Seven Inch Sunday (The Tragically Hip)

Today's seven inch single is by The Tragically Hip. This was a Black Friday Record Store Day release. There were only 2000 of these pressed on green vinyl, with each one numbered, mine being #1166. The two songs on this single are "Tired As Fuck" from their 2016 release Man Machine Poem. The B side is a previously unavailable US radio version of the song "At The Hundredth Meridian" from their 1992 album Fully Completely.

Side A - Tired As Fuck

Side B - At The Hundredth Meridian

The Dungarees / Mike Plume Live in Edmonton Nov.12th 2016

Last Saturday Cuz, Buzzard and I went to the Mike Plume and The Dungarees show at the Needle Vinyl Tavern here in Edmonton. The only reason I wanted to go to this show was to see Mike Plume. This would be my tenth time seeing Mike in concert and first time I have seen him open for someone. As for The Dungarees, I had heard there name around recently having opened for Dwight Yoakam and being in the running for the Project Wild contest.

Well, you know what Mom always said, if you have nothing good to say, don't say anything, so I will pretty much take that road on this review. This show was billed as Mike Plume with The Dungarees, so I figured it was a Mike Plume solo show, but much to my surprise after Mike opened the show with one song solo, three musicians that I had never seen or heard before took to the stage to back-up Mike. What the hell was this, this wasn't Mike's usual band of Ern on drums and Ben on bass, instead Mike had the Blues Puppy Trio backing him up which is Sean Riquelme on guitar, Rob Newhook on bass and rounding out the trio Riley Chernoff on drums. Nice to see Mike giving the kids a chance. But to me, I want to see the real Mike Plume Band. The kids did a decent job, but it wasn't your usual Mike Plume show, his setlist was much different then usual, not one of his better song selections for the show, but having said that he did do some songs you don't get to see him play very often "Sweet Oblivion", "Remembrance Day", "Five Crow Silver". But he left a lot of his more popular songs off his setlist. The guys playing with Mike seemed to really be enjoying themselves and making the best of their opportunity. All and all his hour long opening set wasn't one of the better shows I have seen him play.

Mike Plume.

The headliner of the evening was local country band The Dungarees. I knew nothing about the band but gave then the chance to impress me. Well, they didn't impress me. Their music to me is just middle of the road commercial country music made for radio. They are good at what they do, good musicians and all, just not my cup of tea. However I did like when they had Mike Plume join them on stage for three songs, two of them Plume songs and then a cover of "The Road Goes On Forever" a song wrote by Robert Earl Keen and made popular by the country supergroup The Highwaymen. What was funny about Mike doing this song was that he sang the whole song while reading the lyrics from his cellphone, can't say I have ever seen that done before. It actually sounded pretty damn good. It was after the three songs with Mike that we bailed on the rest of The Dungarees set. I was also surprised about the small turnout for the show. Nonetheless a fun night out. Good times!!!

In concert news...Mike Plume is scheduled to be playing The Needle Vinyl Tavern again on Thursday January 26th 2017.

Seven Inch Saturday (Jack White)

Today's seven inch single is from Jack White, this single includes the two songs Side A - Alone In My Room (Demo) and Side B - Entitlement. Both these songs were on his 2014 solo album Lazaretto. But on this release which came with the Third Man Records Vault Package #20 both songs are demos.

RIP Leonard Cohen 1934-2016

I woke up this morning to the sad news of the passing of Canadian music legend Leonard Cohen. Leonard was 82 years of age and had just released his latest album "You Want It Darker" in October.

I was lucky enough to have seen Leonard Cohen in concert twice here in Edmonton. The first time was in 2009 and again in 2012. Both shows were incredible. To read my reviews of both shows click here and here.

Rest In Peace Leonard Cohen.

Leonard Cohen performing "Closing Time" in Edmonton April 25th 2009.

My favorite Leonard Cohen quote - "Does anybody have a cigarette? I'm looking forward to that first smoke. I've been looking forward to [it] for about 30 years."

Seven Inch Sunday (Vinnie Vincent Invasion)

Today's seven inch single is from the Vinnie Vincent Invasion, Vinnie being a guitar player in KISS between 1982-1984. This is a single I received in the mail back in 1986. Not sure why I got this, maybe because I was a part of the KISS Army at the time. But I'm not complaining, cause it's a pretty cool single.

It's a pink single featuring two songs from at the time the forthcoming Vinne Vincent Invasion album. Side A features the song Boyz Are Gonna Rock and Side 1 is Animal. Ya the labels are fucked on this single.

I often wonder whatever become of Vinnie Vincent.

Side A.

Side 1.

Wilco - Schmilco

Well I have been meaning to write about this album for a while now. I am speaking of the Wilco album Schmilco that was released on September 9th, their tenth studio album. The album title is a nod to Harry Nilsson who released an album called Nilsson Schmilsson that came out in 1971.

A couple of days before the release, select independent record stores across North America had listening parties "I Heard Schmilco" for the new album. At these listening parties they not only played the new album but you could also pick up the album before the release date, they also had give-aways. One of the prizes was a test pressing of the Schmilco album. I went to the local record shop here in Edmonton Blackbyrd Myoozik to hear it and enter the contest.

I had pre ordered the album, and wanted the indie release which was a coloured vinyl release but had to settle for the black vinyl as they did not yet have the indie copies in yet, no big deal, as I really wanted the album. Well, the day after the listening party, I got a call from Blackbyrd with news that I had won a copy of the test pressing, totally cool!

Two days after that, I got another call telling me that the indie release was now in, as I had ordered it, I thought it was only right to pick that up as well. So that is how I now own three copies of the Wilco Schmilco album. All I need now is the pink coloured vinyl release. I may just have to pick that up one day too.

Anyways, it took me a few listens to the album to really like it, but am now a big fan of this album too. Wilco has always put out great albums and this one ranks up there too. The album only runs just over a half hour long. Give it a listen and go to your local record shop and pick up a copy.

Now I am just keeping my fingers crossed that Wilco actually makes there way up to Edmonton on this tour as they haven't played here since 2010.

Black vinyl.

Indie release.

Test pressing.