Last night I had the supreme pleasure of attending an evening billed as “In Coversation With Daniel Lanois” the the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Any time I get a chance to hear a great artist, an icon, talk about their work, I jump at the opportunity. Continue reading
Donalyn play sweeping, melodic, dramatic rock music that brings you to your knees. Continue reading
Behold, The Huaraches (L to R): Chris “Cuz” Wood, Steve Sottile, Adam Weaver, Dylan Carquez
A little while back, I reviewed the debut album from Canada’s finest instrumental band, The Huaraches. The record is excellent, but I wanted to dig into their story a bit more. Their bassist Steve Sottile and I chatted over email about the genesis of the group, tobogganing into recording sessions, how the president of Queen’s University reacted to their bizarre video shoot, and the dangers of playing guitar with a sausage. Continue reading
To me, Neil Young is the greatest musician who will ever live. He chases down ghosts and makes them sing. He wrenches beauty from brutality. He connects delicate fragments like a wise old spider. He’s a touchstone of authenticity in this false, confusing world. He’s the prairie wind, blowin’ through our heads. He’s just the coolest, most fearless artist of our time.
He’s given us so much over the years that it is difficult to appreciate the scope of his musical output. To prove that point, here’s 68 songs from his staggeringly varied and enormous catalogue, in celebration of his 68th birthday. Continue reading
There’s got to be an easier way to let people know that you’ve run out of finger sandwiches…
We finally have a glimpse into what is sure to be one of the greatest rock soundtracks ever. “Sound City- Real to Reel”, from the film, will be out on March 12th. Until then, we must subside on brief clips and live performances, like this superb performance of “You Can’t Fix This”, by Stevie Nicks and the Sound City Players. Continue reading
In tribute to the Bard of Ayrshire…
Scottish poet Robbie Burns wrote the words to “Auld Lang Syne”, a song known by almost everyone. In honour of his 253rd birthday, here’s a version by Jimi Hendrix. Okay, so it’s an instrumental version, but I’ll take any excuse to post Hendrix songs. And this song is undoubtedly the thing that Burns is most associated with.
Happy Robbie Burns Day!
The Benefit of the Free Man are not afraid. They mine the dark places of the human psyche, extracting beauty from the loneliest places. Their warped metaphors and shifting dynamics form a type of sonic dance with the listener, and the emotions they express echo through space like voices in an empty ballroom. This is Dylan and Cohen jamming at David Lynch’s house, after conjuring the ghost of Bach. Continue reading
In the year 2012, rock and roll is in danger of being perceived to be obsolete. The most influential musical genre of the past hundred years has lately taken a backseat to other musical forms. The essence of rock has been boiled down into a sad, wimpy collection of cliches and shopworn ideas. It has been gutted and commercialized, monetized, and finally relegated to the nostalgia void of our collective unconscious. This is why we need rock’s greatest heroes to band together, Justice League-style, to defend and stand up for the power of rock. Continue reading
As Audio Reckoning celebrates its one-year anniversary, I decided to post a list of songs that have repeatedly bounced around in my soul for the last year. Continue reading
Audio Reckoning 