Awake or sleeping?

I feel like I haven't slept in days even though I did sleep, my mind is trapped somewhere between dream and reality, I'm not sure I enjoy being there but it's my own way of dealing with things perhaps. I wish I could do what I did when I was a kid and things worried me too much, I'd go for long walks in the dark until my head emptied itself of worries and I felt fine for a while.
I don't feel bad, that's the thing, I'm just worried about someone I love that's really fighting for his life and I know what he's going through affects so many lives right now and it freezes me, it truly takes me to places I'm not ready to go to. It makes me stare at something from my past that I desperately tried to avoid for years on. But all of this is happening because that cancer thing forces me to look at things in a way I never did before. The human mind is like a long road that's both arrow and wide and doesn't seem to end, it always leads somewhere even when you think you've lost your way, even when you don't know where you're going you'll get somewhere. That's what I'm doing within myself these days. Such a complicated process.

Life is what it is.

I'm neglecting my blog, I'm slacking but blame it all on life and that last.fm account that seems to be my new addiction.

But life's been a bit hectic lately. Within 5 hours my emotions went from happiness to sadness. My brother that I haven't seen since last June because he's in the army and was posted in Paris (talk about a bad posting heh, lucky guy!)had a special permission to come over in Canada and spend two days here before going to Russia for a few days and then get ready to live in The Netherlands for the next three years. I was happy that I had the chance to see him even though he couldn't bring his wife and kids along with him. But the happy moment turned into sadness when we got a call about my mother's partner being rushed to the hospital, seems his pancreatic cancer is now generalized and his lungs are filled with water, his belly is all swollen and they don't know if he's gonna get out of the hospital and make it or if death will take his soul. I'm not sure how I feel right now, I was happy, I felt sad and now I'm numb.

The Last Shadow Puppets

Who knew an album made in 2008 could sound so 60-ish!

Many artists were able to put a 60's vibe in their sound but I've never heard something that trully seemed to come from that era before I heard the album made by The Last Shadow Puppets (member includes Artic Monkeys' Alex Turner). There's a real retro feel to their music, sometimes I could hear a bit of scouser music in there (think of the Coral) and to my great pleasure there's an orchestra that gives another dimension to their sound. Summer's coming, it lurks around the corner so this record is perfect for those days in the sun, and if it rains than just play the album and there's gonna be a room full of sunshine.

Favourites are:

The Age of the Understatement
Calm Like You
Separate and Ever Deadly
Only the Truth
I Don't Like You Anymore

Habs officially go play golf and soccer

So it ended last night, my Habs had a wonderful season that was a thousand times better than anyone expected it to be but the second round of the playoffs leaves a bittersweet feeling that's hard to swallow. What didn't allow us to go any further was Price, our young goalie. A veteran goalie by his side would have been a great help in the series. Obviously the mental pressure was too much for him to take at such a young age. The team in front of him played pretty good but the goalie is part of the team so if a goalie cannot perform at 100% and lets the pucks enter easily in the net without a fight then you're in for a disaster. From what I've seen in this series, if the goalie did the job as expected of him, my Habs deserved a shot at the next round. What a team needs to move on has to do with lots of hard work and lots of chance. Chance definitely wasn't on our this time around. Next year....maybe!
Now the Flyers won and I can name two reasons why they did:Biron, the goalie was both good and lucky, and R. J Umberger. Umberger didn't score that often in the regular season but in the series it seems he's always there at the right spot to shot the puck in the net. I do think the Flyers are gonna need a lot more than luck to beat the Penguins (ok, they haven't officially won yet, the Rangers are still in for now but in case the Penguins do win, which they should do today). Pittsburgh has an incredibly gifted team of young players and they have about all it takes to win the Stanley Cup. Although I root for Dallas to win the cup I certainly acknowledge the greatness of the Penguins, they're on a mission to win and unless something really bad happens they should be the winner in the eastern conference.

Coldplay's new song

My friend wrote me an email early this morning telling me to listen to Coldplay's new song, she knew I was a fan so I checked their website where they offered a free download of the song. Sadly I couldn't download the song, the link they sent me didn't work for me. I've heard some people also had a similar problem so I guess some were lucky, others weren't.

So I went to Coldplay's page on myspace and was finally able to hear it. I must say I was pretty impressed with their new song ''Violet Hill'', the first thing that came to mind upon hearing the first few notes was ''David Gilmore'', ''very Pink-Floy-ish'' but not the psychedelic Pinkf Floyd phase, not their '' The Wall'' phase either, rather it tends to sound more like the last few Floyd's albums. It's not too Pink-Floy-ish though, just slightly inspired by them. I haven't read anything mentionning they were listening to Pink Floyd while recording the album, I just think it's me that sees or hear the similarities. To me that's a great thing. I was getting tired of them sounding a bit too much like U2, a different sound could only be refreshing.

Now let's just hope the new album is as good as Parachute was.

Game 3....was there actually a game?

I'm not sure if I was sleeping or awake but what I do know is I'm gonna have nightmares when I do go to sleep. Seriously, my Habs and the Flyers are playing like it's not the series. Price actually decided it was time to take a long nap, it lasted 5 periods so hopefully he's gonna be in top shape when he does wake up. But my Habs were all on cruise control, never changing speed until they finally realized they were not driving a car but were on skates...they then started to skate, something they're paid millions to do. Oh...and when you see a net, you actually have to put the puck in it.

So far, the Bruins/Habs series was more intense, both team worked hard and that was fun to watch. Intensity was high in all 7 games. Intensity lacks this time around.

Sleepy game...

So the 1st game between the Flyers and Habs wasn't at all what I expected it to be. First of all, what happened to the crowd? They weren't loud at all last night, usually you can't even hear the singer sing the national anthems! I wonder if it has to do with the riot they had after the Habs won the last game of the series between them and the Bruins. Maybe it's because before the game they asked people to respect the national anthems? Maybe it's just because it was that way and there was no reason for that other than it was that way.

In any case the match wasn't that good either. I think that's to be expected in a way, both teams were like boxers examining each other's move, it is after all a new opponent. Both team went through a 7 game marathon and were on a high, this being the start of another series surely means the game will get better as the series moves along.
My Habs didn't play that good, the Flyers had a good chance of winning but didn't. They also didn't play that well. The game was flat.

Game 2 this Saturday.

Flyers/Habs

So it's now official, my Habs will play vs roark's Flyers.

1st game: Thursday. I expect the crowd to be extremely loud and boo Brière every time he touches the puck, if they booed Chara then Brière should bring his earplugs, he's gonna need it.

Price better be ready to push the guys that are gonna try and deconcentrate him in front of the net.

I must say this about the Flyers/Caps game, I'm beside myself about the officiating in the game last night (although they pretty much sucked in the Habs/Bruins games as well) so hopefully it's the way the team plays that will decide who wins and not the bad calls from the people officiating the games.

On that second goal, there should have been a penalty called not a goal. On the third period the officials decided not to call any penalties except that last one (good call on that penalty) even tough a few penalties should have been called but weren't. I think the Caps got screwed not once but twice last night. The officials did an awful job and everyone watching the game saw it.

But that's hockey. Now just bring on the Flyers.

The Mary Onettes

There's this Swedish band I discovered a few months ago and I'm so pleased to finally own their self titled cd. From the moment the music starts it's magical, the band makes us travel back in time and let's us revisit the sound of the '80s and early '9os. It's alt-pop-rock-shoegazing so there's always a great atmosphere on each song. Perhaps the only flaw is the fact that the influences are way too obvious at times but that's a minor flaw, there's a wonderful flow to the songs and the vocals are great. There's a bit of Joy Division in there, Echo and the Bunnymen even some Jesus and Mary Chain influence in there.

Pleasure Songs, Still, Laughter and Explosions are my favourite songs on the album. I could listen to them repeatedly and not get bored with them.

It's a perfect record for those days when you feel like going back in time, when all you want is simple pleasure for your ears and nothing else.


The Mary Onettes

What else but hockey!

So my Habs won, they now have to wait to see who their opponents are gonna be for the 2nd round of the playoffs. It will either be the Flyers (if they defeat the Caps) or the Rangers (if the Caps defeat the Flyers). I'm rooting for the Flyers, not because I'm a fan but it would be a fantastic series. The Rangers are a great team even though I never liked them all that much, they have great veteran players and always put up a good fight, they could go very far in the playoffs.

So roark, I'm rooting for your team. I do think an Habs/Flyers game would be awesome to watch, better than an Habs/Rangers that's for sure. Then again maybe it's just wishful thinking because I know the Rangers would probably give my Habs a hard time.

I love the Caps because of Ovechkin, because of Huet, because the way they play hockey is similar to the way my Habs play hockey. But I'm still rooting for the Flyers...just because...just because.....

So tonight I'll be watching the game from start to finish.

It's a goooooaaaal

Some people are feverish and it has absolutely nothing to do with the flu, it's hockey fever in Québec! What a great game I just watched on tv. Awesome, electrifying. Both the crowd and the players were amazing, what an incredible atmosphere. The Boston Bruins gave their best, they played inspired hockey throughout the series but talent isn't one of their best asset.

Price is a hell of a goaler considering he's just 20 years old, he made amazing saves tonight. In the 1st period he kept the Habs in the game, he made 11 saves in that period. The team then started to play their game, skated better, used their speed and started to score goals.

So now that we're done with the Bruins, I'm looking forward to the second round.

As a true fan...Go Habs Go!!!!


p.s roark, Flyers/Caps game # 7 should be very interesting.

Delirious stuff from MAN MAN

I have no idea how come I've never heard of this awesome fucked up band before but anyway I discovered them yesterday when I took a little detour to yet another record store.

They're from Philadelphia (maybe roark knows about them!!!), they're truly original, truly amazing. They're called MAN MAN. Their album Rabbit Habits is a blend of Tom Waits, Nick Cave, the craziness of Frank Zappa and sometimes there's even a bit of Beirut in there. It's a blend of all those artists but much more than that it sounds like nothing else, it's brilliantly done, it's dark yet the music is so full of life. A little bit of insanity in music is a good thing, it's what creativity is all about. Moving away from the boundaries of normality is what this album does from start to finish.


MAN MAN

Tattoos!

I wanted to write about tattoos....I am writing about tattoos but I don't feel like eborating now so there you go, there'll be a post about tattoos soon but not now.

Birds, winter, spring and whaterver

It's mid April, there's still snow on the ground. Usually by now the grass starts to show, the birds that flew away for the cold season are getting back and have started to look for a partner. Some birds have already come back but it's still cold so there isn't a lot for them to eat, the branches still look pretty dead to me but when you see the birds making a return you just have to know they can't be wrong, if they're here it's because winter's leaving. Right?

The bad Bruins took their revenge

So my Habs lost in OT, they didn't play like a team that wanted to win. The Bruins played a more physical game than they did the two previous games and my Habs weren't using their speed as much. Some players don't seem to know the playoffs are NOW not later! I remember hearing Jean Perron (he coached the Habs in the '80s) repeating year after year that he doesn't believe any NHL team is gonna win the Stanley Cup with an european captain. That wasn't mean to be taken as a racist remark on his part, he adores skilled european players but he said as much as they love hockey there's a better chance for them to battle harder for the world cup since they represent their native country while the Stanley Cup represents a lot for North American players. Now I'm hoping Kovalev's gonna prove him wrong, that one doesn't have to be an american or a canadian to understand the meaning of what it is to win the Stanley cup. That working for it means a few more weeks of skating, a few more weeks without going back home. It means the millions of dollars they give you is not only for the regular season but so you could take your team to a higher level and give the fans what they want. Afterall the Bell Center was filled with fans all season long, every night the 21 000 people or so that screamed for the team, paying expensive tickets so they could encourage the Habs so yes the fans deserve to see their team make at least another round.

Mariah....not you again!

Oh the horror, the terror that happened on Wednesday April the 9th.
As always I programmed CSI NY knowing I'd be watching it a few days later when I had the time to do so. Comes Saturday morning, it's a slow boring morning and it happens to be a rainy day so that's just the perfect morning to watch my CSI NY ep. I click on the return button so the show can start at the beginning, wait there must be a mistake! It's not CSI NY that I see on tv, it's @#%?&*? American Idol and worst of all Mariah Carey's on it!!!!!!!!! I'll have to send a note to Motorola since the recorder didn't break when Mariah Carey was on, I thought either the tv or dvd recorder was gonna die on me.
The horror lead to disappointment, because that damn American Idol show was on and lasted longer than it should and I only programmed 1 hour of show well the inevitable happened, I didn't get to see the last 15 minutes of my show. I blame it all on that evil Mariah Carey and that show that sucks. I was hoping to see some gore on CSI NY but I only got to see a moment of tv horror when she made her appearance, that's even scarier than watching any gore show or movie.

CH...just hockey!

Hockey is like a cult for some people I guess. For some it's a national sport, it's more important than politics. I mean if our federal government was to declare that an election was to take place he wouldn't get a lot of votes right now, at least not from Québecers. The Habs are in the playoffs and people are proud of the team, people are going insane. There's a wave of support toward the team , lots of pride , a need to celebrate, a desire to stand by the team no matter what happens. For hockey fans that live in this province it's a well known thing that hockey is extremely important, the playoffs are important.

The Habs will celebrate their 100th year of existence in 2009, new fans see the old black and white video from back then and they don't relate to that anymore, they know Maurice Richard was a great player but they don't know what he meant to french canadians, that past is just a link to the future and the future is now. What they relate to are the new young players like the Kostitsyns brothers, Chris Higgins,Tomas Plecanec, Carey Price. Alexei Kovalev is such an artist on the ice, he's strong, he's a creative player and fans of the team were in desperate need to have an ''hero'' like him, something we haven't had in years.

With fans like us comes some funny situations though. Before the Bell Center became the Habs' home the old Forum was their kingdom, that place had so much history and when they decided to move to Habs into the new arena people said they left ghosts at the old Forum. Even Harry Sinden, former general manager of the Bruins spoke about those ''ghostly'' visions he had in the '70s and '80s. Too funny, way too nuts but it's now part of the legend. And this week it got even weirder, a mover said ''he'd move the Forums ghosts to the Bell Center. The move will require a truck and a 53-feet (!!!) trailer.'' That wasn't on April's Fools Day either. Dare I say he took it way too far! It's stupid, it's crazy but hey hockey fever is here and some people should take their pills.

Cheap walking shoes

I'm pissed. It was getting so nice outside and I truly felt the need to go outside for long walks in the fresh air, enjoying the sun while listening to some good music on my mp3 player but I needed some good walking shoes so I went out and bought a pair, I liked how my feet felt in them so I bought them but I should have known they wouldn't please me forever, in fact they pleased me three days. That's right, 3 shitty days. Talk about comfortable cheap shoes. I looked at the soles of my shoes noticing after walking a few miles with them for 3 days only that it seemed as if they're old shoes already, they seem to have a lived an awful life but no they're like a newborn baby.

So I was a bit angry for the fact that I paid for those bad shoes, I went to buy another paid that doesn't seem cheap this time around. There's no way a pair of shoes is gonna ruin my daily walk, no bloody way. But I better not have to pay for a third pair within a week! Because then it's my wallet that's gonna be empty.

Small record store and Dead Kennedys

Yesterday I felt like shopping and being somewhat of a creature of habit I ended up where I always end up: at the record store. The moment I set foot in the place I started feeling pretty darn good, maybe being so close to wrapped LPs made me feel that way, I do feel like a kid in a candy store when I go to that place. It's no HMV, it's not your ordinary records store, it's independant so the owner tries to put some gems on the shelves and as far as I'm concerned that place is like a Heaven to me. I always end up finding stuff I would never find elsewhere.
There were so many interesting records there but I had to be a good girl and decide to buy just a few LPs. How cruel, I found every record Dead Kennedys ever made expect their first album ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'' which contains the classic punk song '' Holiday In Cambodia''. I wanted that album badly, it's pure political punk music that's very sarcastic, very witty.

The band was so controversial at the time, their lead singer Jello Biafra was flamboyant and his lyrics were as sharp as a knife. Dead Kennedys was more than just a bunch of guys talking about political issues, more than just a regular punk band. Unlike many punk rockers of the time, they were more skilled musically than others were.

Listening to those songs is fun, I just like the raw energy, the weird voice that only makes the songs sound even more punk, more anarchic. The lyrics haven't lost their wit, years after they came out they still sound very actual. As a band they made great punk music, as a solo artist Biafra doesn't even come close to what Dead Kennedys did as a whole. But hey, there's a time to rock and a time to roll. After that it's time to move on.

Dead Kennedys

Opening round of the playoffs

Whether my Habs hold up to their number 1 spot or end up number 2 in the conference the Montréal Canadians will play vs the Boston Bruins in the opening round of the playoffs. My Habs swept the Bruins in their eight-game season series but when the playoffs starts it's an all new season, anything can happen. The fact that we beat the Bruins 8 times doesn't count all that much now, sure it can boost their confidence a bit but it can also be a source of motivation for the Bruins.

I'm kinda relieved we don't play vs the Rangers, they're not the greatest team but for some reason my Habs usually don't play well against them (minus the comeback of the century that we saw a few weeks ago). The Devils, although they have Brodeur, are painfully boring to watch, dare I say they make me very soporific. I'm glad it's not any of those teams but a Capitals or Sens series would have been so damn good to watch. Well maybe if we get to the 2nd round.

Let's talk about last night's game for a sec. The Leafs didn't play like jerks last night, I thought they'd play nasty but no, they played good hockey for a team that wasn't gonna be in the playoffs.
We also got to see Gregory Stewart, a left winger that made a really good first impression. The guy had a chance everytime he was on the ice. I'm sure coach Carbonneau liked what he saw and Stewart's gonna have the chance to play with the Habs when the right time comes along.

And Higgins is finally playing great hockey, is it just a coincidence that it's happening when the playoffs are about to start? Is it because he's been playing as a center instead of being a winger? Is it because Saku isn't there and Higgins has simply decided that his game could (and should) be taken to a new level?

I'm looking forward to Thursday's excitement, we have ice advantage so the Bell Center is gonna be VERY NOISY. Some of the younger players that never experienced the crowd's enthusiasm will be totally amazed by what they're about to live.

This afternoon I'm gonna watch the Penguins/Flyers game (roark, you're gonna watch it too, right?), should be a good one.

Hockey Playoffs

I'm really excited about my Habs, they're # 1 in their division and have a chance of being champions of the North east division, the other team aiming for that spot is the Pittsburg Penguins. The only thing that's sure is that my Habs are gonna be in the playoffs fighting to bring home the Stanley Cup, a cup they won 14 times already.
Who are we gonna play against? For now that's the big question since anything is possible, it could be the Washington Capitals , the Ottawa Senators (the team most of us thought would be the champions). I must confess that I would love to play vs the Capitals because it would simply be so entertaining for the fans to see Ovechkin and Huet, a goalie that I truly admire and that used to be Montréal's goalie a few weeks ago. My team consists of so many young players that I honestly don't see them win the Cup this time around (but hey, every expert said the Habs would be 14th in the standings so anything's possible) but getting that experience is definitely a good thing.
The CH is the only team amongst the 30 team in the NHL that has 7 players with over 50 points. My team also has the most goals throughout the league. The Habs don't have any goons on their team instead they rely on their speed. Also, we don't have any Ovechkin but what the team has is great chemistry and they play as a team unlike some other team that tends to have a few stars on the ice but lack group effort.

Just the fact that they've made it this far when no one saw them being a contender, now that's what sport is all about. Go Habs Go!!

Pas Chic Chic

Melodramatic music definitely turns me on, this canadian band (from Montréal, Qc) called ''Pas Chic Chic'' captures that melodramatic essence perfectly. Their sound reminds me of The Dears in their earlier days perhaps because of the structure of the songs, how orchestral it is at times. It's melodramatic, dreamy and there's a new wave element to it as well. Listening to it sends my soul on a journey, my mind starts travelling and leads me to unknown destinations that are so full of life, where psychedelia meets normality, where the music transforms the surroundings around me, where each notes seems to bring me a step closer to being hypnotized by the sometime chaotic experience of listening to Pas Chic Chic.

A great album that's not meant to be enjoyed by everyone.

Pas Chic Chic

Mariah Carey: Noise pollution

This Destroy worries me, I'm scared my little diggets will suffer from some unknow disease just from writing down THE name. I'm not listing any songs here, just pick any of her songs and voilà, the damage is done.

AC/DC said ''Rock'n'roll ain't noise pollution'' and they were right. What they didn't know back then is that Mariah Carey's voice IS noise pollution.

Now if there's a performer in the world of music that truly should only scream or make weird vocal noise when she's by herself it's Mariah Carey. She should be left alone on a far away island where not a soul is allowed to go.

Radios should inform people in advance when they're gonna play her music (dare I say MUSIC!).

Fans of her music should isolate their houses so when her music is on there's no contamination possible.

TV shouldn't play her videos, they should ban them altogether. That would be like an Earth day, nothing that pollutes the air.

When I think of Mariah Carey these thing comes to mind: pathetic wannabe-singer that can't sing but makes verbal pollution, exorcism of all her followers to make sure they don't contaminate the normal people around them, go to a detox center where you have awful withdrawal syndroms and all you see or hear is Mariah (how EVIL is that!!!!), screaming sirens of ambulances (they remind me so much of Mariah's voice).

If Mariah performs in some arena near you there should be a warning sign that says: enter at your own risk, bring earplugs and beware that a few seconds of exposure to her voice can lead to permanent madness.

To end this, I know some people love her vocals (I sympathise with you all) but I must say my immune system can't fight such a disease so until there's a vaccine for it I'm standing away from it.

Anyones has medication they can share with me? I'm starting to feel dizzy.


p.s this Destroy is dedicated to rm who shares most of my views on THE subject.

Getting there slowly but surely

Ain't no better feeling than waking up on a sunny day. Well yes there are things that feel much better but after many months of cold weather, too much snow that fell on the ground, too long a period without a sun that warms the skin, that warms the soul.

There comes a time when a lil light can only do lots of good and that time is now. The ground's still covered in a white coat but slowly I can see signs of something better ahead, maybe I'm just needing it so much that I'm having fantasies about the nature's coming to life again even if we're not totally there yet. But there's something awfully nice about the thought of feeling the grass under my feet, the breeze that gently surrounds me....oh yes sometime in the near futher the sun will smile at us and shine its love upon us.

That thief named cancer

A blog's like a diary so I guess this is the perfect place for me to ramble on about cancer, about what it's doing to a man I dearly love.

Knowing you have pancreatic cancer is getting a death sentence, there's no cure for it and the disease spreads at an incredible pace within a short amount of time.

This man that I so dearly love was so full of life, he walked almost 3 hours daily, he went bicycling anytime he had the chance to, he was active from the moment he woke up until he went to bed. I'm using the past tense because he can no longer do any of those things, just walking 5 minutes is now much too hard.

There's nothing worst than knowing you can't do a thing to ease the suffering of someone you love, there's nothing worst than looking in the eyes of someone and seeing their desperation, seeing that they live in pain and in fear of what's ahead. How useless we can be when those situations arise, how thin the line is between life and death, how fragile life really is, no matter how strong we think we are, we're nothing but skin and bones in the end. Lately, it's as if death was lurking around and I'm afraid of it, I'm afraid of it taking that man away because he lived his life being such a good man, always being there to help others out and it's so unfair, it really is. Others go through life doing awfully wrong things and just enjoy their lives while good people get death sentences. For now all that counts is that he's still here among us, every day's like a gift. It just makes me sad, it really gets to me.

Exit ''Mr.Roboto''-by STYX

That damn robot, that damn song, the damn radios that played it endlessly until it suffocated me. Hearing the catch phrase '' "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto" in the song's chorus became the ultimate assault weapon that induced prolonged pain to my nervous system, that phrase echoed in my brain until it terrorized me forever. I couldn't bare the song back then and years later I still cannot overcome my profound aversion for Mr.Roboto. Hearing it was always a big challenge for me and now I can find some closure in putting down into words how much stress that song caused me from the day it first got airplay until now.

The Blue-Seeds

The Blue-Seeds is a Canadian band that put out their s/t album a few weeks ago and certainly they'll never get any airplay on the radio over here in Canada. Their music is profoundly moody, extremely dark.

On the song ''Barcelona'' it's as if Portishead's Bette Gibbons was taking over the vocals at some point during the song but that only adds to the magic of the song.

The piano at the start of ''Lost and Delirious'' paves the way for an intense journey through a damaged place in the heart and soul.

''Words from a Fairytale'' doesn't have much to do with a lovely fairytale, it's dark, sad, painful , desperate in more than one way. Yet that song has to be one of the best on the album.

''My Fair Weather Friend'' is more uplifting, the song that gives your mind a 3:29 rest.

You can hear folkish roots in some of the songs which suits the singer's voice perfectly.

Listening to that album is like reading a diary that was written when things were going wrong, when life was a mess, when a soul is deeply wounded, when love can't seem to be what you thought it would be like, when sorrow and desperation are all around, when one fights to understand all the reasons why.

Moody, dark, intense, soft and a fantastic album when you're having the blues.

9/10

The Blue Seeds

B-sides and otherwise/Pixies

As I am listening to the Pixies Complete B-sides album I realize how bloody great a band they were. Black's voice is always powerful even when he screams more than he sings, Kim has a voice that's both sexy and strong. There's the fabulous guitar distortion that I never get tired of hearing, the beat's so alive and kicking. ''Evil Hearted You'' which is sung completely in spanish has to be one of the best Pixies song ever. The band never stopped pushing the limits of music, they're what alternative music is all about. Sadly they broke up but they left us with a few great albums that were never really mainstream yet they got some recognition because they sounded like themselves and no one else.

Blank...but not quite

So I wanted to write a review but words won't come right now. My mind is sleepy, so am I for that matter. Maybe I should write another destroy, that should be easy! Then again I'd have to find an album worth putting in that category, a song that completely deserves the title. I know there are tons of songs that comes to mind but a proper destroy means I would have to put all my heart and soul into destroying it and I don't feel that destructive right now.

Masters of War/Working Class Hero

Anyone ever listened to Bob Dylan's album ''The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan''? Anyone a fan of John Lennon or at least appreciate his song '' Working Class Hero''? I adore that song, it's one of those song that doesn't need drum, bass or anything other than an accoustic guitar that's being pounded as if it were a machine gun. Well why am I talking about Dylan and Lennon? Simply because on that Dylan album (that came out in '63...years before Lennon's song) there's this great song called ''Masters of War'' that sounds strikingly familiar to the Lennon song. It certainly is a compliment to the Dylan song, I cannot even talk about plagiarism here because Lennon didn't need to sound like anyone else, he didn't need to steal music, lyrics, melodies. He was very creative and so was Dylan. Rather, it's more like being inspired by a song and giving birth to another song that sounds familiar yet is totally different. Those artists created songs that stand like a fortress in the temple of time.

Frigid mother nature

Another snowstorm has hit the province of Québec, when will winter finally leave? It's now officially Spring but who could that it is? I wonder if the Inuit gets to see more snow than we did in 2008? Right now we could ask them if they could help us built igloos, it would almost be safer to sleep in them nowadays. We hardly see the houses anyway so igloos would look perfect in this vast scenery. I'd have to get a tan to fit in though, as white as I am I could probably mix in the snow and look like a big snow flake. I wouldn't make a good Inuit though, I'm not too keen on red meat. But when all this finally stops, I'm gonna watch the snow melt and wonder if the roads have turned into rivers....a bit too late for an Easter miracle but it will definitely appear as if a dream has begun and the nightmare will soon end. Will it ever end? When will the sky stop shoveling the snow our way? I'm mad at mother nature, she's cold and acts like a frigid diva. I'm gonna love her when she's warmer to us, when she becomes the mother I expect her to be. Does that make me a bad child? I don't think so, I'm just rebelling in a very non-violent way.

Destroy of the day/10cc ''I'm not in love''

A song isn't just a song. It can mean so much more, it can bring back memories, it can help you feel better when things are rough, you listen to a certain song and go ''yeah, it played when this was happening'' or sometimes it just makes your whole body ache for no known reason.
10cc did the incredible thing of having put out in the market a song that ALWAYS made me feel bad. Bad isn't the proper term here but there isn't a term that can describe how painful it is for me to hear that song, the mere thought of it being played in my presence puts me in an awful mood. There's no reason why it does that, I'm just having an everlasting allergic reaction to it, it will never stop. The first note that's played at the start of the song is enough to put me in a depressive state of mind. The voice gets to me in a bad way, the melody kills me over and over again. I wish that song never existed, I wish it could be wiped out of the pop/rock music repertoire forever.

The Kills-Midnight Boom

I loved The Kills even before I heard any of their songs, well almost. The name just sounded cool but I needed more than that to truly love the duo.

When their first record was released I bought it the day it came out, I was so excited to finally hear the whole album. I'm not into downloading stuff on the net, I rather wait and have the real thing in hand so when I heard the songs from start to finish it was an awesome experience, my ears were quite happy to hear their minimalist rock sound which sounded like tons of bricks thrown at me. To me, that's what The Kills are all about.

I was really disappointed with their second record, it wasn't reaching me at all. This time around their minimalist rock sounded way too empty. I can't even recall a song from that album while each song on their first record was a thrill to listen to.

So I was looking forward to hearing their latest record not knowing if it would be as great as their debut album or if it would leave me with a feeling of ''oh noooo''.

Well the new album is so damn good, it's very catchy.

It starts with the song ''U.R.A. Fever'' and there's never a dull moment throughout the whole cd.

''Cheap and cheerful'' is such a cool song, just a silly song that's enjoyable.

''Tape song'' is at the top of my list, the rhythm is irresistible. Just catchy lines from the moment it starts.

''Last day of magic'' is one of my favourite song, I just like how it flows. Simple yet affective.

''Hook and line'' brings me back to their 1st record which means I adore the song. Makes me wanna jump around, have a blast with myself.

''Black balloon'' is a little gem, it's a slower song that's poweful but definitely not a ballad. It's rock, it's raw but it doesn't roll. Pretty good song.

There are no weak songs in there, songs that are less effective yes but not weak. If I had to rate it I'd give it an 8/10



1st record-Keep On Your Mean Side

2nd record-No Now

3rd record-Midnight Boom

It goes on and on....

I realize I'm writing way too much about Elvis already but it's easy for me to give info on his LPs since I own a few pricing guide that deals with his material. Obviously in time I will talk about other music, I just thought it would be cool to post photos of older records or bootlegs so Elvis Presley's records allow me to do just that.

Also, since most of the good Elvis material is very rare (stuff from the '50s and some of his '60s songs are good, minus the awful soundtracks and shitty songs) I'm not gonna talk about any of his '70s albums since they pretty much suck big time. But the '50s were a good period in the music era, it was alive, it was becoming something important in the culture and Elvis way back then was a strong figure in the music movement. We can thank Elvis for artists like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan....all of them were greatly influenced by the young and wild Elvis of the '50s, the one that knew how to move his hips, use his lips and allowed the white folks to enjoy the black music. Because Elvis did what the black people did for years, only the fact that he was white made it somewhat easier for the white community to open up to the fantastic sound that was in fact black music. The rest is history. The king Elvis died on his throne...what a shitty one that was too.

Elvis Presley 1956 1 st edition

Elvis Presley's first record came out in 1956, 3 versions were made that year and all of them are worth something (the cover and LP have to be in excellent condition and include the original inner sleeve). I own a few copies of that LP and I'm lucky enough to have the 1st edition.

Shown on the photo is the 1st version- 1: LPM-1254 (M)''Long Play'' on label,''Elvis'' in pale pink, ''Presley'' in pale green on cover, pale green logo box in upper right front cover.

Songs on the LP are:

Blue Suede Shoes
I'm Counting on You
I Got a Woman
One-Sided Love Affair
I Love You Because
Just Because
Tutti Frutti
Trying to Get to You
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)
I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')
Blue Moon
Money Honey

Elvis Presley: For LP fans only, 1st edition 1959

There have been a few editions of that lp over the years (9 editions alone were made between 1959-date the 1st edition was released- and 1977) some are worth something others aren't worth. Those that are worth something are the 1959 edition (LPM-1990-''Long Play'' on label) and one of the two version made in 1965 (LSP-1900-(e)-''Stereo Electronically Reprocessed'' on label; error cover with same photo on both front and back).

Songs included on that LP are:

1. That's All Right
2. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
3. Mystery Train
4. Playing For Keeps
5. Poor Boy
6. My Baby Left Me
7. I Was The One
8. Shake, Rattle And Roll
9. I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone
10. You're A Heartbreaker

No turntable!!!!!!!

Getting back to the music that started it all for me. I have to write about the time when I was young and had a fight with my mother (one of many) and I got so mad I absolutely wanted to leave home so I did. I took what was the most important for the young child that I was, my so precious 45 rpms, all of them. Now I was quick to put them under my arms and leave as fast as I could but when kids are in a hurry then tend to forget things, imporant things. How was I gonna play those old 45 rpms (the equivalent of that now would be cd singles)? Afterall I didn't bring my cute ladybug turntable with me!

Damn, I had to go back home realizing it wasn't the right time to leave home. Same thing happen a few times afterwards. I guess I was pretty stubborn and stupid back then.

Frozen moments and a brain that's fried

What's are frozen moments? Photos are one of them. I wanted to upload a pic and display it as I would display an avatar but heck I don't seem to know how to go about that.

Fried my little brains.... that's how I feel right now and nope it ain't because of illegal substances as I am clean as it gets. Is there any link between frozen moments and having a brain that's fried? Absolutely none. Who knew my Brainstorm-Interlude would mean so much right now. I was also talking about brain masturbation lately to my friend roark, I guess it comes in handy today because it feels like my brain is actually climaxing but not in a good way. The Interlude should end now, until another interlude comes along and gets frozen for a single moment in a day where time passes by so quickly and the clock keeps on tick tick ticking away.

Music

So I'm starting my blog, I'm probably gonna screw something up but who cares.

I had to post something about music, it had to be what my first post was about. Actually I'm gonna have a hard time not writing long posts about music, it could go on forever.

Anyway music is my saviour, it's my food, it's always been important to me when I was a young kid, it was something I turned to when I was pissed or hurt or sad or happy. It's something I desperately miss when it's not surrounding me. I used to sleep with music on, that's how bad I needed it back then. It secured me I guess. But it also made me wanna learn english, it made me wanna play music, it made me wanna buy tons of albums. I think a day without music would be pure torture, I'm addicted to it so I would probably go cold turkey if I didn't hear any music for too long.

Where should I start? What was the first band/artist that did it for me?

I have two older brothers so obviously they kinda made me discovered many artists when I was a kid. I used to wait till they were out and I'd put their LPs on the turntable. I LOVED Pink Floyd's ''Dark side of the moon'' what a fabulous album that was for a kid that was hearing new sounds. I kept on listening to ''Time''which is still one of my favourite Pink Floyd song ever.

Then I would play David Bowie. My bro had a greatest hits album but heck it didn't have ''Station to Station'' on it, how could that be? But Bowie and Pink Floyd made me wanna discover more bands. Although both were important to me it was Blondie that was my favourite icon back then. She was afterall the leader of a band. She was in control, she was talented, she looked pretty good. Most of all her voice and the music did it for me.

But my dad died when I was young, Elvis Presley's music was in at that period. The last gift I got from my dad was a week before he died, he gave me this 7 LPs box-set that had 7 posters in it. It was a pricy gift back then. But I was young, I used to destroy the covers litteraly, I would put them on the walls so the LPs had no covers. Basically I ruined my collection by the age of 11. What a shame. Elvis always reminds me of my dad, ALWAYS. I overgrew my Elvis passion and went on to listening to Classic Rock and other style of music. I loved most of it, I've always had an aversion for techno music simply because I love the rich sound of real musical instruments.

Anyway a few years ago I had this urge to rebuilt my Elvis collection. Just because it reminded me of my dad and I needed to do it. It took some time but I managed to find many LPs I had before I destroyed them all. I even found some original versions of Elvis' first LP or mono versions that dates back to the late 50's, early 60's and some rare issues along the way.

But Elvis is simply a reminded of my childhood life. The music that I truly love with a passion is what plays today. I'll get back to that next time.