The King Is Dead

Wherein Sam Taylor and I come to terms with the passing of a legend…

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Interview: Bleak Life 2

Bleak Life 2 will be launching on April 30th, bringing three days of ear-scorching punk and metal to one of Ontario’s best local music scenes. True to the community-based spirit of DIY, the festival will feature local & regional bands, as well as touring acts, and will be taking place at an eclectic mix of venues around the city. Audio Reckoning recently got together with Matt Hargrove, one of the founders of Bleak Life, to talk about the challenges of putting on an indie festival, the inclusiveness of punk culture, and the magic of doing it yourself.

How The Beatles Taught Me To Record

I used to wake up at about noon and put on my tie. In my final semester of high school, I had only one class:  Art. It was during fourth period, so I had basically entire days free at home, without my family or friends to distract me from the crushing boredom that was slowly enveloping me like a weighted fog.  Instead of thinking about my future or worrying about a career, I was lost in cassette tapes.

Page Tuner: Digital Audio in 1960

“Most recordings were like jigsaw puzzles since the advent of wave-matching. Although some old fashioned conductors and performers still adhered to the old hit-and-miss methods, what usually happened these days was that a master was prepared, a blueprint for a particular performance, a sort of picture of the desired orchestral sound. This visual master could be easily transferred direct into sound, but, if it were, it would only be of interest to music students. It would be entirely too mechanical for anyone else.

Swans @ Yonge-Dundas Square (NXNE)

The birds were leaving. 

Some Reminiscences on Black Sabbath

Here is something you should drop to your knees for, and worship…

When I was about 17 or 18, I spent a couple of weeks during the summer working at a “fun park”, the kind of place where they have mini-golf and go karts and so-on. Sounds alright, doesn’t it?

Awesome Tune: “Year Of The Dragon” by The Entrance Band

“Face The Sun” (LP) by The Entrance Band

Last night I dreamed I was just like you.

Happy Valentine’s Day, My Darling Alexa!

Ten years ago today, my beautiful wife Alexa Speagle and I had our first date. In honour of the best thing that ever happened to me, here are ten songs that represent the soundtrack of our love. 

Metamorphosis @ Royal Alexandra Theatre

Curtain @ Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto ON

Last week I attended at performance of Metamorphosis at the Royal Alexandra Theatre here in Toronto. This production premiered in 2006 in London. It was adapted for the stage from Kafka’s novel by an innovative Icelandic company called Vesturport, and this is the first mounting of the production in Canada. The big draw for me was the fact that this production is scored by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, of the Bad Seeds/Grinderman.

Things That I Forgot to Write About (2013 Edition)

During my prolonged writing hiatus of mid-2013, I had a few mind-blowing musical experiences that I didn’t write about at the time. As a wrap up to the past year, I’d like to briefly recap these events, as they were each great in their own unique way.