Music This Week 002: En Francais?

I'm giving a listen to Coeur De Pirate, self titled 2008. It almost didn't make this week's cut because UPS sucks, and apparently has a hard time delivering simple packages. Speaking of shipping scandals, SIGG, the Swiss urban canteen maker is receiving a nice package from me filled with my less-than-year-old 1.0L 'Frames' bottle for replacement due to the inner liner peeling off. Some of you might remember how this company advertised how acceptionally eco-friendly their stuff supposedly is, at $25 a bottle, and then there was a voluntary recall because the epoxy in the liner might have contained BPA.

As for Coeur De Pirate (Beatrice Martin), I'm diggin' it, even though I can't understand half of what she's saying, unlike any other good Canadian who would recognize most the words in his second official language (or first, depending on where you live).

Most of what you get here is French folk based alternative, without percussion, so expect a lot of piano based tracks and some acoustic guitar; and a few things you might expect out of something produced out of Arts & Crafts records' based and old Feist songs.

My favourite track: La Vie Est Ailleurs

Here's some stuff you can add to your playlist this week:

1. La Vie Est Ailleurs - Coeur De Pirate - Coeur De Pirate 2008
2. In A Jar - Brand New - Daisy 2009
3. Still I Rise - Shadowsfall - Retribution 2009
4. Von Bondies - Only To Haunt You - Love, Hate & Then There's You 2009
5. Fondu Au Noir - Coeur De Pirate - Coeur De Pirate 2008

Next week we'll be taking in some Bend Sinister and the Gabe Dixon band.

Music This Week 001; Alexisonfire Kills People

You can't just take a band like Alexisonfire and put them on a free stage. There will be a riot.

http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/More+than+injured+crowd+topples+fence+Yaletown+LiveCity/2573504/story.html

I always remember what annoys me so much about all ages shows, and the reason I like to see bands play in smaller, more intimate venues.

Music This Week

I've been in a mellow and reflective mood this week; about love, life, and the city. Here's some good stuff if you're in the same mood.

1. Alexisonfire - Emerald Street - Old Crows/Young Cardinals 2009
2. Metric - Gold Guns Girls - Fantasies 2009
3. Metric - Satellite Mind - Fantasies 2009
4. The Gaslight Anthem - Here's Looking At You, Kid - '59 Sound 2008
5. Them Crooked Vultures - No One Loves Me, Neither Do I - Self Titled 2009

Add these to your playlist and enjoy.

#001 - Genuinely Thinking Of You

I generally wouldn't want to post a tape before the recipient had found it in the mail, or had it handed to them, but in this case it's going to Toronto, and it may take a while to get there. Also, as it were, Jess, whom requested the tape, had posted her post-card to me in her blog (see http://deltiologicalstudies.blogspot.com/) and because curiousity killed me, I went ahead and read it before it appeared in my mailbox. I suppose she could do the same if she really wanted, but it would really ruin things.

Here is #001 - Genuinely Thinking Of You

Track Listings:

Side A

1. Songs For Sarah Jane - Hawksley Workman - Meat 2010
2. These Eyes Are On The Exit - Grade - At Both Ends Split EP 2010
3. Robots 3 Humans 0 - Norma Jean - Vs. The Anti Mother 2008
4. Rest My Chemistry - Interpol - Our Love To Admire - 2007
5. Metal Airplanes - Matthew Good - Hospital Music 2007
6. Complete Control - The Clash - The Clash 1979 (remaster - The Singles 2007)
7. The Patient Ferris Wheel - The Gaslight Anthem - '59 Sound 2008
8. Our Age - The Constantines - Kensington Heights 2008
9. Milk Lizard - The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works - 2007
10. Drive (Cars cover) - Deftones - rumored Saturday Night Wrist (export? bootleg?) 2006

Side B

1. Roman Holiday - Every Time I Die - New Junk Aesthetic 2009
2. Come Undone (Depeche Mode cover) It Dies Today - Lividity 2009
3. Maybe I'll Catch Fire (Acoustic) Alkaline Trio - Agony & Irony 2009
4. Bitches In Tokyo - Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War 2007
5. I Still Remember - Bloc Party - Weekend In The City 2007
6. Pale Bride - Von Bondies - Love, Hate & Then There's You 2009
7. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart EP 1980 (Essentials 2007)
8. Love Has Lead Us Astray - Thursday - Common Existence 2009
9. Talking Through Glass - Thrice - Beggars 2009
10. Everything Must Go - Taking Back Sunday - New Again 2009
11. (Bonus Track Not Listed) Black Gives Way To Blue - Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue 2009

There were indeed some problems with this one. For one, I found that TDK's D90 Type I, 0 bias tapes are somewhat garbage. I can hear attenuation wavering on some of the tracks. I'm not buying those again. I got them from Staples next door to the bank I work at. I'd prefer to go with Memorex tapes if I could still find them. Second, there were some substitutions. The tape was originally supposed to start side B with Them Crooked Vultures No One Loves Me, Niether Do I, but my CD deck wouldn't recognize the CD for some reason as being loaded, and I had a major problem with my computer output missing an entire channel of audio. So I had to scratch it entirely. Also left off was Marvelous Slut by Everytime I Die. On the CD, both Roman Holiday and Marvelous Slut are too short to probably stand alone, so I thought I would splice them together. It ran too long, and I decided to leave off Marvelous Slut, especially since it includes an appearance by Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan, and I already used one of their songs on the tape. Stars was a last second addition, and my original track listing had Von Bondies Only To Haunt You instead of Pale Bride, but I think all things aside (whether I'm sending a message or not) Pale Bride is just a better song.

This one goes in the mail tomorrow and will likely take up to two weeks to reach Jess based on when her postcard is dated and how long it took to reach me. I only hope she absolutely DOES NOT READ THIS POST before it gets to her. I put that warning in the wrong place, didn't I?

REQUESTS

Have a request for a cassette?

Email me at: istillhaveatapeplayer@gmail.com

I'll do my best to fill it quickly. Of course, the best requests come via trade.

I Still Have A Tape Player

Somewhere between the early 70's and the turn of the century there was one medium that, even when became irrelevent, they still installed the equipment for in most new vehicles, most component stereo systems, and even things like boats and RV's. I'm thinking of the cassette tape. If you were thinking of anything else, I'd kind of like to know what it was.

Although the manufacture of cassette tapes for public consumption dropped drastically in the mid to late 1990's, there were still provisions for cassette tapes in auto stereos until 2005 (and perhaps even past then, and in many component stereos even today.

Now, this could be so people could play their old collection of cassettes (which shouldn't be that large), or it could be for something much larger.

Thurston Moore wrote a book about the mixed tape. Nick Hornby wrote a book that defined the rules of making one; and later John Cusack appeared in the movie based on the book. It's been a way to inform and exchange ideas. It's been a way to let your friends know what you listen to. It's been a cheesy valentine's day present. It's been a staple of pop culture for perhaps 30 years.

I still have a tape player; and I intend to use it.