Halifax Is Burning :: S01E02

September 29, 2009
(right click and "Save As" - then YouSend it to all your friends [and listen to it too])

The return of Jean-Paul Joseph Marc Andre à Billy à Michel sur Armand!!

Track List
The Peter Parkers - Make Out Party
Jon McKiel - Violent Dreams (Thrush Hermit Cover)
Sharp Like Knives - Holy Gaud
Major/Minor - Take Care of You Suitcase
The Superfantastics - Turn On Me
Tongan Death Grip - Werewolf
Sprengjuhollin - The Drive
Mates of State - Beautiful Dreamer
Ryan Cook - Gaspereau Valley
The Fantods - Left The Light On
Klarka Weinwurm - Wood Stove Fires
The Stanfields - Ship To Shore

CKDU Funding Drive!

"CKDU 88.1 FM is Halifax's only campus-based community radio station, broadcasting original programming 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Beyond a small group of 5 part-time staff, the station is entirely run by over 200 volunteers.
A significant portion of CKDU's operating budget is raised through our annual funding drive – a 10-day on-air extravaganza where we ask our listeners to put their money where their ears are and pledge their support for community radio.

Our goal this year is to raise $25,000, and with your help, we can do it!"

There are also lots of sweet events going on here in the 'fax to help raise the twenty-five G's, and you can learn all about them by clicking HERE.

"Do you love your guns, god, your government?" Marilyn Manson @ The Metro Centre - September 25, 2009 :: Concert Review

Battling the swine flu and poor ticket sales on the East Coast leg of his Canadian tour, Marilyn Manson had a lot of things working against him coming into Halifax. However, like the Cooper's and Bowie's before him have proved, the show must go on; and go on it did.

From the first phrase of "We're From America," Manson's voice was a little raspier than usual. Coupled with 2-3 minute pauses between each song of the hour and a half set, the sickness was evident. But the Antichrist Superstar gave it his all, and screamed (literally) his way through a blistering set of 14 songs.

The set list was an interesting mix of new material from the High End of Low album, ripping out some classics like "Sweet Dreams," "The Dope Show," and "The Beautiful People." Of course, the show wasn't without some personal highlights like "The Love Song," "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" and the Patti Smith cover "Rock N' Roll Nigger" from Manson's famed Smells Like Children EP.

Honestly, the new album isn't that great. It's not terrible, but some of the songs (most of which are about breaking up with Evan Rachel Wood and/or Dita Von Teese) come off as a little bland. However, the new songs were heavy as hell and gave me a completely new outlook on the record (which I will promptly give a re-listen). "Pretty as a Swastika" is probably the heaviest Manson song I've heard since anything off Antichrist Superstar. Definitely blew my mind, and my expectations of the High End of Low, out of my skull. Even the ballad, "Running To The End of The World" reveled in the grandiose Deep Purple-like organ, making the song an interesting toned-down choice for the set list (especially since he didn't play the first single from The High End of Low, "Arma-God Damn-Mother-Fucking-Geddon.")

Of course, it wouldn't be a Marilyn Manson show without the use of some provoking Nazi-esque backdrops, some upside-down cross lights, knife microphones, glitter and confetti canons. The props were a little toned down compared to the last time I saw Manson in Montreal three years ago. A giant high chair and a make-shift boxing ring were definitely lacking this time around, but the spotlight, smoke filled, paparazzi inspired setting during "The Dope Show" almost made up for that.

Montreal comparison's aside, it was great to see the band with original bassist Twiggy Ramirez - though he was playing guitar this time around - and with the driving force of drummer Ginger Fish (complete with two kick drums!). It's hard to believe that the unmistakable, thick crunching guitars ever-present on Manson tracks comes from one guitar on any given recording, but the band usually tends to stick to one guitar live - though on "Dried Up and Dead to World" Manson himself donned a guitar.

The breaks between songs kind of killed the momentum at times, and having the flu definitely took a toll on Manson (and his voice), but the set list selection combined with his relentlessness and show-must-go-on attitude made up for any lacking elements.
I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't channeling my 15-year-old self most of the time, pumping my fists and singing along, all while staring in awe at one of my favorite rock n rollers of all time - so all in all, I had a great time and was consistently impressed by the Antichrist himself. Hopefully I won't have to wait three years to see him again.

SET LIST:
01. We’re From America
02. Disposable Teens
03. Pretty as a Swastika
04. The Love Song
05. Irresponsible Hate Anthem
06. Four Rusted Horses
07. Dried Up, Tied, and Dead to the World
08. Leave a Scar
09. The Dope Show
10. Running to the Edge of the World
11. Rock is Dead
12. Sweet Dreams
13. Rock n’ Roll Nigger
14. Beautiful People

VIDEOS:
Sweet Dreams:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37QkYfCET3k)

The Dope Show:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd0gyf2_hWM)

Beautiful People:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1EzaPjvOio)

PICTURES:

Free Download! Pop Explosion Planner!

If you're anything like me, this is the first thing you do when the Halifax Pop Explosion festival schedule is released: pick up the program, and circle every show you want to go to.

Then, you take your schedule home, and plot out your day-by-day, hour-by-hour plan.

Well, Halifax is Burning is going to help you out this year.

Click here to download your very own copy of a blank Pop Explosion Planner.

I'll be posting my own personal picks in the planner format after this week's show, which - don't forget - airs Tuesday nights from 6:30pm to 7:30pm on CKDU 88.1FM in Halifax, and live online at www.ckdu.ca.

Halifax Is Burning :: S01E01

SEPTEMBER 22, 2009
(right click and "Save As" - then slam it on your iPod and/or share it with your friends)

Track List:
The Motorleague - Big Time
Mardeen - Ice Truck Killers
Two Hours Traffic - Painted Halo
A/V - Miss A/V
Jenocide - Fashion Icon
Bike Rodeo - Song 7
Gamma Gamma Rays - Science
Myles Deck & The Fuzz - Police Cops
Share - Date & Time
York Redoubt - Dead
Jon McKiel - War on You
Fucked Up - Looking for God
Cousins - Out on Town
Mary Stewart - Sweeter Than
Boyz Noize - Putting Holes In Happiness (Marilyn Manson Remix)

The Politics of Polaris

Last night, Toronto hardcore band Fucked Up took home $20,000 when they won the Polaris Music Prize.

To Canadian indie rockers, rappers, or - in this case - punk rockers, this is probably the biggest award up for grabs. Not only is twenty grand a huge chunk of change to bring home and help pay the bills, winning Polaris comes with a certain, sometimes much needed, degree of notoriety.

Unfortunately for Fucked Up, the mainstream media won't even print their name.

The CBC called them F--ked Up, the National Post called them F----d Up, and the Globe & Mail went so far as to call them "the band with the unprintable name" (although in the web story, they did print Fucked Up).

How polite are we as Canadians that we can't dare to print or say their name?

Now, we can sit here and debate language philosophy. We could talk Wittgenstein and the merit of associating words with meaning, but let's instead talk about how this will affect the band.

Granted the shock value of their name will create waves and earn them some much-deserved press attention, but its all a bit bittersweet and ironic isn't it?

After winning an award that rewards them for excellence in artistic merit, they'll get the most attention because their name has a swear word in it.

The same thing happened to Holy Fuck when they were cited by the Conservative government in an internal memo as the reason for a slew of federal arts cuts. The attention they received based on their controversial name alone disregarded their grueling tour schedules, their ever-growing fan base, their contribution to modern Canadian electronica, or the fact that the band is representing our country on a consistent basis overseas at huge festivals like Glastonbury.

How many people will talk about Fucked Up as a band who, by winning this award, brought hardcore music to a more mainstream audience (maybe begrudgingly to hardcore fans), who opened critics eyes to the potential of non-radio friendly heavy music, who has the ability to rip shit up and still be invited to speak on FOX News. Probably not many.

Think about it, how much attention did Patrick Watson, Besnard Lakes, Caribou or Final Fantasy get from mainstream press for their Polaris wins - aside from the obvious winning $20,000 angle.

Now this coverage probably won't hurt Fucked Up. I don't know who said "there is no such thing as bad press," but if this is what it takes for Fucked Up to become a household name, fine. Sort of in the same vein as Kanye West's Taylor Swfit mic-grabbing incident, lots of people - including the media - will be talking about Fucked Up for the next week (at the very least).

It's just too bad that people won't be talking about how great The Chemistry of Common Life is, or why it deserved to win $20,000. They'll just be talking about the band's expletive name.

And that's fucked up.

Halifax Is Burning!

Halifax Is Burning is a new radio show that features the hottest tracks coming out of the Haligonian music scene and the East Coast.

Tune into the show Tuesday's from 6:30pm to 7:30pm on CKDU 88.1FM in Halifax. If you don't have a radio, or you happen to be out of the frequency range, you can stream live online at http://www.ckdu.ca

This blog will not only feature the show's tracklists, but thanks to CKDU's awesome archiving technology, it will also host links to previous weeks' shows. On top of that, I'll also be including some music-related rants, videos and the likes.

Stick around, thanks for listening and keep the fire burning.