ESB 4/29/05

I apologize once again for not updating sooner, but the intar-net was no worky for a couple of days. I was wracking the ol' brainbox to figure out why, until I realized my cable was just slightly unplugged.

So what shall I preface with today? A lot of people ask me, "Hey, Stevos, you're on the scene, you're into the good tunes. How come we never hear any of that grime stuff on your radio show? Ain't it the new thing these days? Isn't it all over the blogosphere?"

Two reasons:

1) My dad is the only truly big fan of my show. Being a good Eastern European Jew he stays true to form and thus hates "that goddamn rap music" and it stresses the hell out of him. He has a hard enough time stomaching the likes of No Dynamics and Hella week to week. And he's not a huge fan of digital harcore electropunk either. Normally, I'd tell him to fuck off, but because he is the major financial contributor to my show during fundraising season, I'll keep him free of grime. But as faithful listeners, you can tell my sponsor how you feel about this by emailing him in Eski-boi speak (see link above).

2) All jokes about the ol' man aside, I find that grime doesn't need my help. Enough Torontonian indie boys have burned all their Arcade Fire albums and replaced them with Roll Deep live sets. Other people do grime better than I do, like Luca Lucarini at Ghetto Postage. Also, I don't want to end up being trashed in Dave Morris' Totally Wired for jumping on the grimewagon months after the bees started buzzing.

So I'll just suggest you all pick up the Run the Road compilation and ESB will leave it be. Roight? Oi.

Now, on with the show!

WE ARE WOLVES - We Are All Winners
WE ARE WOLVES - L.L. Romeo
WE ARE WOLVES - La Nature
* We Are Aids Wolf Parade Bright Frog Eyes. They should all just be one band. But seriously, check out this Montreal group's fabo-lus website, where these tracks came from. They've recently been written up in 20Jazzfunkgreats. They;ve got quite the touring schedule ahead of them hitting the road through the States and Western Canada with Trail of Dead and The International Noise Conspiracy. Check 'em out in Toronto on May 9th (next Monday) at The Hooch, 817 Queen West.

DANDI WIND - Umbillical Noose
DANDI WIND - Drawing Straws
DANDI WIND - Balloon Factory
* New tracks from Vancouver's outrageous and wily disco-punk songstress, who recently supported The Hidden Cameras across Canada to good reception. She's my breakout pick for 2005. Download the whole "Bait the Traps" EP here. She'll be at Harbourfront on June 2nd as part of the Power Plant's 7th annual Power Ball

RUSSIAN FUTURISTS - These Seven Notes
SOLVENT - Think Like Us
RYU vs KEN - Combos Are the Way to Our Hearts

QUINTRON - Place Unknown
ROBOTNICKA - Bidip Bidip Bidip
LOST SOUNDS - Mechanical Feelings
* Another killer set from 20Jazzfunkgreats. Doesn't the Quintron track sound like the inspiration for Soul Wax's "NY Excuse"? I'd say so.

JOSEPHINE FOSTER - Crackerjack Fool
HENRY FLYNT - Purified by the Fire
DAN BEN ISRAEL - Hippies of Today are the Assholes of Tomorrow
ON FILLMORE - Eats Their Own
* A set from Locust Music's mp3 page. See previous entry for details and downloads.

FIERY FURNACES - Bluberry Boat Medley (Live @ Mod Club, Toronto, 9/12/04)
* Courtesy of Fluxblog. Listen to the whole raucous, head-spinning live set at CBC Just Concerts.

This week, tune in for a round up of a freshly released Montreal compilation that highlights some of the groups who were skipped over by the New York Times and Spin, as well as some music that has been made available to international music junkies exclusively through the blogosphere.