Culture Addicts

We Have Moved: New Blog Space

2011-04-10T11:19:00.001-04:00

Our brand new blog site is up and running now. For new content, please check out Culture Addicts.

Weekly Addiction: Hopefully You Still Love Vinyl As Much As We Do

2011-03-20T14:23:00.005-04:00

The digital age is definitely here, and I am a big ITunes user to download my favourite new tracks. I also see the value in sliding a record out of its sleeve and popping it onto my turntable to give it a listen; nothing beats the rich sound of a fresh piece of vinyl.

For those of you still interested in vinyl, there is a resource to order vinyl and CDs that is invaluable - musicstack.com. Think of it as the eBay of music. It is an amazing place to find and purchase vinyl...we love hunting away on this site.

Here are some of our other favourite vinyl-friendly shops:
Rotate This!
Kops Records
Rough Trade
Soundscapes
Discovery Records
Sister Ray
Criminal Records

Want to learn more about the history of vinyl, go here.

Happy hunting. Keep vinyl alive.

Lesser of Two Evils: Worst Cover Songs

2011-03-13T09:04:00.000-04:00

Bands paying homage to other bands by recording a cover version is common. The reworking on the tracks can go either way - really insanely good, or pure ear torture. Below are two of our most hated covers and we want you to vote on the 'lesser of two evils'. Basically, we know they are both horrible, but we want you to pick the best of the two.

Take That - Smells Like Teen Spirit

VS.

t.A.T.u - How Soon is Now?

Now, cast your vote for the 'Lesser of Two Evils' aka the less offensive cover version.

Short Film Premiere: The Other Marty

2011-02-21T19:31:00.002-05:00

Grab The Other Marty Soundtrack album which is available for free download now. The album features music by The Video Nasty, songs by Large Mound & remixes by Corrugated Tunnel, Neosupervital, Lmd64, Colin J Morris & Anthony Mackey and is being released as a free download.

Download the album here: www.thevideonasty.bandcamp.com

The soundtrack is an 80's influenced electronic score by The Video Nasty AKA Ian Lawton (formerly of the band Omelette) which lends itself easily to remixing in a cross section of styles including Hip Hop, Disco, Ambient, rock and just plain strange.

This album is being given away for free to promote the upcoming premiere of the short film The Other Marty at the Underground Cinema screening at The Kingston Hotel, Dun Laoghaire at 7:30 Tickets €5 and includes a full program of Irish short films. For more information, visit http://www.underground-cinema.com/.

THE OTHER MARTY - MOVIE TRAILER from Reasonably Shorts on Vimeo.

The film is written & directed by Ian Lawton and features Tom O'Leary (Fair City) & Steve Wilson (The Tudors).

More about the film:
theothermarty.com
thevideonasty.com
reasonablyshorts.com

More about the music:
largemound.com
corrugatedtunnel.com
tootsweet.com
lmd64.com
neosupervital.com

New Releases: Candy Coated Killahz - Neon Black

2011-02-13T19:01:00.101-05:00

Toronto's Candy Coated Killahz released their latest EP on February 8th, 2011. The EP includes Neon Black Extended Cut and 7 reworkings by DJ Green Lantern (Eminem, NAS), Che Vicious (Dr. Dre, Aftermath), Swain (Bonjay), Jed Harper (JEDI), Conor Cutz, Dj Cozmic Cat and Marten Tromm.

Candy Coated Killahz - Neon Black

Candy Coated Killahz - Neon Black (Swain Changeup Remix)

If you like what you hear, you can pick up the single here.

A little background on CCK from their website, they describe themselves as "At the intersection of glitch, electro-rap, and pop." They continue on to explain, "The duo is the brainchild of Producer/Frontgirl Tasha Schumann and Frontman Icon the Anomali, who bang out heavy-hitters, combining gritty rhymes and forceful hooks. Having been compared to acts such as MIA, Robyn, Gwen Stefani, and Outkast, the CCK sound exists at the frontier of urban electro-pop."

For more information on the band, visit their website.

Music Addiction: Ladytron Best Of 00-10

2011-02-06T07:18:00.002-05:00

On March 29th, Ladytron will release a 'best of' album showcasing their releases since 2001's '604'. They have been trailblazers in electronic music circles and have released 4 studio albums and a number of remixes.

With the release of 2005's 'Witching Hour', Destroy Everything You Touch brought them a new extended fanbase and introduced a slight change in musical direction.

The 'best of' is definitely not their swan song, and they have announced they will be releasing a new album with a more 'mature sound'. If their past releases are any indication of the quality, any change in the Ladytron sound will be fine with me.

You can check out some tracks from the Best Of Ladytron 00-10 on Soundcloud. There are 2 new tracks included with the release - Little Black Angel and Ace of Hz.

Standard Track Listing:

1. Destroy Everything You Touch
2. International Dateline
3. Seventeen
4. Discotraxx
5. Tomorrow
6. Soft Power
7. Ghosts
8. Fighting In Built Up Areas
9. Playgirl
10. Blue Jeans
11. Cracked LCD
12. Deep Blue
13. Light & Magic
14. Runaway
15. The Last One Standing
16. Little Black Angel
17. Ace of Hz

The deluxe edition adds a second disc and features an additional 16 tracks & 80-page photo booklet.

Disc 1:

Same as standard version

Disc 2:
1. The Reason Why
2. Whitelightgenerator
3. Mu-tron
4. Black Plastic
5. The Way That I Found You
6. True Mathematics
7. High Rise
8. Black Cat
9. Another Breakfast With You
10. USA vs. White Noise
11. Commodore Rock
12. Evil
13. Beauty*2
14. Season Of Illusions
15. Versus
16. All The Way

Video Addiction: January 8th Edition

2011-01-08T09:37:00.002-05:00

Another year has passed and we took a bit of a blogging hiatus to focus on Twitter (www.twitter.com/yourpretendbf), build a website (www.yourpretendboyfriend.com), etc. To kick off the new year, and mark our return to blogging, we pulled together some video picks.

Tubeway Army: Down in the Park – Amazing that this track came out more than 30 years ago - beautiful and still very relevant.

The Arcade Fire: Ready to Start – so catchy, and you can't help but tap your foot to this track.

Crystal Castles: Baptism - since there isn't a video for the brilliant version of Not In Love featuring Robert Smith, I chose this alternate.

Robots in Disguise: Turn It Up - Love the lyrical references to their influences!

Digable Planet: 9th Wonder (Blackitolism) – serious bass and so smooth.

L7: Pretend We're Dead - a bit of grimy rock to end this edition

Sorry for the long hiatus. We are now back and will posted regularly.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Vs. Plumtree Vs. A Crazy 16-Bit Plumtree Cover

2010-06-01T21:02:00.005-04:00

Edgar Wright, director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, has now adapted Bryan Lee O'Malley's comic book to the big screen. Starring Michael Cera, Jason Schwartman, Chris Evans, and Kieran Culkin, and set for release on August 13th, the trailer looks great. It's also filmed and set in Toronto. Check it out below...

Now, we introduce the Halifax based band, Plumtree who released a track called 'Scott Pilgrim' in the late 90s that inspired Bryan Lee O'Malley's character in the comic. Great track and in the trailer above, you can see Michael Cera wearing a Plumtree shirt - it's a cool nod to the band.

Now, here is a crazy 16-bit cover version of the Plumtree's track 'Scott Pilgrim'.

Now we wait....for the movie to come out in late summer. Hopefully there will be another trailer before then.

YPB x

Eddie Izzard - Massey Hall, Toronto - May 30, 2010

2010-06-01T08:03:00.004-04:00

Sunday night, I went to see Eddie Izzard's 'Stripped' stand-up comedy performance at Massey Hall in Toronto for his May 30th show. Entering the stage in 8" stilettos, very skinny jeans and a blazer with tails (with pink lining), he immediately won over the audience making reference to his transvestite attire. The show poked fun at the 'history of the world' and religion with many dialogue style skits. It was brutally honest, scathing, and pushing the boundaries of offensiveness especially with respect to religion. The first half was definitely stronger than the second, but enjoyable throughout.

Here is Eddie's hilarious Darth Vader / Death Star canteen skit done with Lego animation:

It is definitely worth seeing his show if it makes its way to your city / town.

YPB x

Introducing a Hot New Mixtape - Le Castle Vania

2010-04-24T07:52:00.003-04:00

Le Castle Vania's brand new mixtape, "The Bulletproof Tiger Mixtape Vol.1" which is actually his first publicly available mixtape! With driving tracks like his own 'Zero Machine' which samples a guitar hook from Smashing Pumpkins and 'Starter' from Boys Noize...as well as tracks from Toxic Avenger, Designer Drugs, and Fake Blood it is a solid mix. For a full track listing, check out the post on his website.

Le Castle Vania's Bulletproof Tiger Mixtape (Click to download)

Alternate Zip File Link

A little about Le Castle Vania - He is based in Atlanta (real name Dylan Eiland. He has DJed with some of today’s hottest acts, such as Justice, MSTRKRFT, Simian Mobile Disco, Busy P, Kavinsky, Soulwax, Surkin, Para One, The Presets, Steve Aoki and Crystal Castles. He’s also an avid producer and engineer, writing tracks from scratch and remixing his favorite bands.

His signature sound combines grinding disco punk with strong electronic beats and catchy synth leads, resulting in banging electro music that is dark and dirty but somehow equally uplifting and dancey. You can hear this throughout "The Bulletproof Tiger Mixtape Vol.1".

We are looking forward to hearing his next mixtape offering.

Cheers,
YPB x

Reworking of Caribou's 'Sun'

2010-04-20T08:05:00.002-04:00

We have reworked Caribou's brilliant track 'Sun' - making it glitchy, distorted and darker sounding. Please take a listen on Soundcloud...

Caribou - Sun (Your Pretend Boyfriend Supernova Remix) by Your Pretend Boyfriend

You can read a great review of Caribou's latest album on the Pitchfork website.

We hope you like the remix. More music coming soon.

Cheers,
YPB x

Fever Ray is Art!

2010-01-31T17:24:00.012-05:00

Last week, Fever Ray (aka Karin Dreijer Andersson aka 1/2 of indie-electronic darlings The Knife) won an award at Sweden's P3 Guld public radio award show and gave the best acceptance speech - by not giving an acceptance speech. In The Knife, they are known for wearing masks, and Karin continues the tradition at the P3 Guld awards.

Watch the video below...

The Knife and Fever Ray are true art pushing the envelope with their music and personas. If you aren't familiar with Fever Ray or The Knife, you should be. Here are a few videos to educate you.

Heartbeats - The Knife

When I Grow Up - Fever Ray

Thanks,
Cameron from YPB

Film Addiction: A Film By Street Artist Banksy

2010-01-25T21:23:00.005-05:00

Banksy has a movie - yes, the street art mystery man is releasing his debut film about street art (of course). I was expecting that this would end up being an elaborate stunt for the sake if art, but the movie was premiered as scheduled this past weekend. Banksy's debut film titled "Exit Through the Gift Shop", had its international premiere on Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival. "Exit Through The Gift Shop" is due to hit cinemas throughout the UK on March 5th 2010. View the trailer below...

Banksy keeps his identity hidden throughout the movie - which is not surprising since his mystique is part of what makes him so interesting as an artist. You can find out more about his work on his website - http://banksy.co.uk/.

Once we see the film, we will do a full review. If anyone has seen it, please leave a comment with your thoughts on the movie.

Thanks,
Cameron from YPB

No Distance Left To Run - Blur Documentary

2010-01-24T20:33:00.002-05:00

This past week I went to the one-night only showing of the Blur documentary "No Distance Left To Run" and felt compelled to write a review of the movie.

Blur have always produced some great albums from "Leisure" to "Think Tank", but watching their history leading up to their huge comeback Hyde Park gigs added much more depth to the band. I have seen a number of interviews and videos over the years, but never realised how the band contained 4 distinct personalities - Graham Coxon, Damon Albarn, Alex James and Dave Rowntree were so different.

This film is for the fans - showing old footage and photos, telling stories of the rise of "brit-pop, and stories from the band members leading up to their reunion gigs. The film has really funny moments throughout and even non-fans would enjoy the interviews and short bite-size clips. The editing is superb - giving snippets of Blur's music throughout. Hearing so many of their tracks throughout the documentary, it is hard to miss how many great songs they have written in the past. The most surprising moment is footage of their comeback Glastonbury Festival appearance where at the end of their performance of "Tender", the crowd breaks out into spontaneous acapella singing of one of the tracks main lyrics.

If you missed the theatrical release of the documentary, you will soon be able to watch a 2 DVD set to be released in February 2010. The set contains the documentary and live concert film. The live DVD concert film was filmed over two nights at Hyde Park in July 2009. The multi-camera edit was filmed in HD by Giorgio Testi for Pulse Films and features stereo and surround sound options.

Disc 1
NO DISTANCE LEFT TO RUN
A documentary film directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace.

Disc 2
LIVE AT HYDE PARK
She's So High. Girls & Boys. Tracy Jacks. There's No Other Way. Jubilee.
Bad Head. Beetlebum. Out of Time. Trimm Trabb. Coffee and TV. Tender. Country House. Oily Water. Chemical World. Sunday Sunday. Parklife. End of the Century. To the End. This is a Low. Pop Scene. Advert. Song 2. Death of a Party. For Tomorrow. The Universal.

There is no release date in North America yet, but hopefully it will make its way to Canada and the US. It is well worth the rental for non-fans and purchase for Blur fans.

Prior to their documented 2009 Hyde Park shows, Blur had been on hiatus since 2003 and their last studio album was "Think Tank" which excluded guitarist Graham Coxon. After performing their final gig in July, Blur said they have no plans to record or play together again.

Thanks,
Cameron from YPB

Cool Web Promo Tools for Bands...

2010-01-17T19:44:00.007-05:00

We have been pretty connected to what is happening on the web for musicians to promo themselves. We wanted to share some of our favourite tools and applications to help other musicians market their bands, projects and music for free. Please keep in mind, we aren't going to be showcasing all possibilities and options, just our favourite tools that are helping us get seen on the web.

1. Twiturm - Very cool tool to upload your music and include them with your tweets. You add your songs to Twiturm and it creates a page containing a media player where the user can stream your tracks. You can also allow the users to download them as well. Make sure to encourage your followers to visit the page and also retweet links to your tracks. Find out more about Twiturm here.

2. Music Glue - Good site for getting your music out and collecting fan email addresses. Fans can download multiple tracks once they register, and you control the mailing list. The tagline says it all "The Band is the Brand". Find out more about Music Glue here.

3. Reverbnation 'My Band' - Create band / artist widgets for Facebook. It jams a bunch of cool features into a small Facebook page real estate. All the great stuff on Reverbnation in a tiny package. Find out more about Reverbnation 'My Band' here.

We hope these are helpful and if you have any other cool band apps / sites you want to share, please add them in the comments under the post.

ypb x

It's 2010 - what will it have in store?

2010-01-01T18:12:00.002-05:00

2010 has finally arrived...which makes us wonder what our plans are for YPB this year. We already have a lot planned including new songs (currently writing and recording), band website, first video, playing some festivals, hopefully an art installation (music and live video projections), and new updated band photos. These are our plans for the year (so far).

White Lies: Death – this video pick is to mark the 'death' of the 2000's and bringing in the 2010's.

Subscribe to this blog to keep up on what we are up to during 2010!

ypb x

Addicted to Twitter...and Love....

2009-12-29T10:12:00.002-05:00

We had to throw in the horrible Robert Palmer reference...even though this post is all about our self-proclaimed Twitter addiction. You can follow our tweets which are more frequent than on this blog space - find us here www.twitter.com/yourpretendbf.

Thanks,
ypb x

Releases in 2010...

2009-12-28T17:39:00.003-05:00

2010 is looming and it is the time to get excited about upcoming, expected releases during 2010. Here is a list of the releases we are looking forward to.

Hot Chip - One Left Standing (February 9)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat the Devil's Tattoo (March 9)
Frightened Rabbit - Winter of Mixed Drinks (March 9)
Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow (April 2010)
Mystery Jets (April 2010)

Other Upcoming Releases, with no official release date announced:

Arcade Fire
Burial
Justice
Kelis
Kraftwerk
My Bloody Valentine (fingers crossed)

Let us know what releases are looking forward to during 2010.

Thanks ypb x

We've been slacking so here's a little gift of music videos...

2009-12-27T09:31:00.009-05:00

We have been very slacking on getting some blog posts up - but now we plan to kick it into high gear. We have been working on new music, a video and website, so time hasn't been too available for us. Here are some videos we are liking at the moment - hope you enjoy as well.

The XX: Crystalized – Beautiful song and loving the old school, minimal drum machine.

Depeche Mode: I Sometimes Wish I Were Dead – Vintage DM with original line-up

Piano Lady

2009-12-26T21:39:00.006-05:00

For the past few days the "piano lady" that lives above our apartment has been tickling the ivories non-stop. I am learning to really dislike the sound of piano because of this fact. I have never been a fan of piano played without accompaniment, but this has really become annoying. Why would someone bring a piano into an apartment? Why no soundproofing? Please Piano Lady, stop your late night repetitive playing or I will wish your piano to meet a tragic end.

Here is a solution: Get a keyboard and headphones, or wrap the hammers in rags.

In search of....

2009-02-21T07:26:00.001-05:00

We are in search of a Video Sampler / VJ in the Toronto area to add to our live line-up. Basically, we are looking someone to do visuals and edit / sample videos during our live set. You are the right person if you have:

* a passion for electronic music
* have experience with VJing or have a passion to learn and invest a
nominal amount of money (for the software of course).
* if you can play synth, that is a bonus
* a dedication and willingness to commit to weekly rehearsals in a downtown location
* an interest in playing gigs and promote the project

If you know anyone who would be interested or if you are interested, please contact us.

Cheers,
ypb x

Video Addiction: January 10th Edition

2009-01-10T06:15:00.005-05:00

The snow cometh to Toronto and we are up to our neck in snow drifts. We need to heat things up and melt the snow! We hope you enjoy.

Swervedriver: Son of Mustang Ford – Their first single really turned indie music on its head.

Ladytron: Sugar – Ladytron can do no wrong nor can this clip.

I love you but I've chosen darkness: Your worst is the best - Long band name, but amazing track!

The Auteurs: Showgirl - Little known band from the 90's with such a unique sound.

The Corrections: Barcodes – This week's obscure track is so catchy.

Black Sheep: The Choice is Yours - a scorching classic hip-hop track to close off this week's edition!

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next week's videos

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: November 16th Edition

2008-11-16T11:44:00.002-05:00

It's starting to get cold at YPB home base, so we are going to deliver some videos that have been keeping us warm lately. We hope you enjoy!

Frank Black: Los Angeles – The Pixies man and a hovercraft; how could it ever go wrong?!

Scratching Post: Fade Away – they have split, but we will try to keep them alive here.

MC5: Kick Out The Jams - classic Detroit rock!

Lush: De Luxe - shoegaze classic.

Girls Against Boys: Superfire – US Indie rock.

Digable Planets: 9th Wonder - kicking bass and vocals in this one!

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Sunday's videos

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: October 26th Edition

2008-10-26T20:59:00.002-04:00

Our trip to Las Vegas almost did us in and it took us a few weeks to recover, hence the lack of blogging for the past few. We hope you enjoy!

Jesus & Mary Chain: Kill Surf City – Vintage J & MC!

Superchunk: Hyper Enough – such a catchy track.

Dananananaykroyd: Pink Sabbath - long name and great song / video!

Medicine: Never Click - shoegaze and amazing use of effects.

Curve: Coast is Clear – still sounding fresh today after over 10 years.

Whodini: Freaks Come Out at Night - original hip-hop from one of the innovators!

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Sunday's videos

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: September 28th Edition

2008-09-29T20:40:00.002-04:00

Another week, another 6 videos for your viewing pleasure! We tried to pick some videos that all of you will enjoy - let us know what you think!

Client: Pornography – Caral Barat from Libertines guests...what more can we say!

Tegan and Sara: Walking With A Ghost – Love them or hate them...this track is infectious.

The Wombats: Moving to New York - The remix is stellar - but the original still holds it's own!

Primal Scream: Swastika Eyes - great track + cheesy video = brilliance.

EMF: They’re Here – Yes….EMF. They actually had more songs than unbelievable.

Bauhaus: Telegram Sam - no words are needed to introduce this track!

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Sunday's videos and we promise to get you your picks up regularly.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: September 21st Edition

2008-09-21T10:57:00.002-04:00

We have dropped off the planet of the blogs and neglected our weekly video picks - but we are back now with a scorching post of some great music videos! The video picks will be posted on Sundays now - which will work better for us. pull up your socks and get your eyes and ears ready for some video nasties!

Late of the Pier: Heartbeat – Great track and video!

Tha Liks: Best U Can – Before Pharell sold his soul to the devil and started working with everyone and their brother, he did this track with Tha Liks.

Iggy Pop: I’m Bored - Vintage Iggy!

My Bloody Valentine: Cigarette in your Bed - MBV are playing Toronto this Thursday, so we threw this one in the picks to get us pumped for it.

Maximo Park: Apply Some Pressure - this track always gets our blood moving.

The Cure: Lullaby - it's dark, it's dreary, it's The Cure - love it!

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Sunday's videos and we promise to get you your picks up regularly.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: Saturday March 8th Edition

2008-03-08T18:02:00.002-05:00

Another Saturday and another snowstorm in the great city of Toronto! The weather gods must be giving us the evil-eye. Seeing as we never seem to have the time to publish the video picks on Friday, we have renamed them as the Weekend Music Video picks. If that is actually a proper salutation. Enough typing and jabbering, let's get to the Music Video Picks for this week.

Gary Numan: Are Friends Electric? – Vintage Gary Numan...mint!

The Automatic: Recover – So catchy it had to go in the video picks at some point.

Bloc Party: Helicopter - this is the non-animated version!

Nitzer Ebb: Murderous - True classic.

High & Mighty: B-Boy Document 99 (ft Mos Def & Skillz) - This one will make your head bob.

Joy Division: Transmission - No comment can do this track or band justice!

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Friday's videos and hopefully they will be up on time.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: Feb 29th Edition

2008-02-29T20:19:00.002-05:00

Happy Leap Year! If that is actually a proper salutation. We have had a few week hiatus from the Friday vids - maybe it was the Cameron House gig taking everything out of us. Here's the Music Video Picks for this week.

The Prodigy: Spitfire – Stunning video!

Kill Hannah: Lips Like Morphine (Live) – Welcome to Chicago...!

Prayer Tower: Warm Leatherette - A cover by a Canadian band who do a stellar version of the track by The Normal!

Method Man and Redman: Da Rockwilder - If this doesn't make you shake your ass, you must have no pulse.

Simian Mobile Disco: Hustler - First there was 'We Are Your Friends', now this.

Suede: Animal Nitrate - Suede, not London Suede!

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Friday's videos and hopefully they will be up on time.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: February 8th Edition

2008-02-09T07:20:00.003-05:00

We are ramping up to our Cameron House show next week - we hope everyone in Toronto can make it out to see us! Here's the Music Video Picks for this week.

Tiga: Hot in Herre – Infectious!

The Black Poets: Empty Betrayal – Check out the cool video from our mates The Black Poets!

Gene Loves Jezebel: The Sweetest Thing - Great 80's Vintage!

Pharcyde: Passin' Me By - Using a Jimi sample in the right way.

Ride: Drive Blind live Brixton 1992 - Perfect live version of the 90's classic track by Ride

Ladytron: Destroy Everything You Touch - Ladytron can do no wrong!

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Friday's videos and hopefully they will be up on time.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: Feb 1st Edition

2008-02-01T21:28:00.003-05:00

No neglecting this week! We are actually getting the video picks up on Friday - maybe it's all the snow on the streets of Toronto. Here are this week's picks.

My Bloody Valentine: Only Shallow – If the rumours are true, we will get new MBV soon.

The Teenagers: Homecoming – French quirky pop!

Cabaret Voltaire: I Want You - Genius!

Craig Mack: Flava In Ya Ear Remix - true hip-hop classic.

808 State vs. MC Tunes: Tunes Splits The Atom (Live) - What is it about this track that is so addictive? Is it the Stone Roses sample?

Sid Vicious: My Way - This cover of Sinatra is a classic…and the ending of the video is so twisted; I suppose it was all the drugs that Sid ingested.

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Friday's videos and hopefully they will be up on time.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: Jan 25th Edition

2008-01-26T09:06:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately we neglected last Friday's music video picks, but we will make it up to you this week with an added bonus! We are off snowboarding this weekend, so hopefully we will survive.

Pop Will Eat Itself: Wise Up Sucker – P-W-E-I...PWEI! The Poppies truly invented the sampler actually building their equipment from scratch in the mid-eighties.

Interpol: NYC – True classic!

A Split Second: Rigor Mortis - Vintage industrial - brilliant!

Cancer Bats: Pneumonia Hawk - Bad name, good band - featuring George from Alexisonfire.

Happy Mondays: Wrote For Luck - Think they were high when they recorded this track?

Tokyo Police Club: Cheer It On - They definitely cheer it on!

Bonus Video!

Sonic Youth: Bull In The Heather - Thurston Moore is god!

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Friday's videos and hopefully they will be up on time.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: Jan 13th Edition

2008-01-13T19:47:00.002-05:00

Life has been busy this week for YPB - hence the delay in getting the Friday Video Picks up on the blog - sorry for the delay! They are late, but totally scorching this week.

The Gossip: Standing In The Way Of Control – Beth Ditto doing what she does best.

Shout Out Out Out Out: Self-Loathing Rulz (Live) - These Canadian boys do it well! The quality isn't the best, but you get the idea of how they rock it out.

Shed Seven: Dolphin - This 90's band didn't get the credit they deserve - so, we'll them some right now.

Faith No More: Out Of Nowhere - Mike Patton is god! One of our faves right now.

Bomb The Bass: Bug Powder Dust - – Justin Warfield pre-She Wants Revenge…it is actually him on vocals!

Girls Against Boys: Superfire - GVSB - Where are they now????! We need them back.

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Friday's videos.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

YVideo Addiction: Jan 4th Edition

2008-01-04T23:03:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone - Happy New Year to all of you and in honour of bringing in 2008.These vids are scorchers this week...they will make your brain explode!

Ministry: Stigmata – By far the best Ministry song…well, after Everyday is Halloween.

We Are Scientists: Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt - Is there any comment for this one that will do it justice? We think not!

Luscious Jackson: Daughters of The Kaos - From when they were good...really good.

The Editors: Bullets - One of our faves at the moment!

Jesus and Mary Chain: Reverence - It's crazy to think that this track appeared in Pet Semetary 2.

Boys Night Out: Medicating - Great track from these Canadian Rockers - keepin' the spirit alive!

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Friday's videos.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: December 28th Edition

2007-12-28T22:12:00.001-05:00

The holidays are over and now we are anticipating 2008! Your Pretend Boyfriend want to wish you a Happy New Year. To bring in 2008 with a bang, here are this week's music video picks.

Yeah Yeah Yeah’s: Kiss Kiss – Taken from the Is Is EP - pure brilliance!

Ned’s Atomic Dustbin: Until You Find Out - A 90's classic and how can you beat two bassists?

Buck 65: Kennedy Killed The Hat - Buck 65 is channeling Iggy Pop for this video filmed on Yonge Street in Toronto.

Renegade Soundwave: Biting My Nails - RSW get in touch with their poppy side with this one..."I've got a habit I just can't quit"

Metric: Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT Remix) - MSTRKRFT work their magic on this track...and the video is re-worked as well.

Depeche Mode: New Life (Live) - The original Depeche Mode line-up with Vince Clarke of Yazoo and Erasure fame on synth! Man, those are some crazy 80's haircuts!

We hope you enjoyed this week's videos - we sure did! Drop back in for next Friday's videos.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Your Pretend Boyfriend's Friday Video Picks December 21st Edition

2007-12-21T16:52:00.000-05:00

Santa is almost ready to drop down chimneys around the world and gobble some milk and cookies, but luckily the videos this week will not be Christmas themed! This week things get dancier....to make your booty shake! It's time to get your freak on...here they are:

Atari Teenage Riot: Atari Teenage Riot – This track speaks for itself. Alec Empire is a genius of this genre!

Soulwax: E-Talking - This track is stellar and so is the video.

The Kills: Love Is A Deserter - This is a track pulled from The Kills' last album - can't wait for the new one.

The Faint: Agenda Suicide (Adult Remix) - A re-working of The Faint classic by YPB faves Adult with a video with some crazy ass visuals.

Boyz Noise: & Down - Pulled from the Oi Oi Oi album, this was a stand out track in the YPB camp in 2007!

Das Efx: The Want Efx - So innovative in hip-hop...you can't help but bob your head to this one!

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Hopefully you enjoyed these videos - we sure did putting the list together. Happy Holidays to all of you! Drop back in for next Friday's videos.

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Favourite Albums and Singles of 2007 - Cameron's List

2007-12-15T16:58:00.001-05:00

It's that time of the year...the much anticipated "Best of..." lists. Well, this is only the "Cameron" half of the list...the Paul half will be coming soon!

Here goes - in no particular order:

Fave Albums of 2007

1) Boys Noize - Oi Oi Oi
2) Interpol - Our Love to Admire
3) Digitalism - Idealism
4) Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Is Is
5) Black Poets - Insurrection EP
6) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
7) Battles - Mirrored
8) Adult. - Why Bother?
9) Radiohead - In Rainbows
10) Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future

Fave Singles of 2007

1) Crystal Castles - Crimewave
2) Yeah Yeah Yeah's- Kiss Kiss
3) Digitalism - Idealistic
4) The Cribs - Men's Needs
5) Go Team! - Grips Like A Vice
6) Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow
7) Hadouken! - That Boy That Girl
8) Shiny Toy Guns - You Are The One
9) CSS - Let's Make Love & Listen To Death From Above
10) Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch

So, that wraps up the 2007 round up for me. Let us know your faves of the year!

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: December 14th Edition

2007-12-14T14:44:00.002-05:00

The weekend in Toronto is looking like its going to be a nasty one with a big storm on its way; we definitely need some warming up with the winds churning up the downtown streets today. So, we bring you the Dec 14th edition of the Friday Video Picks with a heavier, harder feel to it this week to get the blood pumpin'! We have some interesting ones this week that hopefully make your adrenaline flow and maybe get you moving for the weekend. Let's get into it...here they are:

Death From Above 1979: Pull Out – If DFA 1979 can't get your blood pumpin', you must be dead already!

At The Drive-In: One-Armed Scissor (Live On The Late Show) - The afros, the guitar attack, the manic on-stage presence...this clip shows them all in a stellar live performance.

Sounds Like Violence: You Give Me Heartattacks - SLV are pure rock magic on this track.

The Raveonettes: Attack of the Ghostriders - A Raveonettes classic...perfect feedback.

The Bronx: False Alarm - Old horror movie footage and transposing current black-eyed band footage - such a scorching track too!

The Pixies: Debaser - Taken from their brilliant Doolittle album!

Hope they warmed you up a bit or made you rock the afternoon away - and look forward to next week's video picks arriving on Friday!

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Site to Check Out...

2007-12-13T20:01:00.001-05:00

The Hot Chicks with Douchebags site is hysterical. The blogger, Douchebag1, deserves some credit and respect for his commentary! Check it out...and some news, Douchebag1 is writing a book that is coming out next year - good on him!

Some light, fun reading for you to keep you occupied until tomorrow's weekly Music Video picks.

Cheers,
Cameron from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Rehearsals!

2007-12-13T08:31:00.001-05:00

We had a very successful rehearsal on Tuesday running through some old and new tracks getting ready to play live in 2008! We ran through Hammer Drill Poison, Winterkill / Fade Away, One Small Death and a bunch of new tracks yet to be titled. As well, we are adding a drummer to the mix to help add a bit of punch to the bass and live experience. We're pretty excited about it all!

We'll definitely keep you posted about our progress!

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Video Addiction: December 7th Edition!

2007-12-07T07:40:00.001-05:00

Once again, we are bringing you some of our fave videos we are watching on You Tube at the moment. This is the Dec 7th edition and we will be posting vids weekly, so drop back in weekly to check on them. We have some interesting ones this week that hopefully you will remember fondly or enjoy for the first time. Let's get into it...here they are:

B-Movie: Nowhere Girl – My favourite track from the 80’s…can’t get enough of it.

Go Team!: Grips Like A Vice - Eye stimulus overload on Go-Team!’s latest single.

Menswear: I’ll Manage Somehow - Menswear’s first single and totally underrated. I want to revive this track!

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead: Perfect Teenhood (Live)- Trail of Dead kill it on this live video - one of the best rock live bands ever!

The Presets: Are You The One?- I love the vid for this track...the pixelation transformation effect is cool!

Ghostface Killah: Daytona 500 - Ghostface's first single without Wu-Tang. The video treatment using Speed Racer is perfect for the track!

Enjoy the vids - and look forward to next week's video picks arriving on Friday!

Cheers,
Cameron S. from Your Pretend Boyfriend

Control - The Movie

2007-11-29T21:18:00.002-05:00

I went to see Control (The story of Ian Curtis from the legendary Joy Division) on Sunday this past weekend. I was totally blown away by the film - it's a definite go-see! The story was gripping, sad and at parts disturbing, while the cinematography was stunning. Check out the trailer!

Anton Corbjin directed Control with consultation of Ian Curtis' widow and based on Debra Curtis' book "Touching From A Distance". Corbjin also directed a number of videos including "Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode (1987), "Heart-Shaped Box" by Nirvana (1993), "Lips Like Sugar" (first version) by Echo & the Bunnymen (1987), and "Atmosphere" by Joy Division (1988).

Corbjin doesn't fall into the trap fo sensationalising Curtis' death by hanging. He does a tasteful job of telling Curtis' story. Go see it before it leave the cinema...it's definitely worth it!

Cheers,
Cameron

My Bloody Valentine Are Back....Hopefully...

2007-11-15T09:56:00.000-05:00

The time has come....we have been waiting since their ground-breaking album Loveless released through Creation Records in 1991! Now, fast-forward to 2007, and My Bloody Valentine are set to make a comeback in 2008 with a string of 3 live gigs scheduled next summer:

London Roundhouse (June 20th, 2008)
Manchester Apollo (June 29th, 2008)
Glasgow Barrowland(July 2nd, 2008)

I know everyone is saying what I am right now - "...haven't they been working on a new album / comeback forever?". It's like an indie music soap opera - new albums being finished and trashed, nervous breakdowns, appearances in other project, etc. I will definitely have my fingers crossed for this one and hopefully after 17 years they won't let us down.

Cheers,
Cameron S.

Live Vids - Spin Gallery Oct 25th 2007...

2007-11-13T19:55:00.001-05:00

We finally have the video back from our new found friend, VJ Tout Suite, from our Spin Gallery live set on Thursday October 25th in Toronto. The video is divided into two sections to make it easier for you to download. Paul and I had a blast playing the gig and are hyped to get playing full live sets with vocals in the New Year.

Part 1

Part 2

We are in the darkness and the clips focus on the video mainly although you can see some people getting down behind us; that was not part of the set, it was spontaneous crowd response.

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Cameron S.

Star Sighting!

2007-11-12T09:17:00.002-05:00

As we strolled along King West, we popped into the Starbucks to see if they had any of their highly addictive pumpkin scones (they are like crack). We were eyeballing the pastries, which unfortunately didn't include our much sought after scone, but we noticed that Mike Meyers was standing at the cream / milk filling area. He must be filming in the city, but rumour has it, he has been spotted hanging around King West a few times recently. We hope to see you again Mike!!!

Cheers,
Cameron S.

Sweeney Todd - Theatre Outting!

2007-11-07T16:20:00.000-05:00

I went to see the play 'Sweeney Todd' last night at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. It was a dark, macabre musical about a psychotic barber - well acted...especially the actress who played Mrs. Lovett! Check it out while its still playing - but remember its really twisted, disturbing and dark!

Cheers,
Cameron S.

Rehearsals...

2007-11-04T20:45:00.001-05:00

We are getting ready to start 'down and dirty' rehearsals to prep us for gigs in the new year. We are also writing new songs...so, you'll hear them live soon.

Cameron S.

Spin Gallery Gig - Oct 25th, 2007

2007-10-27T10:53:00.001-04:00

We played our first gig post-studio this past Thursday at Spin Gallery in Toronto as part of the In The Mix sessions. Thanks for Hri and Luis with In The Mix and VJ Toute Suite for asking us to play. We had a good turnout - thanks to everyone who made it out to support us! We had an amazing time playing all the new material...it was mostly instrumental. We even had some interpretive dance going on behind us.

We ran through a 23 min set:

Intro - Maniacal
Angels With Their Eyes Sewn Shut
1CSWG
Pressure Drops
With Love From...
Let Me Go
Schizophrenia
Outro - Eyes

We are planning to pull together a full vocal set in very early 2008, so connect with us at the official Your Pretend Boyfriend MySpace to keep up-to-date about our upcoming gigs.

Cheers,
Cameron S.

Press Photos

2007-10-22T21:54:00.001-04:00

We took some press photos on Saturday. You will be seeing them on here and the official Your Pretend Boyfriend MySpace Page in the next few weeks!

Cheers,
Cameron and Paul

She Wants Revenge - Opera House, Toronto

2007-10-20T18:49:00.000-04:00

Last night, I saw the She Wants Revenge gig at Opera House in Toronto. The sound was muddy, but the band was in fine form even with the horrible acoustics. Justin and Adam played material from the new album as well as older underground hits. Even with some wanky crowd surfer, and the loss of steam after Justin had to eject the crowd surfer for hitting some other concert goers, they played, danced and got the SWR fans completely pumped up!

It was a great night overall...

Off for dinner now...

Cheers,
Cameron S.

Justice and Midnight Juggernauts...not quite...

2007-10-19T08:32:00.000-04:00

Last night, Justice were playing in Toronto with Midnight Juggernauts at Circa - we were guestlisted but the show was insanely over-booked and to make a long protracted story shorter, they didn't have room on the guestlist in the end; so no Justice / MJ for us!

After getting 'punked' by the guestlist police, I started walking along John and then Queen with my buddy Andrew (he'll be throwing down some dance tunes soon for your ears), we had a few drinks at Shanghai Cowgirl until just before midnight. At that point, I started on my way home...navigating the streetcar tracks construction which forces you to detour even on foot. While navigating the yellow construction fence maze at Queen and Bathurst, I met my friend Jay and she was going to Rok Boutique on Bathurst Street. I hadn't been yet and wanted to check it out, so I joined her for a drink. RB is a great bar for the rock scenesters (nice interior, small patio, intimate space inside) - the dj also spun some Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy, Placebo and PWEI which put a smile on my face. I will definitely have to check it out another night!

Later today, we are in rehearsals for our Spin Gallery set on Thursday Oct 25th, 2007. We'll definitely be making a post after rehearsal is done!

Cheers,
Cameron S.

Welcome To The Your Pretend Boyfriend Blog Space...

2007-10-17T22:12:00.001-04:00

We are starting this blog to follow the lives of our electronic band - Your Pretend Boyfriend! You will hear the exciting and mundane...the praise and rants...love and hate...and all of the juicy gossip in the world of YPB. Think of this space as a reality show in type, rather than video form!

The postings will start almost immediately...and written and edited by the band. Typos, bad grammar, all out chaos...you'll see us warts and all!

We hope you enjoy peering into our lives.

Cheers,
Cameron & Paul from Your Pretend Boyfriend