Song of the Week - Primitive Radio Gods (from the Archives)

Primitive Radio Gods - Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in my Hand
Album: Rocket

Perhaps they are the definition of a one-hit wonder for many, but Primitive Radio Gods are still making records well after this 1996 hit. The song went to the top of the charts soon after being featured on the soundtrack to The Cable Guy (the movie that almost ruined Jim Carrey's career). The song's famous chorus borrowed from B.B. King's song "How Blue Can You Get", perhaps the reason why the song launched into popularity. While Primitive Radio Gods were shortly a big name, the following year they were dropped from their record label Columbia, and have been lost in obscurity ever since despite having released four full length albums since 2000 - their most recent album, Out Alive, released last year.

While it is unlikely the group will never see their names on any billboard charts again, perhaps it is comforting to know that they are still around and following their passion. Though they will remain a pop culture question in the future, at least people can go back and listen to this once and still great song.

The Leather Jacket

Homeless people and I have an on-again/off-again relationship, and I’m not sure why. I donate to local shelters, but like many people I never give them spare change directly. I have had a soft spot on occasion on cold nights bringing them hot chocolate or buying them a sandwich, but I don’t do this frequently. The truth is, ever since I moved to Toronto, homeless people hadn’t taken a liking to me until I wore my NASCAR leather jacket one day. From that day, everything changed it seemed.

Song of the Week -Tegan and Sara

Tegan and Sara - Where Does the Good Go? (live)
Album: So Jealous

Tegan and Sara Quin are twin sisters that make up this Canadian indie rock group. Since they started touring after graduating from high school, their collection including six albums has increasingly gotten better. The last three albums have been nominated for a Juno Best Alternative Album of the Year, though they have yet to bring home a Juno. This popular song from their 4th album was featured on the very first episode of the CBC sitcom "Being Erica", and seeing as how Erica has dominated much of my week so far, one can see how this song has stuck with me.

Watching Erica

When watching a TV show, I like to start from the very beginning: Season 1 Episode 1. I don’t like to jump in mid-season, I don’t like to miss episodes, and I don’t like miss any lines of dialogue from chatter in the room. I’m a bit of a snob this way, but I feel that’s the way TV should be enjoyed. This doesn’t mean that every show I watch every show right from the first episode. Many shows I watch casually until I am quickly bored, but only the elite do I watch in their entirety right from the start. A very few select sitcoms have won me over in this regard (Seinfeld, Scrubs, The Office, 30 Rock), and much to my delight a Canadian show found a special place on my DVD rack: Being Erica.

It’s true that the main character, Erica Strange, does not relate to me. I am not female, nor Jewish; I am not desperate for love or struggling with work. Nonetheless, the show with all its quirks (Erica sees a therapist who helps her time-travel to have a 2^nd chance to redo regrets from her past), dialogue featuring many famous quotes from writers, and local Toronto references has made it feel like the show really belongs to this city where I live. My partner’s affinity for the show should also be mentioned – she booked off work one day to go be an extra for the show. Upon her return, we decided that we have to start the show from Season 1, so we went out and bought the DVD to watch together. And that’s where everything went wrong.

Song of the Week - U2 360°

U2 - City of Blinding Light (live)
Album: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

It's only fair to give the biggest rock band in the world a massive stadium, an alien-like claw contraption for a stage, a song list that could provide 5 hours worth of 'best of' material, and tens of thousands of adoring fans. How could U2 not blow everyone away? The 360° is the highest grossing tour in the history of music, and still going despite an illness to Bono postponing many shows from 2010. This could very well be the last great rock band, one that can sell out stadiums and arenas holding over 65000 people. Not bad for four guys from Ireland.

It's just a baseball.

Tragedy struck first. A few days later, it was just stupidity.

Baseball fans are already well aware of the fate of Shannon Stone the Texas Rangers fan who fell 20 feet from the stands while reaching out to catch a foul ball being tossed to him by left-fielder Josh Hamilton. The father was just trying to catch the ball as a souvenir for his 6-year old son sitting next to him. The events that occurred after he reached out for the ball have been heard around the sporting world.

Keith Carmickle was looking to catch his 3rd baseball of the Derby.

Despite the events at the ballpark in Arlington a mere week before the All-Star game and Home Run Derby, it seems some fans didn’t learn anything from the news. At the Derby, Keith Carmickle tood barefoot on a table next to a 20-foot drop, in hope of catching a baseball. He slipped, fell over the railing, but was saved by his brother as well other fans holding his 250lb. frame and lifting him back to safety. Afterwards, even Carmichael had to admit of his own lack of judgement and luck in surviving. It is absolutely crazy what people will do for a small souvenir.

The Search for the Replacement Carafe

I never even knew what it was called until it smashed to pieces: a carafe.

My partner uses our coffee machine almost every morning before going to work. It is a vital tool to satisfy her morning caffeine fix. Last week, that all came to an abrupt halt. As she was cleaning our kitchen one evening, crowded with an endless supply of different appliances, I heard a scream coinciding with the sound of glass shattering. I was in the next room over talking to my father on the phone, but the crashing noise brought me over to see if she was okay. Glass was everywhere, but she was unhurt. She was, however, quickly unimpressed that I initially chose to continue on with my conversation instead of hurrying over to her rescue. It wasn’t long before she told me where my duties as a boyfriend lie; it was my job to help her clean everything up and I complied. She was right to be a little upset, so now it was up to me to go the extra mile and find a new carafe for her morning brew. It was the least I could do for her.

Who knew that finding such a simple thing could be so difficult? Initially I decided that Canadian Tire must be the way to go. They had many “Universal” carafes that worked on all sorts of brands and the only sizes were for 12-cup coffee machines, so naturally I figured that must be my size. Naturally it was too tall, too fat to fit in our machine; it turns out we had a 10-cup machine. It was time to return it and try all over again.

Song of the Week - Nightclub Edition

Britney Spears - Till the World Ends 

Album: Femme Fatale

I hate going to nightclubs. I just don’t like the whole premise behind it: spend a lot of time getting ready; pay for an expensive cab ride downtown; wait outside until being let in after one hour; $15 cover charge; and then when inside the drinks are overpriced, the dance floor is crowded, and the music is too loud to sustain any conversation. Needless to say, discos are not for me. Even still, after three years of living in Toronto, I figured it was about time I knew the name of just one club here. So, on the way home from a Blue Jays game, I saw one club: TIME. I figured if anyone ever asked me what the best club in Toronto was, I’d just say TIME. Three blocks later on my walk home, two girls all dressed up come up to me and ask: 

“Excuse me. Do you know where the nightclub “TIME” is?”

“I do,” I responded. “Just two blocks down on your right.”

They left happy for directions, and I left happy that I could point out the only club I knew. I don’t like dance clubs and I don’t like Britney Spears, but if I ever do get coerced into going to a club, I hope they play this song. It’s actually pretty damn catchy.

aa.