The Dead Weather have started to release technique and instrument-based videos, pulling off this creative idea with real elegance and authority. This first episode features drummer Jack White demonstrating the details of his drum kit within the context of the band’s 2009 debut single, “Hang You From The Heavens.” Jack White designed the kit himself and the incredible team at Ludwig Drums attacked the build with vigor, creating a very unique trap kit. The White-directed video concludes with a live drumming performance of “Hang You From The Heavens,” with an alternate drum beat to highlight the techniques discussed and showcase the band’s inner workings during live performances. The band and Third Man Records will release three more videos, each highlighting the member’s specific instruments and a different song from the band’s career, including tracks from their forthcoming album Dodge and Burn.
Here’s the second of four technique and instrument-based videos. In this second episode, bass deconstructionist, Jack Lawrence, reveals the secrets of how he achieves his distinct bottom end sound for The Dead Weather. Lawrence demonstrates some of his most head nodding bass lines and leaves no question that without the bass, there would be no Dead Weather. The video concludes with an incendiary live performance of “Mile Markers” from the new album Dodge And Burn. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for the remaining two videos of the series from The Dead Weather and Third Man Records.
“They call me “Jilly from Philly.” So much of who I am is because of the music of Philadelphia. My mother introduced me to a great radio station WDAS-FM and they played all kinds of powerful, retro music. She took me to Ortlieb’s, which is a jazz spot in Philly and I wasn’t supposed to be there, but she put me behind a chair and kinda hid me. I watched great musicians be great musicians. I saw Patti LaBelle, I saw Teddy Pendergrass, Gladys Knight & The Pips, so many live performances.
Philly is definitely a place to enhance the live performance, and Philadelphian audiences: they are tough. They are tough. If they don’t like it, they’ll let you know, and it’s more than a boo. You might have to duck in Philly.”
A car isn’t simply a mass of metal. It isn’t simply an option to get you to point A to B. There’s a growing consensus that traffic is beginning to get unbearable in the major cities across Canada, so if you spend a lot of time in your car, you should be able to some fun in it. Creating an emotional bond between a driver and their car is the ultimate goal of Mazda’s “Soul of Motion” design. Conventional wisdom has it that cars built for safety are unrewarding to drive. Having just tested various brand new Mazda cars in their Soul Of Motion event, it’s no wonder Mazda cars are astounding to drive. They’re back for another shot at the greatest cars of the year, and they’re favourite of mine.
Mazda’s design is taken from the muscular beauty you see when an animal pounces, or when a human leaps into action. Everywhere you look on the Mazda lot, this dynamic poise is enhanced by elegant detail. The five-point grille, defining body lines and powerful stance all show their design philosophy in action.
The ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’ design direction has shaped the dynamic style and premium presence of all-new Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-5, CX-9 and their first small SUV, Mazda CX-3. Their 2016 designs aims to breathe life and art into vehicle design, transferring the heart and soul of the artist into the machine. Yet these automobiles are more than a driving experience.
The 2016 Mazda6 GX has a SKYACTIV-G 2.5L DOHC 4-cylinder Engine, gets 8.8/6.1L (CTY/HWY), and comes with an optional Sport Automatic Transmission. Because you can’t use your handheld phone anymore, it’s perfect timing for their Bluetooth hands-free phone capability. my fave, the Mazda6 won the Canadian Car of the Year Award chosen by The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada.The car with the awards to beat has now gotten even better.
“There’s more to creating a car with soul than simply sculpting its physical form,” explains the automaker’s website. “Mazda imbues its cars with soul through its quest to capture the dynamic beauty of life beyond the confines of conventional design.” Driving these cars are like putting on your favorite pair of slippers after a long walk.
The first production vehicle to incorporate the redesign was the 2010 CX-5. At Mazda, they simply cannot help but do things differently, and yet, still keep their vehicles highly personal. More than a few of the driving instructors today are race car drivers, technicians and trainers for the dealers – and you get the sense they love working for the company. When you have people working for your company who love what they do, they create extraordinary, powerful and compelling vehicles staying true to the origins of Mazda. Their designers studied everything from the movement in animals in their natural habitat to the energetic moment an archer releases an arrow to create the tense, muscular yet flowing lines in the Mazda6, Mazda3 and CX-5. Because they firmly believe that looking in unexpected places leads to truly unconventional design. These cars are some of the most powerful, dynamic and explosive cars in automobile history. And it’s a testament to their designers personalities that genuinely touch their buyer’s concerns, and pulls it off time and time again.
As a guy who loves gadgets and technologies, the Mazda6 contains CONNECT, giving me access to internet radio, my social network, navigation and more through a 7″ colour touchscreen with voice command or steering-mounted controls. The i-ELOOP Regenerative Braking saves on fuel and dedicate 100% of power to the engine by powering electrical systems when I brake. By making seat perforations moderately large and the distances between them small, their engineers created leather-trimmed upholstery that absorbs road noise for an enhanced audio listening environment. And more music heard is always a good thing. Cutting-edge technology, head-turning design and outstanding fuel economy prove that more than ever before, passion and performance are in MAZDA3’s blood. The car is a true testament to obsessive engineering and exhilarating driving.
With its spacious, functional interior, impressive fuel economy and top safety scores, the 2016 Mazda CX-5 is a top pick among small crossovers. The CX-5’s fun-to-drive demeanor is just a welcome bonus. It’s soft, vivid, and deeply, seductively clever.
Next up for the drive was the 2016 CX-3. Designed for those who think functionality is a must, yet long for something a little more, the CX-3 is adaptable and comfortable, with enough personality to deliver the excitement I’ve truly longed for in an automobile. Idealized and celebrated, the CX-3 will be frequently mentioned in the next batch of car guides for their excellence in spirit of inspiration and confidence. Starting off with a keyless entry and 6-way adjustable seats (perfect for a small guy like me), I was ready to go. I simply fire up the engine with the push of a button. Wow. Driving straight up the lane felt like a bullet while being in the clouds. Their superior fuel economy, low emissions and outstanding performance remains high when compared to the other car companies. With engineering that seamlessly co-ordinates how each part works together, thrifty fuel economy and nimble road manners unite under one very beautiful hood.
These aren’t just cars. These are machines with a heart, a life force, a profound batch of safety and technologies melding into a vital way to get from point A to point B, and have fun, even if you’re sitting in that traffic. Mazda ranks among the very best of automobile companies, and this Soul Of Motion event happening across Canada just proves it.
Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own with information of technical stuff provided by Mazda.
By the end of the summer of 1968, Janis Joplin had decided to sever ties with her band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, in favor of going solo. Perhaps the most important singer of her generation, she had become a full-fledged rock and roll phenomenon and a beacon of counter-cultural style. It was only fitting then that the Queen of Rock would have an automobile that did some justice to her title: a 1965 Porsche 356C 1600 Cabriolet. You can now take a shot at owning the car for, oh, at least half a million, as the car is up for auction at Sothebys.
PHOTOGRAPH BY YORAM KAHANA
In many serious car-collecting circles, a custom paint job on such a vehicle would be considered sacrilege. But then, this was Janis Joplin’s car. She engaged her friend and Big Brother and the Holding Company roadie Dave Richards to customise it with a kaleidoscopic mural. Richards described the paint job as representing the history of the universe. And Joplin was regularly seen cruising the streets of San Francisco behind the wheel.
“Janis drove everywhere, all around San Francisco and down to Los Angeles when she was recording there,” recalled Joplin’s sister and biographer Laura Joplin. “Wherever Janis went in the car, her fans recognised it. When she parked it and returned, there was always at least one note under the wipers.”
Following Joplin’s untimely death in 1970, her manager, music legend Albert Grossman drove the psychedelic Porsche for several years. In the early 1990s, the car was meticulously restored to its 1960s lustre and in 1995 it went on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. This December, the legendary car will be on view at Sotheby’s New York headquarters along with other classic automobiles from RM Sotheby’s Driven by Disruption sale.
Blue Rodeo is officially announcing the Friday, October 16, 2015 release of their new album Live At Massey Hall. The 14-track collection was culled recorded during the band’s sold-out two-night stand at Toronto’s venerable concert hall during their 2014 In Our Nature Tour across Canada. Live At Massey Hall will be available digitally as well as on CD and Double LP heavyweight vinyl.
Fans who pre-order Live At Massey Hall via iTunes or the band’s Official Online Store will get “Rose Colored Glasses” as the first of four instant-grat tracks. Over the course of the past month, Blue Rodeo fans have been voting for the remaining three remaining instant-grat songs. Those selections will be revealed each Friday leading up to the October 16 release date. Blue Rodeo is also offering a pre-release gift to fans with a free download of the Live Massey At Hall non-album track “Mattawa” available at www.bluerodeo.com.
In 2014 Blue Rodeo hit the road and showcased their newly expanded 7-piece line up with a lengthy cross-Canada tour that featured two sets and almost three hours of music. Fans and critics were astounded by the muscle and might the band continues to possess 26 years after the release of their debut, Outskirts in 1989. The group played to full houses and standing ovations over 40 dates. On February 19 and 20, 2014, the band came home to play at Toronto’s historic Massey Hall. Live At Massey Hall, recorded on February 20, captures the magic of that tour.
In addition to the release of Live At Massey Hall, Blue Rodeo will also make available vinyl releases of the classic albums Casino (released October 30), Lost Together (released November 13) and Five Days In July (released November 27). This is the first time Five Days In July has ever been available on vinyl and the first wide-release of Lost Together on vinyl. Both will be issued as double LP sets pressed on heavyweight vinyl. Casino will be a single disc pressed on 180 gram vinyl. Additionally, fans can head exclusively to the band’s Official Online Store to pre-order a limited edition vinyl carrying case with all four vinyl albums (Live At Massey Hall, Casino, Lost Together and Five Days in July) included. Individual vinyl titles are available to pre-order now from amazon.ca and the band’s Official Online Store.
Live At Massey Hall tracklisting:
“Head Over Heels”
“Rose Coloured Glasses”
“Bad Timing”
“Disappear”
“New Morning Sun”
“Tara’s Blues”
“Tell Me Again”
“When The Truth Comes Out”
“Diamond Mine”
“Girl Of Mine”
“After The Rain”
“Paradise”
“5 Days In May”
“Lost Together”
John Hughes’ 1986 comedy film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is retold by Cinefix via old-school 8-bit (and a little 16-bit) game tech. No quarters or controllers required!
Second Toughest In The Infants by Underworld is still heard in my house and car a few times a month. Controlled noise, fashing lights, great grooves and silky beats, it’s a beautiful listen.
The album, originally released in March 1996, has been remastered for the first time for a series of special editions that collect together for the first time rare singles, B-sides, remixes and unreleased studio and live tracks to be released on 20th November 2015.
In the year of Second Toughest…’s release, Underworld also reissued 1995’s Born Slippy (Nuxx) on the back of the massively successful film adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting, That single sold over a million copies in the UK, spent 41 weeks on the charts and would go on to be voted Single of the Year in the NME and Melody Maker. The fourth disc on the super deluxe features the seven unreleased recordings that map out the genesis of Born Slippy (Nuxx). They take the iconic track from earliest embryonic studio version through to a final extended mix via several previously unheard live versions from 1994.
As with dubnobasswithmyheadman, the reissue of Second Toughest In The Infants sees the original album remastered for the first time (at Abbey Road). The four disc super deluxe versions features non-album singles, B-sides, remixes, unreleased tracks and seven unreleased recordings that map out the genesis of Born Slippy (Nuxx).
