Lyrics Without the Words

I’ve been listening to a lot of instrumental music recently. I’ve never been one to analyse lyrics that much, maybe it’s the drummer in me, but I consistently gravitate to instrumental parts. I love songs like the Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” and Isaac Hayes’ version of “Walk on By,” for their string parts. Weezer’s song “Only in Dreams” is arguably their best because of its impressive instrumental part. Lyrics don’t really matter that much to me. Consequently, bands like Mogwai, This Will Destroy You, Air and Sigur Ros are currently dominating my I-pod. All these bands write anthemic songs with intricate melodic and harmonic textures. So here’s a brief list of some awesome instrumental songs that I recommend.

Recommended Track List (in no particular order)

1- Radian – Air
• This is an amazing song divided into 3 parts. The middle and last parts are outstanding. Can anyone argue with a harp and melodic flute line that replaces lead vocals? Didn’t think so.

2- La Femme D’Argent – Air
• Popular music seldom emphasizes bass lines. This song features a simple and stylish bass line that makes the song.

3- Nothing Is Good Enough – Aimee Mann
• I really don’t know if there’s anything special about this song, except it’s from one of my favourite movies.

4- Green Onions – Booker T & the MG’s
• This is the gritty song of the bunch. Put this on your Ipod and try and walk down the street without a swagger. Just try.

5- Burn Out – The Cinematic Orchestra
• Look at Radian. The last section tension chord on the organ pushes the song in great ways.

6- Water No Get Enemy - Fela Kuti
• Yes, this song has lyrics that are powerful, but do they hold anything on the instrumentation? No. The horns and keys are so dirty and edgy, that they are in fact perfect.

7- Digital Vibrations- Jamiroquai
• Stuart Zender at his best. When a song features a bass and didgeridoo its unique. When it grooves like this, its special. Jamiroquai was never the same after Zender left.

8- Hunted By A Freak – Mogwai
• I don’t know how to describe this song, but I like it and the BBC is involved, so it’s on the list.

9- Auto Rock – Mogwai
• The best thing to come from the Miami Vice film was the Mogwai soundtrack. This was the featured song. It has all the elements that I look for.

10- Friend of the Night – Mogwai
• This is one of my favourite songs. Strong drum part with a beautiful piano melody. However, this song’s subtle guitar lines are what make it standout. This has to be listened to at 10!

Here's the video:



11- Marwa Blues – George Harrison
• Nice mellow song with Harrison’s signature slide.

12- In 3’s - Beastie Boys
• Awesome groove to this song. I love all the Beastie Boys’ instrumental songs.

13- Untitled 4 or Njosnavelin – Sigur Ros
• I know there are lyrics in this song, but just listen to the instruments. Simple and nothing flashy. It’s quite possibly my favourite song.

Here's the live version:



14- Festival – Sigur Ros
• Any song that uses variant dynamics and tension builds is amazing. This song might be the best of that bunch.

15- I Believe In Your Victory – This Will Destroy You
• This song goes in several different directions. The middle part’s build with the drum theme is amazing.

16- The Is Our ----_______ - This Will Destroy
• Drums and guitars dominate this song. The melody makes you keep your chin up.

17- The Great Gig In the Sky – Pink Floyd
• No lyrics, but you know exactly what message the song is trying to convey. Watch with the Wizard of Oz!

Putting 2009 in the Rear-view

2009 was an awesome year for Susan and me. It started with the two of us sitting on the gorgeous Orient Bay Beach in St. Martin. It ended with some competitive Jenga sessions and great company in Toronto. In between, I turned 30, competed in 2 triathlons, played a lot of squash and got some quality snowboarding in. I started playing drums again after a 2.5-year hiatus. I didn’t realize how much I missed drumming until I got back behind the kit. I spent 2 months on Saba with Susan doing my masters practicum with the Saba Immigration Department. I graduated with an MA in October and had my dad come from England, mom from Calgary, uncle from Vancouver, cousin from Halifax, and of course Lex from a couple blocks away. Susan’s year was a plough of 3 difficult semester of medical school, but as usual she rocked! Needless to say, putting 2009 in the rear-view comes with mixed feelings. However, 2010 is already shaping up to be a big year for us.

Most New Year’s start with resolutions, but we don’t do them for whatever reason, never have and probably never will. We’re more Chinese New Year’s fans. That being said, we are big on goal setting. The past few New Year’s, Susan and I have set some yearly goals that we wish to attain. For instance, in 2008, Susan set the lofty goal of getting into medical school, which she did. Now she is close to finishing the Basic Sciences portion of her MD training. The 20 months that seemed like an eternity in September 2008 have evaporated and she is now 3 months away from leaving the classroom and applying her knowledge in practical settings. Her first 6 months of rotations will be in PEI, after that we’re not sure. Either way, April 2010 dominates our goal calendar for the moment. In fact, April has exclusive rights to the giant red sharpie for crossing days off.




For me, I have some fitness goals that I want to share. The first is to do the 4.5 km Nevis-St. Kitts channel swim at the end of March. I’m assured that the water is calm, warm and clear. Time will tell. In late June, I want to participate in the Tip-to-Tip ride in PEI. I’m going to have to look into renting a bike because my beloved cruiser won’t hack it. Finally, I want to add 2 triathlons to my fitness goals. My first triathlon was on Toronto Island in August. It rocked. I loved the competition, but was surprised by the camaraderie of the event. So July 31st, I will compete in the Triathlon By the Sea in PEI and I would like to return to Toronto for the Island triathlon again. Maybe in 2011 I’ll get ultra competitive and get an intimidating bike helmet like the dudes from Star Wars…

Caught in the Middle

Living in a developing world nation, we need to be aware that our lives can be disrupted much quicker than they otherwise would be if we were back in Canada. We've been reminded of this fact with the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti on Tuesday. Haiti's plight has been well documented, but it's hard to imagine such a poor and directionless country suffering even more.

During my MA I was a Graduate Assistant at Ryerson. Both terms I led tutorials for the Poli Sci course Third World Politics. It was impossible to ignore Haiti and it's unfortunate history. Commonly known as the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has a unique colonial history, but has suffered serious abuses by developed nations. I'm including a link to a study on Haiti, which will help explain how poor the country is, and why "Shanti Towns" that cannot withstand even a minor earthquake proliferate the countryside. Here it is:

http://www.newleftreview.org/?page=article&view=2507

Also Montserrat, which is located approximately 100 miles South of Saba, has recently experienced some volcanic activity. The last time a significant eruption on Montserrat occurred was in 1997. It killed 19 people and displaced thousands. The Soufiere Hills Volcano has continued to remain active, spewing a significant amount of ash in the air that affects the air quality on neighbouring islands. Soufiere Hills experienced a minor eruption at the end of 2009. The air quality on Saba and other Netherlands Antilles islands were reduced. In fact, Airlines flying to Sint Maarten canceld flights because too much corrosive ash was found in the air. We haven't been affected by either of these seismic events; however, Saba officials have called in Geologists and Volcanologists to see if Saba's dormant volcano has been disturbed. It hasn't shown any peculiar activity so we are clear, but we are certainly more alert and we recognize how fortunate we are. Oh incidently, the mouth of Saba's volcano is located where Sue goes to school. It has been inactive for hundreds of years, but we'll be filling the '94 Cronos with premium for now on....