Romance or Rolaid?

So, it’s Monday, and a kind of crappy one at that. But, what Monday is good, except for the ones that land on holidays and PA days? So, we’ll make the best of it with a hopefully fantasic Random Playlist Monday.

1. Desert Sunrise – Brett Dennen (good start)
2. Oh My God – Jasper Sloan Yip
3. March into the Sea – Modest Mouse
4. Good People – Jack Johnson
5. Leap – The Cave Singers
6. Romance Is – Lights
7. Free Nelson Mandela – Special AKA (please don’t ask)
8. Goodmorning Sunshine – Serena Ryder (gotta love Serena Ryder)
9. Twilight Omens – Franz Ferdinand
10. Rumors – Josh Ritter

Alright, so maybe not the greatest one, but Free Nelson Mandela, you don’t get much better than that. But I think Light’s is good for today, but what day is Lights not good, really? Anyways, Lights is the topic for today. I don’t have much more to say since I’ve already talked about her a thousand times. So how about I got easy on your eyes this Monday, and just sit back, relax and enjoy a pretty cute video.

Alright, so Romance Is, is one of her more obscure songs, so I’m glad I found a version of her doing it. It’s actually one of my favourites, I especially like her acoustic version on her Acoustic EP. I’m also a huge fan of her acoustic videos. I think they’re really great, almost better than her music videos because they seem more natural, and as you know I’m a huge sucker for acoustic anything. Anyways, enjoy the video, and I will talk to you later, for now it is waaaaaay past my bedtime (sad I know).

P.S. for all of you who don’t know who Lights is, go find another blog, we’re over. Kidding. But do go look her up. NOW!

Robots Need Love Too

So, it’s a very spoooooky Halloween night (although extremely quiet, maybe because it’s a Sunday. It is weird to have the day of the dead on the day of God and the church, but what can you do). For this spooky night, I have a, wel,l not so spooky topic. This one I debated over and over again in my head because I’ve already talked about him so many times, but I saw him last night, and I think I have even more to add. So, as some of you may know, I went to see Dan Mangan last night, and as some of you may also know I have made an insane claim. A claim that doesn’t come easily. Are you ready for it? I think his show last night may have been one of my favourite shows EVER, if not my favourite live show. Although I’m going to try, I’m not sure I can even begin to explain the impact it had on me, and how truly great it was, but I’ll give it my best shot.

First of all, it was snowing on our way into the show (and as we left). And for all of you who do not know me, there is nothing I love more than snow. Especially big, Christmas-like flakes of snow. I really don’t understand how people don’t like it? It makes things a hundred times prettier. So we’re standing in line, with the pretty snow falling, and than we enter one of the prettiest churches. Seemed really old school. There were two opening bands. First was a band called The Crackling, part of Dan Mangan’s band. They were pretty awesome. And than came the Harbourcoats, a single man, singer-songwriter, thing. It was also very good, although slightly sleepy at times. But, just when you were getting slightly bored, out came Dan looking completely adorable in his stripy hoodie (and Burning Hell t-shirt, kinda funny for a church but, Peterborough represent!). They started the whole show with Sold, one of my very favourite songs. The whole thing was really pumped up, and fantastic. After that, they did song, after song, after song that I really liked and I got worried that all my favourites were going to go, and I was going to end up doing the classic “watch watching” thing I find myself doing at some shows. But, it just got better and better and better.

Usually at a live show, if you’re lucky you get what I call a “moment”. A song that seems to change everything. In this show, there seemed to be quite a few moments, from the very first song. Highlights for me were Sold, of course, Tina’s Glorious Comeback (another of my faves, love the Tom Waits reference), Robots, and an unknown song as his encore at the very end. For Tina’s Glorious Comeback, they went completely acoustic and just clapped and stomped, a perfect, perfect moment. Because it was the Halloween weekend a lot of people came in their costumes, my very favourite were the two robot guys. I’m assuming robots because of Dan’s song Robots. So half way through the song (his last song of the night before the encore) he called them up to the stage to strut their stuff. Following those guys all the people in costumes came up. Everyone started to sing along and clap, and viola, a moment. The greatest part of the night though, was his final encore song. I’m sad to admit I don’t even know what it was, but man was it good. He ditched his guitar and mic and walked right into the crowd to sing. The acoustics were so great you could here him perfectly. The song he sang was really sad, everyone just kind of clapped and sang along. It was really perfect, this scruffy guy in a Burning Hell tshirt standing on a pew singing this song about death, with dead zombie brides, robots, bee’s, cupcakes, and everyone singing together. It was really something, and very hard to describe. All I can say, is I don’t think one person wanted to leave that church, I think everyone would have stayed for the rest of the night, I know I would have. But sadly it had to come to an end, and a happy end it was. For now though, I’m going to give your eyes, and brain a break, and let you sit back and relax to his great video for Robots. Picture home-made robots dancing around while watching it, it really enhances the experience.

I love this video, in all its crazy 80′s robots glory. It’s pretty cool. Even the cheesy happily-ever-after ending works. Once again thank you for indulging me, and allowing, or at least tolerating, another Dan Mangan post, I hope you weren’t too disappointed. It’s pretty hard to capture the same moment I felt while there. All I can say is go see him live, trust me you won’t be disappointed, and remember “Robots need love too”.

Overall Rating: 5++++

Comments: There has never been a more likable guy, I wanted to go right up and give him a huge hug. He seemed to have such passion for what he does, it made him really endearing and likeable.

P.S. hope you had a great Halloween, I did

P.P.S. since it snowed, you have to listen to Hawksley’s First Snow of the Year, it’s a tradition in my family.

Are We Not Horses?

So it’s Monday, and a great one because it’s a PA day. But it’s even greater because it’s Random Playlist Monday.

1. Sleigh Ride – KT Tunstall (we’re starting off in a Christmasy way today, works for me )
2. Painting By Chagall – The Weepies
3. Black Bird – The Beatles
4. All The Way Down – Glen Hansard (this is quite the quiet playlist so far)
5. Mick’s Blessings – The Style Council
6. I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You – Tom Waits
7. Shout Bama Lama – The Detroit Cobras (quiets over, but that’s okay ’cause it’s a great song)
8. Rain – Hawksley Workman
9. Bongo Bong – Manu Chao
10. I am an Excellent Steal Horse – Rock Plaza Central

So, that may have been one of my favourite playlists so far. Even with the Christmas song. Of all these great songs I think I’m going to have to go for Rock Plaza Central. You know the saying. When in doubt go for the crazy shouty, indie rock band.

So before going any further I need to say – although I am a  huge fan now – I wasn’t always. All discovery credit goes to my dad. Although, even though I can’t quite believe it, I didn’t always appreciate the…specialness (?) of them. It is a bit of an aquired taste. Once you get past the initial phase and enter into the realm of their true greatness your world is opened up and there is so many more options. I think I really fell in love with them after I saw them at Hillside. The lead singer brought his daughter on stage, and it was love from there on in.

My dad discovered them after they released their first CD Are We Not Horses, a crazy mix of songs all related to..you guessed it, horses. I must say I’m not as well aquanted with their newer CD’s, especially their newest At The Moment of our Most Needing. If you’re looking for an intro to them I’d try checking out Anthem for the Already Defeated (love it’s name), and I am an Excellent Steel Horse. Below is the video for I am an Excellent Steel Horse in all it’s horsey glory.

I think it’s an interesting video, with a really simple idea. But somehow it works, maybe because the song isn’t simple. Either way it’s a great video and a fantastic song. For now though, I must be off, enjoy the rest of your rainy gloomy night.

I Love You

Alright, so it’s Monday and it’s been quite a long time since I last wrote. Plus, today is extra special because…are you ready for it? This is my 100th post!! WOO-HOO! And to celebrate this I’m going to do a 100 song Random Playlist Monday. I know, I’m pretty dedicated. So, without further ado, here it is (just a warning: I am about to completely embarrass and humiliate myself because I have a feeling some very weird things are about to come up, brace yourselves).

1. War of the Worlds – Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
2. The City is a Drag – Hawksley Workman
3. To The Dogs or Whoever – Josh Ritter
4. Neon – John Mayer (so far so good)
5. Joy to the World – Sufjan Stevens
6. Woods – Bon Iver
7. Depot Depot – Tom Waits
8. Fool – Neutral Milk Hotel
9. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine – Sia
10. Back Broke – Swell Season
11. Cape Canaveral – Connor Oberst
12. New Years – Ohbijou
13. At the Airport – Old Man Luedecke
14. Motion the Eleven – Cornershop
15. Extra Ordinary – Dave Mann Collective
16. Sixteen – Justin Trawick (Freaky, no!?)
17. Come Together – Across the Universe Soundtrack
18. Late Bloomer – Sarah Harmer
19. Never Going Back Again – Fleetwood Mac
20. An Open Door – Illinois
21. Dream About Flying – Alexis Murdoch
22. South Australia – The Pogues
23. Trouble – Ray LaMontagne
24. Here Goes Something – Nada Surf
25. Waiting on the World to Change – John Mayer
26. To Go Home – M. Ward
27. Language is a Virus – Laurie Anderson
28. Doot Doot Plot – The Hidden Cameras
29. I Don’t Mind – The Cave Singers
30. Whole Lotta Losin’ – Monsters of Folk
31. Home – Wintersleep
32. Perfect – Danny Michel (It’s about time!)
33. Say Hey (I Love You)  – Michael Franti and Spearhead
34. Sula – Jeremy Fisher
35. Violins – Lagwagon
36. The Clearing in the Woods – Harry Nilsson (It’s getting strange now!)
37. Oviedo – Blind Pilot
38. Little Nancy – Fionn Regan
39. Junkie Song – The Be Good Tanyas
40. Jimmy Jazz – Clash (Good changeup there!)
41. Chelsea Dagger – Fratellis
42. Free Until They Cut Me Down – Iron and Wine
43. Low Day – Capra
44. Gypsy Boys Reprise – David Francey
45. I Am a Rich Man – Old Man Luedecke
46. Sammy – The One Night Band
47. The First Snow of the Year – Hawksley Workman
48. Run Devil Run – Jenny Lewis with the Watson T
49. On My Way – Ben Kweller
50. I’ve Just Seen a Face – Across the Universe (Go see this movie if you haven’t already, and if you have go watch it again I know I’m going to)
51. Toothpaste Kisses – The Maccabees
52. A Matter of Minutes – Shawn Colvin
53. Black Wave-Bad Vibrations – Arcade Fire
54. We Go -   Thao
55. Story of My Life – Done With Dolls
56. Had Me a Girl – Tom Waits
57. Blake’s View – M. Ward
58. Salt Bean Fumble – The Penguin Cafe Orchestra (Great name for a song if not a little strange)
59. Close to Me – The Cure
60. With or Without You – U2
61. Why Didn’t You Call Me? – Macy Gray
62. To Your Love – Fiona Apple
63. Never Know – Jack Johnson
64. Sold – Dan Mangan (Going to see him next week: can’t wait)
65. Anti-social – Cuff the Duke
66. Satisfied – Bruce Peninsula
67. Cowgirl in the Sand – City and Color
68. No Sleep – Sam Roberts
69. Last Leaf – The Cake Sale
70. Basket – Dan Mangan
71. Happier – A Fine Frenzy
72. Hearts in the Park – Patrick Watson
73. Our Velocity – Maximo Park
74. Midnight Lullaby – Tom Waits (With 3 songs, Tom now dominates, but how could he not?)
75. House in Motion – Talking Heads
76. Hello Seattle – Owl City
77. Oxford Comma – Vampire Weekend
78. Run (I’m a Natural Disaster) – Gnarls Barkley
79. Patience – Take That
80. Hours Last Stand – Elvis Perkins
81. (Past-due) – The Weakerthans
82. State of the Union – David Ford
83. Gomni – Ali Farka Toure
84. A Call to Arms – Beirut
85. The Saga – The Libertines
86. Shelter from the Storm – Bob Dylan
87. Sweet Baby James – James Taylor (some classic cheese, but we all love our cheese, well except for lactose intolerant people)
88. True – The Frames
89. The Dozens – Amelia Curran
90. 1234 – Feist
91. Champion Angel – Low Anthem
92. Try (just a little bit harder) – Janis Joplin
93. Sweet Hallelujah – Hawksley Workman
94. Quiet – Rachael Yamagata
95. All is Love – Karen O and the Kids (if you haven’t seen “Where the Wild Things Are”, go see it NOW)
96. Hannah – Freelance
97. Whales – Personal Stars
98. This Feeling — Danny Michel (just in time)
99. Relax – Frankie Goes to Hollywood (a terrible song! Yet so very good)
100. Brainy – The National

So, that was quite the list. There were some really good things on there, and a few questionable ones. Now is the appropriate time to laugh at that list. I must admit I’m slightly embarrassed by it, especially the Frankie Goes to Hollywood, but oh well I guess. Of course, there was an extremely large amount of Danny, Tom and Hawksley, but there always is. Today though out of all those songs I’m going to go for Michael Franti, because we all need a music pick-me-up every once and a while, and a little reggae never hurt anyone.

I first discovered Michael Franti through his Obama Song. I was really into Obama and all he stood for (and still am) and the song just seemed really cool to me, it also proved to me that I can like hip-hop/rap/reggae music (other than Bob Marley). After the intial discovery I went in and found a few more of his songs. I especially fell in love with Say Hey (I Love You). Sure it’s a little cheesy, but it’s a damn good cheesiness. And there’s just some kind of appeal to Michael Franti, I’m not entirely sure what it is, but he has that “thing”. This song just always makes me especially happy, and it can give you a good outlook on the world, this is especially shown in the video. The video for Say Hey (I Love You) has just made it up pretty high on my list of top videos. It’s pretty fantastic and incredible cute, see for yourself.

I love this video, I especially love that it’s real people and his background looks real, not Hollywood perfect. I think that’s what makes the song not come across totally fake and cheesy. It has a certain real-ness to it not expressed in most things. I really love that the people look like real people of different sizes, cultures, and are allowed to show real emotions. It’s a pretty darn cute video, and I think it can even make all you cynics out there smile (it achieved that for me, and I’m about as cynical as it gets). So, please smile away for the rest night, and if you’re like me you’re going to watch this video about a million times more. For now though I’m out, thanks for putting up with me for this long, it’s greatly appreciated, and feel free to continue, that would also be greatly appreciated.

P.S. Feel free to get up and dance a bit to, it may actually be a requirement. Awkward dancing especially.

Up Above

Okay I’ve been gone for a whole week. And I must say it’s been a pretty awful week. It started off with a bad bout of food poisoning and ended with the awful duty of putting my little dog down. Mixed in with that was a whole lotta’ family stuff. But I’m back and with force. I realize that I never wrapped up Hillside week (boy that feels like a long time ago) or did my double random playlist Monday, but oh well I guess. I’ve been debating how to make my come-back and I’ve decided to stick with the regular plan. Shane Koyczan. It’s now been exactly two weeks. But I think I can still remember the show. And it goes along perfectly with the mood I’m in now.

When you see Shane Koyczan and the Short Story Long your whole life flips. If you listen to his stuff without seeing him, his music seems meaningful. But when you see him live you also see all his emotions. Exactly how he feels and you can tell he’s had a pretty awful life, but he’s made the best of it. I love that. I love how sincere he seems, and I love how honest he seems. I’ve never seen a crowd get that into a show before. Standing ovations, encores. A mile long line for signatures afterwards (which I stood in). And an obvious admiration for him and what he does. People who once scoffed at spoken word (*ahem* me) quickly had a new found respect for it. Instead of spouting tales of love and peace, he says it how it is. There’s no sugar coating, but he also adds enough clever bits to not make it the most depressing thing you’ve ever heard. That’s a talent. And on top of him being fantastic his band really rocks too. The women have incredible voices, making his stuff sound even better.

Today I thought I’d feature a video of him doing his song The Crickets Have Arthritis. This one really got me, and in a way seemed to fit the mood I’m in. There’s a line at the end about feathers that I didn’t understand at first. It took me three listens but finally I understood and the song seemed even more complete. So please listen, and look more into his stuff. For now though I’m exhausted and in desperate need for some sleep. It’s been quite a week.

Hope it touched you as much as it touched me. And please look up more of his stuff, it is so incredibly worth it. And if you ever get the chance to see him live do it, everybody should get a chance to. That’s all for now though, good night until tomorrow.

Juliet

It’s Saturday. Exactly a week since Hillside. And exactly a week since this performance. A perfomance that before it happened, I didn’t care about at all, and a band I wasn’t that crazy about. Well until I saw them live that is. Royal Wood completely blew me away. He came out in this crazy outfit, very old-timey. He actually has this 50′s persona going. The clean, well dressed hair slicked back guy. And surprisingly he really pulls it off. He also pulls off his voice which is pretty awesome. I didn’t really know what to expect going in. I figured he was just another smooth dressing, soft rock guy. But he’s got a little more going than that. First of all, he’s not soft rock in the slightest. He’s an indie singer-songwriter, with some mean piano skills, not to mention the fact that he’s Canadian and from around this area.

After seeing him live I appreciated his music much more. I had Get On Top Of Your Love before seeing him, but my collection has grown slightly since than. A Good Enough Day is my favourite CD right now, but check out his new one The Waiting as well, it has some classics on it. For now though check out his video for his song Juliet, it’s pretty cute.

I really love the old man in this video, it makes it great. I also love the story the video plays out. It’s not how I pictured the song but I like it. Until tomorrow though, have a goodnight and see you tomorrow for the wrap up of the Hillside week.

P.S. sorry I missed a day, sunburns and headaches prevented me, but since Girls Night Out had three different bands I thought it would make up for the miss.

P.P.S. go see Inception it’s pretty fantastic (and only slightly confusing). And Joseph Gordon-Levitt is pretty easy to watch (and for all you men out their Ellen Page was looking pretty good.)

Girls Night Out

Okay, so today I thought we needed a little female power among all these boys. So today is all about 3 groups of women that to me really showcase Canadian music. All three were part of the gospel show, and all three were fantasic.

I’m sure you’ve heard of Basia Bulat, The Good Lovelies and Sarah Harmer, if not get on it (but finish the post first). These are women that have conquered the Canadian music scene and come out on top. They all have a bit of a folky vibe but with added flare, like soulful vocals or amazing harmonies not to mention fantastic lyrics. It’s kind of crazy to imagine a festival large enough to hold all of them but some how Hillside managed and I’m glad it did.

The first of these fantastic ladies I saw was Basia Bulat Saturday evening. And I’m afraid I didn’t catch a whole lot, but what I did was fantastic. When you see her live you realize, wow she actually has that voice, it’s not computer generated. Once you get over that shock, it’s just worship and awe the rest of the time. I was happy to catch Heart My Own, which she did a fantasic job of, of course. Check out her video here, for Snakes and Ladders and be even more blown away by those pipes, and she’s not to hard to look at either. I really the love the video with all the marching people. It’s pretty cool, wish I could have joined (in the bunny costume).

Next up was Sarah Harmer. Lovely Sarah Harmer. The guy standing behind me kept going on about how he would marry her in a minute and how sexy she was. Well I agree, but keep it to yourself. Although she really does have quite the stage presence. She was in a really bouncy mood that night was well so she made all her songs upbeat, and to my great joy, did a lot of her old stuff, including Basement Apartment and Almost. She also did the new song of hers I love called Captive. And than the next day she was the host for the gospel workshop. She did a fantasic job of that. It’s always a make or break situation and this year she deffientley made it. Congratualtions Sarah Harmer. For now though check out her video for Captive here. I’m really liking it right now, it has a pretty cool feel to it and Sarah Harmer is always fun to see.

And last on the agenda is The Good Lovelies, who really are lovely. I only saw them at the gospel workshop but that was enough to convince me. Due to boy cousins left alone un-attended with a fire I had to return early and missed The Good Lovelies show the night earlier. I was bummed that I missed out, but the gospel workshop really did make up for it. They kicked off the whole show with a rendition of Down In The River To Pray, which happened (and happens) to be one of my favourite songs. When I was little and it came on I used to make anyone in the room be quiet so I could hear it clearly. Well luckily for me everyone in the tent must have been physcic because everyone was silent. They did a fantastic job and I knew from then on in that I was going to like The Good Lovelies. They never disappointed. Every song was great and their harmonies were beautiful. They backed a song Horse Feathers did that gave everyone goose bumps including me (and I don’t get them very easily). To kick off your intro to The Good Lovelies here’s their song Lie Down.

It’s a pretty happy little video, deffintley defined by the word cute. But for now I must go “hunnker down, dear” enjoy the rest of your night and see you tomorrow for more Hillside post-Hillside music.

Eyes Full Of Horse Feathers

It’s Wednesday. Half way through my Hillside week and I have the perfect half-way through band. This is a band that like The Wooden Sky I knew I liked going in but left loving. They blew me away with the beautiful melodies and haunting voices. Horse Feathers combines a whole bunch of techniques to create a really beautiful sound. Some of these including cello, violin and Justin Ringles impossibly hauting and lovely voice. All three of these pieces not to mention the rest of the band are what make Horse Feathers a great live show and a great recording.

But a difficulty arose when I consulted the Hillside schedule to see who was playing and when. The insane schedulers of the Hillside scheduling department put Zeus and Horse Feathers on at the same time Sunday afternoon at 2:00. Now I don’t who did that, but I know I was mad about it. I just couldn’t decide who I would go see. In the end I decided Zeus (even though I’d already seen them twice, this was based purely on weather because Horse Feathers was on the main stage and that can be little risky). But than Sunday came around and it was a gorgeous day and I was back at base one. So I thought go see a few songs of Zeus (just to say I’d been there and than head off to the main stage for Horse Feathers). Well that was the perfect solution. I saw my favourtie Zeus song Kindergarten done, and than a whole lotta’ Horse Feathers.

That afternoon was gloriously sunny with a slight breeze so I sat on my mat and watched Horse Feathers lemonade in one hand, dumplings in the other (if you hadn’t already noticed this festival is mainly about food and the food you’re eating at certain performances, it’s quite an art to plan the perfect meal for the perfect show). People dozed around me sleepily swaying to the music and clapping along. Of course I was completely present for the whole show (no dozing here).

I was completely awed by the band and the music which made me wonder, how to do so many great bands come out of Portland, Oregon and why don’t I live there? I mean what’s so great about Portland, the Pacific ocean air must really get to all the people. Transforming them from fishermen (and women) to budding musicians creating soft indie, folk, country music. That’s certainly what Horse Feathers creates. At first I pinned them as a “country” band and than realized no, their far from that. More a folky, country band. Song titles like Curs In The Weeds don’t really help them from not being named a country band though.

So, if you’re looking for a Horse Feathers introduction I’d try checking out Eyes Full Of Rose and Curs In The Weeds first. And then just dive right in and download a CD. I’m really loving House With No Home right now but be sure to checkout their others to (oh and if you know where I can find a vinyl copy of it let me know, I missed them at the merch tent and couldn’t get it ).

For now though, check out the video for Curs In The Weeds. It’s a simple video and simply lovely song.

So enjoy the rest of your rainy Wednesday and check out more Horse Feathers, but for now have a goodnight until next time.

Digging For Roots

Okay, so it’s Tuesday. Yesterday was pretty typical eyetunes music, so today I’m going to switch it up and go for something a little out of the box for me. This band I first saw in a workshop with Michou. Who, by the way, were great in the workshop but not so great on their own. The drummer was too loud and I think they were too nervous, but I’m still a fan. But let’s get back to the band at hand — Digging Roots. They won the Juno this year for best Aboriginal album of the year, as well they’ve been on tours for years with sold-out shows and I can see why. I hope they get more popular soon. They’re worth it, mainly because they’re strangely unique. There’s not much out there like Digging Roots.

I was a little put off by the woman, Kish, at first, especially seeing them live. But after a few songs I found her voice pretty impressive. The male lead, Kanatakta, also has a great voice. It’s got this real blues growl but also a higher sweeter note as well. I love how they combine blues with traditional aboriginal sounds. It’s a great combination. It goes to show how great Hillside really is. This is something I never would  have looked at twice, but am really liking. Their a perfect Hillside band, and I love how much they show their background in their music. It’s cool to see and not very typical, usually people try to hide their heritage not embrace it. It’s not completely my taste, but I think they need to be heard. They have far too much talent to waste.

So far I’ve only checked out a few songs by them. Spring To Come being the stand-out song in my opinion, but check both their CD’s — We Are, and Seeds. For now here’s the video for Spring To Come. Being a spring baby I really love both the song and video, I think it really showcases their talent.

After watching this video I fell completely in love with the rap part the woman does so I decided to look her up. Turns out she’s a pretty well known R&B singer named Kinnie Starr. I checked out more of her stuff and surprisingly really liked it, be sure to check it out as well.

Rap Love on the Hill

So, it’s Sunday night, my hair is greasy, my teeth fuzzy, my clothes smelly, and my spirits high. Why? Because I’ve just come back from Hillside. One of the greatest cultural and musical experiences of my life. I’ve been thinking all weekend about what I’m going to say and how I’m going to sum it up. And than it came to me. This whole week is going to be my official Hillside week. Every day features a new band and experience. Not to mention, food and craft vendors. So get yourself ready for the Hillside experience of your lifetime, conviently located at your computer.

For now though here’s a quick recap.

Weather: we were only rained on slightly Saturday afternoon. Otherwise pretty darn good Hillside weather

My favourite shows: The Wooden Sky, Shane Koyczan and the Short Story Long, Zeus, Flashlight Radio, and Horse Feathers

My favourite food vendors: The Flying Chestnut Kitchen (greatest taco of my life, it even made me like chili which I happen to hate, or hated), Studs’n'Spuds (some pretty delicious kettle chips and dip), and Meals that Heal (which happen to actually be really delicious). Oh and the Ethiopian place Laza Catering. Can’t forget them. Anyone who brings Ingera to well anywhere is my hero.

For tonight I thought I’d kick things off with a little rap. Yes rap. Never before seen on Eyetunes, but there’s a first time for everything. This guy completely blew me away, changing every opinion I ever had on rap. Instead of using his talent to be offensive and crude, he uses is to well, entertain. So congratulations Shad for introducing me, and probably a lot of other people to a new realm of rap. Below is his video for I Don’t Like To. Check out more stuff and see him live if you can. It got everybody on there feet dancing and singing.

I hope you enjoyed my burst of rap love. Which happens to be a great thing about Hillside. I never would of thought twice about him, but at a festival like Hillside where you can’t help but over hear, you get talked (or I guess musiced) into buying things you never would have (this is sometimes a down fall, but I don’t think that’s the situation in this case).

P.S. exuse all the spelling and grammar mistakes tonight. I’m uber tired and will fix things up in the morning. But for now goodnight until tomorrow when the Hillside festivities begin!