VIN Value > BIN Value
*more to come on this...
**BIG thanks to Arcee for the conceptualization assistance!!!
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Monday, December 29, 2014
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Friday, December 26, 2014
LOVE laurel
*Laurel Aitken ALWAYS makes me think of my old friend/mentor, James Bell (aka Lockjaw). RIP you two!!! PEACE
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Rick Wilkins and The Mutual Understanding - The Bell That Couldn't Jingle (1970)
*Happy holidays to ALL!@#$%!!! PEACE
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
2014 Sipreano version
2014:
At the dawn of 2014, my wife and I separated after five
short months of marriage. Needless to say, it was devastating for both of us. It’s
been almost a year now and life is much better. While it was difficult to
reconcile the split, I thankfully had plenty of positive work to keep my
professional life on track. Completing Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985, by
then over four years in the making, was priority number one. With 23 separate
artists and groups involved, this was also a very challenging experience, without
a doubt my most ambitious archival project to date. To those who may not know
me well, I am a very empathetic person and the songs and stories of NNA V1
affected me to the core. When tapping into such important music and culture
there was a lot to live up to and I wanted to give the artists the utmost
respect in presenting their music and history to fans old and new. With the
cooperation and help of many, NNA V1 was released on November 25 to
international acclaim. I am very happy and feel blessed to have played a part
in helping to make this happen. Of course, and as I’ve said many times before,
there would be no project w/o the music and music makers from this decisive
era! Sending eternal love! I also can’t forget the many heads, hands, and
hearts that helped me to complete this massive undertaking. Lastly, I’d like to
say “cheers!” to all of the fine folks at Light in the Attic Records for
believing in this music enough to release and promote it to the world! We (finally)
made it! Good things ahead!
At my lowest ebb earlier this year, there was a new album
that lifted my spirits and made me think very deeply about life and the world
in which we live, Vancouver-based Dada Plan’s monumental A Dada Plan is Free. The self-released album (now available from
Kingfisher Bluez) touched my soul like no other contemporary sounds in recent
memory and certainly evoked the excitement of the emergence of Black Mountain
and Pink Mountaintops on Vancouver’s musical landscape way back in 2003/4. The
ol’ 10-year cycle come true? Funny enough, Black Mountain drummer, producer,
DJ, and overall music man Joshua Wells (Lighting Dust, Sur Une Plage) first played
me the group’s songs, which he recorded to tape w/ his trademark deft touch.
The material sounded fluid, funky, and lyrically focused, perfect for
contemplative introspection or dance floor abandon. Upon repeated listens, A Dada Plan is Free revealed even more...
Not many musicians today are touching on the madness of this digital age, and
none w/o the finesse of Malcolm Biddle and crew. Live, the group has emerged as
a beast (as in HEAVY, dig?) with each member contributing a necessary element
to the stew: upright bass, congas, synth, sax, guitar, and words of wisdom.
Dada Plan is currently completing their second long player and I can’t wait to
hear the results! Once again, good things ahead!
The Lido has been another positive change for Vancouver this
year. Located at 518 East Broadway, this neighbourhood bar, meeting place,
pickled egg vendor, and concert/DJ venue has people talking, drinking, linking,
and grooving like nothing else in recent memory. Do I feel a renaissance? YES!
BIG thanks to Matt and Kim for bringing this legendary building back to life in
such a vital way.
What’s ahead then? Well, more titles in the Native North America series for one.
Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more details as they appear. As for the
rest, all material fit for print will be shared here, Voluntary in Nature!@#$%!!! PEACE
VIBRATION(S) LIST:
Hong Kong, Vietnam, four Bia hơi glasses for four friends, Hội An fancy dinner,
MOR Talk Radio, Powell River, CJMP 90.1 FM, Seekers International,
WZDRY/AV, Transmolecular, The Stunt Man, Dada Plan, Thomas Anselmi, Brit Pop Night(s)
at the ANZA, Rolling Stone, RIDE reunion, diving, lake swimming, to all of the
babies (!!!), Frost-Forward/Hersey/Heedram-Lane/Thompson/Howes clans, Echo & The Bunnymen,
.99 cent Plastic Cloud, Radio Maria, General Public,
Commodore/Bottleneck/Lido/Reposado DJ’ing, Willie Thrasher/Linda Saddleback at
Khatsahlano Festival, Toronto and Vancouver NNA V1 gatherings, Wayne McGhie
& the Sounds of Joy re-release, BBNG, The Canadian Romantic, reggae, Raincoast
Kombucha, HK BBQ Master, Prontino playlist, digging deeper, Birdapres, Cratery,
Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Ali’s Roti, Bitundo’s Pizza, Town Pump/Hogan’s Alley, etc… vintage Vancouver matchboxes (thanks Kamandi!!!), The
Sadies, Duke Redbird, howdy neighbour, DP for short, road trips, mad mass media, wave maker, Courtenay
Tie Dye Arts, Jack Frost’s flowing mane, Ronnie’s Local 069, The Castle of No Return, Willie Dunn
(and family), Willy Mitchell, Lloyd Cheechoo and all of the talented artists featured
on NNA V1 (and beyond!@#$%!!!), You’ve Changed Records, Dave Doolittle, Rick, The
Keg, On Lok, Goldstone Bakery solo sessions, Chinatown, Sound Canada, Jennifer
Forward Frost photography, 40 feels, Bron, NNA V1 art director Chris Gergley,
UMFM, CBC, APTN, NCI, The Guardian, Record Collector, Lewis Furey (not L'Amour), UK 12”s, CDN 7”s, Pub
Nite, Mood Jga Jga, missing an old friend dearly, “Simple Stuff,” the ultimate
digging touch of Catalist, The Mighty Pope, Chrana anything, Kaewonder turns
30, tunes, Kokanee crash, China Cloud, Brooks Norman, homemade Willie Thrasher
CDs, posters by Sipreano, Webber twins Birthday jam, Will Lawrence (In House
Press), Matt Kyrsko visuals, Poppy Family Experience, The Fox, Wang’s Taiwan
Beef Noodle House, Salmongang Instagram, Kreative Kontrol, Double Double Land, Jennifer Castle, mono LOVE Da Capo, Kraftwerk
LIVE, Michael Head, The Rutles, "Palm of My Hand," Beatball Records, The Mutual Understanding’s In Wonderland, NNA V1 trailer editor Louvens Remy, Tla’amin
Convenience Store, Desolation Sound tour, killer killer whales, 80s Dance, healthy food gift basket, Koko sushi booth sessions,
the promise of 2015, and on and on and on...
Monday, December 22, 2014
Coast 1040 - The Spirit of Radio (Vancouver)
*Coast 1040 was a BIG influence on my musical development. Came in crystal clear in Coquitlam, B.C.!!! PEACE
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Saturday, December 20, 2014
NNA V1 thank you
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*It's been super duper cool to see the enthusiastic reception that NNA V1 has received thus far. I'd like to thank all of the people who have sent messages as well as to those who have shared links and positive vibrations to both myself, Light in the Attic Records, and especially to the artists whose life-changing music has made my work on this project possible. It's been a true labour of love! While I'm not much of a numbers and sales guy (I'll leave that to LITA), I was very chuffed that the NNA V1 album trailer hit the 10,000 views mark on Youtube. It's nowhere near the sizable views of even the most banal and trivial clips available in this digital age we live in, but it shows me that we are not alone. Because I am in Vancouver and it's currently raining fast and steady, I'll leave you w/ this seasonal cheer (to the tune of "Let it Snow"): "Let it flow, let it grow, let it show!!!" PEACE
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Native North America on Q (CBC)
In 2007, I appeared on CBC's Q (then hosted by Jian Ghomeshi) alongside Cougars' vocalist Jay Douglas to promote Light in the Attic Records' Jamaica to Toronto: Soul, Funk, and Reggae 1967-1974. Today, I will guest alongside James Bay Cree Lloyd Cheechoo (CNACA) in support of Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985. Q's current host is Wab Kinew and I look forward to hearing how the prerecorded piece was put together. During the course of our talk, Wab mentioned that his family had a Willie Dunn LP in his house growing up. I imagine that would've been very inspiring and thought provoking, no doubt, a real eye (and ear) opener! But of course, one comes to music when you do and all that matters is that it resonates within. While Wab and I are Canadians of different cultural backgrounds, we both have Willie Dunn in common and that, to me, represents part of what's great about this country, the opportunity for meaningful exchange and dialogue, learning from personal experience and from each other! PEACE
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Ladyhawk and Needles//Pins w/ Sipreano
*There's been so much energy and excitement around the NNA V1 project that I'm ready to start channeling the vibrations into some musical expression. Playing vinyl records is one of my fave ways to do that and I'm happy to be helping to set the mood at the upcoming Ladyhawk and Needles//Pins Biltmore 7th anniversary jam. Not sure what I'll be dropping quite yet, but I promise it will be INSANE!@#$%!!! PEACE
Monday, December 15, 2014
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Friday, December 12, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Monday, December 8, 2014
(REVISED) POSTER POWER
*please note changes to this event...
An event/gathering to celebrate the release of Light in the Attic Records’ Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985 compilation (2-CD/3-LP) featuring a live performance from Willie Thrasher & Linda Saddleback, listening session, and a 16mm screening of Willie Dunn’s 1968 short film, The Ballad of Crowfoot (NFB).
Thursday, December 11, 2014
***PLEASE NOTE***
***IMPORTANT CHANGE TO THIS EVENT***
***NOW TWO SEPARATE SHOWS***
***Due to overwhelming interest, the NNA V1 Vancouver gathering will be held as two separate shows (7-9 pm and 9:30-11:30 pm w/ a 30-min turnover of audience (9-9:30 pm), as a note, the venue is open until 1 am). Both events will have the same content and Willie/Linda are excited to play for you! Please come early (The Lido is open from 4 pm) to avoid any disappointment. First come, first served basis (sorry, no exceptions)!***
***THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING***
THE LIDO
518 E. Broadway
Vancouver, British Columbia
FREE EVENT (limited space, come early to ensure entry, first come first served basis)
Largely unheard, criminally undocumented, but at their core, utterly revolutionary, the recordings of the diverse North American Aboriginal community will finally take their rightful place in our collective history in the form of Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966–1985. An anthology of music that was once near-extinct and off-the-grid is now available for all to hear, in what is, without a doubt, Light In The Attic’s most ambitious and historically significant project in the label’s 12-year journey.
Native North America (Vol. 1) features music from the Indigenous peoples of Canada and the northern United States, recorded in the turbulent decades between 1966 to 1985. It represents the fusion of shifting global popular culture and a reawakening of Aboriginal spirituality and expression. The majority of this material has been widely unavailable for decades, hindered by lack of distribution or industry support and by limited mass media coverage, until now. You’ll hear Arctic garage rock from the Nunavik region of northern Quebec, melancholy Yup’ik folk from Alaska, and hushed country blues from the Wagmatcook First Nation reserve in Nova Scotia. You’ll hear echoes of Neil Young, Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Johnny Cash, and more among the songs, but injected with Native consciousness, storytelling, poetry, history, and ceremony.
The stories behind the music presented on Native North America (Vol. 1) range from standard rock-and-roll dreams to transcendental epiphanies. They have been collected with love and respect by Vancouver-based record archaeologist and curator Kevin “Sipreano” Howes in a 15-year quest to unearth the history that falls between the notes of this unique music. Tirelessly, Howes scoured obscure, remote areas for the original vinyl recordings and the artists who made them, going so far as to send messages in Inuktitut over community radio airwaves in hopes that these lost cultural heroes would resurface.
With cooperation and guidance from the artists, producers, family members, and behind the scenes players, Native North America (Vol. 1) sheds real light on the painful struggles and deep traditions of the greater Indigenous community and the significance of its music. The songs speak of joy and spirituality, but also tell of real tragedy and strife, like that of Algonquin/Mohawk artist Willy Mitchell, whose music career was sparked by a bullet to the head from the gun of a trigger-happy police officer, or those of Inuk singer-songwriter Willie Thrasher, who was robbed of his family and traditional Inuit culture by the residential school system.
Considering the financially motivated destruction of our environment, the conservative political landscape, and corporate bottom-line dominance, it’s bittersweet to report that the revolutionary songs featured on Native North America hold as much meaning today as when they were originally recorded. Dedicated to legendary Mi'kmaq singer-songwriter and poet Willie Dunn, featured on the anthology but who sadly passed away during its making, Native North America (Vol. 1) is only the beginning. A companion set featuring a crucial selection of folk, rock, and country from the United States’ Lower 48 and Mexico is currently in production.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Friday, December 5, 2014
Living, learning, and loving...
2014 has been a very interesting year thus far. It started out w/ some international travel to Hong Kong and Vietnam and quickly went sideways, up, down, and all around in directions I never thought to be possible. This shakeup, however unsettling, did let me focus on completing Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985, a project five years in the making which I am happy to say, was released last week via Light in the Attic Records. I've worked in collaboration w/ LITA for over 10 years now and we've helped to bring many still relevant archival projects to the musical table. It's an honour for me to work w/ artists whose songs and stories I so admire and I will continue this life long passion in whatever form it takes. I live in a cultural world and I want to engage w/ it and contribute to it while learning and loving. Giving thanks to the land and my always growing family, I will never be alone. 2015 is just around the bend and I'm thinking about its potential for greater understanding. I will be here, Voluntary in Nature. You know where to find me... Sipreano
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
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