Break the Skin

DO change that radio dial....

2008-11-20T22:05:00.000-05:00

Break the Skin will now be located at http://shineisdead.wordpress.com/ for various reasons, listed there. Expect more frequent updates at the new site.

...and it was

2008-09-22T08:28:00.000-05:00

Well, the Child Bite concert mentioned below was awesome... went with my Dad.... he actually didn't mind the band but wished he could hear the vocals better!

I thought it was great, a short but energetic 30 minute set, awesome and cheap merch ($10 per t-shirt!) and on top of that the band just hung out with the audience beforehand and were very nice guys.

I did an interview with their singer Shawn and will be writing that up soon, expect it on The Tollbooth and on my other website as soon as I have some freakin' time to myself. This week is crazy busy.

Fantastic

2008-09-11T21:55:00.001-05:00

Child Bite

Sep 21, 2008 8:00 PM
431 College St, Toronto, Ontario
Cost : what you can

Man do I ever want to go to this concert.... I really hope I have the next day off work.

Bring on the Musics!!!

2008-09-02T21:58:00.000-05:00

Looks like Jerry and I are in the same boat. After my camping trip I have no less than ten albums to review for the illustrious Phantom Tollbooth. Here's the list:

1. Close Your Eyes - S/T EP
2. Child Bite - Fantastic Gusts of Blood
3. David Crowder Band - Remedy Club Tour Live
4. Generation Letter - EP
5. Javelins - Heavy Meadows
6. MissionSix - Superhero
7. NYpoleon - The Warm Up
8. Radio Radio - Alarm 1 Alarm 2
9. West Coast Revival - S/T
10. Ayiesha Woods - Love Like This

As with Jer, I'll try to get AT LEAST one in a day.

smooch

2008-08-04T20:55:00.004-05:00

I guess Jerry was right, I will still write here, though I may change servers eventually. Just some updates... Jerry's wedding was great, went off without a hitch, and just like at my wedding we just missed the rain. Everyone had fun, cleanup was fast, it all was just really nice. Congrats to Jelly Bananas, and his wife, the newly christened Stewed Bananas.

Sunday was also great, as Rach and I visited Andy, Misty and Annie in Toronto, attending the Waterfront Festival. We had a coconut (surprisingly bad), and also went to the usual shopping spots. (Sonic Boom / The Beguiling / etc.)

Picked up some killer tunes, a couple CDs for me, a couple for Rach:

Mortification - Mortification (Limited Edition Reissue) Making their classic debut easier to find, but not for long as it is limited to 1000 copies. This is raw deathrash.

Caedmon's Call- Share the Well The steal of the day at $4.95. This is a great pseudo-concept record about the Dalit in India

Roadside Monument- Eight Hours Away From Being A Man Finally snagged this classic Math Rock on CD. One of the best and most challenging records ever on Tooth & Nail.

Kiss Kiss- Reality Vs. The Optimist Rach got me hooked on this. Eccentric pop with some Avant Garde leanings. Sounds like... a less polished Mika jamming with Sixteen Horsepower and John Zorn, with obscure arty lyrics. Fun.

Gah... we need a new CD rack...

My blog has no meaning if you're not listening

2008-07-08T14:56:00.002-05:00

I have been writing this blog for just over four years... from my second year as an undergraduate university student to now. It is time to move on...

I am writing to announce the creation of my new website. This website is less of a personal journal and more of a professional page. I have entered into freelance writing, and intend to build a career with it, so please tell all your friends that I am freelancing. (No, really, tell all your friends I am freelancing).

My new website will be focused on my career. Expect to see reviews, textual criticism, poetry, and other creative and technical endeavors. You won't be seeing personal updates and "journal" entries unless they are related to freelancing. In other words, if you want to know what is going on in my life you'll actually have to talk to me (tragic, I know).

The new website is scant on content now, but as I get more time I will be updating it regularly. The best news is that it will be very hard for you to forget the url: noahsalo.com

Please update your bookmarks. If you have any ideas/comments/questions, or if you are interested in hiring me for a freelance or technical project, please e-mail me. Thank you, it's been fun.

stuff

2008-07-04T22:47:00.003-05:00

A couple weekends ago we went to Rach's family's place for her sisters' b-days. While there Rach's lappy kicked the bucket so we got a new MacBook... Apple has a deal on now so I also got a free iPod touch. Quite nice indeed.

Now I'm working at Tim Horton's (again)... it's a job and yeah. More updates later......... expect some significant changes to my online presence coming in the near future............. be prepared!

The Adventures of Jelly Bananas and Magical Todd

2008-06-23T10:18:00.002-05:00

There once was a man named Jelly Bananas, and he had a friend named Magical Todd. Jelly Bananas was very wise, and could get out of any bad situation. Magical Todd could read people's minds. One day they decided to create peace on Earth.

After years of toil and political deliberations Jelly Bananas and Magical Todd were successful... almost. All the world was at peace, except for the Isle of George. This small island was home to the evil dictator Hoan Olas and his wife Lehcar Olas. They ruled the Isle of George with an iron fist, and they wanted to take over the world...

to be continued

yeah and stuff

2008-06-05T16:23:00.004-05:00

Hello. I have been engaged in an interview process with Minacs. The next step is to actually have an in person interview, and I am awaiting their reply. Please pray that I get this interview, and God willing, this job.

In other news, I have been spending a lot of my time reading and enjoying music. Reading is fun now because whatever I read is my choice, and is read at my own pace. I love it. And music is always good. Here is a list of what I have been enjoying lately.

[READING:]

I am reading Thomas Pynchon's V. This is a fun, complicated book. Pynchon is a great author, I'm surprised that I never encountered him in University. Read this book, as well as Gravity's Rainbow, both are considered masterworks.

I am also reading lots of Manga. I blame this on Rach and on going to Anime North. I picked up a couple classics, including Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira, the first Manga translated into English. Also Masamune Shirow's cyber-punk Ghost in the Shell. I have also been reading some more recent Mangas such as Kohta Hirano's Hellsing and Hideyuki Kurata's Read or Die, both highly recommended.

[LISTENING:]

Lots of good stuff, however some recent stuff I've been enjoying:

Thrice- The Alchemy Index [all four volumes are excellent, progressive, and spiritual. Beautiful music.]

Kevin Max- The Blood [a collection of spiritual songs from Kevin, aka K-Max, aka the only member of DC Talk to do something worthwhile in his solo career (oh! snap!) This is great for personal reflection, worship, and various other activities...]

The Human Flight Committee- Oh, When the Animals Unionize [received this from the Tollbooth for review. It is quite enjoyable, been listening nonstop for a couple days. Progressive punky goodness, obvious mewithoutYou influences, but more poppy with a flair for some Anberlin or Emery styled sections.]

I have also been enjoying espresso from my awesome new Breville Espresso Machine c/o Steve Hayes. It is awesome, just like him.

And Rach just made delicious chocolate chip cookies. Cookies and milk time. Oh yes.

go

2008-06-04T06:55:00.002-05:00

the Human Flight Committee- Oh, When the Animals Unionize

Go listen. Now.

all moved in

2008-05-13T21:36:00.002-05:00

listening to: Thrice, perpetually. The Alchemy Index is awesome, all four EPs-though I wish they released it as a standard double album with four parts, because flipping between four 20-minute discs sucks. Also note the last song on each CD is a traditional Shakespearian style sonnet.

All moved in now, Apartment looks pretty. Got CD and book racks from Misty and Erin- now all cds and books on display looking very pretty, and we also have all of our copious video game systems hooked up... and also Carcassonne, Illuminati and poker in close reach... basically a hardcore entertainment set up.

Rach is schooling and working and I've been handing out le resumes... hopefully I will be getting a job at Minacs because I can work with Macs and it pays pretty well. I have heard people complain that the customers can get rude but I'm used to Tim Horton's so I should be able to deal with it. Other prospects include Price Chopper and Brant Office Supply... basically I am interested in anything except fast food for this next year.

Close friends will soon be invited over to check out the place and have freshly brewed coffee and/or espresso. Rach and I should be more visible soon as we have now got stuff in order. Be on the lookout for the newlyweds out and about.

Jelly Bananas

2008-05-13T21:33:00.002-05:00

My best man is a wonderful guy. He made a curiously long speech at my wedding. I am looking forward to his wedding.

He has done cool things like introduce me to eternal security and Thrice. Three cheers, and Jelly Bananas

Marriage

2008-05-02T22:55:00.002-05:00

Hello all, tomorrow is my wedding day, in approximately 13 hours I will be a married man. Accordingly I will be taking some time off of the Internet, so this is a note to let you know.

Your prayers and well wishes are appreciated!

"ASS!"- James Rolfe

2008-04-17T11:27:00.002-05:00

When I was in class yesterday someone scrapped over my MagSafe Adapter cord and ripped it open. Now it barely works and overheats waaaay to fast. This means I had to order a new one for a total of $125. Sucks!!!!!

...with bells

2008-03-26T21:39:00.002-05:00

Good evening. Things are fairly busy. Almost the end of March, in the next week I need to pack up my entire room and, along with Rach, put the finishing touches on the wedding plans. Saturday is going to be "buying suits day" for Jer and me, with Rach and Steph dutifully helping out (read: picking the suits for us).

I also need to complete a resume and portfolio for my exit conference as well as find a job. I will specifically be looking into the field of technical writing & editing, but I will also apply to "lesser positions"... because basically, I need a job to pay rent and afford to eat. Food before dignity I says!!!

And by the way, for the past seven weeks I have survived on a solid diet of Miles Davis and Underworld. Accordingly, my belated birthday present from my Dad consisted of Miles Davis' classic In A Silent Way and Underworld's latest Oblivion with Bells. As a fairly obsessed and consistent fan, I tend to look more favorably on it than many of the reviews, although I agree that some of the unadorned vocals are fairly bad. Some are good though too, and there are at least 3-4 songs to add to the regular live canon. Tis good, not great, but to a fan like myself quite nice to hear.

Also there is a rumor afoot that Underworld will be the opening act on the North American leg of Radiohead's In Rainbows tour. If that is the case it promises to be amazing. They'll be in Toronto sometime in August. Rach and I are there like shareware!

2008-03-12T19:43:00.003-05:00

Huh. I never intended to become one of those once a month bloggers, but my practicum sucked all my energy and left me unable to do anything else. Finally a chance to write something-- this will be casual though, just my top five albums of 2007. A bit late yes, but a lot of thought put into this list. Those of you who would rather some discussion about my life will have to wait, some good updates there too, but until then, here we go:

Radiohead- In Rainbows (This album was exciting not only for the unique DIY style of its release, but also because it is easily Radiohead's best record since Kid A. I love this album. I listened to it well over 3o times in the first two months I owned it, and I'm still not sick of it.)
Derek Webb- The Ringing Bell (Derek never ceases to impress me, though Mockingbird suffered from a sound of sameness, this album makes up for it with some great Beatles and Larry Norman inspired old school rock. A bit on the short side, but Christianity Today summed it up fairly well when they said, "Derek Webb says more in 30 minutes than many other artists could say in 30 years.")
Voice of the Mysterons- They Have Pulled Down Deep Heaven On Their Heads... (Absolutely crazy punk, with comparisons to the Dead Kennedys and Jeff Suffering. Lots of sci-fi references, great lyrics, ridiculously spastic and unpredictable music. Throw it on at your next barbecue and see what happens!)
Mika- Life in Cartoon Motion (First time I heard "Grace Kelly" I mocked it. The second time I hummed along, and the third time I was addicted. Sure, it is bubblegum pop and not my regular style, but it is very catchy and very fun. Queen meets Prince meets the Beatles. The lyrics are often inconsequential but sometimes run deeper. Good for parties and for a pick me up.)
Panda Bear- Person Pitch (First heard Panda in Animal Collective. This album has a heavy Beach Boys influence with some prog-ish and indie tendencies. Very uplifting- "Coolness is having courage / Just to do what's right / Try to remember always / Just to have a good time." And it certainly is.)

Honorable Mentions:

Cool Hand Luke- The Balancing Act (A compilation of the best tracks from their proper releases as well as from their rare indie stuff, many hardcore fans will not be familiar with at least half of it. Great selection, and the three new songs are also awesome. Looking forward to a new full-length.)

As Cities Burn- Come Now Sleep (After losing their screaming vocalist ACB mellows slightly, includes a lot more singing and develops some prog/experimental tendencies. Great spiritual lyrics and engrossing soundscapes keep this album interesting and worth repeated spins.)

Hey look it's a video blog!

2008-01-22T19:50:00.000-05:00

in (an abundance of) rainbows -or- how nerdy I can be

2008-01-03T22:17:00.000-05:00

Well, how many copies of Radiohead's new album In Rainbows does a fan need to own? Most people will answer 1, but I am crazy. I now own 3 copies, all of which were officially purchased. Why? Let me tell you:

1. Original download: the original release of the album was a pay-what-you-wanna download, for which I paid around $8 because I love the band... of course this release was 160 kbps, requiring that I get the CD for high quality audio tracks later on. I still have these MP3s for nostalgic reasons.

2. Discbox: The coveted, ridiculously priced discbox containing, the CD; a bonus CD of b-sides, photos and art; two vinyl records; and two massive booklets, all in a thick record book enclosed in a hard slipcase. Almost 7 pounds of awesome. I guess this is the holy grail for me as a Radiohead fan, sure they've done special editions in the past, but this one takes the cake. So excessive that only Radiohead could pull it off. This came to me via my amazing and loving fiancee Rachel, who, for better or worse, actually supports me in my crazy record collecting hobby. Love ya hon!

3. Regular CD edition: Why on earth would I buy the regular CD edition after receiving the discbox for Christmas? For a few reasons, actually. First, it is on a small label, and I like supporting indie labels (crazy to call Radiohead an "indie" band, but technically they are now). Second, the packaging is awesome. It comes in a box with the booklet, and stickers so you can create do-it-yourself art on a jewel case. Very cool indeed. I'm a sucker for well designed CD art, and frankly, quality graphic design is one of the main reasons I still collect CDs as opposed to getting all digital music. (That and the superior sound quality). And finally, it was only $7.99 at Future Shop, and my mom just gave me some Birthday money, so yeah, how can I pass it up being that cheap.

This concludes my rant about obsessively buying Radiohead merchandise. They're my favorite band, I'm a collector, and they package everything so well... this only translates into me doing ridiculous things, like buying their new album 3 times. I wonder how many other obsessive fans have done the same thing? Any takers? Leave a comment!

Christmas, Christmas time is here

2007-12-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hello.

Christmas at the Rose's was quite nice... it was a very CD Christmas, it seems that everyone wanted a special CD and got exactly the one they wanted.... Rach liked her necklace too, but she's afraid to wear it because the chain is so fine. Rach's parents got me two poetry books including one by Charles Bukowski, a collection spanning his career, quite nice indeed.

Also, back to the CDs... Rach got me the discbox edition of Radiohead's In Rainbows!!!!!!! AHH!!

It is quite pretty. It's also massive, it weighs about 7 pounds. There is a heavy slipcase with black & white art, the case is also heavy, with one record in each side, as well as two oversized booklets, one with art and one with lyrics. The bonus disc also includes a bunch of pictures and art. The b-sides are all rather cool. The coolest part is that the vinyl records are handmade, and each one has a message scratched into the non-playing section of the vinyl. Nice touch.

However, the best part of being here is hanging with Rach's family and friends, having fun, and sharing in the season.

God bless everyone, hope your Christmas time is awesome.

This is the voice of the Mysterons

2007-12-16T16:16:00.000-05:00

Oh. It has been a while since I posted anything. I've been busy, teaching, plotting, writing, and rocking. Right now I am nickin' someone's wireless at my dad's friend's apartment. We're hanging out because I can't see him before Christmas because I'll be at Rach's... it is nice to spend some time with him and have dinner and stuff, and following this I'll be heading to Rach's for some chats and study time.

He got me quite a nice Christmas gift... the remastered 2-disc version of Pulp's "This is Hardcore" imported from the UK. Quite nice, includes liner notes from Jarvis Cocker and a bunch of b-sides and rarities including 8 previously unreleased songs.

Also, this is the exciting part, I just received an e-mail from Daniel Peterson, aka Otto Nobot, aka the former lead singer of Blaster the Rocketman, and current singer of Voice of the Mysterons. I just finished a review of VotM's first record, which is amazing. I am gonna do an e-mail interview with him which will be published on the Tollbooth sometime in February. So Excite!

The weather here is insane, we've had at least a foot of snow already and it's still falling, I have a feeling it may result in the field trip / school being cancelled tomorrow, but hopefully not. Have a merry Christmas if I don't see you.

Seriously, what the crap?!

2007-11-22T15:20:00.001-05:00

Here are some screen captures from Amazon Canada & US, taken Thursday November 22, 2007 at approximately 3:20 pm. At this time, the Canadian dollar is worth approximately 2 cents more than the US dollar.

As you can see, the exact same item cost $10.00 less in the States, even though our currency is worth more. Here are the final prices:

As you can see, even though the shipping cost from the US to Canada is literally double the price of shipping within Canada, ordering the item from the States still saves you $10!!!!! What the crap! This is seriously complete B. S. Someone really needs to fix these ridiculous price differences. This wouldn't have bothered me when our dollar was worth 65 cents to the US dollar, but it is absolutely pathetic that I can save this much money ordering from the States.

I am not gonna complain that I save $10, but this is going to be terrible for Canadian business. As much as I want to support local retailers, 10 bucks is 10 bucks, so obviously I'll be placing my order at Amazon US. What makes this even worse is that this is the SAME company!!! Did they not realize that people would do this?! Seriously, Canadian retailers need to wake up if they expect to make it.

Safari 3.0.4

2007-11-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

Finally... finally Apple has updated Safari in a way that makes it unnecessary for me to use Firefox for anything anymore. Now I can do rich text editing on Safari. So this is the first blog entry from Safari since forever. And I can easily make it bold or italics or even insert a link with relative ease. Wonderful.

Also the new Safari finder owns with its animations and highlighting etc...

And the new Scott Pilgrim is wonderful, and also, wonderfully the longest one yet!

That is all.

In brief

2007-11-15T19:28:00.000-05:00

Just finished my reviews for Radiohead's In Rainbows and Animal Collective's Strawberry Jam, expect them up on The Tollbooth within the next week or two.

Rach and Stevie are coming to K-Town tomorrow, and there promises to be a wonderful fun filled weekend for all. Rach and I have officially moved our wedding date up, it is about 99% certain that it will be on May 3rd. This is quite nice indeed.

I have fallen in love with Power Points. This is utterly ridiculous I know, but they make presentations so much more fun. And that will be all for now.

Top Albums of 2007 (so far...)

2007-11-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

[This is a list of my favourite albums released in 2007, later I will post my favourite albums that I listened to the most in 2007, regardless of release date]

1. Radiohead- In Rainbows

2. Animal Collective- Strawberry Jam

3. As Cities Burn- Come Now Sleep

4. Project 86- Rival Factions

5. Derek Webb- The Ringing Bell

I prefer triple berry

2007-11-12T15:42:00.000-05:00

Listenings to: The Rapture- Pieces of the People We Love This is really fun, kinda sleazy and silly, but fun...

Well, I am again at the illustrious Coffee & Company (aka the only place in Kingston that offers free wireless) and I am waiting for Rachel to make her appearance on the internets, as we are supposed to have a coffee and msn date, but perhaps she forgot. That is okay though, but I do want to talk to her, as always.

Rachel and I are almost done our wedding plans!!! And I'm only missing two of my four limbs!!! (Just kidding, love ya hon.) We should be able to get invitations out sometime in January. It's going to be a small wedding, family and close friends, however we also plan on having a post-wedding party later in the summer and a Jack 'n' Jill party sometime before the wedding, so there will be plenty of opportunity for everyone to celebrate our union with us. (Wow... "celebrate our union." For some reason that just sounds funny... am I crazy or is it actually funny?)

I now have two reviews up on The Phantom Tollbooth and that makes me happy. Though I may not get paid, I do get free cds and dvds shipped to me, and I get to say that I am a published author on my resume. That and I love writing record reviews. HM needs to hire me or something! lol, I wish.

Check out the new Animal Collective record Strawberry Jam. It is kinda weird spazzy folk pop with some psychedelic noise thrown in for fun. The video for "Peacebone" is seriously messed up, check it out. Reminds me of prime Neutral Milk Hotel...on drugs...jamming with a less ridiculous Wolf Eyes. Um... that does make sense, I promise.