Music A To Z

*Originally released February 11th 2015*

Steve and Doug are joined by Nathan Ferguson to chat about local group INCURA. The three also chat about the real benefit of going to live shows, getting friendly with local bands, and working Joe Jobs at the local theatre.

Music featured this week:

I'm Here Waiting - INCURA

I'd Give Anything - swords.souls.secrets

​Three - swords.souls.secrets

Nickels and Dimes - swords.souls.secrets

2:43 - Nathan is almost right; The Neptunes produced the unreleased studio sessions of Britney Spears' "In The Zone", and the other member of The Neptunes is Chad Hugo

6:34 - Unfortunately that website is no longer up. But you can still check out D. C. Pronk's music on his Soundcloud

20:46 - Gaitlin did in fact get back to us, but informed us that he was a Donatello

​24:36 - Visit LeoMoon Studios to check out Amin's work and services

​35:50 - No, not Scott Weiland. Looks like they've changed line ups a bit, but you can still check out UGLY MeN on their Soundcloud here

48:57 - Here's our plug for The April Fools Childrenhood, via his awesome Bandcamp

49:50 - Check out the portfolio for the multi-talented Naomi King

51:27 - Why not take a gander at Gio Levy's website?

51:59 - Looks like Shotgun for Altamont changed their name to Shotgun

Nathan's Recommendations:

I Breathe This - INCURA

Sweat Runs Cold - swords.souls.secrets

Here To Blame - INCURA

Doug's Recommendations:

Confessive - The Lost EP [EP]

Who You Are - INCURA

Steve's Recommendations:

Get The Gun - INCURA

Set In Stone - swords.souls.secrets

​

Incura's Bandcamp

*Originally released January 30th 2015*

On this episode, Doug and Steve look at one of the biggest bands to come out of Vancouver in recent years, and for good reason, Hey Ocean! The two also muse over My Little Pony, guest appearances in music videos, and approaching celebrities at movie theatres.

Music featured this week:

​A Song About California - It's Easier To Be Somebody Else

Big Blue Wave - Is

Warning - Stop Looking Like Music

Make A New Dance Up - Is

12:16 - Doesn't look like that's the case anymore. Sorry folks!

16:32 - Here's the music video for "Fifteen Words" that had one of Steve's coworkers as a background partier

​19:35 - Fortunately, their website is back and pretty good. Still not much of a background for the members on there though

53:15 - Here's a look at her voice work, "The Voices of Musician and Artist Ashleigh Ball" by True Calling

55:16 - Spoiler alert: Steve never did. What a chump

1:01:47 - You can hear more about that concert Doug saw at the PNE on our episode O Is For Our Lady Peace!

1:02:34 - The band did wind up reuniting to release a new album in 2018, The Hurt Of Happiness

1:15:35 - Just for guffaws, here's the music video for Holy Fuck's "Red Lights". The car chase sequence takes from the old Steve McQueen film Bullitt

Doug's Recommendations:

Warning - Stop Looking Like Music

Fifteen Words - It's Easier To Be Somebody Else

​Big Blue Wave - Is

Steve's Recommendations:

A Song About California - It's Easier To Be Somebody Else

Beatboxer (Who Broke My Heart) - Stop Looking Like Music

The Jimmy Switch / Vegabond - It's Easier To Be Somebody Else

Hey Ocean's Official Website

Hey Ocean's Soundcloud

Hey Ocean's YouTube Channel

*Originally released January 21st 2015*

This episode, Doug and Steve cover a Canadian classic formed by Ian and Sylvia Tyson: Great Speckled Bird. Two albums, a tv show, and a million line up changes - wow these guys were busy! The brothers also talk about moving to the US as a career choice, variety shows, and making it up as you go along.

Six Degrees From King Crimson:

Great Speckled Bird -> Todd Rundgren -> Hall & Oates -> Robert Fripp -> King Crimson

Great Speckled Bird -> David Briggs -> B. B. King -> U2 -> Brian Eno -> Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew -> King Crimson

Music featured this week: 

Long Long Time To Get Old - Great Speckled Bird

Some Kind Of Fool - Ol' Eon

Old Cheyenne - You Were On My Mind

Calgary - Great Speckled Bird

5:21 - Check out the video for Maroon 5's "Sugar" here, where the band crash multiple weddings

9:00 - Big thanks to our friends Curtis and Silmara, who requested this ep. Check out The Orange Lamphouse, the homepage of their projects.

15:21 - Here's a great story, as told by Ian Tyson, about the chain of marijuana from him to Bob Dylan to The Beatles

19:20 - Here's the interview with Ian and Sylvia on Studio Q with that guy who beats women

29:40 - Do you agree with Steve, that New Pornographers owe a lot to Great Speckled Bird? Check out "The Bleeding Heart Show" from Twin Cinema.

34:39 - Here's that clip Steve was talking about, from the Johnny Cash show

38:41 - We talk about this more in depth with our episode N Is For No Doubt!

41:36 - This has somewhat been rectified in recent years, as their first album is now available on iTunes

Doug's Recommendations:

Love What You're Doing, Child - Great Speckled Bird

Steve's Recommendations:

Trucker's Café - Great Speckled Bird

Great Speckled Bird's Biography by The Cool Groove

*Originally released January 13th 2015*

On this episode, Steve and Doug cover local Vancouverites Five Alarm Funk. The duo also muse about awesome cover art, thoughts about ska, and making it as an artist in Vancouver. Also the guys fulfill a special request from Their Friend Travis to perform a rap duet, and some "unboxing" of Steve's (late) Christmas gifts from Doug!

Music featured this week:

​Zenith Escalator - Anything Is Possible

We All Scream - ABANDONEARTH

The Iron Pegasus - Rock The Sky

Robot - ABANDONEARTH

2:44 - Here's the Facebook group for RickMoe Productions

​15:12 - What do you think? Here's Sia's video for "Elastic Heart"

​29:57 - Here's the video of the band performing and showing off their studio

49:43 - This was all over the radio in the late 90's: "Return of the Mack" by Mark Morrison

Doug's Recommendations:

How embarrassing! Due to a technical goof up, I lost Doug's recommendation :(

Steve's Recommendations:

Doctor Child - Anything Is Possible

Wash Your Face - Rock The Sky

Five Alarm Funk's Official Website

Five Alarm Funk's Bandcamp

*Originally released January 7th 2015*

Steve and Doug continue their Canadian run with Esthero, the collaborative darling of the music industry. The guys also gab about talented teens, the trials of music distribution, and the use of autotune to set an atmosphere.

Music featured this week: 

We R In Need Of A Musical ReVoLuTion - Wikked Lil' Grrrls

Never Gonna Let You Go - Everything Is Expensive

That Girl - Breath From Another

13:56 - It IS a nice music video, so take a gander at her first big single "That Girl"

14:26 - While you're here, might as well look at the stylish and cool "Heaven Sent"

​17:10 - The interview in question is early on in the second part of the doc "Touch" about her acoustic tour

17:39 - And THIS is the interview with The Circuit with the appalling audio quality

22:55 - Spearheaded by our brother Daniel, here is "A Day In The Life Of A Super Hero" Season 1 and Season 2

29:31 - This is "Final Home" by DJ Krush, featuring Esthero

29:37 - And this is "Balmes (A Better Life)" by Ian Pooley, featuring Esthero. Doug actually included this song as an entry in his 100 Favourite Songs (it's #88)

30:50 - And here are the tracks she guested on for the Black Eyed Peas: "Weekend" and "4EVER"

31:31 - Hey look, it's Nelly Furtado featuring Esthero with "I Feel You", a bonus track on Whoa Nelly!

32:20 - A strange cover song by a strange group, here's "White Rabbit" by Blue Man Group featuring Esthero

32:53 - The Oddities, featuring Esthero, bring us this cool jam "Coming Down"

34:57 - It's short, but it's quite nice. Here's the theme to "Nightfire" (which Steve had on Gamecube, and even managed to score 100% on) as performed by Esthero. Also, yeah there's a few uploads on YouTube, if you want to download it

53:53 - Heads up, PledgeMusic is no longer a thing :(

57:54 - Good news! Doug resurrected the review of "Everything Is Expensive" and posted it on his portfolio site

1:00:46 - And you can watch it too! Here's Esthero's acoustic performance of "Over" on the Perez Hilton Show

1:06:05 - Sweet irony! Esthero's newest release "Baby Steps" just came out in 2019

Steve's Recommendations:

Country Livin' (The World I Know) - Breath From Another

Amber And Tiger's Eye - We R In Need Of A Musical Revolution [EP]

​Over - Everything Is Expensive

Doug's Recommendations:

Thank Heaven For You - Wikked Lil' Grrrls

​Song For Holly - Go [soundtrack]

Everything Is Expensive (The Kids Are Not Alright) - Everything Is Expensive

Esthero's Official Website

Esthero's Twitter

​

Esthero's MySpace

*Originally released January 1st 2015*

Doug and Steve ring in the new year with The Dears, in this next episode of their Canadian run. They also speak about Canadian music in general, awkward interviews, and pizza. Because pizza is pretty good, yeah?

Music featured this week:

Ticket To Immortality - Gang Of Losers

Disclaimer - Missiles

Never Destroy Us - No Cities Left

4:45 - Here's the link to our W Is For Weird Al episode

30:19 - I counted six of them in this video for "Lost In The Plot" - and it's a great song!

32:39 - Read this interview with Murray Lightburn, courtesy of Canadian Audiophile. It really sheds a lot of light on the kind of guy Murray is

1:07:08 - Doug compiled a list of his 100 Favourite Songs, and put "Lost In The Plot" as #8

1:16:51 - Steve and Doug would later go see The Dears live, and have a quick chat with Murray Lightburn, although Steve was too chicken to ask for a snipe

1:25:12 - Natalia dishes on the state of Canadian music in this short interview

Doug's Recommendations:

Where The World Begins And Ends - End Of A Hollywood Bedtime Story

​Lost In The Plot - No Cities Left

​Money Babies - Missiles

Steve's Recommendations:

Expect The Worst / 'Cos She's A Tourist - No Cities Left

Death Or Life We Want You - Gang Of Losers

Crisis I & II - Missiles

The Dears' Official Website

The Dears' Bandcamp

The Dears' YouTube Channel

*Originally released December 25th 2014*

Merry Christmas! What better way to celebrate the holidays than to plug in and listen to our episode on Crystal Castles? Along the way, Steve and Doug also muse about music videos, She-Ra and cartoon villains, and divisive albums alienating fans.

Music featured this week:

​Celestica - Crystal Castles II

Plague - Crystal Castles III

Alice Practice - Alice Practice [EP]

1991 - Crystal Castles

4:34 - Here, we've saved you the trouble of looking them up on Twitter: Maya Rae and Steven Hardy

​6:00 - What?? You know - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's "For Kate I Wait". And in case you're wondering, yeah he's a weird guy

7:25 - Come at me, Charlie Brown fans

12:18 - Okay, elephant in the room time. YES, we are now both completely aware of the horrendous situations that Alice Glass has alleged against Ethan Kath in the years between this episode's release and today. It's tragic, heart-breaking, and taints this episode. Rather than bury it though, we think it's important to highlight this band regardless, if at the very least to continue to validate Alice Glass' passion and contribution. Her artistry is still unquestioned.

13:20 - And here's another plug for MITIGO

14:47 - Here's the "Crimewave" video from Crystal Castles and Health

22:00 - God that's awkward

24:02 - In 2017, Alice Glass denied that this story was accurate and said Kath made it up to diminish her creative process

36:19 - Here is the video for "Courtship Dating" in all its boring glory

42:47 - The quality Doug looks for in a good remix is to expand and shape the original song into something more reminiscent of the remix artist. The Little Ones had a cheerful song called "Lovers Who Uncover" and Crystal Castles offers this fascinating remix

50:00 - For clarity's sake, the Crystal Castles song is first, then the Sigur Rós follows

56:00 - Fun story: in the time since this episode was first released, the Crystal Castles video for "Plague" was taken down for copyright violation (seriously!). Some fan made the effort to upload another copy of the video, but apologies if this link becomes broken in the meantime. But just to show I'm not nuts, here's an article from Pitchfork about the release of the video

1:05:34 - Crystal Castles did indeed continue on without Alice Glass, releasing Amnesty (I) in August of 2016 with new vocalist Edith Francis

1:06:41 - Check out Alice Glass' Soundcloud here - it's not dissimilar from Crystal Castles, but definitely has her own sound. In other words, still abrasive at times but at other times very melodic

1:11:39 - And now that short promo video for "Magic Spells" 

1:17:11 - For comparison, here's the track by Liars "It Fit When I Was A Kid"

1:18:17 - Here's the YouTube channel by the fan that has collected basically all of Crystal Castles' work

Doug's Recommendations:

Magic Spells - Crystal Castles

Not In Love (Alice Glass version) - Crystal Castles II

Kerosene - Crystal Castles III

Steve's Recommendations:

Courtship Dating - Crystal Castles

Suffocation - Crystal Castles II

It Fit When I Was A Kid (Crystal Castles remix) - Remixed Rewired (Unofficial)

Crystal Castles' Official Website

Crystal Castles' Bandcamp

Alice Glass' Official Website

*Originally released December 18th 2014*

Steve and Doug tackle the Canadian powerhouse known as Broken Social Scene this episode! Also Modest Mouse is back, the guys chat about artists making their own label to support other artists, and Doug's infamous Buck 65 story.

​Music featured this week:

7/4 (Shoreline) - Broken Social Scene

World Sick - Forgiveness Rock Record

Cause = Time - You Forgot It In People

5:12 - Here, we saved you some trouble and linked you to D.C. Pronk's Soundcloud right here

8:34 - We actually got the opportunity to sit down and interview Maya Rae a few years later, and you should listen to it!

18:25 - Here's some info about Etobicoke School of the Arts

​21:19 - In the meantime, check out LEN's YouTube channel, LEN TV

24:35 - So the reunion performance of Broken Social Scene in 2013 was actually on Jimmy Fallon, not Jimmy Kimmel. Whoops!

40:03 - So here's the article from Rolling Stone magazine with their picks for the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time... at least up to 2003

53:20 - There is indeed a video for "Major Label Debut (Fast)"

​1:01:24 - And in 2017, Broken Social Scene returned with their LP Hug Of Thunder and in 2019 two EP's Let's Try The After Volumes 1 and 2!

1:08:46 - Here's Doug's placement of "Stars and Sons" in his 100 Favourite Songs - it's number 72

Doug's Recommendations:

Stars and Sons - You Forgot It In People 

​Hotel - Broken Social Scene

Lucky Ones - Kevin Drew's Spirit If

Steve's Recommendations:

​Almost Crimes - You Forgot It In People

Windsurfing Nation - Broken Social Scene

Love Is New - Brendan Canning's Something For All Of Us

Broken Social Scene's Official Website

Broken Social Scene's Listing on Arts & Crafts

*Originally released December 11th 2014*

Oh Canada! This episode Steve and Doug start their Canadian run: 26 Canadian acts you may not have heard but probably should. First up, Toronto's Austra. Along the way, they also chat about Spiral Beach, evolution of sound, and big auspicious voices from where you least expect it.

Music featured this week:

Habitat - Habitat [EP]

Lose It - Feel It Break

Home - Olympia

1:57 - Here's the remarkably vintage and silly video for Devo's "Jocko Homo"

2:30 - What is Steve talking about?! Why it's a short film he and his brothers made ages ago called "Fun With Fitness" for a work contest

5:45 - The contest is not still on. Sorry!

11:45 - Steve is HILARIOUSLY wrong, as Private Life is indeed a hard rock band

25:27 - So Doug tremendously stumped Steve with this comic reference to The Darkness - did you get it?

28:23 - Here's the First Listen article on "Olympia" by NPR

35:29 - Austra did wind up releasing another album in 2017 called Future Politics and has continued to release albums.

Doug's Recommendations:

Sleep - Olympia

Steve's Recommendations:

Hate Crime - Feel It Break

​Painful Like - Olympia

​We Become - Olympia

Austra's Official Website

*Originally released November 29th 2014*

On this episode, Steve and Doug kick off their Canadian run by sitting down with local Vancouver band MITIGO to talk about their hopes, dreams, breakfast, hernias, gay marriage, and then possibly cast them in a movie about themselves. And hey, they have an announcement!

Music featured this week:

Clowned - Round 1

3:19 - Oh, should mention that this episode contains some adult language. Not a lot, but FYI

3:34 - Here's the full plug for Animals As Leaders

17:50 - Truth time, Steve thought they were saying they have bongs for breakfast. They were actually saying Bon's on Broadway

​33:23 - Here's one of the videos of MITIGO playing Pressbox

35:19 - Looks like the video from Ego Closet is no longer up :(

​35:56 - Shout out to Chelsea Craft Photography!

43:48 - Sharing the love with Real Mad Decent!

44:06 - As per Virginia's request, here's the shout out for Sally's Hot

​MITIGO's Bandcamp

​MITIGO's Facebook

​MITIGO's Twitter