Some of my favourite song lyrics...

It's two a.m.,
The fear has gone
I'm sittin' here waitin',
The gun still warm
   -Golden Earring

Cast out from the jungle
With no rations or canteen
For selling faulty rifles
To the thieves in Tanzania
   -Red Rider

Outside the street's on fire in a real death waltz
Between what's flesh and what's fantasy
And the poets down here don't write nothing at all
They just stand back and let it all be
   -Bruce Springsteen

And who can forget...

Wango, wango,
Tango, tango,
Wango, wango, wango, wango
Tango, tango, tango, tango
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
   -Ted Nugent


What are some of your favourite song lyrics?

Another retro playlist - All Canadian Edition

My last retro playlist was predominantly Canadian in flavour, but I decided this one would be exclusively so:

This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide, by The Kings

Mama Let Him Play, by Doucette

Fly At Night, by Chilliwack

I Like To Rock, by April Wine

The Boys In The Bright White Sports Car, by Trooper

Armageddon, by Prism

(Make Me Do) Anything You Want, by A Foot In Cold Water

(Sitting On A) Poor Man's Throne, by Copperpenny

Signs, by Five Man Electrical Band

Takin' Care Of Business, by Bachman Turner Overdrive


Enjoy, eh?

Friday Random Ten

...because I haven't done one of these in a while...here are the first ten songs, randomly selected by iTunes to load on my iPod.

1) When I Die, by Motherlode
2) Siberian Khatru, by Yes
3) Runaway, by Leahy
4) Torn and Tattered, by Joss Stone
5) Anything For You, by Gloria Estefan
6) The Ribbon Dancers, by Michael Occhipinti
7) You're Everywhere, by The Tragically Hip
8) Sick & Tired, by Default
9) Rinse, by Vanessa Carlton
10) Own True Way, by Great Big Sea

plus, one bonus song, because I really like this rendition:

11) Ode To Billy Joe, by Molly Johnson

Woman's world

A few weeks ago I posted about Stacey Kaniuk stealing the show at the Aurora Jazz Festival with a smoking rendition of a James Brown classic. Here is the video of that performance:

Tonight's retro playlist:

Kayleigh, by Marillion (this song got stuck in my head for days a few weeks ago)

(I Just) Died In Your Arms, by Cutting Crew (I just like this one)

Dance Desire, by Haywire (best song opening ever)

Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone), by Glass Tiger (most famous band from closest to where I live ever)

Turn It Loud, by Headpins (turn it up - just do it)

Whatcha Do To My Body, by Lee Aaron (hottest rock chick ever)

Roxy Roller, by Sweeny Todd (sung by Nick Guilder - for years I thought it was a chick)

Fantasy, by Aldo Nova (most pretentious video ever)

Lunatic Fringe, by Red Rider (most boring video ever)

Fox On The Run, by The Sweet (worst sound ever, but I like this song)

What's your retro playlist?

Hello, Police? I'd like to report a stolen show.

The second annual Aurora Jazz+ Festival was held this past Friday night and Saturday. I didn't have a chance to see any of the Friday night performers, but I spent the entire day at the Town Park Saturday listening to the Jazz, Blues, R&B, Pop, Folk, and Rock music line-up the organizers had put together. Along with returning artists like Joel Krivy, Bobby Rice and the Mike Massaro Band, there were a bevy of new performers along for the ride.

Joel Krivy from King City performed his acoustic renditions of blues standards

The organizers, George and Sher St.Kitts, seem to be dedicated to showcasing as much local talent as possible, and included many amateur, semi-pro, and up and coming York Region performers. The absolute highlight of the show, for me, was Stacey Kaniuk - a cute-as-a-button local girl with a voice that'll knock your socks off. This girl cannot be far from breaking through into the big time. During a hot enough to set the stage on fire rendition of the James Brown hit It's a Man's Man's Man's World, the performers due up next stood on the alternate stage, arms crossed, watching the rug being pulled out from under them. This is a singer-songwriter on her way to the top, mark my words.

Stacey Kaniuk's rendition of the James Brown hit It's a Man's Man's Man's World brought the house down

Other local performers included the amateur acts Higher Ground and Six Way From Sunday, and aspiring pros Chris Hau, and The Julian Troiano Band. Also in the mix were the traditional Jazz sounds of the After Hours Big Band - another local group - and big name headliner Robert Michaels' cuban/flamenco (cubamenco) guitar stylings.

After Hours Big Band trombonist

The event was in support of two local charities; The Canadian Center for Abuse Awareness, and Safehaven.

I was somewhat disappointed with the turnout this year. The park was pretty much empty until evening. Most of the spectators came out to see Robert Michaels play after 8:00PM, but during the day acts were, unfortunately, playing to a sparse littering of no more than a couple hundred people. I'm not sure whether the problem was the timing - on a summer long weekend - or a lack of widespread promotion, or something else - or, more likely, a combination of these factors, but hopefully next year's event will be better attended.

For more pictures of the event, visit my Flickr photoset.

Another Friday random ten

Just cuz.

1) Slaughter In Robot Village - FM
2) Stick With Me Baby - Robert Plant & Alison Krause
3) Rock The Casbah - The Clash
4) Shame - Eurythmics
5) Hard To Handle - The Black Crowes
6) Jesse - Joan Baez
7) Dreams - The Laws
8) Little Red Rooster - Willie Dixon
9) Dance On A Volcano - Genesis
10) Long Way From Gone - The Laws

Interesting that, in choosing 125 songs at random from among over 6300, iTunes selected four songs from the same artist: The Laws - two in the first ten, and from the same album.


note: this has been sitting in my test journal since September. I can't even keep this blog updated regularly when I've got finished posts already in the pipe. Sad, really.

Lime and limpid green, a second scene.

And now we present several species of small furry animals gathered together in a cave and grooving with a pict.

I'm a little farklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: there is no dark side of the Moon really ... as a matter of fact it's all dark. Discuss.