May 18/08
Vancouver just finished hosting the annual New Music West event, a showcase featuring up and coming artists from the Vancouver area and around the world. This year saw 265 artists spread out over 24 venues around the city over a four day period.
This show features two of the bands I had a chance to see live (Firebug and Versus the Nothing) as well as a cross-section of new and vintage artists.
The show title comes from me forcing myself to spend an evening at a showcase of material that I don't normally listen to (metal). I actually had a great time!
As we haven't played anything bluesy for a while, we open up with a couple of blues influenced pieces by Amit Riff and Steve Lukather. Also included: a Led Zeppelin cut I haven't listened to in years that reminded me of how powerful their music was. We also play two bands out of Toronto that have caught my ear (Dream Aria and Parker) plus some great progressive rock from Flaming Bess and Presence.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Michael
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Too much to think
Once again, we get to showcase some great work from around the world.
Most of the artists are from the last five years. The exception is a real treat for fans of Pink Floyd (and fans of great music, for that matter). We include in this show an excerpt from the concert Floyd guitarist David Gilmour put on last fall at London's Royal Albert Hall featuring some very interesting guests. This show features a classic Pink Floyd song with David Bowie handling the vocals and some brilliant guitar work from David Gilmour.
Also in the show:
From Los Angeles, Firebug. Great band and they're in Vancouver May 14/15 as part of New Music West.
Moon Stereo. You'll never guess where this band is from but you'll be happy you listened to them. Progressive/jazz feel.
Mute Math. Amazing blending of the melody of pop with the energy of rock.
Pocketful. 'Sit back and think' music from Sweden.
Porcupine Tree. Progressive Rock? Zeppelin meets Floyd? Outstanding material.
Sophya Baccini. Another example of outstanding writing/performance/production.
The Fab. Instrumental from Italy with some very interesting guitar work.
The Trews. Great 'top down' driving song.
Voodoo Johnson. Brit Rock. Coming to a colisseum near you!
Enjoy the show!
Cheers,
Michael
Most of the artists are from the last five years. The exception is a real treat for fans of Pink Floyd (and fans of great music, for that matter). We include in this show an excerpt from the concert Floyd guitarist David Gilmour put on last fall at London's Royal Albert Hall featuring some very interesting guests. This show features a classic Pink Floyd song with David Bowie handling the vocals and some brilliant guitar work from David Gilmour.
Also in the show:
From Los Angeles, Firebug. Great band and they're in Vancouver May 14/15 as part of New Music West.
Moon Stereo. You'll never guess where this band is from but you'll be happy you listened to them. Progressive/jazz feel.
Mute Math. Amazing blending of the melody of pop with the energy of rock.
Pocketful. 'Sit back and think' music from Sweden.
Porcupine Tree. Progressive Rock? Zeppelin meets Floyd? Outstanding material.
Sophya Baccini. Another example of outstanding writing/performance/production.
The Fab. Instrumental from Italy with some very interesting guitar work.
The Trews. Great 'top down' driving song.
Voodoo Johnson. Brit Rock. Coming to a colisseum near you!
Enjoy the show!
Cheers,
Michael
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Around the World - Reprise
This show is truly a milestone for us. We finally get to release a show as a podcast!
People have been asking us for this since Day One. Unfortunately, to include music in a podcast requires permission from many different parties such as the artist, the publishing company and the record label. Something most members of the industry establishment are very reluctant to do.
However, with this show, we found a group of brilliant artists who all owned title to their music and recordings and were therefore able to grant permission. These are artists and independent lables that see the digital world as "an opportunity" not as "something to be feared".
We start off with Marillion, one of the pioneers of the movement amongst artists to take their career into their own hands. (Visit their site at www.marillion.com). Brilliant and diverse writing as well as very seasoned playing and production. The third song also features Marillion though exhibiting a very different style.
In between, we feature Klimt 1918. This is a band from Rome with a tremendous ability to blend high energy with melodic writing.
Next, it's Flaming Bess from Duesseldorf, Germany. This is a band with a remarkable pedigree and exhibiting the best of progressive rock. Very tasty playing all round. Love it!
Then it's off to Israel and the instrumental guitar work of Amit Riff. This song starts off slow and restrained but about half way through, the backing guitar starts a new groove which the lead guitar builds on. Very compelling and brilliant playing.
Up next, St. Louis's Eric Stadler. I don't know what label to apply here. Very intense piece of work with great technical mastery. Definitely something that commands your undivided attention!
The show closes with two bands that you are FOR SURE going to hear more of: Britain's Voodoo Johnson and Southern California's Souljourners.
Both bands offer the "full package": unique writing, great vocals, great playing, great recording.
Expect to see both these bands headling some big shows within the next two years.
To download the podcast, please click here.
As always, we thank you for listening!
Cheers,
Michael
People have been asking us for this since Day One. Unfortunately, to include music in a podcast requires permission from many different parties such as the artist, the publishing company and the record label. Something most members of the industry establishment are very reluctant to do.
However, with this show, we found a group of brilliant artists who all owned title to their music and recordings and were therefore able to grant permission. These are artists and independent lables that see the digital world as "an opportunity" not as "something to be feared".
We start off with Marillion, one of the pioneers of the movement amongst artists to take their career into their own hands. (Visit their site at www.marillion.com). Brilliant and diverse writing as well as very seasoned playing and production. The third song also features Marillion though exhibiting a very different style.
In between, we feature Klimt 1918. This is a band from Rome with a tremendous ability to blend high energy with melodic writing.
Next, it's Flaming Bess from Duesseldorf, Germany. This is a band with a remarkable pedigree and exhibiting the best of progressive rock. Very tasty playing all round. Love it!
Then it's off to Israel and the instrumental guitar work of Amit Riff. This song starts off slow and restrained but about half way through, the backing guitar starts a new groove which the lead guitar builds on. Very compelling and brilliant playing.
Up next, St. Louis's Eric Stadler. I don't know what label to apply here. Very intense piece of work with great technical mastery. Definitely something that commands your undivided attention!
The show closes with two bands that you are FOR SURE going to hear more of: Britain's Voodoo Johnson and Southern California's Souljourners.
Both bands offer the "full package": unique writing, great vocals, great playing, great recording.
Expect to see both these bands headling some big shows within the next two years.
To download the podcast, please click here.
As always, we thank you for listening!
Cheers,
Michael
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Around the world in 60 minutes
Today's upload, "Around the world in 60 minutes", represents an important milestone in the evolution of planetnerve8.
This show is the first time we have included artists from outside the 'North America/British Isles axis'. It is also the first time we have included artists without formal recording contracts (or artists with European contracts but no North American distribution). The styles range from pop to hard rock and 'a bunch' in between.
For those listeners looking for a "consistant feed" of music, we are hard at work getting ready to launch our 24/7 streaming where the tunes will be a bit more predictable.
However, one of our founding beliefs was that there is a vast quantity of great material being produced in a wide variety of genres from a wide selection of countries that most people simply are not getting exposed to. This show, I believe, comes the closest so far to addressing that issue.
It's unlikely that you will fall in love with every song but if you listen all the way through, I think it will be impossible for you to not come away impressed with how vibrant the world of music is today.
One last note: we set up a MySpace site last week (www.myspace.com/planetnerve8).
On this site, you will have the ability to comment on the shows as well as find links to featured artists.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
All the best,
Michael
This show is the first time we have included artists from outside the 'North America/British Isles axis'. It is also the first time we have included artists without formal recording contracts (or artists with European contracts but no North American distribution). The styles range from pop to hard rock and 'a bunch' in between.
For those listeners looking for a "consistant feed" of music, we are hard at work getting ready to launch our 24/7 streaming where the tunes will be a bit more predictable.
However, one of our founding beliefs was that there is a vast quantity of great material being produced in a wide variety of genres from a wide selection of countries that most people simply are not getting exposed to. This show, I believe, comes the closest so far to addressing that issue.
It's unlikely that you will fall in love with every song but if you listen all the way through, I think it will be impossible for you to not come away impressed with how vibrant the world of music is today.
One last note: we set up a MySpace site last week (www.myspace.com/planetnerve8).
On this site, you will have the ability to comment on the shows as well as find links to featured artists.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
All the best,
Michael
Sunday, March 9, 2008
50/50
This show is split into two very different halves.
The first section is very bluesy and opens with Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Here, we also pay tribute to two artists who passed away recently, Buddy Miles and Jeff Healy. Buddy Miles played drums in the shortlived but brilliant Jimi Hendrix project "Band of Gypsies." Jeff Healey, blind from the age of one, had a highly unique playing style, placing his guitar on his lap and pressing down the strings without wrapping his hand around the neck. Worth checking "See the light" on YouTube.
This section includes two classic cuts from Humble Pie and a Rolling Stones cut with a great, almost reggae-like groove.
The second section is more "melody oriented" and features material off the most recent album by Marillion. I just purchased the album last week and it's one of the most consistent albums I've heard in a long time.
In addition to their very considerable skills in the areas of writing and production, Marillion is very much on the leading edge of adapting to the digital world. They own their own record label and offer open-source downloads off their website (one of the most well designed and informative websites from any band, I might add). Very innovative band all around.
This section closes with a beautiful piece by former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett featuring the ethereal vocals of Sally Oldfield (sister of Tubular Bells' Mike Oldfield).
The second section is material that you can really be absorbed by and definitely grows on you with repeated listens.
Cheers,
Michael
The first section is very bluesy and opens with Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Here, we also pay tribute to two artists who passed away recently, Buddy Miles and Jeff Healy. Buddy Miles played drums in the shortlived but brilliant Jimi Hendrix project "Band of Gypsies." Jeff Healey, blind from the age of one, had a highly unique playing style, placing his guitar on his lap and pressing down the strings without wrapping his hand around the neck. Worth checking "See the light" on YouTube.
This section includes two classic cuts from Humble Pie and a Rolling Stones cut with a great, almost reggae-like groove.
The second section is more "melody oriented" and features material off the most recent album by Marillion. I just purchased the album last week and it's one of the most consistent albums I've heard in a long time.
In addition to their very considerable skills in the areas of writing and production, Marillion is very much on the leading edge of adapting to the digital world. They own their own record label and offer open-source downloads off their website (one of the most well designed and informative websites from any band, I might add). Very innovative band all around.
This section closes with a beautiful piece by former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett featuring the ethereal vocals of Sally Oldfield (sister of Tubular Bells' Mike Oldfield).
The second section is material that you can really be absorbed by and definitely grows on you with repeated listens.
Cheers,
Michael
Friday, February 22, 2008
Living room to Wembley
This show starts and ends with a bang.
Opening cut is a pleasant little ditty :) from Nine Inch Nails. Closing cut is wretched guitar excess: Brian May captured live at Wembley (whence comes part of this show's title) at the peak of Queen's popularity performing the extended solo from Brighton Rock. Not something you're likely to hear at the next wedding reception you attend but a "must listen" for Brian May fans.
In between, we offer some fare with broader appeal, including a song from Manic Street Preachers that will linger with you, and a couple of experiments.
Experiment 1. We recently received our first promo CD in the mail (thank you Nettwerk Records - see note at end of post). The artist: Griffin House. The material: a little more rootsy/country than I'd normally listen to but three songs caught my attention. I've selected two for the show and would be curious to hear your thoughts on this material. Send me an email.
Experiment 2. We play a couple of stripped down acoustic tracks that don't fit the "rock format" yet each has a certain appeal. The first (from Stephen Stills) has an interesting story behind it and is very raw. It sounds like he set up a microphone in his living room (whence comes the other part of this show's title) and layed it down in one take. Raw yet memorable. The second is a short acoustic instrumental from Canada's Bruce Cockburn. Again, would love to hear your thoughts on these songs.
Finally, before Brian takes the stage, we have something for history buffs. A rare cut from a long forgotten British power trio whose guitar player, for a brief period, was giving the big guns from Deep Purple and Black Sabbath a stiff challenge as THE guitar player to watch.
A little more eclectic show than normal.
Hope you like it.
Side note: Nettwerk Records started as a small indie label in a basement office in Vancouver. Their first 'big hit' was signing a young unknown singer from the maritimes by the name of Sara McLachlan. Today, as major labels sink in a sea of red ink and layoffs, Nettwerk is growing in leaps and bounds. Between their record label, publishing and management divisions, they represent a very broad cross-section of artists including Sara McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Dido, Sum 41, Delerium, The Cardigans, The Finn Brothers and a whole host of other artists, including many 'indie' artists. What's the secret of their success? Unlike many established segments of the music industry, Nettwerk founder, Terry McBride, embraces change rather than fears it. As such, they have been very open to alternative revenue streams as CD revenue dies a not so slow death. Notably, they financed the defence costs of a teenager (and her family) who was being sued by the major labels for file-sharing music.
For information on Nettwerk, visit http://www.nettwerk.com/ and if you want cutting edge insight on where the industry is going, check out http://www.savethemusicfan.com/.
Cheers,
Michael
Opening cut is a pleasant little ditty :) from Nine Inch Nails. Closing cut is wretched guitar excess: Brian May captured live at Wembley (whence comes part of this show's title) at the peak of Queen's popularity performing the extended solo from Brighton Rock. Not something you're likely to hear at the next wedding reception you attend but a "must listen" for Brian May fans.
In between, we offer some fare with broader appeal, including a song from Manic Street Preachers that will linger with you, and a couple of experiments.
Experiment 1. We recently received our first promo CD in the mail (thank you Nettwerk Records - see note at end of post). The artist: Griffin House. The material: a little more rootsy/country than I'd normally listen to but three songs caught my attention. I've selected two for the show and would be curious to hear your thoughts on this material. Send me an email.
Experiment 2. We play a couple of stripped down acoustic tracks that don't fit the "rock format" yet each has a certain appeal. The first (from Stephen Stills) has an interesting story behind it and is very raw. It sounds like he set up a microphone in his living room (whence comes the other part of this show's title) and layed it down in one take. Raw yet memorable. The second is a short acoustic instrumental from Canada's Bruce Cockburn. Again, would love to hear your thoughts on these songs.
Finally, before Brian takes the stage, we have something for history buffs. A rare cut from a long forgotten British power trio whose guitar player, for a brief period, was giving the big guns from Deep Purple and Black Sabbath a stiff challenge as THE guitar player to watch.
A little more eclectic show than normal.
Hope you like it.
Side note: Nettwerk Records started as a small indie label in a basement office in Vancouver. Their first 'big hit' was signing a young unknown singer from the maritimes by the name of Sara McLachlan. Today, as major labels sink in a sea of red ink and layoffs, Nettwerk is growing in leaps and bounds. Between their record label, publishing and management divisions, they represent a very broad cross-section of artists including Sara McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Dido, Sum 41, Delerium, The Cardigans, The Finn Brothers and a whole host of other artists, including many 'indie' artists. What's the secret of their success? Unlike many established segments of the music industry, Nettwerk founder, Terry McBride, embraces change rather than fears it. As such, they have been very open to alternative revenue streams as CD revenue dies a not so slow death. Notably, they financed the defence costs of a teenager (and her family) who was being sued by the major labels for file-sharing music.
For information on Nettwerk, visit http://www.nettwerk.com/ and if you want cutting edge insight on where the industry is going, check out http://www.savethemusicfan.com/.
Cheers,
Michael
Transitions
Well, this show got somewhat orphaned. Uploaded on Jan 26 and no reference until late February. My apologies.
This show opens with a cut from the most recent Tears for Fears album (Everybody loves a happy ending) which sees Roland Orzabal re-united with original collaborator Curt Smith (hence the album's title?). A second TFF cut highlights both their great vocal capabilities as well as their exceptional attention to detail when it comes to production. The second cut, in particular, has a production style reminiscent of The Beatles/George Martin.
Next, a truly beautiful piece off the the newest Crowded House album. If you don't 'get it' the first time, have another listen. This will really grow on you.
The beginning section ends with the title cut off Sting's Soul Cages. Great feel.
We then visit the "Progressive Rock" arena with a few cuts from Yes and Genesis, the first of which is a live acoustic cut from Yes' Steve Howe.
The final section features 'Marshall's on 11'. Straight ahead guitar rock.
The first track is, I believe, the song Led Zeppelin opened their last North American tour with (saw them in Seattle at the Kingdom - before the roof collapsed). From there, on to Britain's Stone Roses, a sadly under-recognized band.
We close with two cuts from brilliant guitar virtuoso Andy Timmons. He is a master at a wide variety of styles. A good friend of mine saw Andy in Las Vegas filling the role of guitar player (and music director) for Olivia Newton-John ( my friend was there simply to accompany his wife and said the guitar player was the only part of the show that caught his attention). The two cuts we feature are about as far removed from mainstream pop as you could possible get. The first is a very laid back jazzy cut while the second has to rank amongst the fastest possible guitar playing humanly possible.
Let us know what you think!
Cheers,
Michael
This show opens with a cut from the most recent Tears for Fears album (Everybody loves a happy ending) which sees Roland Orzabal re-united with original collaborator Curt Smith (hence the album's title?). A second TFF cut highlights both their great vocal capabilities as well as their exceptional attention to detail when it comes to production. The second cut, in particular, has a production style reminiscent of The Beatles/George Martin.
Next, a truly beautiful piece off the the newest Crowded House album. If you don't 'get it' the first time, have another listen. This will really grow on you.
The beginning section ends with the title cut off Sting's Soul Cages. Great feel.
We then visit the "Progressive Rock" arena with a few cuts from Yes and Genesis, the first of which is a live acoustic cut from Yes' Steve Howe.
The final section features 'Marshall's on 11'. Straight ahead guitar rock.
The first track is, I believe, the song Led Zeppelin opened their last North American tour with (saw them in Seattle at the Kingdom - before the roof collapsed). From there, on to Britain's Stone Roses, a sadly under-recognized band.
We close with two cuts from brilliant guitar virtuoso Andy Timmons. He is a master at a wide variety of styles. A good friend of mine saw Andy in Las Vegas filling the role of guitar player (and music director) for Olivia Newton-John ( my friend was there simply to accompany his wife and said the guitar player was the only part of the show that caught his attention). The two cuts we feature are about as far removed from mainstream pop as you could possible get. The first is a very laid back jazzy cut while the second has to rank amongst the fastest possible guitar playing humanly possible.
Let us know what you think!
Cheers,
Michael
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
No Borders
Having had a few days to let Sunday's show, (No Borders), sink in, it's really starting to grow on me. There were quite a few last minute changes (long story) so it didn't end up quite as planned but (speaking very personally!), I like the blend of material from relatively new artists and newer material from veterans.
The show starts with a straight-ahead rocker from Britain's Kasabian. Up next is an extended cut from The Stone Roses. This song takes a while to get going but be patient. It has a great blend of percussive groove with rock. The following songs feature the distinctive vocals of Chris Cornell (Audioslave) and Matthew Bellamy (Muse).
Our first "featured artist" is Colin Hay. Colin first came to prominence in the early eighties as singer/songwriter with Australia's "Men at Work" ("Who can it be now", "Down Under"). It was a listener who turned me on to his current solo material (which has been featured in the soundtracks to "Scrubs" and "Garden State"). I'm still catching up on his material but am really enjoying his gift for songwriting, especially the storytelling of his lyrics. (He also has a 'Barenaked Ladies' sense of humour when it comes to lyrics). Colin is on tour on the US east coast in April/May and then hops over to BC and Alberta in July/August. Very worth catching! Check his website for details: http://www.colinhay.com/
From Colin, we move to a true surprise (for me): Rik Emmett. Rik is probably best known as singer/guitar player for Canadian power trio Triumph. He has grown into a remarkably versatile artist. The cut we selected is an acoustic piece that is as far removed from 'power trio' as you could possibly imagine. Rik is also on tour. Check: http://www.rikemmett.com/.
We follow Rik with a cut that might suggest we're 'Living in the past': a brilliant, acoustic based cut from a classic band (you'll have to listen to find out who).
The show closes with an artist that never ceases to amaze me: Jeff Beck. The first cut has a great groove to it (and a very wide dynamic range - if you don't have a lot of bass on your speakers, you may think the song has stopped at a couple of points). His ability to pull sounds out of a guitar that I don't hear anyone else doing is quite remarkable. You will find yourself wondering when he's using a bottleneck and when he's doing wild string bends coupled with skilled use of the vibrato bar. The second cut is a live blues cut. Listen to the nuances he puts into each note. Amazing! On one note, he bends the string so much you wonder how the neck didn't snap, let alone the string. Still producing cutting edge material after all these years!
Cheers,
Michael
The show starts with a straight-ahead rocker from Britain's Kasabian. Up next is an extended cut from The Stone Roses. This song takes a while to get going but be patient. It has a great blend of percussive groove with rock. The following songs feature the distinctive vocals of Chris Cornell (Audioslave) and Matthew Bellamy (Muse).
Our first "featured artist" is Colin Hay. Colin first came to prominence in the early eighties as singer/songwriter with Australia's "Men at Work" ("Who can it be now", "Down Under"). It was a listener who turned me on to his current solo material (which has been featured in the soundtracks to "Scrubs" and "Garden State"). I'm still catching up on his material but am really enjoying his gift for songwriting, especially the storytelling of his lyrics. (He also has a 'Barenaked Ladies' sense of humour when it comes to lyrics). Colin is on tour on the US east coast in April/May and then hops over to BC and Alberta in July/August. Very worth catching! Check his website for details: http://www.colinhay.com/
From Colin, we move to a true surprise (for me): Rik Emmett. Rik is probably best known as singer/guitar player for Canadian power trio Triumph. He has grown into a remarkably versatile artist. The cut we selected is an acoustic piece that is as far removed from 'power trio' as you could possibly imagine. Rik is also on tour. Check: http://www.rikemmett.com/.
We follow Rik with a cut that might suggest we're 'Living in the past': a brilliant, acoustic based cut from a classic band (you'll have to listen to find out who).
The show closes with an artist that never ceases to amaze me: Jeff Beck. The first cut has a great groove to it (and a very wide dynamic range - if you don't have a lot of bass on your speakers, you may think the song has stopped at a couple of points). His ability to pull sounds out of a guitar that I don't hear anyone else doing is quite remarkable. You will find yourself wondering when he's using a bottleneck and when he's doing wild string bends coupled with skilled use of the vibrato bar. The second cut is a live blues cut. Listen to the nuances he puts into each note. Amazing! On one note, he bends the string so much you wonder how the neck didn't snap, let alone the string. Still producing cutting edge material after all these years!
Cheers,
Michael
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Year end show
By the skin of our teeth, we managed to get the year's final show (Archive 13 Beaucoup Entendu) uploaded on New Year's eve (with special thanks to Jay VP, a Vancouver based recording engineer with a growing international reputation, who helped trouble-shoot a ridiculously stupid techie problem of my own creation at the last minute!).
With most of the shows, I like to present a cross-section of material in the hope of turning someone on to an artist/song they hadn't heard before.
This show is an exception. With other stations producing their "Top 500 songs of all time" countdowns, I decided to take a (heavily biased) look back at artists that have had a major impact on me personally and the music industry in general. You will no doubt be familiar with most of the artists but the song choices may be different from what you'd see on most 'best of' lists. In most cases, I chose the songs that locked me in as a fan. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on the choices!
Also included are two songs that were a large part of the impetus to launch this station. In particular, the final cut of the show is a 17 minute instrumental that would most likely never see the light of day on a conventional station. Not an instantly catchy pop/rock tune. Instead, a song that takes its time to draw you in. If you give it a chance to get under your skin, you will find yourself returning to it over and over.
All the best for the new year!
Michael
With most of the shows, I like to present a cross-section of material in the hope of turning someone on to an artist/song they hadn't heard before.
This show is an exception. With other stations producing their "Top 500 songs of all time" countdowns, I decided to take a (heavily biased) look back at artists that have had a major impact on me personally and the music industry in general. You will no doubt be familiar with most of the artists but the song choices may be different from what you'd see on most 'best of' lists. In most cases, I chose the songs that locked me in as a fan. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on the choices!
Also included are two songs that were a large part of the impetus to launch this station. In particular, the final cut of the show is a 17 minute instrumental that would most likely never see the light of day on a conventional station. Not an instantly catchy pop/rock tune. Instead, a song that takes its time to draw you in. If you give it a chance to get under your skin, you will find yourself returning to it over and over.
All the best for the new year!
Michael
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