Up to Speed

Dan Griffin was awesome at the Spades show. The Spades were equally awesome in a different way; in a makes-me-twist-the-night-away-way. Their new album is also sweet as fuck and I suggest, to everyone who hasn’t already, buying it. I saw Dan Griffin & The Northern Lights again last week, which makes me one of the few and the proud who can say I’ve seen every single show they have ever played. All three of them. With them, I saw two new bands. Rock Plaza Central is a pretty wicked Toronto band that uses accordions and horns, among other things. I loved them. They’re an eastcoastified mix of Arcade Fire meets Modest Mouse. Also saw Paper Airplanes; a Kansas-based band with a whole lot of guitars and rocking. Sounds like Rock Plaza Central minus the horns. All six of them, plus merch guy, plus someone’s Mom slept at mine and Sean’s place afterwards because Aaron (our friend/Northern pedal steel star) took it upon himself to take care of them and while his place isn’t, our house is big enough to handle the hospitality. They all made their beds and washed their dishes the following morning so pats on the back to them. That’s more than I do most days.
Best news this month –Joel Plaskett’s new album, Ashtray Rock, came out last week and it is wicked. When I first heard these new songs at the last couple live shows I’ve seen I thought, “ well…those are…new…” but since getting the CD, oh man. I am obsessed in a hugely unhealthy way. The songs make up an hour-long singsong story of what I am assuming is the downfall of Thrush Hermit due to the love triangle that formed when Plaskett scooped a bandmate’s (again, I will assume –Rob Benvie’s) woman. An added bonus is that the album got me a-researchin’ on Rebecca Kraatz–Plaskett’s wife /NovaScotia artist (and suspected Mistress of AshtrayRock). I had always been quite obsessed with the cover art for La De Da, which she did, and when I discovered that she had a wholecache/collection/empire built on similarly-styled wood burns and watercolour work, I was in Heaven! Plus, she also writes a memoir-esque weekly comic, and since those are my favourite kinds of comics, I was even more thrilled!