What's on my iPod

Someone recently asked me to recommend some new bands for her to listen to, and i did. Then i thought, "i have a blog. Why not post this there, too, so the six people who read this will know what im currently listening to on my ipod?" well, here are new(ish) bands im diggin' at the mo.

- Anders Osborne
- the Heavy Pets
- the Dirty Heads
- Dangermuffin
- Barr Brothers
- Brasstronaut
- Dr. Dog
- Band of Brothers
- Indigo Sun
- The Edd
- Cosmic Dust Bunnies
- Fat Freddy's Drop

And many more bands i get into on a daily basis, but they're not really new, just new to me. Other bands im really into right now include: Tea Leaf Green, Railroad Earth, Umphrey's McGee, STS9, Galactic, Black Keys, Avett Bros, Wood Bros, and Amy Winehouse (RIP).

The following bands I dont like: Nickelback. That is all. 

Enjoy!

Anatomy of a Boom Pam Show

Ottawa Jazz Fest, Thursday, June 28, 2012. Keep in mind, this is the type of festival where white plastic lawn chairs are arranged in neat and orderly rows, and the people using them tend to stow their folding chairs under them, having brought back ups just in case.

Didnt matter. Boom Pam, these highly talented, technically proficient musicians from Israel, blew those chairs away and had the crowd on its feet in, literally, seconds. Check out this timeline of pics i took illustrating how fast stage-front filled with revelers...

Boom Pam Makes My Head Explode

It's been two days since i witnessed something truly exciting.

Boom Pam, an Israeli trio with an adolescent sounding, onomatopoeia of a name, ripped the roof off the late night tent at Ottawa Jazzfest with a raucous and incredibly high-energy performance that had the crowd going absolutely bonkers. Id say this was probably as close to a mosh pit as the Ottawa Jazz Festival has ever seen. They had this staunchly pro-lawn-chair crowd on their feet and dancing within seconds of taking the stage, which was good because they were half an hour late coming out. Didnt matter - everyone there would have stuck around and danced all night.

As i said, im still kinda recovering, but not really from anything physical - though my ears were quite ringing afterwards (and i did make kind of a jerk of myself with that cute girl who's eyes kept meeting mine - Rachel, if you're reading this, call me!). No, this was the kind of experience i live for - the thrill of going to a music festival and seeing a band ive never heard of, and literally being blown off my feet by the music, the vibes, and the atmosphere created. It's nothing less than the thrill of live discovery, when i feel like im the Indiana Jones of music, digging through the strata of shows ive seen and bands ive heard and finding that buried, hidden cache somewhere id never expect it - in this case, an Israeli "surf-rock" trio on the jazz fest late stage.  Go figure.

So what's the big deal, what do these guys sound like, you're wondering? Well, here are some of the notes i wrote myself during the show (i would have tweeted them but, unlike every other journalist these days, i can actually write faster than i can tweet):

- "People are going nuts - especially the hot cougars."
- "Snake charmer rhythms entranced the audience before whipping them into a frenzy."
- "It's like the theme for Arabian Nights on acid."
- "Fear and loathing in Tel Aviv."
- "Super-powered, demonic kletzmer music on a coke binge."
- "Was Link Wray Jewish? He is now."
- "Like Link combined with the 5,6,7,8's from Kill Bill."
- "Tubie on the tuba! Tuuuubiiiiieeeee!"
- "Amazing tempo changes - very technical drumming & musicianship."
- "If this is 'surf-rock' it's possessed by a Hebrew Megadeath."

So thats a sample of the frantic scribbling i managed to do during this show - it's really hard to get swept away by an infectious need to dance, while also remembering to write things down. I dont recommend it for all you amateur concert reviewers out there. I'd encourage you to take a look at some of the videos to the right of this page to really do the show justice. Over all, though, i remember thinking that these guys need to be huge, and if this was 20 years ago i would have made a tape and sent it in the mail to every musician with a record label, the same way Matt Costa got his big break from Jack Johnson. I mean, Trey Anastasio would love these guys, or maybe opening for Umphrey's McGee...they should play every festival in the U.S. in the 2 or 3 pm timeslot, blasting away in the sunshine and groovin like crazy.. thats what they should do.

Either way, Boom Pam blends familiar licks and riffs into something monstrously rock-able, taking inspiration from those mediterranean sounds like snake charmer tunes and traditional Jewish songs and kletzmer (everyone knows hava nagila, they even play it at hockey games now), as well as old fashioned surf rock like Link Wray and the Trashmen, and combining it into a wall of sound that forces your various body parts to move independent of each other and your mind. When guitarist Uri ended what i described as a "hava nagila rant" in my notes with a Pete Townshend style leaping guitar kick-smash, i was sold.

The best part about it may have been people coming up to me at the end and telling me how great these guys were, but always saying the same thing - "i didnt know anything about them and had never heard of them before." Well, guys, keep up the performances like this, and that's gonna change.

Walk Like An Egyptian, Play Banjo Like A Musician

Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers played a raucous and hilarious set of bluegrass at the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival last night, and it was pretty much exactly as the show was billed: a night of comedy and bluegrass - not necessarily in that order, as you can imagine from the International Bluegrass Association's entertainers of the year.


Here are some of the highlights of the show for me - mostly the jokes Martin was making on stage, and boy, was he at the top of his game!

"These are the Steep Canyon Rangers - they're not so much my band as im their celebrity."
"That bass also doubles as a fridge!" (he later pulled a beer out of it!)
"As you can see, we do not have a drummer in our band, like many bluegrass bands, because in bluegrass the rhythm comes from the other instruments, like the banjo (plays a few chords). But the downside to traveling without a drummer...no pot!"
"Where can we buy this album?" "In the merchandise tent. What a coincidence."
"By the way, if you're not enjoying the show so far, you're wrong."
"If you're not enjoying the show, then ask yourself - what can i, as an audience member, bring to the show next time?"
"My bandmates and i, we always said, as soon as this stops being fun we'll stop." And the rest of the band immediately laid down their instruments and marched off stage.
"Religious people have such beautiful music and art, and atheists really have nothing - until now!" And proceeded to launch into the Atheist anthem, Atheists Dont Have No Songs, a rollicking little ditty celebrating atheist culture that was pure Martin-esque hilarity. Check it out:



Back to Martin's antics...

"Our next song is called...Angry Birds Level 7"
"All of you, help keep the minimum wage right where it is..."
"The Steep Canyon Rangers are undermining our relationship with all their passive-aggressive horseshit. Tweet."
"I hope you've enjoyed listening tonight as much as ive enjoyed finger-synching to the records played onstage."

Truly a comedic genius, that man. Keep it up, Steve. 

For another great review of the show check out jambands.ca.

Jam-tastic Concert Round-Up!

That's right, it's time for everyone's favourite oft-sometimes-daily segment, the concert round-up! Let's see who's announced shows in lately:

• Keller Williams' favourite new band (as he's said on Jam On several times) the Stepkids, have added two shows in Canada to close out their fall tour, October 26 in Montreal and 27 in Toronto.
• CANCELLED - devastating news out of Jerry Joseph's camp as he has cancelled his one and only Canadian date on his current tour, July 25 in Toronto. Ive asked him why on Twitter.
• Trampled by Turtles has added a Canadian foray into the middle of their summer tour, announcing shows in Edmonton August 12, then taking a break until Winnipeg on August 30, Saskatoon August 31 and Calgary September 1.
• In a show that is guaranteed to move and groove, Matisyahu and the Dirty Heads will take the stage in Vancouver (hopefully together! that would be awesome) on September 24, both of them in support of new albums that will be dropping soon. 
• Dr. Dog, one of my favourite newcomers to the jam scene (if you havent heard of them, check out That Old Black Hole, a great tune) will perform in Toronto October 13. That is going to be an incredible week for music in TO, as Dispatch performs Oct. 8. 
• Neil Young has announced a batch of shows, check out the full Canadian tour here.   

 

Barr-ing Their Souls On Stage

Ever seen a man play a bicycle wheel like a violin? After last night, I have. 

The Barr Brothers performed at the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival last night, closing out the first spirited day of Jazz Fest with a show that was all over the board – high energy yet melodic, soulful and lullabye-esque, at times chaotic and at others in perfect sync. The brothers, Brad on guitar and Andrew on drums and percussion (and bike wheel), are joined by Andres Vial on bass, keyboard and various other noisemakers, and Sarah Page, playing an instrument not found on too many rock or jam stages, a stand-up classical harp.

With the haunting, ethereal tones of the harp echoing through the creative cacophony at the perfect times, the music felt airy and uplifting, even while Brad sang about making deals with the devil and the plight of a deacon’s son.  

As I listened to Brad sing the slow, sultry lyrics to the Neil Young classic Don’t Let it Bring You Down, and with no bearing to the weather outside the tent, I envisioned a thunderstorm – dark, grey clouds slowly advancing and blanketing the sky, before an explosion of thunder from the drums and guitar, and petering out just as quickly like a summer deluge.

Songs like Give the Devil Back His Heart and Ooh, Belle showcase the diverse areas of inspiration contained in the Barrs’ musical oeuvre – Andrew once said the inspiration for Deacons’ Sons came to him while he was listening to the music of Sahara desert nomads and pacing the house with his guitar.

Lofty, softly clanging bells, abacus-like shakers, maracas, bicycle spokes and ghostly pedal effects showcase the diversity and range of this group, who defy categorizations like “folk” or “blues,” often containing folk, blues, rock and classical sounds in the same extended jams.

This iteration of the brothers’ musical journey, which began with a Great White-style nightclub fire in Montreal that resulted in Andrew and Brad fleeing from the club with instruments in hand, led to them meeting a woman who would become their manager and a new home base in one of Canada’s cultural hubs. For the Providence, Rhode Island duo who were formerly two-thirds of jam-rockers The Slip, this was fairly out of their comfort zone, but soon friendships with local musician Vial and Page, with whom the brothers shared a wall in their apartment, led to the band’s formation.

Perhaps it was the progressive, unconventional nature of the quartet’s musical acumen, or the nurturing atmosphere of Montreal’s music scene, but the slightly mis-nomered Barr Brothers have created a niche for themselves, touring extensively through Canada and the US at many of the major summer festivals. Their shows still have a slightly amateurish feel to them, but in a good way – it’s an unassuming feeling, built on the charming and intimate notion that these incredibly creative artists would feel just as at home around a campfire as they are in a nightclub.

It would be harder to set up that bicycle wheel around a campfire, though.

The Barr Brothers continue their summer tour at the Metropolis in Montreal on July 1.

Keep On (Tedeschi-) Trucks-in!

This is a post ive been meaning to write for a while, partly because i love these guys and partly to thank them for doing what so few bands in the jam community do - a comprehensive Canadian tour! Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks have somehow been able to plan not only a full of slate of US festivals shows and dates, but have done the same in Canada, proving once and for all that such a thing can be done! Hear that Phish? Come play Osheaga or something...

Seriously tho, these guys are really inspiring and uplifting when you see them live. Like Michael Franti on stage, the combination of Trucks' filling-the-bucket guitar jams with Tedeschi's angelic high notes and vocals practically make the sun come out on a cloudy day. Their Canadian tour kicks off tomorrow night in Calgary then Edmonton, and resumes at the Toronto Jazz Festival June 29, the Winnipeg Folk Festival July 6, Thunder Bay and Ottawa Blues Festivals, the Quebec City Summer Festival and, after a swing through the southwest states, back to Fredericton, NB for the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival.

No offense to the Calgary/Edmonton shows, but id take a festival setting over a concert hall to see these guys any day. And thanks again to Derek and Susan for fitting all these great shows in between Allman Bros dates and all the fantastic options you have south of the border. Im hoping to catch at least three of these gigs. See you there!

Digeri-Don't Miss Xavier Rudd

Xavier Rudd, everyone's favourite Australian didge-jam singer/songwriter, is making his long anticipated return to Canada! It's been a few years for Xavier, who has been taking it easy and touring extensively through Australia (i assume those things can be simultaneously - it's Australia, for cryin' out loud), in support of his latest album, Spirit Bird.

On a personal note, I have fond memories of watching (more listening) to Xavier, way back in 2007, while clinging to a wrought-iron fence outside Ottawa City Hall. This was back before they moved Bluesfest to its new location, and before security would bear-mace me for coming within 10 feet of the festival grounds without a fancy bracelet. I was a poor college student and couldnt afford the cover, so i did what i had to do! Heck, that was almost as much fun (and sounded slightly better), than the time my buddies and I climbed onto the roof of the Algonquin College gym and watched Treble Charger perform through a skylight. Good times. But I digress.

Rudd will be in Canada this coming winter, starting November 14 in Victoria, then on to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, London, Toronto, Kitchener, Hamilton, Guelph, Ottawa, Quebec City, and Sherbrooke, before closing out the tour December 7 in Montreal. Rudd will presumably head back home to Australia after that, since it will be summer there, as opposed to the brutally cold winters of Canada. Heck, even our summers probably seem brutally cold to the Aussie. He should probably talk to his manager about that tour arrangement...
   

Dylan Turns Off Highway 61 to the TransCanada

Breaking News boys and girls! Bob Dylan has announced three shows in Canada this summer, but eschewing the major urban centres he usually plays in favour of smaller towns off the beaten path. The folkfather of jam will return from a round of shows in Spain, Italy and France and head north for Canada (so maybe that headline should be Autobahn...but he wasnt in Germany...see, this is harder than it looks!), stopping August 10 in Lloydminster, SK (or is that AB?), August 11 in Lethbridge, AB and August 12 in Cranbrook, BC before heading south of the border.

Never been to Lloydminster so i cant vouch for the music scene there, but Lethbridge always draws a good crowd - I saw a rockin Neal Young show there a couple years ago - and Cranbrook might be one of the loveliest places in Canada in mid-August, so i dont blame him for wanting to go there. And im not going to make any comparisons to my grandmother moving to Arizona for the dry air, either.

Last time i saw Dylan he was truly on his game, at times sounding like Chuck Berry, at others taking me back to his Dylan and the Dead days, at others turning blue with jazz.But what is there to say about Bob Dylan, the 72-year-old musical genius who has been touring for more than five decades? As always, he speaks candidly and lets his music do the talking. He doesn't perform for anyone else, that's for sure. If you see Dylan live, don't expect to hear his canon of radio hits - that's not how he rolls. He'll play whatever he wants, change the lyrics and verses, and even the tune and cadence of his songs so you wont necessarily recognize that what he's playing is that song. But dont worry about it. Just sit back, let him speak to you with his keyboard or his guitar or his gravelly voice, and if you're truly lucky, maybe he'll even acknowledge the presence of the audience in the theatre. He rarely does.

No Prime Number

Ok, so Primus played a gig last night at Vancouver's storied and awesome Orpheus Theatre, and reviews (and the guy i talked to who went) said it was a ho-hum kind of unremarkable show. See this review for a good idea. Although, i never really trust what people have to say about shows they didnt like because for me, a show is such a personal experience i might have thought i was amazing. Who knows, maybe everyone else thought the show was slow and dull, but the band might have played all of one person's favourite songs and left them weeping in delight, yknow?

By the way, remember how awesome this video was?

Nice little interlude. Anyway, in my experience there are three types of people when it comes to Primus - the fans who love them and believe they're the cutting edge of experimental, limit-busting head rock; people like me, who will go to a show and enjoy it but wish it was more Phish-ey; and people who hate them. As you can tell, im in the second group. I like some of their work. I like the jammy, highly talented and sometimes-musical aspects of their sound, but like Jack White, sometimes it's just too much and feels a little too self-indulgent. Not saying thats what happened last night cuz, again, id see them if they werent half-way across the country. Unlike, say, moe., i would not travel around for a Primus gig. But if it were closer to home...

Please come to Ottawa, Les, or Montreal. Heck, id even settle for Toronto.  

Coyne on fire in downtown TO, despite structural challenges...

I hear from friends that this show was "pretty good for being on a tiny stage in an intersection, with no way to actually see the show. And the sounds wasnt very good."

"But, was Wayne Coyne at least doing his whole crazy, out-of-his-mind-entertaining and getting fans involved shtick?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. He did the hamster ball and everything," ____ said.

"What about the butterfly king, did he make an appearance?"

"No, but Do You Realize what this means?" (their voice was bold, not my editing)

"What?" i ask, eyes rolling audibly into the phone. (think about that!)

"They'll have to come back!"
 
I can only hope Coyne and the Flaming Lips come back - tho i couldnt get to Toronto this weekend, id pretty much go out of my way to see the Lips any time, anywhere. Damn, I should it been there.

Anyway, it feels somehow callous, writing this post to follow the previous one...but the show must go on they say, and the Lips surely do put on an unforgettable show. Despite the night's earlier tragic stage collapse at the Radiohead gig, Coyne put on a fitting tribute and cited the accident during the show. For a well-written take on the pros and cons of the show, here's a pretty funny link And here's another pretty good show review, less satirical but with more setlist detail.  

Breaking News of the Tragic Kind: Radiohead's not quite back yet

Last night, while thousands of unsuspecting Torontonians were on their way to the highly anticipated, outdoor performance by electro-jammers Radiohead, the unthinkable happened and the stage collapsed on top of four or five people, wounding several people and, unfortunately, killing the band's drum tech, Scott Johnson. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott's family - no one should ever be killed or injured at a music show, that's just about the opposite of what it's all about. And this is serious, so no death metal or Marilyn Manson jokes here. Sorry.

Radiohead's Back!

That was the overarching response to Radiohead's triumphant return to Bonnaroo and to North American touring this summer. After that show at 'Roo simulcast around the world via their live YouTube stream (thanks again!), the majority opinion was that Thom Yorke and Co. had come back down to earth from their past couple years of airy, experimental pseudo-techno/electronic work that was less-than-accessible to many fans of their older stuff. However, Radiohead has put all that aside and they're back to their mind-melding rockin' selves.

This is important why, you ask? Because the guys are just a few hours away from their show in Montreal, the first of two stops in Canada this year. Of course Toronto is the second, tomorrow night .Dont even bother looking for tix because both shows are sold out - so scalp or dream, Radiohead fans, scalp or dream.  

P.S. I talk to myself a lot, and as a writer I tend to talk to my computer a lot too - when i cant find the words, when i cant find a source on the internet, when the internet stops working, when a virus crashes my system and deletes all my files, when my cat steps on my laptop and crunches the disk drive into itself, etc. - and sometimes i say, "OK, computer, lets go..." OK Computer. Gets me every time. 

No Bones About It - Dinosaur Jr. Returns to Canada

Dinosaur Jr. has announced a fall tour, kicking off in Toronto! The boys are back with just their third new album of the past seven years, I Bet On Sky, due to come out September 18 - just before the start of their tour. With a three-night stand in Toronto at Lee's Palace September 24-26, these shows will hopefully showcase the new material and give us all that  hard-hitting funk rock we've come to know and love DJ for. There are no other Canadian dates on the tour yet but they have announced through October, so fingers crossed!

Breaking News: Dr. Dog Fall Tour

Fresh jammers Dr. Dog have announced their fall tour, and there is one lone stop in Canada, at Toronto's Opera House on October 13. The prescription for more shows is to sell these ones out, so let's keep packing the house jam-heads!

Jam-Tastic Concert Round-up

It's time once again for everyone's favourite quasi-daily (sometimes) feature, the Canadian jam-tastic concert round-up! In other words, here are some of my favourite jam artists and bands who are playing in Canada or have announced their intent to do so:

• Primus returns to one of their "old favourite" stops (that's what it says on the website, whoo-hoo!), Vancouver's Orpheum Theatre, on Friday, June 15 
• NXNE kicks off in earnest on Saturday, June 16 with The Flaming Lips set to tear up one of Toronto's busiest intersections, Young & Dundas. Cant wait to see the Butterfly King and his Teletubby cohorts blocking traffic in downtown TO...The Lips also close their international tour on September 14 in Victoria, BC. Very cool!
• Canada's own folk quartet the Barr Brothers have announced a string of tour dates across Canada, starting June 21 in Ottawa but reaching from Quebec City to Vancouver and points in between. Their website is currently under renovations but you can see the tour sched here, and of course ill keep you posted. 
• The Wood Brothers hit Toronto Monday, June 25 and Vancouver July 13. 
• BREAKING NEWS: Jerry Joseph is set to appear with his Jackmormons in Toronto on July 25, Victoria on August 20 and Vancouver August 21 - lucky bastards!
• Ziggy Marley will take an un-rasta-like whirlwind tour of eastern Ontario, hitting Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal back to back to back June 26-28. After a string of US dates moving west, he'll dash back up for a show in Coquitlam, BC (nice work guys!) on July 20. Also check out the free download featured on his site right now, its a funky track!
• Jordan Cook, AKA Reignwolf, kicks off a Canadian tour this summer on June 23 in Swift Current, SK, and he'll hit a series of music festivals around the country this summer. If you get the chance to see this guy please do! He's gonna be big, mark my words. 

Thus concludes the updates and round-up for the month of June. As always, if any new jam-tabulous shows are announced ill be the first to know about (which makes you the second)...

Great Exposure for Good

Everyone's favourite folksy, moody Canadian singer/songrwriter Matthew Good (he used to rock - remember Underdogs?), will get some great exposure this week, teaming up with NXNE and SiriusXM satellite radio for a live broadcast of his show. If you dont have satellite radio...whats wrong with you? It's awesome. Jam On has changed my life. Seriously.

And no more Matt Good in this space. Promise.

Seeing Ringo in Canada Dont Come Easy...

Sorry about that shameless headline, but i figured it was better than a "Ring(o) around the rosey" pun...anyway, exciting news out of the former Beatle's camp as he is getting set to kick off his summer tour, featuring the latest and lucky-13th incarnation of his All Starr Band. The first show on the tour is in Toronto at the Fallsview Casino, his only Canadian stop (start?) on the tour. Joining the mellow melodist are new members Steve Lukather, of Toto, Gregg Rolie (Journey, Santana) and Richard Page (Mr. Mister), who accompany returning All Starrs Todd Rundgren, Mark Rivera and Gregg Bissonette.

On a side note, if you've never seen the Live From the Artists Den episode with Ringo and Ben Harper, it's a pretty smokin', entertaining show that showcases both artists' excitement at being able to play together. Check it out.

Canuck Congratulations

With the wrap-up of another epic Bonnaroo, I just wanted to take a quick post to congratulate all those Canadian artists who have made enough of a name for themselves and who rock hard enough to get invited to play at the world's premier jam fest. There may be some lineups you like more, and some locales that arent quite as physically demanding, but at the end of the day Bonnaroo is pretty much the be-all and end-all of jam band music festivals. So, without further ado, mazel tov to: Feist, City and Colour (Dallas Green), Kathleen Edwards, who will be returning to Canada for shows later this summer, and Hey Rosetta!, who have a pretty killer US festival tour lined up. Apologies to anyone ive missed but, if i have, thats because ive never heard of you.

I look forward to talking about more awesome Canadian bands in this space and, hopefully, seeing many more gigs by Canucks down south for years to come!

A-bdy a-bdy a-bdy that's all folks! (fest, that is...)

With a bigger and broader mandate than ever before now that it's been brought under the stewardship of Mark Monaghan, the driving force behind Ottawa's hugely successful Bluesfest, the Ottawa Folk Festival on Wednesday released it's 2012 lineup. Despite much fanfare, the line-up leaves a bit to be desired, though anyone who loves the Canadian home-grown folk scene will not be disappointed - which i guess is what its all about.

Headliners Bon Iver, Ben Harper and Great Big Sea join Wintersleep, Matthew Good, Matt Mays (sans El Torpedo), Dan Mangan, the Great Lake Swimmers and Kathleen Edwards, rounding out the list of performers you might have heard of. Not to take anything away from this eclectic array of talent, but there is  hardly a lot of star power there. Nevertheless, it is a refreshing change to have a festival actually take its name seriously (Folkfest being dedicated, primarily, to folk, as opposed to a Ziggy Marley/Jazzfest or Thievery Corporation/Bluesfest team-up, etc. - but i want to see both those shows so keep it up!)

There are still a few time slots open, most notably on the closing sunday of the show, and with the new five-day format expanding by one day this year, hopefully Monaghan holds true to form and announces a few more aces he is still holding up his sleeve. Someone like Bruce Hornsby, who performed at the Folk Festival last year and will be in Canada this summer already, might be persuaded. 



  

Happy Birthday Derek Trucks!

Thanks for the Canadian tour this summer - merci beaucoup! Be seein' you soon dude.

Bonnaroo Bitterness

My heart is breaking as we speak because Bonnaroo has officially kicked off and im sitting in my tiny, windowless closet-of-an-office, approximately 3,500km away from the heart of the music scene i love so much. for all of you who are sharing my pain, the fest has teamed up with youtube to allow us to vicariously enjoy the beats, a la Couch Tour. check it out the live Bonnaroo stream here.

Keepin the Kippah

In attempting to keep up with the ever-shifting winds of pop culture and the even faster-changing trends of fashion, everyone's favourite ultra-orthodox hip-hop artist, Matisyahu, has ditched his yamulke in favour of a dyed-blonde spiky look circa 1999. Oh, the price of fame... Ironically, the fact that he has shed his trademark curly sideburns and skull-cap is making more waves than the fact that rapper Wiz Khalifa, with whom he is pictured in an Instagram photo he took and disseminated himself (thank you, Mark Zuckerberg), to be smoking a joint! Priorities, people. 

Unfortunately, Matisyahu does not have any Canadian tour dates scheduled at the moment - much to my chagrin, since the guy puts on a killer show and exudes so much energy he should be plugged into green technology. His partners in crime, the Dirty Heads, do take some time this summer to come across the border, landing in Ottawa for Bluesfest July 13 and Toronto's EdgeFest the next night. The Bluesfest gig is one of my most anticipated shows of the summer as this will be my first chance to see DH, a band ive been known to describe as "the illegitimate child of Sublime of the Beastie Boys, if they hooked up at a college party." Dont miss it!

Keep on Rockin' in the Free North

Canadian legend Neil Young has announced a slew of Canadian tour dates in support of his new album, Americana, in which he reunites with his classic backing band, Crazy Horse. While the reshaped, electric-guitar driven folk tunes are a nice throwback to the Neil Young & Crazy Horse we all know and love, here's to hoping his live performances will feature less of This Land is Our Land and more of Cowgirl in the Sand.

Among the new tour dates, announced by promoter Live Nation and yet to be confirmed on Neil's Website or TicketMaster, are dates in Vancouver, Calgary (Tuesday, Nov. 13), Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto (Monday, Nov. 19), Ottawa (Saturday, Nov. 24) and Montreal. Ill post those dates as soon as they are confirmed.

Just in case the idea of seeing Neil reprise his role as guitar god doesnt excite you enough, rumour has it he will be supported by the timeless and legendary songstress Patti Smith, who is releasing her first album of new material in eight years. Sounds like a recipe for a collaborative stage performance to me.