Bohemian Like You

This Thursday night, I will be one of the DJs (and I use that term loosely) participating in "Just Bohemian Rhapsody", a clever little fundraiser for the AIDS Committee of Toronto. You can read all about it here. It's at my favourite Boat and I will be there early (but won't be staying too late - it's a school night, after all). Please come out, have a beer and support a really good cause.

Speaking of good causes, the Kingston station where I started (and probably ended) my radio career is holding the first-ever funding drive in its history. CFRC plays lots of good music and gives schmucks like me a chance to hone their radio voices and learn about broadcasting. So please donate if you have some spare change weighing down your pockets.

I've decided to take a break from The Bee's Knees for a while. I don't know for how long a while. I'd like to channel all of my energy, time and creativity into different kinds of writing. I need to re-evaluate my priorities. And honestly, I think I just need some privacy.

Don't be sad, kiddo. There's always the archives.

(Now playing: "Trying To Be Clever", Airliner)

Pops & Company

While we were watching a CBC documentary on the Canadian music scene in the 1960s, my dad casually mentioned that he was friends with guitar god Domenic Troiano and sat next to Roy Kenner in the eleventh grade.

WHAT?!

(Now playing: "Queue", Sean Lennon)

La Musique Et La Danse

Here are some photos from last night. I am a pretty terrible photographer and have to save some of the better shots for a Sooper Secret Project (TM), so I'm afraid these are just the leftovers. They're still fun, though.


This is your brain.


This is your brain on Zoi Zoi.


Ma héroïne!


Me and Ben. I have no idea who the guy attached to my shoulder is.


French pop = religious experience? Yes.


This is the rad beer wench who I befriended at Neutral.


Ian's face is no match for Hickey's wristwatch!


There is a very fine line between "blissed-out sex kitten" and "maniacal axe murderer". I have crossed it.

(Now playing: "Cheese", Nicole Paquin)

Oh Me Oh My

This survey is a teensy bit lame, but Susan asked so nice. I have a lot of trouble saying no to cute girls. (Almost as much trouble as I have saying no to cute boys.)

Four jobs I've had:

* Ice cream scooper
* Camp counsellor
* Used bookstore employee
* DJ-in-residence at the beautiful wonderful urine-soaked Toucan

Four movies I can watch over and over:

* Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
* The Three Amigos
* Dead Poets Society
* I fucking love The Ten Commandments and watch it every Easter

Four places I have lived:

* Toronto, ON
* Kingston, ON
* Montreal, PQ
* That about covers it. I'd like to live in NYC or Europe for a bit.

Four TV shows I love to watch:

* Arrested Development (R.I.P.)
* Degrassi: The Next Generation
* Desperate Housewives is awesome
* THE PRISONER!!!

Four places I have been on vacation:

* Vancouver, BC
* Charlottetown, PEI
* New York City, NY
* Veradero, Cuba

Four websites I visit daily:

* CNN.com
* Gmail
* Torontoist
* Myspace. I'm sorry.

Four of my favourite foods:

* scallops are the most delicious
* stirfry with lots of snowpeas and bean sprouts
* greasy spoon breakfasts
* baked potato with butter

Four places I would rather be right now:

* London
* Paris
* The 1960s
* London or Paris or Toronto in the 1960s

Four bloggers I am tagging:

* John
* Lukas
* Indra
* Liz

(Now playing: "Keep Close", South)

Mandatory Election Results Post

Brother-from-another-mother Lukas summarized my feelings on the vote perfectly and succinctly:

"We're quite glad that the Tories have been given an extraordinarily short lead. We're quite glad that there's a chance for some stability. It would seem that the Tories will need to keep a centrist tack to survive. But just in case, we'll be spending the evening smoking weed, marrying other men and having abortions."

Also, if you can't laugh in the face of fear...

(Now playing: "You Drive Me Nervous", The Chesterfield Kings)

Lovesick Bruise*

I fell on the ice on Tuesday and landed lower-back-first on a particularly unforgiving cement curb. This is what the bruise looks like five days later. (If you think that's gross, you should have seen it on day one.)

I bruise so easily.

At Bloor station yesterday, I run into Alison Lang. It's always a little weird seeing people out of context (with Lang, the context is Kingston). Not three minutes later, Chantal Langlois (another old Kingston acquaintance) emerges from the train and my brain explodes. Chantal dated a good friend of mine and she was also featured on the Ultraviolet 2002 CD I produced while at Queen's. She reminds me that it was the self-same CD that featured Bedouin Soundclash and we express our disbelief/happiness at their recent success. It was a brief and awkward meeting but she is lovely and we've since emailed.

At home, I dig out the Ultraviolet CD and listen to Chantal's offering on the comp. She has such a pretty voice.

While listening, I learn via Meghan that Reno's Hitmen (a Kingston surf band featured on the very same Ultraviolet compilation) have re-formed. I look at their photos and feel like I am an innocent 20-year-old again. The boys are older and seemingly wiser. Thankfully, I am too.

Bruises never disappear completely. They just sort of fade away.

(Now playing: "Come And Go", Chantal Langlois)

*The name of an old Kingston band.

And Everyone's A Critic

Be sure to pick up this week's issue of Eye as it contains the 15th Annual Music Critics Poll. There's a teensy-weensy blurb in there in which I gush about our beloved Sufjan. His voice was the soundtrack of my 2005.

If you don't live in Toronto (or are just too lazy to go outside and find a yellow Eye box), click here to read all of the critics' comments.

(Now playing: "Little Sally Tease", The Whammies)

Everyone's A Winner

Today marks the release date of "Planets Conspire", the much-anticipated third release from The Meligrove Band. I've had the disc in my possession for a couple of months now and I assure you that it is a grower of the highest order. Pick it up.

But it's not as if these guys need my help in the buzz department. Their CD release party at the Mod Club this past weekend (which I regrettably had to miss due to illness) sold out.

Okay, let me say that again in case you missed it the first time: The Meligrove Band sold out the Mod Club!! The gigantic venue was packed to capacity and they apparently had to turn droves of people away at the door. Not even Teenage Fanclub did that.

Something is happening. Something big. And if anyone deserves it, it's these guys. The Meligrove Band are not a flavour of the month. They have talent and passion and drive. Plus, they're seriously funny fuckers and are easily the nicest bunch of boys you could ever hope to meet.

Way back in 2001, I invited The Meligroves to play GW-Palooza (a show I booked, which was backed financially by Golden Words, the campus humour newspaper I wrote for at the time.) I was pretty naive when it came to booking shows and initially offered them several hundred dollars more than we could have actually afforded. Mike Small wouldn't even hear of it. The band drove all the way to Kingston, put on a damn fine show at Clark Hall Pub, and only accepted gas money and a pitcher or two of beer.

I still love them for that.

The phrase "Nice guys finish last" does not apply here.

In other music and Mod Club-related news, Metric shot a video for "Poster of a Girl" yesterday. According to the band's website, they were looking for extras who "have the fresh style and look of Paris in the 1960s". I would have liked to have thrown my beret and cigarette holder into the ring, but alas. Work gets in the way of everything fun and monochromatic.



(Now playing: "Ages And Stages", The Meligrove Band)

Shake Some Action

What are your priorities?





Whichever candidate you choose, make sure it's an informed decision.

(I never want to feel like this again. I hope I never do.)

(Now playing: "Wake Up", Boy)

Death At One's Elbow

Whenever I get sick, I become a melodramatic whiny sucky baby.

Ready? Steady? Go!

• This suuuuucks! Why can't I swallow?
• Please bring me some juice. Someone? Anyone?
  
• I hate...things!
• Juice?
  
• How is it possible to be hot AND cold and the same time?
  
• If I die from this, please cremate me and spread my ashes on the lake by that pretty white gazebo in Kingston, ON.
• If you could be playing Love's "You Set The Scene" while doing so, that would be keen.
• Juice! Now!
• Come and find me, Sweet Death! Rescue me from sore throat and coughing and sniffles and ear crackles and muscle owies!
• Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

(Now playing: coughing)

Let's Call a Spade a Spade

My fitness resolution is off to a good start!

This morning. 6AM.

Alarm clock: Meep. Meep. Meep. Meep. Meep.

Me: Mmnnnfffflluuhhgahhhbaah! Snoooooooze buttonnnn!

Oddly familiar nasal voice: Don't touch that dial, fatty!

Me: Hey!

Oddly familiar nasal voice: Hey? Don't you mean "oink"?

Me: ...David Spade?

My Inner David Spade: You were expecting Farley? Let's go.

Me: I'm tiiiiiired!

My Inner David Spade: Now I know you want to lie there and keep being not slim, but we gotta work out a little today.

Me: But it's dark out and so collllld!

My Inner David Spade: Wah wah wah. Do you want some cheese to go with that whine?

Me: Mmm...cheese.

My Inner David Spade: Ugh, I can actually HEAR you getting fatter.

Me: Please go away.

My Inner David Spade: Up! Up! Hop to it, Crisco-for-thighs!

Me: I hate you, Inner David Spade!

I wonder if the real David Spade is available to bark motivational insults at me from the foot of my bed. Maybe I'll get in touch with his agent...


My personal health and fitness guru

(Now playing: Rocky and Dee on CIUT)

I Am Resolute

There's a much better likelihood of me keeping my resolutions for 2006 if I announce them publicly. That way, you guys can get on my ass about them if I get all lazy.

• Write more. Freelance music criticism, feature stories, fiction, poetry, plays, whatever. Pitch the hell out of anything and everything to anyone who will listen. Oh, and actually submit my invoices when I do get something published. I'm pretty shit at that.
  

• Keep in touch with those who deserve it. Quit trying to stay in touch with those who don't.

• Wake up at 6AM every morning and have myself a 25 minute workout. (I hear you snickering, but it's got to happen. My tummy is extra noticeable now that I have significantly less boobage. I needs must beat it into submission.)
  

• Leave North America for the first time in my life. Europe calls. England + France + Italy = a broke but happy Sofi.
  

• More making out! (Lucky for me, someone lovely seems more than willing to help me out with that, so I think this resolution will be an easy one to keep.)

• Move! Out! Of! Scarborough! The time is nigh. September is my self-imposed deadline.

• Stop ditching out on fun things like tonight's Wavelength because it takes too long to get downtown and 2 hours in a bar with rad music is not always worth the 2 collective hours of commuting. (This will change once I fulfill the preceeding resolution.)

• Get my shit together and play in a rock 'n' roll band.

So that's them. They're ambitious and a wee bit daunting, but not impossible. We'll see how it goes.

(Now playing: "She's Going Down", Nazz)

Auld Lang Syne

New Year's Eve is always a story best told in photographs:


My new year's resolution is to wear synthetic flowers in my hair AT ALL TIMES.


You think you're wild? This girl is Wilder.


We hung out in Parkdale at night and lived to tell the tale!


Lindsay and I, seconds before my collarbone leapt from my body to start a life of its own. (I really miss it.)


The ceiling of the Cameron House. 3AM.


Brunch at Sneaky Dee's the next morning with a lovely group of people. Not pictured: myself (as I was headed back to Scarborough by this time), Optimusister Kate and Kingstonite Meghan.

If NYE was any indication, 2006 will be full of kisses, back massages, glitter, schnapps, laughter, mild electrical shocks, noisemakers and scrambled eggs.

I sure hope so.

(Now playing: "Handle With Care", Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins)

P.S. Today is my two year blogaversary! Flowers, candy, pints of beer and rounds of applause are accepted/encouraged.