Back when Pearl Jam was at their height, they had the clout to do anything they wanted. Anything.
On September 26, 2000, the band released 25 double CD live albums—what they referred to as “official bootlegs”—featuring performances from virtually every show they played on European tour in support of their Binaural album. Of those 25, five immediately made the top 200 album chart. This was the first time any act ever saw more than two new albums show up on the chart in the same week.
Two other sets just missed the cut. Had they made the charts that week, Pearl Jam would have joined The Beatles, The Monkees, and U2 as the only acts to that point with seven albums on the charts at the same time.
A question from new parents: “Should I expose my baby to live music?” The answer is “yes.”
A recent study at the University of Toronto revealed that infants have longer attention spans when experiencing live music. Sure, you might want to give them an iPad to stare at, but that apparently doesn’t work as well as live music. Videos don’t captivate them a whole lot but live music elicits physiological changes like a synchronization of heart rate to the music.
The final conclusion? “Findings suggest that performer–audience interactions and social context play an important role in facilitating attention and coordinating emotional responses to musical performances early in life.”
The big caveat? Volume. The live music cannot be too loud for those delicate little ears.
The Flaming Lips are certainly unconventional and experimental. One of their weird projects was a very, very long song called “7 skies H3” which, in its original form, ran for 24 hours.
It consisted of several separate pieces, each running anywhere from 25 minutes to seven hours. If that wasn’t enough, just 13 copies were released on flash drives that were encased in actual human skulls. They went on the market (appropriately) on Halloween 2011 and cost $5,000. And yes, they sold them all. If you can’t find your own copy—imagine that—they also set up a website with the song on a continuous loop.
And if you would rather have a physical copy, there is an edited version that runs 50 minutes and was released for Record Store Day 2014.
Back in the 1930s during the Great Depression, there was a phenomenon known as the dance marathon. Basically, couples would take up a challenge to see who could remain dancing longer than anyone else. They were held in ballrooms and auditoriums and could continue for not just hours, but days and even weeks.
Spectators paid to watch, too. The longer the marathon went on, the higher the admission price. Couples had to stay in motion continuously resulting in blisters, injuries, and collapse from exhaustion.
Why would anyone subject themselves to such a thing? Like I said, it was during the Depression. Many people signed up for these marathons because it meant food, shelter, and a place to sleep, even if it was just a few minutes an hour. Those who won were given a cash prize. Hey, the Depression was rough. People were willing to do anything to survive.
All the original Ramones are no longer with us. While Dee Dee died of a heroin overdose, his three bandmates suffered from different forms of cancer. Joey died of lymphoma. Johnny? Prostate cancer. Tommy suffered from bile duct cancer. Coincidence? Maybe not.
Some suspect these cancers are the result of the conditions of a loft on East 2nd Street where the Ramones rehearsed and printed t-shirts. It was the former home of a plastic flower factory and some believe that the toxic residue left over from the chemicals used in their manufacture. They permeated the entire building.
Oh, and one more thing: Arturo Vega, the Ramones’ art director and the guy who designed and pressed up all those t-shirts in that loft? He also died of cancer.
It must have been so easy to write about rock back in the 1950s. Well, comparatively easy to today, I mean. Everything was so new that that’s all you had to pay attention to. There wasn’t exactly anything called “rock history” back then because the music had no history.
What began as a spark in the early 50s turned out to be the musical equivalent of the cosmological Big Bang. And as the years and decades passed, this music—which began as a fresh take on the 12-bar blues template—separated, segmented, stratified, mutated, evolved—with increasing speed.
New genres began to appear yearly, monthly, and sometimes even weekly. Today, it seems like every single day results in some kind of derivative spin-off sub-sub-sub-sub-genre.
The new sound and approach may gain traction and stay with us for some time, perhaps even carving out its own permanent space in the rock universe. More likely, though, a new genre will have a half-life shorter than hydrogen 7. And to save you from looking that up, that’s a tiny, tiny fraction of a second: a decimal point followed by 23 zeroes.
But there’s no stopping the fission and fusion of rock. We’re always going to get new sounds…keeping up with them all is another matter.
This is part of what makes writing a musical history of the 2010s so challenging. The number of iterations rock went through in that decade was insane. But if we’re going to understand what happened to rock during that time, we’re going to have to at least try.
The third week of September is traditionally be a busy time for new releases and 2023 is no exception. Here’s a dozen releases out this New Music Friday. Note the heavy Canadian representation.
Singles
1. City and Colour, Hard, Hard Time (Still/Dine Alone)
Dallas Green’s mellow Alexisonfire side project is about to set off on a European tour before he returns to Canada for a cross-country tour with Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and Ruby Waters. This is the latest single from his seventh album, The Love Still Held Me Near.
2. Steve Miller Band, I Don’t Mind (UMe)
Yes, that Steve Miller. And yes, it’s box set season. This is a previously unreleased song from the sessions that date as far back as The Joker album from 1973. Called J50: The Evolution of The Joker is a sprawling re-releases that includes 26 other unheard recordings.
3. The Breeders, Divine Mascis (4AD)
Not only is it box set season, it’s also the time for anniversary re-releases. The Breeders are in that category with a new version of Last Splash, the band’s big hit from 1993. This previous unheard song (one of two on the record and taken from the original analogue tapes) features J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, a guy revered by the Deal sisters.
4. Econoline Crush, Locked in Your Stone (Independent)
The return of Trevor Hurst and Econoline Crush continues with yet another single from his When the Devil Drives album, a record that also comes with a documentary film about Hurst’s time as a psychiatric nurse working with First Nations patients in Manitoba. Both will be out later this year. The video for this single was created using AI.
5. Phil Selway, Picking Up Pieces (Bella Union)
Since there’s no sign of a Radiohead album (although we have been promised one “in a couple of years”), each of the members are off doing their own thing. The includes drummer Phil Selway who released a solo record called Strange Dance back in February. This song is from a companion piece entitled Live at Evolution Studios that features Phil collaborating with a string quartet. The entire collection of recordings will be available December 8.
Albums
1. Arkells, Laundry Pile (Universal Music Canada)
After dripping out a series of singles since the beginning of the year, Arkells have finally released what frontman Max Kerman calls “our most raw and intimate record yet. There are imperfections on the album, but that was kind of the point. We wanted to make the album simply feel as honest as possible.” It’s an accidental record, too. The band never really set out to make another album, but it just kind of…happened. Hey, when the songwriting muse visits, you welcome it with open arms. The new single is the album’s closer.
2. Will Butler + Sisters Squares, Will Butler and Sister Squares (Merge)
It was about a year ago that Will Butler announced that he was leaving Arcade Fire. Shortly after that, the sexual allegations scandals around his brother broke, sending the band into a weird kind of limbo from which they’ve yet to recover. Will started releasing new material back in the spring and the full album is available now. This is the latest single.
3. Kevin Drew, Aging (Arts & Crafts)
Speaking of bands with no plans to record anytime soon, Kevin Drew has taken time away Broken Social Scene–I mean, why not?–to release an album recorded at The Tragically Hip’s Bathhouse studios back in 2021. Working with collaborator Nyles Spencer, Kevin thought he was going to record a children’s album. It didn’t quite work out that way. Physical versions of Aging are available now. A digital version will appear on November 3.
4. Teenage Fanclub, Nothing Lasts Forever (Merge)
This is the 13th album from the Scottish alt-rock darlings. The last record (2021’s Endless Arcade) had a melancholy tinge since the record came in the wake of the dissolution of frontman Norman Blakes marriage and his attendance at too many funerals. This one, says Blake, is far more optimistic, and is centered on accepting life as it comes.
5. Andy Taylor, Man’s a Wolf to Man (BMG Rights Management)
And on the topic of accepting what life gives you, Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor is still battling a serious case of prostate cancer, although at last word, the prognosis had improved. This is his third solo album and his first in 30(!!!) years. Given the circumstances, Durannies are most interested in what he has to say.
6. Sierra Pilot, Phantom Pains (Independent)
Sierra Pilot has been teasing this debut album for some time now with several advance singles that show guitar rock is alive and well and living in Canada. They thought they were going out on the road with Skid Row and Buckcherry next month, but that has been pushed to March because of health issues within Skid Row. This creates an opportunity for some solo headliner gigs this fall.
If you go back to the turn of the millennium, you’ll run across a band called American Nightmare who released some pretty powerful punk and hardcore material, largely written by vocalist Wes Eisold.
When the band broke up in 2004, everyone, including Eisold, thought that was it. But in 2007, stories began to circulate about a weird relationship involving Fall Out Boy. Eisold found out that the band used some of the lyrics he wrote for American Nightmare for their album Infinity on High and had failed to ask permission.
This resulted in some behind-the-scenes legal action that ultimately saw Eisold receiving writing credits on three songs on the album. He now receives a stream of revenue courtesy of Fall Out Boy and has allegedly made over a million dollars.
The heartbroken parents of a firefighter -- one of four killed this week in a crash on Highway 1 -- are speaking out tonight and remembering their son as a Hero.
"Jaxon Billyboy" was still a teenager -- just getting started in life but determined to make a difference.
Troy Charles reports.
The parents of a teen wildland firefighter are sharing details of his tragic death in a head-on collision near Kamloops early Tuesday morning.
Barb Billyboy said her 19-year-old son Jaxon was a young warrior who was just coming home after a 14 day tour fighting wildfires near Fort St. James.
“He’s a one-of-a-kind hero. We miss him and we want him back. He had a heart of gold. we’re proud of him. He always said ‘keep your head up,'” Barb Billyboy told Global News Thursday night.
“We were all expecting him home, his brother and his sisters. Everybody is going to miss him.”
Jaxon along with three colleagues were killed when their pickup truck crashed into a semi truck near Kamloops along the Trans-Canada Highway.
Jaxon’s father Randy Plouffe says it was terrible when first responders pulled up to their home to tell them about their son.
“We were waiting on them and he didn’t show,” Plouffe explained.
“Then when the panel came up the driveway to tell us, it was like a nightmare.”
Jaxon had been working with Interior Tree Falling as a wildland firefighter. While speaking with his parents, they told Global News they had just collected his belongings from the business.
“They gave us a bunch of sweaters and t-shirts, so I’m actually wearing one right now,” Billyboy said. “They helped us with gas coming here and they did reach out to say: ‘call us if you need anything’.”
Billyboy and Plouffe had just come from the scene of the accident that day and shared prayers with the families of the other victims.
“It was hard when we prayed for each other as families,” Billyboy said as she recounted her time spent with the families of the victims Thursday.
“It was nice to meet them and a way of praying for each other and all standing together praying for each and every one of them that’s passed on. It was nice to have that there today.”
Plouffe says his son was still so young, having just finished school.
“He was 19 years old, just graduated a few months ago. He has two sisters and a younger brother,” Plouffe shared.
His parents said Jaxon’s passing has been especially difficult on his siblings, after recently being forced from their home and having another loss in the family as well.
“We had just come back from being evacuated as well and getting settled in,” Billyboy said now back in their West Kelowna home.
“He also lost his grandpa three months ago as well in a tragic accident.”
Jaxon’s parents say they’re staying strong for his brother and sisters as well.
“They’re taking it pretty hard, we’re here for them helping them along the way to greive,” Jaxon’s parents said.
“He also mentioned he got us gifts, necklaces, and drinks. He was really looking forward to coming home, that’s for sure.”
Jaxon’s parents say they’re taking things one day at a time, but say it’s good to be surrounded by family during this difficult period.
“We’re keeping each other up by being here for family,” Billyboy shared. “We have a lot of family and it’s good to have them here.”
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