tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601246185464830002011-11-27T16:15:35.459-08:00Listening to – and writing about –<br>the music that matterschas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.comBlogger1161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-42763500291328656852011-11-08T23:02:00.000-08:002011-11-08T23:03:47.931-08:00

Checking out a service called 8tracks, I discovered the following playlist (not by me, despite the title) by someone with good taste. So I give it to you.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-65441284036913477352011-10-03T02:44:00.000-07:002011-10-03T02:44:24.905-07:00

WPRK threw a party and invited me ... and, by proxy, you ... to a celebration of 20 years since the first episode of what would become Chas’ Crusty Old Wave. I returned to Florida for the first time in nearly two years, and we did not one but two two-hour shows featuring the music we all love so much -- the red-headed stepkids of the 80s! Today, three months after the event, we present the first

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-50991511201054385962011-06-12T14:25:00.000-07:002011-06-12T14:28:18.946-07:00

Like the relief felt at the completion of the end of the Lord of the Rings, I have managed to split a massive six-hour (well, five after editing) show into two parts, including artwork and for the most part very high audio quality into two great new episodes of Chas’ Crusty Old Wave (actually, its predecessor Chas n Gwen’s Pop Pajama Party), both parts of which you can now download directly from

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-80528739340913993082011-05-02T00:35:00.000-07:002011-05-02T00:35:45.766-07:00

With the flowers and warmer weather comes a great new episode of Chas' Crusty Old Wave (actually, its predecessor Chas n Gwen's Pop Pajama Party), part one of which you can now download directly from the website or via iTunes. Part two of this (originally) six-hour funfest will arrive next month, and we hope you will subscribe (it’s free) so that new somewhat-monthly-ish episodes are

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-85150786971294547402010-12-27T05:57:00.000-08:002010-12-27T06:03:23.312-08:00

A momentary diversion from the countdown of the 12 best Canadian bands of 2009 (will we get to #1 before 2010 ends? Stay tuned!), to bring you a little prezzie for the season. I’m as sick as you are of Christmas music. Very few of the usual suspects are any good to start with, and only if you’re quite lucky did you hear the “good” versions before all the crap ones started rolling in, and man

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-77519282404420320342010-12-04T15:21:00.000-08:002011-10-03T02:52:15.706-07:00

If Neil Young and Daniel Johnston donated some DNA to be mixed together and formulate a new person with the combined abilities of those two men, that creature would probably sound and project an image very much along the lines of Chad Van Gaalen. High-pitched and homespun, with a gift for original metaphor and memorable lines and a sideline of crude folk art, Gaalen doesn't always hit the mark

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-42197493163741084822010-11-27T03:12:00.000-08:002011-10-03T02:52:28.206-07:00

There were literally a metric tonne of bands I considered for this position, but so many of them either put out their music in 2008 or not till 2010 that they just didn’t qualify. All I’ll say now is that my Canadian best-of for 2010 (whenever I get round to it) will be killah. Gregory Pepper of Guelph, Ontario was a late discovery, but a breathtaking one. In an indie scene filled to the brim

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-1765646965676484502010-11-02T13:59:00.000-07:002010-11-02T14:00:43.528-07:00

The (ahem) October episode of Chas’ Crusty Old Wave is now available via the website or directly from iTunes. We’ve been very pleased with the attention the show has been getting lately, and we hope you will subscribe (it’s free) so that new more-or-less monthly episodes are automatically delivered to your computer. I want to particularly highlight Liz Langley’s contribution to this (and other)

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-84654667644321321242010-10-04T03:03:00.000-07:002011-10-03T02:52:42.773-07:00

Being a natural optimist, I tend to walk on the sunny side of the pop-music street, preferring bouncy upbeat stompers over those studiously angst-y power-pop ballads or the current trend of rage-y emo crap. That’s not to say I don’t love a dark tune, like say a good Nick Cave number, but I’m just predisposed to whistle a bouncier song, even if the lyrics themselves are kind of dark and/or

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-47629272139779510482010-08-29T16:15:00.001-07:002010-08-29T16:15:13.285-07:00

Back on schedule, or at least my schedule ... the August episode of Chas’ Crusty Old Wave is now available via the website or directly from iTunes. We’ve been very pleased with the attention the show has been getting lately, and we hope you will subscribe (it’s free) so that new monthly episodes are automatically delivered to your computer. Not many shows have the cahones to play The Fabulous

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-18784597426721284242010-08-17T04:30:00.000-07:002011-10-03T02:53:11.381-07:00

Some bands are difficult to describe, but not this one: sweet girlsong indie-pop. I don’t know a whole lot about the band other than they are from Toronto, are centred around two sisters, Casey and Jennifer Mecija, and that 2009 saw their second album Beacons on Last Gang Records. It continues a style you’ll hear a lot of in Canada these days, basically wussy pop-rock with folk influences and at

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-40392853767368169272010-08-13T18:02:00.000-07:002010-08-13T18:02:46.785-07:00

Dear Readers: Recently I did a post about my hopes for eventually moving the audio content of this blog to HTML5-based players so that a wider variety of browsers could support them without issue. In the meantime, though, we'll continue to offer Flash-based MP3 players as this form has the widest acceptance. Just this week, however, Odeo.com -- the company that supplies the lovely matching

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-4628026631130829402010-08-01T14:08:00.000-07:002010-08-01T14:11:38.235-07:00

So yeah, took a little bit of an unexpected break in June there -- sorry about that -- but the now-renamed “June/July” episode of Chas’ Crusty Old Wave is now available via the website or directly from iTunes. We’ve been very pleased with the attention the show has been getting lately, and we hope you will subscribe (it’s free) so that new monthly episodes are automatically delivered to your

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-7171525199244688682010-07-30T16:58:00.000-07:002011-10-03T02:52:56.970-07:00

Nice folks, nice band. They played here a few months back and their catchy indie-rock sound was a welcome change from all the Canadian bands who try too hard. It’s been an unusual road for these guys, gaining popularity primarily through the EMusic service and a SXSW appearance before ever getting signed to a label (and really, they are semi-unsigned still; Saddle Creek only re-released

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-44806468093779593362010-07-28T04:14:00.000-07:002011-10-03T02:54:11.362-07:00

Now that I’m living in Canada, I feel an obligation to help get the word out to readers in other countries (particularly that large music-buying population just south of here) about the fine music of  the Great White North. Mostly this is motivated by the simple fact that there are some really cool bands up here most readers have never heard of, but in part its due to Canada’s perpetual “USA’s

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-21434072648052917452010-07-28T03:17:00.000-07:002010-07-28T15:47:13.058-07:00

As you’ve noticed, this blog has been unusually quiet ... for a music blog. Part of this was struggling to figure out the enormity of the task I have undertaken for myself to wring out the most interesting sweat from the towel that was “2009 in Music” but another part was following the Fall of Flash mini-saga, as it were. This blog uses Flash and wishes it didn’t. I’ve never been much of a fan

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-67151640636685035082010-05-17T20:23:00.000-07:002010-05-17T20:25:32.149-07:00

Yeah, it’s been kinda quiet on the RadioChas front ... not as much time for album listening as I expected, and the situation is about to get worse (but that actually means better ... for you and me!). So anyway, this is Jane Siberry. Sometimes known as Issa, but mostly as “that weird Canadian singer who’s not KD Lang.” Jane Siberry has been putting out albums more or less continuously since

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-21367619477349285142010-04-09T02:30:00.000-07:002010-08-14T03:22:06.232-07:00

When I turned to do the research on this category, I was surprised to discover relatively few live albums released this year -- after eliminating the shit bands and the ones completely outside the purview of this blog, I was left with only eight nine possible nominations. So rather than focus on just the winner, I thought I’d at least mention a little something about all eight nine, with more

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-33576576836365359462010-04-02T23:49:00.000-07:002010-04-02T23:51:34.079-07:00

Before we get started, I have to get this out of the way: the March episode of my award-winnable podcast, Chas' Crusty Old Wave, was in fact available in March. As in “the 31st of March.” However, as the next day was April Fools, I didn’t want to say much about it lest I be accused of participating in that most insipid of holidays. Now, however, the coast is clear -- and I’m particularly keen on

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-40233720458988915222010-03-06T05:05:00.000-08:002010-03-06T05:05:01.428-08:00

And the winner is: Swedes Do It Better - A Labrador Records Compilation I am a well-known sucker for Scottish pop groups going way back, but I’ve been less quick to acknowledge my love of Swedish pop, much of which is just fantastic and certainly as worthy of my affections as those pasty-faced, haggis-eating Albans. This goes way back to ABBA, but has been maintained over the decades; from the

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-61945707980032145052010-03-04T21:56:00.001-08:002010-03-05T00:41:45.737-08:00

Originally I had something else planned to post today, but then John Foxx had to go and post a new remix of “Underpass,” the very best Synth Single you’ve not heard in years if ever, so here you go:

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-84224453046592782052010-02-24T22:19:00.000-08:002010-02-24T22:22:47.325-08:00

Hey, remember Curt Smith? The other half of Tears for Fears? Yeah, he’s still in that band (after taking the 90s and some to be a solo artist), but he’s also still doing the solo thing, and like his musical partner Roland Orzabal, raising a family and doing boring stuff too. Still, while his musical output has been diminished in terms of frequency (and mass popularity) outside the TFF brand

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-89571372735648993272010-02-24T06:52:00.000-08:002010-03-05T00:45:00.425-08:00

... for some further ruminations on the Best of 2009, or for that matter on the latest episode of Chas’ Crusty Old Wave, here's an incredibly obscure video to pass the time -- an alternate take on “The Sun and the Rainfall” from Depeche Mode’s 1982 album “A Broken Frame.”

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-42280209208597716332010-01-31T06:24:00.000-08:002010-02-21T05:24:10.062-08:00

Over the next couple of weeks or so, I will unveil the bands that caught my ear in 2009 both old and new (and, where applicable, Canadian -- not so much because I live here now as because there's a real bounty of decent music coming out of the Great White North that deserves wider exposure down south and elsewhere). As with every compilation of stuff, there’s always a few things that don’t make

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-73803137233985433422010-01-10T02:38:00.000-08:002010-01-10T02:43:27.819-08:00

January’s episode of my new-to-you podcast, Chas' Crusty Old Wave, is now available either via the website or directly from iTunes. We’ve been very pleased with the attention the show has been getting lately, and we hope you will subscribe (it’s free) so that new monthly episodes are automatically delivered to your iTunes. This particular episode features a short interview with Orlando band

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-55143843654363513012010-01-10T02:23:00.000-08:002010-01-10T02:31:43.249-08:00

The massive amount of research needed to come up with the best albums, songs and artists of 2009 is underway, but before we get into that I have two things I want to get out there right away: 2009 was actually a pretty damn good year for music. I’ve been looking and listening over some of last year’s top selections, and frankly I'm rather proud of the finished list. You should check it out if

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-2222208646987730652009-12-25T07:30:00.000-08:002009-12-25T07:30:07.459-08:00

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-50884169513496104302009-12-23T21:32:00.000-08:002009-12-23T21:38:16.316-08:00

Last year at this time, I labouriously compiled a list of some of my favourite seasonal music -- much of it quite explicitly dealing with Xmas, but some of it not (but capturing the spirit of Nöel just the same). It was, and still is (in my humble opinion) a good playlist of songs that aren't heard so much anymore, or are too new to be considered "xmas fodder," or were just unfairly overlooked.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-44587374444204664642009-12-17T07:35:00.000-08:002009-12-17T07:40:50.907-08:00

An item cross-posted to the Film blog ... ooh we’re efficient today! My pal Noel Clarke is, in addition to being a brilliantly gritty actor and filmmaker, a man who has good taste in picking his projects. He has many irons in the fire right now, but a new one will be of particular interest to those who follow this blog. Its a biopic about Ian Dury played by Andy Serkis (uncanny, btw), and it

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-91368301527792120592009-12-08T18:19:00.000-08:002009-12-08T18:19:45.823-08:00

Oh, this forthcoming new decade looks to be a good ’un -- we have a non-idiot in the White House, the Not-So-Great Depression feels like it’s winding down, and at least two lovely bands from years back are putting out new material that proves they’ve still got it. Fantastic. We’ve talked about Devo’s forthcoming brilliance in this space before, but now it’s time for Madness. Their actual time as

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-48771479780920154462009-12-04T18:12:00.000-08:002009-12-04T18:12:21.465-08:00

Annie Lennox is one of those performers that, while I may not love everything she does, I love her voice and will always listen to it. She can save a weak song, embolden a strong song, and take a great song right up to the mountaintop. I will always love her most for her involvement in The Tourists, a band I doubt most self-proclaimed fans are even aware of. Most of her work in Eurythmics is

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-852249194499866132009-12-02T20:29:00.000-08:002009-12-02T20:36:06.181-08:00

Warped By Success is China Crisis’ sixth (and final “studio”) album, and probably the weakest of their output, but the band themselves are, in the context of their body of work, of interest and worth study. Combining influences as diverse as Stevie Wonder and Brian Eno, they were among a handful of bands that brought literacy and occasional political commentary to “airy” pop music. If you like

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-76643554651410649622009-11-21T23:40:00.000-08:002009-11-21T23:40:19.349-08:00

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-49844900513783063092009-11-17T05:51:00.000-08:002009-11-17T05:51:40.022-08:00

By an odd quirk of fate, this month’s epsisode of Chas' Crusty Old Wave! is another ALL-NEW episode, born from my recent trip to Florida and an invitation to appear on one of their regular shows, The Bum Magnet’s UnHappy Hour, normally hosted by Miss Badkitty Herself but this one was co-hosted by myself and DJ Phantom Third Channel (the kids today, they use the aliases). Between us we cooked

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-354358531138669392009-10-27T08:52:00.001-07:002009-10-27T08:55:43.052-07:00

October's episode of my award-eligible podcast, Chas' Crusty Old Wave, is now available either via the website or directly from iTunes. This marks almost exactly two years since the first podcast version of the show, and it's an opportunity to thank iTunes for their participation. This particular episode is a very old one, the oldest we've put up so far, from September 1991. Back then the show

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-43336724234230352892009-10-10T19:43:00.000-07:002009-10-12T13:38:44.793-07:00

Earlier this year I wrote about this not-widely-heard-outside-Scotland-but-wonderful little pop band and their new album, In The Music. Now there’s a video to go with the second single “People,” which although not my favourite song on the album is nonetheless as lovely as a sunny autumn day, which as it happens is exactly when the bulk of the video was filmed (just a week ago as I write this!).

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-85631431500835618382009-10-08T00:15:00.000-07:002009-10-08T22:31:29.272-07:00

(edit: I substituted the original image that was here with one taken from the actual performance we attended, courtesy of Victoria Times-Colonist photographyer Bruce Stotesbury) My charmed life has been rearing its charming head a lot of late, and the capper has got to have been winning tickets to see Tony Bennett perform live at the Royal Theatre here in Victoria last night. As a former DJ

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-7232333205743450962009-09-30T10:57:00.000-07:002009-09-30T11:00:16.765-07:00

A pretty cool find has turned up on YouTube ... footage from an unreleased video for “Sense of Doubt” from Heroes. What th-?? (Confidential to Jim D.: I’ll put this up against OUR videos any day!) (h/t to Jim Ivy for pointing me to this)

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-90964441736389121022009-09-21T04:37:00.000-07:002009-09-21T05:25:55.130-07:00

Periodically, I have the terrible fear that something is amiss in the universe. Normally I’d hop into my TARDIS and investigate, but round about this point I remember that Doctor Who is a fictional character and that I’m not him, so bang goes that plan. Instead, I often turn to the series-of-tubes and Google randomly (using The Google) till I identify the gnawing feeling and find a remedy.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-18582642047029512342009-09-09T15:30:00.000-07:002009-09-09T15:30:13.075-07:00

The Lovemakers are an Oakland CA band with an interesting twist: they broke up romantically just as the first album was being written, but decided to carry on as a band anyway. This sort of thing rarely happens (and even more rarely works) in “real life,” but the rules are apparently different in the rock-music world (Chris Stein/Debbie Harry, Exene Cervenka/John Doe, there are lots of examples).

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-32267801670695036832009-09-07T23:58:00.001-07:002009-09-07T23:58:34.619-07:00

The August episode of Crusty Old Wave is up and available from either COW Central or directly from iTunes (where you can subscribe for free if you haven't already, and thus get every new episode automatically!). We’re celebrating the show’s 18th anniversary by replaying the show’s 18-month anniversary back in 1993. This one -- even more so than usual -- hit the "obscure" bin extra hard and

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-15148469327248992182009-09-05T02:08:00.000-07:002009-09-05T02:09:37.272-07:00

... for more DEVO! Here’s a really impressive performance from MacWorld 2008 cobbled together from what appears to be multiple cell phone captures plus good-quality audio (from the soundboard?) that really shows off how much this song completely rocks, even 30 years (!!) after they recorded it. Can’t wait for the new album.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-79618547875419413182009-08-30T06:10:00.000-07:002009-09-01T14:42:58.715-07:00

It’s easy for us 80s kids to look down with a little condescension at the music of the 50s and early 60s -- in our minds, although 80s New Wave and other movements were clearly drawn from that period (as opposed to the bluesy rock and R&B that had powered the later 60s and early 70s), our version was more refined and intelligent. At least we thought so. Of course, this view conveniently forgets

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-63630983610198334712009-08-27T03:58:00.000-07:002009-08-30T05:00:00.964-07:00

Princess Sparklepony is right -- this is why the net was invented, to give home to pieces of shear genius like this (click the graphic for a larger version if needed): Hat tip to the creator, JeanNR. Of course, this isn’t all the lyrics to the song (and how sad is it that I know that?), but it does illustrate the fascinating relationship between pop songs and mathematics.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-63552623168114142302009-08-26T02:18:00.000-07:002009-08-26T02:18:42.239-07:00

Not that I didn’t know that before, of course, but sadly our ability to check out the local music scene has been pretty limited by a combination of not knowing much about which bands don’t suck, and being old enough to get suspicious glances when we go out to clubs. Luckily, the block party for the Victoria Fringe Festival (about which we’ll undoubtedly be saying more soon) brought the music to

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-59511884541157197342009-08-23T21:14:00.000-07:002009-08-23T21:14:54.429-07:00

Here’s a stunning bit of work both musically and visually: some funky 80s-style analog videogame-chip musical goodness wedded with LEGO stop-motion animation that will make the White Stripes crap themselves.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-27919088730739517252009-08-23T05:43:00.000-07:002009-08-23T05:43:31.722-07:00

Hard to believe I started this blog a year ago already, and looking over it I’m frankly a little amazed at how much stuff we went over in a year -- in addition to 10 full in-depth reviews, we also did at least half-a-dozen “mini-reviews” of albums in the course of compiling not one but two mammoth research projects: a full-blown “12 Songs of Chasmas” and a rundown of the top 10 albums (plus top

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-7870352530165944542009-08-13T21:58:00.000-07:002009-08-13T22:05:35.718-07:00

A couple of weeks back I mentioned a band I had found on the intertubes that I really liked, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Without meaning to toot my own (fog)horn more than I usually do, my years of being a radio DJ and music critic have really helped me spot bands that stand out from the crowd (you can check out the ridiculously exhaustive “best of 2008” summary for a taste of that -- I’m

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-82984687667019675852009-08-03T15:43:00.000-07:002009-08-05T23:01:06.440-07:00

This is a seriously godlike -- yet largely forgotten -- album of pop perfection. Oh sure, all the requisite themes of New Wave are in there -- loneliness and isolation, broken hearts on sharp-angled, stylised rocks, washed in waves of synths and drum machine beats all while remaining immaculately dressed and coiffed -- but beyond the fashion of the day are nine really outstanding songs, and they

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-43298548466388072822009-07-31T05:22:00.000-07:002009-08-13T22:07:08.040-07:00

*squee!*

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-81766614450078112782009-07-27T04:48:00.000-07:002009-07-27T04:50:15.449-07:00

I am so in love with this song that it hurts. I first heard this in a record store in Victoria and had to stay in the store to hear the entire album. I probably annoyed the hell out of the clerk by repeatedly asking “WHAT is the name of this band again?!” Turns out the name comes from an unpublished book by a friend of the singer. The flip description of their sound might be “Belle and Sebastian

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-76197142113071031542009-07-14T03:13:00.000-07:002009-07-14T03:14:57.797-07:00

Ooh, hit a bit of a snag with my latest album review -- um, long story -- so while we wait for that to get sorted, here’s a lovely video hackjob someone put together, a kind of overview of Annie’s solo career (mostly, though there’s more than a few nods to Eurythmics period in there) that’s darn catchy. This reminds me that I’ve never seen the actual video for her cover of “No More I Love Yous,”

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-54012786575869320992009-07-07T04:58:00.000-07:002009-08-14T04:01:44.174-07:00

Here’s a band called First Aid (one of several with that name, this one from Sweden) performing a song called “You’re Not Coming Home Tonight.” It makes me think of my mom Betty because of the gentle folk-tinged-with-country melody, the beautiful harmonies, the raw natural setting, and of course ... rockin’ the autoharp.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-26745164235402550212009-06-27T15:51:00.001-07:002009-06-27T16:04:12.782-07:00

The June episode of Crusty Old Wave is up and available from either COW Central or directly from iTunes (where you can subscribe for free if you haven't already, and thus get every new episode automatically!). We’re doing something a little different this summer ... sequential episodes! Normally we pick which show tape we’re going to edit/remaster/upload at random, but June’s is episode #73,

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-44788516395806278242009-06-17T03:22:00.001-07:002009-06-17T03:25:31.761-07:00

See the whole thing (in HD!) at YouTube if you have the bandwidth, baby!

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-59532269443240271972009-06-10T07:25:00.001-07:002009-06-10T07:26:57.768-07:00

Just a note for non-Facebook fans ... the May episode of Chas’ Crusty Old Wave came out on June 2nd, and is available for free streaming or downloading from either the COW website or iTunes itself. This is one of the later episodes and I think the variety of music on it is just great. Man I love that guy!

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-40693347072879313212009-06-10T07:02:00.000-07:002009-06-10T07:02:57.262-07:00

There are actually two videos floating around YouTube of this performance by Robyn Hitchcock, Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe (!!) -- I’m linking to the “better” one (better sound quality) because in addition to “Mystery Train” they also do a bit of Beatles in this longer one. Both videos were obviously shot with cell phones and look/sound like utter crap, but it’s a moment most of us wouldn’t be

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-4739860005007690462009-05-24T21:21:00.000-07:002009-05-24T21:23:18.751-07:00

The Trashcan Sinatras are one of my favourite bands, but I couldn’t say exactly why. To be sure, they are a very good little pop outfit, specialising in gentle indie-rock with that Scottish touch I like so much (see the Popinjays, the Proclaimers, Simple Minds, Belle & Sebastian, the Associates, the Rezillos, Blue Nile, Teenage Fanclub, Idlewild, the Fratellis, I could literally go on like this

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-9978674979090478932009-05-19T16:47:00.001-07:002009-05-19T16:52:26.262-07:00

While we wait for the May episode of Chas’ Crusty Old Wave, a special treat ... last month Chas and his buddy Liz were live on WPRK once again, sitting in with DJ Maggie on her Punk Rock in Your PJs show.We chatted about radio days, about Florida and mostly about Canada, and we also listened to some fun, poppy powerpunk (plus a few surreptitious selections from Chas). Great fun, but rather

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-70247080578319173922009-05-15T01:22:00.000-07:002009-05-15T01:22:24.950-07:00

I’m preparing my next album review, but in the meantime I thought I’d offer a nice little warm-up. This is a charity single from one of my favourite Scottish bands, the criminally-underrated Trash Can Sinatras, that appeared on a Syd Barrett tribute album called The City Wakes late last year.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-66862336592573692182009-05-03T21:44:00.000-07:002009-05-03T22:39:24.490-07:00

So I got this CD from a taxi driver in Seattle ... Seriously, that's how I got this album. The finale to a very enjoyable cabbie/customer conversation, the driver offered me his CD (he was Ted Narcotic nee Higgins his very own self), and in exchange I said I'd give it a serious review. I certainly don't review every CD someone gives me but I was in the mood for something different to the stuff I

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-20562537485751887132009-04-28T02:04:00.000-07:002009-04-28T02:05:38.376-07:00

The April edition of Chas’ Crusty Old Wave is now available via the website or iTunes. It’s a very early episode from 1992 BC -- Before Clinton -- and predates the modern Internet, DVDs and The X-Files. It was a whole different world back then. We also are pleased to announce that we now have a fan page on Facebook which we hope you’ll join. With a little luck we may have a “special episode”

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-40638632016093562762009-04-20T16:11:00.000-07:002009-04-20T16:11:08.022-07:00

Unsurprisingly -- at least to me -- the haunting, otherworldly theme to Doctor Who has won the “Best Sci-Fi Theme Tune of All Time” award at TotalSciFi.com. Completely putting aside my decades-long and hopelessly-biased obsession with this great programme, the theme tune -- realised as it was using highly experimental and never-quite-duplicated techniques -- still sends chills down my spine.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-47107802774369251722009-04-17T12:40:00.001-07:002009-04-17T12:40:31.065-07:00

You know, I think that's Kyle Gass (Tenacious D) as the policeman ... "DON'T SHOOT" - DEVO from DEVO Channel on Vimeo.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-62722357732528013942009-04-02T21:35:00.000-07:002009-04-02T21:35:12.371-07:00

John Foxx and Robin Guthrie?? Yes!

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-59842447939993039932009-03-30T19:09:00.000-07:002009-03-30T19:09:58.599-07:00

Just in the nick of time, the March episode of Chas’ Crusty Old Wave is available for download either via the website or directly from iTunes. This episode features a focus on Elvis Costello’s “Brutal Youth” album, some rants against the then-new teen curfew in downtown Orlando, and best of all, Liz Langley's hi-larious Horror-scopes. Not to mention a ton of good old-fashioned alterna-rock

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-84138697217733007722009-03-29T02:45:00.000-07:002009-03-29T02:45:46.186-07:00

I’m pleased to report that one of the bands I picked in my Canadian Top 5 -- the Stills -- have won two Juno awards this year, in the categories of Alternative Album of the Year and, oddly, New Group of the Year. I say “oddly” because The Stills aren’t new at all -- Oceans Will Rise is their third album, and they debuted in 2003 with Logic Will Break Your Heart. (shrugs) Oh well, good on ’em

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-6042916683738612912009-03-28T16:57:00.000-07:002009-03-28T16:57:56.248-07:00

Our pal Maggie has been hosting her long-running WPRK show, Punk Rock in Your PJs, for almost as long as Crusty Old Wave has been off the air -- 10 years! This is a really remarkable accomplishment not just for college radio, but radio shows in general. Anyone who has read this space for any length of time knows I have a long relationship with WPRK starting from being an intern to a host to a

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-29911024061655310432009-03-22T01:47:00.000-07:002009-03-22T01:48:36.439-07:00

WHEEEEE! Now I am as happy as a little girl! In prep for next year’s album launch, DEVO are flexing their muscles for the forthcoming full-blown reunion/comeback, and played last night at the SXSW music fest. It must be soooo satisfying to have publicly predicted devolution back in the mid 70s (when, as you’ll recall, we could hardly imagine things being much worse) and being proven

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-57688692255049945562009-03-20T20:21:00.000-07:002009-03-20T20:28:16.370-07:00

After a short fubar-esque delay caused by a bug in iWeb 09, I'm pleased to report that Chas' Crusty Old Wave - The Podcast! is now available again on iTunes. Subscribers should finally be getting February's episode (#63). If you are not already a listener, and think you would enjoy a rather smart-alecky tour of the best in obscure New Wave Music as only college radio can provide, you can easily

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-3512435624540058812009-03-15T21:35:00.000-07:002009-03-19T15:39:39.814-07:00

Addendum: It should perhaps be noted that by mutual agreement, in North America the words “The English Beat” translate to “Dave Wakeling and Friends.” In the UK, “The Beat” (as they are known there) translates to “Ranking Roger, his son Ranking Junior, Everett Morton and additional players." Original hornmeister Saxa, who played with this version of the band, is now retired. Andy Cox and David

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-6043734379194567572009-03-15T17:28:00.000-07:002009-03-17T01:17:42.939-07:00

I vividly remember buying this record in a shop in Miami’s Coconut Grove district one very warm day in summer 1981 and coming home to play it in our un-air-conditioned Coral Gables apartment. We were lucky the place didn’t catch fire, so unmercifully hot were the grooves coming out of the turntable! Six years after Bowie came out with Young Americans, this trio of Sheffield lads nailed what he

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-49748563469605164772009-03-03T05:07:00.000-08:002009-03-03T05:12:10.792-08:00

Holy Frijoles, we’re finally here! It’s frickin’ March and we’re finally wrapping up the top 10 albums (plus Top 5 Canadian albums!) that caught my ear, held my attention or generally rocked my socks in 2008! Before we get on to the final set of albums, let’s review (in brief for a change) where we are so far: HONOURABLE MENTIONS 2008 John Foxx - A New Kind of Man (Re-Make/Re-Model Award) Girl

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-1841042562490496972009-03-02T02:54:00.000-08:002009-03-17T01:51:36.520-07:00

HA! I’ll bet you thought this torturously-overlong series was finally over, didn’t you?? :) Like any bad pageant, there are some rules, people. And one of those rules is that you have to drag out your absolute top picks by announcing a bunch of “Miss Congeniality” type awards, not to mention reviewing the winners so far. Who am I to break this grand tradition, especially when narrowing the field

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-45750089569272616862009-02-27T15:31:00.001-08:002009-02-27T15:31:48.391-08:00

Those of you who are subscribed to my podcast -- Chas’ Crusty Old Wave -- via iTunes will have to wait a bit for the February episode to show up. Apple made some changes in how iWeb interacts with the iTunes store, so while all the old episodes are still available, the new one (#63 from 30-Oct-92) is not yet there. They are aware of the problem, and presumably will take a break from working on

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-35846284856025193212009-02-22T02:57:00.000-08:002009-03-01T17:46:01.140-08:00

My goodness, it’s taking a while to check out the 10 albums (plus five Canadian albums!) that caught my ear, held my attention or generally rocked my socks in 2008! Sorry about that, but there’s actually a heck of a lot of good material out there, as I have discovered while doing some additional research over the past coupla weeks. Some readers brought a few items released in 2008 to my attention

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-15410363814135932352009-02-07T00:25:00.001-08:002009-02-07T02:57:28.247-08:00

So, on we go, checking out the 10 albums (plus five Canadian albums!) that caught my ear, held my attention or generally rocked my socks in 2008. Mates of State Re-Arrange Us Barsuk Records My “Where Have You Been Hiding?” award goes to Mates of State , a band I somehow missed getting on the bus with a long time ago. I’ve got a fair number of musical duos in my collections (such as Soft Cell,

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-80510701877764376652009-02-06T05:17:00.000-08:002009-02-06T05:49:53.171-08:00

I am stunned to report the death of Erick Purkhiser, better known to the world as Lux Interior , creator and leader of the seminal “psychobilly” rock band The Cramps at age of 62 of a heart condition. He and his wife Poison Ivy started the band in 1973 (yes, you read that right!) and started recording as a result of joining the New York punk scene of the late 70s. Lots of rockers talk about/sing

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-38123494001699490002009-02-01T02:29:00.001-08:002009-02-01T02:32:58.565-08:00

I am pleased to announce that I have been engaged once again by my friends at Film Threat to cover the Victoria Film Festival . Articles I write for them will also appear on Filmmoi in due course. This may, however, cause interruptions of service on my other blogs . Your patience and support is, as always, appreciated.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-77311282570405859292009-01-27T14:46:00.001-08:002009-01-27T15:01:14.445-08:00

We interrupt our slow-moving series covering our most interesting albums of 2008 to bring you some breaking news: four years after serious artery and heart problems almost felled our hero, David Bowie is back in the studio in Berlin working on a new album (no release date scheduled). ::SQUEEE:: Now I am as happy as a little girl! Here’s a recent picture from 2008, and as you can see he’s lost

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-41529816298719653892009-01-14T03:14:00.000-08:002009-08-23T04:49:45.902-07:00

Let’s carry on looking at some of the 10 albums* that caught my ear, held my attention or in some rare cases actually thrilled me, shall we? *Cheating a bit -- I’m also including a “sidebar” of good Canadian bands, since I’m living here, because Canada actually has a thriving and diverse musical scene, and because they are often overlooked south of the border. So those bands are extras. Panic

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-76057723026984130272009-01-14T02:49:00.000-08:002009-01-14T02:50:33.076-08:00

Another episode of my award-winnable podcast, Chas’ Crusty Old Wave, is now available for download either via iTunes or straight from my website . To make up for the fact that I have, for the second time, failed to produce one of these for the month of December, I’m pursuing the notion of a special episode to appear later in the year. In the meantime, enjoy this new one, which features a little

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-34067480554553059142009-01-09T05:56:00.000-08:002009-01-14T02:57:03.806-08:00

Yes, another multi-part series with videos! I didn’t want to fall too far behind in getting a “Best of 2008” list out, but I haven't kept up quite as fully with releases this past year as I did in my “radio days.” Luckily, I still listen to indie and college stations both locally and on the web, and so over the course of the next two (possibly three) installments I’ll pass on some albums that

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-74337043314503031292009-01-02T14:44:00.000-08:002009-01-02T15:03:36.686-08:00

This site was never intended as just an album-review-by-Chas site, and incorporating video has always been a part of the plan and will continue to add variety as time goes on (though I do admit that the “12 Songs of Christmas” idea was originally planned as a audio-only feature). Thanks to services like YouTube and sites like it, however, video can easily be incorporated and shared on a scale

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-31173477173949354382008-12-31T18:50:00.000-08:002008-12-31T18:50:00.269-08:00

What’s the holiday without a little bit of extra generosity? When “Do They Know Its Christmas” first came out in 1984, we were all dumbfounded by the sheer number of already-legendary performers in it (and for those of us not knee-deep in the UK music scene, a little bit of “oh wait, who’s that in the back?”), but 25 years later (!!!), it easily holds up as the best of the many “charity” singles

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-63001427595741549132008-12-31T08:48:00.000-08:002008-12-31T08:48:01.196-08:00

What else could it be but this? The late, much-missed, Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues. Rotten and yet wonderful, Tom Waits only wishes he could be this perfect.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-84298546372862330692008-12-30T06:14:00.000-08:002008-12-30T06:14:00.562-08:00

Surely one of the oddest collaborations in history, what’s the most odd about it is that it’s become a bona-fide Christmas video classic, faithfully drug out and dusted off every year. David Bowie and Bing Crosby singing “The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth” probably did nothing but alienate fans of either artist (long-forgotten factoid: Bowie also performed “Heroes” on the same special!) at

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-67988583390955811042008-12-29T12:04:00.000-08:002008-12-29T12:04:01.538-08:00

Here’s a rare one called “Stop the Calvary,” little-heard in the US but always big in England and Ireland. What makes this one particularly special is that it’s from an artist associated with the rough-and-tumble early days of New Wave -- not a period known for its sentimentality. If you ever happen to run across an album by Jona Lewie, just take it from me and pick it up. It may not set your

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-48309780229525122792008-12-28T01:41:00.000-08:002008-12-28T01:47:23.916-08:00

Enya is kind of a guilty pleasure of mine -- I know how repetitive and studio-bound her music is, but I love it anyway. Winter and Christmastime suit her style particularly well (when they're not making more Lord of the Rings movies, anyway), and thus her latest album focuses particularly on the feelings and purity of winter. Enya has done a number of Christmas songs before, but nothing I

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-87225615561506490522008-12-27T12:47:00.000-08:002008-12-28T01:50:07.717-08:00

Some songs that I remember vividly being a part of the ritual of Christmas seem to have largely disappeared. I’m sure they are still sung in churches and amongst families, but it seems like more modern songs such as “Frosty the Snowman,” various country stars/animals singing “Jingle Bells” and even the still-not-funny “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” have supplanted the traditional carols, at

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-64670024972191914732008-12-26T11:30:00.000-08:002008-12-26T11:30:01.369-08:00

Contrary to popular opinion, “Good King Wenceslas” is not a Christmas carol. It is, in fact, a Boxing Day carol, and so we present it to you on Boxing Day, otherwise known as St. Stephen’s Day . To me, Boxing Day has always seemed more like the sort of holiday Jesus would approve of far more than Christmas. Even as a child, my understanding of Jesus was such that I didn’t think he’d want much of

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-23775899539299424502008-12-26T02:27:00.000-08:002008-12-26T02:27:01.082-08:00

Happy Boxing Day ! The Coventry Carol is another trip back to the 16th century, and to me (and apparently nobody else) it’s always been part of a trio of similar pieces, alongside the Sussex Carol  and Wexford Carol . It may be that I heard all three pieces for the first time together when I was in England, but I don't really recall. The Coventry Carol is by far my favourite of the three,

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-55760666917210047822008-12-25T14:42:00.000-08:002008-12-25T14:53:18.611-08:00

Guster are one of those bands that I don’t know enough about, but everything I’ve heard from them I’ve liked, so I guess I’ll have to make it one of my New Year’s resolutions to check them out more thoroughly. This song is nothing like their usual body of work, but it’s a bit of holiday whimsy that has always struck my funny bone. I had it as my ringtone last year in order to fight off the chorus

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-64675380756101742952008-12-25T08:19:00.000-08:002008-12-25T14:48:53.932-08:00

Eartha Kitt is one of my all-time favourite performers -- she has both an incredible personal story (starting off life in a South Carolina cotton field, literally!) and the sexiest voice I have ever heard, which she somehow maintained right to the end of her life, which came today. She was 81, and an electrifying live performer who managed a magnetic aura with such apparent ease that even

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-29518440734743510662008-12-22T15:11:00.000-08:002008-12-22T15:11:00.700-08:00

From the “Didn’t see THAT comin’” department comes the Cocteau Twins' cover of “Frosty the Snowman” from 1993 (they also did “Winter Wonderland” on the same EP, but nothing can save that piece of dreck). This is actually one of those Christmas songs I hate, but somehow Elisabeth Fraser salvages it. This amateur video has paired the song with a gallery of Bill Watterson’s wonderfully warped “

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-66963113552815460622008-12-21T18:36:00.000-08:002008-12-21T18:36:00.246-08:00

“Gaudete” is a song from the 16th century (possibly earlier) and one of only two songs sung in Latin to ever reach the Top 50 in England (the other was various covers of “Pie Jesu”). Steeleye Span’s version reached #11 and was even performed on Top of the Pops (!), so I thought it would make a great choice for Song 11 on my hit parade of least-loved Christmas songs.

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-29615383727945673922008-12-20T21:40:00.001-08:002008-12-20T22:04:23.456-08:00

I hate most Christmas songs for the same reason the readers of this blog likely do -- most of them are crap, or at least most of the versions endlessly recorded of them are crap. Finding a really moving, beautiful song that fits the holidays and still retains any semblance of artistic purity is like finding the Virgin Mary in a piece of peanut brittle at Stuckey’s. Oddly enough, however, this

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-72550507741349553452008-12-13T02:17:00.000-08:002008-12-15T02:18:50.642-08:00

Here's an intriguing “newish” band we’ve been keeping an eye on. See what you think:

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-78546101865714651692008-12-06T04:31:00.000-08:002008-12-08T04:48:55.855-08:00

I am fortunate enough to know a lot of very cool people. Especially the ones who read this blog. :) A few of them don't just love music, they love making music, and thus we will occasionally use this space to plug for them, because they are cool (and talented!). For example, I'm privileged to have made friends with former Joe Jackson bandmate and continually surprising guru of guitar Vinnie

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760124618546483000.post-43915998593414246552008-11-29T02:07:00.001-08:002008-11-29T02:07:22.890-08:00

The latest episode of Chas' Crusty Old Wave - The Podcast is now available, either via iTunes or from Crusty Old Wave Central . If you like 80s music with a college-radio flair, this is the podcast for you -- and best of all, it's free!

chas_mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365057094888352212noreply@blogger.com0