Ziggy Stardust. Steven Malkmus. Same shit, different bag.

I’m really only timely if I’m forced to be. So, a few weeks ago, I wrote a feature about Diamond Rings (or, John O’Regan from the D’Urbervilles) from The Coast. It was a two-hour interview, but it certainly didn’t feel that way: he’s probably one of the most interesting, articulate music interviews I’ve had in a while.

And eye-catching Youtube videos aside, he’s someone who literally demands your attention. I mean, the interview was done weeks ago; I’m still listening to his songs on repeat. I’m going to take a moment to editorialize heavily (yo, J-school is pissed), but real talk: there’s something insanely catchy and fresh about his songs, of which he’s only released two. I won’t attempt reviewer-ese here; but hey, go to.

Also, there are some lovely plans for NXNE this year. More later.

“I’ve got coffee and smokes / I’ve got Blue Rodeo.”

Which, I’d argue, are three life-essentials (that you can’t find under a generic product name at a drug store). And if we’re to believe their lyrics, The Gentlemen Husbands, who I got a chance to talk to last week with The Coast, agree.

Go ahead. Read it. And here’s a few more bumps to some stuff I’ve previously done, under a heading I’ll title…

Selected Readings

“Rollins Along,” written for The Coast. Would Henry Rollins rather fuck, marry or kill Sarah Palin? Really. I asked him that question.

“Shout Out for Hollerado,” written for The Coast. Hollerado went to China to eat a bunch of dicks. And, in overused magazine-speak, so can you.

Ascot, the almighty

Here’s proof that I know how to use InDesign (poorly). Over the last few weeks, we’ve put together a prototype men’s magazine called Ascot. Get the .PDF here, thanks to Jared Hochman.

Check the feature Q&A with Damian Abraham. He’s the modern-day Voltaire. No, really.

“Zooey, would you please stop ruining our albums?”

Out of the the frying pan, into another cliched blog-lede.

This week, I’ve got two pieces in The Coast: a short feature about PEI indie-folk act Boxer the Horse and a review of Free Energy’s Stuck on Nothing. If you’re at all remotely interested in fun, go and download that. Or buy it. But Record Store Day is so, y’know, last week.

That, and I’ve also got an article in this month’s Masthead-shattering issue of Sharp. It’s called… wait for it… “Gamechangers.” Yep, it’s five bands going places in 2010. Because really, you should trust my tastes in music. Really.

Hello world!

… Which is just about the most generic post title I can enter. Isn’t that the default title for those Blogspot blogs? “Hello, world. It’s time to get started with Blogspot!”

Either way, it seems like a lot of my, ahem, colleagues from The University of King’s College are setting up personal blogs. And, as usual, I’m a step or two behind.

So, two words:

“Hello, world!”