blanchie

Champions... Also, depending on the day: Odette Black Helicopter I'm a Window

I didn't think so. Just checking.

Sorry to disappoint...

Nah, I'm a fake Swede from Montreal... But you're right, blondes grow on trees here.

I think I need to clarify: I understand negative reviews as a concept... I can give you plenty of those about other songs (non-MG). What I am not so clear on is what is wrong with this particular song. I think we'll have to agree to disagree on Born Losers, because I think it sounds great, and stands quite well next to his back catalogue. I don't think he has let us down at all. I also don't hear anything wrong with his voice... I listen to it about twice per day and I like a little more each time.

Stockholm, Sweden!!

I'd love to, but I'm in Sweden right now... ;-)

Absolutely. He even wrote about that last year on his site - a terminated pregnancy and regrets... That line plus some of the others make this song the most direct, personal, and raw emotion-filled tune I have heard. Combine that with the driving beat and yet get an amazing mix. A mix of bitterness and energy, of emotion and pure Canadian rock. Everyone has their own ways of judging songs and I respect that, but I don't get the very negative reviews. I understand the ones who say it isn't their favourite, but Shade, you'll have to enlighten us a bit on your rather brief review... -- Also in terms of the lyrics discussion, I think it is: No day for night Matt pronounces the "night" with a strong Canadian T, almost sounding like a plural "nights". This expression is a metaphor for pretending - for making believe things are a certain way when they are not (note: refer to his many postings about his marriage). It is in reference to a classic movie technique and also used very nicely on the cover of The Hip album of the same name. Type in "Day for Night" in Wikipedia...

If the current method is taking too long, I am willing to pay for the transfer to be done by a commercial transfer place. Here's an example from Vancouver: http://www.commercial-drive.com/business/avideo.htm They can transfer it to mpg or Quicktime.

I love it. It is my favourite so far. It wasn't at first, but as someone else said, I've listened to it over and over and I like it more each time. It is a fantastic combination of upbeat, high tempo music, with some of the most personal, melancholic and dark lyrics he's written. This strange combination gives the song a beautiful quality. The departure from previous sounds makes it even better. I must admit that I cannot separate myself from the information I have read in MG's blog, so I don't know what I (or anyone else) would think of this song without the background knowledge. However, having this background knowledge helps to make me think of this song as incredibly powerful and biting. It is downright nasty in some ways, more or less what I expected after hearing about the events in his life from 2006. I think this could even be a popular single because non-fans could bop along to the song, oblivious to the background of the lyrics. It has a driving beat perfect for listening in the car... I think this song is among his finest for many reasons, including some mentioned above. And I love Pat's drumming in this one. I'm glad Pat worked on the album. I can't wait to see him perform it live in the second tour.

I have to respectfully disagree. Although some of my favourites are from MGB records, I find Avalanche and WLRRR to be amazing albums, full of beautifully written and socially relevant songs; not to mention great music. There is a maturity and depth there that surpasses earlier work. As well, for an audiophile, they are of better sound quality than the MGB ones. I like both MG periods. I like the MGB stuff and I like the solo stuff. But I am very happy with the current direction and see great things in his future, in terms of music quality anyway. Don't forget, popularity and quality are not the same thing, and it may be the case that he does not have as many casual fans as in the late 1990s, but that is not as a result of the quality of his later music, but instead a factor of marketing and fickle teenage music tastes (artificially created) which drive the music industry. Even limiting ourselves to Canada, there are dozens of bands getting radio airplay who can't come close to Matt in quality of their music. They're more popular, but so what? The only down side to this, of course, is to Matt's pocket book, however, he doesn't strike me as someone in it to be rich. Besides, less popularity lets fans like us see him in small venues and not in arenas where it is all about the show and not the music. I do not think he is "on the downslope" of his career. The MGB sound may be over, but he is just at the dawn of his solo career, and that has been excellent so far. I am looking forward to the next few albums... ;)

American Aparrel (the company that makes those t-shirts) always make thin tees. I like the feel of them. Plus, as an added bonus, they've certified sweatshop-free! Cool, thanks for the info. Well paid workers is the way to go... ;)

I remember hearing singles from Last of the Ghetto Astronauts on the radio in Vancouver (Alabama Motel Room, Symbolistic White Walls). Then I remember when Everything Is Automatic came out and was played a fair bit on Montreal radio (well, on CHOM anyway). The Hip was my favorite band, I remember thinking that the music was in the same style, so I liked it right away. However, at the time I was more into Jazz since most mid-90s rock music sucked (on radio anyway), and I wasn't listening to the radio much. In the early 2000s when good rock came back, I found MGB and MG again with Audio of Being, but I only became a big fan by the release of Avalanche. I remember thinking that it was a sure sign that our world was screwed beyond redemption when Avril Lavigne won a Juno for Album of the Year that year instead of Matt, but at least they gave him a nod for the Weapon video (I know these things are political, but anyway...). Since then I have purchased all of his albums (some twice) except one, and I have bought the Avalanche LP, and many more MG items. I have stopped short at shelling out $200 for Lo-Fi B-Sides on Ebay... maybe some day, although I was thrilled when Matt included it on In a Coma. He is definitely my favorite musician now, and I like all of his work, especially some of his earlier work which I only appreciate now. His two solo albums were fantastic, and I look forward to the next one.

Fated, because I am feeling sick, though not enough to be hospitalised and need an IV...

I made the mistake of not having any money at many other concerts (I'm so used to Interac), but now I make sure I always have some cash for the Merch table... I picked up one of the new MG Solo T-Shirts as well... they're a bit thin, but I like the design.