http://economics.about.com
Wow.. That came out a lot pissier than I intended. I really am in a good mood today! :)

Cheers,

Mike

"Did you really think that I'd forgotten? Kicked out the windshield, water water runnin' in. Fade away. Fade away!"

So we've moved into mid-90's Cancon grunge-lite? I kinda liked the early-80's jazz-pop....

http://economics.about.com
So we've moved into mid-90's Cancon grunge-lite? I kinda liked the early-80's jazz-pop....

Nobody got yesterdays, so I thought I'd try something else.

Yesterday's was Go Bang by Shriekback, on their 1988 album called "Go Bang". I was actually quite surprised no one got it. It still gets played a fair deal in clubs, mainly as remixes.

I used to work for David Usher's dad, so I've got a soft spot for David's stuff, though I think I'm more a fan of his Dad's work. :)

Cheers,

Mike

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam040304/mlb_tor1-sun.html
I googled your lyrics today because I was clueless. What are you governed by the CRTC?

There's a good piece in the Sun about Roy fooling everybody in BP. COMN. I'd love to see him get more confident with that change. Talk about a nasty arsenal.

http://economics.about.com
Wow.. I missed that article in my search. I'm not sure how.. I'll add it to the top.

Cheers,

Mike

Nitpick: the game against the Reds is tomorrow.

In Elliott's article, there's this on Hentgen's driving habits:

"It's only a three-hour drive from Toronto to Michigan," Hentgen said, who denies that he drives like Paul Tracy. "I'm 30 minutes from Sarnia, an easy drive."

Unless Hentgen has a jet car, I think his time estimate is a little off. When I lived in Hamilton, it took me five hours to get to Detroit, and I'm usually one of the faster drivers on the road.

Shelby, Michigan (where Hentgen's home apparently is) is on the western side of the state, about 200-250 miles from Sarnia. Hentgen would have to be going 500 MPH to get there in 30 minutes.

http://economics.about.com
"It's only a three-hour drive from Toronto to Michigan," Hentgen said, who denies that he drives like Paul Tracy. "I'm 30 minutes from Sarnia, an easy drive."

Unless Hentgen has a jet car, I think his time estimate is a little off. When I lived in Hamilton, it took me five hours to get to Detroit, and I'm usually one of the faster drivers on the road.

Nah, that sounds about right. I can do Toronto to London in 1:45 if the traffic is pretty good, and it's only a 45-50 minute drive or so to Sarnia from London if you take the 402. You'd just go 401 to London, then hit the 402 off of the 401 after you pass London.

Cheers,

Mike

Mike,

I was a teaching assistant for Dan Usher last year at Queen's, funny you bring up the Moist connection (and link to his home page LOL). Dan is a kind man, but father time has been none to kind to his face! I believe some of the students in his Public Economics class said "he looks like death". Clearly David Usher got his good looks from the young Thai woman Dan was fortunate enough to marry. A particularly funny David/Dan Usher story which i enjoy is that one of the students in that Public class received an email from David Usher's email account, as Dan was visiting him in Toronto and sending back an essay draft or something along those lines. Any crazy fans out there, I'm sure I could track down that email for you (for the right price!).

What's even weirder - I had a professor at UW named David Goodwin. I suppose it wasn't you?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/170141p-148534c.html
COMN for Mike Lupica's update on BALCO. The government's attempt to subpoena the test results from supposedly confidential 2003 test results should make for interesting litigation.

It is an election year in the US and anyone who believes wholeheartedly that the judiciary is completely immune from these kinds of pressures has not been watching very carefully.

EddieZosky,

Nope, I'm just a new Econ grad working at UNB in Fredericton (where Leigh Sprague also is). I am teaching a first year course here but am not crazy enough to do a Ph.D in Economics after my near-death experience in my Master's at Queen's. My brother goes to UW and my parents are alumni, but that's the extent of my link to Waterloo.

After getting roped into watching some of the recent Bachelorette (that's my story and I'm sticking to it), I couldn't help but notice a striking resemblance between Bachelorette Meredith, and one David Usher. It's uncanny.
There's really no point to this post, I just thought it was weird.

Cheers

http://economics.about.com
Dan is a kind man, but father time has been none to kind to his face! I believe some of the students in his Public Economics class said "he looks like death". Clearly David Usher got his good looks from the young Thai woman Dan was fortunate enough to marry. A particularly funny David/Dan Usher story which i enjoy is that one of the students in that Public class received an email from David Usher's email account, as Dan was visiting him in Toronto and sending back an essay draft or something along those lines.

Mrs. Usher is so nice. I really like her, plus she's a terrific cook!

I really like Dan as well, even if he once called me "completely nuts". I was told not to take it too personally, as he's called half of academia that at somepoint in his career.

Queen's wasn't too bad, except for Econometrics, but my run-ins with the faculty are the stuff of legend. They even changed the rules coz of me. :)

Cheers,

Mike

Redlegs? Cool, it feels like I am reading a piece written by Les Nessman!

http://economics.about.com
Redlegs? Cool, it feels like I am reading a piece written by Les Nessman!

Well, I do have a thing for the hottness of Bailey Quarters.

Cheers,

Mike

OOPS!! I forgot to take my ugly pill this morning!

Redlegs? Cool, it feels like I am reading a piece written by Les Nessman!

In fact the Cincinatti team nickname was changed to "Redlegs" for a short while during the McCarthy Red Scare days in the early 1950's, so as to avoid any identification with Communism!.

Amazing how foolish some of these things that were taken so seriously in my father's youth seem to us today!

Unreal. I have always considered Bailey Quarters to be the most desirable of TV characters ever, and to discover that the actress that played her lived in the same city as I did for some years is amazing. I cooked for Gary Sandy when I worked in Mississauga; I wonder if Jan ever made it to MaCaskills' Dining Room or the Upper Deck when I plied my trade at those restaurants?

"I don't have anything against the Orioles," Hentgen said. "They looked after me and my elbow rehab.

"I'd highly recommend the city, the organization and the fans to any player I know."

Yes, Pat should like the Orioles ... they overpaid him for 3 years and he gave them 1/2 a season of good starts in return. Sweet.

My crystal ball says that Pat will win more games than Kevin Brown this season and will be the feel-goodingest part of the Jays' drive to the pennant ...

I wanted more than this!
I expected more than this!

Do Tea Party next. Ah, the glory days of Canadian Bar Rock.

What bands can be classified as being part of the Glory Days of Canadian Bar Rock you ask? Answer these 3 questions:

1) Did they ever open for the Hip?
2) Did they ever play Lulu's in Kitchener?
3) Did you ever listen to them holding a brown, longneck beer bottle?

If you get a 'yes' response to all 3, the band in question was indeed part of the Glory Days of Canadian Bar Rock. As hard as Sam Roberts tries, those days are over, my friends.

Orlando Hudson, fantasy sleeper?

Please, no Tea Party. 13 Engines anyone? Or perhaps Me, Mom, and Morgentaler?

Heard Ted Lilly on the Fan 590 today in the Bullpen. He says it was a 42 inch TV he was moving when he hurt his wrist. Lilly didnt seem too concerned about it just that it set him back a bit.

As long as the TV is ok, that's the important thing

We were smart: when we needed to move a 52" TV up the narrow stairs at our house, we called in a favour from a band I had photographed and made them do it.

Mike Wilner just gave a injury update on Fan590:

Justin Miller is ahead of schedule and is expected to pitch in a game soon.

Jayson Werth has a sore shoulder and is not taking BP, but Jayson didn't seem worried about it.

Wilner also said don't expect to see Lilly on a big league mound until mid-April.

Since this topic is already wandering I'll mention that the Jays game is on this Sat. March 6th at 1:00 pm according to Sportsnet(not sure outside of Ontario).

As for Canadian bar bands, I went to Queen's as well (the guitarist for Moist was a fillm grad of Queen's so it's all coming together) and saw alot of bands come through the hub.

Some greats for the period:

I Mother Earth
Sloan, when they weren't being pelted with bottles
Sandbox
Gypsy Soul (not so much rock)

Did Me, Mom and Morgentaler ever play outside of Montreal?

Did Me, Mom and Morgentaler ever play outside of Montreal?

I don't know, but they made a compilation CD (featuring mostly Sub-Pop bands) that I found last year.

I was a big fan of Sloan in their early days (attended Dalhousie w/Chris Murphy's sister). Haven't heard much of their recent stuff, though they seem to pass through Chicago every year or so.

I also liked "Not Quite Sonic" by I Mother Earth - so much so, in fact, that when I finally got around to taping Sonic Youth's "Daydream Nation", I called it Not Quite I Mother Earth.

Can we get a shout out for treble charger? Granted, I only know the "Maybe it's Me" CD, but power-pop never sounded so good!

By "made a compilation CD", I mean "made it onto a compilation CD"

I'll see your Treble Charger and raise you a Ghandarvahs (sp?) Is it 5:00 yet?

My first ever concert was a Tea Party/13 Engines/54.40 triple-bill at RPM. It was also one of the first times in my life I drank a large quantity of beer. Think mid-January, minus-20 degrees, wearing only a T-shirt - standing in line for a half-hour, trying not shiver and look as cool and hip as possible while doing it.
Was everyone as stupid in their teens, or just me?

You just triggered another bar band moment for me. My first concert ever was Sons of Freedom opening for The Pursuit of Happiness at the Concert Hall. I made it through winters with a jean jacket in high school so I'm pretty sure I was equally clueless.

Sorry - to clarify:
I was wearing pants, not ONLY a t-shirt.
Semantics.

Delurk

"Did Me, Mom and Morgentaler ever play outside of Montreal?"
Me, Mom and Morgentaler played in the late 80's or early 90's at the Peace Festival which is held every year in Banerman Park in St. John's, Newfoundland. Other then that I don't know.
I read this site everyday and I love it.
Jays fan from the "far east"

Lurk

Has anyone here ever seen Signal Hill?
I saw them at the Lower Deck in Halifax this summer when they were recording their CD, and I've never had more fun watching a band.
It was all cover songs, but they were fantastic.

I'ver seen Treble Charger live twice, Sum 41 once, and just this Monday I saw a Candian trio ... The Trews, 3 Days Grace, and Nickelback. The Trews have some real potential, and their guitarist was simply amazing. As I stood in awe at his major solo, I had to imagine what it'd be like to see someone like Angus Young or Jimi Hendrix rock out. They're a band from Antigonish who, I hear, has a video in rotation on Much ("Not Ready To Go"). It was an amazing concert, even though I'm not a fan of Nickleback's music. It was a great time down in the "pit". If you're a fan of Treble Charger, I think The Trews are worth a look (Not Ready To Go and Confessions are the two songs I know by them...and I enjoy them both). They kind of remind me of Jet, as it stands. They are a little punk, and a little new wave but are by no means hardcore into either ... they have some pop/power-pop leanings, so they have a chance to break in Canada anyway. All they need is their American Psycho... ;-)

Two new articles by Fordin: One about Chen and Werth, the other focusing on Aaron Hill.

If we're reminiscing about mid-90s Can-rock, one simply must recognize the criminally-underappreciated Weeping Tile.

Canadian music is better now than it's ever been: The Dears, Metric, Broken Social Scene, the Unicorns, Do Make Say Think, Stars, Godspeed You Black Emperor...

I'm on a major kick for The New Pornographers.

I'm glad The Dears get a mention as a great Canadian band. In fact, they are so good that they can be described without the Canadian tag. They are a great band, period. If you were ever a fan of the Smiths and like to dabble in British music, you'll love The Dears. Why is life so unfair that the Nicklebacks of the world get major record deals while bands like The Dears have to toil in relative obscurity?

P.S. No talk of good Canadian bands would be complete without acknowledging Hot Hot Heat.

I'd like to add Clarknova, Jet Set Satellite, the Mudmen, Moxy Fruvous, the first Barenaked Ladies album, the Watchmen, the Odds, the Killjoys, the Rainbow Butt Monkeys (pre-Finger 11, with such lyrical ditties as "As Far As I Can Spit" and "Danananana"), Big Wreck, the very sexy Wild Strawberries and one of my faves Wide Mouth Mason to the mix of great Hab tunes.

So many memories of cruising to great Canadian rock; the mid-90s were a boon to the rock music industry, one that I can now only replace with my precious nu-metal :)

And even though he's not Canadian, can I get some love for the most underrated man in music today, Mr. Butch Walker? Marvelous 3 was quite easily one of the most undervalued bands in the history of music.

I'm on a major kick for The New Pornographers.

Yes! Mass romantic was amazing, I'm really going to have to out to get the new one(last May). If you're a Neko Case fan, she's playing with the Sadies at Lee's Palace in Toronto on April 3/4.

The Dears also have the advantage of being one of the best live bands on the planet.

alsiem: I just ordered "Electric Version" from their website ( http://thenewpornographers.com ) for $12 CDN, delivered.

A friend of mine got everyone Mass Romantics for Christmas this year, that was how I got into them. Thanks for the heads-up on the Lee's show.

usher is fine