where pathways meet

another shot of JD please!!!

put a cap on it

climb up on my music

ringo

your trip

arcee

*i first met rapper and multi-talented renaissance man arcee (pictured above) over 10 years back at a grassroots' show in gastown, vancouver. i heard the mic controller might have a link re finding an elusive vinyl copy of ananda shankar and his music (EMI india), something i was fiending for at the time. the record nerd in me quickly said "sayonara" to any social anxiety that could arise from approaching a relative stranger at a strange bar and i stepped to the man w/ high hopes. the power of vinyl!@#$%!!! while i didn't have any luck that night on the record front, i got to know arcee years later as 1/3rd of the mighty cratery crew (along w/ kaewonder and DJ serious). i don't think he remembered our initial meeting, but was quick to raise a toast, crack a joke, and share a smoke in finest of style (not to mention his uncanny ability to breath new life into old stacks of wax by sharing his deep-seated passion and open knowledge in a selfless way). no attitude here, arcee is simply the dude, a solid bloke, tip top cat... however you wanna parlay it. maybe it's time to start that arcee fan club (please send .99 cents in a self-addressed stamped envelope to voluntary in nature). never stop digging AR!@#$%!!! as if, eh... you can't stop the rock kokanee flow!@#$%!@!!!

part of the season

this is my confusion

NOW playing at international village

tandoori king

Dear Friends, Neighbours and Community members,

We are deeply saddened and heartbroken to announce that the Tandoori King restaurant will be temporarily closed for business. As many of you may already know, the restaurant was destroyed as a result of a devastating fire.

Despite this unfortunate event, we are committed to reopen our business and look forward to again serving our wonderful clients who have made us #1 over the past 25 years. The support and warm wishes we have received from you is highly appreciated.

If you would like contact us we can be reached at 778-710-6555 or via email at tandoorkingrestaurant@gmail.com. In the meantime, please stay tuned for updates and opening announcements.

This is not the end..........It is a new beginning!

Yours Truly,

Tandoori King Restaurant and Kooner Family 

let it go

storm before the calm

*surprised it took me this long to post a LUBA vid!@#$%???

banana walk

sunshine coast vibez...

magical mystery tour

thumbs down...

GUILT TRIP '12

pacific state

 

























*see you in a week or so... it's tough living in this a pacific state, ya know???

rodriguez on letterman TNT!@#$%!!!

war and peace

ecstasy

voiceprint

running away

ladyhawk-no can do (2012)

Howdy rock fans (don’t forget to roll), it’s 2012 and things have certainly done changed!@#$%!!! The once inspirational MuchMusic is now a tween’d up joke of its former self and from coast-to-coast, the CBC has just dismantled its regional music libraries to clear room for rentable office space. Were the programmers/hosts even tapping into the vast vaults of vinyl and CDs??? Ah, right, no big loss then. In bigger news, social networking has eclipsed traditional print/radio/TV's readership, ratings, and relevance (this Internet contraption is addictive, eh???) and on the local record label front, Triple Crown Audio have made Vancouver-based/Kelowna-bred Ladyhawk an offer they couldn’t refuse, quality vinyl distributed right from their hometown.

So what does it all mean senor??? In these diluted days and nights of corporate culture dominance, it’s getting harder and harder to find bands who make music for music’s sake. Thankfully, Ladyhawk are bringing it back to the essence w/ their latest long player release. No Can Do is the group’s third studio album. It’s also their most assertive and soul stirring yet, available on CD/LP/Digital via Triple Crown (home to fine recordings by Destroyer along w/ Ladyhawk-affiliated Sports and Duffy & The Doubters). Featuring 10 Duffy Driediger (lead vocals, guitar) penned songs performed in the telekinetic way only Darcy Hancock (lead guitar, vocals), Sean Hawryluk (bass, vocals), and Ryan Peters (drums, vocals) can, No Can Do (*no relation to Hall & Oates, Chromeo or Kiwi chanteuse Ladyhawke while we’re at it) rips hard and harder. Recorded at The HIVE Creative Labs w/ Colin Stewart (+ electro-acoustic help from Black Mountain/Lightning Dust’s Joshua Wells), mastered by audio guru Jeff Lipton (Bon Iver, Destroyer-Kaputt, Numero Group) w/ the good people at Chicago Mastering Service handling the crucial vinyl lacquer cut, the results are rebel rousing to say the least. 

Having watched Ladyhawk evolve from “The Dugout” (Ladyhawk, 2006), “War” (Fight For Anarchy EP, 2007), and “You Ran” (Shots, 2008) to its current perch as grizzled (but always lovable) veterans of the Canadian music landscape, I can guarantee that this album will fuck you up something good. Don’t believe me??? Try it for yourself any way you see fit. Stand and be counted at one of their upcoming live shows, listen to No Can Do outside (*equally effective in mother nature as accompaniment for your daily street beat rituals) or even as a soundtrack to your next house party. Whatever shape your support takes, don’t forget to dance (even if you end up flat on your ass in a beer-soaked Horseshoe Tavern or deep in a puddle at a soggy interior B.C. baseball diamond)!!! Blessed w/ the ability to lift us high and higher, never loose faith. Ladyhawk will take care of the rest.

-       Kevin “Sipreano” Howes (Voluntary In Nature, Light In The Attic)

PS – Oh yeah, what does No Can Do actually sound like??? Choice!!! Potential clues for lazy journalists who won’t actually peep the album itself: Duffy posts some mental videos on his the eye of ladyhawk blog, Darcy cooks up dream BBQ (and loves Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, and INXS), Sean also plays in Baptists/Slow Learners, and Ryan has been linked to a certain TIME COOKIE. Keep digging out there peoples... PEACE!@#$%!!!

the call from below

SEEKERSINTERNATIONAL WAX!!! from the digitalis recordings label... more info here!@#$%!!!

episode 99-sipreano speaks-the stunt man's radio show

LITA 10th anniversary

read all about it!@#$%!!!

how long will the physical library survive???

au commencement

'za life...

there's gotta be someone out there who collects pizza boxes, eh??? or at least snaps of them??? will google...

vancouver's pizza landscape has changed quite a bit over the years and it's something i've followed w/ my eyes, heart, and stomach. the proliferation of dollar slice joints has recently been usurped by a classier brand of pizzerias—think thin crust, neapolitan-style (or inspired) 'zas to be eaten w/ cutlery and wolfed down w/ vino—finally matching the pies coming out of toronto at restaurants like terroni or pizzeria libretto. while crisp/semi-charred shells and liberal toppings can be wonderful (esp accompanied by the wet, hot, vinegary chili peppers at terroni, who's got that ish on the coast??? dry chili flakes are nice, but please... step it up!!!), i still prefer something a little more soft, doughy, and cloud-like. food snobs laugh if you will, but F.M. classic pizza is the staple of my west coast pizza experience. i believe it used to be on dunsmuir (in between seymour and richards) back in the day, but it's been nestled at 589 west pender (former home of record shop row in the 1990s) for a good number of years... hella consistent, there's something about their tomato sauce (and simple, louisiana-style hot sauce) that reels me in slice after slice (i've definitely filled out a few of their buy 10 get 1 free cards and will champion it against their next door competitor—or any local "dollar" slice—till the end of time). i usually opt for F.M.'s peperoni, mushroom, sausage (or ham/pineapple), but pesto is a nice veg alternative (and hella greasy FYI, no surprise there)... remember, this is pizza for under $2 ("fat and filling," says my fat and full stomach) and according to their advert (and pizza boxes, pictured above) they also make "low fat pizza & thin crust." hmm... something to try. ah, probably not. pretty partial to making pizzas of the thinner variety at home (w/ the oven blasting as high as it can go, a little trick i picked up from master 'za maestro, decaf); ingredients (like prosciutto and olives) picked up at local italian grocers w/ ash's homemade crust... oh my!@#$%!!! like roti (something i'll post about more extensively at a later date), no pizzas are created equal. it's their varied nuance and details that keep me coming back for more... any which way, 'za should be made fresh (and never reheated up front, colour me odd that way, leftovers, of course, a ok!@#$%!!!), consumed w/ the swiftness (don't forget to chew), and preferably, shared w/ friends. what's your favourite 'za??? (PIZZA) PEACE

*shout out to saskatchewan's western pizza ("all-dressed," esp pre re-branding), abruzzo, bitondo's, and north york pizza pizza circa '86-'89 (don't laugh, and yes, hard to believe now, but shit was real!!!)...

where is limbo???

today

*come hang w/ us outside OTIS music on davie as we celebrate in support of vancouver's gay and lesbian community!!! this jam is VOLUNTARY IN NATURE!@#%!!! simply for the love of music and people...

movie

well, la-ti-da...

just copped the new needles//pins 7" on LA-TI-DA records. this is how it should be done in 2012: killer band, killer songs (FYI, a-side original w/ teenage head flip), killer sleeve, killer vinyl, killer download card (lol... but nice to have). um, killer!!!

PS - needles//pins also have their debut LP (12:34) out now on mammoth cave recording co.!!!

state address

or another rant??? simply trying to make sense of it all (i keep hearing that 3 feet high and rising voice in my head, "what does it all mean") while speaking out loud (since 2010)!!!

ok, was happy to find april wine's "oceana" on youtube this morning!!! it's a heavy song from their self-titled debut LP on aquarius records (*think there was also a US release). keep your eyes peeled for this and other early april wine albums (like electric jewels!@#$%!!!). so, so good... vancouver summer is here and today is definitely a beach day. you know where to find me. in the "hot pocket." looking forward to PRIDE 2012 festivities on sunday. this will be my first PRIDE and i'm really excited to attend. it's an event i've wanted to peep for a long time and thanks to todd at otis records on davie (w/ speaker help from the stunt man), i actually get to drop some tunes for the throngs. think thongs and the pet shop boys ("west end girls," duh!@#$%!!!), "brothers"-era D.A.F., modern talking ("you're my heart, you're my soul" steelo), laidback ("sunshine reggae"), LIME ("i don't wanna loose you"), etc... word on the street is that there may even be an appearance from none other than ol' dancing bear (heading down from the mountains for a timely DJ slot). what else? donated my DJ services to a lovely wedding last weekend. booze was flowing all day and by 10 pm people were fully ready to get down. it was fun playing a few pop requests and dropping some lesser known boogie business (um, not talking about actual "boogie" music). "let your backbone slide" made a crucial showing as did a dope quebecois 7" i recently picked up. just received a special package in the mail from the ojibway and cree cultural centre, pieces of a puzzle i'm currently assembling for LITA. such an honour working w/ this spiritual material (an honour i do not take lightly) and i'm still scratching my head at how our project of first nations/inuit/yupik folk-rock is coming together. slowly, but surely... one step at a time. i promise to keep you in the loop as we progress (you won't be disappointed!!!). shout outs to shingoose (stay strong) and duke redbird while we're at it!!! the stone roses reunion is still the only current music story that matters round here right now (bless you DJ ichy for your fuji rock 2012 review!!!) ok, and the forthcoming ladyhawk LP no can do, but i'm getting sick of every music business/marketing/promotion/media/corporate culture angle these days. it's a total turn off. archival work and digging deep(er) is my antidote. FYI (to any readers out there), i listen to records, MP3s, CDs, cassettes (in the whip), and vibe out as much as possible. music, to me, is not format specific. of course, certain formats (see above) will have certain fidelity (warmth, BASS, etc...). the most important thing is that one listens... preferably w/ open ears. here's a boring scenario: garage rock meet garage rock in a garage rock fashion, w/ garage rock for dessert (replace w/ "psych," "punk," "reggae," "hip-hop" or whatever genre you can think of). garage rock after-party (wink emoticon here)!!! sound interesting??? true diversity. understanding. love. it's gotta happen (and coming soon to a theatre near you!!!). the taste, crafted for years, is already there, why be shy about it (brand strengthening be damned!!!). as i said before, it's coming. but whatever you do, please beat the corporate cultural giants to it, ok (they may actually be leading that race, ex) red bull music academy)??? disclaimer: i took red bull cheddar (interviewing bernard "pretty" purdie, wine connoisseur cut chemist, and dope DJ/producer tiga in VAN, TDOT, and MTL) a handful of years back and actually enjoy the drink as a pep from time to time. was i really just talking about energy drinks??? ok, eye spy time... glancing to my left is a cassette sleeve for and the beat goes on... a musical history of ranking roger (gotta scan this for you!@#$%!!!) and to my right, a box of 7"s along w/ a tilley baseball/desert raider hat. straight ahead is my hands typing your this message on a macbook pro laptop (was that a form of product placement???). above, an arctic set thrift store score painting and a even higher, a french-canadian musket from 1837 (thief deterrent and a gift from my departed grandad on my 16th birthday!@#$%!!!). today, i am thirty-seven years of age. i live w/ the love of my life. there are no dogs, but insects like to join the party from time to time (like real bugs, not house guests, those, we LOVE!!!). there is food in the fridge. there is even some food on the floor (gotta clean that stat!!!). the name is sipset salmon gang (i jacked that from US rap producer jake one via a message board post he made about my voluntary in nature mix from the mid-2000s). ok (once more). PEACE

oceana

what's it all about

liam watching the roses

maple leaf gardens

i LOVED going to toronto's maple leaf gardens as a kid. of course, i saw the leafs (including a crazy come back game against the L.A. kings back in the late 1980s, hockey heads may know what i'm talking about here), but also the beastie boys, and a little earlier, kamala "the ugandan headhunter" against hulk hogan in a championship title match (steel cage to boot, lol...)!@#$%!!! i remember the old-school urinals which was just a long wall to slash against. um, the concessions were good too... anyways, TJ just sent me this ill pic from the gardens' rafters sparking a lil' flashback session. i know there's been renovations and some changes to the building since its heyday (including the addition of a flagship loblaws grocery store), but from the outside, MLG still looms large on carlton street. PEACE