Archive for May, 2012

top ten “summer” songs

As requested I’ll put together a proper top ten summer song list, but in the meantime here’s my favourite ten songs with “summer” in the title. It’s amazing how many there are to choose from!

#10 – “Summer… It’s Gone” – Grandaddy

So it’s a song about mourning the end of summer. Maybe not the best tune for your next patio party but might be a good one to put on the list of songs to play on the first day back at work from summer vacation.

#9 – “Summer Babe (Winter Version)” – Pavement

Doomed summer romances hurt just as much when they end even if you’re a Lo-Fi superhero. Kinda makes you wonder about Stephen Malkmus’ taste in girls though.

#8 – “Summerlong” – Kathleen Edwards

Sensing a theme here? Another summer romance, but this time it’s a plea for it to last. I guess Bon Iver must not have a fear of commitment.

#7 – “Where’s Summer B?” – Ben Folds Five

Finally a summery sounding tune, but not actually about summer – rather about girl named Summer.

#6 – “Summertime Clothes” – Animal Collective

I’m one of the few indie fans who can’t stand Animal Collective but this song (and most of the rest of Merriweather Post Pavillion) is fantastic, and it’s actually about enjoying summer. I love the idea of walking around in the summer rain with a friend.

#5 – “I Know Where The Summer Goes” – Belle & Sebastian

I’m not entirely sure why B&S won’t just tell us where the summer goes so the rest of us can find it when it’s gone.

#4 – “In The Summertime” – The Rural Alberta Advantage

I don’t know how these guys have the ability to only play this beautiful song for 2 and a half minutes. Maybe has something to do with the actual length of summer in rural Alberta?

#3 – “It’s Summertime” – Flaming Lips

“Look outside, I know that you’ll recognize it’s summertime.” It’s like Wayne Coyne has found the cure for all sadness as he prescribes us a view of the outdoors to wipe away the blues. There shouldn’t be so much truth in the words of a crazy person.

#2 – “Constructive Summer” – The Hold Steady

Like all Hold Steady songs, it shouldn’t be taken on it’s own but rather in the context of not only the rest of an album but their entire catalog. On it’s own it’s an anthem to drinking the summer away, but Hold Steady fans know it’s just a phase Craig Finn’s (fictional?) characters are going through in their search for something deeper.

#1 – “It Must Be Summer” – Fountains of Wayne

It might seem strange that my favourite “summer” song is actually focused on a negative aspect of summer. It’s maybe even stranger that it’s sung by the band I perhaps associate with summer the most. But FOW have a point. What good is all that beautiful weather and time off if you aren’t able to spend it with the one you love? I can’t identify with the lyrics anymore, but I can remember and sympathize with them.

2012
05/29
CATEGORY
Song
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fast food radio

I have stopped listening to pop radio. It’s been years since I spent any real time on the FM dial. We do have a Sirius radio in our van but it seems to be stuck on the kid’s channel. I’m sure there are all kinds of other music stations that aren’t focused on songs about superheroes, underwear and goobers but it’s hard to hear them over the whining and crying coming from the back rows when I adjust the tuner.

It’s not that I don’t have any time to listen to the radio. In fact it might be because I have too much time, or at least enough time to ensure I never need to subject myself to the Top 40. I do, however, keep up with the latest hit songs. I’m fairly informed with which songs and artists are dominating the sales charts. I’m informed enough to know how much of it is absolute garbage.

 

It’s not surprising to me that most popular music is terrible. I now almost believe that it needs to be rubbish to be widely consumed by the masses. You may say that’s a total music snob thing to say, and you’d be right, but that doesn’t make me wrong.

You see, the music industry shares much in common with the restaurant industry.

5 year old’s are lovin’ it

What’s the most successful and popular restaurant in the world? Sorry Subway but it’s not even close. It’s McDonalds. I’m not going to criticize McDonalds or those who frequent the place. I occasionally go there myself and even enjoy it. But I don’t go there because it is the best dining experience in the world. I go there because it’s cheap and predictable.

It’s the same reasons we listen to Top 40 pop music.

As much as I understand the need for bland, unhealthy fast food chains I can’t say any of them rank as my favourite place to dine. That title would go to a little place on a minor side street in Florence, Italy. If we’re talking locally it would be a Thai place I occasionally go for lunch. I don’t know anyone over the age of 12 that would honestly say McDonald’s is the pinnacle of dining excellence.

Find this place the next time you’re in Florence

What’s your favourite restaurant? How did you find it? It probably wasn’t the first one you risked entering. In fact if you’re like me you’ve tried plenty of family run establishments that make a Big Mac seem like a gourmet meal fit for a king. The search and eventual payoff is worth it though, to find that jewel of a diner. It’ll never become the world’s most successful chain but the food is amazing!

If most of us are willing to risk our taste-buds and stomachs by going off the beaten track find something extraordinary, why don’t we do the same with music? Sure, there’s a lot of nonsensical garbage out there that shouldn’t be heard by anyone, but there’s also a world of brilliant, deep and even catchy stuff if you look in the side streets behind the musical drive-thru of pop music.

2012
05/23
CATEGORY
Song
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1001 simple steps to a stress free life

Recently I’ve been reading tips on how to live a stress free life. There’s an endless line-up of self-help bloggers clamoring for my attention on the subject. Starting a Google search with “stress” anywhere in the title will result in enough contrary results to push one’s anxiety levels to the breaking point.

So I’ve narrowed my parameters. I’ve started to look at how to find stress relief through a process of simplifying my life. It’s still a broad topic, but I’ve eliminated the opinions of millions of quacks by sticking with the research on one basic principle – less is more.

I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject – yet, but I have noticed a some similarities in these “simple life” teachings. The first and most important thing I’m often told to do on my journey to being simple is to make a list of the 4 or 5 most important things in my life. The basic things in my life that I won’t destroy or reduce in my soul renovation. The 2nd step is then to start eliminating everything in my life that doesn’t chart in the top 5. The methods of purging are endless, but this list creation is the basis for many guides on simplicity.

I love lists and charts so I thought I’d give it a go. It can’t hurt.

#1 – God

I think if most people are really honest with themselves they would put their belief system as the #1 most important thing in their life. Whether you believe in god(s), man, science or any combination of the three it usually consumes a large amount of time. And for the handful of people I know that say they truly believe in nothing, they seem to spend the most time and energy on their beliefs – primarily convincing themselves that they’re right and influencing others to believe as they do.

This #1 has a large influence on the rest of my list. It’s my intention to make my relationship with Jesus the most important part of my life. I admit I don’t live every minute of every day in a way that reflects this desire, but I’m working on it, and I believe God is working on me.

A few examples of time spent directly as a result of this on the list:

  • praying – I set some time aside every day
  • reading – The Bible mostly, other literature at times
  • serving others – often with my church

#2 – Family (and friends)

My wife says this has to be 2nd.

Kidding aside, show me a person who doesn’t have this in their top 5 and I’ll show you a person who isn’t going to be stress free anytime soon. If you have family and you don’t think they’re that important, I can guarantee they are stressing you out. I make a choice to keep this as my #2 most important thing every day, whether I feel like it or not.

A few examples of time spent directly as a result of this on the list:

  • Driving kids around
  • Listening to my wife – and not for the Klondike Bar
  • Eating meals together

#3 – Music

Good – I got the heavy stuff out of the way in the first two.

I could write for days on why Music is important to me. It has been for as long as I can remember. It’s the one thing in life I can’t explain away. It serves no real purpose other than to make me feel something, or express feeling. It’s on the list because I can’t shake it off more than me choosing it’s presence.

A few examples of time spent directly as a result of this on the list:

  • Finding new music – good new music is still being made, I just have to look really hard now.
  • Writing songs
  • Playing in bands

#4 – Sports

This has fluctuated in importance over my lifetime. At times when i was younger it was the most important thing to me. Playing hockey, and later basketball, was all I wanted to do in my pre-teen years.

In high-school I played a lot of volleyball and still enjoyed watching the occasional sporting event on TV. By the time I graduated I could take it or leave it. I enjoyed the competition but I wasn’t really following any teams to any large degree. The “art/music” crowd isn’t always very athlete friendly so in my attempts to fit in I pushed aside one of my passions for a time.

Now I’m mostly a spectator. Following hockey gives me an instant connection with so many people I meet on a daily basis but there may be nothing more universal than soccer. I started following the world game out of my curiosity with it’s massive popularity and have become totally fascinated with how it’s ingrained into every aspect of humanity on earth. Only us North Americans don’t really understand this. Spend the time to learn why soccer the most popular sport on the planet and you will learn things about culture, politics, community, fear, love and many other topics that you may not expect.

A few examples of time spent directly as a result of this on the list:

#5 Travel

With only one choice left, this is a tough one.

If you look at my life from the outside you would not call me a traveler. About the most exotic place I’ve been in the past 12 months is Edmonton. Sure in my life I’ve been to all 10 Provinces in Canada and 37 of the 50 United States. All but two of those states were visited before I exited my teen years. We also walked across the border into Tijuana to check Mexico off the destination list.

I went to Europe a couple years ago. It’s not an overstatement to say it changed my life. That’s a big reason why I’m forcing Travel into my top 5. My family will always be higher on the list and it will be a limiting factor in how much time I can spend on putting Travel into my life, and I’m content with that, but I do want to place a bigger priority on the possibility of exploring the world.

A few examples of time spent directly as a result of this on the list:

  • Watching travel shows – when I’m emotionally healthy enough to do so without crying because I can’t fly there tomorrow.
  • Helping my wife plan her trip to Ireland next spring
  • Living vicariously through my family and friends travel adventures

The Second Step?

So now that I’ve made my list I’m supposed to start eliminating things that didn’t make the cut.

Of course I can stretch almost anything to fit loosely into these above 5 things. Do I not purge something from my life as long as I’m doing it with my friends or family?

Previous top 5s like playing video games I still enjoy from time to time but if I’m attempting to live stress free should I completely axe them from my life? How about nature? I’ve really enjoyed hiking, camping, fishing, etc from time to time.

I guess I understand the concept though. I wouldn’t really miss those things if I’ve replaced them with something I find more important or enjoyable. I can see the stress relief benefits of un-complicating my responsibilities and hobbies.

But what about blogging? It didn’t make the list.

And the more important omission? Reading self-help blogs and websites – Not on the list!

Maybe this whole simplification thing is too complicated for me.

2012
05/07
CATEGORY
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Spirit
Sport
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farewell, my alien friends

I know it’s been a couple weeks since I updated FFT – I blame my iPhone. I’ve had the thing for a while now, but I haven’t really played with it much. I’ve used it for the basics; calling, texting, checking sports scores, and playing the odd game but never really understood the power it possessed.

Shortly after my last post I took a trip to the frozen wasteland to attend my sister‘s graduation ceremony and dinner. During the ceremony she was presented with a cheque to go along with the awards she won for being a nerd… I mean having the highest GPA in her class or something like that. We had an hour to kill between the ceremony and the banquet so we stopped at a mall so my sister could visit the Apple Store and buy herself an iPad with her winnings.

Later that evening, as we perused the app store, I realized there was a whole world I had been missing. The world of purchased apps.

I’m one of those people who immediately clicks on the “Top Free” button when browsing the app store. I once bought the full version of Angry Birds in an attempt to understand the hype, but after destroying 20 pigs I just craved bacon and lost interest in the game. After that I hadn’t found a good reason to drop a virtual toonie into the app abyss.

As my sister searched for a video editing app I told her about the free one I had downloaded. I’d never tried it, but I found it among the other unused bargains and showed it to her. Apparently it was pretty amazing so she did a search on her new device and found a match. $7.99? I never paid a penny. I must have found it on a special promotion.

The next day I drove my sister back to B.C. for a quick visit. We got stuck in traffic behind what we later learned were overturned semi-trailers containing livestock and baking soda. With an unexpected couple of hours to kill in the middle of a mountain highway, my sister remembered the expensive video app wasting away on my phone.

She got right to work. 5 minutes later we had ourselves a sad little video complete with soundtrack.

It won’t win many awards, but I was impressed with the power I now knew I wielded.

Jam Session?

When we arrived at home I began searching for other apps I had overlooked. Being a (temporarily one armed) musician I inevitably stumbled upon GarageBand. $4.99 later I was making music, or at least blips and bleeps that the less discerning might call music. I’m not an advocate of filling your mind with the garbage found in the many “electronic music” genres so I was hesitant to share my first GarageBand creation. After only an hour with the app I managed to “compose” something that all four of my children found more enthralling than any other song I had ever written. Stay tuned for a cliche filled future post on why electronic artist’s are not musicians.

My two youngest children decided we should use my phone to make a corresponding video to go with this audio abomination.

I have a plethora of songs I have written over the years, but just never recorded them on anything other than an old tape deck. I set out to use my phone to create some demos. This is where my time really disappeared over the past week.

I started tapping the tiny touch screen drum-set, layering hi-hats over surprisingly real sounding kick and snare drums. I plucked imaginary bass strings, doing my best to fill out the grooves. My fingers felt like the digits of a giant while desperately trying to hit the right keys on the microscopic piano. I topped it all off with tinny sounding vocals, the best my phone’s puny microphone could capture.

It was all consuming. I couldn’t stop. My pocket-sized arrangements finally started taking some shape after years of bouncing around between my ears.

At the end of one of these mini recording sessions I emerged from the den to hear my 4 year old singing a song I wrote when I was 18. He had heard me singing it over and over to myself every time I laid down another track. It was time to take a break.

I’m sure I will pick up my phone again sometime soon and relive my teenage rock star fantasy, but for the next couple days I’ll just listen to the songs I’ve already recorded either on my phone or when my 4 year old sings them back to me.

You can listen to the one of them (posted below) with me.

 

 

2012
05/01
CATEGORY
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