Strange how sometimes it takes so long to discover something -- how, for some reason, it just slips you by.

Well, regardless of all that time that I spent in the mosh pit in the mid 80's, and despite how much and how long I have loved and lived for punk rock, Tim Armstrong and Rancid have just entered my life -- and how very happy I am to have them here...

That combination of early style Clash/ east cost hardcore/ west coast growl is, well, music to my ears. A beautiful swirl of angst and anger and fun and love and hate and authenticity...



And speaking of happy accidents, these are the Weakerthans. Comparable to discovering Marilyn Manson and White Zombie when Rage Against the Machine broke up, it is a serendipitous moment that I should fall for these fine Winnipegian songsters just as the Rheostatics prepare to play their final gigs (at Masey Hall and the Horeshoe Tavern next week -- a moment in Canadian music history which I will be in attendance/ awe of and will report back to you directly)...

Never forget -- the world is BIG (really, REALLY BIG) and music is everywhere -- even in places where you figured you'd flipped all them rocks... As a matter of fact, if you still think you know it all, and just can't find anything new worth listening to, check THIS out.

Over and out,
A.