Joe Kelly; Guitarist for The Shadows Of Knight, Chicago's greatest 1960's Garage Band. They only had one real hit, a cover of Them's "Gloria", and a couple of excellent but little heard followups on their two albums. Then they basically broke up although a reformed version finally had another hit with "Shake". Some version of the band also played as a studio backing band on various classic Bubblegum Hits of the late 60's and 70's such as "Yummy Yummy Yummy", "Sugar Sugar" and "1,2,3, Redlight" and others although exactly which ones is a matter of some debate.
THE SHADOWS OF KNIGHT ~ "SHAKE";
THE SHADOWS OF KNIGHT ~ "GLORIA";
THE SHADOWS OF KNIGHT ~ " A LONG TIME COMING";
Dickie Dodd ~ Singer and drummer with 1960's Garage Band The Standells w/ classic songs "Dirty Water", "Good Guys Don't Wear White" and "Why Pick On Me", later played in Surf Bands The Belaires ("Mr. Moto") and Eddie & The Showmen ~ 68
THE STANDELLS ~ "RIOT ON SUNSET STRIP";
THE STANDELLS ~ "DIRTY WATER" & "WHY PICK ON ME";
THE STANDELLS ~ "HELP YOURSELF";
Jackie Lomax; Bassist and Vocalist for 1960's Liverpool band The Undertakers, known for their all black with drape-jackets and top hats stage outfits as well as a wild live show. They did have a couple of hits such as a version of "Mashed Potatoes" before an ill-advised attempt to break into the US market by moving there.
THE UNDERTAKERS ~ "MASHED POTATOES";
Mac Curtis, 1950's Rockabilly singer with a couple of minor hits. Later became a well known part of the rockabilly revival in the 1970's and 80's recording with Rollin' Rock Records.
MAC CURTIS ~ "IF I HAD ME A WOMAN";
MAC CURTIS ~ "GRANDDADDY'S ROCKIN";
Marvin Rainwater, 1950's Rockabilly singer from Kansas with a couple of minor hits. Known for accenting his part Cherokee heritage in his stage show. Later became a country singer.
MARVIN RAINWATER ~ "WHOLE LOTTA WOMAN";
Roland Janes ~ 1950's Rockabilly guitarist for Sun Records, played with Jerry Lee Lewis, Billy Lee Riley, Charlie Rich, Sonny Burgess, Rayburn Anthony, Harold Dorman, later played with Mudhoney
JERRY LEE LEWIS ~ "GREAT BALLS OF FIRE" & "BREATHLESS";
JERRY LEE LEWIS ~ "WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN";
BILLY LEE RILEY ~ "SPEED LOVERS";
Ray Price ~ 1950's and 60's Honky Tonk singer and pioneer of The Nashville Sound with a slew of hits including "Release Me", "Crazy Arms", "Heartaches by the Number", "For the Good Times" ~ 87
RAY PRICE ~ "HEARTACHES BY THE NUMBER";
RAY PRICE ~ "CRAZY ARMS" & "HEART ACHES BY THE NUMBER";
Gia Maione ~ Wife and singer for Louis Prima and his Orch ~ 72
LOUIS PRIMA ~ "LAS VEGAS WOMAN";
Johnny Laboriel ~ Mexican rock 'n' roll singer known for doing Spanish languiage versions of American hits in the 1960's ~ 71
JOHNNY LABORIEL ~ "POISON IVY";
Butch Warren ~ BeBop Jazz bassist w/ Miles Davis, Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, Sonny Clark, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Jackie McLean, and Stanley Turrentine and Thelonious Monk ~ 74
MILES DAVIS ~ "SO WHAT":
THELONIUS MONK ~ "ROUND MIDNIGHT";
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
CRTC Sez; Stick It Where The SUN Don't Shine
This past month the CRTC ruled on the application by SUN TV, among others, for mandatory carriage. This would have required all cable companies to add SUN TV to their mandatory cable packages meaning not only would everybody get access to the channel (no problem there) but that every cable customer would also have to pay for the privilege whether they wanted to watch the right wing channel or not (big, big problem). To say the least some people were a little unamused by this prospect. To say the most, they were outraged and wrote to the CRTC to say so in their thousands.
The problem was not only SUN TV's short history of outrageously offensive, not to mention blatantly racist, behaviour but also the utterly shameless hypocrisy of a "news" organization known for it's strident, even vitriolic, attacks on other networks (especially the CBC) who are subsidized, along with nasty personal attacks on artists who get relatively piddly arts grants. Even conservative columnists gagged on the spectacle of SUN TV's demanding that their laughably low rated Tory Pravda be subsidized. At least those who weren't actually working for SUN NEWS (AKA FOX North) of course. Those who were so employed mounted an unprecedented publicity campaign to convince Canadian's of the awesome awesomeness of SUN NEWS and the dire risk of our "freedoms" and "liberty" not to mention the very existence of free enterprise itself and our very "way of life" if the millions of Canadians who refuse to watch SUN NEWS weren't forced to at least pay for the service. Apparently that was the only news story of the past several months, at least that's what I gather from watching SUN NEWS, and they ought to know. They eventually claimed that "over 50,000 Canadians wrote in to the CRTC in support of SUN's Mandatory carriage application". A hilarious statement which would set new standards of dishonest self-puffery if it were made by anybody other than SUN NEWS. In fact most other media reports said that about 15,000 Canadians wrote to the CRTC, and that covered ALL the twenty two applicants, it also included those who were writing in opposition to the applications. Of which there were a few thousand according to my own perusal. Oh; And I wrote one too.
SUN TV TALKS ABOUT IT'S FAVORITE SUBJECT, ITSELF:
Even Mike Duffy, Canada's current favorite cartoon villain, got into the act by getting caught lobbying the CRTC on SUN's behalf. The usefulness of this was somewhat compromised when everybody found out what a corrupt lying sleazebag Duffy The Hutt is. You may have even caught some mention of this on by watching SUN NEWS, in between the never-ending, panting plugs for SUN NEWS.
DUFFY THE HUTT & KRISTA ERICSON;
The CRTC in their ruling noted that SUN TV “did not clearly demonstrate how its service would make an exceptional contribution to the objectives of the (Broadcasting) Act or show that it would go beyond what other national news services spend on Canadian programming.”
By contrast their were several other channels who were also asking for mandatory carriage, some whom were accepted including;
AMI TV in French, a service that offers audiovisual content specifically adapted to the needs of people who are blind or partially sighted, was given mandatory carriage along with Nouveau TV5, a service offering programming devoted to diversity within the Canadian francophone community and official language minority communities.
The CRTC also gave mandatory carriage to a service operated by the Legislative Assemblies of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, which will be added to the basic service of satellite television subscribers in those two territories.
As a result, "Canadians living with a visual impairment, francophones and citizens of the North will be better served," the CRTC said.
The CRTC also renewed for another five years the mandatory distribution of AMI-TV in English, AMI Audio, Canal M, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), and the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC).
The regulator granted ARTV a "must-offer" designation to ensure that it is carried by all distributors while giving Canadians the choice to subscribe to it or not. ARTV is a CBC/Radio-Canada channel that offers arts news in French.
Amongst the dozen applications that were rejected were;
* Accents.
• All Points.
• Bulletin Canadian.
• Punjabi Network.
• Described Video Guide.
• Dolobox TV.
• EqualiTV.
• Fusion.
• Maximum Television Canada.
• Starlight: The Canadian Movie Channel.
• Sun News Network.
• La télévision des ressources naturelles.
• Vision TV.
Also the CRTC ruled that the mandatory carriage granted to Avis de recherche in French-language markets will expire in two years.
As can be seen in the contrasting above lists and as I wrote about earlier, the CRTC sets pretty high standards for mandatory carriage. There must be a real demonstrated need for such a service, a need that supersedes the profit motive. They should also be serving an audience that is otherwise under-represented. There is no way, outside of the paranoid rhetoric of the right wing media hothouse, that SUN NEWS could ever be considered in such terms. As the CRTC put it; “Given its exceptional nature, the CRTC has set the bar very high for obtaining a mandatory distribution order”.
It's also worth pointing out that while not an actual requirement, all the accepted applications (except APTN) are non-profits, which SUN NEWS clearly is not.
Another high profile applicant that got rejected for mandatory carriage was Starlight: The Canadian Movie Channel, which had the backing of luminaries like David Cronenberg, Denys Arcand and Atom Agoyan, which should certainly have had a better shot than SUN NEWS, as would Vison TV. No word yet on whether or not Starlight will go anyway without mandatory carriage.
In it's application, as well in their hysterically strident p.r. campaign, SUN NEWS insisted that if they did not get the mandatory subsidy they would be forced to shut down. In the CRTC hearings SUN NEWS President Kory Keneycke actually called it a "death sentence" (wait, isn't SUN NEWS in favour of the death penalty?) admitting they lost $17 million last year — a situation parent company Quebecor (TSX:QBR.B) calls “clearly unsustainable.” The CRTC hears this kind of argument all the time whenever an applicant wants a favour. And they know it's usually bullshit, they also don't care. For example in the recent fight for the vacant 88.1fm frequency in Toronto various applicants, including PROUD FM, CARN and Moses Znaimer's ZOOMER RADIO swore they would go out of business if they were not allowed to move to the new signal. The CRTC said no and granted the signal instead to INDIE 88. So far none of them have followed up on their threat to take their ball and sulk off home. Then there's SUN NEWS itself which already lost the over-the-air analog signal they were using last year without permission after the CRTC told them to knock it off. (They are apparently trying to get it back, which I actually have no real problem with).
As for SUN NEWS the CRTC said Sun News Network knew what it was getting into when it decided to go ahead without mandatory-carriage status, noting that it would not have even been able to consider launching if the CRTC had not opened up the category of national news to competition five years ago.
“Sun News opted to launch its service as a competitive Category C service without carriage rights. As such, the Commission is of the view that the applicant accepted the potential business risk associated with choosing to launch an unprotected and unsubsidized service whose genre had only recently been opened to competition,” the CRTC wrote in its decision.
"SO STOP YOUR WHINING YOU GREEDY CRYBABIES!!"
OK; I paraphrased that last part. Still it's a pretty strong rebuke, and tough to argue with. Unless you work for SUN NEWS of course, like former Reform Party and Conservative MP Monte Solberg who wrote in a column helpfully printed by The Sun newspaper chain; "There is something bizarre about bureaucrats and a body dedicated to regulations, rules and red tape deciding the fate of a network dedicated to freedom, small government and restricting the role of bodies like the CRTC. But there you have it".
Oddly enough Monte Solberg didn't think there was anything "bizarre" about such a network demanding such a subsidy in the first place, or the parent company, QMI, getting millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies every year while campaigning relentlessly against any such subsidies for anyone else. He also didn't think there was anything "bizarre" about such a network getting a corrupt unelected senator to lobby behind closed doors for his crony capitalists. Strangely neither did any of the other "freedom fighters" at the Sun. But there you have it.
Instead Solberg gave us the usual Conservative paranoid persecution complex about how they are being silenced by the usual "liberal elites"; "Make no mistake, there's a lot at stake. The very fact that other journalists and media personalities were taking their shots on Twitter tells you as much as you need to know about why we need Sun News. Clearly some people just don't like the idea that other points of view should be heard, especially if they are conservative. Good, better to have that out in the open"
Actually Monte; it's better to have out in the open the fact that some of the most stinging rebukes of SUN TV's cash grab came from other conservatives who aren't employed by SUN NEWS such as Andrew Coyne from National Post; or Jonathan Kay from the National Post, or the Post's Scott Stinson, or there's this gem from the conservative Globe & Mail
Whata Buncha Commies. Anyhow; to get back to SUN NEWS and their threat to go out of business if they CRTC ruled against them; it turns out they managed to find an ever so slim silver lining amidst the CRTC's beatdown.
“We are disappointed that the CRTC did not rule in favour of our application for a mandatory distribution order,” Sun News executive Kory Teneycke said in a statement. “However, we are encouraged they have found merit in the main arguments laid out by Sun News on price, channel placement and distribution, and have provided a mechanism to address these issues.” The application by Sun News “acted as a catalyst for this broader review of the framework for national news services announced today,” he added.
What he is talking about here is the decision by the CRTC to hold another round of hearings to discuss how news channels are placed in cable packages as well as how they are priced.
CRTC PRESS RELEASE;
CRTC proposes a new approach to national news services
OTTAWA-GATINEAU, August 8, 2013 — Today, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) invited Canadians to participate in a review of its policy on the licensing of Canadian national news television services. It also invited comments on the distribution conditions for these services and for foreign news services.
“The diversity of voices is an essential component of our society, particularly as they relate to news and information in the Canadian broadcasting system” said Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman of the CRTC. “Television news channels provide an important public service by ensuring that Canadians are exposed to different opinions and perspectives on matters that concern all citizens. We are concerned that, under the existing rules, Canadian news services are not being given a pride of place in our broadcasting system.”
During the CRTC’s public hearing that began on April 23, 2013, Canadians presented evidence suggesting that the policy on specialty Canadian national news services should be reviewed. The CRTC will focus specifically on the challenges that face new players in this sector, particularly in terms of their distribution. These challenges are not unique to any given service, but rather an indication of a wider and more systemic issue regarding the distribution of Canadian national news services under equitable and commercially reasonable conditions.
The CRTC invites Canadians to comment on a proposed regulatory framework that includes the following:
- distributors must offer all Canadian national news services (not necessarily on basic service)
- distributors must place Canadian news services in close proximity in their channel lineup
- national news services must be available in a package and on a stand-alone basis
- national news services should be offered in the most appropriate packages according to their content.
Those who wish to participate in the CRTC’s proceeding are invited to submit their comments by September 9, 2013. Comments may be submitted by completing the online form https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/instances-proceedings/Default-defaut.aspx?EN=2013-394&Lang=eng, by writing to the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2, or by fax at 819-994-0218.
About Canadian television news services;
Despite the significant technological changes currently underway, Canadians still overwhelmingly access news affecting their country and their community through the Canadian broadcasting system. Nearly 12 million households subscribe to a cable or satellite television service. Canadians collectively watched more than 138 million hours of news programming in 2011-2012, 45% of which was on specialty news services.
Currently, non-Canadian news services are, for the most part, distributed in popular packages and have significant access to Canadian viewers. On average, non-Canadian news services receive wholesale fees from cable and satellite companies of $0.73 per subscriber per month, while Canadian news services receive monthly wholesale fees of $0.36 per subscriber, which are half the fees paid to non-Canadian services.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So apparently The SUN will not be setting after all. At least not yet. "We intend to participate fully in those proceedings, and will continue to operate pending an outcome,” Teneycke wrote. Oh SUN NEWS; how can we miss you when you won't go away? So there; you can break out the champagne right wingers, or whatever non-French thing you guys drink, you're in the clear after all. Or not. Note what the CRTC is actually talking about is really just limited to clarifying what will be included in the news packages that cable companies bundle together (a so-called "must-offer") for those who want them, NOT mandatory carriage services that all cable subscriber have to pay for like-it-or-not. You may recall that in the CRTC May hearings the same Kory Teneycke swore that merely giving SUN TV "must-offer" without the subsidy was a "death sentence". Adding " "Let us be very clear: a 'must-offer' license would not have a meaningful impact on the current trajectory of Sun News and would inevitably lead to the closure of the station."
So was Keneycke's threat to commit Hari Kari a bluff? Or has it just been postponed? Because either way I don't see the CRTC readdressing the larger issue of mandatory carriage fees itself given the rather narrow parameters listed above. Incidentally; even if the CRTC were to reopen that issue the SUN would face even more opposition than the thousands of lowly citizens who wrote in to give the CRTC their two cents worth. Namely the cable companies who have argued that forcing more channels into basic packages, could cause a spike in TV bills of about $6 a month if they were all approved, and might be enough to push many customers out of the system. And if you recall the hyperbolic campaign they ran back in 2009 over the issue of their having to pay any fees to television networks for their content, then you will know that they don't mess around. That P.R. blitz included the notorious TV and print ads that claimed that the CRTC was about to levy "a tax on us all", which was a blatant lie since the CRTC has no power to levy taxes and wasn't asking for that. I'm pretty sure the SUN will have met it's match and master in any such pissing match.
I actually have no problem with the reforms proposed by the CRTC. Grouping all the news channels together seems more efficient and logical enough. Making any and all Canadian channels available to those who want them seems perfectly fair. And I see no reason why foreign news channels should be getting paid twice what Canadian channels get. If you want to watch SUN NEWS, APTN or VISION you should be able to do so. You just shouldn't be forced to pay for a for-profit business you don't want. Surely the "freedom fighting" free enterprisers would agree, no?
Bottom line here is that SUN NEWS didn't get the subsidy they were demanding. The one they swore they couldn't live without. And even after the next set of hearings they still won't. A better placement in the channel packages won't help much if nobody wants to buy their crappy product, and thus far few people do. Their ratings are consistently pathetic. A raise in the subscriber fees as mentioned in the final paragraph of the CRTC notice couldn't hurt of course but SUN still face the insurmountable problem that most people find their channel cheesy, annoying and unwatchable at best and deeply offensive and down-right racist at worst. And that's not going to change. In fact after the recent horrible train explosion in Lac Magantic SUN NEWS and their flagship "Freedom Fighter" Ezra Levant (seriously, they actually bill him that way) were the first to go on the air with the important and completely made up news scoop that the disaster was the work of "Native or Environmental Terrorists".
Stay classy SUN NEWS.
The problem was not only SUN TV's short history of outrageously offensive, not to mention blatantly racist, behaviour but also the utterly shameless hypocrisy of a "news" organization known for it's strident, even vitriolic, attacks on other networks (especially the CBC) who are subsidized, along with nasty personal attacks on artists who get relatively piddly arts grants. Even conservative columnists gagged on the spectacle of SUN TV's demanding that their laughably low rated Tory Pravda be subsidized. At least those who weren't actually working for SUN NEWS (AKA FOX North) of course. Those who were so employed mounted an unprecedented publicity campaign to convince Canadian's of the awesome awesomeness of SUN NEWS and the dire risk of our "freedoms" and "liberty" not to mention the very existence of free enterprise itself and our very "way of life" if the millions of Canadians who refuse to watch SUN NEWS weren't forced to at least pay for the service. Apparently that was the only news story of the past several months, at least that's what I gather from watching SUN NEWS, and they ought to know. They eventually claimed that "over 50,000 Canadians wrote in to the CRTC in support of SUN's Mandatory carriage application". A hilarious statement which would set new standards of dishonest self-puffery if it were made by anybody other than SUN NEWS. In fact most other media reports said that about 15,000 Canadians wrote to the CRTC, and that covered ALL the twenty two applicants, it also included those who were writing in opposition to the applications. Of which there were a few thousand according to my own perusal. Oh; And I wrote one too.
SUN TV TALKS ABOUT IT'S FAVORITE SUBJECT, ITSELF:
Even Mike Duffy, Canada's current favorite cartoon villain, got into the act by getting caught lobbying the CRTC on SUN's behalf. The usefulness of this was somewhat compromised when everybody found out what a corrupt lying sleazebag Duffy The Hutt is. You may have even caught some mention of this on by watching SUN NEWS, in between the never-ending, panting plugs for SUN NEWS.
DUFFY THE HUTT & KRISTA ERICSON;
The CRTC in their ruling noted that SUN TV “did not clearly demonstrate how its service would make an exceptional contribution to the objectives of the (Broadcasting) Act or show that it would go beyond what other national news services spend on Canadian programming.”
By contrast their were several other channels who were also asking for mandatory carriage, some whom were accepted including;
AMI TV in French, a service that offers audiovisual content specifically adapted to the needs of people who are blind or partially sighted, was given mandatory carriage along with Nouveau TV5, a service offering programming devoted to diversity within the Canadian francophone community and official language minority communities.
The CRTC also gave mandatory carriage to a service operated by the Legislative Assemblies of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, which will be added to the basic service of satellite television subscribers in those two territories.
As a result, "Canadians living with a visual impairment, francophones and citizens of the North will be better served," the CRTC said.
The CRTC also renewed for another five years the mandatory distribution of AMI-TV in English, AMI Audio, Canal M, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), and the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC).
The regulator granted ARTV a "must-offer" designation to ensure that it is carried by all distributors while giving Canadians the choice to subscribe to it or not. ARTV is a CBC/Radio-Canada channel that offers arts news in French.
Amongst the dozen applications that were rejected were;
* Accents.
• All Points.
• Bulletin Canadian.
• Punjabi Network.
• Described Video Guide.
• Dolobox TV.
• EqualiTV.
• Fusion.
• Maximum Television Canada.
• Starlight: The Canadian Movie Channel.
• Sun News Network.
• La télévision des ressources naturelles.
• Vision TV.
Also the CRTC ruled that the mandatory carriage granted to Avis de recherche in French-language markets will expire in two years.
As can be seen in the contrasting above lists and as I wrote about earlier, the CRTC sets pretty high standards for mandatory carriage. There must be a real demonstrated need for such a service, a need that supersedes the profit motive. They should also be serving an audience that is otherwise under-represented. There is no way, outside of the paranoid rhetoric of the right wing media hothouse, that SUN NEWS could ever be considered in such terms. As the CRTC put it; “Given its exceptional nature, the CRTC has set the bar very high for obtaining a mandatory distribution order”.
It's also worth pointing out that while not an actual requirement, all the accepted applications (except APTN) are non-profits, which SUN NEWS clearly is not.
Another high profile applicant that got rejected for mandatory carriage was Starlight: The Canadian Movie Channel, which had the backing of luminaries like David Cronenberg, Denys Arcand and Atom Agoyan, which should certainly have had a better shot than SUN NEWS, as would Vison TV. No word yet on whether or not Starlight will go anyway without mandatory carriage.
In it's application, as well in their hysterically strident p.r. campaign, SUN NEWS insisted that if they did not get the mandatory subsidy they would be forced to shut down. In the CRTC hearings SUN NEWS President Kory Keneycke actually called it a "death sentence" (wait, isn't SUN NEWS in favour of the death penalty?) admitting they lost $17 million last year — a situation parent company Quebecor (TSX:QBR.B) calls “clearly unsustainable.” The CRTC hears this kind of argument all the time whenever an applicant wants a favour. And they know it's usually bullshit, they also don't care. For example in the recent fight for the vacant 88.1fm frequency in Toronto various applicants, including PROUD FM, CARN and Moses Znaimer's ZOOMER RADIO swore they would go out of business if they were not allowed to move to the new signal. The CRTC said no and granted the signal instead to INDIE 88. So far none of them have followed up on their threat to take their ball and sulk off home. Then there's SUN NEWS itself which already lost the over-the-air analog signal they were using last year without permission after the CRTC told them to knock it off. (They are apparently trying to get it back, which I actually have no real problem with).
As for SUN NEWS the CRTC said Sun News Network knew what it was getting into when it decided to go ahead without mandatory-carriage status, noting that it would not have even been able to consider launching if the CRTC had not opened up the category of national news to competition five years ago.
“Sun News opted to launch its service as a competitive Category C service without carriage rights. As such, the Commission is of the view that the applicant accepted the potential business risk associated with choosing to launch an unprotected and unsubsidized service whose genre had only recently been opened to competition,” the CRTC wrote in its decision.
"SO STOP YOUR WHINING YOU GREEDY CRYBABIES!!"
OK; I paraphrased that last part. Still it's a pretty strong rebuke, and tough to argue with. Unless you work for SUN NEWS of course, like former Reform Party and Conservative MP Monte Solberg who wrote in a column helpfully printed by The Sun newspaper chain; "There is something bizarre about bureaucrats and a body dedicated to regulations, rules and red tape deciding the fate of a network dedicated to freedom, small government and restricting the role of bodies like the CRTC. But there you have it".
Oddly enough Monte Solberg didn't think there was anything "bizarre" about such a network demanding such a subsidy in the first place, or the parent company, QMI, getting millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies every year while campaigning relentlessly against any such subsidies for anyone else. He also didn't think there was anything "bizarre" about such a network getting a corrupt unelected senator to lobby behind closed doors for his crony capitalists. Strangely neither did any of the other "freedom fighters" at the Sun. But there you have it.
Instead Solberg gave us the usual Conservative paranoid persecution complex about how they are being silenced by the usual "liberal elites"; "Make no mistake, there's a lot at stake. The very fact that other journalists and media personalities were taking their shots on Twitter tells you as much as you need to know about why we need Sun News. Clearly some people just don't like the idea that other points of view should be heard, especially if they are conservative. Good, better to have that out in the open"
Actually Monte; it's better to have out in the open the fact that some of the most stinging rebukes of SUN TV's cash grab came from other conservatives who aren't employed by SUN NEWS such as Andrew Coyne from National Post; or Jonathan Kay from the National Post, or the Post's Scott Stinson, or there's this gem from the conservative Globe & Mail
Whata Buncha Commies. Anyhow; to get back to SUN NEWS and their threat to go out of business if they CRTC ruled against them; it turns out they managed to find an ever so slim silver lining amidst the CRTC's beatdown.
“We are disappointed that the CRTC did not rule in favour of our application for a mandatory distribution order,” Sun News executive Kory Teneycke said in a statement. “However, we are encouraged they have found merit in the main arguments laid out by Sun News on price, channel placement and distribution, and have provided a mechanism to address these issues.” The application by Sun News “acted as a catalyst for this broader review of the framework for national news services announced today,” he added.
What he is talking about here is the decision by the CRTC to hold another round of hearings to discuss how news channels are placed in cable packages as well as how they are priced.
CRTC PRESS RELEASE;
CRTC proposes a new approach to national news services
OTTAWA-GATINEAU, August 8, 2013 — Today, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) invited Canadians to participate in a review of its policy on the licensing of Canadian national news television services. It also invited comments on the distribution conditions for these services and for foreign news services.
“The diversity of voices is an essential component of our society, particularly as they relate to news and information in the Canadian broadcasting system” said Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman of the CRTC. “Television news channels provide an important public service by ensuring that Canadians are exposed to different opinions and perspectives on matters that concern all citizens. We are concerned that, under the existing rules, Canadian news services are not being given a pride of place in our broadcasting system.”
During the CRTC’s public hearing that began on April 23, 2013, Canadians presented evidence suggesting that the policy on specialty Canadian national news services should be reviewed. The CRTC will focus specifically on the challenges that face new players in this sector, particularly in terms of their distribution. These challenges are not unique to any given service, but rather an indication of a wider and more systemic issue regarding the distribution of Canadian national news services under equitable and commercially reasonable conditions.
The CRTC invites Canadians to comment on a proposed regulatory framework that includes the following:
- distributors must offer all Canadian national news services (not necessarily on basic service)
- distributors must place Canadian news services in close proximity in their channel lineup
- national news services must be available in a package and on a stand-alone basis
- national news services should be offered in the most appropriate packages according to their content.
Those who wish to participate in the CRTC’s proceeding are invited to submit their comments by September 9, 2013. Comments may be submitted by completing the online form https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/instances-proceedings/Default-defaut.aspx?EN=2013-394&Lang=eng, by writing to the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2, or by fax at 819-994-0218.
About Canadian television news services;
Despite the significant technological changes currently underway, Canadians still overwhelmingly access news affecting their country and their community through the Canadian broadcasting system. Nearly 12 million households subscribe to a cable or satellite television service. Canadians collectively watched more than 138 million hours of news programming in 2011-2012, 45% of which was on specialty news services.
Currently, non-Canadian news services are, for the most part, distributed in popular packages and have significant access to Canadian viewers. On average, non-Canadian news services receive wholesale fees from cable and satellite companies of $0.73 per subscriber per month, while Canadian news services receive monthly wholesale fees of $0.36 per subscriber, which are half the fees paid to non-Canadian services.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So apparently The SUN will not be setting after all. At least not yet. "We intend to participate fully in those proceedings, and will continue to operate pending an outcome,” Teneycke wrote. Oh SUN NEWS; how can we miss you when you won't go away? So there; you can break out the champagne right wingers, or whatever non-French thing you guys drink, you're in the clear after all. Or not. Note what the CRTC is actually talking about is really just limited to clarifying what will be included in the news packages that cable companies bundle together (a so-called "must-offer") for those who want them, NOT mandatory carriage services that all cable subscriber have to pay for like-it-or-not. You may recall that in the CRTC May hearings the same Kory Teneycke swore that merely giving SUN TV "must-offer" without the subsidy was a "death sentence". Adding " "Let us be very clear: a 'must-offer' license would not have a meaningful impact on the current trajectory of Sun News and would inevitably lead to the closure of the station."
So was Keneycke's threat to commit Hari Kari a bluff? Or has it just been postponed? Because either way I don't see the CRTC readdressing the larger issue of mandatory carriage fees itself given the rather narrow parameters listed above. Incidentally; even if the CRTC were to reopen that issue the SUN would face even more opposition than the thousands of lowly citizens who wrote in to give the CRTC their two cents worth. Namely the cable companies who have argued that forcing more channels into basic packages, could cause a spike in TV bills of about $6 a month if they were all approved, and might be enough to push many customers out of the system. And if you recall the hyperbolic campaign they ran back in 2009 over the issue of their having to pay any fees to television networks for their content, then you will know that they don't mess around. That P.R. blitz included the notorious TV and print ads that claimed that the CRTC was about to levy "a tax on us all", which was a blatant lie since the CRTC has no power to levy taxes and wasn't asking for that. I'm pretty sure the SUN will have met it's match and master in any such pissing match.
I actually have no problem with the reforms proposed by the CRTC. Grouping all the news channels together seems more efficient and logical enough. Making any and all Canadian channels available to those who want them seems perfectly fair. And I see no reason why foreign news channels should be getting paid twice what Canadian channels get. If you want to watch SUN NEWS, APTN or VISION you should be able to do so. You just shouldn't be forced to pay for a for-profit business you don't want. Surely the "freedom fighting" free enterprisers would agree, no?
Bottom line here is that SUN NEWS didn't get the subsidy they were demanding. The one they swore they couldn't live without. And even after the next set of hearings they still won't. A better placement in the channel packages won't help much if nobody wants to buy their crappy product, and thus far few people do. Their ratings are consistently pathetic. A raise in the subscriber fees as mentioned in the final paragraph of the CRTC notice couldn't hurt of course but SUN still face the insurmountable problem that most people find their channel cheesy, annoying and unwatchable at best and deeply offensive and down-right racist at worst. And that's not going to change. In fact after the recent horrible train explosion in Lac Magantic SUN NEWS and their flagship "Freedom Fighter" Ezra Levant (seriously, they actually bill him that way) were the first to go on the air with the important and completely made up news scoop that the disaster was the work of "Native or Environmental Terrorists".
Stay classy SUN NEWS.
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
T Model Ford & Some Other Rock, Jazz, & Blues Figure Pass On
T Model Ford ~ Blues singer/guitarist. Born some time in the early 1920's (he wasn't sure when) but he didn't become a professional recording artist until he was discovered in 1995 and signed to Fat Possum Records, the label that had resurrected RL Burnside. Ford had spent most of his life in rural Mississippi doing manual labour, supervising a saw mill and truck driving. He was also sentenced to prison for ten years for murder, although he only served about two. When he was released and his wife left him and he began playing guitar, learning from records by Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Son House and Jimmy Reed. He did not record but spent his career locally playing juke joints and opening for Buddy Guy until he was discovered by Matt Johnson of Fat Possum for who he recorded five well regarded albums. He also toured widely, in fact I remember working at a club in Toronto back in the late 1990's when we tried to bring in Ford only to find he couldn't get over the border because of his old murder conviction.
T MODEL FORD ~ "SALLIE MAE";
T MODEL FORD ~ "CHICKEN HEAD MAN";
Billy Bowers ~ American gospel vocalist Blind Boys of Alabama ~ 71
THE FIVE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "TOO CLOSE TO HEAVEN";
THE FIVE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "SOMEBODY GOT TO MAKE IT TO HEAVEN"
Lewis Lymon ~ 1950's Doo Wop singer, brother of Frankie Lymon and replaced him in the Teenagers after he quit to go solo ~ 69
LEWIS LYMON & THE TEENAGERS ~ "DANCE GIRL";
Texas Johnny Brown ~ Blues singer/guitarist, played with Joe Hinton, Amos Milburn, Ruth Brown, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Lavelle White, Buddy Ace and Junior Parker ~ 85
Curly Lewis ~ Fiddler for Bob Wills' Western Swing Band ~ 88
Bengt Hallberg ~ Swedish Jazz pianist and accordionist, played with Clifford Brown, Stan Getz and Quincy Jones ~ 80
CLIFFORD BROWN ~ "OH LADY BE GOOD" & "MEMORIES OF YOU";
Bernard Vitet ~ French Jazz trumpet player w/ Serge Gainsbourg, Yves Montand,Brigitte Bardot, Marianne Faithfull, Lester Young, Archie Shepp, Anthony Braxton, Don Cherry, Chet Baker, Gato Barbieri, Jean-Luc Ponty, Django Reinhardt, Eric Dolphy, Albert Ayler and The Art Emsemble Of Chicago. He also worked on film scores. ~ 77
SERGE GAINSBOURG & BRIGITTE BARDOT ~ "J'T'AIME";
T MODEL FORD ~ "SALLIE MAE";
T MODEL FORD ~ "CHICKEN HEAD MAN";
Billy Bowers ~ American gospel vocalist Blind Boys of Alabama ~ 71
THE FIVE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "TOO CLOSE TO HEAVEN";
THE FIVE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "SOMEBODY GOT TO MAKE IT TO HEAVEN"
Lewis Lymon ~ 1950's Doo Wop singer, brother of Frankie Lymon and replaced him in the Teenagers after he quit to go solo ~ 69
LEWIS LYMON & THE TEENAGERS ~ "DANCE GIRL";
Texas Johnny Brown ~ Blues singer/guitarist, played with Joe Hinton, Amos Milburn, Ruth Brown, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Lavelle White, Buddy Ace and Junior Parker ~ 85
Curly Lewis ~ Fiddler for Bob Wills' Western Swing Band ~ 88
Bengt Hallberg ~ Swedish Jazz pianist and accordionist, played with Clifford Brown, Stan Getz and Quincy Jones ~ 80
CLIFFORD BROWN ~ "OH LADY BE GOOD" & "MEMORIES OF YOU";
Bernard Vitet ~ French Jazz trumpet player w/ Serge Gainsbourg, Yves Montand,Brigitte Bardot, Marianne Faithfull, Lester Young, Archie Shepp, Anthony Braxton, Don Cherry, Chet Baker, Gato Barbieri, Jean-Luc Ponty, Django Reinhardt, Eric Dolphy, Albert Ayler and The Art Emsemble Of Chicago. He also worked on film scores. ~ 77
SERGE GAINSBOURG & BRIGITTE BARDOT ~ "J'T'AIME";
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
NXNE 2013
NXNE 2113 Reviews;
Wednesday;
The Normals ~ Cherry Cola's Lounge;
The Normals were part of the tiny Montreal punk scene back in the late 1970's and early 1980's but like most bands of that era they were short lived, little recorded and less traveled. So this was their Toronto debut after getting back together two years ago, although drummer Chris Howe did play with New-Wave dance band Rational Youth in the mid-to-late 1980's. The Normals were firmly in the Ramones/Buzzcocks/Undertones school of short, fast pop-punk and they haven't lost a step since then, closing with a Buzzcocks cover. They have a new cd of material written back in their heyday but recorded now. They also have another new dc coming out of live tapes from 1978 so they would seem to be more busy than they were the first time around. Nothing like striking while the iron is hot. At any rate they will most likely return, perhaps in the fall so stay tuned.
THE NORMALS ~ "NOISY NEIGHBOURS" & "MASOCHISTIC MAN";
The Standstills ~ Cherry Cola's Lounge;
Yet another two piece guitar/drums male/female duo playing riff heavy blooze rawk. They're OK and if you like this sort of thing you'll like them. After a few songs or so my mind starts to wander though.
THE STANDSTILLS ~ "BLACK BETTY";
Thursday;
Social Distortion ~ Dundas Square;
NXNE always have at least one classic punk band at Dundas Square; Iggy, X, Descendents, Devo. Social D are different in that they have been to town a few times so it's not as much of an event, which may explain why it wasn't nearly as crowded as past years. After suffering through the jam packed and sweaty Stooges show I'm not likey to complain about this. Still Social D are always a solid live band and Dundas Square has better live sound than you might expect. Over the years the sight-lines have been cluttered up by obnoxious corporate ads and booths shilling for cell-phone plans just like punk never happened. Watching Mike Ness run through his rote "I was a punk before you were" stand-up routine makes me wonder if it did.
SOCIAL DISTORTION ~ "BALL AND CHAIN";
Public Animal ~ Lee's Palace;
This is Ian Blurton's new band, it's not that different from his last band, C'Mon. All 1970's riff heavy grunge-boogie although this time he has added some keyboards and more varied dynamics for his strongest band since Change Of Heart.
White Cowbell Oklahoma ~ Lee's Palace;
I'm always a little surprised that this one-joke novelty band is still around after a decade or so. True, they've cut way down on the shtick and I'm convinced they can really play but I'm not convinced they have more than a couple of actual songs. I can't help but notice that their best songs date back to their first album which is never a good sign.
WHITE COWBELL OKLAHOMA ~ "SHOT A GAMBLING MAN";
The Supersuckers ~ Lee's Palace;
The OTHER self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band" really have turned into The Rolling Stones, or at least The Faces. Even more than Social D, a band they resemble. Both are somewhat rootsy Rock & Roll bands that started out as straight forward punk bands, both have experimented with more traditional country rock with some success but where Social D seem like they're following a script Ness wrote years ago the Supersuckers still seem more heartfelt in their boogie, if noticeably less successful and iconic. Rather like The Faces.
THE SUPERSUCKERS ~ "BORN WITH A TAIL";
Friday:
The Downbelows ~ The Opera House;
The Downbelows were one of the Queen Street old school punk scene of the 1990's along with The Sinisters, Son Of Bronto, Dear Departed, Cheerleader, Throbbing Hoods and Plasmablast, and like all of those bands they recorded one fine record before their inevitable disintegration. Why do shitty bands live forever? At any rate they got back together a little while back and have been in the studio but there's nothing like an invite to open for Black Flag to motivate a band to get busy. They were rock solid and they were able to make the cavernous Opera House reasonably club-like which is no easy task. I'm having them down to the CIUT studios in the summer to do a recording session.
THE DOWNBELOWS ~ "WALK INTO THIS";
Genetic Control ~ The Opera House;
A 1980's Montreal Hardcore band who last played here at the long, lost Larry's Hideaway which shut down circa 1987 so it's been awhile. I'm not to familiar with their material but they seem like a basic pre-thrash hardcore band of the era. They were tight enough but I thought their songs lacked the dynamics of the best of their ilk. Including The Downbelows for that matter.
GENETIC CONTROL ~ "URBAN COWBOY";
Organ Thieves ~ The Opera House;
I've never heard of this local band and I don't know how they scored the choice spot opening for (Black) Flag. Their post-hardcore/reggae/funk was well done enough and they are certainly good musicians but they are rather sleep inducing and really didn't belong on this bill, especially since The 222's were playing the same night for a crappy opening spot at Lee's Palace. Why do these music fests always have these kind of booking fuck-ups?
Flag ~ The Opera House;
That would be Black Flag to you. At least Black Flag minus Greg Ginn (who is not on speaking terms with anybody by this point) and Henry Rollins, who'se not an original Flag anyway. I am always a little surprised how many people don't know that but I swear it's true. In fact the original Black Flag singer was Keith Morris who had some sort of falling out with Greg Ginn (who hasn't) after one ep and left then later went on to from The Circle Jerks. He was replaced by Dez Cadena for the next few albums. This line-up contained both Morris and Cadena along with original bassist Chuck Dumbowski and drummer Bill Stevenson who played in Black Flag for awhile in between stints with the Descendents and All, along with a guitarist borrowed from All. I figure that's an authentic enough line up to run through the entire pre-Rollins cataloge otherwise known as "all their best stuff before Greg Ginn decided he was some sort of fusion guy". It's always good to remind the younguns what hardcore used to sound like before thrash-metal crossover and all those various grind-crust bastard children with their widdly-widdly guitar solos and cookie monster vocals. The band was as tight and polished a machine as you expect from these old pros and while some complained that Morris was mostly stationary he sounded in good voice as was Cadena. And it's not exactly resonable to expect a guy in his fifties (seriously) to be stage diving anymore anyhow. It was a typical Opera House gig; great sightlines (assuming you were in the balcony) and crappy sound. The high ceiling doesn't make anybody any acoustic favours but the view looks like the back cover of the first Cramps album with a full panoramic view of all the attendent carnage at stage front.
BLACK FLAG ~ "RISE ABOVE";
BLACK FLAG ~ "THIRSTY AND MISERABLE";
Saturday;
White Lung ~ The Horseshoe;
Another new neo-garage buzzband. White Lung have plenty of energy and even some charisma but they play every song at such a warp speed that none really standout, and singer Mish Way's high pitched yelp doesn't help. Needs more seasoning. I should have stuck around for Danish band Iceage but the Shoe was so packed (I assume for headliners Fucked Up) that I left to get some air then couldn't get back in, but since I was planning on heading down to Cherry Cola to catch 222's later that night anyway I strolled that way.
Waxy ~ Cherry Cola's Lounge;
Billed as "Psychedelic", which can mean any number of things, not all of them good. In this case it apparently means "hippy-grunge-jams that could never have shared a stage with the 222's back in the day". At one point the singer announced they were going to play some "blues". At that point the ghost of Howling Wolf marched in, smacked them upside their heads then grabbed their beer tickets and stomped off muttering something about "Stupid White People". And I missed Iceage for this shit? That these guys actually drove up all the way from Palm Springs, California shows just how clueless they were.
The 222's ~ Cherry Cola's Lounge
The 222's were the other first wave 1970's Montreal punk scene at NXNE so of course they were scheduled on different days since putting them on the same bill would make too much sense. The 222's had a slightly longer and more successful run than the Normals and had a more charismatic singer and slightly more poppy sensibility but other than that they are both firmly in the Buzzcocks/Undertones school and have managed to age well. They have also been in the studio and have a new cd comming out.
THE 222'S ~ "I LOVE SUSAN";
THE 222'S ~ "COME TO ME COLD";
Wednesday;
The Normals ~ Cherry Cola's Lounge;
The Normals were part of the tiny Montreal punk scene back in the late 1970's and early 1980's but like most bands of that era they were short lived, little recorded and less traveled. So this was their Toronto debut after getting back together two years ago, although drummer Chris Howe did play with New-Wave dance band Rational Youth in the mid-to-late 1980's. The Normals were firmly in the Ramones/Buzzcocks/Undertones school of short, fast pop-punk and they haven't lost a step since then, closing with a Buzzcocks cover. They have a new cd of material written back in their heyday but recorded now. They also have another new dc coming out of live tapes from 1978 so they would seem to be more busy than they were the first time around. Nothing like striking while the iron is hot. At any rate they will most likely return, perhaps in the fall so stay tuned.
THE NORMALS ~ "NOISY NEIGHBOURS" & "MASOCHISTIC MAN";
The Standstills ~ Cherry Cola's Lounge;
Yet another two piece guitar/drums male/female duo playing riff heavy blooze rawk. They're OK and if you like this sort of thing you'll like them. After a few songs or so my mind starts to wander though.
THE STANDSTILLS ~ "BLACK BETTY";
Thursday;
Social Distortion ~ Dundas Square;
NXNE always have at least one classic punk band at Dundas Square; Iggy, X, Descendents, Devo. Social D are different in that they have been to town a few times so it's not as much of an event, which may explain why it wasn't nearly as crowded as past years. After suffering through the jam packed and sweaty Stooges show I'm not likey to complain about this. Still Social D are always a solid live band and Dundas Square has better live sound than you might expect. Over the years the sight-lines have been cluttered up by obnoxious corporate ads and booths shilling for cell-phone plans just like punk never happened. Watching Mike Ness run through his rote "I was a punk before you were" stand-up routine makes me wonder if it did.
SOCIAL DISTORTION ~ "BALL AND CHAIN";
Public Animal ~ Lee's Palace;
This is Ian Blurton's new band, it's not that different from his last band, C'Mon. All 1970's riff heavy grunge-boogie although this time he has added some keyboards and more varied dynamics for his strongest band since Change Of Heart.
White Cowbell Oklahoma ~ Lee's Palace;
I'm always a little surprised that this one-joke novelty band is still around after a decade or so. True, they've cut way down on the shtick and I'm convinced they can really play but I'm not convinced they have more than a couple of actual songs. I can't help but notice that their best songs date back to their first album which is never a good sign.
WHITE COWBELL OKLAHOMA ~ "SHOT A GAMBLING MAN";
The Supersuckers ~ Lee's Palace;
The OTHER self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band" really have turned into The Rolling Stones, or at least The Faces. Even more than Social D, a band they resemble. Both are somewhat rootsy Rock & Roll bands that started out as straight forward punk bands, both have experimented with more traditional country rock with some success but where Social D seem like they're following a script Ness wrote years ago the Supersuckers still seem more heartfelt in their boogie, if noticeably less successful and iconic. Rather like The Faces.
THE SUPERSUCKERS ~ "BORN WITH A TAIL";
Friday:
The Downbelows ~ The Opera House;
The Downbelows were one of the Queen Street old school punk scene of the 1990's along with The Sinisters, Son Of Bronto, Dear Departed, Cheerleader, Throbbing Hoods and Plasmablast, and like all of those bands they recorded one fine record before their inevitable disintegration. Why do shitty bands live forever? At any rate they got back together a little while back and have been in the studio but there's nothing like an invite to open for Black Flag to motivate a band to get busy. They were rock solid and they were able to make the cavernous Opera House reasonably club-like which is no easy task. I'm having them down to the CIUT studios in the summer to do a recording session.
THE DOWNBELOWS ~ "WALK INTO THIS";
Genetic Control ~ The Opera House;
A 1980's Montreal Hardcore band who last played here at the long, lost Larry's Hideaway which shut down circa 1987 so it's been awhile. I'm not to familiar with their material but they seem like a basic pre-thrash hardcore band of the era. They were tight enough but I thought their songs lacked the dynamics of the best of their ilk. Including The Downbelows for that matter.
GENETIC CONTROL ~ "URBAN COWBOY";
Organ Thieves ~ The Opera House;
I've never heard of this local band and I don't know how they scored the choice spot opening for (Black) Flag. Their post-hardcore/reggae/funk was well done enough and they are certainly good musicians but they are rather sleep inducing and really didn't belong on this bill, especially since The 222's were playing the same night for a crappy opening spot at Lee's Palace. Why do these music fests always have these kind of booking fuck-ups?
Flag ~ The Opera House;
That would be Black Flag to you. At least Black Flag minus Greg Ginn (who is not on speaking terms with anybody by this point) and Henry Rollins, who'se not an original Flag anyway. I am always a little surprised how many people don't know that but I swear it's true. In fact the original Black Flag singer was Keith Morris who had some sort of falling out with Greg Ginn (who hasn't) after one ep and left then later went on to from The Circle Jerks. He was replaced by Dez Cadena for the next few albums. This line-up contained both Morris and Cadena along with original bassist Chuck Dumbowski and drummer Bill Stevenson who played in Black Flag for awhile in between stints with the Descendents and All, along with a guitarist borrowed from All. I figure that's an authentic enough line up to run through the entire pre-Rollins cataloge otherwise known as "all their best stuff before Greg Ginn decided he was some sort of fusion guy". It's always good to remind the younguns what hardcore used to sound like before thrash-metal crossover and all those various grind-crust bastard children with their widdly-widdly guitar solos and cookie monster vocals. The band was as tight and polished a machine as you expect from these old pros and while some complained that Morris was mostly stationary he sounded in good voice as was Cadena. And it's not exactly resonable to expect a guy in his fifties (seriously) to be stage diving anymore anyhow. It was a typical Opera House gig; great sightlines (assuming you were in the balcony) and crappy sound. The high ceiling doesn't make anybody any acoustic favours but the view looks like the back cover of the first Cramps album with a full panoramic view of all the attendent carnage at stage front.
BLACK FLAG ~ "RISE ABOVE";
BLACK FLAG ~ "THIRSTY AND MISERABLE";
Saturday;
White Lung ~ The Horseshoe;
Another new neo-garage buzzband. White Lung have plenty of energy and even some charisma but they play every song at such a warp speed that none really standout, and singer Mish Way's high pitched yelp doesn't help. Needs more seasoning. I should have stuck around for Danish band Iceage but the Shoe was so packed (I assume for headliners Fucked Up) that I left to get some air then couldn't get back in, but since I was planning on heading down to Cherry Cola to catch 222's later that night anyway I strolled that way.
Waxy ~ Cherry Cola's Lounge;
Billed as "Psychedelic", which can mean any number of things, not all of them good. In this case it apparently means "hippy-grunge-jams that could never have shared a stage with the 222's back in the day". At one point the singer announced they were going to play some "blues". At that point the ghost of Howling Wolf marched in, smacked them upside their heads then grabbed their beer tickets and stomped off muttering something about "Stupid White People". And I missed Iceage for this shit? That these guys actually drove up all the way from Palm Springs, California shows just how clueless they were.
The 222's ~ Cherry Cola's Lounge
The 222's were the other first wave 1970's Montreal punk scene at NXNE so of course they were scheduled on different days since putting them on the same bill would make too much sense. The 222's had a slightly longer and more successful run than the Normals and had a more charismatic singer and slightly more poppy sensibility but other than that they are both firmly in the Buzzcocks/Undertones school and have managed to age well. They have also been in the studio and have a new cd comming out.
THE 222'S ~ "I LOVE SUSAN";
THE 222'S ~ "COME TO ME COLD";
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
RIP to Chris Levoir
THE MARK INSIDE ~ "SHOTS FROM INSIDE A BROKEN BOTTLE";
The local Toronto scene was shocked to hear of the sudden death of Chris Levoir, guitarist with neo-garage band The Mark Inside. Since their 2007 debut "Static/Crush" The Mark Inside were one of those buzz bands always on the verge of a breakthrough. They had some good songs, some well made videos and one of the best live shows around. Rather like Tangiers, Young Rival and The Ride Theory. I'm not sure why things never seemed to work out for them but they had played just a few months ago at CMW and had a new album on the way. Levoir also worked as a sound-man at a few local clubs and was universally popular with other bands both for his professionalism and his laid back attitude. The rumours seem to point to snorting heroin as being the culprit. He was only 31.
THE MARK INSIDE ~ "CAROUSEL";
THE MARK INSIDE ~ "SWEET LITTLE SISTER";
THE MARK INSIDE ~ "THE BOTTOM LINE";
The local Toronto scene was shocked to hear of the sudden death of Chris Levoir, guitarist with neo-garage band The Mark Inside. Since their 2007 debut "Static/Crush" The Mark Inside were one of those buzz bands always on the verge of a breakthrough. They had some good songs, some well made videos and one of the best live shows around. Rather like Tangiers, Young Rival and The Ride Theory. I'm not sure why things never seemed to work out for them but they had played just a few months ago at CMW and had a new album on the way. Levoir also worked as a sound-man at a few local clubs and was universally popular with other bands both for his professionalism and his laid back attitude. The rumours seem to point to snorting heroin as being the culprit. He was only 31.
THE MARK INSIDE ~ "CAROUSEL";
THE MARK INSIDE ~ "SWEET LITTLE SISTER";
THE MARK INSIDE ~ "THE BOTTOM LINE";
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Some 1950's & 60's Rock, Pop and Doo Wop figures pass on
Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for the Doors died of cancer. A hugely influential band but I must say it was years before I could listen to them. See I grew up in Scarbourgh listening to punk, new wave as well as garage and rockabilly from the 50's & 60's while everybody else was listening to Q-107 who insisted on playing the same playlist every fucking day for years and years. The Doors, Zeppelin, Stones, Who, Floyd and Rush literally every fucking day, at least twice a day. No exaggeration. I really resented that at the time. It wasn't till years later that I got over that and decided that they were actually good bands. Except for Rush, they still suck.
Anyway where was I? Oh right, Ray Manzerek. He also produced the first X album as well, on which they buzz-sawed their way through "Soul Kitchen". Which was in turn later used in an episode of "Miami Vice" just before something blew up real good. So there's that.
THE DOORS ~ "LIGHT MY FIRE";
X & RAY MANZAREK ~ "SOUL KITCHEN";
Ronnie Splinter ~ Guitarist for influential 1960's Dutch garage band The Outsiders (not be confused with the 1960's American garage band The Outsiders who had a hit with the classic "Time Won't Let Me")
THE OUTSIDERS ~ "LYING ALL THE TIME";
Marshall Lytle ~ Bassist with Bill Haley's Comets as well as his preceding band The Saddlemen. Also co-wrote "Crazy Man Crazy" and a few songs for Haley associated group The Jodimers including their big hit "Rattle Shakin' Daddy", pioneer of the Rockabilly "Slap Bass" sound ~ 79
BILL HALEY & THE COMETS ~ "ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK";
BILL HALEY & THE COMETS ~ "RAZZLE DAZZLE";
Johnny Smith ~ 1955 Guitarist who did the original version of the surf classic "Walk Don't Run", later covered by The Ventures, Shadows, Belaires, Los Straitjackets and virtually every other surf band ~ 90
THE VENTURES ~ "WALK DON'T RUN";
Jim Sundquist ~ Guitarist for 1960's garage band The Fendermen "Mule Skinner Blues" ~ 75
THE FENDERMAN ~ "MULE SKINNER BLUES";
Eddie Bond ~ 1950's Rockabilly singer originally on Sun Records then on Mercury later became a country singer ~ 79
EDDIE BOND ~ "TORE UP";
EDDIE BOND ~ "ONE WAY TICKET";
Floyd McRae ~ Singer with 1950's Doo-Wop group The Chords who do the original version of the classic hit "Sh-Boom" later covered by The Crewcuts ~ 80
THE CHORDS ~ "SH-BOOM" (recorded in 1980);
THE CREWCUTS ~ "SH-BOOM";
Virgil Johnson ~ Singer with Doo-Wop group The Velvets ~ 77
THE VELVETS ~ "MY LOVE";
Bob Engemann ~ Singer with 1950's Pop Vocal Group The Letterman w/hits like "Love is A Many Splendored Thing", "When I Fall In Love", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Softly", and covers of pop hits like "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Up Up And Away", "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" and "Walk On By" ~ 76
THE LETTERMEN ~ "LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING";
THE LETTERMEN ~ "WALK ON BY";
Anyway where was I? Oh right, Ray Manzerek. He also produced the first X album as well, on which they buzz-sawed their way through "Soul Kitchen". Which was in turn later used in an episode of "Miami Vice" just before something blew up real good. So there's that.
THE DOORS ~ "LIGHT MY FIRE";
X & RAY MANZAREK ~ "SOUL KITCHEN";
Ronnie Splinter ~ Guitarist for influential 1960's Dutch garage band The Outsiders (not be confused with the 1960's American garage band The Outsiders who had a hit with the classic "Time Won't Let Me")
THE OUTSIDERS ~ "LYING ALL THE TIME";
Marshall Lytle ~ Bassist with Bill Haley's Comets as well as his preceding band The Saddlemen. Also co-wrote "Crazy Man Crazy" and a few songs for Haley associated group The Jodimers including their big hit "Rattle Shakin' Daddy", pioneer of the Rockabilly "Slap Bass" sound ~ 79
BILL HALEY & THE COMETS ~ "ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK";
BILL HALEY & THE COMETS ~ "RAZZLE DAZZLE";
Johnny Smith ~ 1955 Guitarist who did the original version of the surf classic "Walk Don't Run", later covered by The Ventures, Shadows, Belaires, Los Straitjackets and virtually every other surf band ~ 90
THE VENTURES ~ "WALK DON'T RUN";
Jim Sundquist ~ Guitarist for 1960's garage band The Fendermen "Mule Skinner Blues" ~ 75
THE FENDERMAN ~ "MULE SKINNER BLUES";
Eddie Bond ~ 1950's Rockabilly singer originally on Sun Records then on Mercury later became a country singer ~ 79
EDDIE BOND ~ "TORE UP";
EDDIE BOND ~ "ONE WAY TICKET";
Floyd McRae ~ Singer with 1950's Doo-Wop group The Chords who do the original version of the classic hit "Sh-Boom" later covered by The Crewcuts ~ 80
THE CHORDS ~ "SH-BOOM" (recorded in 1980);
THE CREWCUTS ~ "SH-BOOM";
Virgil Johnson ~ Singer with Doo-Wop group The Velvets ~ 77
THE VELVETS ~ "MY LOVE";
Bob Engemann ~ Singer with 1950's Pop Vocal Group The Letterman w/hits like "Love is A Many Splendored Thing", "When I Fall In Love", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Softly", and covers of pop hits like "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Up Up And Away", "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" and "Walk On By" ~ 76
THE LETTERMEN ~ "LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING";
THE LETTERMEN ~ "WALK ON BY";
Thursday, 16 May 2013
PROUD FM Takes Another Kick At The Can
This week the CRTC announced that PROUD FM has applied for a signal increase. Broadcasting on 103.9 FM at 60 watts, PROUD is asking for an increase to 250 WATTS, an increase that would allow them to reach the bulk, if not the entirety of Toronto and much of the suburbs. Coincidentally this increase to 205 WATTS is exactly the same size as that formerly held by CKLN, the now defunct radio station at Ryerson at 88.1 FM.
PROUD FM (the actual call-letters are CIRR-FM) is the "Gay Themed" radio station owned by the Evanov Corp which has been broadcasting since 2007 with a checkered history of format tinkering, mass firings, abrupt walkouts over lack of pay and a recent closing of their offices and studios from downtown's "Gay Ghetto" on Church street and a move to the boondocks. The coverage PROUD FM gets from the local gay papers has gone from supportive in the early days to mostly critical for the last several years as most of the original staff either quit or were fired. The constant knock against their programming has been that while originally they made an attempt to feature gay artists they soon dumped much of this in favour of "music that gay people actually listen to". This seems to consist mainly of Madonna, Lady Gaga and lots of pretty mainstream dance music. The gay community seems to be pretty disappointed, much the way that the black community became disappointed in THE FLOW and CARN FM.
Speaking of which; WTF is this!?
That PROUD FM would now be asking for 250 watts is ironic since it was Bill Evanov, owner of PROUD FM who was first out of the starting gates in applying for CKLN's signal once CKLN had it's license yanked by the CRTC in a very rare move prompted by the truly historic incompetence and dishonesty of the station's left-wing activist management and that of the Ryerson Student Union who had seized control of the station in 2009. Evanov barely waited for the rotting corpse of CKLN to cool before bragging to the media of his intention to apply for the vacant 88.1 signal, thus setting off a feeding frenzy of over twenty other applicants for what would be Toronto's last open FM signal. Those other applicants included the heavyweights like Moses Znaimer, CHIN and the CBC to lightweights like a small group calling themselves INDIE 88 not to mention Ryerson's attempt to get the signal back. In a surprise upset the CRTC awarded the signal to INDIE 88 last year.
As for PROUD FM; they got nothing, squat, nada, zippo, the big goose egg. At the CRTC hearings last April (which I attended) PROUD FM's testimony included the usual claims that they needed the new, more powerful signal or they would have to go out of business as their 60 watt signal could not go beyond the downtown core. Evanov had been having a good year since they had just been granted a new Gay themed AM station in Montreal. All seemed to be going pretty well until the CRTC Commissioners pointed out that PROUD FM did not actually need to move to 88.1 FM to get a better signal since they could get a signal increase where they were albeit this would be a smaller one than they were shooting for by moving.
This was an important point since the CRTC insists that before an applicant asks for some sort of move or upgrade that they will have exhausted the resources they already have. The representatives from PROUD seemed baffled by the question the Commissioners were asking and they never really recovered. However while PROUD may have been shot down, unlike most of the other applicants they were not completely empty handed as the still had their existing 103 FM signal and a CRTC practically daring them to apply for a signal increase. I'm surprised it took them this long to follow up.
This time their odds should be pretty good. They already have the signal so unlike last time their won't be any other competing bids to fight off. There may still be an issue if the increase turns out to interfere with a neighbouring signal however, but it's too early to see if that is indeed the case. There is also a sneaking suspicion among many that Evanov, who also owns a dozen other radio stations, has no real commitment to the "Gay Themed" format and intends at some point to dump it entirely in favour of some more mainstream format once he has a signal capable of reaching the entire city, more or less.
PROUD FM (the actual call-letters are CIRR-FM) is the "Gay Themed" radio station owned by the Evanov Corp which has been broadcasting since 2007 with a checkered history of format tinkering, mass firings, abrupt walkouts over lack of pay and a recent closing of their offices and studios from downtown's "Gay Ghetto" on Church street and a move to the boondocks. The coverage PROUD FM gets from the local gay papers has gone from supportive in the early days to mostly critical for the last several years as most of the original staff either quit or were fired. The constant knock against their programming has been that while originally they made an attempt to feature gay artists they soon dumped much of this in favour of "music that gay people actually listen to". This seems to consist mainly of Madonna, Lady Gaga and lots of pretty mainstream dance music. The gay community seems to be pretty disappointed, much the way that the black community became disappointed in THE FLOW and CARN FM.
Speaking of which; WTF is this!?
That PROUD FM would now be asking for 250 watts is ironic since it was Bill Evanov, owner of PROUD FM who was first out of the starting gates in applying for CKLN's signal once CKLN had it's license yanked by the CRTC in a very rare move prompted by the truly historic incompetence and dishonesty of the station's left-wing activist management and that of the Ryerson Student Union who had seized control of the station in 2009. Evanov barely waited for the rotting corpse of CKLN to cool before bragging to the media of his intention to apply for the vacant 88.1 signal, thus setting off a feeding frenzy of over twenty other applicants for what would be Toronto's last open FM signal. Those other applicants included the heavyweights like Moses Znaimer, CHIN and the CBC to lightweights like a small group calling themselves INDIE 88 not to mention Ryerson's attempt to get the signal back. In a surprise upset the CRTC awarded the signal to INDIE 88 last year.
As for PROUD FM; they got nothing, squat, nada, zippo, the big goose egg. At the CRTC hearings last April (which I attended) PROUD FM's testimony included the usual claims that they needed the new, more powerful signal or they would have to go out of business as their 60 watt signal could not go beyond the downtown core. Evanov had been having a good year since they had just been granted a new Gay themed AM station in Montreal. All seemed to be going pretty well until the CRTC Commissioners pointed out that PROUD FM did not actually need to move to 88.1 FM to get a better signal since they could get a signal increase where they were albeit this would be a smaller one than they were shooting for by moving.
This was an important point since the CRTC insists that before an applicant asks for some sort of move or upgrade that they will have exhausted the resources they already have. The representatives from PROUD seemed baffled by the question the Commissioners were asking and they never really recovered. However while PROUD may have been shot down, unlike most of the other applicants they were not completely empty handed as the still had their existing 103 FM signal and a CRTC practically daring them to apply for a signal increase. I'm surprised it took them this long to follow up.
This time their odds should be pretty good. They already have the signal so unlike last time their won't be any other competing bids to fight off. There may still be an issue if the increase turns out to interfere with a neighbouring signal however, but it's too early to see if that is indeed the case. There is also a sneaking suspicion among many that Evanov, who also owns a dozen other radio stations, has no real commitment to the "Gay Themed" format and intends at some point to dump it entirely in favour of some more mainstream format once he has a signal capable of reaching the entire city, more or less.
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