I'm a liar, I'm a fighter, I'm a skater, I'm a Beatle

+ Because of Amanda's job at the front desk of a downtown hotel, she always tells me about various crappy bands that check in...mostly indie bands that neither of us care about that try to be a little impressive around her. On Friday, some uptight tour manager called her and was making sure everything was going to be ready for his band when they checked in on Saturday. Somehow he mentioned that it was Stryper that going to be checking in. So while hanging out on Friday night, she broke this news to me which I found incredibly funny. Of course, I took the opportunity to show her YouTube videos of how goofy they were which she quite liked.

Saturday I was going to hang out with a friend from Victoria, and I got a text that she got us on the guest list for the show. I guess Michael Sweet was hanging around the lobby and she was chatting with him about the venue and helping him get on the internet and stuff. Then she mentioned that I am a fan of their band and he thought that was great so he whipped out his Blackberry and e-mailed the venue to tell them to put us on the guest list. I picked her up a few hours later, and we managed to skip the line and go straight into the venue. We didn't get to meet the band or anything, but the show was really fun and funny. They wore brand new yellow and black outfits and tossed bibles into the crowd, as always. And they played all the hits "The Way", "More Than A Man", "Honestly", and "To Hell With The Devil". The crowd was also very weird! Quite a mix of aging rockers with permed mullets and such, and a bunch of young nu metal kids. Also, there were many youth pastor types.

The highlight of the night was watching middle aged (and totally not fat or old looking) Michael Sweet prance around the stage. Also, Robert Sweet had feathered hair and a fan to blow it as he rocked out on the drums. What a night!

+ I've been enjoying that Big Star boxed set this week. I'm not sure how different the alternate versions of the album songs are, as I'm not that familiar with the album versions. However, there are a whole bunch of acoustic demos Alex Chilton did that sound phenomenal. Also, the set contains the third record, which I never owned before, and is decent but not as good as the first two. There's also a live disc, which contains a concert where nobody was actually around to see Big Star. The audience sounds bored, confused and apathetic! It's quite tremendous.

+ I went to see "The Box" on Friday night, due to the fact that my old Montreal friends Win and Regine did the score along with that Final Fantasy guy. The music was good, and I actually enjoyed the movie! It had a fun old timey science fiction style story. It made me want to do two things: Read old EC Comics reprints, and watch Twilight Zone episodes. I haven't done either in years and years.

+ I spent a good portion of this week working on the CD booklet and tray insert for the L.S. Underground's "PTSD" album. It's shaping up to look pretty cool, I think. Work was also a gong show, so now I feel kind of tired and my throat feels swollen. I'm going to relax. The funny thing is that working on the cd artwork let me justify buying an old school type label maker. They still make those!

+ I bought a slow cooker this week, so right at this very moment I am making pulled turkey. I do enjoy pulled turkey! I also ordered myself a new Magic Mouse, mostly because I m a sucker for Mac stuff.

+ Look at that...I don't have a single interesting thing to say today!

+ Yesterday I got back from a week and a half in Winnipeg, as Amanda had a family wedding and none of my family had met her yet. She was a big hit. And we also managed to go to the Paddlewheel, Mondragon, and hit several of the music stores I like. We also saw lots of my friends and some of hers. The only lowlight was that I had to make a run for the plane and came pretty close to missing it. Nothing like requiring 30 minutes to catch your breath and destress when you board a plane! Even better, nothing like being paged to your plane when security decides to search your bag.

+ Last night I got to see David Bazan (ex-Pedro the Lion, but you knew that) at the Media Club. While I have seen him four times already, three times with Pedro the Lion and the last of which being a solo gig in June of 2006, this was the first time I'd seen him with a band in around 8 years. It turned out to be the best show I've ever seen him do. It turns out his bearded hillbilly guitar player was in this band Bloomsday, which I used to think were decent, and the drummer was associated with Pedro. Also, the other two members are in Say Hi, who opened. All five members had beards. I thought the guitar player (Blake Wescott) was fantastic and made the show extra great. Also, Bazan played most of the new record and threw in some Pedro and Headphones. Also, as always, his lyrics gave Amanda the runny mascara syndrome.

I think I've grown to really enjoy his last record more and more, and especially now that I've heard a good portion performed live. As always, some songs stood out live that I never noticed as much on CD.

+ They've reissued the first two Big Star albums with remastered sound as a 2-on-1 cd in America, and as separate discs in the UK. I chose the latter, due to the fact I don't enjoy those 2 albums, one disc type deals. I also ordered the new Rhino Big Star boxed set, which is four discs of mostly previously unreleased alternate mixes and demos. Big Star were probably better as a mostly unknown band because now those who enjoy them don't have to share them with the world. Also, I got that Anthology of American Folk Music in the mail yesterday and it's crazy exhaustive. I like exhaustive.

+ For some reason, I just sent Amanda a text message about how scary it would be if Ringo Starr and Pete Townshend sneezed in the same room at the same time. Such gigantic schnozolas! Earlier this week, she referenced Bill Cosby giving birth to a hoagie sandwich in a text message she sent me. Yes, this is what my life is like. I couldn't make this stuff up.

+ I have been going through a Bob Dylan phase, which makes me feel particularly old. Isn't it only old people who buy things like "The Basement Tapes" and then sit around ranting with other people about how great they are? Yeah, that's my life. And Yes, "The Basement Tapes" are fantastic, thanks for asking. And today I picked up a copy of "Biograph". It looked like it was a used copy with some weird scuffs on the packaging, but I wiped those off and the discs hardly looked played. I mostly picked it up for the unreleased stuff, particularly "Lay Down Your Weary Tune".

+ The trailer for "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" looks tremendous. It's Wes Anderson done with stop-motion animation.

+ I've gotta get my hands on the Anthology of American Folk Music. It's six discs and it looks like a who's who of amazing stuff.

+ Since there's no video stores that aren't a 15 minute walk from home, I usually get stuff from the library across the street from my building. It's overtop of a fire station! They dont have a lot but somehow always manage to have two or three movies there I want to see. Last week it was "Bill Cosby, Himself" and yesterday I got a Pink Panther movie and an episode of BIography on Bob Dylan. Some people hate libraries, and I've always been a big library fan.

Also, I miss having A and E and the ability to watch Biography. Is it on anymore? That was always an oddly sad yet fascinating show. It was a regular viewing experience when I lived at home, which I haven't done in nearly 9 years.

+ Seeing as how I enjoy a lot of singer/songwriters these days, I am starting to enjoy lots of old folky guys. I kind of like the idea that no matter how poor you are, you can always fashion some sort of crude guitar and sing protest songs against the man and songs about what heaven will be like and how it's hard to be poor. Even if they take that away from you, you can still sing protest songs (which is why the acapella Chumbawamba record "English Rebel Songs" has always been a favorite of mine). While big classical arrangements might be great, I am more interested in Woody Guthrie right now. It all boils down to the fact that I love the sound of crude sound recordings.

It's funny to think that those early crappy sound recordings spawned everything from Bob Dylan to Damien Jurado, and even stuff like the Who and punk rock. I think its kind of funny that when I was watching Frank Turner the other week, it made me realize that he's just following a long, long tradition of using his guitar to voice his discontent.

+ I just ate a chocolate dip donut. I realized that if I'm going to eat one, I need to make it count. Next time I'm getting one of those huge, delicious ones from Granville Island.

+ I remember the days when I used to post stuff on here and get 5 or 6 responses from various people, and would get all kinds of recommendations for movies and records and stuff. Now I can count on two of you to respond...always the same two or three people. I'm on Twitter, and it's all celebrities and idiots and you can't randomly meet and make friends like how I used to on Livejournal. And Facebook isn't nearly as fun.

Everything is snippets and short attention spans now. Boo. Go watch a three hour Akira Kurosawa movie and realize that you can't tell a good story in 140 characters.

+ On Thursday night, I saw Frank Turner at the Commodore Ballroom, paying $30 and skipping the three bands that followed. In 35 minutes, I got my money's worth. First of all, he comes across like a pretty fun and solid guy. In other words, the smart politically minded dude who likes to go for a pint with his mates isn't just a persona created by him to sell records. He's pretty much the same aging punk rocker that can be found in pubs across the UK. I think the big thing I noticed is that his albums have a lot of other instruments and such, but when it's just him and his voice and his guitar, you can really hear how fantastic his songs are. Particularly, you can hear how great his voice is.

The funny part was that a good portion of the audience sang along to every song, singing every word. I guess that shows how catchy his songs are, but also, why would you want to be stuck hearing your own voice when you could be listening to him? Whatever.

+ A lot of my friends are going through relationship issues right now. I'm going to write a heartbreak song and call it "It's Complicated" and make a lot of money. Given my history and how my life has turned out for most of it, I still find it weird to be the one in a relationship. Last weekend I was hanging out with an old friend and Amanda was there, and it felt weird that I was the one in a stable relationship and not him. However, I will not complain. It's been 16 months!

+ I just reassembled my first Beatles record (20 Greatest Hits) in iTunes. That takes me back. It's the first LP I ever got that wasn't a kids record and the first LP I played repeatedly for an extended period of time. I still love that record in a weird way.

_

+ I went to see Sunny Day Real Estate kick off their reunion tour on Thursday night, with Dave who came all the way from Winnipeg. I was never a huge fan, but Dave liked one of their albums and I was curious as they influenced many of the bands I really like.

They took the stage and played a slow, boring song. Jeremy Enigk couldn't hit the notes and he looked frustrated. Two songs later, his voice sounded amazing and emotive and the band was tight and loud and impressive and energetic. It occured to me that most of the emo bands I liked in the late 90's borrowed/stole liberally from Sunny Day Real Estate. They were what a live band should sound like. They were the kind of concert experience that doesn't come around too often, where they band sounds great, is having fun and totally engaging the audience.

Towards the end of the show, Jeremy confessed he woke up with no voice and was freaking out. Then, he mysteriously got it back a few songs in. You could feel the crowd get swept away when his voice came back. It felt a bit like the big, dramatic swell of music in an emo song.

+ My introduction to the world of music that I enjoy today started wih me getting a Beatles record for my birthday in Grade 8. There were lots of little discoveries after that, like when I bought a copy of "Sgt. Pepper" downtown or when my friend borrowed a copy of "The Beatles" from his aunt. I dubbed a copy of it, and spent that whole summer listening to every song on that double LP.

For some reason, I was only half-paying attention when they announced these new remasters were coming out. The part that I missed was that "The Beatles in Mono" boxed set would only be a limited edition. While i have mostly been familiar with the stereo mixes over the years, I always found them a little awkward. I think I realized something was wrong when the speakers on one half of my car went out and all I heard was a voice and one and a half instruments. Then I recently learned that the Beatles and George Martin collaborated on the mono mixes and the stereo mixes were an afterthought.

Anyhow, Wednesday morning rolls around and every online retailer is already sold out of the mono set. I decided to attempt to order it online through Future Shop and pick it up instore, thinking it would probably sell out before anyone would attempt to fill the order. A few hours later, I got a confirmation e-mail that it was waiting for me! I have been digging into it all week. I'm sure the sound isn't quite as clear as the stereo versions, but I don't much mind as it sounds more 60's-like and still sounds crystal clear coming through my speakers.

In many cases, the mono mixes are immensely different from the stereo versions! In the case of "Sgt. Pepper", it's a whole other experience. There's lots of weird little instrumental bits and vocals mixed louder, and she's leaving home is actually not slowed down like the stereo version. There's also an odd little vocal bit at the end of "A Day in the Life". There's differences all across the entire set, too. The mixing is way different in many cases, with a lot of vocals being more apparent and instruments being balanced differently. There was a line missing in "Yellow Submarine"! The mono version of the song "Help!" uses a different vocal performance by John Lennon, which is kind of strange to hear. Also, the mono version of "Helter Skelter" is infinitely better than the stereo version, minus the exclusion of "I've got blisters on me fingers!". The mono mix sounds an awful lot like the Stooges, with a guitar assault that hits you in the face and backing vocals that sound desperate. I also went ahead and picked up "Let It Be" and "Abbey Road", as they were only issued in stereo and weren't on the set. They are also insanely crystal clear, but sound identical to the versions I am familiar with. "Let It Be" is their worst album and the one I'm least familiar with. I used to dislike "Abbey Road", but it's grown on me. The last 20 minutes or so is incredible.

+ I also got my copy of David Bazan "Curse Your Branches" in the mail. It's mostly autobiographical from what I can tell (no businessmen or bloody knives this time out), and unlike his past albums, it is pretty hopeless without and sense of optimism buried in the despair. A lot of the album is about David Bazan's crisis of faith, with many references to a drinking problem. It's hard to listen to all the lyrics about his belief system falling apart. Not to mention that "Please, Baby, Please" makes me never want to drink. However, the production is really well done, with lots of surprising keyboard and guitar parts. And I've gotta respect the total honesty and such. The album came with a bonus 7" record with an amazing cover of Bob Dylan "The Man in Me".

+ I preorded a physical copy (you'll notice I didn't say download) of the new Frank Turner record "Poetry of the Deed". My friend Jeff pointed him out to me a few months ago, and I was totally hooked. Naturally, people are making the Billy Bragg comparisons because he's a British folk punk guitar slinger, but he's different. I think he comes from the Billy Bragg school of songwriting, but he adds his own flare to everything. In any case, I have paid for a ticket to see the Gaslight Anthem so as to see Mr. Turner, and I will likely leave right after Mr. Turner.

Also, what's my deal lately? All I seem to like is singer songwriters....Billy Bragg, David Bazan, Frank Turner, Bob Dylan...hmmm. I'm also seeing Sunny Day Real Estate in the near future. That'll be good. And I'm going to buy a ticket to see Billy Bragg again. He's fabulous.

+ I wanna get my hands on that Beatles Mono boxed set, but I think I'm going to get the Stereo one or maybe the individual discs. I am just an authenticity dork and the mono stuff seems more authentic. But the stereo mixes are going to have all these extra sounds and nuances and stuff you could never hear before. So really, I'm at a loss here. I'll probably have to get the stereo ones if the mono set sells out like crazy.

+ Last night I watched "The Last Starfighter" (in sparking high definition, no less!) and I loved it. I think that movie has a special nostalgia value for all males my age, not because it's good but because it was there at the time we needed it. It was kind of like licorice all-sorts at my grandma's house. I would have much rather had real candy, or even Twizzlers, but licorice all-sorts were there and they were candy so I learned to like them. "The Last Starfighter" wasn't "Star Wars" or even "Battlestar Galactica", but it had aliens and videogames and space fights so we all liked it. I forgot about the goofy dialog, especially from the little brother who hides Playboy magazines and responds to seeing kisses by saying "DIARRHEA!"

Also, I like how movie directors of the 80's believed that all it takes to be an alien is to look freaky and have a quriky behavior. Take Grig for example, and his horrible laugh. Oh, and how about those glorious post-Tron pre-Terminator 2 CGI graphics? They actually aren't as bad as I remembered! Not great, but at least as good as some much later films.

This movie also features a Magical Negro who discovers that the main character is going to beat the record score on the game and assembles the entire trailer park to watch. I love how everybody in the entire trailer is so excited about this one guy beating a videogame high score, like they'd even know what was really going on. Even the resident granny watches!

+ The other night I went to see a Jay Reatard in-store performance at Zulu Records. He is a good songwriter and performer, but every song sounded exactly the same and I think he survives on hype alone. I'm just surprised because my friend Win claims he was a great performer to watch, and I got bored after half an hour. However, that new album sounds pretty good, but probably not exciting enough to own because it sounds like all his other records.

In other music news, I am very fond of this alt country punkish band called Those Darlins. I'm not so fond of their name, but they sound a heck of a lot like X without the Billy Zoom signature guitar leads and the creepy John Doe vocals. There's plenty to like.

+ I keep thinking about getting back into playing guitar lately. That's weird.

+ On Monday night, I went to see Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. I bought Amanda a ticket so she could see him. We were both thoroughly impressed with Elvis as a performer and a presence on stage. He's so fun and charming. While I look forward to him performing with the Imposters at some point in Vancouver's future, i enjoyed this oddball mix of covers, country songs and classics. He even played "Everyday I Write The Book"! That made my night, but there were also four songs off "My Aim Is True" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding". He plays here once a year, pretty much so hopefully he breaks out hte imposters and does a set loaded with the old stuff eventually

To end the week, I caught Jay Reatard at Zulu Records. He was pretty great, but all the songs sounded the same and were indistinguishable. I left when I got too hot and tired.

+ Speaking of records, the new David Bazan record has shipped, and I should be getting it soon. I also really enjoy the band Those Darlins, who remind me an awful lot of X.

+ I finally own a copy of "the Last Starfighter", which is at once both a horrible and endearing movie. It's a bit of a stretch to call it amazing, but it holds a special place in my heart. I believe it also has a magical negro. Since Amanda has to work tonight, I will probably watch it in my pjs.

+ I saw "Inglourious Basterds" on opening night and I really enjoyed it. It was the most focused I've seen Quentin Tarantino since "Jackie Brown". No barefooted girls in cars listening to obscure 1960's hits. just story and Ennio Morricone music.

+ I did a bit of errands and shopping today. I went to Scratch Records, who have been around forever, and bought two Tonio K LPs ("Romeo Unchained" and "Notes From the Lost Civilization") and an Ester Drang CD ("Rocinate", for those of you keeping track). It felt good to buy music in a physical format from a store that's been around long before the internet. I couldn't remember what the deal was with Ester Drang, but I know I've seen them and they were good. As it turns out, they've toured with Pedro the Lion and members of Ester Drang are part of Jonathan Ford/Unwed Sailor's new band. And the disc I bought is quite good, too.

I also finished some birthday shopping, picked up two Blu Rays ("Big Trouble in Little China" and "the Pink Panther", which Amanda and I were just talking about watching recently as it's been way too long and I'm interested in seeing more Peter Sellers movies), and tried to shop at Army & Nova on Hastings. I think I'll skip to the one at Columbia station as there aren't any hookers or screaming drug addicts there. It's actually quite scary! Almost as scary as when I saw the Tranzmitors at Pat's Pub and there were so many freaks out I had to take a cab home. I'll never see a show on East Hastings ever again...or maybe I will.

+ Speaking of shows, I am going to see Elvis Costello in a few weeks, Sunny Day Real Estate in September and David Bazan in November. I am quite excited about all of them. David Bazan is touring with a full band! It'll be good, I'm sure. The new record is giving me mixed feelings and I haven't heard it. However, I have pre-ordered it and refuse to listen to it until it's a physical copy that I can pop in my Blu Ray player and hear through my home theatre system.

+ I am going to watch "Big Trouble In Little China" tonight. I have a fondness for John Carpenter films. Oddly enough, my favorite might be "They Live" although "The Thing" scared me to death and for that reason, I love it.

In other movie news, there's nothing I can truly say to express my sadness at the loss of John Hughes this week. I guess he was more of a writer than director, and all his movies that I've seen hold a place in my heart. Amanda and I also watched "Rumble in the Bronx" this week. I forget that it's not actually supposed to be Vancouver, as they barely try to mask it. There's one too many shots of the mountains of the Bronx because everyone knows there's beautiful mountains in New York, right? In fact, I was actually walking down one of the locations they use in the movie this very morning! It's the old A & B Sound store that appears in a scene.

+ You know it's been hot for too long when you have bizarre dreams all night long and leave for work early just to get on an air conditioned train and go to an air conditioned office building. I think I'm on the verge of dying here, people. It's going to cool down a tiny bit for the weekend. Until then, I've got fans running to circulate the air and I'm listening to hot weather music for the next week and will certainly enjoy the relief when it arrives. And it looks like it's coming in time for the long weekend! Ahhhhhhhhhh.

+ Yesterday a hooker smiled at me. Not a gross smile intended to drum up business. It was more of a delighted smile that a grandmother gives a child who reminds her of her grandson. She was in her 40's, or maybe that's just how heavy drug abuse looks.

+ Amanda's apartment's had the bed bugs, but the exterminators came. I hope one of them was Dale Gribble.

+ For all the albums Terry Scott Taylor has made, it seems like his only claim to fame is that video game soundtrack from 1996.

+ For some reason, I rediscovered Starflyer 59 again this week. You know, they have never been super amazing but they have been consistently good since I first heard the silver album in the early 90s. Some albums are better than others, but they are all pretty good. That said, I listened to "Americana" for the first time in ages the other day and it blew me away. That opening track was such a shock the first time I heard it. Jason Martin's voice wasn't buried in the mix and all the instruments were loud but also clear. And that "I Win" single of a few years ago was pretty amazing. They also had a record produced by Terry Taylor...in mono! It sounded pretty fantastic, with a heavy Alarma Chronicles influence.

+ I have lost two fitted sheets in the last three years to my futon mattress. As in, my feet wear right through them! Right now, it looks like the Hulk slept in my bed or something, or that my bed had an epic-sized Hulk-out minus the purple pants. I am hoping that a futon slipcover dealie will be better equiped to handle such nonsense.

+ A-dub and I went to see "Up" on Tuesday night, in three dimensions no less. Pixar is crazy. They're making story-driven movies with great animation. I am never disappointed in their movies, I just like some less than others. But ever since "Cars", which I wasn't too big on, I've enjoyed everything.

+ I need to watch "Ghostbusters" soon before it kills me. Bidding on a copy of the 25th anniversary Blu Ray on eBay as we speak.

+ My commute to and from work is a little long, and I decided I need a smartphone of some kind. I was going to get a Nokia E71, but then this new iPhone got announced and they dropped the prices on last year's model. So with some serious negotiating and research, I'm getting a 16 GB iPhone 3G for $175 and my monthly plan is $7 more than my current one.

+ Number 1, I am sick today. I had a really bad stomach ache last night, and sent Amanda home (and apparently she got one, too, out of worry for me perhaps!). I woke up, called in sick, slept all morning, and have faced a series of gurgles and belches all day. GROSS.

+ Number 2, I am seriously contemplating an iPhone.

+ Number 3, I am embroiled in a bitter and long confrontation with Canada Post. I ordered a spiffy Harrington jacket via eBay from the UK way back in April, and it cost me around $100. As it turns out, my PayPal account had my Calgary address as a default and the package went there by mistake. When I got a tracking number from the seller on ebay, I checked Canada Post and not only was it delivered to my old address in Calgary SOMEONE SIGNED MY NAME TO RECEIVE IT. Naturally, I was irate and called Canada Post and they basically told me it was delivered as addressed and they would do nothing and they treated me like a conspiracy-theory-making moron. They told me I should call the new tenant at my old address and ask for it back and suggested I just go away. WHAT? I told them that I suspected the Canada Post employee who delivered it signed for it and left it at the door and they told me no one would EVER do the wrong thing at Canada Post. I demanded an investigation be launched, and they supervisor I spoke to begrudgingly complied.

A few weeks later, a frustrated man from the Calgary office called me and said the investigation is taking a while and that he will get back to me. Then he calls back and gave me a huge, long apology and explains that the man who was to deliver the package is under investigation and has admitted to doing the wrong thing. They wouldn't tell me what he did, but apparently he's done other things before and felt a "sense of entitlement" and thinks he works for himself, not Canada Post. Then I demanded a refund and the guy said I was being very fair and he would talk to someone. He called back half an hour later and claimed he could give me nothing at all, and that it was too bad I lost my package but the customer always suffers in these situations. I got a supervisor's number, and left a few messages then was told the package was on the way!

Apparenlty the new tenant at my old address must have "accidentally" signed for it (my name?) and felt guilty and sent it back...yeah, right! Which doesn't really go with what the first guy told me in the first call, which makes me believe he was made to lie during every subsequent phone call because he said too much. In any case, the package finally got to me today unopened. What the heck is up with that? I am pretty sure this postal worker guy had a bunch of mail stashed in his house and delivered it when the investigation began. What a crock. Of course, I can't prove anything. At least that jacket is now hanging in my closet where it belongs, and it looks great.