Roxanne Tellier – The Age of Bullies Part Two: World Class Bullies and Where They Live

Last week I wrote about local bullies, and those that terrorize the citizens that elected them locally and nationally. More often than we might have thought, those elected bullies, unsated by the billions they suck from their people’s coffers, opt to extend their reign indefinitely. When they do so, they morph from being barely restrained autocratic bullies, into full-fledged, unrestrained, dictators.

Peter Gives Thanks

I am not ashamed to say that the time since my Dear Lois passed has been the bleakest of my entire life. I never knew that misery such as I am experiencing now was even possible. But it is, sadly, as I am sure those of you who have lost their loved ones are more than tragically aware.

Peter (Beer) Barrels through CMW 2018

Armed with my “media” credentials, my guidebook and my Metropass, I took on Canadian Music Week. (Note that all of the bands/artists that I mention in this column have Facebook pages, and are well worth further study, should you feel so inclined. It was a very busy week!)

JAIMIE VERNON – MUSIC BUCKET CHALLENGE

There’s a new Facebook challenge going around that asks people to choose the 12 albums that have “stayed with you” over the years. I’m not sure what they mean by that exactly. “Stayed with you” like your dog does when you’ve got a half-eaten bean burrito sitting unattended on your plate while you remote control your way through 177 channels on your TV set looking for a Season 9 marathon of the ‘Simpsons’? Or “Stayed with you” like a bad one-night stand that turned into a three-year commitment, a shared bank account and pink throw pillows on the bed you’ve had since Middle School?

Doug Thompson: ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE MISSES THE MARK…..AGAIN!

Rolling Stone Magazine recently released their latest ‘list’, “The 100 Greatest Songwriters” rollingstone.com).  Let me repeat that title, “The 100 Greatest Songwriters”.  Their descriptive line states “From Brill Building tunesmiths to Punk poets, from Woody Guthrie to Max Martin, the visionaries who defined music history.”

JAIMIE VERNON – THE PUNKS ARE (STILL) ALRIGHT

Smashing Pumpkins leader William “Don’t Call Me Billy” Corgan bleated something about loss of innocence at the end of the 1970s with the band’s only true Pop song called “1979” in the apex of the 1990s version of a counter-culture movement (c/f Grunge, Cobain, Seattle, et al).

Pat Blythe: Women of Rock – Part Two

Ch-ch-ch-cha-changes

I have been slowly getting to know my fellow writers, conversing with them through Facebook, email and over the phone. A what! Yep, a real live telephone. You know, those devices that allow you to actually hear what the other person sounds like while enjoying honest-to-goodness dialogue. Fingers seem to do more walking and mouths less talking these days. We are no longer an oral society. The world of banter, tete-a-tetes and nattering have gone the way of such foods as pineapple upside down cake. (remember those) Mmmmmm……

Doug Thompson: COVERING UP! VINYL RECORD COVERS CLASSICS!

I love album covers!  Not the shrunken down versions they use on CDs, I mean those gloriously creative (mostly) 12” vinyl record album covers.  I was looking through my vinyl record collection the other day and marvelled at some of the amazing designs of some of the covers.  Now, before we start delving into some classic album covers as well as a few personal favourites, a little history is in order, but don’t panic – there will not be a quiz later.

Cameron Carpenter: The ABC’s Of Rock’n’Roll – A is for Aircheck

During the last few months I have been listening to a lot more radio than normal. Working at home, and with no TV, I hate the silence so the radio goes on. I need noise in the background to work. Tired of CFNY, Q-107 and news radio I started listening to sports radio in the morning and soon found myself listening to Macko and Cauz on TSN 1050 (which still doesn’t look right after growing up on 1050 Chum). Macko is Bob Mackowycz Jr. (son of Q-107 legend Bob Mackowycz) and Matthew Cauz. My first dealings with Bob were when he was in the band Glueleg and they were looking for a record deal.

Cameron Carpenter: The ABC’s Of Rock – I Was A Punk Before You Were A Punk

“I was a punk before you were a punk

You don’t believe me? Just step outside and see me baby

I was a punk before you were a punk

You want some action? I’ll put your ass in traction baby

I was a punk before you were

I was a punk before you

I was a punk before you were

I was a punk before you”

The Tubes (Spooner/Evans/Waybill)