90's music

Hello Friends,

New music is something I have the luxury of working with each week as part of my job. It's amazing to me that this actually happens :)

I was at my older brother's place this past weekend for a birthday party. While I was there I noticed his CD collection in boxes. He's been going through them one at a time uploading them to the computer. It's a long daunting task - but necessary to do. Once complete - the CDs will act as art and art alone :(

I went through them for ages and grabbed about 20 discs that I didn't have - so I too could add them to my collection too.

I spent Sunday listening to them whilst uploading and wow it was an eye opener. The CDs I borrowed are from the 90s and majority of it sounded so dated.

Crazy how there's a distinct sound to an era. I don't mean something that brings you back to a time or period in your life either. I actually mean - the music sounds very early 90s. The crazy thing is that only certain bands/artists are able to transend time. I mean - listen to The Beatles, The Stone Roses, Joy Division, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin or U2. They all stand-up today and don't miss a beat if you heard them in a bar or club today.

The 90s was a very strange time for music. In Canada in particular (this is all I know;).

This was the time of Grunge and Boy Bands, and East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop. It was a transition decade much like the Toronto Maple Leafs is going through now. People defined themselves by the music they listened to unlike anything before or anything that came after. Today you are more open to being eclectic...and it's wonderful.

Here are 5 stand-out tracks I listened to today while sifting through the CDs...

1. Meat Puppets - Backwater
2. The Cult - Heart of Soul
3. The LAs - There She Goes
4. Liz Phair - Supernova
5. Blur - There's No Other Way

Blur was the only one that didn't sounded dated in this list 

Thanks for reading.

Gregg

Hello friends,

I saw a facebook posting from a friend the other day about their favourite song/track of 2009. Pretty bold, if you ask me, as it's only midway through October. Regardless - she got me thinking about the year 2009 (thanks Stacey) and god damn have there been some monster jams released.

It's fine because this is just a bloig anyway - but a dangerous thing to do if it were a print publication. Anyone that has ever worked in this industry knows that the record labels have some seriously big names dropping albums around the end of the year (last quarter of fiscals) to make sure that they make the year on paper. There also seems to be lots of 'Greatest Hits' 'Collections' 'Box Sets' and even 'Unreleased' albums put out at this time...with the same goal in mind (making the year financially).

I digress...

The year 2009 has seen some great music come out on all levels. This is tough as last year was one of the most amazing years for anyone like myself whom eats sleeps and breathes British Pop. I mean Oasis released their last studio record.

• Kim and Jessi - M83


• Kingdom of Rust - Doves


• Empire State of Mind - Jay Z featuring Alicia Keys (special mention 'What We Talkin About')


• Heavy Cross - Gossip *also amazing in concert - saw them last week


• I'm Not Alone - Calvin Harris


• Skeletons - Yeah Yeah Yeahs *start to finish album is soooo good!

Special mentions go out to the following for making me smile...

• Passion Pit


• Phoenix


• Drake


• Muse


• White Lies


• Jack Penate


• Eminem


• Kasabian


• U2

Still lots of 2009 left - so this will be revised come new year's day!

Thanks for reading.

Gregg

oh you've got green eyes, oh you've got blue eye

Hello,

After meeting at a Sex Pistol's gig in 1976 something very special was born. The band began as Joy Division and continue on today as New Order.

Joy Division were the first to sign to Factory Records in which co-owner actually signed them in his own blood. Factory records was one of a kind in it's day - and took chances on the artists that they believed in and allowed them the time to create and record.

Joy Division only ever released 2 albums including 'Unknown Pleasures' and 'Closer' but the power of songs in the 2 alone would be enouogh to give them the the right to stand-up with some of the most influential bands of all time.

Ian Curtis committed suicide in 1980 bringing the original formation to a hault. The band didn't skip a beat and continued rehearsing and soon found themselves to become the rebirth in the form of a band now called New Order.

I have to digress at this point to tell you that it was this band alone that got me interested and excited about persuing a career in music.

As a child I used to go to the elementary school that my mother worked at during the summertime to be looked after. I was too young to be on my own - so as my mom was the secretary at the school and in the summer time it was just her and a janator - I would go and hang. I would bring my skateboard and was allowed to skate the hallways and gym. Amazing summer for a 12 year old kid.

One day the janitor was sweeping and cleaning all the old lockers. On the ground was binders and crap left behind from the school year. I came across a gold cassette tape with lipstck on it that was clearly a mixed tape of some cool grade 8 student. I took that thing home and the first song to play knocked me on my ass as it was 'Bizarre Love Triangle'. There was something about it that was unlike anything else I had ever heard before. This was the era of Whitney Houston and Debbie Gibson - so to hear these riffs was amazing. Thank you whom ever left that tape behind.

New Order have release 8 studio albums and countless remixes, box sets and live recordings since Ian's untimely departure.

I had the pleasure of seeing New Order perform in 2004 at T in the Park Music Festival and it was truly amazing. The only downfall was Brandon Flowers of The Killers joined them on stage for a song ;)

The band are truly one of those that you can play today and it stands-up and doesn't sound dated. Here's a quick list of the New Order tracks I would recommend you add to a collection if you don't already have.

1. Shellshock
2. True Faith
3. Temptation
4. Crystal
5. Blue Monday
6. Bizarre Love Triangle
7. *Love Will Tear Us Apart

Alright - gotta make a playlist of the some New Order.

Thanks for reading.

Gregg

The Coolest Beatle

Hi Friends,

Well today turned out to be a Beatles day for me. From the second I got up to right this very moment - all signs keep pointing to The Beatles.

I'm seeing my Dad tomorrow so made a DVDR of all the recently re-released Beatles albums (sorry EMI friends). I also found a book in my apartment's laundry room (Spanish Beatles book with some amazing photos over the years) and on Facebook a friend was asking the question which Beatles album was the best.

I grew-up a child of British parents and so The Beatles was a constant soundtrack. My Dad was a MOD. It's clear to me now looking at old photos of him and his gang hanging in Blackpool or the Isle of Man wearing skinny ties, rocking clark wallabees and they all arrived there on the backs of motorbikes and scooters.

It all bleeds back to another Beatles moment this past week for me - in that a co-worker brought in George Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass'. What an amazing album. If you don't have it - you must aquire it asap (Thanks Puga).

George was by far the coolest of The Beatles. He was a hippy before it was cool to be a hippy. He continued to create and evolve right up until the day he died. From The Quarry Men to The Beatles to solo albums and part of The Travelling Wilburys (Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison).

• End of the Line - Travelling Wilburys


• Got My Mind Set on You - Solo


• My Sweet Lord - Solo


• When We Was Fab - Solo


• Norwegian Wood - The Beatles *from my favourite Beatles album

Everyone will have an opinion about The Beatles. From which album was the best, what Beatle was the coolest and who broken them up (clearly that Yoko bitch did). At the end of the day these past few months has been an amazing thing for music and arts. The world was re-introduced to The Beatles and their music.

ps - I learned something new today about my favourite Beatles cover band - Oasis. George Harrison recorded a few solo albums before The Beatles split. These included an instrumental soundtrack to a film entitled 'Wonderwall' that blended Indian and Western sounds (thanks Wikipedia).

The Magical Mystery Tour is waiting to take you away :)

Thanks for reading.

Gregg

Bands You Should Care About...

...that never seemed to make it big inside North America.

Hello friends,

I will never hide the fact that I consider British pop music to be the best stuff going. Nor will I deny that I have some Spice Girls albums, Take That singles and loved Duran Duran as a child. They have simply made music that works for my ears and I love it all. I'm not saying I don't like music from North America and trust me I can name a million Canadian Indie bands that I've seen over the years and have a place in my heart for all of them.

The bands I am going to recommend are not household names - however - you may know them - but do yourself (me) a favour and check out at leats one of these and give it a chance.

Here's a list of 5 tracks by artists I think that everyone should care about...

• Athlete
• Stereophonics *best harmonies in music today
• Badly Drawn Boy *bonus here as it's set to Christiano Rinaldo highlights :)
• Doves
• We Were Promised Jetpacks *favourite at the moment

I really do hope you check out at least one - if not all these tracks and give em a proper headphones as you walk around chance!

Thanks for reading.

Gregg

My Favourite Theme Songs

Hello Friends,

A few year's ago a roommate of mine was working for TVT Records. TVT Stands for Television Tunes and started based on theme music for television shows - makes sense right?

I grew up in the 70s and 80s and so had the pleasure of hearing many of the greatest theme songs of all time. From Different Strokes - Who's The Boss - there were truly some big theme songs that had the masses singing along. What about The Fresh Prince of Bel Air? Amazing.

I'm going to keep this short today - but here's a list of 5 classics that stand-out in my mind. I have distinct memories of each as a child :)

• The Littlest Hobo


• The Greatest American Hero


• Polka A Dot Door


• Different Strokes


• Dallas

Theme songs shape a show - come on TV people - start looking for the next allan Thick!

Gregg

MTV VMAs

Hello,

I was very proud to say that I work for MTV today when I saw this .

Did you watch that? I had goosebumps and I've probably watched it 10 times today. I'll wait right here if you haven't - so go back and do so now!

MTV may not be the same thing that people remember from the days gone by - but nothing remains the same. The beauty of something like this weekend's VMA's special tribute to MJ is that we can all relive the greatness that was Michael Jackson. Court cases aside - the music is amazing and the tributes are indeed well earned. I heard rumours that Justin Timberlake and Madonna are going to be joining Janet Jackson on stage to mark the occasion. Perhaps Slash can join them for that guitar solo on 'Beat It'???

Here are my favourite MTV Video Music Awards clips featuring the man.

• 1995 part 1 of 2 and part 2 of 2


• remember this?


• with Justin and his group


• not a VMA moment - but wicked

It's late so I will keep this one short. I recommend that you tune in this coming Sunday to watch the MTV VMAs to see the tribute to the King.

Gregg