnected (with some lyrics from Modest mouse's the world at large)
15) World sick
16) Ungrateful little father
17) Lover's spit (new interpretation w/ more instruments, but still quiet)
17) Anthem's for a 17 year old girl
18) Water in hell
19) Almost crimes
20) Meet me in the basement
21) Andy Kim comes on stage and plays how'd we ever get this way with BSS
22) Looks just like the sun
23) Ibi dreams of pavement (instead of the usual scream, it was "Fuck you! I won't do what you tell me to")
24) It's all gonna break
25) Major label debut
They basically played every song I wanted them to play (well except shampoo suicide, but that's fine).
Something about this band is just absolute magic. I guess it's because it's basically a bunch (like over 15) musicians just jamming out on stage and really enjoying making music and sharing it with everyone. I absolutely loved this concert and I think it was the best of the year for me. Even though I have seen them before, the performance was not at all the same. They rearranged songs and breathed new life into songs that were already amazing. It was a great way to end the concert season for 2010 and also to de-stress before my thesis defense! :) I would definitely see them again, without hesitation.
<3 BSS :D
The opening act was "here we go magic" - a band from NY who do kinda indie spacey rock. It was pretty enjoyable.
But, of course, Broken Social Scene was amazing. They played an epic set of 25 songs, over 2.5 hours, with guests like Amy Millan and Andy Kim :D Most of the band was suited up. I particularly liked Kevin Drew's jacket.
Setlist:
1) Pacific Theme
2) KC Accidental
3) Texico bitches
4) 7/4 Shoreline
5) Fire-eyed boy
6) Forced to love
7) All to all
8) Arthouse director (most awesome horns in this part, with a choreography by the brass section!)
9) Sweetest kill (SO happy they played this song)
10) Cause = time
11) hotel
12) Guilty cubicles
13) All the best wooden toys come
14) Superconnected (with some lyrics from Modest mouse's the world at large)
15) World sick
16) Ungrateful little father
17) Lover's spit (new interpretation w/ more instruments, but still quiet)
17) Anthem's for a 17 year old girl
18) Water in hell
19) Almost crimes
20) Meet me in the basement
21) Andy Kim comes on stage and plays how'd we ever get this way with BSS
22) Looks just like the sun
23) Ibi dreams of pavement (instead of the usual scream, it was "Fuck you! I won't do what you tell me to")
24) It's all gonna break
25) Major label debut
They basically played every song I wanted them to play (well except shampoo suicide, but that's fine).
Something about this band is just absolute magic. I guess it's because it's basically a bunch (like over 15) musicians just jamming out on stage and really enjoying making music and sharing it with everyone. I absolutely loved this concert and I think it was the best of the year for me. Even though I have seen them before, the performance was not at all the same. They rearranged songs and breathed new life into songs that were already amazing. It was a great way to end the concert season for 2010 and also to de-stress before my thesis defense! :) I would definitely see them again, without hesitation.
<3 BSS :D
It's been about a month since I posted anything. I had been meaning to post something after the Massive Attack concert @ the Bell Centre October 18, but alas I did not.
Unfortunately, it's a little fuzzy in my brain, but Paw has a pretty good review on her site.
The opening act, or should I say first headliner was Thievery Corporation. They have a really solid fan base which probably made up about half of the crowd. I had no knowledge of their music a priori, but I really enjoyed it. It's kind of in the same spirit of Massive Attack - trip hop, loungey and extremely chill, though they incorporate a lot of middle eastern sounding rhythms in their music as well. In addition, I find Massive Attack to be quite a bit darker (Fil and I were a little glum post concert). Either way, I liked them enough to further explore their music.
Massive Attack did not disappoint. They had a rather bare stage set up with a large screen behind them displaying various things. I love Robert del Naja (3D) and noticed that he tends to either do one of two dances 1) bending one leg and then the other repeatedly 2) dancing a bit like Thom Yorke from Radiohead - a general bouncy and random dance, sometimes with arms flailing. I like. :)
They had guests with them as well, most notably horace andy who does all the reggae sounding vocals :) Deborah Miller did most of the female vocals I think - also wonderful.
Setlist:
1) United Snakes
2) Psyche
3) Risingson
4) Girl I love you (yay for horace andy - this song is incredibly dancy live)
5) Future Proof (awesome long distortion guitar for this song)- Naja also kept walking in circles around one of the stage props. Sometimes clockwise, sometimes counter clockwise.
6) Splitting the atom (I think...not sure)
7) Mezzanine
8) Teardrop - spooky vocals and wacky lights :)
9) Angel
-------------------------- Encore
10) Inertia Creeps
11) Unfinished sympathy
12) Babel
13) Safe from harm
14) Atlas air
As you can see, there was a huge concentration of Mezzanine tracks. Well I'd say it was kind of equally distributed between heligoland and mezzanine. I love Mezzanine, so I was pleasantly surprised. But I was also kind of sad that they didn't play Paradise Circus (one of my favorite songs from the new album) and Karmacoma. Oh well, you can't get it all. Atlas Air was a great way to end. I really enjoyed that song. By the end of the concert we were all beat though and just made our way home. No pumpkin chai latte this time :P
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Next concert is Broken Social Scene! I'm so happy to be seeing them again and it will land, hopefully just after my thesis defense (concert is December 18. My defense date hasn't been set yet).
I have just under 2 weeks to complete my thesis. I'm pretty stressed about it as new things keep popping up. I do hope everything gets handed in on time as I really don't want to stay another semester! :D
While working on my thesis, I've been using grooveshark on the computer at school to listen to music. I had heard the most recent Arcade Fire album before "The Suburbs", but actually didn't really get into it. Now, I have a new found appreciation for it. My favorite tracks are Rococo, Sprawl II and half light II. This album has a distinctly different feel from Funeral and Neon Bible (though you can certainly tell it's Arcade Fire). I wouldn't say it's more cheerful...in a strange way it's less epic? I'm not really sure how to describe it.
Another potential concert is Girl Talk March 1. Who knows for sure - it's a bit too far to tell. But it certainly looks insane and fun live.
I've put a new playlist for mid-Fall feel to correspond with my mood and what I've currently been listening to :) I return now to thesis hermitage! I shall report back...I don't know when :D
Unfortunately, it's a little fuzzy in my brain, but Paw has a pretty good review on her site.
The opening act, or should I say first headliner was Thievery Corporation. They have a really solid fan base which probably made up about half of the crowd. I had no knowledge of their music a priori, but I really enjoyed it. It's kind of in the same spirit of Massive Attack - trip hop, loungey and extremely chill, though they incorporate a lot of middle eastern sounding rhythms in their music as well. In addition, I find Massive Attack to be quite a bit darker (Fil and I were a little glum post concert). Either way, I liked them enough to further explore their music.
Massive Attack did not disappoint. They had a rather bare stage set up with a large screen behind them displaying various things. I love Robert del Naja (3D) and noticed that he tends to either do one of two dances 1) bending one leg and then the other repeatedly 2) dancing a bit like Thom Yorke from Radiohead - a general bouncy and random dance, sometimes with arms flailing. I like. :)
They had guests with them as well, most notably horace andy who does all the reggae sounding vocals :) Deborah Miller did most of the female vocals I think - also wonderful.
Setlist:
1) United Snakes
2) Psyche
3) Risingson
4) Girl I love you (yay for horace andy - this song is incredibly dancy live)
5) Future Proof (awesome long distortion guitar for this song)- Naja also kept walking in circles around one of the stage props. Sometimes clockwise, sometimes counter clockwise.
6) Splitting the atom (I think...not sure)
7) Mezzanine
8) Teardrop - spooky vocals and wacky lights :)
9) Angel
-------------------------- Encore
10) Inertia Creeps
11) Unfinished sympathy
12) Babel
13) Safe from harm
14) Atlas air
As you can see, there was a huge concentration of Mezzanine tracks. Well I'd say it was kind of equally distributed between heligoland and mezzanine. I love Mezzanine, so I was pleasantly surprised. But I was also kind of sad that they didn't play Paradise Circus (one of my favorite songs from the new album) and Karmacoma. Oh well, you can't get it all. Atlas Air was a great way to end. I really enjoyed that song. By the end of the concert we were all beat though and just made our way home. No pumpkin chai latte this time :P
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next concert is Broken Social Scene! I'm so happy to be seeing them again and it will land, hopefully just after my thesis defense (concert is December 18. My defense date hasn't been set yet).
I have just under 2 weeks to complete my thesis. I'm pretty stressed about it as new things keep popping up. I do hope everything gets handed in on time as I really don't want to stay another semester! :D
While working on my thesis, I've been using grooveshark on the computer at school to listen to music. I had heard the most recent Arcade Fire album before "The Suburbs", but actually didn't really get into it. Now, I have a new found appreciation for it. My favorite tracks are Rococo, Sprawl II and half light II. This album has a distinctly different feel from Funeral and Neon Bible (though you can certainly tell it's Arcade Fire). I wouldn't say it's more cheerful...in a strange way it's less epic? I'm not really sure how to describe it.
Another potential concert is Girl Talk March 1. Who knows for sure - it's a bit too far to tell. But it certainly looks insane and fun live.
I've put a new playlist for mid-Fall feel to correspond with my mood and what I've currently been listening to :) I return now to thesis hermitage! I shall report back...I don't know when :D
Paw reminded me of the singer Robyn the other day (she was so popular in high school!). Anyhow, it seems she's back with new music. She's releasing a trilogy called Body talk (pt 1, 2, 3).
So far 1 and 2 are out and I've been listening to them. It's catchy, dancy pop stuff. I have a favorite from each one :D
Also great music for workin at le gym ;)
Coincidently, Gorillaz works super well for the gym (Monday test, haha. I went super fast without really knowing until the machine said "high heart rate" about 4X. I guess it was time to slow down before I give myself a heart attack :P).
Finally, after trying out a hip hop class yesterday, I was reminded of this song which I used to listen to back in high school times. It would be cool to learn an actual choreography for it.
So far 1 and 2 are out and I've been listening to them. It's catchy, dancy pop stuff. I have a favorite from each one :D
Also great music for workin at le gym ;)
Coincidently, Gorillaz works super well for the gym (Monday test, haha. I went super fast without really knowing until the machine said "high heart rate" about 4X. I guess it was time to slow down before I give myself a heart attack :P).
Finally, after trying out a hip hop class yesterday, I was reminded of this song which I used to listen to back in high school times. It would be cool to learn an actual choreography for it.
Yay! Yesterday, Paw, Captain Wildchild, another friend and I went to see Gorillaz at the Bell Centre. It was their first time on tour :) I did not bring a camera as they said it was not permitted. We did see people with cameras after all though.
^ This should give you a little idea of what it was like.
The opening band was We are Wolves - a band from Montreal. It seems half punk, half electro. Paw and I both preferred the electro stuff. Wildchild hated the band all together :P
The concert started off with an intro by Murdoc talking about the opening band and "when are they gonna finish!!!", whilst Noodle and 2D were hanging out in the back.
I wrote down the setlist:
1. Orchestral intro
2. Welcome to the world of the plastic beach
Snoop Dogg appeared on the giant screen (as in the youtube video). Twas very amusing because Snoop Dogg is generally funny and there were parts where he's like "yea, I'm awesome and I know it".
3. 19-2000
4. Last living souls
5. Oh green world
6. Stylo
7. Melancholy hill
8. Rhinestone eyes
9. Superfast jellyfish
10. Tomorrow comes today
11. Kids with guns
12. Empire ants
13. Dirty harry
14. El manana
15. White flag
16. To binge
17. DARE
18. Glitter Freeze
19. Plastic beach
----------Encore------------
20. Cloud of unknowing
21. Feel Good Inc.
22. Clint Eastwood
23. Don’t get lost in heaven
24. Demon days
There were quite a few guest artists on tour w/ em - Little Dragon, Bobby Womack, Bashy, De La Soul, Arabic music ensemble (just for White Flag :D) and a few more. I was a general fan of the outfits of the band, too. The only thing that was too bad was there wasn't much space for us to move around. It would've been so cool in a way to have it in a club and then you could really dance around. I wasn't a super huge fan of Demon Days before, but often enough, once you see a band live, you get a new appreciation for their music. Now, I can probably say I like all Gorillaz songs. It was definitely worth the ticket price :)
^ This should give you a little idea of what it was like.
The opening band was We are Wolves - a band from Montreal. It seems half punk, half electro. Paw and I both preferred the electro stuff. Wildchild hated the band all together :P
The concert started off with an intro by Murdoc talking about the opening band and "when are they gonna finish!!!", whilst Noodle and 2D were hanging out in the back.
I wrote down the setlist:
1. Orchestral intro
2. Welcome to the world of the plastic beach
Snoop Dogg appeared on the giant screen (as in the youtube video). Twas very amusing because Snoop Dogg is generally funny and there were parts where he's like "yea, I'm awesome and I know it".
3. 19-2000
4. Last living souls
5. Oh green world
6. Stylo
7. Melancholy hill
8. Rhinestone eyes
9. Superfast jellyfish
10. Tomorrow comes today
11. Kids with guns
12. Empire ants
13. Dirty harry
14. El manana
15. White flag
16. To binge
17. DARE
18. Glitter Freeze
19. Plastic beach
----------Encore------------
20. Cloud of unknowing
21. Feel Good Inc.
22. Clint Eastwood
23. Don’t get lost in heaven
24. Demon days
There were quite a few guest artists on tour w/ em - Little Dragon, Bobby Womack, Bashy, De La Soul, Arabic music ensemble (just for White Flag :D) and a few more. I was a general fan of the outfits of the band, too. The only thing that was too bad was there wasn't much space for us to move around. It would've been so cool in a way to have it in a club and then you could really dance around. I wasn't a super huge fan of Demon Days before, but often enough, once you see a band live, you get a new appreciation for their music. Now, I can probably say I like all Gorillaz songs. It was definitely worth the ticket price :)
As I mentioned on Tasty hot water, Fall is among us in Montreal. Leaves are starting to change and definitely falling. The fall spirit has definitely set in with the distinct smell of burnt leaves. With that brings the desire to go into blankets, drink tea, walk around town listening to music and general mellow chillage *salutes*
I can safely say I don't feel one bit tropical and I'm on break from all things Brazilian for an indefinite amount of time (at least percussions) due to lack of practice space.
In the meantime, I went apple picking and got quite a loot of McIntosh and Cortland apples. I am also revisiting some old and not so old music. On September 8 I saw Vampire Weekend and Beach house (w/ Dum Dum Girls). While I do love Vampire Weekend, the highlight was definitely Beach house. I love vocalists haunting voice and funky hair. It was positively awesome and they played the songs I wanted them to play. In fact, both Beach house and Vampire Weekend played quite a bit of music from their repertoire.
Paw and I also saw "This Movie is Broken" - the movie featuring Broken Social Scene. The story is rather poor, but it was expected. What was great was the concert footage and it made me want to go see them again (which I plan to do December 18!).
So here's some music - new and revisited that i'm currently listening to in my fall spirit :) (check on the right)
It has been a very long while since I listened to the Postal Service or Death Cab for Cutie.
Anyhow, enjoy!
Until next time :) !
I can safely say I don't feel one bit tropical and I'm on break from all things Brazilian for an indefinite amount of time (at least percussions) due to lack of practice space.
In the meantime, I went apple picking and got quite a loot of McIntosh and Cortland apples. I am also revisiting some old and not so old music. On September 8 I saw Vampire Weekend and Beach house (w/ Dum Dum Girls). While I do love Vampire Weekend, the highlight was definitely Beach house. I love vocalists haunting voice and funky hair. It was positively awesome and they played the songs I wanted them to play. In fact, both Beach house and Vampire Weekend played quite a bit of music from their repertoire.
Paw and I also saw "This Movie is Broken" - the movie featuring Broken Social Scene. The story is rather poor, but it was expected. What was great was the concert footage and it made me want to go see them again (which I plan to do December 18!).
So here's some music - new and revisited that i'm currently listening to in my fall spirit :) (check on the right)
It has been a very long while since I listened to the Postal Service or Death Cab for Cutie.
Anyhow, enjoy!
Until next time :) !
Needless to say, it has been an extremely long time since I've posted on this blog (or blogs in general). Since the last post, quite a bit has happened!
To sum up, Paw and I went on a European adventure (of which food was one of the main themes), I worked on (and am still working on) my thesis, I played a bunch of drum shows and went to no concerts (as there were none of interest), started going to Balkan Beats at Divan Orange and naturally, changed my hair again.
Paw and I went to Spain, France and Italy and definitely came back with an expanded repertoire of recipes and food knowledge, as well as generally great experiences. We took two cooking classes - one in Barcelona (thanks to Paw) and one in Rome (as we were so inspired by the awesomeness of Barcelona's, we looked for one in Rome).
If you're ever in either city, check out Cook and Taste (for Barcelona) and Cooking Classes in Rome. Both are 50 euros for the preparation and degustation of a wonderful four course meal.
The highlights for me were Spanish Tortilla and home made gnocchi. But, everything was great overall.
Taste Florence is an amazing food tour. For 70 euros, you galavant around Florence for four hours with a tour guide tasting all kinds of food at different establishments. I can now say I had the 2nd best ice cream in the world at Gelateria Perche non (apparently the first is in PEI, say what?). The day after we went on a tour of Chianti by bike, which was also wonderful and quite epic (not to mention terrifying going down that steep hill).
In France, we had no cooking classes or food tours, so I bought a little cook book on Provencale cooking and we ate pretty well in Paris as well.
My favorite experiences in France were making my own perfume (which in passing smells great and I actually do wear it), sitting by the sea on any given day and getting to eat at some fancy places (Chez Clement and La Duree).
Overall, I guess to no one's surprise, my favorite country was Spain, with Barcelona being my favorite city. Why? It is filled with a long, rich and often tumultuous history, rented palm trees and imported sand, quirky and seemingly carefree vibe and a wide variety of food stuffs. I guess you could say it's like Montreal + + + (more history, nicer weather and a beach), haha. If you are ever in Barcelona, it's totally worth it to take one of the free tours through the Gothic quarter and also, if you're looking for a hostel - Backpackers BCN Disputacio was a total win. Great staff and quiet and friendly people (advertised as a non party hostel).
So yea, after getting back, the rest of the summer was spent thesis writing and partaking in general chillage with friends. I had the great opportunity to partake in the closing Mardi Gras style parade for the Montreal International Jazz Festival (my dad did, too, with his choir - haha, it was family day!), as well as Les Weekends du Monde, Nuits d'Afrique and Just for Laughs. We experienced some of the hottest weather (42 degrees C + humidity) and crazy torrential jungle rain (when did Montreal become a tropical climate?!). I also finally got to partake in a Newmindspace activity ! - the light saber battle in Toronto.
So now, I prepare for another show and continue writing with the hopes of finishing in the fall semester and never returning to school again (but hey, you never know. Maybe I'll be inspired to do a PhD one day...).
Once the school year restarts, we can always expect lots of shows to pop up. So far, I have three tickets!
1) Vampire Weekend w/ Dum Dum girls and Beach house (I've been wanting to see VW and Beach house for a while and Beach house was sold out earlier this year!)
2) Gorillaz - Say what? Gorillaz and the boss dogg, planet of the apes, they be going on a world tour and stopping in Montreal October 2010 (first world tour eva)
3) Massive Attack w/ Thievery Corporation. Again, dude man! I've been wanting to see Massive Attack for ages. Last time they were here, they played at Metropolis, but I was unable to go. They also played in Toronto earlier this year, but I was overseas. So, this is alltogether quite amazing.
Potentials:
Broken Social Scene in December. Yea, I've seen them before. But, they're really amazing live. Screaming during Ibi dreams of pavement is an experience I will never forget and one can only imagine that their next show will only be more epic (as the new record is quite epic itself).
Emilie Autumn. I have never seen her, but Paw has and says her shows are quite cool, with many props and theatrical elements.
So we shall see indeed. So, I bid yee good night on this early august morning. Njosnavelin is indeed, stayin' alive.
Someone on facebook posted this cool link. It measures the walkability of your house in the city :)
I got a score of 87% :D
I got a score of 87% :D
I spared a couple hours to make the sequel to Winter Part 1!
This ends the winter 2010 videos :)
This ends the winter 2010 videos :)
So, it's officially spring in Montreal (well it has been for the last two days). The weather gnomes decided to be screwy with us though by granting us amazing weather in these past two weeks...and now going back to what we call "normal" Montreal weather i.e. snow, cold, general greyness. I protest and demand sunshine. In order to counteract the glumness, we should listen to happy music! So, I'm taking a break from thesis writing to share some of what I've been listening to lately (been a while since I posted, too):
La Pegatina - Despierto
I found out about this Barcelona music group yesterday on facebook. Despierto is a very happy song. Some of the others are equally as happy. One of my other favorites is Petrolero. So far, I really like their music. You can also download their 2 albums on their site free of charge. Unfortunately, they won't be playing when I visit Barcelona in May :(
Manu Chao - Le P'tit Jardin
This song is from Manu's album Siberie, also available on his site for free download (yay!). This song is incredibly catchy and super cute!
I have generally been in a Manu Chao mood, listening to the albums Esperanza and Clandestino on repeat :)
Jimmy Cliff - Samba Reggae
So, today I was reminded about the existence of the annual Osheaga Music and Arts Festival. When checking out the pretty awesome line up (at least for Saturday, July 31), I noticed Jimmy Cliff is playing. I have heard of him before and some music, but decided to look more into it and so far this is my favorite tune (though most stuff on the best of is really good - if you're into reggae that is :P). It's really summery :) As for Osheaga, I'm seriously considering going as there will be the Arcade Fire, Stars, Gaslight Anthem, Beach house, Jimmy Cliff, Keane, as well as some other artists I don't know too well yet, but seem promising. In addition, more artists always get added as the festival approaches.
The Gorillaz - White Flag (feat. Bashy, Kano and the National Orchestra for Arabic Music)
The Gorillaz came out with a new album called "Plastic Beach". In the past, I have been a fan of some of their songs (I think most people like Clint Eastwood and 19-2000). Their previous album, Demon Dayz didn't sit too well with me (at least on first listening and I didn't really give it another chance). I started listening to Plastic Beach a little while ago and what I really like about it is the mix of sounds/genres. A perfect example is the song White Flag - it opens with arabic orchestral music and then meshes into some rap/hip hop beats, but with electronic noises. I also like how rap sounds w/ a British accent, hah. It's also very dancy. So, this isn't the stuff I typically listen to, but hey, yay variety. I blame Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. But, in all honesty, this album is good stuff.
Kisses - Bermuda
I can only describe this as soft pop, indie, electro dance from the 70s/80s or something. I'm really not sure how to classify. The guys voice is smooth, the music is catchy and easy to listen to. It is off of the album "The heart of the nightlife".
MGMT - Congratulations
MGMT have a new album called Congratulations and I like the title track :) Apart from that, so far, there's not a bunch that I like (maybe it needs to grow on me?). I liked Oracular Spectacular more. This track reminds me a bit of Bowie/Velvet Goldmine soundtrack. I generally like the mood of the song :) Unfortunately, youtube only has a live version. Flash Delerium is the first single, it is oooook.
As an aside, here's a clip of Weezer covering "Kids" by MGMT and "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga
Hot Chip - Sexual Healing
I heard about this covered from Newton about a month ago at a friend's birthday. I generally like the song "Sexual healing" by Marvin Gaye because the lyrics amuse me to no end and well the video is also really cheesy. In anycase, Newton was kind enough to let me listen to the cover on his music player. It's really good :) electronic-ish. These dudes also have an album out - "One life stand" and so far so good.
I've also been listening to some more funkero type stuff that I stumbled upon. There's one particular track by MC Katia - De cabeca pra baixo, that is catchy. Apparently she's classified as funk putaria. I'll take their word for it.
I also found some mixes of different types of music over at "Soundsgood". My fave so far is La Villa Cumbiera Mixtape. What's great is that you can download all the mixes/stuff that is posted :)
Finally, I was in a Massive Attack mood for a while, mostly listening to "Man Next Door" on repeat, a most excellent song :D So chill.
That ends my musical update. According to pitchfork, we should expect new Arcade Fire and M.I.A. this year!
La Pegatina - Despierto
I found out about this Barcelona music group yesterday on facebook. Despierto is a very happy song. Some of the others are equally as happy. One of my other favorites is Petrolero. So far, I really like their music. You can also download their 2 albums on their site free of charge. Unfortunately, they won't be playing when I visit Barcelona in May :(
Manu Chao - Le P'tit Jardin
This song is from Manu's album Siberie, also available on his site for free download (yay!). This song is incredibly catchy and super cute!
I have generally been in a Manu Chao mood, listening to the albums Esperanza and Clandestino on repeat :)
Jimmy Cliff - Samba Reggae
So, today I was reminded about the existence of the annual Osheaga Music and Arts Festival. When checking out the pretty awesome line up (at least for Saturday, July 31), I noticed Jimmy Cliff is playing. I have heard of him before and some music, but decided to look more into it and so far this is my favorite tune (though most stuff on the best of is really good - if you're into reggae that is :P). It's really summery :) As for Osheaga, I'm seriously considering going as there will be the Arcade Fire, Stars, Gaslight Anthem, Beach house, Jimmy Cliff, Keane, as well as some other artists I don't know too well yet, but seem promising. In addition, more artists always get added as the festival approaches.
The Gorillaz - White Flag (feat. Bashy, Kano and the National Orchestra for Arabic Music)
The Gorillaz came out with a new album called "Plastic Beach". In the past, I have been a fan of some of their songs (I think most people like Clint Eastwood and 19-2000). Their previous album, Demon Dayz didn't sit too well with me (at least on first listening and I didn't really give it another chance). I started listening to Plastic Beach a little while ago and what I really like about it is the mix of sounds/genres. A perfect example is the song White Flag - it opens with arabic orchestral music and then meshes into some rap/hip hop beats, but with electronic noises. I also like how rap sounds w/ a British accent, hah. It's also very dancy. So, this isn't the stuff I typically listen to, but hey, yay variety. I blame Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. But, in all honesty, this album is good stuff.
Kisses - Bermuda
I can only describe this as soft pop, indie, electro dance from the 70s/80s or something. I'm really not sure how to classify. The guys voice is smooth, the music is catchy and easy to listen to. It is off of the album "The heart of the nightlife".
MGMT - Congratulations
MGMT have a new album called Congratulations and I like the title track :) Apart from that, so far, there's not a bunch that I like (maybe it needs to grow on me?). I liked Oracular Spectacular more. This track reminds me a bit of Bowie/Velvet Goldmine soundtrack. I generally like the mood of the song :) Unfortunately, youtube only has a live version. Flash Delerium is the first single, it is oooook.
As an aside, here's a clip of Weezer covering "Kids" by MGMT and "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga
Hot Chip - Sexual Healing
I heard about this covered from Newton about a month ago at a friend's birthday. I generally like the song "Sexual healing" by Marvin Gaye because the lyrics amuse me to no end and well the video is also really cheesy. In anycase, Newton was kind enough to let me listen to the cover on his music player. It's really good :) electronic-ish. These dudes also have an album out - "One life stand" and so far so good.
I've also been listening to some more funkero type stuff that I stumbled upon. There's one particular track by MC Katia - De cabeca pra baixo, that is catchy. Apparently she's classified as funk putaria. I'll take their word for it.
I also found some mixes of different types of music over at "Soundsgood". My fave so far is La Villa Cumbiera Mixtape. What's great is that you can download all the mixes/stuff that is posted :)
Finally, I was in a Massive Attack mood for a while, mostly listening to "Man Next Door" on repeat, a most excellent song :D So chill.
That ends my musical update. According to pitchfork, we should expect new Arcade Fire and M.I.A. this year!
I was bored tonight and ended up making a quick video for the Winter. I suppose this shall be part 1, as I have plenty of winter clips left.
Music: Radiohead - I will (no man's land). This is the "los angeles version", as opposed to the original on the album Hail to the Thief.
This time I used sepia (instead of black and white :P)
Music: Radiohead - I will (no man's land). This is the "los angeles version", as opposed to the original on the album Hail to the Thief.
This time I used sepia (instead of black and white :P)
So, I'm still on an Alicia Keys trip and that song Empire State of Mind refuses to leave my mind - including the version with Jay-Z. Like seriously, dude man - I had a dream last night that I was in New York. I feel like I'm reverting back to grade 11 where I used to listen to more hip hop/rap.
However! I did manage to listen to some other music despite my extremely Keysing week.
Thanks to Oficeandashes, I've been listening to Mt. Eden dubstep (a most premium DJ). My favorite track of the ones he showed me was "Sierra Leone" which features samples from the song "I'd like" by Freshlyground.
Other remixes I like by Mt. Eden are "Daniel" (Bat for lashes) and "Hide and Seek" (Imogen Heap).
Freshlyground is a group from South Africa. The vocalist has a very particular voice, which I can only describe as cheerful/slightly childlike at times, but very smooth. Some songs sound really spacy (like, I'd like from the album Nomvula) and others are very upbeat like Ma cherie, which is also closer to what I know South African music to be.
For the moment, Ma cherie (from the album ma cherie) is my favorite song. I love the beat, how energetic she is and absolutely love the horns and tingy guitar. I just can't resist that sound - it's so cheerful and summery. There's also some dancing in this live video. This music just makes me want summer sooner! :D
Here's one of my fave South African songs by Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens. The video is kinda amusing.
Now, as for the next on the list of things I'm listening to - the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I was at Cafe Santropol today with a couple friends and some music was playing that I didn't recognize, but liked. When I asked the waitress what it was, she said the new "Yeah Yeah Yeahs" album. It surprised me just because I didn't recognize Karen O's voice (though I had seen them live in 2004 - shame on me...or maybe it was just too echoey in the restaurant?). But, generally, it didn't sound like their usual stuff, which is a good thing.
So, I had downloaded "It's Blitz" last year when it came out, but never gave it a good listen. Now that I have, I do like it quite a bit. The track that I had heard was "Skeleton" and it was very spacy :D
Now, who's coming?!
Feb 20 - Owen Pallett (Not going, but Paw is :D)
Feb. 25 - Vitalic @ SAT (yes!!! Ticket purchased)
March 29 - Beach House @ Sala Rosa (didn't get ticket yet, but hoping to go :D)
April 18 - Gogol Bordello + Devotchka @ Metropolis (k, dude man, this is absolutely epic gypsyness and I already got my ticket).
May (middle of) - Kinetik Festival. Paw and I haven't decided which date for sure, but would like to go.
Apart from that, there is the Montreal Highlights Festival which ends Feb. 27 with the annual Nuit Blanche. This year I'm supposed to be participating in one of the events as a performer (rather than just a spectator, haha). But that means I won't be doing much of the Nuit Blanche activities this year. So, my friends, you must enjoy it for me! :D
Finally, my new favorite soup of the moment - Carrot, ginger + sesame. I tried it at Aux Vivres on Wednesday - so awesome. I hate carrot soup and juice usually...but the ginger gave it the required bite and the sesame oil added a nice flavor to it. Today at Santropol, their soup of the day was carrot, ginger and orange. It was okay, but required the addition of salt and pepper (whereas AV's needed nothing :o). At the health food store, I found a box of carrot, ginger and cashew - so I guess that will be my final carrot & ginger trial before making it myself and making it more awesome than all the others (of course).
Also, check this out - Adobe Photoshop Cook (thanks to Cindy!)
That's it for now.
Until next time!
PS: If you haven't seen Alicia Keys singing "Empire State of Mind" with Colbert, go check it out on youtube (video quality aint' so great though). It's really funny (thanks to paw for this).
However! I did manage to listen to some other music despite my extremely Keysing week.
Thanks to Oficeandashes, I've been listening to Mt. Eden dubstep (a most premium DJ). My favorite track of the ones he showed me was "Sierra Leone" which features samples from the song "I'd like" by Freshlyground.
Other remixes I like by Mt. Eden are "Daniel" (Bat for lashes) and "Hide and Seek" (Imogen Heap).
Freshlyground is a group from South Africa. The vocalist has a very particular voice, which I can only describe as cheerful/slightly childlike at times, but very smooth. Some songs sound really spacy (like, I'd like from the album Nomvula) and others are very upbeat like Ma cherie, which is also closer to what I know South African music to be.
For the moment, Ma cherie (from the album ma cherie) is my favorite song. I love the beat, how energetic she is and absolutely love the horns and tingy guitar. I just can't resist that sound - it's so cheerful and summery. There's also some dancing in this live video. This music just makes me want summer sooner! :D
Here's one of my fave South African songs by Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens. The video is kinda amusing.
Now, as for the next on the list of things I'm listening to - the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I was at Cafe Santropol today with a couple friends and some music was playing that I didn't recognize, but liked. When I asked the waitress what it was, she said the new "Yeah Yeah Yeahs" album. It surprised me just because I didn't recognize Karen O's voice (though I had seen them live in 2004 - shame on me...or maybe it was just too echoey in the restaurant?). But, generally, it didn't sound like their usual stuff, which is a good thing.
So, I had downloaded "It's Blitz" last year when it came out, but never gave it a good listen. Now that I have, I do like it quite a bit. The track that I had heard was "Skeleton" and it was very spacy :D
Now, who's coming?!
Feb 20 - Owen Pallett (Not going, but Paw is :D)
Feb. 25 - Vitalic @ SAT (yes!!! Ticket purchased)
March 29 - Beach House @ Sala Rosa (didn't get ticket yet, but hoping to go :D)
April 18 - Gogol Bordello + Devotchka @ Metropolis (k, dude man, this is absolutely epic gypsyness and I already got my ticket).
May (middle of) - Kinetik Festival. Paw and I haven't decided which date for sure, but would like to go.
Apart from that, there is the Montreal Highlights Festival which ends Feb. 27 with the annual Nuit Blanche. This year I'm supposed to be participating in one of the events as a performer (rather than just a spectator, haha). But that means I won't be doing much of the Nuit Blanche activities this year. So, my friends, you must enjoy it for me! :D
Finally, my new favorite soup of the moment - Carrot, ginger + sesame. I tried it at Aux Vivres on Wednesday - so awesome. I hate carrot soup and juice usually...but the ginger gave it the required bite and the sesame oil added a nice flavor to it. Today at Santropol, their soup of the day was carrot, ginger and orange. It was okay, but required the addition of salt and pepper (whereas AV's needed nothing :o). At the health food store, I found a box of carrot, ginger and cashew - so I guess that will be my final carrot & ginger trial before making it myself and making it more awesome than all the others (of course).
Also, check this out - Adobe Photoshop Cook (thanks to Cindy!)
That's it for now.
Until next time!
PS: If you haven't seen Alicia Keys singing "Empire State of Mind" with Colbert, go check it out on youtube (video quality aint' so great though). It's really funny (thanks to paw for this).
Hey peeps,
Well this is my first post of the New Year (both Western and Chinese, huzzuh!).
So, I haven't actually been checking out that much new music...just sometimes borrowing some of those "Rough Guide to..." music compilation CD's from the library.
Anyways, I don't really listen to the radio (so I never know what's going on), but one of my good friends does and apparently Alicia Keys came out with a new album called "Elements of Freedom". Typically, I just like one or two songs on her albums (for example, "No One" on the last album). Her voice is amazing, but I just don't care much for the super R&B songs. So, my friend really likes this new album and let me listen to a few songs in the car. And seriously, dude man...I think for the first time, I can say I like almost the entire album. I guess she changed her style slightly and it just works very well (this coming from someone who doesn't usually listen to this type of music...but there is no doubt, he voice is just aaaamaaazing :D).
So here are my favorite songs so far:
Doesn't mean anything
Try sleeping with a broken heart
Empire state of mind
Distance and Time
Until next time!
Well this is my first post of the New Year (both Western and Chinese, huzzuh!).
So, I haven't actually been checking out that much new music...just sometimes borrowing some of those "Rough Guide to..." music compilation CD's from the library.
Anyways, I don't really listen to the radio (so I never know what's going on), but one of my good friends does and apparently Alicia Keys came out with a new album called "Elements of Freedom". Typically, I just like one or two songs on her albums (for example, "No One" on the last album). Her voice is amazing, but I just don't care much for the super R&B songs. So, my friend really likes this new album and let me listen to a few songs in the car. And seriously, dude man...I think for the first time, I can say I like almost the entire album. I guess she changed her style slightly and it just works very well (this coming from someone who doesn't usually listen to this type of music...but there is no doubt, he voice is just aaaamaaazing :D).
So here are my favorite songs so far:
Doesn't mean anything
Try sleeping with a broken heart
Empire state of mind
Distance and Time
Until next time!
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