giraffecycle

Pulled from Facebook.  If you are a film buff and a political junkie, go to the Somerset tonight and enjoy the best of both worlds. Fun starts at 7:00PM.

Cast your vote, and then come join us for a dynamic evening of discussion, film screening, and real-time elections results as they roll in!

In our final Speakeasy Film Series, we will screen local filmmaker Gretchen Kelbaugh’s MENocracy, a film which focuses on aspects of the role of women in government.

The film is divided into three parts, which will allow for us to allow for dialogue and to also check in with our elections results coverage as it unfolds.

Penny Blacks Part One
By Mark Carpenter
May 5, 2012

Only in recent years, with the proliferation of indie artists, social media, and micro-labels, and the decline of discs, has the EP become a commonly used format in North America. The wonderful thing about EP’s is, minus the burden of sustaining an 11 or 12-song album, artists can really push their boundaries, and provide us, the listeners, a grab-bag of their talents. Eclecticism is the name of the game on Penny Blacks’ EP, Gold Standards. “Chop Yourself Into Little Pieces and Mail Yourself to New Brunswick, Canada For Immediate Reassembly” is the sardonic title of the opener, a wistful paean to a lost love with defiant bursts of energy punctuating the acoustic reverie. This is followed by the country pastiche, “Your Wedding Ring.” The retro arrangement, with its plaintive pedal steel, meshes with the pleading vocal to create a great, vintage-sounding heartbreaker.

Next is “Paperwork,” a melodic pop song, with great harmony vocals, and a welcome tinge of bitterness. The lyric is replete with references to Saint John, and the observation, “…embalmer’s fluid doesn’t flow quite like blood.” “Splinter Kiss” follows, a depressive acoustic lament with a tense undercurrent that builds to a surprisingly rousing climax. ‘Socorro” is the final track, a jaunty folk-pop tune with charming Beatlesque harmonies.

Penny Blacks is a Saint John supergroup of sorts, with among them an assembly of names we’ve already encountered in this column: Clinton Charlton, Chris Braydon, and Chuck Teed. Led by Jason Ogden, they also have an album, Harbour, which I will review next week.

Cheers everybody. Send your feedback, link, whatever you wish to markcarpenter926@gmail.com.

Saint John’s Best DJ and Master of Disaster himself Jud Crandall brings the good people of the port city “two days of weird bleak pulp rock & roll music” as part of the National Youth Arts Week. The fest kicks off with an all-ages event celebrating young upstarts at the Interaction School of Performing Arts in the Sanctuary Theatre on May 4th at 6PM. The show features Wooden Wives with an all-new lineup, Reagans Rayguns, [learning], and Gavin Downes. The Wives rise again on the 5th at a 19+ performance at the Water Street Dinner Theatre. They will be joined by Bad Vibrations, Construction & Destruction, Adam Mowery, & Laura Peek.

The cover for each show is 5$ and 8$ respectively, or you can pick up a nifty weekend pass at Backstreet Records for the low, low price of 10 bones.

This amazing weekend of rock is supported by Backstreet Records, The Feel Good Store, Interaction School of Performing Arts, Printing Plus and Local 107.3fm.

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If you have an age 13+ guy or gal with an interest in pottery, register them to make bowls with Alison Gayton at the Saint John Arts Center on May 3rd at individual times between 6-9 PM. The bowls will be donated to the Empty Bowls fundraiser for Outflow in October. Outflow is a community group dedicated to feeding people in Saint John. Call the SJAC to register at 633-4870.

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Check for further events at the page below or the National Youth Arts Week NB Facebook page.

National Youth Arts Week May 1st-7th
http://youthartsweek.ca

Congratulations to the winners of the fifth annual Best of Music Saint John Poll:

Best Female Artist
Babette Hayward

Best Male Artist
Adam Mowery

Best Group
Penny Blacks

Best New Artist/Group
Little You, Little Me

Best Album
Penny Blacks – Harbour

Best Song
Adam Washburn – Dead Of Winter

Artist Most Likely To Make It Big
December Fall Out

Best DJ
Jud Crandall

Best Musician
Adam Kierstead

Best Venue
Peppers Pub

Best Show
Penny Blacks CD Release – Water Street Dinner Theatre, November 10

Best Radio Program
Smashed! Blocked! (Local 107.3FM)

Best Video
Adam Washburn – Dead of Winter

Best Fan
Dave Snyder

Best Album Artwork
Penny Blacks – Harbour

Best Record Store
Backstreet Records

Big thanks to Picaroon’s Traditional Ales, Printing Plus, Local 107.3FM, and Giraffecycle.com for sponsoring the event, and a special shout out to the Water Street Dinner Theatre for hosting the awards.

I would also like to thank Anthony Enman, Jud Crandall, Sean Boyer, Dave Boyer, Adam Kierstead, Clinton Charlton, Little You, Little Me, Adam Washburn, December Fall Out, Reagan’s Rayguns, and everyone that presented awards last night. You helped make the show a huge success, and I can’t wait to do it again next year!

Head over to Backstreet Records to pick up your advanced ticket for Rose Cousins at the Interaction School of Performing Arts tomorrow evening. This ECMA honored folk-pop solo artist will play following local beauty Babette Hayward in support of the new album “We Have Made a Spark”. The album was released February 28th following an intimate recording in a tiny island cabin off the coast of New Hampshire. Showtime is 8:00 PM with doors at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary Theatre. Advanced tickets are 25$ and 30$ at the door.

You can also catch MC Fraction & the Juno nominated Fresh Kils with Napz Meka, and Something Good at Peppers Pub on Friday night. MC Fraction appeared on CBC’s “Dragon’s Den” to promote an educational LP. Music begins approximately 11:00 PM and cover is 6$.

Last but not least: just a reminder that Saturday evening is the 5th annual Saint John Music Poll Awards gala. This event is hosted by GC’s own Chuck “Redheads Do So Have a Soul” Teed and CFMH’s Anthony “Nick Cameron Is Not My Girlfriend” Enman. The gala will feature performances by December Fall Out, Little You, Little Me, Adam Washburn, Reagan’s Rayguns, and more. Be there or be square at the Water Street Dinner Theatre, 9:00 PM. Space is limited so arrive on time to celebrate the Saint John indie music scene’s best and brightest. Sponsored by Picaroons Traditional Ales, Printing Plus, Local 107.3FM, BBQ Records, and as always, Giraffecycle.com.

A Quick Greeting
By Mark Carpenter
April 24,  2012

Hello everyone; ok, apologies again in order. I’ve become much busier with my day job(s) then I expected in recent weeks, so another huge delay on the latest column. I hope to churn ‘em out a little more quickly going forward. Next week, Part 1 of 2 on Penny Blacks. The week after, Part 2. The week after that, a review of a new CD by a certain elderly Canadian legend. Again, Please send me your music, or music you think I’ll find interesting. Here’s my contact info: markcarpenter926@gmail.com. Cheers!

We’re a mere two weeks away from the fifth annual Saint John Music Poll Gala, so I figured I should share a few more details.

What: Saint John Music Poll Gala

Where: Water Street Dinner Theatre

When: April 28, 9PM (show starts at 10PM sharp)

Who: Performances by December Fall Out, Little You, Little Me, Adam Washburn, Reagan’s Rayguns, and more! Hosted by Chuck Teed and Anthony Enman.

Why: For fun, that’s why!

We’re going to be rolling out more information as we get closer to the event, so please check back next week for addditional details! It’s going to be a lot of fun!

Special thanks to our sponsors and partners: Picaroons Traditional Ales, Giraffecycle.com, Printing Plus, Local 107.3FM, and BBQ Records

Here are the top 15 records receiving airplay on Local 107.3fm in the first quarter of 2012 as influenced by your requests and the plays of our fantastic volunteer DJs. We hope you’ve been enjoying these excellent new releases by some amazing Canadian artists.

1. Adam Mowery – St. Joseph’s Mechanical Penthouse
2. Rae Spoon – I Can’t Keep All Of Our Secrets
3. Mike O’Neill – Wild Lines
4. Cousins – The Palm At The End Of The Mind
5. Penny Blacks – Harbour
6. Baby Eagle & The Proud Mothers – Bone Soldiers
7. Honheehonhee – Shouts
8. Cannon. Bros – Firecracker/Cloudglow
9. Girls Would Kill – Bloodshed
10. Owen Gilbride – Trax
11. B.A. Johnston – Hi Dudes
12. Bad Vibrations – Black Train
13. Sandro Perri – Impossible Spaces
14. Miesha & The Spanks / The Sphinxs – Split
15. Long Weekends – Don’t Reach Out

Giraffecycle is pleased to announce the nominees of the fifth annual Saint John Music Poll:

Best Female Artist
Babette Hayward
Jen Jewett
Jessica Rhaye

Best Male Artist
Adam Mowery
Adam Washburn
Clinton Charlton

Best Group
December Fall Out
Penny Blacks
Wooden Wives

Best New Artist/Group
(learning)
Adam Washburn
Little You, Little Me

Best Album
Babette Hayward – You Might Be Somebody
December Fall Out – New Practice
Penny Blacks – Harbour

Best Song
Adam Washburn – Dead Of Winter
December Fall Out – It’s Not Me, It’s You
Rock Cliff Overview – Bermuda Bound

Artist Most Likely To Make It Big
Adam Washburn
December Fall Out
Penny Blacks

Best DJ
DJ Fire
DJ Fred
Jud Crandall

Best Musician
Adam Kierstead
Adam Washburn
Sean Boyer

Best Venue
Bourbon Quarter
Peppers Pub
Somerset Pub

Best Show
Bandwich 2 – Somerset Pub, August 26
December Fall Out CD Release Party – Pub Down Under, November 25
Penny Blacks CD Release – Water Street Dinner Theatre, November 10

Best Radio Program
Information Morning (CBC)
Smashed! Blocked! (Local 107.3FM)
Under The Radar (Local 107.3FM)

Best Video
Adam Washburn – Dead of Winter
Babette Hayward – Break Line
Rock Cliff Overview – Bermuda Bound

Best Fan
Dave Snyder
Mike Rogers
Nick Cameron

Best Album Artwork
Brent Mason – Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue
December Fall Out – New Practice
Penny Blacks – Harbour

Best Record Store
Backstreet Records
HMV
Second Spin

Winners will be announced at the Water Street Dinner Theatre April 28. The event also features performances by December Fall Out, Adam Washburn, and Little You, Little Me. More details are expected to be announced soon, so please stay tuned!
Special thanks to Picaroons and Local 107.3FM for their support of the event.

A Brief Word On Nostic
By Mark Carpenter
March 29, 2012

Hello everyone; apologies for the late entry this week. I wanted to take the opportunity to urge everyone to go see Penny Blacks, the subject of next week’s column, when they perform tomorrow night at Bourbon Quarter. I’d also like to remind everyone to send me, not just your music, but any suggestions or tips on Saint John or New Brunswick artists you think are worthy of coverage. I’ll give ‘em a listen and we’ll take it from there.

Ok, this week’s entry is on a single song I was sent by SJ hip-hop artist Nostic. I’ll lay my cards on the table: my taste in hip-hop is largely confined to the classic work of 80′s legends like Run-DMC and Public Enemy, the stuff I heard in my formative high-school days. I also liked the Beastie Boys, and a few others springing from that NYC tradition. As rappers hit the bigtime and went commercial or obnoxiously gangsta in the 90′s, my interest in hip-hop per se wore off to the point where it was almost non-existent. Every so often, though, I hear a track I like, and it reminds me that there’s a whole world of underground hip-hop out there that I ought to explore. It’s not typical for music critics to admit their ignorance of this or that genre, particularly one that dominates pop music so thoroughly. One risks being outed as an old fogy or terminally unhip or stuck two decades ago, or what have you. But what the hey, it’s my column.

So all that is to say that when I listened to Nostic’s “Elevated” (Feat. Joseph Koven), I at first tuned it out, as my ear doesn’t usually decode contemporary hip-hop that well. The rush of words, the piano loop, the rhythm clap: all seemed very typical. Where I’m trained as a listener to pick out the nuances in a rock song, even a fairly generic one, a hip-hop song usually has to have a very aggressive hook, or inflammatory lyrics to grab my attention (this being the signature attack of rap music in its early days). However, a second close listen, and the song began to grab me. I began to appreciate the relentlessness of the piano, and how the guitar drone insinuates itself in at about the 2 minute mark. The track has the kind of dark urgency that is precisely the kind of thing I often look for in music, and it confirmed something I’ve felt more and more as I age. Taste is something that is learned, and it becomes possible to appreciate all kinds of music (and all kinds of art, in fact) if you open yourself up to new ways of listening, of experiencing the work. I haven’t listened to Nostic’s previous work yet, but I definitely will.

As usual, send your feedback and your links to markcarpenter926@gmail.com. Cheers!