Thursday, February 28, 2013

LONG LIVE OTIS MUSIC!!!
















































i spent a portion of yesterday packing up boxes of used vinyl records, tapes, CDs, and books. there wasn't any hooplah, just a handful of kids, neighbourhood residents stopping by to see what was happening, and the man w/ the plan, OTIS music honcho, todd fuller. surveying the crumbling scene, i couldn't help but taste the irony. there was no local news teams in sight, no hollow social media campaign ("SAVE THE OTIS"), no intrepid music journalists (*bar this one, wink, wink...), but right before our very eyes, a 20+ year cultural institution of vancouver as important as any other was quietly saying goodbye. OTIS music was a rare breed of street level realness in this oft superficial sea side city, a melting pot, community drop in, and unparalleled educator/peddler of fine sound recordings. it was helmed by a passionate proprietor who actually cares about music (you'd think that would be mandatory for a record store owner??? think again my friends!!!), people, arts, and the area he's called home for a quarter of a century. squeezed out by a building sale (can't wait for another sh!tty west side restaurant to open in its place!!!), the future of OTIS is uncertain. w/ escalating rent, it likely won't re-emerged on davie street (where fuller, a toronto transplant, ran 2 separate OTIS locations for a spell in the early 2000s), but after a little rest and recovery, a new and improved store should arise like the unstoppable phoenix OTIS so clearly is. maybe i should have used a canine analogy here, "returning to the ring like a champion bulldog???" any which way, hey newspapers, there is a pertinent story in waiting here!!! todd's as colourful as a 24-pack of laurentien pencil crayons and as a long-time vancouver business owner and cultural ambassador for both locals—of all stripes i might add, the store's annual PRIDE festivities were truly epic—as well as music loving tourists, he has vivid insight into this city, how it's evolved, and where it's going. for those that deem this message inconsequential, you missed out on an experience as exciting as any of the departed waldorf production's much ballyhooed events (i know, i was involved in a fair share of them...). for those in the know, it will be remembered dearly. of course, it wasn't just about the records, it was that twinkle in fuller's eye, cigarette smoke subterfuge, teenage bedroom rock and roll posters, and the cackle of much hearty laughter. as we took apart the store's analogue sound system that never went digital bar the first wave CD player that todd claims cost $1,600 back in day ("maybe to some poor audiophile," well, not financially anyways), there was a surprising whiff of optimism in the air, but i know deep down that the west end of vancouver will never be the same... LONG LIVE OTIS MUSIC!!!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

estrellas cercanas a chile y méxico


*i first met tropicaza a few years back at the wedding of LITA's matt sullivan and jennifer maas in seattle, washington. he's a mexico city-based musician/DJ/archivist w/ a d-e-e-p knowledge of recorded sound. enjoy this mix from tropicaza (and please spread the good word). i'll be posting more on this fine gentleman in the future!@#$%!!! PEACE

Sunday, February 24, 2013

BIG congrats to rodriguez and SFSM team on their oscar win!@#$%!!!


EPISODE #127 (UNADULTERATED VERSION, ACCEPT NO SUBSITUTES)


*it has come to my attention that the integrity of this show was compromised on other channels (in name, as well as in an audio/visual capacity). this is the one and only official SIPREANO version of EPISODE #127 as its maker intended it to be heard. i would like to apologize to the people of powell river, british columbia, for any confusion or subterfuge... STAY STRONG BROTHERS AND SISTERS!!!

Friday, February 22, 2013

THE SPECIALS @ THE COMMODORE

IS SOLD-OUT!@#$%!!!


this is ska


*why can't i find a clean copy of this 12" in the local bins??? can anybody help a player out??? getting sick of UK discogs sellers sending wax in pizza boxes and paper envelopes!@#$%???

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

mexican rose


reggae or not: panel discussion




















Noel Ellis (left) and friend outside Micron Music, St. Clair Avenue West, 1983 . © Beth Lesser.

REGGAE OR NOT: PANEL DISCUSSION
Sunday, February 17, 2 – 5pm

Join us this Sunday as artist Beth Lesser, former radio host David Kingston, musician Jo Jo Bennett, producer Jerry Brown, and dancehall authority Lisa 'West' Skeete discuss the fascinating history of the reggae music scene in Jamaica and Toronto. Moderated by Kenneth Montague.


EXHIBITION TOUR & FILM SCREENING
Sunday, February 24, 2 – 5pm


Curator Kenneth Montague hosts a walking tour of Reggae or Not, followed by a screening of The Afflicted Yard by contemporary Jamaican filmmaker Peter Dean Rickards.


Reggae or Not: The  Birth of Dancehall Culture in Jamaica & Toronto is on view daily from 12 – 5pm until February 28, 2013 at The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street West, Toronto

Exhibition / All events are free admission. All ages are welcome.

Presented in partnership with The Gladstone Hotel as part of TD Then and Now 2013 Series. For more information, please visit wedgecuratorialprojects.org or email info@wedgecuratorialprojects.org

doctor robert

Saturday, February 9, 2013

ursa major

draft 1 (unfinished works)

opening (???): excuse me, but i just gotta get this out, before i let it out...

the subject of "worst meals ever" comes up from time to time. when thought about in hindsight, it's usually good for a laugh or two. it can also cause a twinge or sick feeling to your stomach. while these bad turns often encompass more than the food itself they can definitely evolve into dramatic tales worthy of shakespeare or whoever else pens a dramatic piece these days...

today, w/ an unsettling taste still in my mouth (even after multiple glasses of water), i simply want to talk about some shitty eats. will it make the notorious "top 5"??? quite possibly, but perhaps a little too early to tell, see how long the (bad) taste lingers... the company was family and friends; no problem there. all good people. i will try my best not to harbour any resentment to the person who chose this particular spot ("cheap and cheerful" was the initial idea). the location, prestons on west pender. OMG!@#$%!!! the salt... the salt... grit. shell. over-cooked. bland. the salt... the salt... now looking at the "modern" west coast vibe of their website, i thought this place was gonna be like an earls, cactus club or milestones. would've been an improvement (and that's not saying too much). like i said before, the company was good. but even w/ a stand up server, it was a flaccid experience. i get the feeling that the staff realize this too and work w/ a knowing look of defeat. even the room itself, was a little unsettling, a mish-mash of styles (an empty communal table in the front of the restaurant w/ wood looking finish). in the second chamber not visible to the street, we entered the x-files, very 1990s, dark and dated. our party of eight was seated in a very long booth. comfy enough, but so deep that the servers weren't able to reach the end of the table w/ our food and drink orders. jokes from the wait staff like, "now you're working for us," fell to deaf ears (bar mine, i guess) as we passed another glass or plate down. they even applauded our adeptness at this help. "you should see others...



notes: salt hangover. headache. gas. upset stomach. the horror. salt burned tongue. taste buds sent through the small holes of a cheese grater. 1 unopened clam, did pencil erasers always taste like cheese?, complete waste of (hard earned) money. burning the $40 w/ a lighter would have been more satisfying...