Do You Know Neil Spence?

New Ink & My Itchy Fail

2012-02-15T15:56:00.000-08:00

On Monday I got a new tattoo, the last few I've gotten seem to always be tributes to important figures in my life, the latest is no exception. My grandmother passed away shortly before Christmas at the age of 90. She was tough though, in & outta the hospital several times in her last year & kept bouncing back from her ailments. So this seemed fitting....

However, today I got a little busy & forgot my moisturizer at home. It has caused great itchiness! Perhaps a little madness to as I resist the temptation to scratch....

That bottle of moisturizer shall not leave my side until this is healed!!

Bands & Smart Phone Apps

2012-01-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

Red Hot Chili Peppers are a band I've been a fan of for many years, just the mixture of funk & rock I've always adored and that is what first made me want to learn how to play bass. They've now put out their own smart phone app...

With the app, you can keep up to date on the band, where they're touring, if they're in studio, photo galleries etc. It seems really cool, I know there's other bands doing the same... makes me wonder, is this going to replace a traditional .com website for bands?

The need for an actual website has been shrinking with social networking sites like Facebook & Twitter, I've seen more then a few .com band sites simply being a place holder & directing web traffic to FB, Twitter, YouTube etc. Add mobile apps that are dedicated to giving you all you need to know about the band into the mix, it doesn't seem like there's as big a demand for a websites anymore. Granted, not every indie band will likely have the ability to get their own mobile app, for them a .com maybe but FB & the like are so much easier to manage. Plus there are millions if not billions of people on those social networking sites already that could stumble upon your band page. Less likely your website is to come up in a Google search.

Now we wait and see how it all goes down....

Bands, Social Networking & The Death of The Website

2011-12-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

It's a well known fact I'm a music geek, I'm damn proud of that too! I spend a great deal of my time researching bands; when they're in the studio working on a record, touring near my area, what went into their songwriting etc. Over the last couple years I've noticed an increasing trend where bands will frequently update their Facebook or Twitter pages, but their actual website (in which they pay for the domain space on a yearly basis) goes idle, saved only for the really big things like "New Album is out on Tuesday" or "New Album is out now!"

But on Twitter you'll see pictures from the tour, funny comments about something that happened back stage, or (if the band is smart) tweets about how excited they are to be in whatever city they're in & interaction with their fans. More of the same on FB, sometimes you get video of last nights performance, longer praise for how great the crowd was. The website? Still says "Album is out now" and only has pics from the last tour a few months back.

I think we're witnessing the death of the practical website for bands/musicians/artists. To send things off to a webmaster, wait for it all to be processed & updated takes too long, plus there's little interaction from the band. The best twitter accounts/FB pages are the ones where the band responds to peoples comments and you know it's the band as they sign off in a certain way that you know it's their personality, rather then the cold/blunt response from a webmaster or band rep.

The Pack a.d. http://thepackad.com/

The Pack a.d., Hollerado & USS (ubiquitous synergy seeker) are Canadian bands that do an excellent job of interaction with their fans; retweeting fan tweets, responding to questions or just general joking around that makes it seem like the band is your good friend.

Hollerado http://www.hollerado.com

Truthfully, I'm glad it's taken this direction, it brings a human element to the online world & makes a band seem down to earth as well as respectable. Gone are the rock star attitudes of the past, in this day & age it doesn't matter who you are, those attitudes are never warranted.

USS http://www.ussmusic.com/

Only downside is that there isn't a great deal for a custom look on a bands twitter/FB page like there is with a website, small price to pay and I would imagine there are plans in place to fix that (if not, there's some very skilled hackers out there).

Only question now, is there actually a need for a .com address?

Live Underground with This Ship

2011-11-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

This Ship, an indie rock band here in Halifax is made up from members of the Light Brights, Minus World & Alice Stops Time. They'll be one of the bands playing the Flight of Fall music festival this weekend, I spoke with singer Bethany Fulde, who also organized the festival, tonight on Live Underground.

Movember: 3 weeks deep in facial hair

2011-11-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

We're 3 weeks into Movember, this is what has been residing on my face....

I was informed today that it wasn't really a handlebar mustache, it's a horse shoe or chopper or something haha. Well whatever it is, it's greasy, itchy & will be gone December 1st. But in the meantime you can make a donation to Prostate Cancer Research: http://mobro.co/neilspence

Live Underground with Brite-VU

2011-11-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

Brite-VU are releasing their 2nd full length album "Restarted" on Friday at Monte's in Dartmouth, they'll also be playing on the Live 105 float during Saturday's parade of lights. I spoke to their singer/guitarist Robb Medwid tonight on Live Underground, here's the interview.

More on Brite-VU here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brite-VU/7909749290?sk=wall

Movember: 2 weeks strong!

2011-11-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

2 weeks into Movember, this is what I got......

HANDLEBARS!!!!! They're actually coming in. I didn't think they would connect at the lip as they never really had before & I have a few other patch facial hair spots, but there it is. Despite the overall greasy appearance, I think they'll look quite distinguished by the end of the month. If I can do this now, maybe I'll have to shoot for something bigger & better next year, hmm..... In the meantime, if you'd like to make a donation to my Movember efforts, follow this link: http://mobro.co/neilspence

Every donation is greatly appreciated & goes toward prostate cancer research. Thanks in advance.

Live Underground with Paper Lions

2011-11-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

Paper Lions are from Belfast, PEI, they've got a sound that can be described as a mix of indie/pop/rock. They'll be in town on Saturday to play the Seahorse, I spoke with John MacPhee from Paper Lions tonight on Live Underground.

http://www.paperlions.com

Movemeber: 1 Week In

2011-11-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

A week in & here's how the handlebars are doing:

Starting to feel gre-he-he-heasy! Donate to cause here: http://mobro.co/neilspence

Movember 3rd: Stubble

2011-11-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days day since I've shaved, the stubble begins!!

Not full blown greaser yet, but it'll be rough looking this time next week. Handlebars, here I come! If you wanna make a donation to my Movember cause, follow the link: http://mobro.co/neilspence

A Movember To Remember

2011-11-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

It's Movemeber once again, a time where men cast off the beards or clean shaven look & grow a proper mustache to raise money & awareness about Prostate Cancer research. Last year I had somewhat of a Ned Flanders thing going on, this year my goal is handlebars!

There is the slight problem that I've always had trouble getting the lip hair to connect with the chin, but I'm hopeful that in a month I can overcome that! But I must start the month off right with that nice clean shaven look.....

I will attempt daily updates on my Mo growth, keep checking back! Also if you'd like to make a donation go here: http://ca.movember.com/mospace/895974/

Live Underground with MicLordz & Sauce Funky

2011-10-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

MicLordz & Sauce Funky are a funk/rock band that infuses hip hop into their sound. They formed in Windsor, Ontario, but their bassist John Rodgers was born & raised here in NS. I chatted with John tonight on Live Underground, here's the full interview.

Find more on MicLordz & Sauce funky at http://www.Miclordz.com/
Also check out their video for My World.

The Standstills Live Hive Performance & Interview

2011-10-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the Standstills were in town for the Halifax Pop Explosion, they stopped by the Live Hive to play 2 songs off their 2009 Self Titled EP plus a chat. They're a 2 piece from Oshawa, Ont. that does a bluesy modern rock thang. Here's the full interview & performances of The Cure and Underneath My Skin.

Go like their FB page, they're very close to having 1000 fans: http://www.facebook.com/TheStandstills

On a side note, they're loads of fun to party with. Can't for them to come back to Halifax ;)

The End of HPX 2011

2011-10-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

This was a stellar week full of lots of great shows! But the last night of this 5 days festival goes down as my fav. Went to The Seahorse to see The Standstills (who had been in the Live Hive earlier in the day), Carmen Townsend & got a surprise as Plants & Animals were added as a secret guest!

The Standstills friggin' rocked! Proof that a 2 piece can do the job as good or better then a band with 3+ members. They're also fun to party with haha. Here's a video from the end of their set with Carry On & Black Betty.

And of course Carmen Townsend was great as always. I love her voice & the sound of her guitar, great combo! And when she decides to cover the Beastie Boys "Sabotage" it's all kinds of kick ass! I think I've seen her play about 3 or 4 times since the start of summer, she gets better & impresses me more with each performance.

But to end the night with the surprise of Plants & Animals as the secret guest was a blast as I missed them at the free Stars show earlier in the day. It was a wild 5 days of amazing music & spectacular (albeit somewhat hazy) memories! Perhaps a quiet night is in order tonight........ nah!! Well, maybe haha.

HPX Day 2

2011-10-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ah, night 2 of the Halifax Pop Explosion. I was off to Gus' Pub last night, now this was a helluva time! When I walked in & the first band, Windom Earle, were just wearing boxers and singing about Fruit of the Loom, I knew this would be fun...... and of course it was!

They had lots of great jams to jump & dance to, breaking out Saxes, weird keyboard synths and jumping into the crowd to sing along with the crowd when they're all chanting "Fruit of the Loom! Fruit of the Loom!" But at one point, they had to slow things down a little, bust out a piano hook and start a big sing along to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from the Lion King Soundtrack. Here's a little video of that amazing surprise.

Next up was The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt! The name says it all, lots of dancing & crazy props for the crowd to dig like inflatable birds/snowmen, a train of people wearing blazers tied together with X-Mas lights and lots of other craziness. These guys were from Tennessee and they know how to party!

Last up for the night was Born Gold. Pumpin' electronica beats, vocoder vocal effects & spaztic light show, awesome way to end the night! Gus' had cleared away most of their tables so there was a lot of room to rock/dance & the crowd took full advantage of that particularly during this set.

What's great about HPX is you can experience so many different styles of music, sometimes all in one place! I can't wait to see what tonight brings..... or where I end up haha!

HPX Day 1

2011-10-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

OK, time to catch up on the shenanigans for the Halifax Pop Explosion. It all kicked off Tuesday, that night I headed to the Seahorse & truly felt like a Hipster haha!

Soon after I got there, The Paint Movement took stage. They had a very cool dance party vibe, but still of the indie variety. Gotta love the abundance of reverb on the guitars & vocals, it added to the spacey keyboard as well as having a rockin' Sax player. They were lots of fun, I didn't get very good pics/video of them but I found something online of them playing a show in Ontario, cool stuff!

The other band I got to check out on night 1 of HPX was One Hundred Dollars. A mix of folk, alt country, rockabilly & a little bit of a Fleetwood Mac thing going on. I don't think I've ever danced to a good country shuffle like that night. I say that as a good thing as I'm not big on country but this was pretty interesting, story teller kinda music that still rocked.

And that was the first night! A decent start to HPX, 4 more days of fun to follow.

HPX: IT'S HERE!!!

2011-10-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Halifax Pop Explosion is finally here! It kicked off today, my game plan is to hit up as many shows as possible. Check back here for stories, pics, maybe video of my experiences in the next 5 days. Any info you need for who is playing where, go to www.halifaxpopexplosion.com Maybe I'll see you at a show this week ;)

Dead or Not George?!

2011-10-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

I've always been a big fan of Star Wars & have tried to ignore the obvious cash grab releases of "New & Improved!" But there's some funny business going on with a teaser for Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series. In Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, we saw Darth Maul get sliced in half & fall down a shaft. All logic would dictate that he is dead and we shall never see this character again, right?...... WRONG!!

In this trailer that's been released for the Clone Wars, we see scenes from Phantom Menace of DM fighting, then we see a split second of an animated version of him (the TV show is animated if you weren't aware), followed by text saying "Darth Maul Returns this Spring."

Kinda brings to question, if you've killed off a character as such, how the hell do you bring him back? I'm curious enough to perhaps watch that episode to see how they will do it (and maybe that's mission accomplished from their point of view) but I can't see a scenario where bringing him back will sound feasible or work into the story. But I could cross my fingers & be surprised ;)

You can watch the teaser here: http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/10/12/star-wars-clone-wars-darth-maul/

Live Underground with Minus World

2011-09-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

A few months back I talked to Justin from Minus World, a 2 piece Nintendo influenced dance rock band, about the online release of their EP. Tomorrow night they have the hard copy release at the Company House. I caught up with him again to talk about touring, being nominated for a Music Nova Scotia Award & a few other funny things. Here's the full interview.

Check out their EP online here: http://minusworld.bandcamp.com/

Live Underground with Eliza & The Strange

2011-09-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

Eliza & The Strange are a relatively new band I've come across here in Halifax but I dig their "Voodoo-esque Rock" sound. I talked to their singer/keyboardist Eliza tonight on Live Underground, here's the interview.

For more on Eliza & The Strange, download their song/video "She Ain't Pretty" check out their website:

http://www.elizaandthestrange.com/

Live Underground with Andrew Hunter & The Gatherers

2011-09-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

I spoke to Andrew Hunter & The Gatherers on Live Underground tonight. This week they released their 2nd album Warhorses, they're kicking off a tour here in Halifax tomorrow night with the release show at the Seahorse. Alert The Medic & Carmen Townsend will be joining them at the show as well. We talked about the new album, the songs, touring in a van & all kinds. Here's the full interview.

Find out where to pick up the album here: www.andrewhunter.ca

Live Underground with Jon Mullane

2011-09-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

Had a chance to chat with Jon Mullane on Live Underground tonight, check him out this Saturday at Quinfest. Here's the full interview:

Remembering 9/11 Ten Years Later

2011-09-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

Today is the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It's hard to believe that it has been that long. 10 years ago I was in grade 9 at a new school where I didn't know too many people. I remember going to school that day, the first tower had already been hit, but I was unaware at the time. I was in first period of the day, can't remember which class, science or something. Part way through this class the announcement came over the PA for all staff to attend an emergency meeting after 1st period.

After that period I went to French class, the teacher came in a few minutes later. To her credit as a teacher & a strong person, she held her composure quite well while explaining what happened, but she was still quite in disbelief. We then proceeded to listen to the radio for news updates of what was going on. It wasn't long after that I recall they sent everyone home on buses. It's strange how I remember that morning so vividly, but after going home it's all a haze. I watched some TV news coverage and listened to music until my parents came home & really explained what had happened. However, at 14 I didn't fully understand, it took some time for it to sink in.

I find I identified with a lot of different music around the time of this event more strongly then I ever have in my life. Two songs come to mind, I remember the videos for these getting played a fair bit on Much Music in the days following the attacks. I can't imagine having to program a station in the wake of 9/11, the careful steps you'd have to make, when you're usually upbeat you've got to dial back the personality, be honest without being a complete downer. It must have been very difficult for any of my peers in the broadcast industry. But going back to the two videos I remember being played heavily following that day.....

Live's "Overcome." Although the song had been written before 9/11, the lyrical content fit really well especially when they took footage from the aftermath & used it for the video.

Staind's "Fade." Break The Cycle was an album I used to play a great deal, the video for Fade is burned in my memory as Much Music played it around this time 10 years ago. The actual music video won't embed on here, so here's an acoustic version:

If you want to watch the actual music video here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-9VnIba_qQ&feature=player_detailpage

Today, I remember what happened, where I was & how it changed my entire world. I hope you do the same.

Live Underground with The Space Age

2011-09-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight I interviewed The Space Age on Live Underground. Their singer/guitarist Andy played bass with Matt Mays & El Torpedo for 7 years but now has a new band, here's the full interview.

http://thespaceage.bandcamp.com/

Live Underground with The Belle Comedians

2011-09-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

The Belle Comedians are from Fredericton/Halifax, they play some folk but like to give a drunken rock vibe too! They're doing a short Maritime tour, making a stop in town & I chatted with their keyboardist Dan. Here's the interview.

Find out more on The Belle Comedians here http://www.facebook.com/TheBelleComedians?sk=wall

Glory Glory MFEST Flash Back & New EP

2011-09-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

This Friday Glory Glory are playing with Kestrels at Monte's in Dartmouth for Live with Live 105. I featured a new song of theirs tonight along side an interview I did with them last month at MFEST. Here's the interview:

And if you want to check out their new EP "You Need A Heart To Live" you can download it at http://gloryglory.bandcamp.com/ it's a name your price kinda deal, but I'm sure they'd appreciate some gas money ;)

Live Underground with Like A Motorcycle

2011-09-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

3 piece, all female rockers from Halifax, (we'll ignore the chick band title as it's old & dated). I'm talking about Like A Motorcycle. They've got their first EP to be released soon, I spoke with their bassist Kim Carson tonight on Live Underground.

Check out more on Like A Motorcycle at http://www.facebook.com/likeamotorcycle

Live Unverground with The Daily Hate

2011-09-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

The Daily Hate are from Halifax/Dartmouth, play some very cool reggae rock/ska music. I chatted with their bassist Mark tonight on Live Underground, here's the full interview.

You can check out their EP here: http://thedailyhate.bandcamp.com/

Tokyo Police Club Interview

2011-08-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

This week, Tokyo Police Club began work on their new covers album. It's 10 songs from the past 10 years, each song took 10 hours to record and they're releasing them over the 10 day period in which they're recording them. Early in the week I spoke to their singer David, here's the full interview.

If you wanna check out any of the covers they've done, go to their website: http://tokyopoliceclub.com/

Holy Random Stuff In Boxes!

2011-08-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

Recently, I started shuffling things around in my apartment to make room for a roommate. In doing so I found some very random things that brought back hilarious memories. Let's go through them shall we?

I was 16, I played bass and sang in a funk metal band called Strange Like Wood (weird name eh?) this was one of the first, and among the few, shows we ever played. No money, got paid in sponsored t-shirts & chips, why haven't I retired yet? :P

Last summer I road tripped to Ottawa & Montreal to see Iron Maiden on their Final Frontier tour. These were the VIP passes that got me back stage and close enough to the band that I could wave at them, raise a beer to cheers them & they responded haha.

While we're talking concerts, I tend to keep my ticket stubs from all the concerts I go to. There's Billy Talent, Offspring, Neil Young among the many. Good times.

For some reason, Eric Cartman from South Park. I recall a friend giving this to me, I don't recall why. It is now proudly displayed in my living room.

And finally a dancing Elvis. Not sure where this came from, but it will possibly be a gift for Floyd to appease her love of the king. Lord knows what else is kicking around. If you ever get bored, go looking through old boxes, the things you'll find will likely make you laugh, well worth the time spent cleaning!

Hungry Hearts On Live Underground

2011-08-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hungry Hearts are from Fredericton & will be playing Elephant & Castle tomorrow night. Tonight on Live Underground I spoke with their singer. Here's the full interview.

Check out their album at www.hungryheartsrock.bandcamp.com

First Gray Hair!!

2011-08-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

I've gotten the first sign that I'm no longer a young punk. My first gray hair, check this shit out!

What?! You can totally see it!........ Alright, so it's not THAT noticeable. But still, it's my first gray hair, I was caught off guard at first. But now I think I'm cool with it, I've got friends that have patches of gray all over their heads. Also, as it was pointed out on the Live FB page, gray on the top of your head is nothing, gray downtown is a whole other thing to worry about :S

MFEST Interviews

2011-08-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

MFEST was a blast! Great crowd, awesome performers, had lots of fun. I got to chat with some of the bands, here's the interviews if you missed them.

Tim from Hey Rosetta!

Carmen Townsend

In-Flight Safety

And for some reason the other two interviews won't embed, so let's go old school & follow the link.

Glory Glory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAhOM496QRU&feature=player_profilepage

Diamond Rings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Usbq_j5xtO4&feature=player_profilepage

Nirvana Vs. Facebook

2011-07-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Behold, the cover of an album that changed a whole generation of kids......

In the big picture of modern rock, that was a pretty damn import album that came along and kicked the shit outta all the over produced, glamed up rock of the 80's. It had a different sound then anything that came before it, musically, lyrically & sonically. To go with something different, Nirvana chose to have a naked baby in a swimming pool chasing a dollar bill. The imagine certainly sticks with you. Here we are 20 years later, that album still plays just as well. And when you see that baby you instantly think of the album that defined a generation with Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As you Are, Lithium among other great tracks.

Nirvana are releasing a 20th anniversary reissue of this iconic album, in doing so they posted the album cover on their Facebook page. One problem, the naked baby violates the terms of use according to Facebook. While it's true, FB deletes any sort of nudity on it's website and they have the administrative right to do so, in this scenario I think they were wrong. We're not talking about a pornographic photo posted by a user, we're talking about a piece of art. Perhaps in the early 90's retail stores had the right to censor or not carry the album because of cover, different times. But in this day, we've been desensitized to most shocking imagery and this isn't a perverse picture. It was fitting to go along with the lyrical theme of disenchanted youth, drowning as they try to seek living..... or whatever the hell the real meaning was, there's enough stories out there.

Regardless, I think this decision needs to be reversed. It was a FB page for fans of Nirvana. If you're a fan of the band you're already aware of the album cover, if you're not a fan of the band then what reason do you have to be on their fan page?

Facebook Vs. Google+

2011-07-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

Very rarely do I do tech talk with computer related things as a lot of it is lost on me, but I use social networking enough to speak somewhat knowledgeable in this one.

I recently got invited to join Google+, if you are unfamiliar it's a new social networking site designed by Google & will likely rival Facebook. It's got quite the buzz behind it and is slowly catching on. This wouldn't be the first time we've seen the battle of social networks, remember Myspace or Hi5?

After getting the G+ invite I browsed it a little bit, seemed neat but didn't go on it too much. Then finally there was an iphone app for it, that's much more my style since that's where I use FB & Twitter the most. I will admit that I'm not dumping FB as of yet, but one of it's latest changes to their chat system has me thinking about it. FB chat has always been kinda messy, kicking you offline, making other people appear offline, not sending messages. But because I could now talk with all of my FB friends it pretty much killed off MSN Messenger.

But they've changed hands in providers or something as it's at an all time quality low. I can now only view a handful of people who are online and messages don't seem to send all that well. Given FB's history of making changes and not giving a damn about what it's users think, I'm not surprised by this. However, this time around there's a new kid in town, Google+. It only has a small following at this point, but I kinda feel this one is gonna take off and gonna give FB a run for it's money. For people who use Gmail, it'll integrate well with it! Puts everything in one place for you. It's outlook is similar to FB, but now you have circles. Circles of friends, acquaintances, co-workers. Now that NSFW post you wanna share with your friends and not with the boss is possible by selecting the groups of people you want to share things with.

I'm going to follow the progress of G+, I think it's got some good promise and it's only in the beta testing stage. If you get a chance check it out! G+ movie in the works? Maybe too soon......

OMG NEW RHCP!!!!

2011-07-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

It's days like today that I know I love my job and wouldn't want to do anything else. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have a new album, I'm With You, coming out Aug 30th produced by Rick Rubin. We were expecting the first single "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" to be officially released Monday afternoon. However it got leaked in some fashion tonight and I was the first person to play it in all of Canada at 10pm/AST!!

I found it to be a very cool song. It had that funkidelic rock sound we've come to expect out of RHCP, but with a new vibe. Between bassist Flea studying music in University for the last few years and new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, there's enough reason for the sound to be different. But it's still RHCP. Going through the different guitarists they've had (Hillel Slovak, John Fusciante, Dave Navarro and now Josh) there's always been a unique sound to their albums, but it's always sounded like RHCP. Admittedly Josh has a guitar style of his own, he doesn't sound like he's trying to be any of the other guitarists that have played with the Peppers. It's not in your face flashy, it's tasteful & fitting for the band. And the production is just what I expect when Rick Ruban produces a kick ass record! Sonically, the man knows his shit!

I am so pumped for this album now! Definitely keeping a copy of that track for myself while I wait for the release date. We're gonna play the song all weekend on Live 105, so you'll get your fix of new Peppers that's for sure. Just for a little something else, here's the single art work. Cheers!

Death Valley Driver

2011-07-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Death Valley Driver are from PEI, they won Clash of The Bands & get to open Rock The Hill featuring Metallica tomorrow! I spoke to their singer Dan on tonight's Live Underground, here's the full interview.

For more info on Death Valley Driver go to http://www.facebook.com/DeathValleyDriverPEI

Punked or Just High?

2011-07-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

So lately there's been some weird requests on the Live 105 twitter page, http://twitter.com/Live105Loud. A few times each day this past week people have requested Britney Spears. I dunno if it's a joke, like we're being punked by someone, or if they're high. I'm thinking Britney don't fit in with with Modern Rock like Arcade Fire, Sum 41, Foster the People & some heavier alternative music we play by Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Seether, A Day To Remember, Arctic Monkeys, Disturbed and such. Not to mention Metallica or any of the bands featured on Louder with Scotty Mars. So I have to assume it's a joke or there are some terribly misinformed people as to what we play on Live 105.

But in response, I thought I'd find some Britney covers that I don't find too bad. Can't say I'll ever play them fully on the air, but they're amusing none the less.

First Up, A Static Lullaby with Toxic. Stick it out for the screaming chorus.

Next up, it says Children of Bodem and it does sound like them, but I'm not 100% sure. Either way, a very heavy Opps! I Did It Again, synced to the original video no less!.

Here's one that was brought to my attention on our FB page. Gimmie More by Machine Supremacy.

Finally, this one isn't metal, but it's done tastefully & the first time I hear it I was surprised as hell by it. From Rock Star: INXS, here's Marty Casey with Hit Me Baby One More Time.

Hope you enjoyed and if you ever ask me to play Britney on Live 105, I will quickly say NO!

Tattoo Culture

2011-07-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

I was reading a story today about a woman who got her first tattoo at 99, she's now 101 and has gotten a few more. Sorta proves the theory that getting inked is addictive. I got my first tattoo in Feb of 2010, I'm now up to 4. In a little over a year I've gone from none to 4 and thinking about getting more. It's kinda crazy, but at the same time I love all my tats and they all have meaning to me. Lets go through them, shall we?

This was my first tattoo, I got it in Feb 2010. I got the idea for this one from a pendant necklace my grandmother gave me. It was a tribal sun with strength written on the back. It's meaning is in a spiritual sense of the sun giving our Earth strength, but it's also a sentimental reminder of my grandmother.

My second; Peace & Love, two things I believe strongly in. I know the Dove can be a popular tattoo, but I thought it represented my beliefs best. I got this in July of 2010. My first tattoo I thought long and hard about, this one I had the idea and got the tattoo within a few weeks.

My third is a Fender Jaguar Bass Guitar with Passion written in it. I've been playing bass with various bands since I picked the instrument up in the fall of 2000, this is an actual bass I own & it represents my passion for music. I'm a music geek; I love listening & playing, reading all about different things my fav bands did while writing & recording some of my fav songs. I got this started in August of 2010 and had it finished a month later.

This is my latest tattoo, it's a picture of my dog Sparky. I had grown up with this dog & loved her very much. She had to get put down this past winter, she was nearly 15, had bad vision/hearing & mobility problems among other things. I decided to get her face along with a quote from Neil Young's "Long May You Run" as a way to always remember her. I got this in March of this year.

I'm sure there's more to come, I find certain things happen in life that inspire a decision to get another tattoo. These events & symbols are important to me and have brought me to where I am now. I suppose in a way, years from now they will all tell a story, although I don't expect to be totally covered I will likely get a few more as time goes by. The point of all this was that it doesn't matter your age or how many tattoos you have, so long as they mean something. I've seen many tattoos on people that are the equivilent to a cheesy one hit wonder on the charts. Sure it's cool now, but in 5, 10 or more years will it be? I'm confident the choices I've made will stand the test of time like a good album.... will yours?

Ink Realm

2011-06-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight on Live Underground I spoke to Neil & Mark from Ink Realm. We spoke about what it's like being a 2 piece band, doing all the work & instruments yourself. Hear the interview & their song here:

http://www.reverbnation.com/inkrealm

Alice Stops Time Planning A Music Video

2011-06-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight I interviewed Tyler Dempsey of Alice Stops Time on Live Underground. They're shooting a music video for their song Heaven Or Hollywood, you could be a part of it! Keep checking their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/alicestopstime for up dates on where & when they're looking for extras. Here's the interview:

If you want to download their song Heaven Or Hollywood you can do so here: http://alicestopstime1.bandcamp.com/

Neil In Heels

2011-06-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

Today Cub Carson, Rob Daniels & I as well as our bros at sis station Z sported ladies heels to "Walk A Mile In Her Shoes." I think I can safely say I had the strut down the best, the other gents were struggling to keep balance haha. But I can honestly say that after wearing the shoes for about an hour or so, my feet friggin' kill! Anywho they're still taking donations for the YWCA Turning Points Program and you can do so at www.halifaxwalkamile.com

For those who missed out, here's a shot of me in heels (Thanks to Bev Keddy for the pic/proof).

Time for A Rant!

2011-06-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

OK, so one of my biggest pet peeves about this new age of social networking is that it makes everyone think they know everything about anything and feel that their opinion, regardless how misguided or ignorant, is one that everyone shares and thus must be publicly broadcasted. Example: There are groups, events and fan pages on Facebook, generally created to promote something or get awareness out about a particular group/organization/business. So when someone doesn't like or agree with something on that group they feel the need to make posts on that page complaining.

I'm a firm believer if you ever have a complaint, you should address it personally & directly to the person in charge of what you're complaining about. To do so on a public page dedicated to fans of that page is NOT the place to do so. I've seen it so many times on an event page, people s**ting on how bad the event is, on groups complaining about services and so forth. Simple solution; if you don't like that event, don't go. If you don't like an organization/business/group don't be a part of it, don't buy what they're selling, don't pay any attention to it.

It's kind of disturbing when you think of how negative people have become... or if there was always this much negativity, it's too easy to make it public now. If you don't like something, fine don't like it, but don't hate on people who do. If someone has worked hard to create something, what gives you the right to bash them publicly in front of people who like what they have created? All I get out of something like that is that you're a small individual seeking attention, rather then approaching something in a rational and adult manner you've chosen the method that is.... well, the best way I can describe it is "A D**k Move."

So I'm a little disgusted by what dysfunction social networking has created, making it seem that this behaviour is acceptable. I'm a little concerned for the future, I think we all need to keep the BS to ourselves, try a positive outlook on life, less criticism and maybe we can all co-exist peacefully.

Thus conclude todays rant. For sticking through the whole thing, how about some angsty Canadian punk that seems topical:

Iron Maiden vs. Metallica

2011-06-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

Recently Metallica won a voter poll best Metal band award through Karrang! and Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson felt the need to state that Maiden is better then Metallica. As a metal fan it's a tough call. Through high school I enjoyed learning songs by both for different reasons. Metallica is definitely the heavier band, but Maiden came up with great melodic licks over the years. Both have had some great records and some not so great records. I saw Maiden in Ottawa & Montreal of their 2010 Final Frontier tour, they were as amazing as I'd expected they would be live. I will see Metallica this summer here in Halifax. I suppose I will reserve judgment until then. However, not a fan of Bruce's cocky attitude, but then it wouldn't be metal or rock without some boastful front man. Gents, you both kick ass! Let's leave it at that.

The Pack A.D.

2011-06-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

I wanna take this moment to tell you about a kick ass show going on tonight at the Seahorse. It's the Pack A.D. from BC. Kick ass 2 piece, female indie rock/blues band. I've seen them play many times, they are visually entertaining and rock hard. Good to party with too FYI. So drop in tonight to check them out. Here's a taste of what you can expect.

More info on the show here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=200642129979019&ref=ts

Minus World on Live Underground

2011-05-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

Minus World, a 2 piece dance rock band inspired by Nintendo. A drummer to keep the beat then keyboards & various Nintendo games sampled into the music via a portable gaming console. Add in lots of loop & effect pedals and you've got one hell of a live act. They were interviewed on Live Underground tonight.

Check out their EP here, you can download it for free up until Sunday.
http://minusworld.bandcamp.com/

The Motorleague on Live Underground

2011-05-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

I talked to Nathan Jones from The Motorleague, a band from Moncton who is the anthem to every bad break-up or shitty boss you've ever had. Crafting songs that have been called "The Anthems Of The Call Center Generation" Here's the interview:

http://www.themotorleague.ca

It's Apple Blossom Time In The Homeland

2011-05-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

I'm from the Annapolis Valley, and this weekend in the homeland it's the Apple Blossom Festival. There's parades, princesses, a Queen, fairs..... oh yes and LOTS OF PARTYING!!!! We're known to enjoy a beverage or a dozen, who's counting? So to my Valley friends who are going up I say have a good time, you just may see me around on Saturday. And when people ask you if you should be doing that crazy thing you're about to do just remember "F#@K IT! It's Apple Blossom!"

FYI, this is your mandatory dress code if you're heading to the Valley at any point this weekend.
If I can think enough to, I'll be tweeting about about the events I'm at on Saturday, feel free to follow http://twitter.com/neiltherockstar

Live Underground - Andrew Hunter & The Gatherers

2011-05-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

Andrew Hunter & The Gatherers were on Live Underground tonight. We chatted about their new album Warhorses (due out in September), song writing & about them playing the last show at the Paragon this Saturday with a bunch of other bands. Here's the interview:

http://www.andrewhunter.ca

2011-05-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

I spoke to Blake from The Stogies about their tour, EP being released this summer & their show next Saturday (May 28) at the Seahorse. Here's the interview:

Go check them out at the Seahorse next Saturday, get more info on The Stogies here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Stogies/23562902727

Live Underground - Fed Pennies May 19

2011-05-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

Jake Smith of the Fed Pennies was on Live Underground tonight. We chatted about some plans to tour overseas & plans to shoot a music video.

http://www.myspace.com/thefedpennies

Live With Live 105.... AQUESTRYA

2011-05-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

This Friday AQUESTRYA are playing with No flyers Please for Live with Live 105 at Monte's on Waverly Rd. in Dartmouth, show starts at 10pm. I interviewed AQUESTRYA's singer Naomi-Joy back in March on Live Underground, here's the interview.

More on the band here: http://www.aquestrya.ca

New Interview On the Way

2011-05-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I spoke on the phone with Blake Johnston, lead singer/guitarist for the Stogies. They're embarking on a tour around the maritimes & Ontario that kicks off this week. They'll be making a stop at the Seahorse on May 28th and have plans to release their EP this summer. I'll have a track from the EP and the interview this Friday at 9:45pm on Live Underground.

Check out more on their funky rock at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Stogies/23562902727

Alice Stops Time Video of Interview + Song

2011-05-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

A while back I had Alice Stops Time on Live Underground for an in studio interview. They brought some cameras along to film the interview here in the Live Hive. Bonus, they included their song Heaven or Hollywood at the end.

Check out more about AST at http://www.facebook.com/alicestopstime

I was Interviewed?

2011-05-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

Yep, it happened. Bev Keddy over at Bev Boy's Blog interviewed me about... well me and my time in radio thus far. Very cool guy, and loves listening to radio. We talked about where I've been, how I got my start, the people I know, how I like things here in Halifax and a variety of other topics. He also asked me about Cub & Floyd and what I thought of them, that's worth reading for sure! I don't often talk about myself, but apparently when I do I like to talk lots haha. Enjoy the interview! You can read it here: http://tinyurl.com/3wmdkbl

Live Underground Interview - Low Cut Monday

2011-05-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Last night I had Mark Pineo from Low Cut Monday on Live Underground. Here's the interview.

Check out more about Low Cut Monday at http://www.facebook.com/lowcutmonday

Live Underground Interview - 460 Kustom

2011-05-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

I had Dave from 460 Kustom on Live Underground tonight. They're from Truro and like to play hard rock. Here's the interview.

Go to http://www.460kustom.com for more on the band.

Takin' A Trip...

2011-04-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

Not of the narcotic variety, but a little trip down south. Heading down to Varadero, Cuba for some sun, drinks, cigars & time off. It'll be the first real vacation I've ever taken, so let's try to avoid looking like the obvious tourists eager to see everything. Looking to enjoy everything down there though. Some local music, food everything thing they've got going on. Word is that near the resort is a restaurant once owned by Al Capone, gotta go check that out! I'll be gone for a week, but I'll see if I can get a couple pics up here upon my return, just to.... well, why lie, make you jealous lol. Cheers!

-Neil

Live Underground Interview - Slowcoaster

2011-04-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

I had a chat with Steve from Slowcoaster tonight about their ECMA win among a few things. Great guy to chat with, sounded like he was having a time. Here's the full interview.

Find more about Slowcoaster at http://slowcoaster.ca/

ECMA Loud Recording of The Year

2011-04-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

I want to congratulate my friends the Fed Pennies on their ECMA win for Loud Recording Of The Year. I talked with their singer Jake Smith on Live Underground on March 9th. Here's that interview.

Get more info on the Fed Pennies here: http://www.facebook.com/thefedpennies

Live Underground Interview - Alice Stops Time

2011-04-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

I recently had Alice Stops Time on Live Underground for an interview and played their song Heaven or Hollywood. I've known the guys for a while, we're all from the Annapolis Valley & I produced their self titled debut in 2009. Here's the interview:

Get more info on the band at http://www.facebook.com/alicestopstime

Social Netowrking Free... Almost

2011-04-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well I achieved my goal of not using facebook or twitter outside of work for a week. Did a lot in that week, hung out with friends, played music, wrote some songs, cleaned the apartment, actually felt like I had accomplished things. The 2nd week has not gone as well. In the last couple days I've been browsing twitter when I'm bored, which begs the question, "if I'm bored, why don't I do something productive?" Good question. Next time I'm bored I'll set a goal for myself to either learn to play a new song on guitar or write a song. Learning a song may be the easier choice depending on song selection. Let's see how we do from here.

On a serious note, if you're like me and addicted to the technology, take some time out of your life to reconnect with reality by doing whatever you used to do before social networking & cell phones consumed our lives. You might rediscover a passion ;)

Remembering A Friend

2011-04-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

A few months back, my parents had to put down my dog, Sparky. She was almost 15, had problems with vision & hearing among a long list of other things, so she lived her life. However, that didn't take away from the fact that I felt as though I'd lost a member of my family. This past week I decided the best way to remember her would be to have a portrait of her tattooed on my right arm. It's important to remember those that touched your life, I grew up with Sparky from the time we got her when I was 9, she will always be considered a part of my family. So this is how I will always remember her, as my best friend.

Goin' Old School

2011-04-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

I read a story a while back about a lady who decided to make her family cut back on social networking, as well as Internet & cell phone usage. She went quite extreme with it; had no cell phones, Internet or cable for 6 months in her household. Although I'm sure her family were somewhat disconnected from the real world, they picked up other hobbies like a musical instrument, reading novels & other things that grow the mind.

I'm not gonna be that crazy about it, but I am gonna try something similar. I've found social networking has been occupying far too much of my time. Haven't been playing guitar as much as I'd like to, when hanging out with friends I'm always on my phone and it goes on like this. So I'm gonna try and cut back on my social networking. There has to be some obvious exceptions to this, my job involves a lot of interaction on our facebook & twitter accounts. So I plan to use the work accounts & perhaps a little browsing of my own while at work but otherwise I won't be using my own personal accounts. The real test will be on my days off (Monday & Tuesday) to not use them at all.

I will attempt to go at this for as long as possible, for now I'll set a small goal of next Friday. This is all in effort to get back in touch with reality, realizing that FB & the Twitterverse aren't the be all end all and remember life before social networking (what did we do back in those days anyway?). If you're so bold, give this a try as well, who knows how your life could change....

Is There Really A Greatest?

2011-03-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

The other day Musicradar posted the results of their "Greatest Guitar Solo In History" poll. There was certainly some surprises on the list, some people could not believe that Alter Bridge's "Black Bird" made the #1 spot. I'm not going to debate who is the #1 spot because that's just the point to this blog post, can you really define the greatest?

For years different "Rock Mags" have made up lists of Best Rock Vocalist, Greatest Rock Band, Best Guitarist etc. It seems to be an annual thing with some of them, "the best of the past 25 years", but really how is it possible to define the best of anything. I've heard the claims, the praise from critics & fans and even other artists, but to be the "Greatest" is subject to taste. There are days when you might think Kerry King of Slayer is the greatest guitarist, you may have days when you think it's Kirk Hammett of Metallica, or maybe you're not a metal head and your fav happens to be The Edge from U2.

Inevitably, these lists get made. Whether the guilty party is Rolling Stone, Spin, NME or in this case Musicradar; these lists continue to appear and nobody ever agrees with them. You've got the difference of opinion of the indie rocker, metal heads & the old school rock guys. Until every rock fan in the world has voted on a poll and only once (no repeat votes by the cheaters) I will continue to ignore every list of "Greatest of All Time in History for the Past 25 Years That 100 People Voted On This Week." You got your favs, I got mine. Let's leave it at that and rock out together.

For those curious about the Musicradar poll and want to debate it, check it out here.