Mother's Day

This week we aired our Mother's Day special: another eclectic playlist with a some semi-relevant, mother-themed tracks thrown in for good measure. From silly folk songs to heart-wrenching ballads and indictments of systemic injustices, it's an odd mix of tunes from across the map.

After Robert Pollard's tale of how he met his mother, we heard Neil Young and Crazy Horse's social commentary and Ghostface (Killa's) tribute to struggling moms. Next, we took a brief detour into some brand new stuff from Abbotsford, BC (Open Letters) and Montreal (Ought), and we heard what was arguably the creepiest song of our playlist (though Billy Corgan wasn't far off) from The Knife. The title track from Damon Albarn's new solo release was another off-topic selection that managed to make the cut. But from there onward, we stuck to songs about mothers or the lack thereof. Mary Gauthier pondered her own journey to adulthood without a mother, while Sun Kil Moon's Mark Kozelek revealed his mother's potential absence to be his greatest fear. Next, we heard an off colour song from the Yukon's Spring Breakup about mothers and wives, and, finally, we endured the rare treat of listening to Billy Corgan' remarkable tribute to his late mother from 1998's Adore.
    

"How I Met My Mother" - Guided by Voices
"Welfare Mothers" - Neil Young and Crazy Horse
"Mamma" - Ghostface
"This Song Was Supposed To Be Called 'Existence Is Futile' But Revocation Stole It From Us" - Open Letters
"Habit" - Ought
"We Share Our Mother's Health" - The Knife
"Everyday Robots" - Damon Albarn
"Mother Here, Mother Gone" - Mary Gauthier
"I Can't Live Without My Mother's Love" - Sun Kil Moon
"Mother and Wife" - Spring Breakup
"For Martha" - Smashing Pumpkins

Unsafe, unsure

Start at 1:15 to hear Halifax ex-pats Each Other kick things off with an assortment of brash melodies. Some darker, dancier stuff came next from Calgary's Mark Mills, Toronto's Think About Life, and Brooklyn provocateurs Liars. Next, we heard from Germany's endearing indie poppers The Notwist, a new project by Gord Downie and the Sadies, and revived 90s hard rock heroes The Afghan Whigs. Our newly established "Pick of the Week" (name subject to change) was claimed by Edmonton singer-songwriter Marlaena Moore, who followed EMA's tortured concept art and Coeur de Pirate's respectable Linda Ronstadt cover. The show came to an end with a pair of torch songs: the first, Future Islands' enchanting anthem "Spirit"; the second, Germany Germany's bandcamp-approved "Reconnect."
 

"Swell Patterns" - Each Other
"Escape Artists" - Mark Mills
"The Velt" - Think About Life
"Vox Tuned DED" - Liars
"Kong" - The Notwist
"Crater" - Gord Downie, the Sadies, and the Conquering Sun
"Matamoros" - The Afghan Whigs
"When She Comes" - EMA
"Heartbeats Accelerating" - Coeur de Pirate
"Unsafe, Unsure" - Marlaena Moore*
"Spirit" - Future Islands
"Reconnect" - Germany Germany


*Pick of the Week (or something)

Interrobang

Trevor and I found ourselves trading favourites on this week's show. He had his Japandroids and Jenn Grant, I had my Archers of Loaf and Hush Pup, and the airwaves were grateful. (The way Archers of Loaf singer Eric Bachmann sings the word "weird" is pure 90s magic.) We also heard new stuff from Timber Timbre and Chad VanGaalen among others.

If the title of this week's show is unfamiliar to you, have no fear: we explain it partway through the show. Or you could just ask the internet.

Skip ahead about four minutes to arrive at the beginning of our show.



"One" - Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
"The House That Heaven Built" - Japandroids
"Web in Front" - Archers of Loaf
"War Between" - Huron
"The Fighter" - Jenn Grant
"Curtains!?" - Timber Timbre
"Décapote" - La Patère Rose
"Sign 11:11" - Hush Pup
"Monster" - Chad VanGaalen
"Lucky" - Magnetta Lane
"Shy-Town" - Gorillaz
"Hate" - Charisma.com
"Black Panther" - Crystal Castles

Contested ground

This week's show was an attempt to incorporate more independent music by First Nations artists into our usual playlist (which has, in the past, been rightly accused of being dominated by white males). While this sort of thing isn't at all uncommon in North American indie rock, it's led to some fairly stable ideas of what independent music should sound and look like. Of course, such perceptions are hardly representative of the diversity in Canada's independent music community and can create real barriers for voices that need to be heard.

Part of our inspiration came from witnessing the powerful and harrowing stories of residential school survivors at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which concluded this past weekend in Edmonton. We were able to see a free concert, featuring Cris Derksen and a host of other artists (from many different backgrounds).

Below, you'll hear music from aboriginal and non-aboriginal artists. Our goal with these selections was to steer our show in a more attentive direction and showcase several artists (such as Cris Derksen, Quillbox, Flying Down Thunder and Rise Ashen) that don't get much airtime, as well as some that do (Ghostkeeper, A Tribe Called Red, Kinnie Starr). It's a small step, but hopefully it's something we'll be able to build on.



"Pow. Wow. Wow." - Cris Derksen
"Talkin' Bout a Revolution (Tracy Chapman cover)" - Art Napoleon
"Passing Out Pieces" - Mac DeMarco
"Sadlands" - Rebekah Higgs
"Mountain/Relief" - Picastro
"Well, Well, Well" - Ghostkeeper
"Molina Blues" - Slates
"Unity of Culture" - Flying Down Thunder and Rise Ashen
"Look At This" - A Tribe Called Red
"Get the Show On the Road" - Canadian Winter
"Kiss It" - Kinnie Starr
"Spirit" - Future Islands
"Nii Mi" - Quillbox

It's inevitable

"What's inevitable?" you ask. Birthdays. Birthdays are inevitable. Or at least, that's what a song by Royal Canoe has taught me.

I was hoping that I could make up for last year's birthday themed episode (no link, sorry!) with something less gratuitous and self-absorbed. But Trevor wouldn't let me get away it.
 

"Check in" - Cibo Matto
"Witches finger" - Babysitter
"You suck" - Hagface
"American horror" - Speedy Ortiz
"Don't let it bring you down (live)" - Neil Young
"Oh my friends" - Nap Eyes
"Caramel" - Connan Mockasin
"A simple beautiful truth" - Wild Beasts
"Don't look back" - Mark Sultan
"Dragon egg" - Diamond Mind
"Sea of white" - Tough Age
"Brother" - Mac DeMarco
"Bunker Buster" - Viet Cong

Spring succeeds

What better way to usher in the warm weather than with some swell tunes? Trevor and I have got you covered. Get ready for a lot of adjectives.

We started with the show's namesake, a gem from The Olivia Tremor Control's under-appreciated classic from 1996, Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle. From there, we heard some Canadian indie jams from Montreal (Each Other) and Edmonton (Jom Comyn, Creaks). Our folk set included the frequently played Bill Callahan, the recently discovered Livingston, and the inimitable Gillian Welch. Some punkier stuff came next: from Mission of Burma's classic Vs., we entered the "Weatherbox," then heard Julie Doiron spill her lungs, and joined Thee Oh Sees for "AA warm breeze." Baltimore's Future Islands led us back to a more romantic perspective and Temples delivered a healthy dose of psych-rock before Victoria's Hush Pup took us on a weird trip through the desert.



"Spring succeeds" - The Olivia Tremor Control
"Ash mound" - Each Other
"Busy dreams" - Jom Comyn
"Daydream" - Creaks
"Spring" - Bill Callahan
"I am a weary immaterial labourer in a post-industrial wasteland" - Livingston
"Winter’s come and gone" - Gillian Welch
"Weatherbox" - Mission of Burma
"Spill yer lungs" - Julie Doiron
"AA warm breeze" - Thee Oh Sees
"Seasons (waiting on you)" - Future Islands
"Sun structures" - Temples "Dusty rose" - Hush Pup

International Women's Day

This Saturday is International Women's Day so Trevor and I thought we'd put together a playlist made up exclusively of female artists. The only exception was the show's cheeky intro, provided by Flight of the Concords (remember when they were kind of a big deal?). There was some debate about whether the track was appropriate. Eventually we agreed that it was more or less consistent with the show, given the fact that there were no women present in the recording booth; just a lot of self-aware male posturing.

My embarrassment was nearly audible, but it was soon remedied with Brooklyn funk/soul outfit Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. From there it was smooth sailing: we began with a handful of artists from British Columbia including Kandle and her pal Louise Burns, as well as garage rock duo The Pack A.D. Next, we heard the strange grooves of Argentina's Juana Molina and marked the show's halfway point with Alsara and the Nubatones.

Taking her cue from PJ Harvey and Tori Amos, Natasha Khan (aka Bat for Lashes) gave us an inspiring piano ballad (my "torch song," apparently) about refusing to compromise. We mellowed out with a track from Marissa Nadler's excellent new album, July and revisited a CJSR staple from Edmonton's Jessica Jalbert. St. Vincent's industrial beats provided a good warm-up for an infectious track by Karol Conka, and we closed with a witty number by Vancouver's Hannah Georgas. Finally, with two minutes to go, I was able to sneak in a classic from The Breeder's 1993 album Last Splash.


"Ladies of the World" - Flight of the Concords
"We Get Along" - Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
"Control Me" - Kandle
"Airborne" - The Pack A.D.
"Emeralds Shatter" - Louise Burns
"Ferocisimo" - Juana Molina
"Habibi Taal" - Alsara and the Nubatones
"Travelling Woman" - Bat for Lashes
"Was it a Dream" - Marissa Nadler
"Lack of a Lake" - Jessica Jalbert
"Every Tear Disappears" - St. Vincent
"Gandaia" - Karol Conka
"Shorty" - Hannah Georgas
"Divine Hammer" - The Breeders

Repeater

This week's show begins unannounced, with Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band (thanks to Chad for keeping the airwaves avant-garde in my absence). This was unplanned. I was late getting to the station, so if the grating sounds are too much for your ears, you can skip ahead to 9:30 to hear Fuguazi's "Argument." And on we go.

Highlights include Trevor's spirited defence of Buck 65's greatness (and my skepticism regarding the matter), a beautiful track from Saskatoon shoegazers, the Moas, and a rambling ballad from Sun Kil Moon's new album Benji. Sadly, Beck's track got cut off, but it's all-over the internet so you'll probably hear it eventually.



Argument - Fugazi
All the Time - The Moas
New Age Prices - Fountain

Vol de nuit - Decibelles
Talking Backwards - Real Estate
Papier carbone - Mat Vezio
Do Make Say Think - Soul & Onward

Bike for Three - Heart as Hell
Clear Soul Forces - Freq Freq (clean)
The Extremities - Dial Tones
Ben’s My Friend - Sun Kil Moon
Waking Light - Beck

Take Me to the Land of Hell

Our second episode of the new year steals its title from Yoko Ono's 2013 release, which figured prominently in this week's playlist and book-ended another eclectic mix of hand-picked tunes. Trevor and I are still crammed into Studio B, awkwardly passing a single microphone back and forth. But we know when to celebrate our limitations and this show was no exception. I think it's safe to say that our banter is improving, even if our time management skills remain wanting. This week, we debuted some pretty exciting new tunes from heavy hitters like Chad VanGaalen, Beck, and St. Vincent, while highlighting some lesser-known gems from Rebekah Higgs, Anamai, and Jom Comyn.



"Bad Dancer" - Yoko Ono Plastic Band
"Where Are You?" - Chad VanGaalen
"Sadlands" - Rebekah Higgs
"Crystal Ball" - Grimes
"Digital Witness" - St. Vincent
"My Jacket" - Josh Martinez
"Rimbaud Eyes" - Dum Dum Girls
"Alter Coals" - Anamai
"Blue Moon" - Beck
"Cool Room" - Jom Comyn
"Mutant Message" - By Divine Right
"Winter Park, CO" - Pat LePoidevin
"Forgiven/Forgotten" - Angel Olsen
"Shine, Shine" - Yoko Ono Plastic Band

Deja Vu

And we're back, for the most part. It's been just over a month since 2013's year-end music marathon. Dyck's Pycks in 2014 will air Tuesday afternoons at 2pm.

Yes, changes aplenty. Starting with this show, your favourite regular guest, Trevor, will be joining me in the studio and splitting the song selections. So this was a bit of an experimental show, and we were both a little rusty from the extended holiday break. We prerecorded the whole thing the other night in Studio B, which isn't exactly the most well-equiped space for a multi-host show (you'll hear why).

We're also working on a new name for the show, hopefully something with a comparable tone of vulgarity; but for now Dyck's Pycks will just have to do.

Deja Vu - Cibo Matto
Shibboleth - Stephen Malkmus
Don't wannabe / loved by you - Julie Doiron
Joyride - Dog Day
Clipped On - Blood Orange
Look My Way - The Extremities
Expressing Views is Obviously Illegal - Prefuse 73
My Museum Needs an Elevator - Robert Pollard
The Hazards of Sitting Beneath Palm Trees - Hayden
Turn t'es mise en crier - Bravofunken
All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast - Bill Callahan
Stars to Waves - Jenn Grant

Glamour in the Hammer?

Sadly, I have no MP3 to post this week. CJSR's server was down for a good chunk of time and my show was one its many victims. It's a shame not only because of the great slew of tracks you'll see listed below, but also because I got to discuss the upcoming Grey Cup final (to which I am mostly completely oblivious) with Trevor. Earlier on Monday morning, he had sent in a request for the Whitehorse song "No Glamour in the Hammer," a tribute to his hometown Tiger-Cats who'll be facing off against the Saskatchewan Rough Riders in Regina this Sunday. And although I'm pretty naive when it comes to Canadian (or American) football, I do know that when you play against the Riders in Saskatchewan, the odds will not be in your favour. Hamilton needs all the help it can get. Trevor came by the show to provide more context for his requested song. The "Hammer" refers, of course, to Hamilton (I embarrassingly failed to pick up on this) and the song contains a bunch of other references to the underdog Ontario city.

So that was the show's highlight and I'm sorry if you missed it. All things considered, I'll probably spin a bunch of these tracks again next week. Maybe we'll be celebrating a Hamilton win and I'll have another opportunity to play Trevor's request.

"This Lonely Morning" - Best Coast
"No Glamour in the Hammer" - Whitehorse
"Forgiven/Forgotten" - Angel Olsen
"Uninvited Guest" - Eamon McGrath
"Tugboat" - Joanna Gruesome
"Sleepsick" - Dinosaur Bones
"Love You Here" - Sebadoh
"Walking on Ayr" - Lab Coast
"Sure As Spring" - La Luz
"Cash In" - Solange
"Minstrel Rock" - Old and Weird
"Anytime" - Monomyth
"Can't Question Desire" - The You Are Minez
"Dust in the Gold Rush" - Swearin'
"Sleigh Ride" - Fuzz

Cold signs

Since Saturday evening's snowfall, it's been impossible to ignore the sad fact that winter is here. Indeed, we're all heading down the "Winter Road," as Bill Callahan somberly put it in the show's opening song. But it wasn't all self-pitying ballads about the cold signs of our current climate. We heard a highlight from Julie Doiron's recent classic I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day, some dreamy shoe-gaze from Philidelphia's A Sunny Day in Glasgow, and a lackadaisical jam from Kurt Vile latest, Walkin' on a Pretty Daze.

The show's centrepiece, however, was a pair of back-to-back tracks from Bruce Cockburn. After spinning his jazzy bummer "The Coldest Night of the Year," I had to let Bruce deliver a more traditional pick-me-up, this time from 1978's Further Adventures Of. I'm a real sucker for the jazz flute. From there, we headed to Montreal to hear from a 30-piece orchestra known as Land of Kush and to witness some fantastic noise work from Tim Hecker. Julia Holter's eerie track from Loud City Song allowed us to transition out of Hecker's ambient experiments into the hook-driven garage rock of Edmonton's Switches and Bass Drum of Death (with an expansive new track from Yamantaka // Sonic Titan thrown in for good measure).

Before I could continue, I was politely interrupted by Trevor, a recurring guest on the show, who had just returned from the Conservative Party convention in Calgary. Don't worry. He wasn't there celebrate our country's embarrassing status quo -- he was there as a reporter for one of CJSR's flagship news shows, Terra Informa.

We ended the hour somewhat bashfully, with a crowd-pleaser from the Arcade Fire, you know, because they're having such a rough go of it right now. And just in case you're not yet tired of hearing about them, you can follow this link to read my take on their new album.



"Winter Road" - Bill Callahan
"Heavy Snow" - Julie Doiron
"100/0 (Snow Days Forever)" - A Sunny Day in Glasgow
"Snow Flakes Are Dancing" - Kurt Vile
"The Coldest Night of the Year" - Bruce Cockburn
"Laughter" - Bruce Cockburn
"The Big Mango" - Land of Kush
"Amps, Drugs, Harmonium" - Tim Hecker
"This is a True Heart" - Julia Holter
"Roomate" - Switches
"Lamia" - Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
"Shattered Me" - Bass Drum of Death
"Here Comes the Night Time" - Arcade Fire

Rockin' the Pycks

FunDrive is over, so it's back to business as usual for the show. Of course, you can still give CJSR your money, but I won't be taking up my airtime asking for it.

Here's the recap: after Buffy St Marie's intro we launched right into a new song from the Dodos that's been stuck in my head for a good while (I've written more about it here). Cynthia and I were eventually joined by Trevor, who came with something to prove: he can rock. So he had Sleater-Kinney blow our eardrums and dropped a classic jam from Joel Plaskett's former band, Thrush Hermit. We will never doubt you again, Trevor!

Plaskett wasn't the only East Coaster on the show. Along with a new track from Cousins, we heard a slacker anthem from Monomyth, hand-pycked by Cynthia. From there, we surveyed some expletive-filled rock 'n' roll from King Tuff, some T. Rex-inspired acoustica from Ty Segall, some beautiful pop fuzz from Calgary's Lab Coast, and some enduring dad rock from the prolific Robert Pollard.



"Confidence" - Dodos
"Coming Through (feat. Cat Power)" - Willis Earl Beal
"Breakfast + Tea" - Ghost Cousin
"Easy Easy" - King Krule
"Dog That Bit You" - The Baptist Generals
"Feeling" - Monomyth
"Laserbeam" - King Tuff
"The Man Man" - Ty Segall
"Had It Any Other Way" - Lab Coast
"I'm Closing In" - The Obits
"River" - Cousins
"He Requested Things" - Robert Pollard
"The Fox" - Sleater-Kinney
"The Day We Hit The Coast" - Thrush Hermit
"Smoke" - Crosss

Backlog

I've fallen somewhat behind with my weekly posts. Blame it on FunDrive. Below, you'll find my September 23rd episode, which features new music from the likes of Ty Segall, Delorean, Beck, Neko Case, Monomyth, and Brazilian Money. Towards the end, you'll hear a batch of folk tunes picked out by my friend, Trevor, who dropped by the station during his coffee break. We ended the hour with some aimless speculation about the 2013 Polaris Music Prize and didn't come at all close to predicting the outcome.



"Ode to subterrania" - Hooded Fang
"John the painter" - UBT
"The man man" - Ty Segall
"Animal Games" - Emiliana Torrini
"Ranchero" - Jordan Klassen
"December" - Braids
"Unhold (featuring Caroline Polachek) - Delorean
"Gimme" - Beck
"Bracing for Sunday" - Neko Case
"Coastal" - Monomyth
"Bones, bones, bones" - Brazilian Money
"Man of letters" - Hermetic
"Say darlin' say" - Corinna Rose
"West end sky" - Elliot Brood
"Ungirthed" - Purity Ring