So the Telestar project is on the back burner (yet again). I think maybe I'm subconsciously afraid of messing up on that one or something. Anyway...
Last week I dropped the hammer on a replacement Strat body in Surf Green from eBay. It's going to be a projet long-terme, as I'm going to gather parts here and there when I have a few bucks. There's no rush. Here's what I'm planning:
Surf Green body (check); mint green pickguard, prewired with Golden Age pickups (from StewMac); one-piece maple neck; standard Strat trem bridge (with tremsetter); maybe some of those Steinberger keyless tuners (if not,seeing as how these don't really fit with the vintage aesthetic, probably locking tuners).
I'm planning this to be my vintage-style, purely rock n' roll guitar. No high-gain tones expected from this one, just surfy, spanky Stratoriffic sounds.
I will post pics of the body when it arrives.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
I've been following Patrick Dion's blog for a little while now, because I think he has a lot to say and tends to say it in interesting ways (duh!). Yesterday's post on the ongoing education reform here in Quebec is particularly poignant, calling out bonehead ministers in Quebec City as well as airhead university students (present company excepted, of course). In any case, I won't retell the whole post; check it out here.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Rock and/or roll
What is rock and roll? As hard to define and open to interpretation as any musical genre, "rock and roll" means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. As a fan of rock music, from rockabilly to classic rock, punk rock to metal and everything in between, I've got a few opinions on the subject myself.
But rap music is definitely not rock and roll. Or is it?
Yesterday, Run DMC (alongside Metallica) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a paradoxical and irreverent institution if ever there was one. Now, I'm not going to slag on rap music; musical tastes are very personal, everyone is allowed to have their own. Des goûts et des couleurs on ne discute point, says an old French proverb. Nor am I here to dismiss Run DMC as musicians, or to discredit their importance in rap history or popular culture.
To me, rock and roll implies rebellion, youthful swagger, and attitude. Rap has this in spades. Rockers are often (though certainly not always) activists in some way, as are some (but not all) rappers. Rock is driving, with a heavy backbeat; it should make you want to move, or at least make your blood course a little faster. What is rap if not a beat?
However, rock and roll to me also suggests loud guitars, big drums, pyrotechnics and stage theatrics, girls flashing breasts on concert screens. Especially guitars. So to me, it's clear that rap is definitely not rock and roll. But do the two genres share certain qualities? Absolutely. Does this mean that rappers belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? To be honest, I had started writing this post with the intention of lamenting Run DMC's induction, but after thinking it over, I'm not so sure of my own indignation.
The Hall of Fame's inductees (and omissions) have more than stirred up a little controversy in the past, and the criteria for induction have always been a little unclear, or at least questionable. What's more important: record sales? talent? influence? Try and figure out why The Stooges still have yet to be given the nod and maybe things will be a little clearer. But if the goal of the Hall of Fame is to celebrate the spirit of rock and roll, then maybe artists like Run DMC should be invited to the party. After all, who likes to party more than rappers and rock and rollers?
But rap music is definitely not rock and roll. Or is it?
Yesterday, Run DMC (alongside Metallica) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a paradoxical and irreverent institution if ever there was one. Now, I'm not going to slag on rap music; musical tastes are very personal, everyone is allowed to have their own. Des goûts et des couleurs on ne discute point, says an old French proverb. Nor am I here to dismiss Run DMC as musicians, or to discredit their importance in rap history or popular culture.
To me, rock and roll implies rebellion, youthful swagger, and attitude. Rap has this in spades. Rockers are often (though certainly not always) activists in some way, as are some (but not all) rappers. Rock is driving, with a heavy backbeat; it should make you want to move, or at least make your blood course a little faster. What is rap if not a beat?
However, rock and roll to me also suggests loud guitars, big drums, pyrotechnics and stage theatrics, girls flashing breasts on concert screens. Especially guitars. So to me, it's clear that rap is definitely not rock and roll. But do the two genres share certain qualities? Absolutely. Does this mean that rappers belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? To be honest, I had started writing this post with the intention of lamenting Run DMC's induction, but after thinking it over, I'm not so sure of my own indignation.
The Hall of Fame's inductees (and omissions) have more than stirred up a little controversy in the past, and the criteria for induction have always been a little unclear, or at least questionable. What's more important: record sales? talent? influence? Try and figure out why The Stooges still have yet to be given the nod and maybe things will be a little clearer. But if the goal of the Hall of Fame is to celebrate the spirit of rock and roll, then maybe artists like Run DMC should be invited to the party. After all, who likes to party more than rappers and rock and rollers?
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Album review: Mastodon, "Crack the Skye"
If Remission was fire, Leviathan water, and Blood Mountain earth, then Crack the Skye is Mastodon’s ether album. Expansive, plodding, and sometimes dreamy, it showcases a different side of this influential Atlanta foursome.
Musically, much of Mastodon’s signature sound remains untouched. Bret Hinds and Bill Kelliher’s endlessly looping riffs abound, drummer Brann Dailor is still content to play 16 notes where 4 would suffice, and the songs themselves are as unstable as ever, shifting gears on a dime (the sudden jazzy breakdown in “The Last Baron” is a particularly jarring example). But there is a newfound sense of melody, dare I say elegance to this record. Vocals are cleaner and more structured, and the impressive lead guitar work manages to be both fiery and melodic.
The majestic “The Czar,” the album’s 11-minute centrepiece, sums up the album beautifully. After the pop psychedelia of part I (“Usurper”), part II (“Escape”) kicks in with a flat-out metal groove. More classic Mastodon riffing follows as the song continues to evolve, morphing and switching moods and feels right up to its denouement.
Lyrically, Crack the Skye covers a different range of emotions than any of Mastodon’s previous efforts. Gone are Leviathan’s crushing, anguished frustrations and Blood Mountain’s survivalist paranoia. Crack the Skye is otherworldly and spacey, a record of oblivion, of the ethereal. “Please take my soul to rest/so we can always be around/it is hard to see/through all the haze at the top of the trees/hold my head on stable ground/watch as the earth falls all around,” sings the final track’s protagonist, adrift somewhere in a realm beyond.
Make no mistake; Mastodon are still a relentlessly heavy American metal band, and Crack the Skye crushes. But their music, in particular the music contained on this album, is smarter than most. It manages to kick you both in the ass and in the brain. Mastodon have making waves since 2001 and the release of the Lifesblood EP, and show no sign of slowing down. Get out of the way.
Musically, much of Mastodon’s signature sound remains untouched. Bret Hinds and Bill Kelliher’s endlessly looping riffs abound, drummer Brann Dailor is still content to play 16 notes where 4 would suffice, and the songs themselves are as unstable as ever, shifting gears on a dime (the sudden jazzy breakdown in “The Last Baron” is a particularly jarring example). But there is a newfound sense of melody, dare I say elegance to this record. Vocals are cleaner and more structured, and the impressive lead guitar work manages to be both fiery and melodic.
The majestic “The Czar,” the album’s 11-minute centrepiece, sums up the album beautifully. After the pop psychedelia of part I (“Usurper”), part II (“Escape”) kicks in with a flat-out metal groove. More classic Mastodon riffing follows as the song continues to evolve, morphing and switching moods and feels right up to its denouement.
Lyrically, Crack the Skye covers a different range of emotions than any of Mastodon’s previous efforts. Gone are Leviathan’s crushing, anguished frustrations and Blood Mountain’s survivalist paranoia. Crack the Skye is otherworldly and spacey, a record of oblivion, of the ethereal. “Please take my soul to rest/so we can always be around/it is hard to see/through all the haze at the top of the trees/hold my head on stable ground/watch as the earth falls all around,” sings the final track’s protagonist, adrift somewhere in a realm beyond.
Make no mistake; Mastodon are still a relentlessly heavy American metal band, and Crack the Skye crushes. But their music, in particular the music contained on this album, is smarter than most. It manages to kick you both in the ass and in the brain. Mastodon have making waves since 2001 and the release of the Lifesblood EP, and show no sign of slowing down. Get out of the way.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Industry standard
Some time ago, I happened to meet a manager of an English-language education network here in Quebec that also translates textbooks. Naturally, I introduced myself, and offered my services, either for work or for an internship. I submitted my resume. Then I waited.
At least two months later, I got a reply. "Are you still interested in working for us?" the lady on the phone asked. Of course I was, or I wouldn't have applied in the first place. "A test," she said. "You must fill out a test."
This test is well over 1000 words long, difficult, and requires fitting images and text boxes into a Word document, which is always a joyful experience. We have been warned on more than one occasion in school about companies using absurdly long "tests" as a way of getting translations for free, and in fact, my test was part of the document the manager had described to me as "our current project."Needless to say, I was somewhat wary.
It seems that the industry standard length is about 250 words, and no more than 500. This, combined with the fact that I am absolutely swamped with school and other translation work (which means I wouldn't have had time to do a good job on the whole document), led me to submit the first page of three, for a total of about 370 words.
Here is the reply:
"I read your message and got your communication. However,I have received more than a dozen completed tests from people who have years of experience and complied with our requirement. It is standard practice in the industry.
I really don't know what will happen with your test -- if that will be considered sufficient to be reviewed. If you read all 3 pages you are aware that there were two different sections required to be translated."
Needless to say, I probably won't get the job. But that's ok; the fact that it took two months for them to get back to me, and the sketchiness of this test make me question just what kind of client this would have been anyway.
At least two months later, I got a reply. "Are you still interested in working for us?" the lady on the phone asked. Of course I was, or I wouldn't have applied in the first place. "A test," she said. "You must fill out a test."
This test is well over 1000 words long, difficult, and requires fitting images and text boxes into a Word document, which is always a joyful experience. We have been warned on more than one occasion in school about companies using absurdly long "tests" as a way of getting translations for free, and in fact, my test was part of the document the manager had described to me as "our current project."Needless to say, I was somewhat wary.
It seems that the industry standard length is about 250 words, and no more than 500. This, combined with the fact that I am absolutely swamped with school and other translation work (which means I wouldn't have had time to do a good job on the whole document), led me to submit the first page of three, for a total of about 370 words.
Here is the reply:
"I read your message and got your communication. However,I have received more than a dozen completed tests from people who have years of experience and complied with our requirement. It is standard practice in the industry.
I really don't know what will happen with your test -- if that will be considered sufficient to be reviewed. If you read all 3 pages you are aware that there were two different sections required to be translated."
Needless to say, I probably won't get the job. But that's ok; the fact that it took two months for them to get back to me, and the sketchiness of this test make me question just what kind of client this would have been anyway.
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