Betty Burke

New website, new EP, and shows!

2011-01-26T23:39:00.000-05:00

It's almost February, which means 2011 is well underway. To ring in the new year, we've started a new BB blog over at www.bettyburke.com

We are playing a string of shows, including an EP release on Friday, February 25th at the Holy Oak (1241 Bloor Street West) with Evening Hymns, here in Toronto. The full list of shows is as follows:

Thursday January 27th - Guelph, E Bar - "Ghost Highway Review" with The Phonemes, and local guests Your Neck of The Woods

Friday January 28th - Peterborough, The Cannery - "Ghost Highway Review" with The Phonemes, and local guests

Saturday February 5th - Toronto - Canadian Dimension Magazine presents our video release party, please email bettyburkeband@gmail.com for location details

Sunday February 6th - Toronto Women's Bookstore - Shameless Magazine Launch Party, 3pm to 6pm; Syrus Marcus Ware will DJ, and Maylee Todd is playing!

Friday February 25th - Toronto, Holy Oak Cafe - aforementioned release with Evening Hymns

The EP, "Dirty Mouth of The St Lawrence River" is a five song story about the Seaway, it includes an 18 page comic, and covers silk-screened by Cheryl Cheung: the cover image is a vellum overlay of the river before and after "Inundation Day" - July 1st, 1958. We are excited to be releasing the project with "fellow travellers" Blocks Recording Club.

Thanks for visiting this site. Please visit us at bettyburke.com for more stories, notes, and news items.

See you soon,
BB

Farewell to "2010 the Taker"

2010-12-31T16:26:00.008-05:00

Newspapers and blogs are replete with year end lists this week, but as last page turns on the calendar, politics and pop culture are low on the list of things I remember about 2010. Today my thoughts belong to the people we've lost- artists, political activists, friends, and community members who will be missed. Closest to my own heart are Will Munro, and my family member, Margaret Cross, both of whom left this world too soon, and gave of themselves endlessly when they were living.

Yesterday, as I returned to Toronto after holiday visits with family, I learned that David Noble had died suddenly. I didn't believe it at first; the man was overflowing with vital force. David was my teacher at York, and I spent a year participating in his weekly left winger group therapy sessions, also known as the "Technology and Western Culture" seminar, in a tiny basement room around the corner from the rodent experimentation labs. He often asked, "And how does that make you feel?" when discussing the course readings- a question rarely asked of students by their professors.

What I admire most about David Noble is that despite the nearly impossible battles he chose to fight, he never grew tired and lost his will to fight for social justice. There were many who were skeptical of his accusations, his claims, and his chosen struggles, but no matter what your position on Israel, capitalism, and the relationship between technology and labor, David's perseverance, dedication, and sense of humor call for admiration. He seemed angry at the microphone, and he was, but as soon as he'd sit down after a good shouting session, he would be smiling again and enjoying the company of his students, his friends, his peers. Rest in peace, David Noble.

And rest in peace, 2010. May 2011 be a giver.

xo
MM

Marietta's Sweet Melissa Records

2010-12-01T15:13:00.000-05:00

Marietta, Georgia is a small town twenty minutes from Atlanta. If you've been to Atlanta you're probably familiar with the Little Five Points neighbourhood, with Criminal Records and a great used record shop around the corner from each other. You wouldn't suspect to find yet another amazing record store twenty minutes from the city, in the back of an antique shop, but that's exactly what happened to me on a recent southern sojourn.

Sweet Melissa's antique shop is full of model planes, post cards, furniture, and military memorabilia. Finding a few gems in a dollar bin at such a shop would not be such a shocker, but Melissa carries a wide selection of vinyl used and new and the quality of her collection is on par with standard bearers such as Toronto's Rotate This. Considering the size of Marietta (population 58, 748), and the difficult times many record shops are having, finding Sweet Melissa's record shop was a little surreal.

The highlight of the visit was finding a copy of The Kinks "Arthur" with the Queen Victoria paper doll inside, I also picked up Leonard Cohen's "Songs From a Room," The Cramps "Songs The Lord Might Have Taught Us," and from the dollar bin, Hank Williams' "I Saw The Light," Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman," and Sweet Melissa threw in Prince's "Dirty Mind" for free. I almost bought a Sonny Boy Williamson record, but I wasn't sure which Sonny Boy it was- the guitarist or the harmonica player- so I didn't bite. There were lots of blues records, new indie/pop records, and collectors items aplenty.

When I left Sweet Melissa Records to join my parents for lunch across the street, a man at the next table spotted the square bag under my arm and asked what records I'd found. He was in town for a business lunch with a colleague, so he didn't know about Sweet Melissa's shop. When he saw the Cramps record, he asked me, "Do you know who produced this? Alex Chilton. Have you ever heard of Big Star?" As it turns out, the friendly fellow- A.J.- hosts a community radio show on WWOZ in New Orleans. You never know who you're going to meet in America.

You can visit Sweet Melissa Records online at: www.sweetmelissarecords.com

Happy Listening,
MM

Fifty River Concerts Q and A with Betty Burke

2010-11-05T22:46:00.004-04:00

Our dear friend and collaborator Holly Andruchuk is doing great things with Fifty River Concerts. If you are looking for a great place to play in the Toronto area, get in touch with Holly and her pal Tim McKay to set up a show at the Imperial Pub as part of their Thursday Night Music series.

On the eve of our gig with Fifty River, Holly and Tim sent me a set of well-researched, thought provoking questions. If you want to know a little bit more about what's behind the songs we perform, have a look at the Fifty River site. On the same page you'll find a Phonemes Q and A, and a Kathleen Phillips piece.

In other news, the Keith Richards biography is finally here. I am getting my copy tomorrow. BB keyboardist and vocalist Sheila Sampath sent me a link to Liz Phair's review of the book, here, at the New York Times site.

It's just about that time now- time to pull on some slippers, and crack open a Kurt Wallander mystery. Before I go, let me leave you with a little music to sweeten your night, wherever you are. From Keith's friend Gram Parsons, and Emmylou Harris, here is "Love Hurts."

Good night and sleep tight.
MM

This Thursday! Special show, special guests

2010-10-16T21:55:00.011-04:00

THE PHONEMES - Sunday Morning, Sacred Heart from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

Please join Betty Burke, The Phonemes, and Kathleen Phillips for a very special show at the Imperial Pub this Thursday. Presented by our sister Holly Andruchuk's 50 River Concerts and the Imperial, this will be a memorable evening.

Kathleen will do comedy, and BB and The Phonemes will sing and tap things (guitars, tables, keys.) You can see the Phonemes in the above video, performing the song "Sacred Heart." The video was done by Mitch Fillion as part of his Southern Souls project.

In addition to a surprise guest, BB's special guest performers include Sarianna Mileski and Stephanie Markowitz. Sarianna will be singing a new number called "The Prince," which is dedicated to all the mysteriously single Torontonians. You know what I mean- people who can't get a date in this town despite all kinds of amazingness.

Kathleen will kick things off at 9pm, followed by The Phonemes- our dear friends Magali, Stephanie Markowitz, and John Tielli- and then BB. It's an early one, friends, so don't delay in making your way over.

See you there!
xoxo
MM

Blocks Recording Club Thursday Confidential - see you there!

2010-09-21T10:54:00.004-04:00

BB is getting ready to play Blocks Recording Club's Thursday Confidential with Tomboyfriend at the Gladstone this week. The whole event gets going at 9pm. The whole event is FREE, which is fantastic, and it is co-presented by the amazing Blocks Recording Club and The Gladstone Hotel.

Blocks is a workers' co-operative based here in Toronto. Visit this link to read more about this important local institution.

For this show, Sheila, Jo and I will be joined again by the ghost of a drum machine. This might be a permanent haunting.

We hope you will join us for this special evening.

xo
BB

Of All the Things We've Made

2010-08-16T01:18:00.001-04:00

A little while ago my friend Chris Korte sent me a link to the great History of Electropop series that some dear soul added to youtube. I made the mistake of watching the OMD profile before 'going to sleep' - but after seeing the clip, sleep was not possible!!

For those of you who aren't already superfans, OMD, or Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (a name they later regretted choosing, for its pretentious flare) released a series of innovative, dark, and unprecedented works between 1979 and 1983. Inspired by Kraftwerk, they were contemporaries of Joy Division, sharing with them a dark, bass guitar driven sound and a love of The Velvet Underground that placed OMD out of step with other UK synth bands of the era. Their period of greatest inspiration and experimentation culminated in the album 'Dazzle Ships,' recorded before the cookie cutter smushed down on the raw dough of synthpop. While some songs follow pop standards of verse and chorus, many of the tracks are tape collages of radio announcers voices and ship horns. It's the White Album of synthpop- with better cover art.

When I was living the musical life of the Littlest Hobo, touring with The Hidden Cameras, I fell asleep to Dazzle Ships every night. It's always taken me a long time to cool my thoughts before sleeping, but the combination of a nightliner bunk, a "sleep toque" pulled over my eyes, and "Romance of the Telescope" in my ears was even better than a bedtime Gravol. To the tune of the ship horns that open side two, I closed my eyes and imagined what the lights of the Wirral Peninsula might look like to the members of OMD. Soon the twinkling industrial scene darkened in the calm black shadow of sleep.

The procession of successive artists feeding on and reinterpreting a work of art is a testament to its greatness. A few years ago in Toronto, Owen Pallett covered side A of Dazzle Ships, imitating all the synths and samples with wood and string. It was the best possible tribute the the genius of Dazzle Ships, honoring the album and at the same time creating something higher than a cover- like a great director mounting a stylized version of Beckett's Endgame . While it's not the highest quality video, the youtube clip taken from a different staging of the piece will give you a taste of the experience.

By taking the sounds of ship horns and time signals out of context and building them up into a thing of beauty, OMD have punctured one of the illusions of the present. A time signal could be a melody, an accidental echo could be a call to a person in a far off land. The order of things is fragile and temporary, and the everyday could easily be quite different.

BB is playing the Beaver on Thursday for the 1234 V launch

2010-08-11T00:27:00.005-04:00

Hello! This is just a quick note to let you know we are playing at the Beaver on Thursday for the 1234 V Zine launch. What is 1234 V? Have a 'look and learn' session by clicking on this link, but maybe not while you are at the office. All of the stories are true, and none are anonymous. Jo Snyder and Sarah Michaelson, the publishers of 1234 V, will be on hand to discuss the project and solicit submissions for the next issue. Jo will also be playing guitar with BB, and Sarah will DJ (Mama Cutsworth.)

In addition to my chums Sheila and Jo, BB will feature two super guest stars singing their hearts out: the now familiar Lief Mossbaugh AKA Panther Pants, and Stephanie Markowitz (pictured). Stephanie, best known for her film and theatre work, is a regular performer with The Phonemes, and appeared on keys with BB at the Tranzac last year. On Thursday you will have a chance to open your ears and receive the glorious sound of her voice. You can also wish her a happy birthday, if you are feeling bold (it's the night before the show.) Lief, who joined us for a tune at the last show, will be joining us to perform a brand new song I wrote with his powerful pipes in mind. It's called "It gotta man."

Please join us for this special night.

How to predict a tornado

2010-07-29T00:22:00.005-04:00

One of our favourite comedians is Toronto's Kathleen Phillips, best known for her stand-up routine and for the hilarious short films she posts online. Recently, Kathleen created this educational video about a weather predicting dog:

I first met Kathleen in 2005 when Stephanie Markowitz and I were casting for the first run of our musical The Rat King. A natural beauty, petite Kathleen reminded me of Badlands era Sissy Spacek- until she stood up on a chair and howled like a ghost with indigestion. We enjoyed the audition, though I knew she had the part before we asked her to howl. Kathleen played the role of Carson Cannon in all three stagings of our musical.

Apart from the role of Carson, towards which I am naturally biased, my favourite Kathleen piece is probably Aqua Landlord. Imagine coming home to your apartment, only to find your landlord in the tub. Naked. Actually, you don't have to imagine it, Kathleen has done that for you already.

For more Kathleen, visit her youtube channel, her blog, or show her a little love on facebook. Be careful though- some of her videos will make you laugh quite loud, so if you are hiding in a cubicle pretending to work, cover your mouth with your hands, or maybe bite down on a bundle of socks so you won't get caught amusing yourself.

We put a tune up on myspace

2010-07-17T22:44:00.006-04:00

For a little preview of the EP we've been working on with James Bunton, visit our newly revamped myspace page and have a little listen. The tune is called "New Job."

Happy Saturday, my friends.
xoxo
MM

When you hear the alarm bell ringing you better come runnin'

2010-07-14T16:17:00.013-04:00

A big thank you to everyone who came to the show at The Beaver last night. We had a great time and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces in the room.

Toronto has such an amazing art & music community, and Will made The Beaver a place where this community could convene, as well as a place where strangers to the scene wouldn't feel so strange walking in to enjoy an evening out, or even just an afternoon coffee. Now that Will has left this world, it feels extra special to play a show at the space he built, with that massive piece of art by General Idea hanging in the background (you can see it behind Light Fires in the above photo.)

Backstage at the Beaver, Sheila Sampath and I had quite a time trying to get into our elaborate fireman & engineer costumes, so we ended up not wearing them, but I thought I would include this shot so you could have a peek at the elaborate show-stopping looks we tried to rock for the evening.

Free show tonight at The Beaver

2010-07-13T11:34:00.010-04:00

Tonight we will be playing a free show at the Beaver with the new band Light Fires. Who is/are Light Fires? Gentleman Reg and James Bunton. You might know James as the drummer from Ohbijou, or as producer/engineer to any number of your friends' recordings (if you live in Toronto, West of Bathurst Street, the odds are pretty high that someone you know is working with him right now.) We have been working on an EP with James as well, and he's pretty great. As for Gentleman Reg, he is a familiar face to readers of this blog. Light Fires is a departure from Reggie's usual material- more Hot Nuts* than Horseshoe Tavern- and it will be their last show for the summer, since James is touring with Ohbijou until the temperature drops and the leaves turn yellow.

Reggie will also be performing his special song "The Man in The Middle" with Betty Burke- and he's not the only special guest. We are proud to present, on vocals, for a soulful number from another (imaginary) era- Mr. Lief Mossbaugh (pictured above). Lief plays with The Hidden Cameras, and can often be heard singing falsetto harmonies on their tunes. He's also an esteemed Oboist, joining Regina's orchestra for the 2010-2011 season, after a successful run with the Saskatoon symphony. Lief will be singing a tune called "You Can't Stay Young." He may even bring along another special guest, but we'll keep that under wraps for now...

The show starts at 11 pm and it is 100% FREE. The Beaver serves dinner until 11, in case you want to come early to see our muscley arms pull the amps in. I'm sure a few of us will be tankin.'

Hope to see you tonight.
xoxo
MM

*Hot Nuts is a monthly drag party at the Beaver.
*Tankin' - wearing a tank top. Not me, but probably Reggie.

Wear your Granny Boots with us on June 30th

2010-06-18T13:16:00.007-04:00

Tomboyfriend, the band with one of the best names of all, has invited us to play Granny Boots with them on Wednesday, June 30th at The Gladstone Hotel. It's Pride Week, so we're going for a festive vibe, and trying something unusual.

Shaun will be off at Glastonbury with Dan Mangan, so in lieu of trumpet, the festive feeling will be created by Dr. Rhythm 880, a wee little drum machine imbued with soul. Special guests Jo Snyder, AKA Jo Snyder music, formerly of the Winnipeg punk bands Anthem Red, and Sixty Stories, will be playing guitar, and Sheila Sampath of The Airfields and Shameless Magazine will appear on keys. How is that for festive and unusual? And there's more.

Gentleman Reg,* one of my favourite people to share a stage with, will be singing with us as well. This spring, I spent a few months in the writing cave, and one of the projects I chipped away at was a set of songs written for friends to sing with Betty Burke. Reggie's song is called "The Man in the Middle," and this will be the first time we play it.

We hope to see you at the show on the 30th. In the meantime, click on Tomboyfriend's name to see their fantastic video "Dance Dance Revolutions Co." We're looking forward to seeing them live!

Thanks for visiting, and come back soon!
xo
MM

*The photo of Reg above is from the February 14th Wavelength 10 year anniversary & closing party at The Garrison. At the end of the show almost all of the current & former members of The Hidden Cameras got on stage together for a surprise set. It was the first time some of us had played together in seven years. Great night.

Resurrection

2010-06-16T12:19:00.000-04:00

The last time I wrote a blog entry, it was February, and BB had just done some dates with Woodpigeon in Ontario and Quebec. There was snow on the ground, and the trees were grey and bare. Now the sun is everywhere, and Toronto's famous humidity is back to bake us all inside out.

A lot's been going on since those last few ultra-positive posts, written in the dull light of winter. On May 21st, our community lost someone irreplaceable. Will Munro was a friend, a brother, a son, an artist and a culture maker who built spaces to welcome people who'd been shut out before.

Here is a link to the memorial piece printed by Eye Magazine in Toronto.

There is a lot to be said about Will, life, death, and community, but I will allow the piece--composed of submissions by Will's friends, myself included-- to speak for itself.

Spring, the season of resurrection and renewal, was a taker and a giver. Now, the short, hot, Canadian summer is nearly here. The radio silence of the last few months will be replaced by regular posts as Betty Burke resumes the project of telling stories three chords at a time. On the agenda for the summer are a few shows, an EP (recorded with James Bunton at Angles Up) to master and release, and the coming release of "You Can't Wear Suede In The Rain," the short film we made with Joe Clement. Posts about these activities will be interspersed with the usual mini-essays about good things, strange things, and things that are hard to classify.

Thanks for visiting the site. Come back soon!

Love
Maggie

Love it #4: The Mortal Poetry of "Pressure Drop"

2010-02-10T12:37:00.010-05:00

The compliment "immortal poetry" seems like a towering honour, but what higher compliment can be given to verse than to call it mortal poetry, the poetry of mortality itself.

Progressives have a habit of highlighting difference, and it is true that oppressions come down asymmetrically, with violence raining in unequal measure according to categories of race, class, gender, sexuality, physical 'ability and other divisions. Justice is not equally available to all, though it should be. While it is important to examine inequality in order to fight it, it's solidarity that gives people the power to change unjust circumstances.

While philosophers and activists examine our differences, mortal poetry points to our similarities, similarities that can act as the foundation of solidarity.

In the photo above, a mist hangs over the Cape Breton cliffs that overlook the meeting point of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence River. Powerful currents and deadly waves mingle together under the cold clouds, in a scene that unfolds thousands of miles north of the Jamaican shores that inspired the song "Pressure Drop."

Pressure Drop, first recorded by The Maytals in 1969 with legendary producer Leslie Kong. Featured on "The Harder They Come" film soundtrack, it has since been covered by many artists, including The Specials and The Clash.

While the song itself is a wonder to behold, the lyrics transcend social and geographical difference by making reference to a sensation that threatens every living mammal on the planet. Immediately before a storm- whether it is an Atlantic hurricane bearing down on Jamaica or Nova Scotia, a tornado touching down in Texas, or a pacific squall, the air pressure suddenly drops, causing the hairs on the back of the neck to stand up, and signaling the need to seek sound shelter. That is the poetry of mortality.

Mortality, the threat of death, the precarious nature of life itself, the need for food and water to stave off the inevitable end, this is the tie that unites, and for all the very real differences that put justice beyond or within reach, there is a thread running through every life in common.

MM

Love it #3: Dana Snell

2010-02-02T00:46:00.010-05:00

Dana is one of my favourite drummers. Currently playing with Gentleman Reg, and Sheezer, she also spent ten years with The Bicycles. When she's behind the kit, Dana's in complete control, but she's also clearly enjoying herself, and it's infectious.

Before running into each other at various gigs, Dana and I met in a writing seminar at the University of Toronto, led by Griffin Prize winner (and gifted/gifting educator) A.F. Moritz. While anyone who saw her on tour with the Bicycles or Reg knows what a great percussionist she is, Dana has another gift the world has yet to discover.

In Al Moritz's seminar, now eight years ago, Dana shared a work of fiction she'd been working on that had me laughing out loud with its deft social satire and surreal storyline. It's been eight years since I read the draft she shared with us in the course, but I am still waiting to see her name printed on the spine of a book- I know it's going to happen.

You can see Dana playing with Gentleman Reg every Wednesday night in February at the Drake Hotel in Toronto. The Regidency will feature different musical guests each week.

The above photo is from Dana's tour with Gentleman Reg, opening for The Hidden Cameras in the fall of 2009. The one in the wig is Reg, Dana is on the right.

Love it #2: Bojana Stancic

2010-01-30T21:21:00.006-05:00

If you live in Toronto, and you stroll down Ossington or Queen West on occasion, you may have glimpsed this glamorous creature. A millennial soul with a voice as smoky and mysterious as Nico, Bojana is an artist and set designer who frequently collaborates with playwright/director Alex Wolfson.

You can see her set design work in Wolfson's play "And so, the Animal Looked Back" at the Art Gallery of York University (AGYU), an installation running until March 12th, concluding with live performances on March 11th and 12th, each at 7:30 pm. For tickets and information call 416-736-5169.

Love it #1: Waffles

2010-01-30T15:51:00.006-05:00

After a century of political disasters- mass movements that lead to murder and war at worst, or disappointment and disillusionment at least, the utopian impulse that lingers in the hearts of dreamers is lacking in the social fuel that turns spark to flame.

Lately, activists and academics seemed stalled in a phase of critique and deconstruction, rather than proposing and constructing, building and bettering. (There are valid reasons for this- but it's a topic for another time.)

In hopes of moving beyond the 'negative turn,' the BB blog is going to take some baby steps towards dreaming big again, by occasionally making post-it notes of pure positivity.

The first 'Love it' note, is this photo of an amazing breakfast. Yes, I confess, there are paper cups, cartons of questionable recycle-ability, but look beyond the clutter, and there is evidence of a big breakfast being shared. "Who will help me bake this bread?" Several people who passed through the kitchen in this photo would be happy to help you bake your bread. Those are veggie sausages, by the way, just in case your eyebrows were wiggling.

Don't Smash Your Teeth on the Punk Rock. We're Touring with Woodpigeon!

2010-01-08T18:17:00.012-05:00

Woodpigeon, Mark Hamilton's prolific pop ensemble from Calgary, Alberta, have invited Betty Burke along as openers on their upcoming tour in Ontario and Quebec. Native speakers of Frenglish, we are focussing on improving our French, and polishing off new songs for the adventure.

Just add snow and trees to the photo above, and you will have a sense of what awaits us on the 401 Hwy, as we weave our way from Hamilton to Wakefield to deliver our ballads to your door. In case you are wondering about the dot in the right hand corner of the image, it's a beautiful green tractor. Oh glorious tractor, perhaps a ballad will be composed in your honour.

On February 14th, en lieu of a Betty/Woodpigeon show, I will be playing a gig with my old band The Barcelona Pavilion at the Wavelength 500 festival. This will be our first time playing together in many years, and I am pretty excited.

I broke two of my front teeth with The Barcelona Pavilion in 2003, jumping of a table with a microphone in my mouth. Don't ever do that. Smashing a guitar is a waste of money, but breaking your teeth might cost even more if you consider the price of periodic repairs over the course of your lifetime. That's not jamming econo!

The dates for the Woodpigeon and Betty Burke shows are as follows:

February 11th: Toronto, Drake Hotel
February 15th: Hamilton, The Casbah
February 16th: Sudbury, The Townhouse
February 17th: Toronto, Buddies in Bad Times (Betty only -see below)*
February 18th: Montreal, La Sala Rosa
February 19th: Quebec, Le Cercle
February 21st: Wakefield, Black Sheep Inn (near Ottawa, ON)

On the 17th Woodpigeon will be playing The Mansion in Kingston while Betty plays the opening of The Rhubarb Festival in Toronto. Woodpigeon has a few more Ontario dates lined up that Betty won't be at, but you should go see them if they hit your town.

Darger on the Battery, or "Radio Waves are Alive!"

2010-01-01T17:36:00.016-05:00

The little girl daydreaming in this photo sits on a rock on 'The Rock,' Newfoundland. She spends her bleached days under a bakeapple tree in the Battery, overlooking The Narrows between the natural Harbour of St. John's, and the open Atlantic. Not far from her perch, Marconi received the first wireless Transatlantic signal, a repeating beep representing the letter 'S.' Marconi was told many times that it would be impossible, yet, on December 12th 1901, the signal sent from Poldhu, Cornwall in the UK reached Marconi's receiver on Signal Hill.

What strikes me about this little dreamer from the Battery is that she looks exactly like one of Henry Darger's gender defying Vivian Girls, the warrior innocents that populated his Realms of the Unreal, fighting dragons, insects, and adults in the paintings and novel found in Darger's Chicago apartment after he died. The little Vivian Girl from the Battery has left her fictional realm to guard The Narrows where the open, unknown, and undefined realm of the impossible meets the Harbour of what is known, accepted, safe, and predictable.

What we live with today is not all we will ever be stuck with. As my friend Chris Korte often says, quoting the late Zoe Lund, "That which is not yet, but which ought to be, is more real than that which merely is." Or as Herbert Marcuse put it in One Dimensional Man, "...the artistic universe is one of illusion, semblance, Schein. However, this semblance is resemblance to a reality which exists as the threat and promise of the established one." Like this Vivian Girl, and the radio signal that reached the hill behind her in 1901, the impossible things the dreamer sees eventually come to life, interrupting the course of the world we know.

"Are you man enough to be a woman?"

2009-12-09T20:48:00.002-05:00

Recently, NME blogger Rae Alexandra asked, "What Happened to All the Ferocious Female Punks?" Joel Gibb, Chris Korte and I were asking the same question recently over a casual cup of tea with the artist G.B. Jones.

A living legend, G.B.'s work has been compared to Tom of Finland (with female cops instead of bears) and was a member of the proto-riot grrl band Fifth Column. She has recently returned to music with the band Opera Arcana, with Minus Smile from Kids On TV and Julie Faught of the Pining.

Between G.B., Joel, myself, and Chris, (a curator who has performed with Norwegian opera creators Vinge and Muller), we thought up a seemingly endless list of amazing women in bands from the 80s and 90s- Chris noted Siouxsie Sioux, Exene Cervenka, Belinda Carlisle (who wore garbage bag dresses before superstardom) and Grace Jones, Joel mentioned the L7 tampon incident, and GB told us stories about the Toronto music scene in the 1980s, which, among other things, was home to Carol Pope, Canada's first (out) lesbian popstar. We also sang the praises of Frances McKee of The Vaselines, and Bikini Kill. And it wasn't long ago that the amazing genderqueer presence of artists like Divine and Jayne/Wayne County demanded of audiences "Are you man enough to be a woman?"

Compare that to the situation today, and it seems like apart from wispy folk and eccentric but non-threatening electro, there's not as much of a female presence as there was ten years ago. We have MIA, we have Peaches, but for the most part righteous anger seems to be taking a nap.

While NME blogger Alexandra partly blames the popularity of Suicide Girls for the dearth of angry women on the proverbial mic, there seems to be a deeper root to this regressive wave in music. I hate to be repetitive, as I recently blogged about cultural devolution that has seen the unapologetic and/or unthinking sexism rise like Phoenix from the ashes of the PC 90s, but it's a topic that won't go away.

It's time to take inspiration from the best of the past- not for nostalgia, but for illumination. The following clip is a love song, but let's think of it as a love song for a revolutionary moment, one we just need to get back to. In the spirit of optimism, here's "Right Back Where We Started From", by Maxine Nightingale.

Maybe she was just well raised

2009-12-07T14:59:00.007-05:00

On Saturday night at the Opera House I had a memorable encounter with the monitor person, Chantal. Chantal joined my friend John Power and I for fries before the Hidden Cameras gig, and she was concerned about overhearing an intimate conversation. We assured her that, as the monitor person, she was already intimate, and would be the one guarantor of a smooth performance, so it was in fact best for her to know us better. Not only did Chantal do an excellent job on the monitor mix, she also helped us out with a linguistic quandary that had me stumped for at least ten years.

I was chatting with John Power about whether being a faghag is a genetic predisposition. Being a faghag isn't really a choice. Some women just adore gay men, and are equally adored by the gay men they encounter. It's only right and natural. The only bad thing about it is the word itself- 'faghag' just doesn't sound like a nice thing, even though it represents a beautiful reality.

In support of my foolish and dangerous genetic theory, I gave John and Chantal the example of one particular faghag who is the daughter of another faghag. "Maybe she was just well raised" offered Chantal.

Chantal couldn't be more right. Not only is it a terrible thing to assume that people are totally determined by their genes, and by their biology, "well raised" is also a way better term for the Liz Taylor/Madonna phenomenon. The Madonnamenon, if you will.

From now on, this blog will retire that old, dated term that has its roots in the fear of strong, single women, and the prejudice that women should confine themselves to coupledom, rather than deeply intimate nonsexual friendships. A woman who loves gays, a woman who gays love- she is just well raised.

And just to make things crystal clear, while this blog entry is fixed on the death of an exclusive, restrictive word, BB loves all LGBTQ people, and will always love all LGBTQ people, until the sun goes supernova and rains glitter on the dusty remains of the world.

Yours,
BB

A ballad of survival against all odds

2009-12-02T18:32:00.012-05:00

Truth is stranger than fiction, especially along the St. Lawrence River, and for people born in towns around its tributaries.

Here is a link to a song of ours about a man from Alexandria, a little town at the North end of Glengarry County, Ontario. He moved out West to work in mining, and had a few unfortunate encounters, the worst of which was with a wrench that fell from high enough above to break through his helmet, and into his brain.

I often try to imagine what must have been going through his head, besides blood and metal, when he was at the bottom of the mine, refusing to die. Maybe the thought of unfinished business, or unresolved matters of faith, kept him going.

Here is "El Dorado"

The footage is from a live performance at The Dakota Tavern in October. The musicians include one of Newfoundland's delicious exports, the rhythm section of Jon Hynes on bass and John Power on drums; the prairies are represented by Saskatchewan's Shaun Brodie on acoustic guitar, and Alberta's Holly Andruchuk on the electric. I'm the one accidentally channeling Jello Biafra. The photo above is of Jon and John.

Thanks to John's excellent drumming, I have to recant the earlier commitment to the 'play only what you can carry' rule. Nobody is an Island, so I guess the rule is now 'play only what we can carry together.' Together we can carry a whole drum kit.

We will be playing a string of dates with some friends from out West in the new year, so stay tuned, as details will soon be posted. Though it has yet to be confirmed, I must confess I've already been using Skype to rehearse a Hank Williams duet with one of said friends, for said dates. Which tune? Which towns? All will be revealed in due time.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you face to face before long!
Love,
BB

A love song, or a moritat, for a stray cat

2009-11-28T23:35:00.005-05:00

Bragging about being tough and dangerous has a long tradition in music. There is the moritat- a murder ballad of a dangerous character and his amazing misdeeds- Stagalee, Staggerlee, Tom Dooley, Magali, or one of the most famous examples, the Moritat vom Mackie Messer- Mac The Knife from Brecht and Weil's Threepenny Opera. But at what point did the "I'm so tough," rather than "he's so bad" version of the moritat come to dominate popular song?

When I was young, and even more lost than I am now, I heard a rumor that Bo Diddley is Jesus. He would never have said that of himself, but he did spend a lot of time explaining his fighting skills, his gunslinging ways, and even if he didn't originate the art of bragging about one's toughness, Diddley took it to a whole new level, when he bragged about having a chimney made from a human skull. In Bo Diddley, the murder ballad became something new; when Bo posed as a gunslinger for the album of the same name, an entire alter ego of danger was born. Hank Williams also transformed the murder ballad from mere song into a way of being, and resorted to recording under the pen name Luke the Drifter to release the spiritual songs that clashed with the popular image of a man adrift on the lost highway.

But whether it's Luke the Drifter or Bo Diddley the Gunslinger, cries of "get away, I'm dangerous" often have a tinge of 'wounded cat' about them. You know that cat- it very slowly moves into your house, into your heart, and one night you wake up to find it peacefully sleeping on your chest.

Here is a little tribute I wrote to wounded cats. Holly and I performed it as a twosome the other night at the Gladstone, at the Blocks Recording Club night:

"Suitcase Full of Trouble"

After our set, dreamy Michelle McAdorey played with a band that included Eric Chenaux and Ryan Driver, then The Phonemes took the stage. Magali was backed by John Tielli on kick drum, guitar and theremin, and Stephanie Markowitz on vocals and keys. Magali's new songs are amazing, and the Stephanie and John lineup brings out the other worldly quality, as well as the beat, in Magali's songs. I'm looking forward to the next Phonemes record with anticipation.

Now I'm off to see if that old stray cat is on the front steps again.

We're playing a gig on Thursday!

2009-11-21T14:16:00.007-05:00

On Thursday, November 26th Betty Burke will be playing a gig at the Blocks Recording Club night at the Gladstone, with The Phonemes and Michelle McAdorey. With Shaun Brodie and John and Jon (the amazing Newfoundlanders who played rhythm at our last two gigs) away on tour, this show will feature Maggie and Holly as a twosome, ripping it up. "Revolution girl style now!!"

It's been a while since the last blog entry, so there's a backlog of things to address, such as the growing "no pants" phenomenon in pop music, the need for The Kingdom III to be released to the public in some manner, and upcoming gigs with bands that have been silent for years but never really broke up. Now is not the time to address these topics, the wind just isn't right, so I'll sign off with the conversation incomplete, in the hope that a small nagging suspense might grow behind your eyes, leading you to check in again sometime in the future.

xoxo

El Dorado's ghost on a Port Hope pier

2009-10-04T02:42:00.006-04:00

My friend Magali and I recently took a Sunday drive to Port Hope, Ontario, to see what we could see. We met some artists, and stumbled on an excellent independent bookstore, which I was compelled to write about for an upcoming issue of Broken Pencil. But there was something I saw in Port Hope I didn't mention in the article- the ghost of El Dorado.

As well as luring a few lost souls through the jungle, and inspiring songs and art, the mythical city of gold once lent its name to a Canadian mining company.

Twenty years ago I paid a visit to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, and I had to ask the staff why there was no mention of the bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the World War II exhibit. I was told that Canada hadn't been involved "in that." But the uranium used to make the bombs was refined by El Dorado in a warehouse on a pier in Port Hope Ontario, and today you can walk along that pier on a Sunday afternoon and cast your line into the lake to fish.

Here is a picture of Magali by the fence on the pier, maintained by Cameco, the company that took over El Dorado in the 1990s. The barrels in the shot contain wastes from Cameco's operations, and the little black trefoil symbolizing radiation is stamped on each one.

Q and A with Holly Andruchuk

2009-09-27T02:27:00.013-04:00

Betty would call Holly Andruchuk Toronto's best kept secret, except that Holly doesn't belong to Toronto exclusively, she also belongs to a few corners of Alberta, Nova Scotia, and a little Hamlet in Nunavut. She's a great guitar player and, as for her voice, tired metaphors cannot describe it. There's a little interview floating around youtube in which Gram Parsons describes his first time playing music with Emmylou Harris; jamming with Holly gives you a sense of how Parsons must have felt at that moment. After spending the better part of a year (literally) with Holly, Betty realized there was a lot more she wanted to know about Holly Andruchuk, and that it would also be good to share some facts about H.A. with the world.

BB: You are from Standard, Alberta, formerly a town of 300. What was it like growing up in Standard? I hear you taught a lot of girls how to play guitar.

Holly: It's best to think of my developing years in 6's. 6 years in Winnipeg, 6 Years in Calgary, 6 years in Standard.

I was born in Winnipeg at the Grace Hospital. Moved to Calgary after my dad got a job as an industrial arts teacher on the Siksika Nation reserve east of Calgary. Moved to Standard, Alberta to be closer to the rez for dad's commute. Growing up in Manitoba and Alberta was home; big skies, lots of people with similar last names, traditional prairie food, country music and classic rock, countless drives on the No. 1 Highway.

As for the girls and the guitars, extra-curricular activities in Standard are simply referred to as "Hockey and Calving" in the winter and spring months and "Baseball and Harvest" in the summer and fall. A handful of moms approached me about teaching their daughters how to play guitar, and the customary thing to do is say "Yes, of course!" For me and the girls, it was a fun way to pass the time after school.

BB: Between leaving Standard, and settling down in Toronto in 2007, you lived in the Arctic, South Korea, and Halifax. Tell us, Dear Rambler, a little bit about this.

Holly: I think it's the Heinz 57 in me. Each German, Mennonite, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Irish and British-Loyalist gene in me possesses the same trait: The eternal quest for the New World. My ancestors traveled the world for farming, politics, religion, mission work, new beginnings, to flee cultural and religious discrimination, and most importantly opportunity. I ramble for the off chance I will stumble upon opportunity.

BB: When did you start playing guitar, and what was your inspiration? What music were you exposed to in Standard?

Holly: The guitar was first introduced to me when I was seven, after a biannual family trip to Winnipeg. My dad re-claimed his 1950s Jumbo acoustic Kay guitar while visiting with my cousins and aunt. On the drive back to Alberta dad tuned down the guitar to an open chord so I could strum and bar the frets. I wrote my first song, "When I First Moved to Cal-gary" and the dream and fantasy began - "I'll strap some wheels on my guitar, so I can be a big, big star...uh huh, ummm hmm, oh yeah."

Music was part of the family culture. You sing in choirs, listen to CBC radio in the car, LP's at home, Gordon Lightfoot on Saturday mornings, Moodie Blues and other rock doc's on TV, and just general excitement from parents and siblings about live music performances. Dad played piano like Jerry Lee Lewis, Mom liked to sing Doris Day's "Que Serra" and the score from "My Fair Lady", and the whole family loved Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

Music from Standard, was a mix of country, classic rock, and 90s alternative. My sister would take me to Tragically Hip concerts, and mosh at Metallica and Pearl Jam shows. The high school boys would blare CJ 92 Calgary radio in their trucks and Country 105 in their combines. And my folks would play vinyl at home: Doobie Brothers, Valdy, Beatles, The Band, Fleetwood Mac, Moodie Blues, The Rolling Stones, Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot.

BB: What other bands do you play in?

Holly: In addition to Betty Burke, I play with the following bands:
The Booth Avenue Band
Benjamin Elliott
The Buffalo Builders
Holly Andruchuk & The Brothers Elliott

BB: Tell me about your guitars. Every time I go to a shop with you, you want to buy another acoustic- but you have seven already? What's on your gear wish-list these days?

Holly: Guitar's to Keep Forever:
1950s Kay Jumbo Acoustic
1994 Simon and Patrick Lauthier 12 string acoustic
1980s Norman acoustic 6 string
2000 Taylor 415 Jumbo 6 string acoustic
2000 Gretsch Junior Country Classic electric guitar 179 of 200

Gear Wish list:
Gibson 1950s acoustic auditorium
Gibson SG vintage or re-issue cherry top satin finish
Gibson Les Paul Standard Gold Top front Maple back
Gibson Explorer Dark Maple with white pick guard
3 more solid leather guitar straps
New Harps
Vox AC 30
Rat Peddle

BB: I've been learning a lot about folk and country music from you, but you also have a lot of the rock n roll and blues in your iPod- the Kinks, Elvis, Muddy Waters- so I know you have diverse tastes as far as listening goes, but playing in a more punk/rockabilly style is a change for you. What do you enjoy about this style of music?

Holly: Rambling in new music genres is educational and a wonderful exercise in co-writing and arranging. It also forces me to think about different voicings and concepts for songs. More importantly, I play with Betty Burke because Maggie MacDonald is one of my dearest friends and truth tellers. She is my muse, my artistic sister and mentor, my personal confidant and I really believe in her ability, efforts and contributions to the arts community!

BB: Maggie is one of your biggest fans actually, and you've improved her life a great deal. She told me herself. Oh happy day! Thank you for doing this little interview, Holly. We love you!!

Get Rhythm

2009-09-24T17:28:00.012-04:00

We have a couple of gigs coming up that we're super excited about, and the band is expanding in order to make our tall tales sound even taller.

On Sunday, October 4th, we will be playing our first Wavelength at the brand new venue The Garrison, at 1197 Dundas Street West. Comedy rappers Sherpafeast, and Brooklyn/New Orleans band Home Video will be playing, and Sean Ward will DJ between bands. Our set is at 10pm. The new venue is being opened by a former Sneaky Dee's booker, and we're very excited to be part of the festivities.

On Thursday, October 8th, we will be opening for Octoberman at their album release party at the Dakota Tavern, at 249 Ossington Avenue. The Dakota is one of our favourite venues. It's the kind of place you can expect to find great music without consulting listings in advance.

Now about the expansion of Betty Burke... We've been playing as a threesome recently, giving some the impression that we're folkies. As I explained in an earlier blog, we're actually skids (though we clean up real nice!), and when we are hanging around our respective homes amusing our ears, we're more likely to be spinning The Clash or Johnny Cash than Pete Seeger. In order to express what's on the tips of our tongues, we really need a rhythm section, and at the upcoming gigs, there will be drums!!

John Power is a Newfie from Paradise, Conception Bay, who plays with Brutal Knights and The Hidden Cameras. You may have seen him around town, wearing his "Municipal Waste" t-shirt. In keeping with the "play what you can carry" spirit, John will be kicking away at a suitcase and tapping a snare for Betty. We can't wait.

Wiki has the best music writing... probably by accident

2009-09-12T23:35:00.005-04:00

What's the difference between Ira Louvin and Bill Monroe?

On the Wikipedia page dedicated to the Louvin Brothers, an unknown author (or authors?) writes the following:

"Ira would sometimes become angry enough on stage to smash his mandolin; otherwise his style was heavily influenced by Bill Monroe"

Take that, Paul Simonon. Decades before the iconic "London Calling" album cover photo was snapped, Ira Louvin beat you to it.

But who would smash a mandolin? That would be like squishing a butterfly or kicking a bunny rabbit. Come to think of it, it pains my heart to watch a guitar getting smashed too. If it angers you that much, give it away! Set it free! Such violence is unnecessary.

What's all this guitar rock aboot?

2009-09-06T13:50:00.005-04:00

Due to that curious phenomenon linguists call Canadian raising, Canadians have an accent, imperceptible to ourselves, that makes our "about" sound like "aboot." I have no idea what friends from other countries mean when they talk about this, but apparently it's for real.

This makes me wonder if Canadians have a similar condition when it comes to our guitar rock. As a nation, we're pretty deeply immersed in guitar rock, and bands that might fill a bar somewhere else fill stadiums here. Is this because we can't hear something in our guitar rock that sounds overblown and possibly comic to persons from other nations? Is there a musical version of Canadian raising? Is this why the Hip are worshiped North of the 49th parallel, between the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic waters that insulate us from a possibly transcendental experience of minimalist playing styles?

From the world famous gopher museum

2009-08-25T12:22:00.004-04:00

The above image is from the Torrington, Alberta gopher museum. I stopped there to do research for a project that is not yet complete, so I am reserving my commentary for the moment.

Apparently, there's a lot going on in Torrington.

I owe a big thank you to Trevor Anderson from the band The Wet Secrets for telling me about the museum. Trevor often has films showing at festivals in Canada and abroad, so be sure to look him up and check out some of his work, especially if he is passing through your town.

Folk vs. Skid

2009-08-07T10:38:00.009-04:00

Last night, when re-arranging the layout of the blog, I noticed some unfortunate subliminal messaging. To the left of the posts, in the photo of the old theatre posters, the work 'Folk' now stands out.

In several languages, 'folk' literally means 'people,' but when the term 'people' is used in English it often sounds like an old communist word, making people nervous in the 'bad memories of the old-country' sense, or excited in the 'I bought this Che t-shirt in college sense.' Using the term 'folk music' to denote 'the people's music' may have been useful during the better dead than red era, but nowadays it's just a catch-all for music without pedals, music without mania, and/or singer-songwriter bard work.

Our band has set certain parameters which might lead people to apply that tired descriptor, . Our band rules are: use no pedals, play only what you can carry, and if a song doesn't tell a story, leave it for the jam bands, avant-(insert genre), better musicians, etc. to handle. But we're not really a folk band. We're more of a skid band, actually. The rules we've set for ourselves are rooted in a less is more, Buddy Holly-inspired approach. The drums on 'Not Fade Away' were played on a cardboard box, after all. And I wouldn't call that folk music!

Bob Wiseman

2009-07-29T10:29:00.002-04:00

On Thursday night, July 30th, at the Gladstone, there will be a show to celebrate the re-release of Bob Wiseman's first album, In Her Dream. The album first came out 20 years ago, now the Blocks Recording Club is giving it back to the world with songs that had previously been censored. As part of the festivities, a long list of musicians will be performing songs from In Her Dream, including Final Fantasy and Mary Margaret O'Hara. We will be covering 'Gamma Ray Man,' which is right up our alley, theme-wise.

Bob is a generous and gifted songwriter, a perceptive and hilarious storyteller, and artistically he is a key contributor to a strong collective spirit in the Toronto music community. We are excited to see the show, take part, and celebrate Bob's work.

Hope to see you there,
xoxo
BB

We really are devo now

2009-07-10T16:15:00.011-04:00

A moment ago I had a great chat with Alex who works at Ella's Uncle, that great cafe on Dundas West. We were talking about our respective Kathleen Hanna encounters, and how lucky we were to come of age at a time when there were so many strong role models in music (e.g. L7, Salt N' Pepa, continuing torch-bearer Kim Gordon). Does anyone remember seeing Michelle Shocked and her hairy legs in Rolling Stone magazine in 1989? That makes an impression on a kid. These days Rolling Stone describes Lady Gaga as having an unconventional kind of beauty and an "ethnic" nose. Say what? I would hardly call Lady Gaga's physique unconventional. And what is meant by an "ethnic" nose, exactly?

Presently we are witnessing the devolution of values that were at the forefront not so long ago, values that were propelled in part by Riot Grrl, queercore, Guerrilla Girls, and other activist art movements. What's so funny about peace, love, respect and equality? Yes, great strides have been made in some areas- marriage equality for instance- but until I see Beth Ditto replacing the tweeny bop singers in young girls magazines, I'm not going to feel that the Western devolution to a pre-90's sensibility has lost momentum, let alone stopped.

For instance, consider the prevalence of the saying "That's so gay." This phrase gets tossed around all the time by people who don't consider themselves homophobic, who don't actually want to insult gay people, right alongside "those people" who take pride in their homophobia.
In light of this issue, I humbly propose a language action. Instead of saying "That's so gay" try using the phrase "that is delightfully homosexual," and only for things that are indeed delightful. Using homosexuality as a pejorative is ugly, regardless of intent.

What could be described as delightfully homosexual, then? Here are some examples:

"I watched Queen's 'I Want To Break Free' video last night. It's so delightfully homosexual!!"
"Oh my God, you like Klaus Nomi? He's so delightfully homosexual."
"I went to Hot Nuts at the Beaver last night. It was delightfully homosexual."

On that note, happy belated Pride Week, and thanks for stopping by.

Respect,
B.B.

Honest error vs. icy perfections

2009-06-27T17:23:00.010-04:00

Inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh's rendering of J.D. Sedding's epithet "There is hope in honest error: none in the icy perfections of the mere stylist" I've decided to restructure the look of the blog, despite my lack of design skills. My "if I were a real designer" fantasy is to synthesize elements of Arts and Crafts style with a dash of Peter Saville. Because I am the pen and paper type, and share only a name and no know-how with Mackintosh's life partner/artistic collaborator, that synthesis is not going to happen here. In my own low-tech way, I am pleased to share with you, the visitor, the above photo of old theatre posters hanging in the Folkets Park theatre at Huskvarna, Sweden.

Living in Canada, an administrative nation with a fading attachment to social democracy, I often find myself struggling with questions about the relationship between politics and art. The above posters represent state-sponsored entertainment, some of it the kind of light, cathartic entertainment that gives an audience a sense that things in the world are fine the way they are. But the same system also produced Ingmar Bergman, whose work, I would argue, can be more unsettling than Samuel Beckett's. This puts a pea under the mattress of settled thinking. The source of the work, the system that supports it financially, does not necessarily determine the form of the work, or its effect. With films like "Scenes from a Marriage" and 'Winterlight" Bergman demonstrates that realism can leave the audience with a sense of deep unease.

Cultural critic Theodor Adorno sometimes strikes me as a bit of a jerk (not of the Steve Martin variety), but in the essay "On Commitment" he has several moments of tenderness and clarity when contemplating political art. He writes: "It is not the office of art to spotlight alternatives, but to resist by its form alone the course of the world, which permanently puts a pistol to men's heads."* But to resist the course of the world, the form of a work doesn't have to be 'difficult,' obscure, or inaccessible. It doesn't have to feel bad to be good.

xoxo
B.B.

*Adorno in Arato and Gebhardt, Editors, Essential Frankfurt School Reader, New York: Urizen, 1978; p. 304

Over the Moon and back to Earth

2009-06-20T16:18:00.007-04:00

To describe the happiness we felt on Thursday would be like drawing constellations on the night sky through the flickering dark of a thunderstorm, so a simple "thank you" will have to suffice. Thank you to everyone who attended, participated in, worked at, and helped out with last week's show.

Paul Mathew and Betty Burke (Holly Andruchuk, Shaun Brodie, Maggie MacDonald) did some songs as a warm up, then Stevie Jackson and Owen Pallett each played a solo set, followed by a set of Stevie's songs backed by the whole gang, including Sheila Sampath on keys and Stef Schneider on percussion. Eric from Distorsis did the sound, Sarianna Mileski and Ben Stimpson played "bad cop, bad cop" at the door.

At the end of the night, Owen and Stevie played an unrehearsed rendition of Rocket Man, securing a day pass from the underworld for Eurydice, and inspiring the audience to sing along spontaneously- feats of equal prowess in this polite Northern nation. Here is a youtube link to the performance.

I hope you enjoyed the night as much as we did, and if you weren't there, I hope you enjoy the link.

Thanks for everything,
xoxo
B.B.

Tales of the Warm and Cozy with Stevie Jackson (Belle and Sebastian), Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy) and friends

2009-06-06T18:31:00.008-04:00

On Thursday, there will be an extra-special little gig at the Imperial Pub. After the 'Tales of the Uncanny' screening with Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy), Do Make Say Think and Robert Lippok in Dundas Square, cross the street to 54 Dundas Street East, Toronto, for a night of singsong with Stevie Jackson of Belle Sebastian, a special visit from Owen Pallett, and friends Paul Mathew (Hidden Cameras, Tuxedo, The Low Notes), Sheila Sampath (The Airfields, CN Power), and Betty Burke (members of The Hidden Cameras, and Holly Andruchuk.)

Stevie Jackson will be in town briefly for the Neil Young tribute at Massey Hall, and we're delighted that he will take the time to swing by The Imperial to share his songs with us before returning to misty Glasgow.

The Imperial Pub is one of my favourite Toronto venues. Opened in 1944, the rustic, cozy feeling between its brick walls brings the warmth of old Toronto, with a welcoming, "steady as she goes" approach that contrasts the high heels and rising prices of the West End.

The Buffalo Builders played a string of Thursdays at the Imperial last year. When I entered the backroom to see them play, I was instantly transported to a roadside venue far from town. Behind the upright piano there is a porthole to the Ottawa Valley, and all airs are dropped. There aren't any baskets of blueberries for sale outside, but there is a late night menu, and a wide range of beverages on hand.

Caveat emptor: this will be a late night event. We will light the candles and open the curtains to the backroom at 10:30 pm, but Stevie will only be ushered onstage when the last Uncanny Tale has been told.

We hope to see you at the Imperial.

xoxo
B.B.

Faith Renewed

2009-05-21T11:19:00.016-04:00

Last night, after laying low for a few months, the Kids On TV emerged from their haunted house jam space, dressed as Hibiscus of the Cockettes (featuring sequined eyebrows applied by Margot Keith), to perform two new songs and a Kate Bush "Cloudbusting" tribute at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. The show, which also featured Gentleman Reg and a new be-wigged Eurosongstress, was a party for the sold out Inside Out screening of "Hogtown Homos," featuring videos by Final Fantasy, Reg, The Hidden Cameras, and shorts by local artists.

The Kids On TV "Cloudbusting" tribute featured arrangements by Katie Stelmanis and a choir that included members of The Pining- a fantastic new local band that plays stripped down songs in a country vein.

But it wasn't only the Kate Bush choir singing: The Kids On TV have become more melodic and tuneful of late, and with "That Man is Just a Man," it seems they have a new song that is every bit as good as Breakdance Hunx, AKA the song we all know the words to. Shout it with me now, from your office, or the cafe where you surf the web: "YOU THINK SO? I KNOW SO!"

That the Kids re-emerged with even more glitter than ever is symbolic of the state of the West end's artistic imagination. For a brief period in the early 00s, Toronto bands and artists were winning hearts and minds around the world, and local labels and collectives were popping up like spring gophers. But it seemed like that scene had sort of fizzled, which anything does as soon as it is called a 'scene.' It is true that Canada's increasingly administrative culture, which prioritizes "mainstream" thinkers (see this Toronto Star article for more info about what counts as "mainstream" in the PMO's office), and general economic malaise have been like carbon monoxide to artists.

But, if the fiery golden glitter in the Kids On TVs' molten beards is any indication, the artistic imagination will not be kept down, nor confined to a past moment that casts occlusive shadows on the future by means of the false light of nostalgia. Like the moon, nostalgia's glow is merely a pale reflection of the future's brilliant possibilities.

Love,
BB

Sneaky Peek

2009-05-05T17:52:00.006-04:00

Thank you for a lovely little evening last week. We had a great time at This Ain't The Rosedale Library, and we loved Brian's reading.

There were no microphones. The only thing plugged in was a tiny Squire amp for Shaun's keys. While it was great to walk to the gig with all of our gear in hand, we won't always have such a small set-up. But we do appreciate the Billy Bragg comparisons that resulted from our recent stripped-down renditions of the stories we sing.

A Canadian music blog has posted a little clip from the show, so have a peek if you are curious.

Best wishes,
xoxo
BB

Future!

2009-04-28T11:20:00.001-04:00

It's a wet spring day in Toronto, which raises hopes for a green and flowery near-future. When Francis Fukuyama proclaimed the end of history, it shed an unflattering light on the old punk slogan 'No Future.' In times like these, it's more rebellious to believe in the future, a future that has yet to be determined.

Today the words 'swine flu' are on everyone's lips. Whether we're talking about pandemics, war, or other proverbial horsemen, there isn't any corner of North America where one can hide from the peculiar rhythm of our culture- the pounding, relentless anxiety that drives us to work and spend.

Fret not. When you rest your head on your pillow at night, remember that the sound you are hearing is not the trotting hooves of the four horsemen, but the sound of your own worried heart beating. Yes, a hard rain is falling, but a hard rain is better than no rain, so press on, dear friends.

If you're in Toronto, maybe we'll see you tomorrow at This Ain't The Rosedale Library- our show with Brian Joseph Davis will be an early one, starting at 8pm. If not tomorrow, we hope to see you soon!

xoxo
Betty

Late to the dance, or early to the afterparty

2009-04-21T13:08:00.004-04:00

Like a squirrel nesting in a hollow tree, Betty Burke has finally carved out a myspace nook. Let's be friends! Our myspace account is so new that we haven't even received any salacious ads disguised as wall-posts yet.

We're getting excited about the show next week at This Ain't The Rosedale Library, so excited that a certain member of the band has been loitering at the shop on a regular basis. On Sunday, while thumbing through the music book section, I found a copy of "Otis! The Otis Redding Biography" by Scott Freeman. It's a juicy read.

The most stunning Otis anecdote I can share so far is about the whistled verse in "(Sitting On) The Dock of The Bay." Otis wasn't finished writing the song yet when he recorded it, and meant for the whistled lines to serve as a placeholder. But before he could return to the studio, he died in a tragic plane crash, which makes the song all the more painful to contemplate.

Whatever the genre- pop, soul, metal, r&b, country- sad songs abound. But "Sitting On The Dock of The Bay" receives my nomination for the best sad song of all time. A broken heart can leave you hopeless, but unemployment can leave you hopeless and homeless. Otis' story of leaving Georgia to look for work in California, and winding up jobless, with nothing to do but watch the waves, is a thousand times sadder than any old hony tonk lament about being left by a woman.

On that note, I'd like to end this blog by thanking This Ain't The Rosedale Library for stocking books Like "Otis!" If you're in Toronto next week, visit the shop Wednesday night for our show with Brian Joseph Davis, and take some time to browse. We hope to see you there, and if not there, maybe we'll see you on Myspace.

xoxo
BB

Free show with Betty and Brian Joseph Davis at This Aint The Rosedale Library

2009-04-02T10:14:00.007-04:00

On Wednesday, April 29th at 8pm there will be a special FREE show with Betty Burke and author/artist Brian Joseph Davis at This Ain't The Rosedale Library. This Ain't The Rosedale Library is a Toronto institution, run by father and son team Charlie and Jesse Huisken. Now in a new location in Canada's flaneur capital, Kensington Market, the UK's Guardian newspaper listed This Ain't as one of the top ten best bookstores in the world!

Brian Joseph Davis is an author and artist we admire for his work on paper, on stage, and at the DJ booth. He is involved in the venerable Blocks Recording Club, and ran a Parkdale gallery out of his home with Emily Shultz. One of our more memorable encounters with Brian was at a Republic of Safety show, at which he read from his book Portable Altamont, delighting us with a comedy poem constructed entirely from Canadian band names. This indulged the band's latent MC5 fantasies, hearkening back to the days when oratory and rock and roll went hand in hand to drive people to a frenzy.

Not long ago, Brian released an album version of Theodor Adorno's Minima Moralia (Reflections from Damaged Life). While the album is not easy to find, many Frankfurt School titles are available at This Ain't The Rosedale Library, along with independent books, art books, GLBT books, poetry collections, magazines (including some fun hard-to-find art magazines), and an amazing selection of books on music.

We hope to see you there on April 29th. Doors are at 8pm, thought the shop is open all day at 86 Nassau Street, next to Ideal Coffee.

XoXo,
BB

PS Today is Holly Andruchuk's birthday! Happy Birthday, Holly!

Shaun touring with A.C. Newman, hitting Letterman in April

2009-03-28T19:50:00.004-04:00

Where oh where is Shaun Brodie? Since late February, Betty's darling multi-instrumentalist-- that chap with the puckish twinkle in his eye-- has been galavanting up and down the coasts with A.C. Newman. We had the good fortune to catch the A.C. Newman show in Toronto at Lee's Palace and it was fantastic. They band is incredibly tight, which is amazing since the musicians hail from far-flung corners of North America. They will be appearing on David Letterman in mid-April. I hope they feature many close-ups of the trumpet player ;)

Betty will be playing gigs again when Shaun returns from the voyage. Our next show will take place at a super special spot in Kensington Market, Toronto, the details of which will be announced soon.

Until then, look for Shaun in various North American venues with Newman. And check out Holly Andruchuk's blog about the Monster at: http://fencepostsandplainfolks.blogspot.com/
She will be playing at Lee's Palace on April 11th, so don't be a hermit, get out there and hear those prairie pipes- featuring East Toronto's Elliot Brothers on rhythm (by East Toronto, I mean the city of several million that starts at Yonge Street and ends at Scarborough, not an industrial zone in Toronto, Ohio).

xoxo,
B.B.

Talkin' bout last night

2009-02-05T11:36:00.004-05:00

We had a great time at the Tranzac last night. I want to extend special thanks to Magali for organizing the show, and to Gentleman Reg, the Metal Kites and The Youngest for being great.

The Youngest is Amy, solo on her guitar, singing tender songs. She has a great voice.

The Metal Kites are harder to describe, and that is a complement. Mysterious lyrics, haunted guitars, creature harmonies and Magali on bass- if that's not enough to make you listen, you are immune to persuasion.

We are planning to do a show soon at a very special spot in Toronto, so I will post more information about that when we firm up details.

Thanks for reading, and have a happy Thursday.

xoxo
Betty

With special guest star Gentleman Reg

2009-02-04T08:30:00.003-05:00

Good morning,

Gentleman Reg will be joining Betty on stage tonight at the Tranzac Club for a song. We are very excited about this special treat. The show begins at 8:00, and costs only 6$.

To start your day off on the right foot, here is a cute little Reg photo, taken by Davida Nemeroff.

See you tonight,
xoxo
Betty

Our first gig, tomorrow night at the Tranzac Club, Toronto

2009-02-03T12:55:00.003-05:00

Betty's first gig is tomorrow night (February 4, 2009) at 8:00 pm. We are playing with Metal Kites (featuring John Tielli, Magali Meagher and Doug Tielli), and The Youngest as part of the "Wombat Wednesdays" series. The show only costs 6 dollars, which means it is recession-appropriate entertainment. Be sure to arrive at the stated time, as the whole do must end by 11:00 pm.

What can you expect from Betty? At the Tranzac you will see and hear Shaun Brodie (guitar/trumpet), Stephanie Markowitz (micro korg), Dave Meslin (bass/percussion) and Maggie MacDonald (mandola/voice) playing five songs on the theme of post-industrial desperation. The songs are short, melodic and can be enjoyed without any sense of ennui. Our intention is to uplift, not to depress. You will not require a hanky.

Holly Andruchuk will be with us in spirit, as she worked on these songs with us, but she is away up North at the moment and can't be at this gig. We love and miss you, Holly!

Hope to see you tomorrow!

xoxo,
Betty