whatever you do.

I don’t know what brought it on, but I’ve been listening to and watching Neil Young all afternoon. For many, many years I was a Neil Young fanatic, but as of late haven’t paid him much attention. Today I rediscovered a man who is easily one of the top five song writers of the past 50 years. I’d like to introduce you to Cortez the Killer, as performed by Neil, Dave Matthews (and Warren Haynes from Gov’t Mule) and a blazing rendition by Joe Satriani, Grace Potter and company. Enjoy.

Tags: music, neil young, canada, rock, cortez, dave matthews, joe satriani, grace potter, warren haynes, gov’t mule

I was digging through a few recent Zunior Sampler Albums and found this gem. Hailing from Toronto (not actually living near a coast, their band name comes from a Paul Simon song), The Coast have just recently released their first full length album, Expatriate, and as Exclaim.ca says, “If they keep creating records like this, the Coast definitely won’t be expatriated any time soon.”

Here is a clip from a recent live performance on MTV. (please ignore the generic VJ-ness at the beginning)

You can hear more clips on their album page at Zunior. This is the place I would recommend for purchasing as well. Zunior does a great job of promoting lesser-known and independant artists and they sell their MP3 for generally cheaper prices than iTunes. You an also purchase very high quality FLAC files for about a dollar more than an lower quality purchase from Apple.

Tags: the coast, zunior, music, itunes, toronto, paul simon

Happened on this band, the Caravan Quartet, this morning. Here is their official site as well. They simply made my day. Apparently their EP will be available on iTunes and wherever else shortly.

But for the time being just sit back with a coffee and shed a tear, dance, and sway along with the soulful strings.

Tags: jazz, music, caravan quartet, thesixtyone

A great short by The Work of the People

All things…

All things…

All things…

it echoes throughout scripture.

Tags: liturgy

Drum Circle by brantfordartsblock

I’m sad I missed this event on the weekend. David Hind brought his “things” and there erupted under tarps amidst rain and sun a drumming sound. Of course, I can only imagine the power of said drums since I wasn’t there… but you can imagine it, I’m sure.

Brantford Arts Block is killing it this year, helping to make the downtown a bright, and energized place for any and all.

Here is a video of Dave doing his thing, with musical accompaniment by Train…

One more as I finish my coffee… Presenting Joe Purdy…

If you are a music junkie of any stripe you should sign up on thesixtyone.com. It’s a great place to discover and support great indepentent artists from a wide variety of genres. Plus it adds a little twist with a slightly addictive game that has been devised around promoting the artists you enjoy and discover. When you do sign up, mention diecast as your referrer. Here is my page. Go bump some tunes!

Tags: thesixtyone, joe purdy

Its a meiko morning…

Tags: meiko, thesixtyone

I had a nice present arrive in the mail late last week – the latest album by the supreme dream team, The Cobalt Season. Fragile Iconoclast has been a steady road companion for me this weekend. Three hour drive up and down from the cottage was sound-tracked by this and Ryan’s prior album, But I Tell You. They held up quite well to the pine trees, lakes, and rocky outcroppings of the Haliburton highlands. I’m very appreciative of music that welcomes the imagery of journey. Especially when that is context within an actual journey through such stunning and wild scenery.

I’m not alone among my friends when it comes to a conscious reconsidering of my surety in religion and God as previously understood. Fragile Iconoclast provided some great points of discussion and a hopeful way forward in our conversations on what it is to worship in the place that we are. Such depth and devotion has been found in the searching and unsteady steps of life. I’ve been very appreciative of the artistry of Ryan and Holly and company in this season of un/faith.

I really did not intend to see the world this way. When I was a teen I knew so much more about the way God works. Seriously, all my questions were answered. The Baptist way was the way of God through the millennia. No doubts. I did not intend this to change. If I stumbled upon myself then as I am now I would have instantly judged me to be outside of God. I’m so thankful that God has pulled me outside. I hope that 10 years from now I am still in a place that 10 years previous I did not intend.

If there are more stories like this around (and I’m sure there are) I am more annoyed than ever at this ridiculous system of “distribution”.

Artist Pirated by iTunes

RIAA

Tags: RIAA, music industry, itunes, apple, piracy, ethics

A fantastically humourous article from the Guardian really nails my frustrations with the constant griping and finger-pointing by conventional media distributors… prophetically concluded in the final sentences…

Alternatively, of course, we could try to adapt to the world as it is, rather than dreaming of what it used to be. But hell, where are the headlines in that?

The company where I work is right in the midst of this junk. Our music division is constantly presented to us as struggling and hit hard by the “digital revolution” (an archaic and sensational term used by our Commander & Chief). Instead of talking about ways to move forward, month by month we are simply told and retold that doing things the way we have been doing it just doesn’t seem to work.

Here’s the deal, if you want to continue to do things in the mold of the contemporary record industry then go ahead. But PLEASE stop insisting that the world come back to where you are, comfortable and accustomed. PLEASE stop trying to impede the world’s direction with lawsuits and angry press releases. It just makes you look like a crotch.

Tags: Music Industry, file sharing, RIAA, technology