Music

Talisker Players

2016-06-18

in Massey College, Music, Photography, Toronto

I did a really fun photoshoot today, with the Talisker Players.

My shot

2016-06-15

in Art, History, Language, Law, Music, Politics, Psychology, Security, Writing

It’s strange that a stage show running in one city is affecting the whole continent, but New York isn’t a normal place and Lin-Manuel Miranda clearly isn’t a normal man. The killing in Orlando originally prompted my personal doctrine in response to political violence: refuse to be terrorized. One or a few people armed and […]

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New Bruton album

2016-06-08

in Canada, Music

Rebecca Bruton – whose previous album We Are The Kingdom, We Are The Desert I admire a great deal – has a new release on BandCamp: ponies under darkness. Her music is a provocative challenging take on folk, not quite like anything else I’ve heard.

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A new favourite maritime folk song

2016-05-22

in Films and movies, Music

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The sky is royal blue

2016-04-04

in Art, Canada, Language, Music, Psychology

Jenny Ritter’s “A History of Happiness” is one of my all-time-favourite folk songs.

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Naviger’s Barn Raising

2016-03-06

in Canada, Music, Ottawa

My friend Andrea Simms-Karp – whose excellent previous albums include Sleeper and Hibernation Nation – has a new album available to stream for free or download for whatever price you choose: Barn Raising. All the tracks feature her impressive vocals, most are her songwriting, and I have been enjoying it thoroughly. I especially like “Dolly […]

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Raised by Wolves

2015-10-31

in Canada, Music

I just love Jenny Ritter’s album Raised by Wolves, which you can listen to for free via BandCamp. “A History of Happiness” is my favourite track.

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The Harperman imbroglio

2015-08-30

in Canada, Films and movies, Geek stuff, Law, Music, Ottawa, Politics

This little song, written by Environment Canada scientist Tony Turner, has received a lot of media attention: CBC: Harperman case: Can public servants be political activists? The Guardian: Canada government suspends scientist for folk song about prime minister Both the song and the public responses point to one of the big unsettled questions about the […]

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Preliminary review: Shure SE-215 earbuds

2015-04-28

in Geek stuff, Music

After years of using Etymotic earbuds (first the ER-6is and then various telephone headset versions), I grew frustrated with how they always break when the cable frays at the point where it connects to the miniplug jack. Because they have a $35 replaceable cable and sounded good in an in-store trial, I switched to the […]

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