The 1900s
Cold and Kind
Most breakups result in tubs of ice cream, not creative epiphanies; fortunately, for the seven-member The 1900s, emotional disaster has turned into a pretty, and pretty cohesive, record. Employing various boy-girl vocals, the album mines the same personal wreckage as Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, while adding enough surprises to separate it from the 70’s lite-rock cannon. If there’s one thing The 1900s share with their idols, it’s the fact that they’ve made an album, album – from the urgent piano of the first tracks, to the gospel-ish choir in the middle to the aching coda at the end, Cold and Kind is best experienced, for all its beautiful ebbs and flows, as a whole. Highlights: The whole thing…(also: Wool of the Lamb, Georgia, When I Say Go)
The Foals
Antidotes
The Foals are their own genre, and that genre should be called divisive listening. If you hate kinetically-charged math rock with a Battles meets Brit-rock aesthetic, then you’ll hate the Foals; if you love lyrics that repeat every third word because it sounds cool and random thrown-together subject matter that came freshly picked out of a hat, then you’ll love the Foals. Antidotes is simply a frustratingly, enjoyable, unbearably, wondrous album. Highlights: Red Sock Pugie, Olympic Airways, Cassius
Al Green
Lay it Down
You know the drill – trot out former all-star, dominate the record with “supporting” new all-stars and let everybody collect a cheque. Well, Al Green isn’t going down so easy – Lay it Down might “feature” John Legend and half of The Roots, but it’s still Green’s show. Green’s falsetto still has its stunning wattage, and it basks in the syrupy sweetness of the AM radio horns, old-school Hammond organ buzz, and fat bass lines. Of course it’s not Green’s best work (that’s Call Me), but it is his best work since returning to recording in 2003, and it captures the essence of satin soul better than anything else released since Green retired the first time around. Highlights: Lay it Down, Just for Me, You’ve Got the Love I Need
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Balzac Mall Maul
Who puts a mall in Balzac?
Somewhere right now there is a group of people, probably seasoned professionals, sitting around a table. These people are agreeing that building a mall in Balzac is a good idea. Not only do they think that a mall is a good idea, they think it should be a super-mall ala West Edmonton Mall.
No doubt they have charts, they have research and they have statistics that support this idea. These people not only think that a super-mall is financially tenable, but that it’s likely to turn some kind of profit. While I’m no expert, my gut feelings says no, they’re totally wrong.
The news of course, sounds like a regurgitated press release and states that most of the retail space is already leased, that the mall will feature wondrous shopping and entertainment and will take advantage of a booming Alberta market. They’re forgetting the most important thing though – will anybody go there?
I realize Calgary’s exponential outward growth makes Balzac pretty close to the city limits, but unless you actually live on the northwest/northeast corner of the city, it’s not a convenient location. One of the things that makes West Edmonton Mall appealing for its core shoppers, Edmontonians, is that it’s reasonably fixated within the city. A Balzac mall is a drive for someone relatively central and is almost Odyssey-an for anyone living in the deep southwest or southeast.
And, unless you can get Calgarians to go there regularly, you’re not going to turn a tidy profit. Tourists alone won’t be enough to carry a mall of this size.
I’m all for ambition, but this venture already has a bad location on its side. If Canada (and partly Alberta) ever slides into recession like the US, we could be looking at one of the biggest and most expensive financial disasters in Calgary, or not quite-Calgary’s, history.
Somewhere right now there is a group of people, probably seasoned professionals, sitting around a table. These people are agreeing that building a mall in Balzac is a good idea. Not only do they think that a mall is a good idea, they think it should be a super-mall ala West Edmonton Mall.
No doubt they have charts, they have research and they have statistics that support this idea. These people not only think that a super-mall is financially tenable, but that it’s likely to turn some kind of profit. While I’m no expert, my gut feelings says no, they’re totally wrong.
The news of course, sounds like a regurgitated press release and states that most of the retail space is already leased, that the mall will feature wondrous shopping and entertainment and will take advantage of a booming Alberta market. They’re forgetting the most important thing though – will anybody go there?
I realize Calgary’s exponential outward growth makes Balzac pretty close to the city limits, but unless you actually live on the northwest/northeast corner of the city, it’s not a convenient location. One of the things that makes West Edmonton Mall appealing for its core shoppers, Edmontonians, is that it’s reasonably fixated within the city. A Balzac mall is a drive for someone relatively central and is almost Odyssey-an for anyone living in the deep southwest or southeast.
And, unless you can get Calgarians to go there regularly, you’re not going to turn a tidy profit. Tourists alone won’t be enough to carry a mall of this size.
I’m all for ambition, but this venture already has a bad location on its side. If Canada (and partly Alberta) ever slides into recession like the US, we could be looking at one of the biggest and most expensive financial disasters in Calgary, or not quite-Calgary’s, history.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Music Review: Crystal Castles, Health, Gutter Twins
Crystal Castles
s/t
It’s an Atari game and now it’s also a Toronto two-piece who twist an 8-bit aesthetic into dark, danceable post-rave. Singer Alice Glass contorts over Ethan Kath’s combination of warped Nintendo squeals and heavy synthesizers – the resulting sound isn’t just cold – it’s positively frozen. Crystal Castles sound as though they’re playing frost covered instruments in a meat locker while wearing black hoodies and black sunglasses with the lights off – in other words, it’s menacingly good. Highlights: Untrust Us, Courtship Date, XXZXCUZX ME
Health
DISCO
If there’s one release that could probably do with a drastic remix it’s Health’s underwhelming self-titled release from this year. While their first album did add some interesting thematic elements to the sludge-rock genre (pop, noise and ambience), it felt a little too much like Boris’ Pink redux than an original release from an original band. DISCO re-imagines Health through the lens of some wickedly aggressive electro – it’s an impressive mix of brontosaurus rock with razor sharp synthesizers – and it comes across like a raving LCD Soundsystem hopped-up on angel dust running naked through the streets. Highlights: Lost Time (Picture Plane Remix), Heaven (Narctrax Remix), Zoothorns (Nastique’s Remix)
The Gutter Twins
Saturnalia
Remember when gothic meant something other than wearing dark make-up and scribbling in a skull and cross-bones diary? Me neither, but The Gutter Twins (former Afghan whig Greg Dhulli and former Screaming Trees Mark Lanegan) conjure up a dark and sensuous record that would soundtrack perfectly to Bela Lugosi’s Dracula. Whether its white noise strings, growling stand up bass, rumbling synthesizers, or whispery come-hither lyrics, the whole record effortlessly melds into a smoky vision of wax candles and crushed velvet. Highlights: The Stations, Circle the Fringes, God’s Children
s/t
It’s an Atari game and now it’s also a Toronto two-piece who twist an 8-bit aesthetic into dark, danceable post-rave. Singer Alice Glass contorts over Ethan Kath’s combination of warped Nintendo squeals and heavy synthesizers – the resulting sound isn’t just cold – it’s positively frozen. Crystal Castles sound as though they’re playing frost covered instruments in a meat locker while wearing black hoodies and black sunglasses with the lights off – in other words, it’s menacingly good. Highlights: Untrust Us, Courtship Date, XXZXCUZX ME
Health
DISCO
If there’s one release that could probably do with a drastic remix it’s Health’s underwhelming self-titled release from this year. While their first album did add some interesting thematic elements to the sludge-rock genre (pop, noise and ambience), it felt a little too much like Boris’ Pink redux than an original release from an original band. DISCO re-imagines Health through the lens of some wickedly aggressive electro – it’s an impressive mix of brontosaurus rock with razor sharp synthesizers – and it comes across like a raving LCD Soundsystem hopped-up on angel dust running naked through the streets. Highlights: Lost Time (Picture Plane Remix), Heaven (Narctrax Remix), Zoothorns (Nastique’s Remix)
The Gutter Twins
Saturnalia
Remember when gothic meant something other than wearing dark make-up and scribbling in a skull and cross-bones diary? Me neither, but The Gutter Twins (former Afghan whig Greg Dhulli and former Screaming Trees Mark Lanegan) conjure up a dark and sensuous record that would soundtrack perfectly to Bela Lugosi’s Dracula. Whether its white noise strings, growling stand up bass, rumbling synthesizers, or whispery come-hither lyrics, the whole record effortlessly melds into a smoky vision of wax candles and crushed velvet. Highlights: The Stations, Circle the Fringes, God’s Children
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Rye coke
in the bar where i play my air guitar
there’s shards of a disconsolate animal
self stealing hands under blouses
there’s shards of a disconsolate animal
self stealing hands under blouses
Long distance
lapels and crowns scorn your own
disowned brother by the yellow
birch boys wring the tire swing
disowned brother by the yellow
birch boys wring the tire swing
Monday, May 26, 2008
PR: People Don't Care About Your Crappy Website
A dedicated web-writer is not a popular person. Here’s why. You meet your project manager. They proceed to tell you all the things they want on a website/microsite/e-mail/banner. Their strategic plan says the outcome of all this communication is action by the customer. Your response? Nope. Not happening. Nothing doing.
It’s a common argument I have everyday. You can say all the things you want in an online world. Your audience doesn’t care.
Websites are not books, and they don’t just operate differently. People using websites approach them differently. They are not looking to read, they are looking to do.
People are getting more ruthless and selfish when they go online. A recent study by Jakob Nielsen found that people only read about 20 per cent of the words on a page.
Research also shows users are ignoring any attempts to keep people on a page (people will stay on a page for 4.4 seconds per 100 words). People have become better at knowing where to go, and like the TV commercials we skip, people are better at ignoring marketing/pr information that is irrelevant to their task.
The key? People want websites to get to the point. This is especially important when you consider that roughly 75 per cent of people will find your homepage by search engine. The key is to help people do exactly what they want, and make it seamless – from search engine – to your homepage – to their task.
Your website/microsite/email is a tool- no different from a hammer or a measuring tape – if you make it easy and useful, people will keep using it.
It’s a common argument I have everyday. You can say all the things you want in an online world. Your audience doesn’t care.
Websites are not books, and they don’t just operate differently. People using websites approach them differently. They are not looking to read, they are looking to do.
People are getting more ruthless and selfish when they go online. A recent study by Jakob Nielsen found that people only read about 20 per cent of the words on a page.
Research also shows users are ignoring any attempts to keep people on a page (people will stay on a page for 4.4 seconds per 100 words). People have become better at knowing where to go, and like the TV commercials we skip, people are better at ignoring marketing/pr information that is irrelevant to their task.
The key? People want websites to get to the point. This is especially important when you consider that roughly 75 per cent of people will find your homepage by search engine. The key is to help people do exactly what they want, and make it seamless – from search engine – to your homepage – to their task.
Your website/microsite/email is a tool- no different from a hammer or a measuring tape – if you make it easy and useful, people will keep using it.
Update
Update
Sorry for the lapse in posts – I’m in a bit of a transitional period with this site.
With the end of 11th transmission, I’ve been unsure how to use this site for both comic and text posts.
Ultimately, I’ve decided this site will be dedicated to text posts and that a new site will be delivering the much-delayed comics. I’m in the process of building that new site, but in the meantime, I’ll keep updating permanent hiatus with articles.
Sorry for the lapse in posts – I’m in a bit of a transitional period with this site.
With the end of 11th transmission, I’ve been unsure how to use this site for both comic and text posts.
Ultimately, I’ve decided this site will be dedicated to text posts and that a new site will be delivering the much-delayed comics. I’m in the process of building that new site, but in the meantime, I’ll keep updating permanent hiatus with articles.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
double suicide
double suicide
it dribbles onto the newspaper and
you are a parable that I can erase in
falling these beads of bright ochre
it dribbles onto the newspaper and
you are a parable that I can erase in
falling these beads of bright ochre
hard boiled
hard boiled
so you have no recollection of reloading
and throttling flint in naked fireworks of
your two-fisted poetics splintering crates
so you have no recollection of reloading
and throttling flint in naked fireworks of
your two-fisted poetics splintering crates
pegleg
pegleg
brake for phantom pangs I fill it up
with new pots and pans they are asking
you sir please stop the shouting
brake for phantom pangs I fill it up
with new pots and pans they are asking
you sir please stop the shouting
teleprompter
teleprompter
a braille of iron descending into
the mouth haunted angry raze
this involuntary iron brain
a braille of iron descending into
the mouth haunted angry raze
this involuntary iron brain
deadpan
deadpan
abandoning demand I listen to ACDC
and burn with luck to tidy in those
superficial spaces and duck the bouquet
abandoning demand I listen to ACDC
and burn with luck to tidy in those
superficial spaces and duck the bouquet
bedroom eyes
bedroom eyes
where are the redemptive details i
bezel violently fingernails wreak
the headboard’s bloody bloody
where are the redemptive details i
bezel violently fingernails wreak
the headboard’s bloody bloody
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Fast Five Music Reviews
The Acorn – Glory Hope Mountain
Glory Hope Mountain is a quasi concept album about the lead singer’s mother and her tumultuous journey from South America. It’s a tender mix of shambling acoustics and subtle African rhythms where the heart is mapped over the geography of continents and psychography of hardship in a wide-eyed tribute. Highlights: The Flood pt. 2, Crooked Legs
Burial – Untrue
A year-end favorite, and deservedly so, Burial’s second album is the warmest cold record I’ve heard in a long time. Distant, yet edging over with latent emotion, it’s the perfect synopsis of unreconcilable love. Not a sunny day record, but one that soundtracks great saying hello to the night. Highlights: Arcangel, In McDonalds, Ghost Hardware
Ladyhawk – Shots
Ladyhawk are proving to be more consistent than small town transit with a second release of solid, squalling guitar workouts. This release gets a little darker, moving away from no luck resignation into alcohol-fueled mortal contemplation. The abyss stares back and it sounds great. Highlights: Fear, Corpse Paint, Faces of Death
Miracle Fortress – Five Roses
So Panda Bear gets all the credit for reviving the Beach Boys with Person Pitch, but I prefer Miracle Fortress’ Five Roses. Rather than play to the postmodern crowd, Five Roses revels in oldschool melody and the sweet interplay of double-tracked falsetto vocals. It’s forward-thinking, but still saves the baby from the bathwater. Highlights: Maybe Lately, Beach Bay, Hold Your Secrets to Your Heart.
Ungdomskulen – Cry Baby
The band name means “middle school” but sounds more like something a middle-schooler would draw on their binder. It’s a pretty fair representation of the band – a buzzing amalgamation of sung-scremed vocals, high-wire guitars, galloping drums and punch your lights out bass. The rhythm section is worth the admission alone. Highlights: Glory Hole, Modern Drummer, Ordinary Son.
Glory Hope Mountain is a quasi concept album about the lead singer’s mother and her tumultuous journey from South America. It’s a tender mix of shambling acoustics and subtle African rhythms where the heart is mapped over the geography of continents and psychography of hardship in a wide-eyed tribute. Highlights: The Flood pt. 2, Crooked Legs
Burial – Untrue
A year-end favorite, and deservedly so, Burial’s second album is the warmest cold record I’ve heard in a long time. Distant, yet edging over with latent emotion, it’s the perfect synopsis of unreconcilable love. Not a sunny day record, but one that soundtracks great saying hello to the night. Highlights: Arcangel, In McDonalds, Ghost Hardware
Ladyhawk – Shots
Ladyhawk are proving to be more consistent than small town transit with a second release of solid, squalling guitar workouts. This release gets a little darker, moving away from no luck resignation into alcohol-fueled mortal contemplation. The abyss stares back and it sounds great. Highlights: Fear, Corpse Paint, Faces of Death
Miracle Fortress – Five Roses
So Panda Bear gets all the credit for reviving the Beach Boys with Person Pitch, but I prefer Miracle Fortress’ Five Roses. Rather than play to the postmodern crowd, Five Roses revels in oldschool melody and the sweet interplay of double-tracked falsetto vocals. It’s forward-thinking, but still saves the baby from the bathwater. Highlights: Maybe Lately, Beach Bay, Hold Your Secrets to Your Heart.
Ungdomskulen – Cry Baby
The band name means “middle school” but sounds more like something a middle-schooler would draw on their binder. It’s a pretty fair representation of the band – a buzzing amalgamation of sung-scremed vocals, high-wire guitars, galloping drums and punch your lights out bass. The rhythm section is worth the admission alone. Highlights: Glory Hole, Modern Drummer, Ordinary Son.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Our robot overlords are coming
An Atlanta bar owner has discovered a new way to solve crime and homelessness. With robots of course! It's funny but also kind of sad.
We all get that crime and homelessness are problems, but a robot that rolls around shooting water at people is sort of an absurd solution. Especially when a recent newscast points out in detail who is controlling the robot, what he looks like and where he works.
Another problem of course is that these robot overlords look suspiciously like the evil robot overlords from Doctor Who.
We all get that crime and homelessness are problems, but a robot that rolls around shooting water at people is sort of an absurd solution. Especially when a recent newscast points out in detail who is controlling the robot, what he looks like and where he works.
Another problem of course is that these robot overlords look suspiciously like the evil robot overlords from Doctor Who.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
FREE Article about Getting Things Free
The latest issue of Wired has an excellent article by Chris Anderson on how the Internet is changing that game of business.
The demonetization of business is a fascinating concept, particularly because it resets the framework of what business actually is – no longer about products, it’s now about relationships.
Even when you give something away for free – somewhere there is value in the relationship of one person giving another person something that they value, even if they didn’t have to pay for it. Think about how TV and radio work - you watch or listen for free from the station, who in turn makes money by being paid by people who want you to watch or listen to their ads.
Seth Godin touches on some of these ideas, and the new importance of relationships in a recent speech to the music industry, one business in particular, who is having trouble adjusting to this new economy.
And, the article by Anderson is, of course, totally free to read.
The demonetization of business is a fascinating concept, particularly because it resets the framework of what business actually is – no longer about products, it’s now about relationships.
Even when you give something away for free – somewhere there is value in the relationship of one person giving another person something that they value, even if they didn’t have to pay for it. Think about how TV and radio work - you watch or listen for free from the station, who in turn makes money by being paid by people who want you to watch or listen to their ads.
Seth Godin touches on some of these ideas, and the new importance of relationships in a recent speech to the music industry, one business in particular, who is having trouble adjusting to this new economy.
And, the article by Anderson is, of course, totally free to read.
Monday, February 18, 2008
How much do you walk?
The average person walks less than 6,000 steps per day which is less than 2 miles. Doctor's recommend at least 10,000 steps per day to maintain cardiovascular fitness.
It's hard in a sprawling car-friendly city like Calgary, but the benefits are clear:
It's hard in a sprawling car-friendly city like Calgary, but the benefits are clear:
- People in walk friendly neighborhoods weigh 7 pounds less on average
- They tend to be more active (and interactive) in their community
- They tend to support local businesses (because they walk to them)
Momentum works both ways. Right now, Calgary just keeps growing outwards endlessly, promoting rising infrastructure costs for roads, utilities, schools, police, transit etc. It all means that Calgary gets more expensive, and the further out you go, the more you have to drive, the more pollution you create - more more more.
Think about moving inwards - it creates higher population density, which promotes better use of infrastructure (roads, ulities, schools, police, transit, etc) and creates a stronger local economy with a thriving, lively center. There is a reason people want to move to Vancouver.
Check out www.walkscore.com for walking information and your city's walking score.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Science fiction poetry?
Log03/09/48
outside the climate suit
charles surveyed a bottled sunrise
broken over leaves and foundations
Log08/26/46
I would kill for milk
trapped in the isosceles
tail until next august
Log11/04/48
inject the apes with it
inject the apes with it
and leave before you see
and leave before you see
eyelids jerk and blaze
eyelids jrek and blaze
like this deflated land
like thiss defalted
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
PingMag - Design in the Way of Japan
Seth Godin, marketing (or arguably communications) genius extraordinaire highlighted this Japanese design magazine in a recent post.
As someone who loves all things Japanese, I highly recommend it. It's full of unique art and design stories both local to Japan (calligraphy, traditional woodmaking and...Japanse skate parks!) and international (miniminal techno record sleeve design and surreal Serbian photography).
For example, check out these cool undeground subway murals.
As someone who loves all things Japanese, I highly recommend it. It's full of unique art and design stories both local to Japan (calligraphy, traditional woodmaking and...Japanse skate parks!) and international (miniminal techno record sleeve design and surreal Serbian photography).
For example, check out these cool undeground subway murals.
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