Monday, January 14, 2013

CKCU Top 50 Albums of 2012

1. Jack Pine and the Fire - Jack Pine and the Fire



2. Muffler Crunch - Little Things



3. Stars - The North



4. Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur



5. Lefty McRighty - Nashville Roadkill



6. Metric - Synthetica



7. Wintersleep - Hello Hum



8. Beach House - Bloom



9. Purity Ring - Shrines



10. Ray Harris - Poorly Kept Secrets



11. Jenn Grant - The Beautiful Wild

12. Joel Plaskett Emergency - Scrappy Happiness

13. Cadence Weapon - Hope In Dirt City

14. Grimes - Visions

15. Mahogany Frog - Senna

16. The Luyas - Animator

17. Brock Zeman - Me Then You

18. Cold Specks - I Predict A Graceful Expulsion

19. Great Lake Swimmers - New Wild Everywhere

20. Hannah Georgas - Hannah Georgas

21. Japandroids - Celebration Rock

22. Patrick Watson - Adventures In Your Own Backyard

23. Grizzly Bear - Shields

24. Hawkwind - Onward

25. Whitehorse - The Fate Of The World Depends On This Kiss

26. Diamond Rings - Free Dimensional

27. Fevers - Passion Is Dead

28. Ninety Pounds Of Ugly - Never Going Back

29. Said The Whale - Little Mountain

30. The Cutmen - Throw In The Towel

31. Bill Evans Trio - Live At The Top Of The Gate

32. Eluveitie - Helvetios

33. Encephalon - The Transhuman Condition

34. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas

35. Trevor Alguire - Till Sorrow Begins To Call

36. Dead Culture Society - Life Dies Before Us

37. Zeus - Busting Visions

38. Yukon Blonde - Tiger Talk

39. Celery Troff - Hind Leg Highness

40. Luis Ullan - Heart

41. Patron Saint Of Plagues - Scary Tales

42. Rah Rah - The Poet's Dead

43. Snowblink - Inner Classics

44. The Darcys - AJA

45. The Johnnies - 7"

46. Al Wood & The Woodsmen - Right On Cue

47. Evening Hymns - Spectral Dusk

48. Gabrielle Papillon - Little Bug

49. Mike Osborne Trio - Birmingham Jazz Concert

50. Rammstein - Made In Germany (Special Edition) 1995-2011

Friday, December 7, 2012

Birdman's Top Pick Albums of 2012

The Birdman's Top Pick Albums of 2012

John Westhaver hosts Friday Morning Cartunes every Friday from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Also visit his website: http://birdmansound.blogspot.ca/

Acid Mothers Temple – Son of A Bitches Brew (Important) LP


Oren Ambarchi - Sagittarian Domain (Editions Mego) LP


Beak - >> (Invada) LP


Camera - S/T (Bureau B) LP


Chickencage Experience – An Eggsploitation Movie (Nasoni) LP


Electric Moon - The Doomsday Machine (Nasoni) LP


Elephant9 w/ Reine Fiske – Atlantis (Rune Grammofon) LP


the exploding meet – Mapping New Tangier (Birdman Sound) LP

Fire! w/ Oren Ambarchi – In The Mouth-A Hand (Rune Grammofon) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvY7fE2_Ws0

Goat - World Music (Rocket Recordings) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keAwK766Ek0

Graveyard – Lights Out (Stranded) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HmMy2ubC7E

Hawkwind – Onward (Back On Black) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_InMQgJkNY

Kadavar – S/T (The Charming Man) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFWj6eD5NQ4

Kreidler – Den (Bureau B) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asu-4U4oIs4

La Piramide Di Sangue – Tebe (Sound Of Cobra) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhxm44ucMBc

Lumerians – Transmissions From Telos IV (Permanent) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBM15sgwu3s

Majutsu no Niwa – Sylvania 7027 Live (8MM) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6A9E4yi1Rg

Mugstar – Ad Marginem (Agitated) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unY5zwrnn0Y

Oneida – A List of Burning Mountains (Jagjaguwar) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HbYBdzKc2o

Pyramidal – Dawn In Space (Krauted Mind) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLWNwbLKk-g

Pyramids – Otherworldly (Disko B) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfd2bsS5DX4

Sula Bassana – Dark Days (Sulatron) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCdJ-3Y5C_I

Tuber – S/T (Krauted Mind) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urMCSKX3D9Y

Vespero – Subkraut (Krauted Mind) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ3hfGN8IJY

Witchcraft – Legend (Nuclear Blast) LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I-CBxSuYSg

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Tribute to René Joly

tic

This special three-hour tribute occurs on the first anniversary of René Joly’s death. Family members, co-workers and close friends of René are in the studio to reminisce with tic. René was an avid music lover who frequented Irene’s Pub and attended many local and long-distance music festivals. He passed away suddenly on March 29, 2011 at the age of 63. René’s family made a very generous donation of 5,000 CDs to the CKCU music library – a superb collection assembled over a lifetime by a true music lover. Our hosts and listeners all the richer as a result, and will enjoy and cherish this donation forever. Throughout the show, tic features folk, singer-songwriter, world, Celtic and didjeridu music from René's extensive and brilliantly curated CD collection. Dick Alta Vista, host of “Both Kinds of Music”, joins tic on the program, and will continue the tribute on his show later today ("Both Kinds of Music", Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3:30 pm).

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Essential Earl Scruggs

Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs has passed away at the age of 88. His work with Bill Monroe and Lester Flatt set the standard for Bluegrass banjo. He played an essential role in developing and creating Bluegrass and modern country music. Here are a few of his all time recordings. His five string banjo playing is essential in any music collection.

Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs - Foggy Mountain Breakdown - 1949




Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt - Cripple Creek



Flatt and Scruggs - Blue Ridge Cabin Home




Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs - Dear Old Dixie



Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs - Little Cabin Home On the Hill



Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Great Canadian Artists you may not know

Junos are on here in Ottawa. Just thinking about Canadian artists. Here are some greats you may not know. If you have some of your own please list them.

Bob Nolan 1908-1980

from New Brunswick. Leader of "Sons of the Pioneers". He wrote "Tumbling Tumbleweeds"
and "Cool Water". One of the great country music songwriters!



Gil Evans 1912-1988

From Toronto. One of the greatest arrangers of all time. Worked with Miles Davis on: Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess, and Sketches of Spain.



Richard Bell 1946-2007

from Toronto. played with Ronnie Hawkins, and Crowbar, and the Full Tilt Boogie and the later version of The Band. Played with: Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, Bruce Cockburn, Judy Collins, Cowboy Junkies, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt and Joe Walsh.




Michael Brook

from Toronto. Worked with Daniel Lanois at Grant Avenue studio. Worked with Brian Eno, Harold Budd, Martha and the Muffins, Youssou N'Dour, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Khaled among many others. Incredible musician and producer.



David Piltch

bass player from Toronto has worked with: Blood Sweat and Tears, Bill Frisell, Bonnie Raitt, Liz Wright, Alan Toussaint, Richard Thompson,
Rambling Jack Elliott, Mose Allison, Soloman Burke, John Legend,
Madeleine Peyroux , Art Pepper, Aaron Neville, T Bone Burnett, Rodney Crowell, Loudon Wainwright, Bruce Cockburn, Hal Wilner and Joe Henry

not too bad eh?



who are some others that deserve more attention?

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Best of 2012 so far

A little survey of the 2012 releases so far. What have you really enjoyed. Here are a few:

Chuck Prophet - Temple Beautiful - Yep Roc

more cranky guy with interesting insights from this singer/songwriter



Rodrigo y Gabriella and C.U.B.A. - Area 52

originally from a metal band they have spent the last few years as an acoustic flamenco duo putting on very energetic concerts and recording some terrific cd's. This time out they work with a 13 piece Cuban band and mix orchestral arrangements with middle eastern and latin music. They re-work their material into something new. Oud, guitar, flute, heavy metal drums. What a show!



Tord Gustavsen Quartet - The Well - ECM - 2012

New release by this Norweigan pianist. He is joined here by the same line-up that accompanied him at the Ottawa Jazz Festival a few years ago. This is beautiful introspective music that makes great use of the power and drama of silence.



Otis Taylor - Otis Taylor's Contraband

Another outstanding release by this criminally underappreciated giant of contemporary blues. He is a little bit rock a little bit folk, a little bit blues and a whole lot of great. Fabulous presenter and performer. May be rough around the edges but well worth seeking out.



Jack DeJohnette - Sound Travels - Entertainment One

Another jazz meets world hybrid release by this jazz experimenter. Afro-Cuban melds with Middle Eastern rhythms. The stellar cast includes: Esperanza Spalding, Tim Ries, Bobby McFerrin, and Lionel Loueke. Solid release.



Jack Pine and the Fire - Jack Pine and the Fire

One of the best singer/songwriter roots records I have heard in some time and it was made right here in Ottawa! Love the guest appearance by John Showman!



Edgar Breau - Patches of Blue - Flying Inn Records

Solo release by this member of Simply Saucer. Psych folk in a Syd Barrett, early Marc Bolan style. Sunday morning music.



CATL - With the Lord For Cowards You Will Find No Place

2nd LP by this Toronto trio. Have their own take on the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion style of rough and ragged blues. Taking it back to Howlin' Wolf and letting it rip. Great fun and they do a pretty great live show also!!!!



The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol - Punks, Twats and Urban Cowboys

The latest release by this ridiculously great rock collective. I have played this three times already and many more plays are to come. Crushing rock bordering on free jazz. Great stuff! Limited release get yours now at Birdman.

They are playing the Dominion Tavern on March 23 with Damo Suzuki. Yes that Damo Suzuki!



Pontiak - Echo Ono - Thrill Jockey

latest release by this trio of brothers from the Blue Mountains. No old timey sound though. Hints of 60's psych and garage mixed with a healthy heap of indie rock. Another quality release by Thrill Jockey



Dirty Three - Toward the Low Sun - Drag City

The Australian trio continue to explore the world of instrumental rock. I think it has been 7 years since they last released a disc. Anyway there are more instruments here than you might expect but other than that this is a wonderful listen from beginning to end. Powerful playing creates a musical canvas that stays



Woods of Ypres - Woods 5 Grey Skies and Electric Light - Earache

doom metal. the last album recorded by the band before the tragic passing of founding member David Gold.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Songs in Movies

Our theme for today's Between Thought and Expression 11am-12:30pm. Throwing out a few for this Monday. 1st Day of March Break radio camp at CKCU!

Greg Kihn Band - The Breakup Song in "Let Me In" 2010



Arcade Fire - Abraham's Daughter in "The Hunger Games"



E.L.O. - All Over the World - from Xanadu




The Flaming Lips - Bad Days - in "Batman Forever"



Duane Eddy - Because They're Young - from "Because They're Young"



Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun - from Grosse Point Blank and more



other songs from films you suggest?