I <3 NYC

Happy Day of Birth to Me!!!

Thanks for having me mom. I have always thought these days should be more about the lady that carried us for 9 Months. Or maybe about the TWO of us instead. Love you, you are my breath of air, motivation and best friend.

Dad, you are my strength and creative side. And clearly where I get my sense of humor, considered sick at times, from. You make me the over ambitious girl I am.

Eric. I love you so much and just want the best for you. You are the kid I wish I could have been in highschool and even now. Keep doing what you are doing, you WILL be happy.

These are the people that make me me.

An Extra Large sized two weeks

In two weeks I have managed to see two shows, works two times as much as I should be, write two midterms and drink every two days.

Two loads of laundry have been done, seven left to go. Relationships lost-1. Relationships found-2. 22 birthday to be had - 1. Days till Christie gets here-2.

One heck of a two weeks indeed. Time till life settles down back to its normal chaos:probably another two weeks. Its a damn good thing I haven't wanted to go home to Toronto cause god knows I wouldn't have time. And thank god for wonderful friends and fam jams from TO that have kept me going, even though they are so far away. Those relationships are the ones that I love the most; because I only seem to realize how valuable they are when I am so far away. But it does give me something amazing to look forward to.

Also. Thoughts on Halloween costumes...




Maybe I can get wicked yello pants from American Apparel. White boots tbd. but at least I am starting to think about it...

questioning what it is all worth at the "end of the day"

so its not the end of the day. who is questioning what it is all worth? probably me and every other confused uni student that thought something that was long distance was the way to go. who really thought love would prevail? I did. Clearly I was mislead. So much for Romeo and juliet and everything that came with it.

Things are missing. This year should be ultimate and epic. All in one. I am done with most of it and questioning all of it. Hemingway here I come. Welcome to the glass half full.

Love,

Lindsay Woo

Knitting and Punk Rock

As the hip observer may have noticed, knitting is making a comeback. It seems to be everywhere. The knitting books are on sale in HMV by the cash, the magazines are jumping out left right and centre from the racks. And the knit-wear is clearly coming into season with the chilly weather approaching.

Now I'm not sure how into the idea of knitting stuff to wear myself all the time, but as I continue my journey of quitting smoking, I find the knitting quite soothing during long movies and other things where I otherwise would have smoked. It really is a soothing activity.

As I was knitting at a CJLO staff meeting this past week, Omar the punk-rock music director/coolest dude I know proceeded to tell me a story, complete with knitting anecdote that ALSO relates to music.

The band Thrice also seems to find knitting soothing because apparently they all knit as well. And while driving on tour, their straight edge member was behind the wheel of the tour van and was pulled over for suspicion of DUI. It was late and imagine the surprise of the police officer when they pulled over the van and found three of the four members knitting.

What kind of a rock and roll band is that?

The kind I want to interview, I will tell you that. I have never been the biggest fan of Thrice. Their first album, Identity Crisis (2001) was mediocre at BEST in my humble opinion.

But I will tell you now, I have a new found respect for this band and assure you that if I ever get to interview the band on behalf of the Concordian, I will be sure to give you an uncovered, truth revealing story on why the band Thrice chooses to knit on tour.

Lazy Days and Long Weekends

So far summer in Montreal has been slightly out of the ordinary in more than one way. It has brought weather that is highly out of the ordinary. It barely feels like summer here. Unless i am so hot that I feel like my butt cheeks are stuck together forever when I wake up and I have to peel them apart, its not really summer.

Lots of fabulous mini trips to the market and mountain have happened and I am happy to say I am feeling more relaxed and laid back than I have in months. The last few have been more excruciating than I let on, mentally and physically.

Now, school is over, I have a job waitressing where I really don't have to think much and I can focus on my writing and pictoor taking ad nausium. Part of me knows that I should get my ass in gear and get published more but the other part of me is having fun enjoying these last few lazy, care free summer days spent reading, walking and enjoying the time spent kicking back and relaxing.

Omar, my boy from CJLO sent me this wicked link to some old Fugazi sessions that took place in 98'/ i had a weird time trying to upload them so you are going to have to check the link .


That is what summer is about. Finding good finds on the net and letting the others know about it. If the weather were sweltering I would have some different opinions but somehow it is not the case. This will have to do for now.

Pictures of you

Death Cab Review (for you!)

You know when you FINALLY get the chance to see a band you just keep missing? A band that either gets injured when they are supposed to tour to Montreal or you take a shift for a friend at work and you realize that it’s the same night as the show you said you would buy scalper tickets too because you didn’t have to work?

Death Cab for Cutie is that band for me. Finally, finally, finally were we able to get in the same place at the same time. We met over when Soul meets Body in Quai Jeanne Meance. There weren’t as many people there for the show as I expected but the weather has been pretty questionable in the last few weeks.

It was grey outside, but cool, as though the forces of Ben Gibbard were fighting off the rain. I missed the opening act, though I have never listened them so it would have been my first impression anyhow.

It was love at first sight. When a band sounds AS good live as they do on CD, if not better, it is one of the best things for me. Death Cab are just that. They sounded great, but my only complaint is that they really didn’t play for very long.

They played a great mix of songs, new and old. A little acoustic, not too much banter. But it didn’t feel personal. It felt like a band that had never ever played here before. Which is hardly the case with Death Cab. So this impersonal feeling that I had seemed slightly unjustified.

I didn’t feel like they were playing for ME. I didn’t feel like I was lost in the sound. I mean, I did by the end because I had a few beers, but the boys in Death Cab didn’t evoke that emotion in me from their music.

All in all, it sounded good and I can’t say I’m disappointed, but more that I had much higher expectations. A few more songs would have helped but otherwise, it was worth the metro trip down to the pier.

*Actually, if you like emo kids in glasses, AA shirts and REALLY tight pants, it would have been worth it for you. Holy, was there another dress code I didn’t know about?


-Lindsay Wood

Summer School art fun

This is a sculpture about relationships and friends that I made with some girls in summer school. It has a disconnected phone, a broken CD and some magazines in it.

This is FUCKED!!!

A MAN almost died when he stopped for a roadside toilet break and was bitten by a deadly snake - on the end of his manhood.

The poisonous brown snake darted between his legs and dived at his penis as he crouched on the roadside near Cairns, Australia, before fleeing.

Emergency workers rushed to the scene and wrapped the man's member in plastic in case it was infected with poison.

Shock

But the tourist - suffering from a wound, vomiting and stomach pain - was given the all clear after tests.

An ambulance spokesman, who described the victim as "lucky," said: "It certainly had a swipe at him.

"But it didn’t envenomate him. As it came through it must have got a bit of a shock.

"I think he was a bit shocked and embarrassed




You bet your ass he was. That blows. Not as embarassing as tucking your skirt into your underwear at the bar you work at, then walking across the dance floor so that EVERYONE gets a great look (the underwear were hello kitty.) but almost as bad. poor sucker.

Talkin Big

Yesterday a friend told me that I talk big. I'm still trying to figure out what that means.

When I think about the meaning of "talks big" I think two things. One being that people that talk big are almost shit talkers. They talk bigger than what they are. They hype stuff up that they think will make them sound cooler then what they probably are.

This type of person also talks way too much and tends to be a "yes" person in my head. The female half of this type I generally dislike. They male half pisses me off pretty soon after.

Obviously this type is not one I am fond of, so this comparison/description of me kind of irked me. And it definitely sat on my mind for awhile.

The other thing that comes to mind is maybe someone that talks alot. Talks loud, perhaps like a stereo-typical italian man. Maybe someone that has a lot of hand gestures when they speak.


Now I am just left unsettled, because although there are probably many other ways this could be interpreted but all of my translations are of the negative type. Its weird, I am well aware that I talk alot when I am nervous.

And also that after a few drinks, I tend to say things that use language that may not be exactly the type (words) I am looking for. Which often leads to miscommunications.

Not necessarily lies but I don't think I am as clear as I could be. But duh, I have also had a few drinks.

But I was sober. And to be called someone that talks big? I'm just not sure I am ok with that. Maybe I will come up with a new hang-up in the next few days so I can talk big about something else.

May 2-4

Today was another interesting day that held yet another conversation revolving around which city is supeior: Toronto or Montreal.

This debate is one I have yet to find an answer to. Yes, I have -416- tattooed on my lip, which anyone would view as concrete dedication to the city I grew up in.

Yet, when I open my closet hockey jerseys and assorted Montreal paraphernalia pop out. Which, ok, I get, is pretty superficial but I can honestly say I don't own one article of clothing that has TO repping on it.

The biggest thing that comes to mind is the fact that I left a guy I loved behind in TO to live in Montreal, a city that I claimed I fell in love with.

Montreal is a place that I call home. There is no doubt in my mind about that. There hasn't been since I made the move and set up shop here. But as Uni comes to an end, I find myself thinking more and more, "Where am I going to end up?"

This weekend, it is TO. I can't quite figure out why Montrealers don't celebrate May 2-4. They find any other excuse to drink, why not take advantage of this one too? Disappointment ran through my body May 2006 when I first realized that it was not going to happen that year.

So, while I may not have quite figured out whether I will choose MTL or TO I know that this weekend I will be pretty content having a beer with my bros from the hood.

Lions loose in Ottawa!!!

OMG!!! Boomer the lion is loose in Ottawa/Quebec! Someone thought it would make a good house pet. I didn't know lions could be domesticated. The dude thought it would be a good idea to walk Boomer on a leash on the side of the road when he got loose. Bummer. Now the little kiddies have to play inside. And we thought pedophiles were a problem in the big city. At least we don't have to worry about mother fucking lions.

T-Painful

I wish some one had of bought me a ‘drank’ or a bottle before I sat through this show. Many people warned me about going to it. They said, “Lindsay, it will be T-Pain singing along over his own voice,” or “He won’t sing very well because of his voice being so digitalized.”

Well guys, you were sooooo right. First, I got to the show and realized someone forgot to memo me about the dress code. Apparently jeans and kicks are out and dresses (long shirts) and hooker boots were in.

I never thought a concert could look so much like the inside of a club. Then again, I never thought three men on stage with a DJ could put me to sleep. It wasn’t even that they were bad but they were not entertaining.

T-Pain and Family consisted of him and his unknown boys running around the stage in matching tees and jeans. T-Pain looks like he ate one too many buckets of fried chicken. His boys fully showed him up dancing.

It wouldn’t be fair to comment on the singing quality of the show because singing was clearly not something that happened. The boys ran around the stage shouting nonsense that was more than exhausting to try and follow.

I went and sat down and tried to come up with some kind of criticism of the show. Then, my ears started bleeding from the gibberish that was being stuttered into the mics.

The MOST “music” I heard at this circus of a show was T-Pain singing the chorus off of songs on his first two albums. Which are decent albums, but not his most popular work.
After about an hour and half of the ridiculous crap on stage, I couldn’t keep myself from yawning anymore. I had to call it a night.

For those of you that were brave enough to stay for the show, I hope T-Pain got around to shutting the f*@K up and doing what he is there to do. Sing on a mic and have a machine make it sound way better than he probably really does.

By Lindsay Wood

in Toronto

Home for a bit of a visit. I haven't told too many peeps that I am here because I have one thought in mind and it's getting my mum off to Europe without worrying that Eric and I will burn the house down while she is gone.

We won't, I swear.

Then its back to MTL for summer school, which I am stoked about. I feel like the big things are over and now I can kinda settle down and do wicked summer ish. I have to get a job. #1! I have until April 23 to get that done.

The J school party went well I think. Mad peeps showed, dinner involved little hamburger-a-go-go's and mini tacos that made me think if something dirty.




Also. Listening to: Kate Perry. Kinda bluesy. Pretty decent. I like the line "your so sad, maybe you should buy a happy meal."

Slushies and Summer

Today I heard melting outside my window when I woke up. Stumbling into the kitchen, I turned on the kettle, tripped back into my room and opened the window to get the weather report (read=stuck my head outside). It was all sunny and the snow was melting. Leaving the window wide open, I crawled back under the covers, and let the cool breeze blow and the sun shine on my face while I sucked in the rays, waiting for the kettle to boil.

After making my tea I hopped into the shower, then back into bed once again. Georgia Nicholson and Angus the cat are becoming characters that have crept into my subconscious and I can't get them out; or can I get enough of their crazy stories.

It was a good way to start the day and as I lay in bed for round two, I thought about the most memorable moment I spent last summer, the one that was a must-do again this year.

The winners were a tie.


One was a magical day, spent with two of the best ladies at Centre Island in TO. We rented bikes and had a brilliant picnic on the water. It ended with an adventure with cute animals at the petting zoo.



The second was a hot summer night, filled with shenanigans. We were sweaty, we had a rosy drunk glow in our cheeks and we ran through the sprinklers. Nothing else could have mattered in the world during those moments. I can't wait to have more.

The Cute Show

My good friend Andy has this ability to make me smile. Often he sends me things from www.cuteoverload.com.

I look at the pictures and say aw. Andy told me he only sends me the best ones though. I also watch The Cute Show and laugh to myself over and over. And over. A few weeks ago I did a cute edition on my radio show with my friend Josh and we talked things that are cute. And music that is cute. SO I played a song called "Red Sweater" by the Aquabats.

Travis Barker from Blink-182 used to be in the band. He wore a nine piece spandex costume. Hot stuff no? But not really cute.

Not more than a half an hour ago, I was in class and decided to share this site with Nick. Nick says that this is the difference between guys and girls.

To which I responded with, "I have never watched porn online."

Spring Resolutions!

Today is the first official day of spring, whatever that means.

To me, this is around the time I realize that I have broken every New Year's resolution I have made. This year I decided to do things differently and swore I wouldn't make resolutions, but I am realizing the problem isn't the resolutions, it's the season. Nothing changes in weather from December to March. So what is different about Dec. 31st to Jan.1st that will make you want to consciously choose to drop "bad" habits and stick to that? The days are all the same, long and cold. Nothing changes, so why should you?

I am breaking that tradition. Today felt like a new day. It may not look nice outside, I still can't see any green, but spring is in the air.

So I am making resolutions. Nothing too die hard. But nothing I am going to feel bad about in a few months time when I realize I haven't kept half of them anyways.

1. Stop being busy.

I say I am busy all the time. I am turning into the busy girl. I HATE the busy girl. So that is not happening anymore. If you ask me how I am, and I respond with, "busy" you have full permission to kick me repeatedly in the shins until they bleed. That is the only way to learn a lesson.

2. Becoming independent of text messaging and facebooking like a fiend.

I am sick of being a Facebook slave. I was doing so well. Some people are ok with it.I am soooo not. I feel like a stalker. I don't want to be extreme and get rid of it but if it doesn't stop it may go that far.

Text messaging in front of other's is just rude. I just need to stop. That's all.

3. I need to play more guitar.

For obvious reasons. Its fun. I was good at it.

4. Be artsy. Draw/Paint more

See above reasons.

5. Pitch more ideas to different publications.

One day this is shit I will get paid for. Why not start now?

6. Get out more, i.e Exercise. (NOT join a gym)

Who doesn't like fresh air? Walking is cheaper. Nothing wrong with saving money for beer? Nothing.

7. Buy your bus pass at the beginning of the month.

Seems easy right? You would be surprised how difficult this can be and how often I forget.

8. Blog more.

9. Go home to TO more. And stay longer.

Short visits are a bummer. Go home less for longer would be more appropriate

10. Hang out with the extended fam.

They are actually wicked. I don't see them enough.


I figure I will keep half of these. There are other little things that would be good to do. But I feel like the weather is changing, I changed my room around, I can sleep with the windows open and things are a changin'. Why not roll with it?

Pirates and Vikings and fashion? Oh my!

What is wrong with the trends if Vikings and pirates are in style? Nothing! It's like it is Halloween everyday of the year. All of fall 2007 and winter 2008, ads have been lined with the new skinny jean and high, pointy boots.

Sound familiar? Add a parrot and an eye patch and you practically have a nifty, modern pirate costume. There are subtle trends that are gracing the pages of fashion magazines; looks that are "inspired" by pirates or Vikings.

Those looks have cute, anorexic looking "pirates" (models) on planks with mist and stuffed parrots on their shoulders. The Viking models are similarity posed with furry boots and clothes that have been ripped on purpose to look like an accident*.

Let’s be real, pirates were dudes that pillaged and had scurvy and Vikings were barbaric to say the least. Yet did the chicken come first or the egg? Were pirates and Vikings introduced through the music scene first or was it a fashion statement before it was anything else?

(Sidebar* There is something that my parents have instilled in me and that is the fact that paying for ripped jeans is completely idiotic. Same thing goes for jackets, t-shirts, long shirts...you get the picture)

In fact, I am not the only person that thinks this way. It is known in the fashion world that the punk trends have stemmed from a 66-year-old designer named Viviane Westwood.

She has recently been quoted saying that she would not even pay for clothes with holes in them. Despite the fact that she is a slave to fashion, she does not succumb to poor quality, although some of her designs have had intentional fades and rips, she has to cater to her audiences.


There has to be a certain element of the sell out factor that occurs when you start to see everyday people dressing as pirates and Vikings. But what's even worse than the unsuspecting, suburban teen that is getting their fashion ideas from places like MySpace, are the bands that are using this fashion "statement" if one would even call it that, to sell themselves.

Fashion prostitution to sell music. Some musicians do it as a joke. But how far are they taking the joke? Are men dressing up in drag a joke to someone? The boys in Death Boat seem to think so.


You will need a mental picture/disclaimer of the live show that accompanies this band, to go with this interview They’ve got silly names, "special” costumes, two drummers, and baroque metal tracks with titles like “Dungeons and Drag Queens and Lesbian Tsunami” that tell the tale of how the Death Boat came to be.

Okay, so it sounds kinda gay, but the music is so epic that it actually made me want to run through the streets defiantly punching the air for the whole afternoon. They are one of the best things to come out of the Montreal “punk” (pirate rock) scene in the last three years. Though they still claim they are not pirates.

"Who said we are pirates? We didn't say that."

"We'll there are seven dudes in a band, one of which is dressed up as an ugly woman. Are you gay?" I asked them outright.

"What? No. It's like this. There’s like two different boats. We got some friends on our boat. There’s Slappy and me, there’s Balls McGee and The Admiral, Skullfucker, and he’s on our boat now. And the Old School Lady, she’s a little clingy. The other boat has like BoneFace, he’s a jerk, and like, Skippy, he’s kinda weird."

Moppy and Slappy went on to talk about how there is a person in the band that is a sexual predator. There is no doubt in my mind that none of these insane guys are sexual predators.

Alcoholics perhaps but not sexual predators. And they are definitely not fashionistas by any means. Which brings me to the conclusion that they weren’t the ones to make pirate rock cool. But if it wasn’t them, who was it?

Even if you are lame and hate metal, watching these guys trip all over themselves while laying down flaming guitar licks and singing “Double team, it's the punch line/Cut me in, my bone's ready for sex-time/I dock the boat right on the beach/The Captain's first we get one time each.” is pretty spectacular.

So where does this influence from pirates come from? It makes sense to me, men wanting to be even manlier and what’s more manly than Pirate? Or a Capitan that runs the open sea? This whole trend seems to be a macho, chest banging extravaganza to some extent.

And what about the Vikings? That would be a question for a Swedish band called Amon Amarth, who call themselves Viking Metal.

The members Amon Amarth are from Tumba, a suburb outside of Stockholm. They write about Viking things and look like scary Viking men that you would never want to end up on a ship with. In their press photo their faces wear scowls that match the angry glare of the weapons they have in their hands.



If you took a picture of one of the guys in AA and compared it to a runways model from the 2007 fall collections, the similarities in attire would be slightly uncanny.

They don’t make trips to Montreal very often and were unable for an interview, so I am hesitant to make an educated judgment on whether their stage show is as up to par as any metal band out there.

The only thing barbaric about AA is their look and their lyrics. There is nothing written about their stage performance including biting heads off chickens, or something that may fall into that category.

They take themselves a little more seriously than Death Boat does, as far as bands with rockin themes goes. Who knows if this is a good thing or a bad thing? I can tell you one thing, they show commitment. Commitment to the history or the Viking culture, the fashion, the names and even an element of history is included in the music.

Though it is doubtful that Viking metal counts as a category of music or fashion for that matter, there is something seemingly authentic about these Swedes. Perhaps it is the commitment, or maybe the professionalism that they use pull off this look.

Their website is done up to the nines with bizarre, metal-esque looking graphics that scream “Viking Lore” to anyone that visits the site.

If bands need to tap into fashion and history to sell their music to a new audience, by all means go ahead. Marketing has sky rocketed to another level of creativeness when it comes to packaging. Stage performances and fashion were bound to follow.

AA has over seven albums out with a record deal that has three more releases in the future. Death Boat claims to have started as a joke and now they are playing local awards shows and traveling to Quebec City.

Other bands are popping up all over the map, in places like Philadelphia, Norway and beyond. Pirate Rock and Viking Metal are officially categories of music and they are as die hard as anything else I have heard as a sub genre since I could walk.

Scene Shtuff

This week Justice played on Sunday. I saw them a little while ago in NYC with some people from CJLO for CMJ.

Enough acronyms for you?

It was tons of fun, every kid that knows anything about having some rad, unique style showed up, and then some. American Apparel wear was seen left right and centre on the least expected people.

We were leaving and caught sight of some young adolescent boys wearing head bands and lame leggings. They were moderatly coordinated with high tops and neon t's.

SO much for "banging in the white tee."

Those are collecting dust on a shelf, along with the black leggings from the 80's. Not that the aren't back with a vengence but they mean something else when worn by teenaged boys.

Up on FaceBook were pics of some girls I know that work for Vogue or do something with Vogue. Or maybe they are just groupies, who knows? But they put up their pics with the photoshopped finishing touches.

I had to ask myself, "What is the world coming to when 14-16 year old boys wear it better than skinny, 20 something girls?"

I think the world is becoming a much, much more interesting place, especially the world of fashion.

On Monday night I had to book a quick train ticket home to Toronto. My best friend Kelly's dad has been sick for awhile now. On and off, a whole bunch of different things. He passed away, cancer free, on Saturday morning around three. He died of kidney failure.

When I got home I did what seems to be my new habit. I called my cousin to go get a pint of Strongbow at the "Winchester". (the Bearded Chip, pub by my house in Scarbs.)

On the way home, I twisted my ankle. Its funny colors now.

Trying to deal with Kelly's dad dying has brought up a whole bunch of weird feelings about my own Pa. The thought process of trying to console her has been along the lines of, "How would I feel? What would I want to hear" which then led to wanting to see my own dad to tell him how much i love him.

That didn't really happen when I was home and that is a bummer. He is busy with work stuff and I understand but it was just a tough visit home.

I don't know what is worst, going home for a funeral or going home and seeing how much everyone has moved on. Is it worse seeing that someone that you love isn't there anymore or realizing that the people that you love that ARE there are finally used to me being gone.

And there is always the one that got away.

Moving on is something that should happen naturally. But then I start to worry when it doesn't and I think I am fucking with the natural order of making things happen "naturally".

nor·mal /ˈnɔrməl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[nawr-muhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –adjective

1.	conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.

2.	serving to establish a standard.

3.	Psychology. a. approximately average in any psychological trait, as intelligence, personality, or emotional adjustment. b. free from any mental disorder; sane.

4.	Biology, Medicine/Medical. a. free from any infection or other form of disease or malformation, or from experimental therapy or manipulation. b. of natural occurrence.

This week on my radio show there is going to be some super fun dance music. This indie electro thing that seems to be taking off is a good way to start off a Monday morning. Last week was angry metal/hardcore that seemed to match my mood. i think I am going make my own mood this week and pump up the jams.