Episode announcement & super sexy music time!

This week we will have part one of our two part episode featuring Ed Siemienkowicz of Voice of the Republic. The original intent was to have a Lost wrap up show, but we just recorded way too much content. We started at 7pm and didn't finish till midnight. So now you're getting two show and the Lost talk will follow next with part 2 that will be coming next week! So prepare to put it in your ears!

Till then, enjoy long time friend of the show Jamie Douglas with his band The Powergoats playing live at Irene's Pub in downtown Ottawa!

Music Worth Listening To Vol. 6

So, it's been a few weeks since the last MWLTpost. We were so busy with the Star Wars episodes I really didn't feel like doing this feature because it was something pretty personal to me and also, I didn't want it just getting swept under the rug. You will notice also that I am no longer going to embed more than a video or two max. I noticed when I start embedding more than that there can sometimes be performance issues, so I will now provide links instead.

This week's band is an all time personal favourite of mine. I first heard them when I was a teenage on the Batman Forever soundtrack. They were so unique and fun, that it was impossible to dislike them. Well, this was before the days of internet and I was too poor to buy CDs really, so my interest in them never grew. Now fast forward to my college years. I see their new album has come out, they're everywhere with their song "Fight Test" and they're nominated for grammy. I have to check them out again. I do and I am not disappointed even slightly. This album, strangely titled

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is brilliant. It has some amazing themes in it about living life, the idea of death and coping with mortality. It is clear that these guys are more than just a rock band. Watch the video above and you might see that I'm right.

The Flaming Lips are the little band that could. They started out as a crappy punk rock band that would only play about five songs (one of which included the Batman TV show theme) and they would grow into one of the most creative bands of all time. They are the band that your parents or grandparents might have joked about years ago. One time early in their career they literally had a dirt bike on stage and "played" it. Never afraid to use sounds you wouldn't think as musical in a musical way, the Lips have become not just an amazingly creative band but amazingly creative producers as well.

I will admit that their music will not be for everyone, but those who like it will love it. If you love their music, you will likely love their live shows as well. It's like a DIY Kiss rock show with their smoke machines and giant bubbles. They are truly something to behold. So check it out!

Official Site : Myspace

Snowman, you will be missed.

A couple days ago, a true national treasure was lost. Jerry Reed Hubbard, better know professionally as Jerry Reed. Jerry Reed is a Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was know to work with many of the greatest musicians including the amazing Chet Atkins who produced for him and was known to take the stage with Jerry. Elvis Presley once decided to cover Jerry Reed's hit "Guitar Man" in 1967. During the recording session, Elvis had problems getting the sound he wanted and had his manager contact Jerry to see what the trick was. Jerry's response was simple, "Well,

if you want it to sound like that, you're going have to get me in there to play guitar, because these guys are straight pickers. I pick with my fingers and tune that guitar up all weird kind of ways."

Never just happy with being a one trick pony, Reed would dip into many different wells to whet his musical chops. From traditional country, to cajun, to rock and even bluegrass, Jerry could do it all. One such example is with his crossover hit "Amos Moses" which was not only a country hit, but hit #8 on the Pop charts as well and would be covered later by such bands as Primus. This would not be the last time that Jerry would taste success across the boards with his music. Songs such as "She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)" and his his tribute album to Jim Croce would also bring him mainstream success. He would also find success later on with musical work in the movies.

Later in his career, Jerry Reed would become known as an actor as well. Possibly most known for his work on the screen and providing music for the movie "Smokey and the Bandit." In which he played Cledus "Snowman" Snow (from which I derived my old stage name, Cletus Snow) Bandit's Semi-truck driving buddy. Reed provided the movie's theme "East Bound and Down", which is almost as much a signature to the movie as Burt and the Trans Am itself. The song was a unique blend of Country, Bluegrass and Southern Rock. "East Bound and Down" reached #2 on the charts that on release and helped propel

"Smokey and the Bandit" into American culture. Reed would later go on to do work in cartoons and movies such as "Bat*21"(which he was exe producer on) and The Waterboy with Adam Sandler where he played the evil Coach Red.



Jerry Reed Hubbard died in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 1, 2008, of complications from emphysema. He will be missed and never forgotten by the true fans of music of all sorts. I leave you now with one last Breakdown son.

Congrats to Jonathan Coulton

I'm pretty sure that Jonathan Coulton made history. Please watch the video before for reading the remaining text on this post, as not to ruin the joke. To help preserve the joke, I coloured the remaining text. Please highlight to read.



That's right, you were just Rick rolled. Maybe one of the largest single Rick rolls of all time. What a brilliant man.

Music Worth Listening To Vol. 5

Another week, and another MWLT. This segment has pretty much turned into a weekly thing, so why fight it especially since there are video games on the line. This week, I again decided to dedicate to a single act rather than two complimenting acts.

This week I decided to talk about The Apples in Stereo. Many people, including myself were first introduced to this band through the music videos that Cartoon Network used to show back in the day that were dubbed "Groovies." Their particular video featured the The Powerpuff Girls, which I am not ashamed to say I used to not only watch but very much enjoy. Anyways, I digress. I was younger and I was immediately intrigued by this kind of British Invasion sounding type of band. Though being young, I promptly forgot about them till a few years later when I accidentally stumbled on them again

"Let's Go(Signal in the Sky)" Cartoon Network Groovie

on the internet. My interest piqued, I dug more and more into their music only to have my hard drive crash and loose all my music. It was until recently that I again got back into their music, this time with the aid of Zune pass I was able to download complete albums.

"Tidal Wave" From Fun Trick Noisemaker

They have released six full length albums, my personal favourite being The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone. The Rainbow, a track off that album, actually made appearances on multiple commercials and television shows. It's quite ironic that a band that has never reach a huge traditional commercial success has had such such success on getting their music into commercials. They have had their music featured in ads for Cell Phones and chain retailers. They even had a bright moment when they were featured by Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report. They later even preformed live on the

show to promote their album. Though Colbert's affection for this band is very apparent, it's not the only time that they catch the eye of someone famous in the entertainment business.

After ten years with the soon to be defunct spinART label, which host such bands as the The Pixies, they signed with Simian Records which was founded by no other than Elijah "Don't Call Me Frodo" Woods. Elijah Woods actually even directs the video for their first single off of their latest album New Magnetic Wonder, which is also their first album with their new lineup which has the band sans Hilarie Sidney their long time drummer and vocalist. Though her contributions as the only female vocalist in the band are missed, I think the overall sound of the album is much better than their 2002 release

"Energy" from New Magnetic Wonder directed by Elijiah Woods

Velocity of Sound, which had a very hard edge and bite to it compared to the lighter melodies of earlier albums.

Frankly, this band is a must listen in my opinion. Especially their work in the 90's which I think is their best work. And good news, unlike last weeks band, these guys are still touring and making albums!

Official Site : Myspace

Music Worth Listening To Vol. 4

So back a few years ago my friend Donny and I would meet up a couple times a week just to jam. At the time we were laying the ground work for us doing our "Liquid Groove" project. We would write a song or exchange ideas for what we thought would make a good cover song for us to play. It's important to point out that Donny is originally from Southern California and is a few years old than myself. So growing up, his older brothers and sister were big into the music scene, one band being the one I picked for this week's MWLT.

So back to the story. It's a typical hot summer day in Ohio, we're sitting on his front porch drinking and playing music. He then mentions a song he would like to cover called "Just Another Day" by a band named Oingo Boingo. He plays me the a verse and the chorus. I fall in love. This is the beginning of my affair with Oingo Boingo. So that night I go home and look up all the Oingo Boingo videos that my little dial up connection can muster. I read about them on wikipedia. I become crazed sometimes when introduced to something new. All I needed to do was listen to some of their music to realize they

"Just Another Day" Live from their Farewell performance

influenced some of my favourite bands. By the end of their run, Oingo Boingo had shortened their name to Boingo and had made a complete transition from New Wave/ska/punk to legit Alternative pioneers by their 1995 break due to hearing loss suffered from frontman Danny Elfman.

Oh yeah. Didn't I mention that? Oingo Boingo's frontman is none other than soundtrack composer and Tim Burton staple Danny Elfman. The man who has brought you the themes to The Simpsons, Batman

and did the music for the videogame Fable. Not to mention he did the music for The Nightmare Before Christmas and provided the singing voice for the main character Jack Skellington. That's not all though. Oingo Boingo has a far reaching fanbase and is referenced by almost anyone who is cool and trendy. Do you like Seth MacFarlane Creator and star of Family Guy? Well his show American Dad makes an Oingo Boingo joke you might have missed if you weren't a fan of Boingo. It's actually Patrick Stewart singing the oft misunderstood Oingo Boingo song "Little Girls"

So without a doubt, I have to say this is music worth listening to. Watch their videos, but their albums and if you can find it get their farewell concert DVD I know leave you with a song that was covered for the closing credits of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie...


"We Close our Eyes" again from Farewell

Music Worth Listening To Vol. 3

In case you haven't noticed, when I do this little feature, I try to pick to bands that overall have something in common. Mostly they have a kind of sound that compliments each other. One band could easily open for the other, or maybe even co-headline a tour together. I also try to pick some music that you might not have heard, or maybe heard once and forgot. So without further ado, here is this week's music worth listening to.

The first time I heard Nicole Atkins, she was a guest on The World Cafe on my local NPR station. Her voice was dark, rich and oh so sexy. She talks and tell funny little stories which only make me fall more in love. She is part of this whole music scene that to me seems to be getting back to the old days. Work hard, play hard, make music that is worth a shit. She has done some great stuff recently at Austin's South by South-west festival and even played Bonaroo this year. Though I have to admit I like her self-produced EP stuff more than her debut album, it's still heads above most anything else coming out these days. And honestly, I think she should do the Bond Theme for Quantum Solace. Yeah, that's right Amy Whinehouse[sic], I think there are multiple people that should do it instead of you...


Nicole Atkins "The Way It Is" Live on Letterman since Sony was nice enough to disable embedding for her official video

The second pick for this week is someone that hit it big back in 1996 with a little ditty called "Criminal" from her triple Platinum album Tidal. Possibly one of the sexiest videos of all time, it was easy for most boys my age could easily over look the fact that it was a great song. Despite butting heads with her label, like most good artist do, she has continued to put out some great albums. The latest being Extraordinary Machine which was originally recorded in 2003, but was shelved by Sony until it was re-recorded by Apple. The newly recorded version finally saw the light of day late in 2005. It's a great album that at times seems to invoke the same creative muse that seems nigh-exclusive to Tom Waits. A little known fact about Fiona Apple is that I am actually married to her. This fact is so little know, she doesn't even know it yet. Please don't tell her. It's a surprise.


Fiona Apple "Not About Love" Live again because Sony was nice enough to disable embedding for her official video

Nicole Atkins Official Site : Myspace
Fiona Apple Official Site : Myspace

Music Worth Listening To Vol. 2

This week I am giving out a couple bands that some might think as "flash in the pan" or "one hit wonders." To me, they are anything but. Both bands had success in their own way and then were mostly forgotten by the mainstream... but not me.

The Presidents of the United States of America, or PUSA for short, had a huge hits with their singles "Lump" and "Peaches" back in 1995 but fell out of the mainstream by the time their second album had hit the scene despite. The band has broken up, reformed, took a break and then came back between then and now, but still continue to push out an album more frequently than Guns and Roses. Their sound has gotten more refined and cleaner as the years have gone on, but they continue to use the guitbass and bassitar that made them famous over a decade ago. For their ability to get roshambeaued by a major label and still keep from falling off the face of the earth is reason enough to listen to these guys, but when you factor in the great music you have zero excuse to skip these guys.



PUSA "Some Postman" from Love Everybody

The second band made it's name by doing the theme to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." You can tell by the name that Nerf Herder is bound to be nerdy and a little less than serious, but they are seriously fun. From songs about lusting after Vulcans to two hand tapping guitar technique to the theme song for one of my favourite shows, these guys show that they are all about the rock. Despite a couple years off, they are back this year with a new album and ready to rock your world.


Nerf Herder "Oh Me, Oh My" from Nerf Herder IV

At the very least, visit both these bands Myspace pages or official websites to hear some free tunes;

PUSA's Official Website || PUSA's Myspace Page
Nerf Herder's Official Site || Nerf Herder's Myspace Page

Music Worth Listening To Vol. 1

As was mentioned in our First Podcast "Secret Origins" I am a musician. I take music pretty seriously. I am an admitted music snob. I can easily get on here and rip on what I feel is wrong with music, but I don't think that is what people want to hear. I think more people would be interested in hearing what I think is right with music. So in this column I will offer up some bands, people and albums I think are worth a listen. Hopefully you have never heard of them and you will agree with me that these acts are "Music Worth Listening To"

If you know me, you may know I am a huge fan of Ben Folds Five. I actually cried when I heard they broke up. Robert Sledge is the person that inspired me to start playing the bass to begin with. Everyone knows that Ben went on to have a successful solo career (including doing some tracks for Over the Hedge), but what about the other members? Well, former BFF drummer Darren Jessee's new band Hotel Lights is poised to release their second full length album, titled "Firecracker People", on August 19th of this year. Jessee strays far from the near punk rock energy of Ben Folds Five with Hotel Lights and offer us a very mellow experience. The lyrics always seem to bleed emotion and personal experience with an empathy that will be peaceful to most despite being almost melancholy at times. The newest album even offers up a song that will be familiar to some fans in "Amelia Bright," which was actually performed live with Ben Folds Five and can be heard on some bootleg recordings of some of their last shows. Now is the time to check out this band.


"A.M. Slow Golden Hit" from Hotel Lights' self-titled Album

The second band I would like to bring to your attention is another band with a sophomore album set to release on the 19th, Brothers and Sisters. On a fluke, I first saw this band on tour with ...And They Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The show was overall pretty much shit with the exception of Trail of Dead and the very first opening act, Brothers and Sisters. Brothers and Sisters was very out of place with the rest of the lineup, but in a beautiful juxtaposed way. They had this very "Beach Boys meet The Mamas and the Papas in Nashville one night to record an album" sound. Here is this rather large, at least by today's rock band standards, group of people on stage led by a dude with long hair, a beard and a poncho. My attention was piqued and I was not let down. The sound on their first album is a little rough at times, but those rough patches are completely out-shined by the more frequent moments of sheer brilliance. Tracks from their new album "Fortunately" are showing the same brilliance that originally caught my ear, only this time with a clearly more streamlined and polished sound.


"One Night" from Brothers and Sisters' self-titled Album

At the very least, visit both these bands Myspace pages to hear some free tunes;
Hotel Lights' Myspace : Hotel Lights' Official Website
Brothers and Sisters' Myspace : Brothers and Sisters' Official Website