Little Brother makes me laugh a whole lot.

They are simply hilarious. Anyhow, I can't stop chuckling to myself about their myspace tune. I may just be a giant loser, but the "HOJ Myspace Anthem" found here is pretty funny.
Thanks to RYC for the photo.

Asalaam alaykum, ye Harar conjo...

I found this video, shot in Harar, for a tune by Bole2Harlem (so named for Bole Road--the road that leads to the airport in Addis Abeba). You may or may not like the song, and the two guys in the band are a little fromage, but it's otherwise quite well done and you get to see the absolutely beautiful clothes Harari women wear...

And to think I only have a non-crushable one.

When I need a friend it's still you

Okey dokes, so I was obsessed with Dinosaur Jr. for a great deal of my childhood/teenagehood/twenties (must I date myself?). Something about that guitar sound--Green Mind is still a terrific album. Anyhow, while I was working in publishing I got this great idea to do a book about Morrissey's fans--it really was a thinly veiled excuse to set up an interview with J Mascis, who I knew was quite the fan. Though the book never materialized, the interview did, and the resulting piece was only ever used as part of a school assignment; it was a project where I was supposed to "experiment" with journalism. This may perhaps be the first (and, frankly, last) piece of rock n' roll writing that I've ever done. It's bloody academic-y and I sound like a giant nerd. Also, when I think about this now, it does seem odd that I called one musician up to talk about someone else's music, but Mr. Mascis was kind and did humour me. Thanks to James for archiving this...5 years is a long time ago, eh?

J Mascis on Morrissey

The post-punk era - mostly seen as bereft of political ideas and motivated primarily by a desire to either sell records or make self-indulgent art - is also the era of the Smiths. Providing an interesting antidote to almost all other British music of the time, the Smiths provide an interesting response to the times. Instead of being overtly political and anti-government, there is, I feel, a tremendously individualized resistance detailed in Morrissey's lyrics. It is subtle sometimes, other times more overt, but always insisting on positioning himself on the margins - refusing to fit in and blindly accept traditional views, morals, and ideas.

Perhaps that's why hardcore punk guitar hero J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr is such a big fan. I always thought that J Mascis's covers of songs originally performed by the Smiths were somewhat out of keeping with his normal punky fare. In addition, I've been interested in how people come to the Smiths and Morrissey and why they enjoy the music and lyrics so much. A multi-faceted and constantly evolving individual, Morrissey seems to open himself up to all sorts of fans - each one believing that Morrissey speaks to them individually. As a result, his public positioning as well as his lyrics are constantly interpreted and re-interpreted. I thought it might be an idea to ask J Mascis where he stood.

EM: The release of Dinosaur on Homestead in 1985 nearly coincides with the realease of The Queen is Dead in 1986. I enjoy both of these albums, but they are obviously very different. What kind of music were you listening to back when you started performing? Were you at all interested in the Smiths at that time? What has been your acquaintance with their music?

JM: I first saw Morrissey on the Cutting Edge TV show on MTV. He seemed quite annoying, like he wanted to be punched. I wasn't inspired to pick up any of [his music] at the time. Then, a friend in college went to see the Smiths--he was a heavy anglophile. He said they were great. I nodded in disinterest. I first got interested in their music when "Girlfriend in a Coma" came out. I thought it was really funny and I liked that it was short. I had heard "How Soon is Now" and I really started liking that song. I also liked the other video that popped up at the time - "Stop Me (if you think you've heard this one before)." My interest gradually became more and more til' I realised the genius of Morrissey. I was listening to the Birthday Party, Wipers, New Order, and Dream Syndicate at the time Dino started up. When I started doing publicity for Where You Been in England I got all their albums on 10" at the Warner office. I guess they had just bought the Smiths catalogue from Geoff Travis. That's when I first heard The Queen is Dead.

EM: Writers often list Sonic Youth and Neil Young (sometimes even Led Zeppelin) as influences for Dinosaur jr . Would you say that you have been influenced by the Smiths?

JM: I'm not sure how influenced by the Smiths I have been. I don't play like Johnny Marr or sing like Morrissey, but I love them.

EM: Having recorded covers like "Just Like Heaven" and "Show Me the Way," was there any particular reason why you chose to cover "The Boy With the Thorn In His Side"?

JM: I guess I was really getting into the Smiths at the time not realising that everyone already loved them. You know you get into a band and it seems like you discover it and no one else has ever really been into it like you were. I'm playing in england and every American band does a Smiths cover as if the English will be really impressed that you know this cool English band, but they're just bored. "Oh no not another American saying 'I'm cool, I dig yer people, I get it, English right?'" I didn't realize it was boring and uncool til' later so I still had a genuine enthusiasm while playing it. Americans still love to cover the Smiths - it's just not as tiresome over here. We weren't beat over the head with Morrissey in this country. He still seems cool.

EM: What is your favourite Smiths/Morrissey song? If you were to make a mixed tape with Smiths/Morrissey songs, what songs would you put on it?

JM: It's hard to pick a favorite song - it changes. Maybe "Panic." I like "Last night I dreamt somebody loved me," "Ask," and "Some girls are bigger than others."

EM: As an American hardcore/punk/grunge/indie pop figure (sorry to categorize), your version of a Smiths song raises questions about the influence of the Smiths in the US, and their influence on other musicians. What do you think the impact of the Smiths/Morrissey has been within the states? Can you think of any unlikely bands/musicians that have been influenced by their music?

JM: People I know seemed to start liking the Smiths after they broke up. They were a little too much for people at first - you had to ease yer way into them. Like, Henry Rollins would talk about wanting to beat up Morrissey and Robert Smith. The English camp takes a little getting used to after being a testosterone filled hardcore kid. Still a lot of my friends think the Smiths are too wimpy, but those who love them really love them. I thought it was funny when Choke from Slapshot really got into the Smiths and Slapshot started covering "How Soon is Now." He was the "hard" in "hardcore" - they didn't come much harder. Suddenly it was OK in Boston for hardcore kids to love the wimpy Smiths as well as loving hockey.

EM: Morrissey's fandom decreased in the UK after the break-up of the Smiths, but he gained popularity in the US. Granted, Morrissey still enjoys international recognition (enough to be named the most famous artist without a contract by Mojo magazine) Why do you think that Morrissey has such an enduring popularity?

JM: He's extremely talented - a great singer and lyricist. Why would people stop loving him?

EM: Have you ever met Morrissey? If so, what did you think of the man? If not, do you think you might get along with him?

JM: I never met him. I would hope we would get along famously after having 5 or 6 tea times together.

[EDIT: Whoops! I guess I was wrong...I did write this. Oh, and I couldn't help myself:]

I am not a human being

So I interviewed Lee Perry last week. The attached video will give you a wee sense of the experience...
I now have to figure out some way of translating what many might call genius, but what seems to me to be, well, I don't even know. At the end of the interview--which was hard to end, because Perry kept telling me that he had more time to talk--I was a little speechless. For those of you that know me, it's probably hard to imagine.
Is he a genius? Of course. Is it possible to demonstrate that genius over the phone from Switzerland? Probably not. I have now, however, been made aware that Scratch is not only from the countryside of Jamaica, but he's from the Ice Age. This statement does indeed contradict the above commercial pronouncement. In addition, of course, he's also not a human being. Cue Mad Professor.

Writing is not going so well right now--this is what I've been reduced to.

I've got a bag full of sleng teng and aint nothin' gonna stop me

I've just been listening to Rodigan's radio clash with Barry G from 1985. From the beginning, when Rodigan calls the Half Way Tree police station to have an officer toss a coin, determining who drops the first dub, you know it's going to be wicked. Though Rodigan starts it off well, Barry G immediately kicks it up a notch with an Echo Minott sleng teng dub. Roddy hits right back.

The man isn't called Father Rodigan for nothing.

In the above video he's playing one of his famous dubs--I'm sure Love Injection was killed dead. And though I've recently become obsessed with YouTube dance videos (see here, here, here, here, here, and here), it's Rodigan's dancing that rules.

Gotta love the Northern soul...

As promised...a couple of lovely tunes from Ms. Clark. Enjoy--thanks to Vero!
Don't You Care

Never Did I Stop Loving You

I think they both work now...

To much listening, not enough writing

Because this album is too much greatness to deal with at the moment. If I can figure out the mp3 posting scenario (help me, pretty please!) maybe I'll post something fun this aft. But, my goodness, I should be writing.

A photo taken at Dawson yesterday

Photo from cocolinda's flickr. It's what I wish I could focus on in reference to yesterday. Thanks to all who called, concerned for my safety.

Apart from the obvious commemoration going on today...

Melkem Addis Amet! Today is the beginning of 1999 in Ethiopia. In celebration, I give you one of my favourite photos of Ethiopia--it's picture of Christmas celebrations in Lalibela.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Ethiopian calendar, it's based on the Julian calendar, unlike our western Gregorian calendar. There are twelve months, each with 30 days, and a thirteenth month with between five and six days--depending on whether or not it's a leap year. Today marks the celebration of Ekutatash, and the first day of Meskarem. It also, however, marks the beginning of the big countdown to Y2K for Ethiopians.
Multi-billionaire Al-Amoudi, who, many would argue, might be better off spending his money on more significant projects, is installing giant countdown clocks in Ethiopia, readying the country for its entry into the next millenium. Rastafari have told me that we should pay attention to this, the "real" year 2000. Hmmm...
Hopefully next year I'll be there to see just what might happen.

Now this for Vero

Not as nice as yours, but it's an attempt.

Tomatoes in Chelsea

I took this for Aurora.

Talking Will Holland's ear off Part 1

In the above photo, which, admittedly, tends to showcase the turntables more than anything, is Andy Williams at left and Will "Quantic" Holland at right. I just sorta liked the photo-thanks to cratesoul.kepeim.hu. I think I want to go to Hungary now.
Anyhow, as promised, here is the interview I did with Will (using the first name sorta takes away from my journalistic mystique, eh?) this past weekend. I'm cutting it in two because it's quite long. An extremely short version appears in the Montreal Mirror today. I haven't really edited much of this, so I sound pretty blather-y, if that's a word. I tend to get a little excited when I get to talk to people who've been to Ethiopia. I'm a dork that way. Anyhow, on with the show. If you don't know who Quantic is and what he does, you should. His music is simply terrific, and he seems a darned fine fellow to boot.

EM: I see you as taking the concept of crate digging to a whole other level. What do you look for?

Q: I think that the basic form of crate digging where it’s basically looking for breaks, drum breaks to loop up or to sample and things, and then I think that once you do that for a whole [laughs] you just get in to music more. And you get into it a little more deeply; you get in to all kinds of music, regardless as to whether it has a drum break in it or whether it’s a funky record or not. So myself, and probably Miles [Claret, of Soundway records] also, are both looking for quite eccentric records, and definitely dance records. Something that you can play out in a club and it will go down well and be played up to good effect, but also something a little eccentric so it could be a calypso record, a salsa record, an afrobeat record, but it has to have something interesting about it.

EM: You travel around a lot. It seems like you want to go to the source of the music you like—take, for instance, Ethiopia’s Mulatu Astetke.

Q: Well I guess—I’m actually sitting here with Miles now—and I guess the thing is, all of these things start off in record room, it a kitchen, listening to a record, and going “Oh my God! This is amazing. How was this made? Who made it? Where do they come from?” Miles had of those moments a few years back and said, right, I’m going to go to Ethiopia and he bought the ticket to Ethiopia. And we were just sitting around one night and [Miles] told me he’d gone pretty briefly, but he’d found some nice records. We just decided to go again, with the premise of trying to track down Mulatu for an interview. So we interviewed him for Wax Poetics. And also we wanted to do a potential sounding out of whether we could do some recording over there. Which actually, we haven’t done yet. It’s all kind of gone a little bit wrong. I mean, it’s gone well for Mulatu, because he’s got this “Broken Cloud” track and he’s got a lot of interest through that. But it’s becoming increasingly hard to pin him down, to set dates, because he’s a very busy man. But as far as getting out there, it’s just the case of buying a ticket and just kind of winging it, really. [laughs] Actually, Mulatu really took us under his wing.

EM: Ethiopians tend to be nice like that!

Q: Yeah. You know, all these places, some are heavy places to go to, but people are really friendly. I think it’s like anything—when somebody’s taken an interest in your culture, unless you’re robbing or something, but this is something that we are promoting and trying to keep the knowledge of this music alive. A lot of these forms of music are dying out. A lot of people don’t want to being learning to play drums in Africa, they want to use a drum machine.

EM: Vincent Kenis, who’s worked with Congolese musicians, most famously, Konono No. 1, he said that in Kinshasa, none of the young people really want to listen to the traditional music. In Ethiopia, it’s the same, everyone wants what’s new—the latest Amharic pop music. When I’ve asked kids about Mulatu Astake, they’ll say, “Oh, my parents like him, we like Teddy Afro.” In Ghana as well, there are not a lot of people listening to the tracks found on Soundway’s compilations. It’s like you’re resurrecting the past—do you feel that you should focus more on contemporary tunes?

Q: For me, I’m interested in real music and music played in the room with an atmosphere to it. Just because I like Puerto Rican Rhumba records from the 60s doesn’t mean I have to like reggaeton. For me, the two things are so far removed. [Music] just becomes a generic culture that doesn’t have any roots in [a cultures] own heritage. With reggaeton, a lot of the time it is a just a dancehall riddim. There are interesting things, modern Caribbean records; I have found some nice modern Ethiopian stuff, but only a few. To be honest, I really like drummers and I really like live music. And I like things nasty, kind of messed up, in a way that it gives it character. And I think what you’ve got to remember with these older recordings is that they were made in really unique times.

EM: Yes.

Q: You had army bands and military bands, police bands—especially in Ethiopia. All these bands were part of clubs and I don’t know whether you’d get a recording now from twenty Nigerian policemen, playing a funk track or an afrobeat track or a high life track. I don’t think that’s happening any more. I think it’s about getting kinds who are into music aware of that olds stuff and how they can add that into their music and not do some kind of “Mr American” style thing, trying to be a rap star. Instead, be more in keeping with the music that they’ve come from.

EM: In Ethiopia, even though kids like modern stuff, there is still quite an appetite for not Mulatu, but very traditional Ethiopian music. Played on the masinko and krar, in a pentatonic mode that’s really different than what Westerners are used to listening to.

Q: Yeah, I like that stuff! [laughs] I remember I went with Miles and Mulatu to this restaurant in Addis and they had the traditional players playing that stuff on krar and we had to get up and do this dance, you know, with the shoulders.

EM: Of course!

Q: And Miles was thinking, god, we came to find Mulatu and here we are shaking our shoulders to the krar. I think though, it’s interesting and it’s all part of the music I’m interested in and so is Miles as well, is that point where all these forms of folk music were becoming modernized. Maybe they were trying to be a little more commercial, trying to be a little bit more turned into a product.

EM: It’s as if you’re looking for links. With Mulatu, you do hear the minor strains so common to Ethiopian music, mixed with other influences. With early calypso, you hear the traditional chanting. It’s almost like being a musical archeologist.

Q: Definitely. I think it’s just looking to see what spices were turned into pop a long the way. With Mulatu, you can hear Chinese music in there and you can hear all the Puerto Rican rhythms that he picked up in New York. And you can hear the fact that he was in London playing with jazz guys. I love going on these trips because you hear just the strangest music.

Part 2 to come...

Thank-you Heather

Here's a photo of me giving a speech in Amharic--the second speech I've made in the language. It appears from the photo, taken by Heather (there's a link to her blog at left), that either the content of the speech or my brutal pronounciation is particularly hilarious. All this to say that I think it's pretty indicative of something...
Coming up this week is a long version (sorry Julie!) of an interview I did with Quantic. Sure, I may have forced him to talk a little excessively about Ethiopia, but those who know me, you gots to know I've got a little thing for that country and any one who happens to have visted there. Any opportunity to talk about it...gawd, if this blog is any indication, I should perhaps keep my flaming mouth shut. You'll again witness this particular problem I have probably on Thursday or Friday. Until such time, buy Quantic's new album, or any of his albums, or Mulatu Astetke's albums. They're all quite great.

"The sun makes its orange way east from Arabia, over a Red Sea, across volcanic fields and desert and over the black hills"

As a result of my outburst of photos from Harar, I was asked to provide a little more explanation. I've been to Ethiopia three times now, and everytime I travel there it never ceases to provide me with endless ideas for stories I need to write. Also, travelling there seems to remind me that there's just as many opportunities for story writing around the corner from my apartment (though one might have to get out of earshot from the incessant jack hammering, a sound that will eventually result in some monstrous condo development).

The project at the moment is to record, as best as possible, the events of a particular evening/morning in transit from Addis Abeba to Harar. Perhaps some of you have already heard the tale, but I don't think I've really told it well enough as of yet. A little paranoid about subject position, am I.

Photos of I-thiopia

I am writing about Harar at the moment. It's tough not to compare my thoughts with those of Camilla Gibb, though really there is no comparison, given that she's the brilliant Giller Prize-winning author of Sweetness in the Belly and I, well, I aint no brilliant author. There is something, however, about Harar that makes you want to write something down. I just don't want to forget.

I really wish I could find my "Everything Reminds Me of My Dog" t-shirt

Jane Siberry has given away all of her possessions, changed her name to Issa and is now teaching science to students out in BC. She's kept 20 books and 20 cds--the rest of her possessions can fit in a small suitcase. Now, I'm not suggesting that everyone do this, but I don't think it's really that crazy. Kooky, but not crazy. I forgot how great she is and I'm glad that I've been reminded.

If you start out depressed, everything is a pleasant surprise.

On Vero's blog (have I mentioned how fantastic her new site looks? Well, it's worth mentioning again), she mentions a conversation at Caro's barbeque in which the title of "best girl movie of all time" was given to Dirty Dancing. Now, as someone who, in grade eight, was tickled pink to be the principal dancer in a number choreographed to "I had the time of my life", I understand the film's appeal. Excessive high-kicks notwithstanding, I thought that the film that breaks the barriers of religion and class through dance, bad dialogue, and Swayze was the coolest thing ever. And then I saw Say Anything.

Instead of making an argument for Say Anything as the "best girl movie of all time" (and by "girl" I mean the same angsty, boy-crazy girl audience for Dirty Dancing), my question is how could you argue that it's not? First, who is better than John Cusack. Of all the actors in the past 20 years, has there been a male lead as consistently well loved as Mr. Cusack? From The Sure Thing to High Fidelity, the man with the narrow face, small mouth, and pouffy hair seems to have maintained a level of adoration amongst female fans that is really quite astounding. Or, given the fact that the role of Lloyd Dobler presents itself as the ultimate boyfriend for heterosexually inclined girls all over the place, any role since 1989's Say Anything has essentially been an opportunity to imagine Lloyd on the screen again. Maybe it's just me.

For those who read Catcher in the Rye and fell in love with Holden, Lloyd provides an excellent substitution--hold the insanity.

Even the silly tag line on the box declares the truth: "To know Lloyd Dobler is to love him. Diane Court's about to get to know Lloyd Dobler." Sure, it's a simple movie: boy loves girl from afar, courageously asks girl out, girl likes boy, girl's dad wants girl to focus on school, girl breaks up with boy, and boy gets her back in the end. But it's got Lloyd Dobler.

A friend asks Lloyd how it was possible to get a date with Diane Court, the picture-perfect valedictorian and the response is simply "I'm Lloyd Dobler." Indeed. Of course Lloyd Dobler would get the girl. And the girl is played with with such non-committal grace by Ione Skye that it is possible for any teenage girl (or teenage girl at heart) to simpy imagine themselves in her position. Especially when that position involves a boy wearing a Clash t-shirt standing outside your window blasting Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes." But, though that is the obvious climax of the film, Say Anything also presents itself with some of the best and smartest writing in teen-flick history.

When Lloyd answers Diane's father's question about future career plans, his answer (nervously spouted, because, of course, Lloyd has "that nervous talking thing") is as follows: "A career? I've thought about this quite a bit sir and I would have to say considering what's waiting out there for me, I don't want to sell anything, buy anything or process anything as a career. I dont want to sell anything bought or processed or buy anything sold or processed or repair anything sold, bought or processed as a career. I dont want to do that. My father's in the army. He wants me to join, but I can't work for that corporation, so what I've been doing lately is kick-boxing, which is a new sport...as far as career longevity, I dont really know. I cant figure it all out tonight, sir, so I'm just gonna hang with your daughter." Classic.

Lloyd's pitch-perfect awkwardness matches the brilliance of the film's small details--from the fact that the kids, adding a touch of realism, actually have to yell at each other to be overheard at a party (why to movie-makers think that these teeny details aren't important?), to Lili Taylor's immortal performance of "Joe Lies", to the use of The Replacements' "Within your reach" as the final song--everything about the film just works.

If, as Lloyd postulates, "the world is full of food and sex and spectacle and we're all just hurling towards an apocalypse", watching Say Anything makes it a little bit better--as cheesy as that may sound.

I've gotta get back to business

In addition to trying to blog a little more and updating this whole situation so it's more of a website type thing (really it's because I'm desperately jealous of Vero--check her new site and you will be too) that makes the attempt to dispaly my saleable talents. Before all that, however, it's getting to the time when I can start watching Coronation Street again. I've been neglecting the show on CBC ever since I started downloading and watching the future. The show, for those of you yet-converts, is a brillant Brit-soap that we in Canada, regardless of the fact that we live in a world with the capacity to instantly email videos of explosions, are forced to watch shows broadcast in the UK nearly nine months ago. I made the mistake--seriously, it didn't seem that way at the time, but that's because one episode is a gateway drug into obsession--of indulging my desire for the future and it has since ruined me for present day life on the street. I think, taking it day by day, I have only a few short weeks and I'll be fully back on the wagon. And then, please leave me in the dark about the goings-on with Gail, Fred, Tracey, Charlie, Ashley, Vera, Roy, Hayley and the gang...I think it's better for my mental health that way.