Studio Sessions: Morrissey and Visconti

the music playing in the background

The Script

NOTHING - THE SCRIPT from Maria Grazia on Vimeo.

the script-breakeven from bono on Vimeo.

Sparks to a Flame

I read on Danielle LaPorte’s site about this artist, Matisyahu, and discovered his record Spark Seekers. His first release is “Sunshine” – video here. Matisyahu is in transition - formerly a Hasidic Jew/Reggae Superstar, who has departed his devotion, and as Danielle wrote, ‘freed himself of his beard and forelocks and black suit’. Cool crossroads story for sure. I really like this single. Thanks Danielle. You rock.

Close to Paradise - a good train song

No visual here, but a great train song by Canadian super talent, Patrick Watson.

Fantastic acoustic version of Everyday is Like Sunday - Boz on the Banjo - BRILLIANT!!

Haunted By Love...

Canadian Dominique Fricot's single Haunted By Love is my new favourite song that I'm playing over and over again. It's got a great guitar - really great vocals...just the type of song I love.

The corner of Cambie and 16th
The crossroads where we’d meet

The Great Lake Swimmers have a new recording....

Look at the names carved into us
Look at the days when they were lit up
Brushing my head and I feel their rage
Years of radiance, years of rain

And the world stops spinnin’ when you stop spinnin’
Sighs when you sigh when you sigh
I’m coming home so leave the light on for me
I’m drawing over the moon on this fell
When I’ll get in I will see you all there
I’m drawing on the great exhale

Certain grounds are water more likely
Translating names of lost families
Somebody’s sleeping and you should not wake
Drifting whispers over their grave

And the world stops spinnin’ when you stop spinnin’
Sighs when you sigh when you sigh
I’m coming home so leave the light on for me
I’m drawing over the moon on this fell
When I’ll get in I will see you all there
I’m drawing on the great exhale

Wide and open spaces
In a sleep along with time
Come to waiting places
Come tonight like all the dreams

I’m coming home so leave the light on for me
I’m drawing over the moon on this fell
When I’ll get in I will see you all there
I’m drawing on the great exhale

I’m soling in on the great exhale

The unmistakable, unique and genius, vocal talent of Robin Gibb

Today is Whitney's Funeral

Hard to believe still really. Watching this performance of 2009, we could believe Whitney Houston came close to happiness and triumph over her demons. Such a tragic ending. Thank you for your amazing voice Miss Houston.

Everything But The Girl: Downhill Racer

Resolve....

Inspiring story this morning on CBC Radio One, on the special program entitled "Resolve". The story I listened to was with Kristin Millar, a Winnipeg woman who carries her heart around in her purse, - she's waiting for a heart transplant - why she says she's not sick, she's just accessorized.



Make it go away or make it better
Isn’t that what love is supposed to do?
Make it go away or make it better
Cause I would do either one for you

This is not the way you should see me
This is not the face I recognize
Could I lay my head down here for a moment?
Would you sing to me like I’m your child?

Cause I’m not angry I’m not crying
I’m just in over my head
You could be the angel that stayed on my shoulder
When all of the other angels left

Make it go away
Cause I am weak and
This is more than one should have to take
If you do this for me then I will promise
I’ll make it go away for you someday

There are reasons with silver linings
There are lessons but I don’t care
Cause I just need a hand that I can hold onto
When it’s darker than death out there

Oh, and I’m so cold
And so far away from my home
But tonight you’re
You’re where I belong
You’re everything right
When I’m everything wrong

So make it go away or make it better
Isn’t that what love’s supposed to do?
Just make it go away or make it better
Cause I would do either one for you

Mika with Imogen Heap....By the Time

Things to do post full time employment

It's Friday and day 3 of being out of my position with the Mayor's Office. A fantastic opportunity it was, but alas, my fearless leader had made her decision to not run for re-election. Not an easy gig - particularly in the fashion she ran her Administration - on high octane, to an impeccable standard, and to the very best of level of democracy.

As 2011 comes to a close and I begin to suss out a new post, hopefully in the political realm, I will take it easy on myself. Going forward sans Blackberry, hours in front of a small screened PC, millions of details to cope with and negotiate through on a daily basis, these are the things I am looking forward to...

Snow Patrol's "A Hundred Million Suns"

This is a throw-back post written almost three years ago to the day. In light of the fact that Snow Patrol's new album "Fallen Empires" isn't out for Christmas - not being released until January 10th (a colossal marketing mis-step), I thought I'd remind people of this album. At the time I gave it a 7 out of 10.

Album: A Hundred Million Suns
Artist: Snow Patrol
Label: Polydor/A & M
Released: October 28, 2008
Rating: 7 out of 10
Review by: Stephanie Kiernan

Don’t expect to fall in love upon the first go around of “A Hundred Million Suns” – I’ve personally renamed Snow Patrol’s fifth album “A hundred million Starts” since that’s about how many plays it took for me to warm up to it and wipe off its monochromatic veneer.

Nevertheless, despite the repeated starts of the album in my car and on my iPod, it eventually wedged itself into my psyche. Irish-Scottish ensemble Snow Patrol resumes their clean-cut, soft-alternative sound, while lead-singer-lyricist Gary Lightbody fortifies the band’s tried and true post-Coldplay formula for a perfectly pleasant offering without any surprises.

And while surprises might be vital in satiating the iPod generation, Snow Patrol’s music is nevertheless cheerfully alternative, in addition to having the underpinning of distinguished Irish Producer, Garret “Jacknife” Lee; who’s pixie dust has illuminated other alternatives like Weezer, Kasabian, The Hives, and Bloc Party.

“A Hundred Millions Suns” stamps out 11 sashaying originals, including sixteen marathon-minute “The Lightning Strike” which swoons and flares with echoing high-tempo. Snow Patrol has mastered mellowness with extractions like track 7, “Set Down Your Glass” and track 8 “The Planets Bend Between Us” and yet plodded optimism strikes through “Engines” – a highlight of the release.

This Snow Patrol offering would make a decent Christmas stocking stuffer. Just add this review disclaimer to the wrapping.

Reaching into the heart of the darkness for the tenderness within

She was a friend to me when I needed one
Wasn't for her I don't know what I'd done
She gave me back something that was missing in me
She could of turned out to be almost anyone
Almost anyone--
With the possible exception
Of who I wanted her to be

Running into the midnight
With her clothes whipping in the wind
Reaching into the heart of the darkness
For the tenderness within
Stumblin' into the lights of the city
And then back in the shadows again
Hanging onto the laughter
That each of us hid our unhappiness in

Talk about celestial bodies
And your angels on the wing
She wasn't much good at stickin' around--but
She could sing...

In the dead of night
She could shine a light
On some places that you've never been
In that kind of light
You could lose your sight
And believe there was something to win
You could hold her tight
With all your might
But she'd slip through your arms like the wind
And be back in flight
Back into the night
Where you might never see her again

The longer I thought I could find her
The shorter my vision became
Running in circles behind her
And thinking in terms of the blame
But she couldn't have been any kinder
If she'd come back and tried to explain
She wasn't much good a saying goodbye--but
That girl was sane

The Power of Orange Knickers

The power of orange knickers
The power of orange knickers
The power of orange knickers
Under my petticoat
The power of listening to what
You don't want me to know

Tift Merritt, Trouble Over Me

You're not my boyfriend, I don't want a boyfriend
Just make a little trouble over me
In your kitchen, on the way to your window
Walking down your hallway
Make some trouble over me

I'll play hard to get but if I mean it
Just make a little trouble over me
Leave me alone. Do what you want to
See, I got some things on my mind

Don't treat me bad, that's not what I'm asking
Look out your window, everyone's in line
Paper truth in strings, hearts and broken things
Love goes for quite a price
I don't want you for mine. Oh, but don't we get along fine

Tell me a secret before you meant to
Worry what I'll do. Trouble over me
If you touch me, it's only by accident
Oh, wrists and fingertips. Trouble over me

In your kitchen, on the way to your window
Walking down your hallway, make some trouble over me
Button my coat up, stumble with your words some
Let me think that you might go to a little trouble over me

Just a little
Just a little trouble
Just a little trouble over

Ryan Adams: Please DO NOT confuse him with Bryan Adams

And streets that only turn to boulevards
And houses with back yards
and it's raining like hell on the cars
And everybody knows the way I walk
And knows the way I talk
Knows the way I feel about you
It's all a bunch of shit
And there's nothing to do around here
It's totally fucked
I'm totally fucked
Wish you were here

And if I could have my way
We'd take some drugs
And we'd smile
We'd smile
We'd smile
But not tonight, my dear
Wish you were here


Flippin brilliant. One of my desert island artists. Bar none.

Back to basics with the Tragically Hip on my iPod

Although "In Violet Light" is my new Hip favourite album (playing "Leave" 20 times a day), I'm reminded of their In Between Evolution hit here. Also, "Are We Family" is a goodie.

And then there's this...


When the colour of the night
and all the smoke for one life
gives way to shakey movements,
improvisational skills,
a forest of whispering speakers
let's swear that we will
get with the times,
in a current heath to stay
let's get friendship right
get life day-to-day
in the forget-yer-skates dream
full of countervailing woes
in diverse-as-ever scenes
proceeding on a need-to-know
in a face so full of meaning
as to almost make it glow

O' for a good life, we just might have to weaken
and find somewhere to go
go somewhere we're needed
find somewhere to grow
grow somewhere we're needed.

I need a girl like you like a stolen car

One day you're gonna miss me. One day you're gonna wake up cold.
Then you'll wish that you could kiss me when you're old and you're alone.

So cry if you want to.
Yeah, you can come undone but you've gotta have a heart to have a broken one.
You can take your accusations. You can have all your records back.
You can have an opinion or a heart attack,
'cause if you lose a kindred spirit, you'll find another one.
But you've gotta to pull the trigger to have a smoking gun.

Oh my girl, it must be so tight in your skin 'cause there's no room to breathe- this fantasy you're living in.

I need a new perpective, I need a fresh start.
I need a girl like you like a stolen car
Cause we all love the joyride until you wind up dead.
You see, you don't need a heart to have a swollen head

The Talent of Jimmy Fallon - the History of Rap.

Lucinda Williams...need I say more?

I am waiting here for more
I am waiting by your door
I am waiting on your back steps
I am waiting in my car
I am waiting at this bar
I am waiting for your essence

Dustin Bentall and his cute girlfriend Kendel Carson on the Shore 104

Locally we've held his Dad Barney Bentall in great esteem, but in recent years, young Justin has done his family name proud and carried on their musical tradition. The fiddler is Kendal Carson. Thanks to my friend Rod, I'm going to be paying much more attention to her and her own music career.

This next video is not official, but this is how I first heard the song "Crash Hard", in its studio recording version. Love this music - which I refer to as roots rock.

Back in 82 and the Couples' Skate

This morning while playing iTunes Radio, All Chilled 181.FM, a re-make of Hall & Oates' 1982 single "One on One" came on. Dreadful cover. There's nothing like Daryl Hall's sexy voice on this recording. Reminds me of night skating at Karen Magnussen Arena when I'd haul in all my vinyls so that they could play them while we glided around and around the rink and waited for the couples' skate. The lighting at the 8:45pm to 10:15pm skate was turned down and the "mood" lighting was on. Even at 14 years old, I understood and valued my lighting.

Multi-Talent Wouter De Beacker, aka Gotye, from Bruges, Belgium

You don’t get burned
(’Cause nothing gets through)
It makes it easier
(Easier on you)
But that much more difficult for me
To make you see…

Love ain’t fair
So there you are
My love

Your heart’s a mess
You won’t admit to it
It makes no sense
But I’m desperate to connect
And you, you can’t live like this

Sarah Harmer.

I see my mouth moving when I talk to you,
I do,
I see my lips and I feel like a kid
I can't keep something hid
Cause I've been under the paper you were writing on
you left your impression long after you'd gone
on me,
marks only I can see.

Brigitte Bardot, Mr. Sun

Beach House, Real Love

Beach House is the duo, Real Love is the Single

BEACH HOUSE: REAL LOVE from matt amato on Vimeo.

Velvet Morning