Month: September 2022

Old Fellas New Music Episode 31 Notes

On By paulmcguire2013In MixCloud, Old Fellas New Music1 Comment
This week’s poster

We are back again this week on Friday at 4:00 PM. Certainly hoping for fewer tech glitches, but all things considered, it was OK.

You can hear last week’s show here on Mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/paul-mcguire3/
This week we have another great setup.

The Beths – Knees Deep
Orville Peck, Shania Twain – Legends Never Die
Glorious Sons – Pink Motel
Blue Stones – Shakin’ Off the Dust
Blue Rodeo – When You Were Wild
Crystal Eyes – 2000 years
Rosie Tucker – Barbara Ann
Sudan Archives – Selfish Soul
Cheap Trick – So it Goes

Our latest show on Mixcloud

Here are some notes that will grow as we get closer to the show.
The Beths – Knees Deep

Beths  – Knees Deep

New Zealand indie rockers The Beths have already released 2 albums of snappy power pop.  Their latest is  Expert in a Dying Field,  from which Knees Deep is the lead-off single.

It’s a peppy,  tune about trying to summon personal courage. In the song’s video, various Beths blow off band practice to go bungee jumping.  It’s included here in a review of the song from Consequence Sound

The Beths Jump In on New Single “Knee Deep”: Stream

In a press release, Beths leader Liz Stokes has this to say:    “I’m the kind of person who wants to go swimming but takes like 10 minutes to get all the way into the cold water, slowly and painfully. I hate this about myself and am kind of envious of people who can just jump straight in the deep end. In a shocking twist, this is also a metaphor?! For how I wish I was the kind of person who was”

Here’s a nice interview regarding their latest release.   https://greatdarkwonder.com/interview-blue-rodeo-many-a-mile/

Glorious Sons – Pink Motel

Kingston Ontario’s The Glorious Sons have achieved remarkable success scoring the Juno for top rock album 3 times and having 2 number 1 hits in the US Billboard Charts.

Pink Motel is the closing track on their 2019 release A War On Everything. The song has very early 70’s Stones vibe to it.  This is a clip of them performing the song at Queen’s University’s Richardson Stadium in hometown Kingston in 2019.


Orville Peck, Shania Twain – Legends Never Die

Orville Peck and Shania Twain

I don’t know anything about Orville Peck, but I will work on this. Everyone knows Shania Twain and her story is worth reading about. This is a woman with a great amount of courage and it is really great to see her in my ‘duets section’ for this week.

I am adding this track on Karen’s suggestion. She is coming to see them this week at Cityfolk here in Ottawa. This is a great duet, you really need to give it a listen.

Blue Stones – Shakin’ Off the Dust
Here is a band that I was only vaguely aware of before Cityfolk. This is a two-person band from Windsor and their music is powerful. The band consists of a drummer and a guitarist. I could have chosen any of their tracks, but I stuck to the show format and chose Shakin’ Off the Dust.

a little grainy, but taken live at CityFolk

I had to add the video for this track, a little strange

Blue Rodeo – When You Were Wild

What can one say about Blue Rodeo?  A Canadian institution since the mid-eighties, Blue Rodeo released their 16th studio album Many A Mile this year. 

When You Were Wild is a Greg Keelor number

Here’s a nice interview regarding their latest release.   https://greatdarkwonder.com/interview-blue-rodeo-many-a-mile/

Crystal Eyes – 2000 years

This track I heard this week off of CBC Radio 3 and I had to add this. I find this is the best way to choose tracks for this show. The song was immediately appealing, now I need to go back and find out a little about who these folks are.

Crystal Eyes

and a little bit about them

Alberta psych-rockers Crystal Eyes are back with a video for their new track, “Don’t Turn Around.”

Today’s release comes from their forthcoming sophomore record, The Sweetness Restored, out April 22nd via Bobo Integral. “Don’t Turn Around” is a brooding track with bold vocal lines, driven percussion, and pulsing synths. The accompanying video for the track comes packed with vintage clips of people parasailing at a picturesque beach.

and this great quote “Crystal Eyes describe the forthcoming album as a “feel-good self-help record for the age of existential dread.”

all from Indi 88 FM

Rosie Tucker – Barbara Ann

Rosie Tucker is an American musician from Los Angeles.  This track is taken from their third and latest album entitled Sucker Supreme.  The album was listed on Pitchfork’s list of “29 Great Records You May Have Missed: Spring 2021

The record opens with one of its finest moments, and “Barbara Ann.” Apparently the song is about Tucker’s grandmother and spending time inside the American monoculture of the Midwest.

The Alternative provides a nice review of the album. https://www.getalternative.com/album-review-rosie-tucker-sucker-supreme/

Sudan Archives – Selfish Soul

This music has a really unique sound. I did look up something about Sudan Archives and her music is influenced by Sudanese violin style.

Here is an excerpt from her website

Sudan Archives is a violinist and vocalist who writes, plays, and produces her own music. Drawing inspiration from Sudanese fiddlers, she is self-taught on the violin, and her unique songs also fold in elements of R&B, experimental electronic music, and beat-making. She signed to Stones Throw Records in 2017.

Sudan Archives grew up in Cincinnati where she “messed around with instruments in the house” and took up violin in the fourth grade, teaching herself how to play the instrument by ear. When she discovered the violin playing style of Northeast Africa her eyes opened to the possibilities of the instrument.

Here is an early video from 2016 when she was just starting out

Sudan Archives – Queen Kunta
In this live performance video, she flips Kendrick Lamar’s “King Kunta” with just her voice, a violin and a loop pedal.
Video and photo by Eric Coleman. Cameras: Mike Park, Dominic Macias, Chris Gutierrez and Eric Coleman. Editor: Laith Majali. Special Thanks to Red Gate Recorders.

Cheap  Trick – So it Goes

Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, that originally formed in 1973. In 1978 Bob and his brother bought Cheap Trick’s third album, Heaven Tonight.  After that it was only a matter of time before they went and got the first two albums as well.  The band seemed to bridge the gap between new wave, power pop and grand stadium rock. They  exploded in popularity in 1979 with The Live at Budokan album.  Here’s the poster from when at their height, they played the Montreal Forum.  (Paul See attachment)

After more mainstream and less interesting releases in the 80’s their output became more sporadic. However this track come from their 20th lp  which became their first #1 record.

Cheap Trick Scores First-Ever No. 1 Album with ‘In Another World’ — Out Now!

Also, a blog Bob follows Burning Wood loved it as well.  https://burnwoodtonite.blogspot.com/search?q=CHEAP+TRICK

Here’s a comparison- Cheap Trick 1977  

vs. Cheap Trick 2021   

You be the judge…

Here is the updated Spotify Playlist

Our Playlist is up to 31 shows now!
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Researcher’s Journal: Starting Year 2

On By paulmcguire2013In Academic Life, My Researcher's Journal, post-truthLeave a comment

I am back in school again.

I am starting my second year in the Ph.D. program at Ottawa University. Over the summer, I completed my last required course so, in theory, I don’t need to take any more courses and I can move on to getting ready for my comprehensive exam.

Many of the people in my cohort have written or are writing their comprehensives. There seems to be a pronounced rush to get this next stage done. Once successfully completed, you can actually call yourself a Ph.D. Candidate.

I’m not doing that, there is too much I still don’t know.

For one thing, I recently changed my research topic. I wrote about this in early June.

The change moved me in an entirely different direction and I have a new wonderful supervisor who specializes in the same area I am interested in. To be honest, the change in thinking started back in April when my first attempt at writing a comprehensive-style essay flopped.

After a year of courses at the graduate level, all I feel is that I don’t know anything. I continue to read every day, but it is easy to lose touch with where I am going with all this. For the next few months, I will focus on learning about quantitative methodology, something I will need for sure and a topic I know nothing about.

a totally new area for me

I am also starting (again) to look at a different methodology – one that can connect to the research I hope to do one day. It is interesting how we make these decisions. In speaking with my supervisor, we talked about a method of research Sam Wineburg used to study the thinking patterns of students and professors when assessing the value and credibility of a variety of historical sources ( see Wineberg, S. (1991). On the reading of historical texts: Notes on the breach between school and academy. American Educational Research Journal, 28, p. 495-520.) Wineburg used think aloud techniques to gather information on what his subjects were thinking about as they reviewed various sources. This happens to be an area my supervisor is very interested in so I am now reading up on the literature about this methodology. I am starting with Verbal Protocols of Reading: The Nature of Constructively Responsive Reading By Michael Pressley and Peter Afflerbach (1994). This sets the stage for everything else I will read on this methodology. This work is in its early days, so my Zotero on this topic looks a little bleak.

My think aloud methodology section on Zotero (needs some work)

This will grow quickly. Recording people’s thinking as they review different online sources is a fascinating way to understand how students especially make decisions on what websites are actually credible to them.

My question now looks like this:


In an increasingly complex post-truth world, people in general – students and teachers
in particular – struggle to discern credible sources of online information. Their ability to judge multiple sources of information has and will have a major impact on their collective ability to make decisions in a modern, democratic society.
 
We need to better understand the challenges presented by a post-truth
world and what strategies and techniques need to be developed to provide educators and students with appropriate tools to effectively evaluate multiple online sources of information.


 Discerning Online Reasoning in a Post-Truth World 

This is what I want to go with. It is a big jump from where I started, but this represents the best of my thinking and research so far. Is this a good effort? I have no idea. The paper received a good mark, but no comments at all. That’s not right.

So next steps, read lots (again) but this time on methodology. Come up with three questions I can use for my comprehensive, practice writing on two of these questions (I think/hope I have one of these covered) then take a month to write on two of these questions.

I have learned over the past year to take small steps and not expect too much. Grad students are left very much on their own and you have to have a good supervisor, especially after year one, to make this whole process work.

I have also learned that this is a venture that favours the young. We the older students offer decades of experience in the field of education, but that seems to have little cache in academia. There is no way I could be writing on this topic without the experience I gained implementing digital technology in the school system. But more on this later.

Next week I will be looking for more articles on think aloud techniques and of course Wineburg

Old Fellas New Music Episode 30!!

On By paulmcguire2013In Old Fellas New MusicLeave a comment
Here is our show – just up on Mixcloud

Yes, we are back. We haven’t done a show since the New Year and things are calming down a bit on the academic scene, so why not start back up?

And here is our link: https://www.mixcloud.com/live/paul-mcguire3/

Our poster for this week. We will be LVE on Thursday at 4:00 PM EDT

Here are this week’s tracks:

  1. Britney Spears and Elton John: Hold Me Closer 
  2. Girl in Red – Serotonin
  3.  Rayland Baxter Casanova
  4. Eddie Vedder – Long Way
  5. Rami Randhawa & Prince Randhawa  Vair
  6. Susanna Hoffs/Aimee Mann – Name of the Game
  7. Wax Mannequin – People Can Change
  8. Manchester Orchestra – Telepath
  9.  Kaê Guajajara – Essa Rua é Minha

I will include a few of my notes right here and Bob will add his soon. Then I will update the post.

I am not sure what kind of show this is, but if we are doing popular culture, I have to lead with this song. Elton John has been by hero since grade 11 and he still continues to entertain and amaze. He did a great duo with Dua Lipa, so why not with the recently freed Britany Speers. My Peloton coach really likes Brittany so that works for me. No more to say.

Cody Rigsby – more popular culture for you all

Girl in Red – Serontin

Girl in Red is the indie pop music project of Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer Marie Ulven Ringheim. Her debut studio album If I Could Make It Go Quiet was released on 30 April 2021.

Serotonin is the hormone that stabilizes our mood, feelings of well-being, and happiness. This hormone impacts your entire body. It enables brain cells and other nervous system cells to communicate with each other. Serotonin also helps with sleeping, eating, and digestion

 I’m running low on serotonin
Chemical imbalance got me twisting things
Stabilize with medicine
There’s no depth to these feelings
Dig deep, can’t hide
From the corners of my mind
I’m terrified of what’s inside

The video is lotsa fun. There are almost as many red balloons as Nena!    

Girl in Red

…

Rayland Baxter Casanova

Wide Awake 2018

Rayland Baxter

I don’t know anything about this guy, but I heard this song and immediately loved it. That is how it goes on this show (for me). That is how I found so much great music last year – now I have lots of their music which includes the first new additions to my collection in years – never stop collecting!

Baxter is a Nashville artist and has some great tunes. Here is a promo video from the same album. Song Hey Lorocco

Rayland Baxter – Hey Larocco (Official Video)

Here is a bit from the Wikipedia article on him. A close look will tell you this needs an update to 2022

Baxter began performing in 2010, when he was featured on the song Shanghai Cigarettes by country musician Caitlin Rose.[6] In 2012, Baxter released his debut full-length album, titled Feathers & Fishhooks (stylized as feathers & fishHooks), via ATO Records.[7][8] In 2013, Baxter released his first extended play, titled Ashkelon (stylized as ashkeLON) also via ATO Records. The title is named after the town Ashkelon in Israel.[9] On August 14, 2015, Baxter released his second studio album titled Imaginary Man.[10] In 2018, Baxter released his third full-length album titled Wide Awake.[11] In 2019, Baxter released Good Mmornin, an album of seven Mac Miller cover songs. The record was released the day before he played the Newport Folk Fest where he debuted several of the songs live for the first time.[12]

Eddie Vedder – Long Way

Eddie Vedder released  “Long Way.” in late 2021.  The song sees Vedder channelling his “inner Tom Petty” The song features Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ guitarist Josh Klinghoffer and drummer Chad Smith, alongside Hammond organ by Benmont Tench, of The Heartbreakers-fame. here he is doing it live in 2021.  

Eddie Vedder

Rami Randhawa & Prince Randhawa  Vair

I included this track because I really like this music. I hear lots of this on Frequencies and it has such great energy and wonderful videos!

Vair (Full Video ) Rami Randhawa & Prince Randhawa !! Western Penduz !! Sandeep Sharma| Ramaz Music
3,852,031 views May 28, 2019

There is an interesting story that led me to include them this week. If you search the pair on social media you will find some interesting material about the two Punjabi singers who also have a connection to Canada.
Their social media feud (2019) is of interest:

Punjabi singers flex muscles on social media, 1 held

MOHALI: Issuing threats and throwing challenges at each other on social media led to the arrest of renowned Punjabi singer Rami Randhawa here today while his brother Prince Randhawa and another Punjabi singer Elly Mangat have been booked for obscene acts and criminal intimidation.

Issuing threats and throwing challenges at each other on social media led to the arrest of renowned Punjabi singer Rami Randhawa here today while his brother Prince Randhawa and another Punjabi singer Elly Mangat have been booked for obscene acts and criminal intimidation.
Rami and Elly used abusive language on social media, including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and challenged each other. “As per their challenges, the groups of the two singers were all set to meet at Purab Apartments to settle scores with each other,” said DSP Ramandeep Singh.
Under preventive action, the Mohali police today conducted a search of Purab Apartments and nabbed Rami Randhawa. “His brother Prince Randhawa was not present there while Elly is said to be coming from Canada and is expected to reach here tomorrow,” said the DSP.
“We have already sent an alert to the airport authorities. We would nab him there,” he said, adding that Prince Randhawa, who usually sang with his brother Rami, was also at large. Raids are on to nab him, said the DSP.

In a follow-up story, it is suspected that all this was a publicity stunt
A police officer said that there seemed to be something fish ..

Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/71093637.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Susanna Hoffs/Aimee Mann – Name of the Game

The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs has teamed up with Aimee Mann for a new cover of Badfinger’s “Name of the Game.” The track  appears on Hoffs’  covers album, Bright Lights
Hoffs is no stranger to cover albums.  She and Matthew Sweet have done three wonderful cover albums.   
https://www.classicrockhistory.com/matthew-sweet-susanna-hoffs-under-the-covers-album-reviews/
 
Here is Hoff’s version and Badfinger’s



Wax Mannequin – People Can Change

Have a New Name 2018

I really don’t have much on the band, but I really like this song.

From my old stand-by Wikipedia doesn’t help here – again looks like a good opportunity for editing with new info:

Wax Mannequin is the stage name of Chris Adeney,[1] a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter. His style has been described as “a hybrid of Bruce Cockburn and Frank Zappa“,[2] “Tom Waits and Type O Negative jamming on the early Beatles catalogue”,[3] and “Rheostatics via Savatage“.[4] Carl Wilson of The Globe and Mail noted that “crowds are often baffled whether to be awed, irritated or amused by Wax’s all-rockets-flaring, un-Canadian-like extravagant performances” (2004).[2]

Wax Mannequin Bandcamp Page – releases go back to June 2001

Beneath the unsettling imagery and musical left turns there is a steady questioning of life’s inherent strangeness and his own neuro-divergent experience.

Bandcamp Page

Manchester Orchestra – Telepath  from The Million Masks of God
 
Manchester Orchestra is an American indie rock band from Atlanta formed in 2004. They are named after the English city of Manchester, a city frequently viewed as rich in musical history (The Smiths, The Fall, The Buzzcocks, The Stone Roses, Joy Division, Oasis, New Order, Happy Mondays, Magazine) The group is composed of rhythm guitarist-singer-songwriter Andy Hull, lead guitarist Robert McDowell, bassist Andy been releasing albums every 3 years or so since 2006. Here is a great acoustic version. 
Manchester Orchestra – Telepath  from The Million Masks of God 2021
 

Manchester Orchestra

Kaê Guajajara – Essa Rua é Minha

Single 2020

kaekaekae Instagram

I picked this song off a CBC show. While I missed what the show was about, the music stuck with me.

From her website:

Weaving a line between ancestry and indigenous futurism, Kaê Guajajara has been breaking the silence and the chains imposed by racism and colonization, raising up cries of resistance that span and echo across half a millennium. Kaê’s music presents a great opportunity to raise awareness among non-indigenous people about who the true owners of this land are and where we are today

https://ifnotusthenwho.me/who/kae-guajajara/

Compelling song and part of a really interesting Latin American tradition of protest hip hop.

You can read more and see some great video material here –

“The Indigenous Voice Is the Voice of Today”:
A Music Video Playlist of Indigenous Latin American Hip-Hop

JAAS NEWEN “Inche Kay Che”

More from The Guardian on Brazilian protest which Kaê Guajajra is a part of:

When the president (Jair Bolsonaro)assumed office, the singer and composer Kaê Guajajara worried she was “going to die” as a result of his hostile actions and rhetoric. Kaê belongs to the Guajajara ethnicity, located in the Amazonian part of Maranhão state in north-eastern Brazil. Merging hip-hop, traditional instruments and elements from her mother tongue Ze’egete, Kaê makes music about the reality of urbanised Indigenous peoples and the erasing of Indigenous identities.