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THIS... IS.... ROCK (the hopefully regular singles review article)

I miss liking the radio. In my childhood and teen years I was probably the most rabid
consumer of the airwaves. Top 30 charts, request hours, I'd listen to all that make shitty
mix tapes from the radio where the DJ's would talk during the ends and beginning to "curb
piracy" and just enjoy music. I don't know what's changed, maybe it's the increased ad time,
my taste in music, or the annoying DJs they have now but I fucking hate the radio.

In an attept to try and rectify this I'll attempt a semi regular Blog feature where I'll
take a look at the top 20 lists of local radio stations in the Toronto area and rate them
(yes kind of like the AV CLUB.) This week we'll take a look at Edge 102, toronto's New
Rock/Alternative station (http://www.edge.ca) and their "Thursday 30" which at one point I
would never miss.

A little background on the edge: Formerly CFNY it's been seen as a "cutting edge" rock
station, jumping on many recent trends and as much as advocate of independent and candian acts as much as mainstream rock hits.


20.) Neverending White Lights - Always (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=obIBXJ0_UkY)

Neverending White Lights is a collaborative project from Canadian song writer Daniel Victor
with the emphasis on using mainly different vocalists (notably Raine Maida of Our Lady
Peace, Melissa Auf Du Mar formerly of Hole and Sune Rose Wagner of The Ravonettes) over his different melodies. On "Always" however he sings himself, a slightly punchier version of his massive (Canadian) hit The Grace (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=My0FyN72Phc) which sort of  reminds me of LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends" toned down 20 notches. Ultimately a passable pop rock song.

Rating (out of 10): 7

19.) Yoav - Club Thing (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=v_GbUWnx7Lk)

It seems my years away from rock radio things still remain the same; namely some weird
shitty "electronic" track somehow creeps its way onto heavy rotation. Yoav looks to be
channeling the combined forces of White Town and Primitive Radio God here, with its night
rider-esque beats and falsetto chorus. I like it when people realize the joke of these songs
is Passe so they fall off the face of the earth faster then Jimmy Hoffa.

Rating: 1

18.) Chevelle - I Get It (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=MsyNNKb4wLg)

So uh, Chevelle are a big fucking deal now? I never knew that there was a big demand for a
band that sounds like Tool but with the image that would appeal to frat boys. It seems now
though they've decided to co opt the worst elements of the last two Nine Inch Nails albums
and Muse. Fucking horrible.

Rating: 1

17.) Foxboro Hot Tubs - Mother Mary (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=mvdRGHREoNQ)

At first I thought this was a band I NEVER HEARD of but a little bit of research on teh
intarwebs reveals that this is a secret side project of those Green Day guys setting
themselves up as a faux "Garage rock" band. And as begrudgingly I admitted I liked American  Idiot (fuck I was listening to it on the way home last Firday) I have to say, this is ONE FUCKING CATCHY song that seems to have been lifted from some "Is This It?" b-sides. Also probably the best band name on this list.

Raing: 9


16.) Stars - Take me to the Riot (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=sxeIivNDtFU)

About as challenging as a Stars song will ever get. Ultimately (thanks to the chorus) it's
an uplifiting indie pop song but during the verses the bassline and Amy Milan's whispering
vocals just build a little sinisterness to it. Definitely not their best song but a solid single.

Rating: 8

15.) Serj Tankian - Sky Is Over (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=GY9kQcWLvEM)

Guilty pleasure admittance here: I actually like System of a Down. Out of all the "nu metal"
bands they do two things right: one they steep and soak in their ludicrousness and two they
seem to have a blast doing it. Admittedly I haven't heard much of Serj's solo suff till now
(he showed up earlier this evening at #21) but I gotta say this attempt at trying to make
a SOAD ballad shows that maybe Serj does need others to reign his ideas. The song sort of
tries to work on a few different tangents, the piano intro, the orcehstral chorus overture
and the eventual breakdown into baltic gruntal "la la la las" it seems the song is ready to
leap and then decides to never take off.

Rating: 4

14.) The Bravery - Believe (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=6G7ZLaiPxu0)

These guys aren't even trying anymore...

Rating: 0

13.) Attack in Black - Hunger of Young (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=3xQB5x5G-bw)

Part of major (Canadian) upcoming label Dinealonerecords (who also have City and Colour,
Alexisonfire and Bedouin Soundclash signed with them) Attack in Black seem to be following
the footsteps of the aformentioned Alexionfire and Billy Talent in trying to turn Canada
into the ultimate post hardcore factory on the planet. It's not terrible but like a bad
xerox it they seem to be a pale imatation of thos earlier mentioned bands.

Rating: 5

12.) Billy Talent - This Suffering (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=FoSYdreac64)

Billy Talent are part of a long line of Canadian bands who are the fucking shit in the great
white north and get a "huh who?" in the States. If these guys were born in New York instead
of Toronto I'd imagine they'd be huge. As for "The Suffering" it follows the Billy Talent
mould, alternate vocals, hyper fast guitars and the whole "slow fast" tempo deal however it
doesn't offer anything exciting that their countless other singles usually do.

Rating: 5

11.) The Flatliners - Eulogy (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=d0swGZXbW7I)

WOW A BAND I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF. I guess this is what happens when you get old, you hear things and say "geez I guess this what the kids all love today." I'd imagine 14 year old
TWIGby would love this song. 26 year old TWIGby, eh, not so much. I mean now that mall punk has jumped to all sort of weird directions playing it safe is just fucking boring. I'd take
*gasp* Fall Out Boy over these guys any day of the week.

Rating: 3

10.) Jack Johnson - If I Had Eyes (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=mVmbGsEtmFI)

So I heard that Jack Johnson was attempting to unlock his inner Brian Wilson on his latest
album. However this sounds less like Beach Boys and more like Jimmy Buffet. About as lazily
executed as anything from the Man "If I Had Eyes" should come with a warning: don't listen
to this song while operating heavy machinery.

Rating: 2

09.) Againt Me! - Stop (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=8FX2fc2Mzxw)

Can I admit to eating some crow? I read in "Rolling Stone" or "Spin" or somethingthat they named this song as one of the top songs of 2007. Like not just on the list but somewhere in the top 10. I mean I was thinking "fuck, Against Me? What the fuck?" SOmeone didn't tell me they dragged these guys to a European disco and forced them to listen to "Echoes." It still retains the "punk" edge that "dance punk" never really did with the Harsh vocals but the song has an awesome beat and a catchy chorus. Definitely awesome, as hard as it is to admit.

Rating: 8.5

08.) Linkin Park - Shadow of the Day (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=P_eEE12R8Gw)

It's the BALLAD! With the utter ball-lessness Linkin Park took with "Minutes to Midnight" it
shouldn't be a shock that this song exist let alone become a single. Now nothing wrong with
going with a softer song but I'd rather it'd take the route of "In The End" or "My
December." There's nothing that really differentiate "Shadow of the Day" from a Goo Goo
Dolls track.

Rating: 3

07.) Bedouin Soundclash - St. Andrew (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=bsVp48XWZJk)

Moreso then ever with all the hype surrounding Vampire Weekend I'm shocked that US music bloggers/media/whatever never picked up on these guys. Now granted I've never been a huge fan of Bedouin Soundclash but if the world is ready for sunny reggae inspired music why not from a bunch of Canucks? St. Andrew pretty much continues from their mega (once again only in Canada) hits like "When the Night Feels My Song" and "Walls Fall Down" offering a sunny fun reggae tinged hit. Not awesome but not offensive either

Rating: 6


06.) Rise Against - The Good Left Undone (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=JGxLPV19tO4)

This sounds exactly like "Ready to Fall", like, they're the same song

Rating: 0

05.) Foo Fighters - Long Road to Ruin (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=68qqyM-_K4w)

Sometime after the "Colour and the Shape" Dave Grohl made a concious decision for the Foo
Fighters to be the "de facto" band on classic rock stations 30 years from now. In in an
interview he said the decision to make "In Your Honor" a double album was to emulate the
greatness of Zeppelin's "Physical Graffiti." Long Road to Ruin was birthed for the stadium
arena tour, a chorus that you can sing along to, a wild guitar solo and a melody that will
infect the brain for days to come.

Rating: 6

4.) USS - Hollow Point Sniper Hyperbole (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=q_27Aig4kD4)

W.T.F. Seriously I'm stunned at what the fuck this is. Dub beats over whiney vocals?
Apparently USS stands for "Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker" so you know where these guys are
coming from but seriously it's time to pull the amiga away from some people. AND THIS IS #4, GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY!

Rating: 0

03.) Radiohead - Bodysnatchers (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=LB8Hxeq8Clw)

"Bodysnacthers" comes out like a tour de force from the calm left at the end of "15 Steps" on "In Rainbows." A hybrid of the experiemntal tracks from "Amneisiac" and "Kid A" while containing much of the raw power the band seemed to have left behind after "The Bends", "Bodysnatchers" is pretty much the epitome of the best Radiohead singles, strong, bold, odd but ultimately listenable and able to exist as a solo piece as well as a cog in an album.

Rating: 9.5


02.) City and Colour - Waiting (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=hDieZbG3KT4)

"City and Colour" is Dallas Green's of "Alexisonfire" side acoustic project and if you lived in Canada this would be a little bit of a big deal. I still say Dallas has a great voice and works very well with the work he does with "City and Colour" though "Waiting" musically isn't as interesting as previous tracks like "I'm Coming Home" or his work with Neverending WhiteLights in "The Grace."

Rating: 7

01.) Queens of the Stoneage - Make It Wit Chu (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=V5ivZ-4DmPY)

Probably the oddest "Queens of the Stoneage" single ever mainly because it's NOT totally fucked up. Never really figured out for myself if Josh Homme wrote this song as some sort of twisted joke but taken as some novelty I do enjoy it slightly. Entirely not shocked at its radio popularity however.

Rating - 7.5

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