As I prepare to begin my Christmas shopping for family and friends, thoughts turn to a phrase we’ve heard bellowing from every mall and grocery store this month. “I wish it could be Christmas every day,” Roy Wood memorably sang four decades ago. It’s a sentiment echoed (not just in cover versions) countless times each year at this time. And as I hear those hopeful words, I am invariably reminded of one of the many unfinished screenplays I have on file. Or, at least, in mind. Continue reading
live music are better
A few weeks ago I and perhaps a dozen other local music-lovers took in CKCU host Dick Altavista‘s monthly musical presentation at the Elmdale House Tavern. With changes pending at the Wellington Street watering hole, the show was at the time slated to be the penultimate in what had been a dandy showcase for local bands. It turned out to be the last. A dozen or so people will be disappointed. Possibly more. And that’s not counting the thousands of locals eager to voice support for live music but unwilling to leave home to experience it. So yes, it’s a loss. Continue reading
no, Nelly
In her groundbreaking 1969 volume The Rock Encyclopedia, pioneering critic Lillian Roxon (1932-1973) lamented that semi-manufactured band The Grass Roots did not have the decency to die in a fiery plane crash shortly after the release of their first two top-10 hits: Let’s Live For Today and Midnight Confessions. Had they done so, she suggested, The Grass Roots would today be remembered as garage-rock legends. Instead, the combo degenerated into disposable bubble-gum confections like Two Divided By Love. Continue reading
Filed under Music
Snorri’s album reviews
It’s a quiet week for new releases, and as the snow continues to fall Snorri is opting to chill with a copy of Vince Guaraldi’s enduring A Charlie Brown Christmas. Best wishes to all this holiday season from our pet reviewer.
Filed under Snorri's Album Reviews
to know which way the wind blows
The weather outside is… oh, what’s the word?
Snow. Slush. Freezing rain. The Apocalypse.
Where, oh where, can we find a good, reliable weatherman to show us the way? Here in Capital City, we essentially have two contenders from which to choose. CBC’s Ian Black “knows weather,” we’re told. Ah, but Ottawa knows J.J. Clarke, a longtime fixture over at CTV. True, climatologist Ian is “the only CMOS-endorsed weather forecaster in Ottawa,” it says here. (I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what CMOS is.) But J.J. is, according to CTV Ottawa, a “weathercaster.” So while Ian can tell you what sort of summer we’re likely to have next year, or how global-warming is progressing, J.J. is here to tell you whether to bundle up for your journey to work tomorrow morning. Not that Ian isn’t willing to have a go at that, too. Continue reading
Filed under Media
Wig Bubbles 