Frank Gutch Jr: Spotify Re-revisited, Research Turtles, Upcoming and New Releases, and Notes….

Before we dive in to that 800 pound gorilla, Spotify, I want to point out that Toronto has two more chances to catch one of the most impressive bands to live within Canada’s borders.  I caught Picture The Ocean‘s set in Portland a week or two ago and I couldn’t have been more impressed.  Impressed enough to keep the new album on heavy rotation, listening-wise.  Impressed enough to relive many of the outstanding moments of the band that night.  Impressed enough to trumpet the band to any and all who will listen.  This band is the real deal, my friends, and they are holding down a “residency” (whatever the hell that is) at The Cameron House the next two Tuesdays and will be playing from 6-8 PM.  Now, I don’t jump up and down for that many artists and/or bands (okay, I do, but it’s only because the bands I love are bands you need to hear), so take my word for it.  If I’m wrong, I’ll give you ten free whacks at the whipping post.  I’m telling you, these guys are good!  An antidote to the musical blahs.  An argument against there being no good music anymore.  You can thank me later.  And now…

Frank Gutch Jr: A Compendium of Music Topics – Myspace, Revisiting the Intellectual Property Debate, The Green Pajamas’ Death By Misadventure, and Those Pesky Notes….

Look, I tried to come up with a comprehensive topic for this week.  I really did!  But this past week has been such a jumble of music-related mumbo-jumbo that I thought I might take this time to put some things behind me.  Seems like every time I turn around, someone is promoting this or bitching about that and I try to keep up, but it seems impossible.  I have music to listen to, people, and don’t really have time for all the bullshit!  And yet, here I am, aren’t I?  Diving head first into questions which, like the oil in the Gulf, keep floating to the surface.  So let’s start with….

Frank Gutch Jr: O Canada! You’re Music To My Ears, Part Deux! Another Look at New Canadian Music Really Worth Hearing….. Steve Young and Jubal Lee Young Play Eugene….. Jon Gomm and Canada….. and NOTES!!!

A number of months ago I wrote about Canadian music here on DBAWIS.  That column included mentions of The Dementians, Laurie Biagini, Lisa O’Neill, Eric Corne, Shade, White Light Machine, Lester Quitzau, and Redgy Blackout.  There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then and Canada, like every other country in the musical world, is cranking more music out by the hour, it seems, and good music it is.  It is funny, but when I write about music in  the States, it seems like (and I know it is only in my head) I am writing about the obvious.  Canada, though, is another world and an adventure I so enjoy experiencing that I am going to take a little mental break and update you on a few of those listed the first go-round and break a little ground with a handful of artists from the Far Northlands about which/whom I have not yet written.  Much.

Frank Gutch Jr: Grown in Charlottesville, An Early Look at Rounder Records (via Warner/Reprise and Peter Stampfel), and Notes…..

When I first started getting into music, really getting into music beyond AM radio and the string of hits I always thought was everything music, there were three cities.  Only three.  Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.  Those were the three graced by the large offices of the major labels and those were the three which produced the vast majority of music which made it to the airwaves.  Or so it seemed.  Isolated in Oregon (and trust me, kiddies, it was isolation), the world looked so simple and yet so daunting, even on AM radio.  Generalizations were common.  Vocal groups all came from or at least came out of New York City.  Soul was courtesy of Detroit and Chicago and Detroit.  Surf music was West Coast and sand-infested.  Country was all Bakersfield or Nashville.  But they all were filtered through the Big Three:  Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.  That’s where the major labels lived.  That’s where the money was.  That was where artists went to make it  big, no matter where they originated.