How can record shops compete with Netflix, TiVo, video games that take months to complete, cable, texting, the Internet, etc. etc? Getting out of your chair at home to experience something in the real world has started to become a rare occurrence, and to a lot of people, an unnecessary one.

Why go to a bookstore and get a real book? You can just download it. Why talk to other human beings, discuss different authors, writing styles and influences? Just click your mouse.

Well here’s what they’ll someday learn if they have a soul; there’s no romance in a mouse click.

There’s no beauty in sitting for hours playing video games. The screen of an iPhone is convenient, but it’s no comparison to a 70mm showing of a film in a gorgeous theater. The Internet is two-dimensional…helpful and entertaining, but no replacement for face-to-face interaction with a human being.

Let’s wake each other up.

We need to re-educate ourselves about human interaction and the difference between downloading a track on a computer and talking to other people in person and getting turned onto music that you can hold in your hands and share with others.

The size, shape, smell, texture and sound of a vinyl record; how do you explain to that teenager who doesn’t know that it’s a more beautiful musical experience than a mouse click? You get up off your ass, you grab them by the arm and you take them there. You put the record in their hands. You make them drop the needle on the platter. Then they’ll know.

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It’s Black Friday! And while that usually doesn’t mean much to us here in Canada since Thanksgiving was way back in the beginning of October, our stores have now caught onto the trend because it was really eating away at their sales to have all their customers head south for the deals. The above image states pretty clearly how I feel about all this. Buying local is important, don’t buy into the consumerism and bs. Make someone a gift! Or buy from someone who makes things in your town!

• Black Friday’s 11 must have vinyl releases While I’m anti getting in line all night to get the best deals on some new gadget you’ll forget about in a few months, I love that  Record Store Day has a second sale on this day. It fits with the above graphic, in that buying from your local record store supports the local economy, and also, vinyl rules.
• Black Friday releases Here’s the full list of limited edition Record Store Day releases.
• Sloan’s Jay Ferguson talks re-issue of Twice Removed I saw Sloan play this album for the second time last night, and it was awesome.
• Peter Frampton Q&A As uncool as he is, its a good Q&A.
• Lars was first and Lars was right There’s a lot I want to say on this, but I’m limited in time. Basically, it’s true. He was right, but that doesn’t stop him from being a terrible musician and human. You can’t stop the internet and progress, but he sure tried. The issue here is that the industry has to adapt to the technology, and tactics like his never worked. You can’t stop the future from happening, you have to embrace it. Innovation is the only way the industry will succeed. So maybe there won’t be multi billionaire musicians like Metallica in the future because of it? Is that a terrible thing? The good musicians will always make a living at it, even if that means touring is their income. I realise there is a whole lot more to it than that, I may write a post on this at some point.
• A band  becomes animation, with amazing results This is fun.
• Tunezy wins Billboard’s FutureSound Innovators Showcase
• 23rd annual SOCAN awards Toronto Some deserving winners.
• Toronto’s new streetcars: the TTC answers your questions I want it, now please.
• Community wins fight against huge quarry THIS IS WHAT COMMUNITY IS FOR. Love this story.
• 3 reasons why your company should pay employees to use social media It boggles my mind that any company wouldn’t want their whole team to be brand evangelists out there in the social/marketing world.
• Journalists need to understand the ad business, not sulk and go home This is great. The divide between the two has to change if journalists want to continue to be paid. It’s why I like blogs, they understand advertising and do it on their own terms, and show that it doesn’t always have to be gross. Targeted, useful products can be relevant to the right audience.
• Woman ‘denied a termination’ dies in hospital This made me incredibly sad for the women in Ireland. Can not believe a first world country would allow this to happen because of religion. Wake up. Because of the church you’re going to kill two lives, instead of just one? Sickening. I am so glad I am a woman living in Canada when I hear shit like this.
• Panda cam Because you need a cute way to pass your Friday.
• Ransom note generator This made me laugh, give it a try if you’re not a crazy person. Leave your mom/best friend/husband a really creepy note and watch their reaction.
• Finally, this is the funniest video I’ve came across in a while. Watch as Broadway actors read the transcripts of Jersey shore in the style of Oscar Wilde, it’s hilarious. Go to YouTube to watch the entire series.

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My favorite holiday is upon is yet again on Saturday, and the awesome vinyl stores in Toronto are busy stocking up on the releases and preparing for in-stores as I type this.

According to the official website, these are the stores in Toronto that will be participating (but I think it’s out of date as it still listed the dearly departed Criminal Records):

Of course, Sonic Boom in the Annex is throwing the biggest event for the day, with an awesome lineup of in-store performances:

1PM – ARMY GIRLS
2PM – THE DARCYS
3PM – BORN RUFFIANS
4PM – PLANTS AND ANIMALS
5PM – BLOODSHOT BILL
6PM – FRESH SNOW
7PM – LIONESS
8PM – EIGHT AND A HALF
9PM – DIEMONDS

They will also be giving away record players, headphones, and LPs, and admission is free but they do request you bring a non-perishable food item for donation to the Fort York Food Bank.

Soundscapes will also be a worthy stop if you’re in the city. Watch NOW’s Soundscapes preview, with Brendan Canning:

 As shown in the video, the Elwins will be playing the Soundscapes in-store, and here is a list of releases they will have in-stock:

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE – Transverse Temporal Gurus (LP)
ARCADE FIRE – “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) (remix)” b/w “Ready To Start (remix)” (12″)
ARCTIC MONKEYS – “Electricity” b/w “R U Mine?” (7″)
ARETHA FRANKLIN/OTIS REDDING – Respect (7″)
BEACH HOUSE – “Lazuli” b/w “Equal Mind” (7″)
THE BEATLES – “Ticket To Ride” b/w “Yes It Is/”Yellow Submarine” b/w “Eleanor Rigby”/”Hey Jude” b/w “Revolution”/”Something” b/w “Come Together” (4×7″ box set)
BILLY BRAGG & WILCO – Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions (3CD+DVD)
THE BLACK KEYS – El Camino (2LP+7″)
BLITZEN TRAPPER – “Hey Joe” b/w “Skirts On Fire” (7″)
DAVID BOWIE – Starman (7″ picture disc)
KATE BUSH – “Lake Tahoe” b/w “Among Angels” (10″ picture disc)
CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS/RUN-DMC – You Be Illin’ (7″)
CLARENCE CARTER – I Found What I Wanted (7″)
GENE CLARK – “One In A Hundred” b/w “She’s The Kind Of Girl” (7″)
CHOCOLATE WATCH BAND – In The Midnight Hour (7″)
DESTROYER – Destroyer’s Rubies (2LP remaster)
DEVO – New Traditionalists: Live 1981 Seattle (2LP)
DILLARD & CLARK – “Why Not Your Baby” b/w “Lyin’ Down The Middle” (7″)
DR. JOHN – Locked Down (LP+CD)
FEIST/MASTODON – Feistodon (7″)
THE FLAMING LIPS/MASTODON – A Spoonful Weighs A Ton (7″)
GRATEFUL DEAD – Dark Star (180-gram LP)
NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS – Songs From The Great White North (12″)
IGGY AND THE STOOGES – Raw Power (2LP)
JANIS JOPLIN – Highlights from The Pearl Sessions (2×10″)
JANIS JOPLIN – The Pearl Sessions (CD)
JANIS JOPLIN – Pearl (180-gram LP)
JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD – Upstairs At United, Vol. 3 (12″)
JONATHAN WILSON – Pity Trials And Tomorrow’s Child (12″)
LEE HAZLEWOOD – The LHI Years: Singles, Nudes & Backsides (1968-1971) (2LP)
LITTLE RICHARD – Here’s Little Richard (LP)
LITTLE RICHARD – Here’s Little Richard (CD)
LOU REED – Rock N Roll Animal (LP)
LOU REED – Transformer (LP)
MC5/AFRIKA BAMBAATAA – Kick Out The Jams (7″)
METALLICA – Beyond Magnetic (12″)
PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS – Ride Your Pony (7″)
SHABAZZ PALACES – Live At KEXP (12″)
SHUGGIE OTIS – “Inspiration Information” b/w “Magic” (7″)
PAUL SIMON – Graceland (180-gram LP)
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – Rocky Ground (7″)
ST. VINCENT – “Krokodil” b/w “Grot” (7″)
THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH – King of Spain (12″)
TINARIWEN – Tassili (LP+remixes+CD)
TORTOISE – “Lonesome Sound” b/w “Mosquito” (7″)
T. REX – Electric Warrior (6×7″ box set)
UGLY CUSTARD – S/T (LP)
UNCLE TUPELO – March 16-20, 1992 (180-gram LP)
UNCLE TUPELO – No Depression (180-gram LP)
UNCLE TUPELO – The Seven-Inch Singles (4×7″ box set)
VA – Arts & Crafts: MMXII (sampler LP)
VA – Never To Be Forgotten: The Flip Side of Stax 1968-1974 (10×7″ box set)
VA – Smugglers Way (Domino/Ribbon compilation) (7″ flexidisc + zine)
M. WARD – Primitive Girl (7″)

Tons of great stuff here.

Kops is another vinyl staple in Toronto, check out Brendan’s preview with them as well:

And one more with hip-hop record store Play De Record:

There’s also an event happening at Yonge and Dundas to celebrate the release of Jack White’s solo debut Blunderbuss – a collective chalk paint by number recreation of the album cover will take place in the square from 11am to 7pm and the project will be recorded and made into a video, so head down there if you want to participate.

My Saturday is proving to be a busy one, so I may have to miss out on the in-stores (would LOVE to be there for Army Girls, Plants and Animals and The Darcys) but I will post my finds on Sunday. I wanna see yours too!

Check out the full list of special releases here, and let me know what you’re lining up to get.

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This is probably one of the best Fridays of the year because it is Record Store Day Part 2 thanks to Black Friday! I can’t decide what I want more, the remastered white vinyl of Lennon’s Imagine, or the new Bob Dylan box set. Family, if you’re reading this, either of these would make an amazing Christmas present.

• Record Store Day’s Black Friday

• The Most Important Article You Will Read This Week

• Major Record Labels Rumoured To Stop Producing CDs - It’s gonna happen, sooner or later, just like it did with cassettes and 8-tracks. Vinyl will remain the only relevant physical source of an album, guaranteed.

• In an iTunes age, do we need the record store? I have never bought a thing off iTunes, so yes. Small towns will likely lose record stores entirely as time goes on, which is super sad, but cities like Toronto will always have a need for a place where nerds can come together to enjoy in-store shows and buy vinyl copies of the album.

• How Mobile Has Changed The Music Industry

• How to use Google Music from anywhere - It’s not simple to set up, but definitely worth it if you want to try out Google Music and you’re not lucky enough to live in the States where it’s already available.

• GQ’s Survivors: Keith Richards - Interesting interview with the man, definitely worth a read if you’re a Stones fan.

• In Defence of Nickelback. There. I Said it. - Local music personality Alan Cross wrote this piece defending Nickelback’s place in the music world, and I gotta admit it made me lose some respect for him. I do not see how a band making a lot of money off of the mindless masses makes them good or somehow more acceptable? It is completely flawed logic. He also takes a stab at Fleetwood Mac, comparing them to Boston and Kansas. The difference between these contrived mainstream bands and Fleetwood Mac is that Mac made GREAT music that is still respected to this day by anyone with an interest in pop rock, can’t say the same for Boston. Twenty years from now music geeks will still respect Nirvana despite their huge success the way they do Fleetwood Mac, while Nickelback will remain the Boston of it’s time (worse, probably – I can listen to Boston on occasion without contemplating suicide). The level of success or the money you make is irrelevant, the music world hates Nickelback for one reason alone – their terrible music.

• PeelPost - great promotional tool that allows you to upload a show poster once and share it everywhere.

• Best Kept Secret For Advancing Your Music Career - Never would have thought this to be true, but it makes sense at least once you’ve put in the time building a base.

• Every Imperfection is an Opportunity - “Great brands treat imperfections as opportunities, just like Bob Dylan did with Al Kooper’s erratic organ playing.“

• Being An Artist In The 21st Century - “To be an artist becomes; why me? Waiting to be picked is effectively doing nothing at all. Novelists can’t afford to spend their lives waiting for a publisher to choose them anymore so they build an audience, collaborate with other writers and build connections globally.”

• Personal Responsibility and Showing Up - Probably the best thing I’ve read this week. As soon as you start showing up and putting the hard work in, great things start to happen.

• If You Talk In Third Person, You’ll Get Over A Bad Situation Much Faster - Thought this was interesting, going to try it next time something shitty happens.

• Are you a V.I.P? Check Your Klout Score - “Status has long been based on appearance, accomplishment and notoriety, but social media reach is becoming a new criterion.” 

• Ethan Hawke Planning To Reunite With Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy To Write Third ‘Before Sunrise’ Film Awesome. Before Sunrise is one of my favorite films. Before Sunset was almost as good. Looking forward to seeing where they take these characters a third time.

• Facebook Makes the World Smaller, Shrinks 6 Degrees of Separation to 4

• Vinyl Cake Pedestal - I want this, just so you all know.

• 20 Inanimate Objects That Stole the Show in Movies

• 36 Ways to Feel Absolutely Beautiful - Sounds cheesy but there are some really solid points in here. Feeling beautiful doesn’t always come from the way you look.

• I love when marketing is this smart. Targeting the stereotype of an iPhone user is probably the only way to make the masses notice your non iPhone phone:

Did you find any awesome deals during Black Friday? Manage to get your hands on any of the limited releases for Record Store Day? Tell me about your consumer whoring. 

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I recently came across Teenage Kicks through some brilliant marketing they did on Record Store Day, giving away a free 7 inch vinyl single at Criminal Records and Sonic Boom. I grabbed it, being familiar with the Undertones song of the same name,  so I thought it might be worth checking out. Also, it was free. I love free stuff, especially when it’s awesome stuff like vinyl.

They took their marketing game even further by releasing their debut EP Rational Anthems through Pay with a Tweet, soon after the free vinyl giveaway. Get peoples interest with something tangible reaching the audience that naturally would like this style of music (vinyl nerds) and then give them a whole EP for free, in exchange for more promotion than they would ever receive if they had released it the normal way. By the time they release a full length they will have a loyal audience built up who will be more than willing to pay for it. This is what every new band should be doing. Either Teenage Kicks have their shit together and did their research, or there is someone who truly understands the new digital music industry behind them.

So before I had even heard a single note of their music I was relatively impressed with these guys, but good marketing doesn’t always equal good music. That said, I was instantly sold as soon as the vocals hit for the opening track  “Brooklyn Bridge”. Pete van Helvoort has the kind of voice rock music has been in desperate need of. It is raspy and sexy and I want to listen to him sing all day, every day.

I think their bio write up says it best:

It’s not a backdrop for drunken twenty-somethings awkwardly lusting after each other in dark clubs, but a soundtrack for young hearts finding true love and sharing moments that will stay with them forever. In a nutshell, it’s rock n’ roll.

Nauseatingly cute, but completely true.

They are still young enough to wear their influences on their sleeve, but the variety of their influences makes for something entirely unique.  The opening track sounds a lot like Springsteen, while the closing track, “The River” sounds like a Soundgarden meets Metallica hybrid (therefore it’s the only track I’m not crazy about) but the middle three songs are where you hear the true Teenage Kicks sound. “Hearts of Darkness” is the strongest of the five, and with their exclusive release of the video through AUX this week, it is sure to become the anthem they created it to be. “All my friends are fucking ghosts, floating off from coast to coast.. turned 18 and lost my head, all my friends are gone and dead.”

I think it’s safe to say they were going for a concept EP here, referencing Joseph Conrad‘s Heart of Darkness (one of the most horrific novels in existence that you may have had to read in high school) with all the references to death, losing your head, European brutality, destruction, and the river – in the same way that Neutral Milk Hotel did with The Diary of Anne Frank in the incredible album In an Aeroplane Over The Sea. Even if you have no idea what the novel Heart of Darkness is about (“the darkness of the Congo wilderness, the darkness of the Europeans’ cruel treatment of the natives, and the unfathomable darkness within every human being”) you will still love Rational Anthems.

The literal darkness of the lyrics goes beyond their source material, and easily connects to the life experiences of those of us who are now facing the “darkness within every human being” as we form our adult lives shaped by a less overt evil than European Colonialism, but an overwhelmingly negative force no less (Ford, Harper and so many more). All my friends are not fucking ghosts because the British cut their heads off, but because they graduated into a recession without a leg to stand on, under the rule of people whose self interest is almost as grotesque as the colonialists.

This is an EP that marks the beginning of a band that will have a great career, and each track only gets better with every listen. The upbeat melodies balance the brutal imagery of the lyrics, so it never sounds as dark as this review may make it out to be. In fact I would say it isn’t dark at all, but as the title suggests, a ‘rational anthem’ (haha!) for surviving and pushing against what we have so unfortunately inherited.

I highly suggest you download Rational Anthems right now. It is up for free on their bandcamp, but you should still tweet/share it everywhere you can if you like it, and you will like it.

Catch them live during NXNE, June 18th 9pm at the Horseshoe.

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