I’m going to start by saying that I never like a Magnetic Fields record through and through when it’s first released. Actually I never like a Magnetic Fields record through and through. Their music seems to be cyclical in nature to me. I’ll listen to a record of theirs and love certain tracks, be indifferent to others, and hate others. Then a few months later, I love different ones, be indifferent to others, and hate others.

This can be traced back to their first song I heard, “The Desperate Things You Made Me Do.” I hated it. Really really hated it. Now I love it, unashamedly love it.

So I’ve listened to Realism, and I find there’s nothing that hugely stands out to me. There’s fun stuff, but none of it really feels like a Magnetic Fields record. There’s songs which feel like they could be from one of the musicals Stephin Merritt has scored, there are others which sound like they could be Gothic Archies songs.

There’s definitely some fun tracks on the record, “We Are Having A Hootenanny,” “Everything Is One Big Christmas Tree” & “The Dada Polka” are among my favourites. We’ll see how it holds up to a few hundred listens. I wasn’t a huge fan of i (I still can’t stand “I Was Born”) and now it’s among my favourite of Merritt’s work. I also at first really loved much of Distortion, and now I’m indifferent to much of it (though “The Nun’s Litany” is still brilliant).

Are you tired of reading about my thoughts of the Magnetic Fields? Well, screw you, I’m going to see them tomorrow!

Last night, a smallish group of friends gathered at Number 71 for a gathering which isn’t your usual gathering. A long time ago, we learned of a fruit, a miracle fruit, if you will. You eat this fruit, allow it to accumulate on your tongue, and then eat away. We ate many things, lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, hot sauce, tabasco sauce, mustard, chocolate, melon, pineapple, apple, pear, different cheeses, and many more items. On a usual day, that’s a very odd meal, but when you add the odd effects of miracle fruit, you’re experiencing something very different.

The thing is miracle fruit seems to block certain taste buds, thus changing the way you perceive the food to taste. Generally sour food became sweet, and sweet food, seemed to lose a lot of their taste. Many foods seemed to just stay the same, but others like pineapple become something so very similar, but so very different.

It was definitely an interesting way to spend a Saturday night.

Pictured above: Ginsberg & Steve swish Miracle Pulp around in their mouths.

Courtesy of JoelPlaskett.com

Disc 1- Clayton Park

Disc 2- Sweet Homewrecker

Disc 3- Smart Bomb and The Great Pacific Ocean

Disc 4 – All Technology Aside – 22 songs – outtakes, b-sides and unreleased

Disc 5 – Hits and Giggles – 23 songs – early singles, eps and unreleased tracks

Disc 6 – Embarrass Ourselves Awake – hodge podge of really early material from Nabisco Fonzie, The Hoods, The Hermit and The Tim Robbins Experience.  Truly embarrassing stuff to keep you awake on long drives

Disc 7 – DVD consisting of Learn to Party documentary (1999) and lots of extra never before seen footage from 1990- 1999

Will also include a 24 page booklet with lots of photos and liner notes written by Rob Benvie.

Sounds like they’re trying to get this ready to go for the tour. Sweet!

I finally picked up Herman Dune’s record Next Year In Zion; I was really impressed with their set opening for Julie Doiron. Herman Dune, from Paris, France, are an English-language band who released their latest record Next Year in Zion in 2008.

I purchased it on vinyl today, and though it’s not advertised as such, it does include a digital download coupon (for those of us who love both our analogue and digital technologies).

I’m really digging this record. I haven’t finished my first listen, but I know a handful of the songs from the Lee’s Palace show, and I can easily see this making its way into heavy rotation.

Today, I said to myself that it was time to rebrand this page. Though it’s a personal page, it’s more about music/film/etc than it is about Adam Anklewicz. So after debating over many domains, I chose this one, neverhadtofight.com. “Never Had To Fight” is a Local Rabbits song written by Peter Elkas. It’s the second track on their final, and best record This Is It, Here We Go.

I did this in the afternoon today, about an hour ago, I got a message in MSN from Jay… you know, Trig… from The Board. A while ago, I told him that Gooseberry records was doing a Sloan tribute album, and a Local Rabbits tribute album.

The conversation began with him saying…

I ruined your favourite rabbits song.

I read that as “You ruined my favourite rabbits song.” I was wondering how he knew so quickly that I now had this blog under neverhadtofight.com. Well, I was wrong, and he’s sent me his cover, which can be sampled here, and it’s awesome. Sure it’s not as awesome as the Rabbits, but it’s up there.

On Monday I’m going to see The Magnetic Fields at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in the CNE. I’ve never been there… I’ve also never been as excited to see a band since I went to see Paul McCartney for the first time. I really have no idea what to expect. I’ve yet to hear Realism yet, as I’m waiting until I can get my hands on a copy (I don’t want to buy the CD, I’d rather just buy the vinyl with a CD, but I haven’t heard from Criminal Records yet that it’s arrived). I don’t know what kind of material they’ll perform… new stuff, lots from 69 Love Songs, will there be any of Stephin’s solo material, or Future Bible Heroes songs, maybe Gothic Archies songs, maybe 6ths songs. Mr. Merritt has perhaps the largest collection of musicians who have only been performing for 20 years.

In December, I set goals for myself, how many films to see this year, how many shows to attend, how many records to purchase, and how many books to read. This is the standings, as of the end of January…

Books I read (1/10 – 10%):
Animal Farm by George Orwell | Originally published 1945

Films I saw (11/52 – 21%):
It’s Complicated | Originally released 2009
Magicians | Originally released 2007
A Single Man | Originally released 2009
Fantastic Mr. Fox | Originally released 2009
After Elizabeth II (Documentary, from CBC Doc Zone)
Crazy Heart | Originally released 2009
Brüno | Originally released 2009
Dan In Real Life | Originally released 2009
Men Who Stare at Goats | Originally released 2009
It Happened One Night | Originally released 1934
A Boy And His Dog | Originally released 1975

Albums I bought (7/52 – 13%):
Gene Clark by Gene Clark (vinyl) | Originally released 1971
The New Despair by The Gothic Archies (CD EP) | Originally released 1997
The Wayward Bus by The Magnetic Fields (CD) | Originally released 1992
Distant Plastic Trees by The Magnetic Fields (CD) | Originally released 1991
Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love by Jonathan Richman (CD) | Originally released  2004
Heartland by Owen Pallett (vinyl)
Mal De Mer by Ben Gunning (CD)

Shows I attended (5/52 – 9%):
Julie Doiron (w/ Will Kidman) @ The Cobourg; January 9, 2010
Krupke, Skip Jensen & Ginger & Irene @ Rancho Relaxo; January 15, 2010
$100 (w/ The Lonesome Ace Stringband & Stripmall Ballads) @ The Horseshoe Tavern;  January 22, 2010
Ben Gunning (w/ Allie Hughes) @ The Rivoli; January 29, 2010
The Dress Whites @ Bread & Circus; January 30, 2010

Went to see Ben Gunning last night, he was releasing his second solo record, Mal De Mer. He played the complete record. For more photos, click here.

For Volume 1, click here.
For Volume 2, click here.
For Volume 3, click here.

In this edition of Lyrics, we’re going to discuss my favourite misheard lyrics.

Back in 1999, Thrush Hermit released their defining record, Clayton Park. During the opening track, they had what is perhaps the best lyric.

If I were Phyllis, I’d take a bullet and impress my friends.

Who is this Phyllis chick that randomly takes bullets to impress her friends. I’d like to know a bird like that. Turns out it was:

If I was fearless, I’d take a bullet and impress my friends.

Not nearly as awesome.

Next we have a song by Kingston’s The Inbreds called “Amelia Earhart.” Mike O’Neill sings:

I know she’s safe
because she’s an excellent alligator

Since when was Amelia Earhart an alligator? Well, why not, she should be, Amelia Earhart surely is one of the coolest women in history… and if she wants to be an alligator, all power to her! Oh, what? She’s not an alligator?

I know she’s safe
because she’s an excellent navigator

Well, that’s slightly disappointing.

For volume 1, click here.
For volume 2, click here.

On Friday night I went to see $100 at the Horseshoe Tavern, and I knew right then that I should include them in this ongoing series of awesome lyrics.

With only one album, one EP, and two seven inch records in their limited catalogue, there’s not much to choose from, but the it seems nearly every song has something worth talking about. Whether it’s songs about the hostile relationship between mother and her transexual son, self-righteous men who impose their beliefs on a lesbian couple, suicide on the TTC, or sloppy lovers, it’s easy to find something to talk about.

Instead of these, I chose the song “Fourteen Hour Day,” which is a tale of a woman and her husband, a miner in Timmins. Wishing to be able to lay down with her husband, when he’s busy working a fourteen day as the foreman in the mine. They spend their years toiling away, hoping for something better, until the end.

There’s a dip here in the mattress,
Beside me where you lay.
I can’t bear to lie here, oh I weep my night away,
You know I weep my night away.

I’ll grab that shovel darling,
March up to your grave.
Dig a hole right next to yours and next to you I’ll stay,
Yeah, next to you I’ll stay.

The pure sadness and desperation of hers is heartbreaking.

How does one end an era? John Lennon did it with a simple statement.

I don’t believe in Beatles