the aliengirl planet

NEWS + SHOWS

2006-09-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

This is just to remind you all to check out the news page because there are many things happening around town and in general - we may have forgotten to mention the baby news but there is a new little spacebear by the name of Benjamin. I bet he will be joining the band soon so you should come and check out the new shows when Sadoceanspacebear gets back into action this fall. Yes - it is almost fall already but I am in denial about the end of summer. The new line-up should also feature our Web designer Ken Bannerman (ex-TransLoveAirways) replacing Melissa on Guitar.

And in case of confusion - Doc Pickles is still Doc Pickles on the site but lately he has been working as Your Band Sucks featuring Doc Pickles. Michelle and Steve have joined him in this little project and it has been a surprise every gig. Never the same thing twice - as a rule. The band recently featured Adam from the Meanredspiders who, by the way, played a beautiful set at the Virgin Fest in Toronto. Way to go guys.

So please check out www.aliengirlrecords.com and read up on all the news and get all the gig news. Everyone has something on the go even though SOSB is still resting.
PEACE

SPK

Your Band Sucks/Sick Little Slinky

2006-04-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

The winter was kind but long and the early spring sun is telling us that it is time to come out of the cave and release more records. First out of the gate is Michelle Breslin's Sick Little Slinky project. Grrrrlspeed is now officially out of the bag and on the way to radio and retail as you read this. Sick Little Slinky is Michelle's solo work in a less pop song related vein. Call it experimental or maybe just mental but no matter how you slice it, the final result of months of doodling and noodling on four tracks and ADATs and computers is a mesmerizing, dreamy trip. Electronic blips and bleeps and beats swimming along with lovely melodies and snips of vocalizing and acoustic guitars. A soundtrack to the strange times we are living in - dark and hopeful in equal proportions.

Next in line is the long awaited debut of Your Band Sucks. Doc Pickles has created an absolutely beautiful collection of songs that truly defy categorization. Quiet and personal, sometimes insightful, sometimes hilarious but always amazing and original, No Fire Day is a must have for fans of off-beat pop. Originally released last year as a limited run under the name Doc Pickles, the record includes contributions from Michelle Breslin of Sadoceanspacebear, Robyn Carrigan of Bottleneck, Dave Newfeld of Broken Social Scene's extended family and Melissa Boraski aka Ivy Pallas. Doc has been the host of one of Toronto's longest running and most influential new music nights, Wavelength, since its inception and has been a shadowy figure in the music scene for years with several of his own bands. Your Band Sucks is his current project.

Please check in with us for further updates as we continue with our new release schedule. Upcoming is the Moe Kellogg Best Of EP! Don't forget to request AGR releases at your favourite college radio station.

cha cha changes

2006-03-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

Once again, the SOSB line-up is shuffling. Melissa has taken leave to expand into a family and so, after some discussion we have decided to forge ahead and bring our old friend and website designer, Ken Bannerman into the band. Ken was a member of the famed local freak rockers TransLoveAirways back in the day and has been pursuing other interests for the past few years. Glad to have him back in the music world.

More on all of this as it develops. So for now, keep an ear to ground and check your local listings for late Spring dates. Ken is a quick study. The current line-up will likely be Michelle, Steve, Roan and Ken with a possible addition of keys somewhere along the way.

Definitely Not...

2006-02-27T14:04:00.000-08:00

Big news !!! The CBC has taken notice !! This weekend's installment of Definitely Not The Opera featured a little bio of Alien Girl Records, Michelle and SOSB. Now we feel that our tax money is going to a good place. Way to go, CBC!

This is where to find the playlist.
http://www.cbc.ca/insite/DEFINITELY_NOT_THE_OPERA_WINNIPEG/2006/2/25.html
Also - Moe Kellogg is now on MySpace
www.myspace.com/moekellogg

EVENTS EVENTS EVENTS!!!!

2006-01-10T14:26:00.000-08:00

EVENTS EVENTS EVENTS!!!

We're really excited about a couple of upcoming shows, just in case you missed it on our news page!! This weekend January 14, 2 of our favourite acts are colliding to perform at THE BAGEL, on College St, just west of Spadina. Our very own, DOC PICKLES will be playing along with THE SECRET HANDSHAKE! It's a cd release party for The Secret Handshake, and their amazing new cd was recorded right here at Aliengirl Records headquarters!! If you haven't been out to see them yet, this is definitely the night! Both of these bands are fast moving writers, with a lot of interesting lyrics, so we highly recommend that you catch these songs now, before they move on to their next batch of delicious prose. This show is only $3! $6 if you want a cd at the door. (which we highly recommend.) and don't forget to save a few dollars for Doc's cd, as it is quickly disappearing.

The following weekend on January 20, Geoff Farnsworth will be showing his amazing paintings.

Geoff's paintings have been shown in New York, Washington, Vancouver, Toronto, and he will be showing them in Stockholm later this year. Geoff has just finished doing a wonderful painting for the upcoming "Sick little Slinky" release which we'll tell you more about later this month.
"His figures exsist in a brightly coloured realm which is both landscape and mindscape."
We really highly recommend that you come out experience these paintings.

You can view his work at:

www.photobucket.com/albums/c233/gfarnsworth/" target="blank">PhotoBucket gfarnsworth

Year in Review

2005-12-28T10:06:00.000-08:00

it was an OK year I suppose - I mean, aside from all the endtimes activity all over the planet - and what better way to end the year here in Toronto than with a little random shooting spree at the very heart of the downtown core?

OK - let's face it, things seem slightly out of control these days but I am willing to bet that people have been saying that throughout the history of mankind, right? I mean, do we ever get smarter or more civilized? Sometimes it seems like we are sliding backwards but what does any of this have to do with music or Alien Girl? Well nothing really. I just happened to see the newspapers today.

For Alien Girl Records it was a proud year as we had the honour of working with Doc Pickles on his new record and Michelle got to record the Secret Handshake for an upcoming release. We were blessed with the gift of some fantastic tracks from a whole bunch of people for our extremely limited edition compilation for radio funding drives. The AGR headquarters finally got a DVD player and a new addiction. Everyone was well, Sadoceanspacebear wrapped up another phase in the ongoing history of the group with a fun show in Windsor and some fine fine moments at Mitzi's Sister in Toronto. Michelle completed a new record which will be out soon. It was good all around.

We will wrap this year up properly once it is entirely over but let's just say - it was a pippin. Hope all is well with all y'all and we are looking forward to becoming a busier little hive in the new year. Come back and visit soon.

winter message

2005-12-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

Seasonal greetings and good vibes to one and all as we crawl towards the end of 2005.
Expect much new Alien Girl action in the new year including a "secret" project while the Sadoceanspacebear is hibernating. The bear will return in one form or another in 2006 - for at least one show at Mitzi's Sister in Toronto - more details later. A revised version of our radio-only give-away compilation will be sent coast to coast and a full-on release for Doc Pickles will happen soon. Michelle is wrapping up the final package for her new Sick Little Slinky collection - to be released early next year.
Much to do.
But in the meantime, why not join us for a good old fashioned Toronto ROCK SHOW New Year's at Sneaky Dee's as Holy F@#$ team up with Shit La Merde for what promises to be a grand old time. See ya there !!!

We've adopted a virtual puppy.

2005-12-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, i know there are far more important things going on here at aliengirl, but while attempting to distract myself with by finding some silly game that i found on someone's site at myspace, i found this virtual puppy. We had a meeting here at aliengirl, and decided to keep it. Please say hi to him and give him a little scratch, he really likes that. And, i promise, we will be updating you about the latest aliengirl happenings, very very soon.

adopt your own virtual pet!

Dirty Ass Rock and Roll

2005-11-22T14:34:00.000-08:00

I have seen the future of rock and it's name is John Cale. Oh sure sure, that seems like the past but rarely have I seen a performance so sincere and effortless as the one that John Cale put on at the Lula Lounge here in Toronto. We caught the third of three nights and it was well beyond anything we expected to see. Surrounded by a hot shot trio of youngsters, Mr Cale blew the roof off the joint. It was a great mix of re-worked older material (dating all the way back to Vintage Violence) and new songs from Black Acetate with everything sounding current and exciting.

If you get a chance to see him on this tour then it might be the best concert you see all year or any year. We had the good fortune to catch him at a small venue right around the corner from Alien Girl Headquarters. The club was so civilized, in fact, that we were able to slip out between the opening act and JC to grab another drink at home and still get back in with none of the usual security hassles associated with some clubs here in town. Bravo to Gary Topp, the Lula Lounge and John Cale.

Several of the members of Sadoceanspacebear were in attendance so expect some new inspiration in the next live show... in February. In other news, we are still rebuilding after the big meltdown when one of the computers (the important one) went blank. Turns out it was a bad hard drive - thanks Dell, that makes one bad RAM stick and one faulty hard drive in the same computer so far. With the help of one of Michelle's kin, we managed to salvage some files but lost an unknown amount of information. What's that you say? Make sure you back up everything all the time? Uh, yes, well, ahem ...

The site was mostly unaffected as everything was retrievable from our host so it should be business as usual soon and we will be posting more new photos and MP3s and getting back on track with radio mailouts for the new compilation and the Doc Pickles album. Don't forget to call and request stuff at your local stations and we hope that you all pitched in during funding drive time wherever you may be.

Til next time,
be well.

AGR crew

"Crash" Goes the World

2005-11-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

Just to do our part in turning the world inside out, we have added to the chaos with a little twist of our own. Saturday morning cartoons were put on hold this week at the home base as we spent our day trying to sort out why we no longer had a computer that would boot up. We soon discovered that the elves who operate the hard drive had walked off the job and had no intention of returning to that dusty work environment. Since we had no other option, we simply went out and brought in the scab elves. Hmmm this tall tale is becoming too political and I had better bail out before we are taken seriously and get a bad reputation as union-busters.

The sad fact of the matter is, like so many before us, we have fallen victim to cheaply made high-tech assembly line machinery. Our hard drive said goodbye rather abruptly and with no warning. OK OK if you don't include the few blue screens over the past few months and the degredation of various operations then there were no OTHER warnings. No matter how ya slice it, we are in a bad way and now have the delightful task of seeking professional data recovery help. Yes, most things were saved but, my goodness, who has the time to same EVERYthing? Not I.

What does all of this mean to you, the casual visitor? Not much except that the site may fall victim to neglect as we try to rebuild the mighty empire of Alien Girl. A fund raiser might be in order on this one. Every time it seems like we get a glimpse of solvency it fades, our eyes water and blur and we are back in realityland where the poor stay poor. But we have our love to keep us warm and some great music under wraps. If you happen to be reading this BEFORE Friday the 11th of Nov and you live or visit Toronto, please check out Doc Pickles and the Beethoven Frieze at the Boat in Kensington Market. It will be a very special show and if you are in Windsor come out and enjoy the last Sadoceanspacebear show of the year at the Phog this Sat. the 12th.

be well and good luck with your computers.

AGR

Rock School's Out !

2005-11-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

Hello again...

Thanks to everyone who came out for the last Sadoceanspacebear show for a little while. We recently wrapped things up at one of our favourite locals, Mitzi's Sister, with a grand old set of good time rock and roll. It was nice to see so many people out despite the terrible weather and all the other activities on the same night. The band will resurface early in the new year recharged and ready to kick bum.
Also thanks to Alex Lukashevsky for putting on an excellent night of solo performances at Toronto's Tranzac club. Steve got to debut the King Pillowtop project at last. Keep an eye and ear out for Doc Pickles who has been playing around town and whose new CD will be widely shipped to radio in the near future.
Finally, a big welcome to the world to the newest member of the Alien Girl family and congratulations to Rudy Rempel and his loverly wife, Cheryl. Freeman is now amongst us and couldn't be happier to be here.
More soon,

AGR crew

Alien Girl Records Family Album Vol I

2005-09-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

It is out there ! The very first copies of the new Alien Girl compilation have just gone out to our friends in Saskatoon. These limited edition collections are for radio give-aways only and are available during funding drive. We will be sending out several rounds of these - some later ones will hopefully contain a few new tracks that we couldn't get in on time for the first one. The idea is to make them all as unique as possible with plenty of unreleased recordings, out of print songs and some demos. The contributing artists are not necessarily on Alien Girl. These are simply friends whose work we admire and who are currently under-exposed ya might say. Independent musicians making great music - quietly. The track list is available on the "compilations" page of the website so please have a look. Thanks once again to every contributor. We ended up with some damned pleasing material here. I hope that everyone who wants one will get one by donating to local college radio. Once again - these will not be for sale.

Campus community radio is in need. Please help.

It's ALL Happening !

2005-09-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

The new Alien Girl compilation is coming together quite quickly. People can be so good sometimes. Tracks are already in from Rudy Rempel (brilliant stuff), The Sleepy Mosquito Buzz Quartet, Alex Lukashevsky (Deep Dark United), Kevin Lynn (King Cobb Steelie/the Straggler), Melissa Boraski (Ghost Hero), the Secret Handshake, and our own various items of course - Sadoceanspacebear, Sick Little Slinky, Moe Kellogg, etc. and there are still some calls to be made to a few other potential contributors who we are really expecting great things from. Robyn Carrigan in Vancouver is trying to find the time to get something together exclusively for this release, Bill Lasovich is providing the soon to be anthem Shania Twain. Yes - it's AAAAALL happening !

So what is this all about? In case you are just tuning in, it is coming up to that grand time of the year again - the time when we all band together to feed that great hungry golden beast called campus/community radio - the saviour of the airwaves !!! In case you have been living in a cave for the past ten years, you may have noticed that commercial radio is in a sad and sorry state. Huge corporations are forcing some of the blandest, most predictable PRODUCT down our throats and the burden on college radio has become greater and yet there has never been a time of greater potential for college radio to change the airwaves forever. Internet broadcasting has opened up most stations to a world-wide audience but it comes at a hefty price. It is far from cheap to maintain these feeds and pay for the bandwidth etc. I can't get into the weird science involved because it would soon become obvious that I have no idea what is truly involved but let's just say - I know it ain't cheap.

So what does this mean to you and what does this have to do with us???
Good questions, my friend... good questions. Well, first of all - what can you do? Tune in during funding drives, get involved, volunteer, man phone lines, help with record keeping, and otherwise just pledge pledge pledge.

This is where we come in. The new Alien Girl Compilation is all about college radio and funding time. Prompted by requests from Halifax and Saskatoon for goods, we saw that this was an excellent time to pull together some home baked treats and call upon several people whose work we admire and who we think should be famous if not rich and then throw it all together into a delicious pie EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE through funding drives. You won't find this collection in stores and the offer won't be repeated so your only chance at grabbing this is by tuning in, digging deep and getting on board with our mission to save radio. Remember, WE are the people, dear music fans, and WE can change things for the better and as much as I hate to admit this - it has a great deal to do with hard cold cash - or even warm cash if you prefer.

There are obviously a huge number of important and worthy causes right now and if we could help them all we would but sometimes you have to pick one and stick with it and we see radio as not just a tool for record promotion and entertainment but also and most importantly, as a VOICE ! It is a voice of the people and one that must not be silenced. Things have rarely been worse for freedom of expression on the airwaves and as Canadians we have far more freedom than you might imagine so let's keep it alive and thriving. Please tune in and check in with your local stations wherever you may be - or check in through the internet with ANY stations across Canada for details on how you can get involved and when to call. Most stations have well-maintained web-sites and several provide excellent links to stations across the country.

LET'S, GO CANADA !!!!! or wherever you may be reading this.

- the AGR Steering Committee

Let's Get Pickled !

2005-09-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

OK - we are repeating ourselves a little this time around but if you haven't heard it yet then it's still news !!!

First of all - there are changes being made to the website so have a poke around.
New MP3s, new "about us" page, additions to existing pages and some new ones added.
This will be an ongoing project while we have a little time on our hands and our next addition will be more photos - cuz everyone loves photos -
and everyone loves PICKLES !!! and with THAT clever seque -

We would like to send out a big congratulations to Doc Pickles on the release of No Fire Day - his first CD - well, CDR but who really makes THAT distinction anymore? The lead off track produced by Dave Newfeld, famed producer for Broken Social Scene and punching bag for the NYPD, has been chosen by John Sakamoto for an upcoming podcast of the great Anti-Hit List. Check it out at the Toronto Star sometime next week (we think). The album also features the talents of Bottleneck's Robyn Carrigan and Alien Girl's Michelle Breslin who also engineered the rest of the record. Way ta go Doc !! onwards and upwards. Already charting here in town with only a handful of CDRs floating around.

SPEAKING of Robyn Carrigan - check out her duet with Carolyn Mark on Carolyn's most recent album now out !! It rocks.

The Secret Handshake kids have been making regular visits to Hit Record Studio at the Alien Girl compound. Bed tracks for their upcoming release were laid at our LOUD room outpost, Silver Island Studio, and subsequent tracking is currently underway. Look for it soon and to get your tastebuds going we will be presenting a sneak preview on an upcoming sampler being released to campus/community radio nationwide for funding drive giveaway time but in the words of Grace Jones - "if I don't give it how you gonna get it?". Uhm - in other words - the sampler will be available by giving giving giving to that old friend of the independent musician and small label - college radio. Tune in during funding drive at your favourite station to pick it up in return for a small donation.

The sampler will feature tracks by various Alien Girl artists as well as the extended family of friends and lovers. So far, the confirmed are Kevin Lynn (of King Cobb Steelie), The Secret Handshake, Sick Little Slinky, Sadoceanspacebear, Rudy Rempel, Doc Pickles, Squirrel and the Sleepy Mosquito Buzz Quartet. The calls are still going out and the tracks are still rolling in so check back for a proper track list SOON.

Stay tuned and thanks to all who have been out to recent shows, booked recent shows, put people up for the night, written reviews and bought and sold records.

Love,
the Alien Girl Records Steering Committee

Pickles and Secret Handshakes

2005-08-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well, SURE, I say this all the time but... there will be so much more coming to the site very soon. A few brief news notes : As we have already mentioned, the brand new CD by Doc Pickles is now out and available through Alien Girl Records and we couldn't be more thrilled. Doc quietly released the record in a limited, hand printed CDR edition at a recent installment of the Wavelength music series (of which Doc has been the MC for many a year now). Look for a supercharged version soon. We will be taking another poke at it for a wider release with enhanced packaging and all the bells and whistles. A temporary information page has been added to the AGR site and we will be making additions and changes soon, including several new MP3s and photos. The album is currently sitting in the #2 position at CIUT in Toronto. Way to go, Doc.

Meanwhile, Michelle has moved along to her next production session, this time with youthful upstarts, the Secret Handshake. The tracks, recorded between our Silver Island live room and Hit Record Studio back at headquarters, are sounding mammoth and should be finished in no time at all. No word yet on whether this will be an AGR release or whether they are already heading for the big leagues but expect some portion of the output to appear on an upcoming AGR collection and keep an eye on the site for a Secret Handshake page.

Also still in the works - a new information page for Squirrel. A short while back AGR made available for the first time the first Squirrel recordings. Originally released as a cassette, Squirrel at the Gas Station was recorded at the now legendary old Gas Station studio with Dale Morningstar (Dinner is Ruined) and Don Kerr (Scribbled out Man, Ron Sexsmith, etc etc) and is a must have for all those who love to archive the history of the indie scene in Canada and for all lovers of great music.

Steve has recently done some new photo work for friends Procon who have a brand new record released south of the border by the good people at cochon records. Find out more at www.cochonrecords.com or www.proconmusic.com. More news soon.

2005-06-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

JUNE 4 AT THE CAMERON

Honestly!

2005-06-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

We WILL be more active here, especially since tonight is our last show for a few weeks, while we get in gear to get a tour happening, and work on some new songs that have been brewing. We're really excited to see the cd flying out to all the stores in Canada, and people are really liking it.

so, about tonight, we are playing at the Cameron house and really hope that you can make it out, we're really excited about it, Mia Sheard is a beautiful songwriter, and Harkness really MUST be seen, his strange pop songs are sure to stick with you.

So, tonight,
JUNE 4
CAMERON HOUSE
Mia - 9:30
Sadoceanspacebear 10:30
Harkness 11:30
$6

it's out there !!!

2005-05-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

First of all - many many thanks to all those who came out to the big CD release party at the Cadillac Lounge. The bar is such a comfy place and it is people like Sam, the owner of the CL, that make it all worthwhile. We felt at ease and very welcome and everyone had a great time. Thanks to 5th Projekt for doing such a marvelous set and thanks to Adam Cotton who played a brief but beautiful set and kicked off the festivities in fine form.

So the Sadoceanspacebear album is finally a reality. It was released to retail on May 17th and should be available across Canada at your favourite stores through Outside Music distribution. You may still have to ask for it but please - don't be shy. Step up and proudly ask for your copy. In case you missed it, there was a lovely revue in Eye Weekly (Toronto) last week - check the archives
http://eye.net/eye/issue/issue_05.12.05/music/ondisc.html
So another thanks - a BIG one to Eye for leading the pack once again.

Thanks to Soundscapes record store in Toronto for being so easy to deal with and making us feel that music is still important. Anyone who saw the Johnny Dowd appearance in-store can attest to the fact that this store simply ROCKS. All Alien Girl releases can be found there or ordered from them.

And speaking of Johnny Dowd - after the blazing set at Soundscapes, JD and band went on to tear our brains out at the Horseshoe Tavern. What a show. Why this guy isn't getting line-ups around the block is a mystery to me. Just about the coolest show I have ever seen.

And on the disc trip, do yourself a favour and seek out the Dirty Projectors records. For anyone who enjoys music that takes it to the edge and back - you won't do better than the Getty Address out now on Western Vinyl. Thanks to Stan at WFMU for introducing me to this band. Listen to WFMU !!! You would be mad not to !!

Upcoming fun - Harkness will be returning from a Western tour very soon and we are delighted to be joining him and Mia Sheard at the Cameron House in early June - more details later. Doc Pickles (famed MC of the great Wavelength Music Series) will be releasing his latest masterpiece very soon and we will be joining him for the release party - check back for details.

Finally, one request to all non-Toronto writers and programmers and anyone else who is stuck on this anti-Toronto kick. Come on people. Really! It is just a city like any other and we all just happen to live here because ... well, many different reasons but ya know, many of us aren't even from here (I still consider myself a Haligonian) and it gets so tiresome reading all of the little digs against everyone who happens to have ended up in this town and lacks the means or desire to go elsewhere. Honestly, this whole thing is a bit ... well... without merit, really. Was that a nice way of putting it? Trying not to be too specific or nasty about this.

That's it. The summer is on the way and it's time for dancin in the streets no matter where those streets happen to be. Can't we all just get along?

Steve

more thanks

2005-05-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

a time for thanks. Oh where to begin? Mammy and Pappy I suppose. They have saved my butt more times than I care to admit to and brought me up real good. All the great musicians locally and internationally who continue to inspire me to make music. And everyone else. More specifics later as my memory returns (and my sentence structure) .

Steve

2005-05-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

CD release party info!

poster by Nathan Houbraken

Only a few days until our release party!

2005-05-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

So it's just a few more days until our cd release, and we're pretty excited about it. We're looking forward to seeing you all there!

2005-04-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

Back again with news, views, and reviews but first the big stuff. Sadoceanspacebear - the debut album - is finally a reality. The album will be on Alien Girl Records, naturally, but will be lovingly nurtured by the gentle souls at Outside Music Distribution from coast to shining coast. Woo Hoo ! The album got its final touch up at the ever magical Chemical Sound Studios in Toronto by one of our guitar gods, Rudy Rempel and the art was donated by one of our other guitar gods, Roan Bateman who is now safely out of the hands of the French and back to stay (we hope). Mailouts have begun and with any luck at all the songs should be blasting out of every boombox and pimped up ride from here to Vancouver island and back to my home town of Halifax. The band will be hitting the road and doing our duty soon so keep an eye out.

Official street date for all this action is May 15 (look for the gorgeous ad in Exclaim Magazine this month once again courtesy of Roan Bateman) and our release party will be at one of our favourite locals - the Cadillac Lounge in Parkdale. Opening acts are still being confirmed but you can bet that it will be someone great. No word yet on the circus acts.

And speaking of things we love: more great records to check out ! I just can't seem to get these songs out of my head - Paul Emery and the Dickens "Lives of the Future Blessed" has been floating around out there for a little while but is still new to many and you may be amongst them. Look for it ! Bottleneck's second album "Late Nights and Early Mornings" is a must have for fans of kickass alt-country and tear jerking tunes sung by beautiful voices. Label mate Geoff Berner has recently released a stunning record by the name of Whiskey Rabbi on the Black Hen label. If you don't already have that one I would say find it !!!

Other tracks that I am stuck on lately are I'll Bet Your Body Tastes Like Pepperoni Ice Cream by Killer Pussy. Thanks to Mike Lupica of WFMU for having the great taste to include this on his peppy funding marathon compilation from last year which also features Nothing Can Bring Me Down by the Twilighters. One of heaviest garage rock tunes I have ever heard. Way to go FMU ! Finally, Liz Hysen's outfit, Picastro have just put out the second record and while I have yet to hear it all - I just KNOW that it will be a favourite soon enough. Oh - I'm sure that there is so much more but it is all escaping me now. Isn't that always the way.

Final plug for this entry is Bill Lasovich and the Willing Victims "Parkdale Sunset" which is not totally 100% on the market yet (having three albums in the works at once can cause such things to happen) but having had the honour of playing on the record I can safely say that it is one to watch for.

That is it for me. Watch your local stores for Sadoceanspacebear and don't forget that all Alien Girl Releases are currently available through Soundscapes in Toronto and through New Glue Records on the internet. Pleeeeeease check them out and buy a few for stocking stuffers. Why wait for Christmas to stuff stockings I always say.

Steve P Keeping
P.S. a big kiss for any of my family who ever venture into our site. I love you all as if we were ... well ... family ! even if I never call or visit.

Thank you !!!THANK YOU! thank you!

2005-04-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

You all rock. thanks to all of the artists, Jayme, Mondo, Nate, Geoff, Roan, Drew, Barb, and all of the dj's, hans, danglin d, shit la merde, outer internationalists, flip flop and viva p and mayor melle, and all of you people with big hangovers today, thanks, it was a lot of fun. No pictures for you today, but check out some secret handshake songs at Ear Raid.

2005-04-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

april 21

Come to our party on thursday and see some great art, have some drinks, and dance, dance dance. PWYC and support aliengirl records!
Lots of art and dj's
artists, Roan Bateman, Geoff Farnsworth, Barb Greczny and more.
DJ's Shit La Merde, Flip Flop, Outer Internationalists, Viva Puff and Mayor Melle, Danglin Digit, and Hans

Come Early! We're starting drinks and music at 7 pm.

Thanks!

2005-04-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out with us on Friday, it was a really fun night. We made new friends and hung out till the very very end of the night. Tingouly were great, and really nice guys. We LOVE playing at Mitzie's and all the staff there make us smile ,hope everyone gave them lots of tips.

2005-04-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

mitzie's sister!

Show! News!

2005-04-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

We have a lot of news to share with you, check back frequently. This is the show we are doing this week.

Random Order!

2005-03-22T22:40:00.000-08:00

Ok, well, this is a quick and dirty post to let you know, if you want to join us in Kingston on Sunday March 27, we are playing there with Random Order, and Karyn Ellis at the Scherzo 207 Wellington st.

Sorry, no fancy poster at this time, but it's good to see Random Order have a new cd out!

2005-03-12T23:48:00.000-08:00

Even when dangerous, the french are stylin.

the weird and wonderful world

2005-03-12T23:29:00.000-08:00

So, we have had a very strange time this past 6 months. Our guitarist Roan, moved to France, and then we met the lovely Melissa, who is now playing some really cool guitar parts and adding her beautiful voice to the mix. Well, in true soap opera fashion, Roan returned to the band with new extra super powers he discovered while drinking french wine.

So, we now are 3 guitars strong, and just raring to go, be sure to let us know if you have a place for us to play in your city or town, or art opening.

AND....
the distribution is in place, we are VERY excited about releasing the debut record, 'SADOCEANSPACEBEAR' which will be distributed through OUTSIDE MUSIC in Canada. The release date is May 17, which is one of my favorite times of the year, and we will be planning 2 shows in Toronto, around that date, details to follow. Please be sure to check back for more details and tales, and we will be sharing many stories with you soon.

And a special shout-out to the Will-nots who had their very first practice today. We're looking forward to hearing from you!

And now for a message from our lovely friends in quebec, a photo for you...

...we're nationwide

2005-02-23T20:53:00.000-08:00

Time for a quick update on things in general while I am "in the mood"... so to speak.
First of all, it would unofficially appear at this time that we MIGHT be getting proper national distribution for the long awaited and soon to be well-loved debut album by Sadoceanspacebear. This, of course, means that there will be no good excuse for any household to be without the record. It should be readily available at any decent record retailer in your area in late April or early May. This spring we truly hope to hear the mighty din of hundreds of thousands - or at least 500 - piggy banks shattering as we finally release this collection of great songs to the world. It would be a big plus if we could drum up enough revenue to release some other great records by great people and make everyone happy in businessland. It should be cheap. And HEY KIDS! DON'T FORGET that all AGR releases can be easily ordered from the piracy of your own den by going to New Glue's site. Just buy one CD and burn as many as you like - but try to buy one at least. Then just burn copies and give em to those people who would never buy them anyway. No ... seriously.

Less than seriously, I decided on my next project this evening. I plan to do a complete cover - end to end - of The Clash's triple album Sandinista! That should enrage somebody. Chances are seriously good that I will never really finish it but it will give me something to do when I have free time and it will challenge someone else to do it first - which would be fine. I just think it's a fun idea.

And speaking of fun ideas (cuz I inVENted fun), I might just as well let this one out of the bag since I already mentioned it in an email to a total stranger today. There will be a solo release by me but not on Alien Girl. Hopefully it will all work out so that it will be included in the Alien Girl family but I felt like launching my own project. OK it IS a control issue. I'm fine with that conclusion... but it also has to do with release schedules and other technical music related issues that I am not at liberty to discuss. Not really. I just felt like it. It will be called Atlantic Depressive Records and it will, of course, be launched with my first official solo outing "All Washed Up And Ready To Go". No date on that yet but there will certainly be more details as I piece this thing together. The Sandinista! album will take considerably longer to pull off.

But enough about me !!
In case we haven't mentioned it yet - our stalwart guitarist for Sadoceanspacebear, Roan Bateman, has recently returned to the crew, having survived life in the French countryside for several months last year. He did many paintings and wrote music and then got tired of it and came home to the smog and bad driving that we all love best. Deep down. You can welcome him home personally at one of the upcoming shows where he will be accompanied by the ever charming and busy Melissa Boraski on other guitar and vocals. The band has never sounded better - no wait - MUSIC has never sounded better !!!

And speaking of Sandinista! I am officially throwing in my two cents worth that Lose This Skin by Tymonn (Timon?) Dogg is amongst the best clash recordings ever - and for God's sake, if anyone knows for real that Sandinista has already been covered, please let me know before I waste my time. Thanks. Then I can get to work on my melodica-only version of Brain Salad Surgery.

2005-02-14T21:03:00.000-08:00

a special show for us!

Melissa, Michelle, Steve, Warren, Roan L to R at Elvis Monday

2005-02-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Nate Houbraken for the photos. You can check out his illustrations on display at the Grapefruit Moon (968 Bathurst St) during the month of February.

ELVIS MONDAY TONIGHT!!!

2005-02-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

just a clarification, the date on the poster is very small, it's tonight FEB 7 MONDAY!!

2005-02-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

Elvis Monday!

Elvis Monday is back!

2005-02-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, well I've got plenty of good things to say about the return of Elvis Mondays, and hope to fill you in soon, but since I've got a migraine and a deadline, i'm just going to leave you with a poster for now.

2005-01-14T20:37:00.000-08:00

A pretty poster and an invitation to you!

hooked on vinyl

2005-01-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

Yes yes yes
the year in review. Ho hum. I guess my heart just wasn't into compiling a list this year. I might still try - just to shed light on a few more releases that didn't get much notice - but my recent obsession with the vinyl bin at my local Value Village keeps dragging my attention away from my many other tasks and interests. I mean, it isn't exactly some sort of magical treasure chest with great finds all the time but somehow, in a world where vinyl is pretty much a thing of the past for the majority of households, a new batch of oddities arrives every week from somewhere. These days I keep checking for more old pop records from Poland. I scored a few a couple of weeks ago and it totally sucked me in. Being official releases of the state in a place where western music was not endorsed by the government, the songs all have a contemporary western feeling with a very unique twist. Something about the voices and the language make this stuff infinitely listenable. Songs sung in a language I have no grasp on get stuck in my head for days and I find myself singing along phonetically. Violetta Villas in particular seemed to have a great sound on every track. A fabulous break from the average song.

Perhaps I will try to keep a weekly update of finds and hope the supply never runs out.

sometimes you just can't seem to find where you put it!

2005-01-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, so maybe there are just too many modern "conveniences" these days helping us out! For instance, booking shows, it's sooo much easier now, getting a hold of bands, figuring out who's on tour, who's on a plane etc, who's in an institution. Contacting people is literally at the touch of a button,it's so easy it's practically a thought.

Nothing could be easier!
I think you may know where this is going. Is it just me or is it getting harder and harder to get a hold of people?

I finally realized that i'm a bit of a tech-a-holic. Are you with me? Sometimes, you just need to pick up the phone, and skip the back-door, voicemail, cell-phone number punching in, emailing, blogging, posting, and just talk to someone who can quickly, directly answer a simple question, "What time are you showing up at the club with the gear next week?"

And on that note, I urge you to relax and enjoy some fun fine internet content, some comics and illustrations and yes, blogs, of Montreal based artist, Salgood Sam.

so long, 2004 !

2004-12-29T14:16:00.000-08:00

Once again it is nearly that time when we all get to buy a new day book - if you are organizationally inclined (which I can no longer claim to be, having left the day books behind oh so many years ago). It is always interesting to see everyone working away on their top tens and best ofs and all that guff. Here at Alien Girl we have chosen to ignore these time blocks as they just remind us once again of that horrible little record killer known as shelf life. We try our best to work without these short life spans guiding us. This is the one thing that really used to bum me out and I suppose still does. Going back to my record store days, I would all too often watch great albums arrive... POSSIBLY get rack space... sit for a few weeks until some "higher power" would finally pull the plug on the poor "no units moving" masterpieces at which time it MAYBE got moved to a side rack somewhere in the store and then, if nobody pushed it, back it went.

SO with this in mind I will try, over the next short while, to give you my best overlooked albums of the year and ONLY for the sake of entertainment. I just hate lumping records in with everything else that was released in that time period and thus imprisoning the work and then dismissing it at year end after which time it has no further chance of making the top anything list until one day when someone discovers it and blah blah blah. Just to kick this off let me put forth two or three just off the top of the old brainbox so you get the idea.

Let's start with the new John Cale record which has actually been out for so long that I am hard pressed to recall its release date but I DO know that it only came out in America a few short months ago. The release that appeared in Canada was a British import as I recall by the price of it and it briefly landed on the front rack of Sam's on Yonge (but what doesn't?). I had been eagerly awaiting this gem since first seeing the adds for the lead-off EP of "Things" - a radio hit that never was - in The Wire (when we could still afford the subscription). I was positive that the world would go nutty over a new John Cale. Aside from my own rabid fandom I am not sure why I imagined this scenario at all since previous records landed with a great THUD despite critical acclaim. Walking on Locusts was no great hit but a great record that did not translate into dollars. I suppose one could blame the inconsistent or at least confusing nature of Cale's career. Even fans are bound to favour one style or period over the other.

It seems that some programmers have finally taken notice of oh so dryly titled "Hobosapiens" and it has appeared on playlists such as WFMU and WOXY and PROBABLY KEXP though I have yet to see that in writing.

"Ancient" by Deep Dark United is another example of a record that I am convinced will eventually rise to the top but it was released late in the year and being a sleeper or creeper - whichever term you prefer - and being on a small "collective" label, it has thus far gone unnoticed even by many who will certainly love it as most people who I have passed it on to or played it for have. It can be found in interesting record stores across Canada I believe and is on the Blocks label. But did it make any lists, even locally? Not that I have seen.

The latest album by Japanese trip out prog folk anti-heroes Ghost seems to have slipped on through the cracks. A great sprawling double album's worth of beautiful music, "Hypnotic Underworld" stands as one of the finest releases this year. Despite lots of press (mostly positive) this one, too has seemingly disappeared from the public memory.

Oh, what a funny business this is. Well, more on this later. Gotta put on my thinking cap and check a few release dates since time has ceased to mean much to me, lately - but stay tuned. I will re-visit this topic very soon. Maybe tonight.

Steve K

Music That Matters

2004-11-16T14:14:00.000-08:00

OK, so the time has come, dear friends, to get around to what I started this blog for in the first place - real news and reviews. The first thing on my list is the new album by Deep Dark United. It was recently released by the Blocks Recording club who can be found at www.blocksblocksblocks.com and it is truly one of the finest collections of music I have heard by anyone in quite some time. With a real pioneer spirit, Alex Lukashevsky and company take you on a wild ride through various genres while rendering such narrow categorization irrelevant. At first listen I would imagine that many people go through many reactions ranging from fascination to repulsion but for anyone looking for an original musical experience this record never stops unfolding. Densely packed with ideas, Ancient is not just some kind of party record to be ignored nor is it an intentionally difficult or cryptic code to be deciphered. It is just good old fashioned creativity at work existing within and without standard songwriting structure.

Every time I have seen DDU play live it is a unique experience and it took me several shows to sort out where the improv stops and where the structure starts. The initial reaction is that these guys work through mental signals but once you start to zone in you can see the direction within the chaos (which sometimes ensues). Some cynical folks - and there are far too many writing music reviews if you ask ME - might see this as lofty, or lazy, or artsy, or just plain confusing but to fall prey to this kind of thinking is to rob yourself of being swept up in the moments when and where they happen and climb on board for the ride of a lifetime. I count DDU shows as some of the best live music I will ever see and I have seen plenty including Fred Frith, John Zorn, the Constellation records family of bands and so on.

Deep Dark United are probably not for everyone but if you have ears and an imagination and want to pick up a record that won't disappoint, run, don't walk - well - run carefully and not with scissors - to your local fine record store and get yourself a copy before they simply disappear and don't blame me if they do. And a message to reviewers, don't be afraid to admit it when you simply don't understand the music. Try harder or write love advice columns or something more up your alley. Leave the music to the music lovers.

more new release info to follow - drop in again.

Good Ideas Sometimes Work

2004-11-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

I had been hearing a great deal about the 365 days project - mostly on WFMU whose various hosts have been sharing their discoveries with the listening public - so I finally made my way to the current host of this treasure chest of oddities in audio and I was not disappointed. I was amused for hours and only touched on the fringes of what this project has to offer. While you are there you should, of course, pay some attention to the brilliant host site as well.

Basically, the 365 days thing was a one MP3 per day - year long posting project full of strange trade show records, bad attempts by anyone and everyone to cash in on one fad or another - most notably the "free thinking" late sixties psych movement, crusty home recordings of popular hits played by an army of anonymous citizens, song-poems, training records, special message records, and so on.

The project ran throughout 2003 and has now been archived with considerable commentary and notes at www.ubu.com who run a free space for sound work - mostly concrete poetry as well as papers regarding the same, etc. The entire site would take you several years to wade through but pretty much any random poke through any part of the site can fill a day with delights and new hope for humanity. There are entire records released exclusively through ubu for the free consumption of anyone who cares to hear the stuff. There should probably be a similar site for general polular music - well - I'm sure there must be but I have yet to find one that is so engaging and isn't trying to sell something in the bargain. The best part is - all of the material can be not only listened to but also downloaded and saved to your very own computer.
What more can you ask for?

New Glue Rocks

2004-10-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

Alien Girl Records are pleased to announce our new business partnership with Toronto label New Glue Records. The label is operated by Ryder Graham and crew and is the home to Tetrazene, Z'Houndz and others and they have recently opened the online store where you can order all of the current material by Moe Kellogg and eventually, the other titles in the Alien Girl catologue. Ryder has been active in the Toronto music scene for years with projects such as underground psych-pop gazers R and Tetrazene and most recently his new classic rock party band Z'Houndz and several more experimental or dance-oriented projects - all of which can be heard on the excellent New Glue sampler. The collection also features several tracks by associated bands.
go check them at:
www.newgluerecords.com

more updates soon.

Coming Soon - no, really!

2004-10-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

OK well it seems that a blog is just another one of those little things that we must make time to maintain. And so... this is an update letting everyone know that we will be updating this thing more often - really soon. For real. Please check back in for news and reviews and big ups and shout outs and all that other delightful stuff. So DO check back.
I will personally see to it that we follow through. Especially now that I have a new lease on life after surviving being doored and knocked off my bike by some dumb knob in an SUV!!!
So the guy gets out and starts looking at his door to make sure the paint job is OK.
Meanwhile, I am lying in the street!!!
Ah, Toronto. I am trying my best to love ya. I really am.

see y'all soon

Steve

Plays Well But Check Condition

2004-08-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

So once again I find myself turning to the past glories of this fair city and reflecting on the marvel that was Peter Dunn's Vinyl Museum. There has probably never been a store more aptly named. With three locations (all now long gone) this warehouse of delights had to be one of the queerest items ever in Toronto. Packed from end to end with every manner of record and music related bric-a-brac, the store also had a very blatant mission which showed itself on every dust jacket, vinyl sleeve and all too often right on the cover. JESUS! Obviously run by a man of born again interests it was like he realized that this kooky rock and roll business that the kids were listening to was the way to get them back into the church.

We here at Alien Girl have recently been asked to add a little music to the lives of the patrons at the fancy new Drake Hotel so I began digging through what is left of my sadly depleted vinyl collection and I was amazed to see how many of my records had passed through the loving hands of Peter Dunn and his staff - all indelibly stamped with various passages from the bible - often stamped on a bit of coloured paper and taped to the cover or the insert. And then there was the mascot. That strange take on Sylvester (of Tweety fame) who wasn't quite well drawn or badly drawn but just seemed so ernest and simple and familiar. I never did investigate any further to get the lowdown on who the man really was or why he had record stores in Toronto and Orlando, Florida and seemingly nowhere else - or why he suddenly packed it in and left an incredible void in the world of record shopping in Toronto.

On any given day you could wander in to the Yonge st or Bloor st stores (and most likely the one in Etobicoke) and find the oddest items, rarities priced like deletes, total pop junk and every so often a strange score like a box of Rolling Stone magazines dating back to 1966 !!! All at super cheap prices. Deleted Funkadelic records still sealed in the days when nobody actually wanted this stuff, every Stevie Nicks record ever released, of course, Jonathan Richman, strange old rock operas from the early seventies, Christian rock... you name it.

I was reminded of how much of a void there really is after I went record shopping. Having spent several years on the east end of town I had the luxury of several good record stores with prices that didn't always reflect the true worth of the music but all too often you get skinned. Mr Dunn seemingly had no interest in that sort of business. What really drove this home was my first visit to Sonic Boom which could be said to be the only replacement for the Vinyl Museum in some ways although the primary booty here is the CD and not the record but they have recently started in on the used vinyl. The point is - it is an example of a huge store that could be full of the same sort of delights but is mostly empty.

And so we wait... perhaps one day we will see truckloads of inventory arriving from bankrupt record stores and warehouses but I have a funny feeling that the moment for this has passed and now the vinyl is in the hands of the premium price collector stores. There will probably never be another Peter Dunn... an honest store full of good and bad all with the stickered message "Plays Well But Check Condition" - good advice for anyone.

The Cell Game

2004-08-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

Hey - here's a fun game that you play in Downtown Toronto (or most likely just about anywhere these days). Walk around and see how many people you can count who AREN'T talking on a cell phone. It is absolutely insane! It really has become one of those things that you barely even notice anymore but once you decide to check it out it is utterly mind blowing. What could all of these people need to talk about so badly? Has it simply become a massive addiction - any free second people MUST check their phones. People on streetcars calling people to tell them that they are on the streetcar! How very exciting. How urgent!

OK now I know that I am supposed to be listing off reasons to love this city but consider this a minor diversion and then it will be all flowers and puppies and sunshine again. In fact, we ARE enjoying one of the most tolerable summers I have ever experienced in Toronto. Everyone keeps talking about how the unbearable heat will come soon but it never does. Sweet.

So this cell phone thing... I don't get it. What did everyone do ten years ago when they had to wait through all those horrible minutes of non-communication until they could find a pay phone to check messages? And is anyone really communicating anything outside of the endless business transactions that surround us every minute of every day in the downtown core or is it all just fluff - an excuse to hear your own voice coming out of your head? sheesh. You start to get the feeling that you are constantly slugging your way through a thick smog of words. It is like everyone suddenly just started talking to themselves all day long and in reality this is very likely closer to the truth than anyone will admit to.

So anyway - go ahead and try it sometime. It is nothing short of shocking. If you DO see someone who isn't talking on the phone - watch them for a few minutes and I bet they will pull out a phone and start checking messages. OK it isn't all that exciting but it IS one more free activity to do on your downtime.

Things to make the work day a fun day

2004-08-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

OK well, fun might be stretching it but this is certainly something to help the hours glide by and it has nothing to do with Toronto. I will continue my tourist in your own town guide as it comes to me but in the meantime... if you are or have ever tried to be a fan or supporter of college radio but have taken issue with this or that - most of this or that being DJs who never announce, too many talk shows, too much jazz and in general just not enough CONTENT - then I may have some answers. This whole internet radio thing just used to be a drag or a joke or at the most positive - just not quite there yet. Well, we've come a long way, Baby and here are my picks for the best of the best.

First on my list is the station that changed my relationship with radio forever - WFMU in New Jersey. They can be found at www.wfmu.org and they have it all going on. No longer a college station - having long since declared their independance - they are like the best parts of college radio with all the bad stuff stripped away. Totally genre-free and free form 24 hours a day, they not only have fun, well informed, staff but they also have all shows in an archive for random access and most playlists are posted to go along with the archived shows. Wee ha ! If that isn't enough of a selling point then get up on Saturday and check out Greasy Kid Stuff. Best kids show ever.

Second on my list is the newly re-launched WOXY !!! No longer on the FM dial, they beam out of OHIO and while they are a bit "formatted" and the jocks are all slick, fast-talkers - the music is pretty consistenly decent. CMJ territory all the way - you won't hear anything too far outside of the major indie label rock but if that's your thing and you don't MIND hearing the new single from Interpol over and over again then check out www.woxy.com
Still better than hearing the new Phil Collins single every day. Sorry Phil, just pulled your name out of the bad music hat.

The holy trinity is rounded out by long-standing favourite out of Seattle - KEXP. Similar to WOXY, and, like WOXY, they publish playlists and stream very well. Slick but amusing jocks and great new music but once again - you won't hear Captain Beefheart or american folk music field recordings but it still beats Clear Channel.

And on a more local note - the daily 3-6 slot on CHRW ain't half bad either. www.chrwradio.com

Be a tourist in your own town

2004-08-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

Well... I've said it before but... there has never been a better time to not travel.
And with that in mind, I invite you all to be a tourist in your own town. There's lotsa stuff right under your nose - right here in the city that seldom sleeps. So once again, I present you with more reasons to love this smelly town.
I've got two words for you - Baldwin Market. No no no - not KENSINGTON market - BALDWIN - go further east... past Spadina, past McCaul... right up the street from OCA and and the AGO. This lovely little summertime haven is just perfect for forgetting the snarling, nasty downtown fury and traffic and grooving out on the sights and sounds of people eating food - which is mostly what goes on here. But it isn't JUST food - not JUST the Mexican, Chinese, Veggie delights, Italian, and more. Tucked away in the middle of it all is one of the best used record stores I have ever stepped foot in. Around Again records is the one place I can always go for those strange and wonderful obscurities that peppered my youth with every conceivable sound from all over the globe.
Where else could I wander in and find a copy of URGH! A Music War... an amazing double record that was released in the 80's to accompany a documentary film of the same name - also now out of print. Just about every major figure in new wave checks in here. Then in the same month I scored a copy of Edikanfo's one and only North American release - produced by Brian Eno. and the best part? When I returned the next month BOTH records had been replaced! Quite simply astounding. The records are always mint and the folks who run the joint still seem to love records. NOW THAT's something you don't see every day.
John's Italian Pizza, Chinese tofu buns from the bakery, a great health food store, a new sushi place and one of the country's best record stores. And best of all, it is all five minutes from my place of employment.
One of Toronto's best kept secrets - Baldwin Market.
More to come...

Toronto - let's love it again.

2004-07-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

hey gang,

Welcome to the Alien Girl Records blog. Boy, I never thought I would ever find myself using that word but there it is. Slipped right into my vocabulary just like DVD ! ah, the 04 - there I go again... GEEZ

well, lots and lots to tell since we haven't really told much of ANYthing up until now. We just set up the ... BLOG... after months of me hounding our admin staff (Michelle) to hook me up with one of these so I would have a new place to shoot my mouth off about all the great music and people around us. Having just relocated back to the centre of the action in downtown TO, I am starting to be proud to be Torontonian again (being a displaced Haligonian in reality). It has been a long love hate relationship but now that I no longer have to sail the seas of Queen E to travel back and forth to the office I am digging the summer and the city and summer in the city. Now it's just a matter of getting used to the Portugese soccer fans going berserk and blocking the streets every time they win a game . There is a certain charm in adults who aren't afraid to paint themselves in the colours of their flag. I guess... uhm ... under the right conditions I suppose.

So yes, I do believe that Toronto needs a little more self confidence these days... let's face it - it is simply the most logical place to be doing business if you are in the music biz on any level. Oh yes yes yes many will argue and I will understand and accept it all but for us, it is where we need to be so LET'S GO TORONTO !!!! Let your freak flag fly. There is far too much anti-Torontoism going around and it is totally unfair. Sure - go ahead and hate the city but hate it for the hateable stuff - the bad city planning and the traffic and the smog and the lack of support for the arts but COME ON and love us for the artists and musicians who have always made this city great. They really DO still exist. Don't believe me? Then look no further than my favourite new bar, The Communist's Daughter at Dundas W and Ossington.

It is run by an old pal and veteran Toronto musician extraordinaire, Paul Emery. What more can a person want in a local??? Cheap beer, inventive snacks and a jukebox full of some of the greatest records of all time (including his very OWN - how cool is THAT?). And it THAT's not enough ... the staff and the customers all rock and you can tell em I said so.

OK there ya go - my first in a series of reasons to LOVE Toronto again. Go ahead and love it!
I dare ya !!!! more to follow !!!!

Steve P Keeping
Alien Girl Records

Welcome to the aliengirl planet!

2004-07-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

We're a small collective of artists from around the world, who are creating and promoting pop music for the experimentally minded. So many good things have been happening with us lately, that we decided to get this blog up and running.

Steve in particular has been talking about it, a lot, and since he has more time to talk, and less time to update the website, we thought this would be a good way to keep you all up to date. So here we are, and we look forward to bringing you lots of news!

2004-07-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

News!

2004-07-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

ok, well this is just a test, we're totally new to the whole blog thing, but at aliengirl, we like to try new things!!