Vintage Finds, AKA Old Crap

A little late on this one, but here is some of the stuff we found the other day. You’ll be pleased to know I spend an afternoon cleaning and sanitizing all these things, so the record player no longer looks like a dirty heap of garbage, and the dresser looks slightly better. A tip about cleaning with vinegar + water solution: It’s great because there are no chemicals, but whatever it reacted with (my guess is decades of cigarette smoke) sent me into intermittent coughing … Continue reading

Interactive Map of Toronto’s Fallen Soldiers (Source: Global News)

I am beyond impressed with this map provided by Global News. An incredible 2870 names of fallen soldiers from the First World War geocoded and analyzed, plotted onto this map of Toronto according to their next of kin’s address, along with their age, date of death, occupation and rank.  If you’re especially familiar with the area, this might be of extra interest to you.  I lived next to the residence of a fallen gunner named Edward Trevor Lynge. He died September 7, 1918.  Gives “close … Continue reading

Robin Pecknold continues to be wonderful in every way.

You know of my love for Fleet Foxes if you’re any one of the four regular visitors to this site (including the weirdo who gets here every time by searching “elvira quesada”; hearts!). Well, there’s more proof in the pudding that one of this era’s most talented musicians is just as great a guy as he is at tugging my emotions every which way on a long drive down the northern highways. Not only did he comment on this guy’s cover of “Olivia, In a … Continue reading

Why You Cry

Ever hear of the ‘appoggiatura‘? Interesting article about what makes us want to bawl our eyes out while listening to pretty, pretty songs.  I’m willing to bet Fleet Foxes know about this phenomena and purposely lace each heart-tugging mountaineer folk tune with a quota of 10 or more. From the linked article: Twenty years ago, the British psychologist John Sloboda conducted a simple experiment. He asked music lovers to identify passages of songs that reliably set off a physical reaction, such as tears or goose … Continue reading

CREAM DELIVERY!

Apparently this isn’t Radiohead.  But it’s sure nice like Radiohead.  I hadn’t heard the song a month ago so I don’t feel duped.  And knowing that it’s not Thom Yorke, I notice the subtle nuances indicating that it isn’t him.  Always would have noticed them though, right?  Sure. My mom did her last good deed for me for 2011.  I got a text from my sister saying “u ho”… which was then re-sent as “u home? lmfao”.  I was directed to wait at my door, … Continue reading

Twas the Night Before the Night Before Christmas (Today)

Yesterday I met one of my many idols to whom I have nothing interesting to say.  If you live in Canada, claim to love music, and don’t know who Alan Cross is, for shame.  Anyway, him.  Three of us got up 3 hours before the crack of dawn and headed to the Feathery Pub in St Catharines (where I think I got bedbugs from a booth seat) to listen to Alan Cross read his version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, which I missed almost … Continue reading

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