The Boiler Factory

Family Get Down

2010-02-09T19:03:00.007-05:00

this ain't no jive talkin' - just another reminder that in just 11 days we will kick off the first in what we hope will be a long line of family funk-shuns. david from ncpr's beat authority will be on the turntables laying down the tasty grooves for all you disco divas and dudes. come on out to la casbah (6 elm st., potsdam) from 2-4pm on saturday the 20th and be a part of a new tradition in the north country (and shake your booty in the process). hope to see you there!

Family Funk-shun!

2010-02-04T14:01:00.004-05:00

punxatawny phil's prediction got you down? looking for a way to shovel away those winter blues? well, family funk-shun has a little somethin' for you...

round up the family, dust off those bell bottoms, and get ready to shake your groove thang at the boogie-tastic family disco party on saturday, february 20th from 2-4pm upstairs at la casbah, 6 elm st. in potsdam.

family funk-shun is a new series of family-oriented dance parties in the north country! the disco party will feature music from dj tapatio (david sommerstein from ncpr’s beat authority), snacks for the kids, and a cash bar for adults. blow out that afro and take that leisure suit to the dry cleaners, cuz it's gonna be all that!

the party is geared toward kids under 10 and all kids must be accompanied by an adult. funky costumes are encouraged. dyn-o-mite!!!

admission is $3/person or $10/family. for more info or to send song requests, email familyfunkshun@gmail.com.

Oxford Commas

2009-07-10T21:31:00.001-04:00

i happened to hear the vampire weekend song "oxford comma" as i was shuffling through my itunes library earlier today and i began to wonder how many of my albums employ (or should employ) the oxford comma. here's my list. any others i've missed?

power, corruption, and lies - new order
rum, sodomy, and the lash - the pogues
reading, writing, and arithmetic - the sundays
pills-n-thrills and bellyaches - happy mondays (a technicality, i know)
parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme - simon and garfunkel
beers, steers, and queers - revolting cocks (i don't own it, but that title sure does stick with you)
mother jugs, and speed - ok, technically a movie, but must have had a soundtrack, no?

Long Distance Dedication

2009-07-09T12:34:00.006-04:00

I was recently invited to join a bunch of old friends and complete strangers in a group dedicated to sharing and discussing music. It has been a tremendously rewarding experience as I have been exposed to an amazing amount of quality music, both new and old.

Once you get more than one music geek in a room (virtual or otherwise), talk inevitably turns to top ten or twenty lists. With the abundance of CD reissues from our collective formative years, the conversation focused on our favorite albums since 1980. Here are mine. Other than the first few, they are in no particular order. Of course, I expect you to share your favorites as well as to keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (1989) – Hands down, the greatest pop record of my musically formative years.
The Housemartins - London 0 Hull 4 (1986) – Any band that writes catchy Marxist pop songs and is willing to include a “middle bit of some repute” in their liner notes for one song is OK by me; shoulda been legendary.
De la Soul - Three Feet High and Rising (1989) – Much deeper than the title would suggest.
Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique (1989) – Like deconstructing Ezra Pound in college lit class, but while waving one’s hands in the air as if one didn’t much care.
The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin (1999) – As one track on this stunner suggests, a spoonful weighs a ton.
Portishead – Dummy (1994) – Just about everything I love about music in one gloriously sad little package.
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions… (1988) – I’m still reeling from the one-two punch of this album and “Do the Right Thing” during my freshman year in college.
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1992) – If I were to collect reviews for all of the albums I have acquired since 1992, I’d guess a full 70% reference this album as an influence; still haven’t found one to match it, though.
Matthew Sweet – Girlfriend (1991) – Like riding around in the “way back” of the family station wagon listening to AM radio.
Belle & Sebastian - The Boy with the Arab Strap (1998) – Hard to pick a favorite of theirs, but this one gets the nod for being my introduction to a band that can do no wrong in my book.
Jane’s Addiction - Nothing’s Shocking (1988) – I can still recall where I heard this the first time; may not have aged well but, from the look of this list, neither have I.
The La’s - The La’s (1990) – A short, sharp shock of a debut without the inevitable sophomore letdown.
Sigur Ros - Aegetis Bryun (1999) – Listening to this I always hear Morgan Freeman’s voiceover from the Shawshank Redemption where his character is hearing Mozart over the prison PA and he remarks “I have no idea to this day what them two Italian ladies were singin' about. Truth is, I don't want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I like to think they were singin' about something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it.”
Richard and Linda Thompson - Shoot Out the Lights (1982) – I came to this only in the last few years and with the benefit of a relationship of nearly 20 years to fully appreciate it; not one my 12-year-old self would have understood.
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead (1986) – It’s scary to me to think that there are suburban white kids going through their teenage years today without the wisdom and guidance of the Smiths.
REM – Reckoning (1984) – Another band I got on board with later in the game (Life’s Rich Pageant – thanks, Janine!), this one is the one I come back to most often (probably as a result of Pavement’s “The Unseen Power of the Picket Fence”).
Actual Tigers - Gravelled and Green (2001) – Everyone has that one album in their collection that they feel everyone else in the world should hear and love; this is mine.
Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991) – Think about how different the world would be if this breed of rap (and not gangsta) had taken hold of the public’s imagination.
Wilco - Being There (1996) – The title says it all. Even though they’ve grown old (a bit too) gracefully, I keep coming back to this specific time and place.
Mercury Rev - Deserter’s Songs (1998) – Listened to this for the first time riding an Amtrak train along the Hudson from NYC over Christmas break in 1998 on my way to my hometown of Buffalo to attend the funeral of my best friend’s dad; heartbreaking in the best way.

Honorable Mentions:
The Pursuit of Happiness - Love Junk
Radiohead - OK Computer
Black Grape - It’s Great When You’re Straight…Yeah!
Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session
Sloan – One Chord to Another
Bob Mould – Workbook
Crowded House – Temple of Low Men
Okkervil River – Don’t Fall in Love with Everyone You See

Talkin' Proud

2009-04-13T21:13:00.007-04:00

While I love small town living, I must admit that quite often I long for the city life. In addition to the obvious benefit of more live music, there is that wonderful feeling of civic pride one gets being in a larger community. I was reminded of this in two recent emails - one from my mom and another from a fellow North Country member of the Bflo diaspora.

Both emails had links to photos each of them took on the Buffalo Bisons' opening day this year. (Interesting side note - mom's pics included shots of Sen Schumer and Gov. Paterson at the game, my friend the reporter stuck with shots of the family). I have never been much of a baseball fan, but every year I get nostalgic for the crack of the bat and a big, cold, expensive beer in the cheap seats.

Even after leaving Buffalo so many years ago, my experience at War Memorial Stadium and the downtown ballpark lead me to search out similar settings wherever I lived. I was lucky enough to have a brand new ballpark built just down the block from my house when I was in college at Binghamton. Groups of us would walk to the stadium; buy $3 seats on the 3rd base line (the cheap seats began about 10 rows up); use our extra cash on beer, hot dogs, and peanuts; cheer on the up-and-coming Mets prospects (Isringhausen, Wilson, Huskey...); and belt out "Take Me Out To The Ballgame". Later, in Albany, my wife and I would ocassionally build up the courage to be seen entering the edifice with the unfortunate name "Joseph L. Bruno Stadium" to take in the efforts of the local nine.

It's funny, people from Bflo are inevitably fans of the big sports - the Bills and Sabres. My folks were no exception. However, tickets for a family of 7 were out of the question even in the 70's and 80's. The closest we came to the big leagues was a trip to the Aud for a Braves NBA game in the late 70's before they clipped out to LA. Instead, we were treated to Bison's games at the Rockpile and, eventually, the grand prize - Buffalo Stallions season tickets. The combined attendance at all of the hundreds of sporting events we attended as a family would probably not fill the Bills' stadium even after they reduced the capacity. But, that was never the point.

My folks were passionate about being a part of the community. In addition to supporting indoor soccer for years, we had annual memberships to the zoo and the aquarium. We attended the yearly ethnic festival, the Allentown Art Fest, the Fair, and dozens of other smaller scale events that made us feel tied to the community even though we lived in the suburbs. Heck, every time we ventured into the city my mom always insisted we take the "scenic route". Secretly, I think it may just have been a means to scare us into praying more often. They still have season tickets to baseball and lacrosse.

Sadly, the same week I received the emails I got a Facebook update from my brother sharing pictures of the demolition of the Aud. I got chills thinking about the great times I spent in the front row of the orange nosebleed section at soccer games. I remember reaching the age where my dad no longer felt the need to refrain from cursing at those players that disappointed us (Herve Guillaud, I'm looking in your direction). It really made you feel a part of a family - both in the small and the larger sense.

Of course, small town living has its advantages too. Especially in feeling a part of a community. It's great to go to the grocery store or out to a bar and know 60-70% of the people there. It's just not the same as joining them all at the ballpark to heap scorn upon that constantly underachieving right fielder.

Opening Day

2009-03-18T20:48:00.006-04:00

while the majority of the population (including thousands of binghamton alumni who have drunk heartily of the kool-aid) will be spending today working themselves into a lather over the ncaa men's basketball tournament, i will be celebrating the long-awaited return of the domestic incarnation of the beautiful game.

thursday night. seattle. 9pm (est). opening night for major league soccer. the league's newest franchise, seattle sounders fc, takes the field in front of a full house including more than 22k screaming season ticket holders to take on last season's mls cup runner-up, the re-tooled red bull new york.

the game, nationally televised on espn2, will kick off the new season. even though the off-season is all but invisible to those not devoted to the league, it has been hard not to catch the buzz heading into season 14. you couldn't turn on the tv this week without seeing the league's newest ambassador and seattle minority owner, drew carey, pimping his team and mls to the masses.

on top of that, the league announced today that it will add a 17th team in vancouver, bc in 2011 (#16 philly is slated to start play next season). rumors persist that friday will bring another press conference and the awarding of the 18th mls franchise to portland, or. for those keeping track, that would be three clubs added in 2 years in the pacific northwest, soccer's newest hotbed.

the bad news for those of us in northern new york is that it is looking unlikely that either montreal or ottawa will be added to the league this time around. however, in seattle today the commissioner stated that mls plans to add two more teams by 2012. let's hope at least one of those two will be the third canadian club.

This Wheat

2009-03-03T16:35:00.009-05:00

if you've not had the good fortune to have heard either of the first two albums by taunton, massachusetts' wheat, don't despair. according to magnet magazine, the band will reissue medieros and hope and adams as a three disc set ahead of an album of new material called white ink black ink.

while both albums are excellent, hope and adams is the real gem. produced by dave fridmann at the top of his game (just off deserter's songs and the soft bulletin), hope and adams is a little slice of pop heaven if your idea of heaven consists of lush, murky, catchy, lo-fi, half-songs sung with more feeling than skill.

for the homies, there is a great bootleg of a show recorded in bflo at nietsche's in 2004.

When You Dub Your Masterpiece

2009-02-03T11:35:00.003-05:00

ever wanted to be tha selecta? here's your chance.

National Education Week

2009-01-31T14:47:00.019-05:00

i live in a small state college town in upstate new york. in spite of the fact that we have a large music school in town, the music scene is pretty spotty. karaoke still outnumbers live bands on most weekends.

potsdam is probably not all that different from 1980's fredonia where the 10,000 maniacs got their start. that said, it would be pretty close to inconceivable to me that a white, female-fronted college band playing dub reggae influenced rock music from a town like this would have a) made it big, or b) eventually morphed into what the 10,000 manics became. let's be clear - even though they are college towns, no one would ever mistake potsdam or fredonia with, say, athens, madison, or austin.

had i not been immersing myself in jamaican music for the last several weeks (see below), i may not have paid much notice when the maniacs song national education week came up in the ipod shuffle. it's been a long time since i listened to their early fredonia ep's. it's all really interesting (meant in the best possible way); dub, folk, psychedelia, obvious poetry set to music, etc. heck, within a few years, they were opening for the grateful dead in front of 70k at rich stadium. in a few more, they were covering patti smith on mtv unplugged.

their music had evolved into something almost unrecognizable from their start in that little college town - older, less urgent. kinda like all of us, i suppose.

Stalker Guilt Syndrome

2009-01-30T11:48:00.007-05:00

quite a few years ago now, the village of lake placid hosted an international film festival (no small feat for a town with just one two-screen theatre). unfortunately, it only lasted two or three years before hitting hard times. according to their website, they are still alive and kicking in a scaled back version.

in addition to showcasing feature length films there were a number of screenings of short films sprinkled across the schedule. here's a link to the most memorable of the dozens we took in the year we attended. i think of it often now that i have joined facebook and wonder regularly how my "friendship" is interpreted. it's a fine line between nostalgic and creepy.

It's The Plumber...

2009-01-30T11:18:00.003-05:00

this one's for kevin. like dennis (a loaf of bread, a container of milk...), i still find myself repeating phrases from childhood tv shows with alarming frequency. hope your drips have subsided, kev.

Get Lost!

2009-01-29T15:34:00.004-05:00

i've had it. i can't go through another week (or season) of anxiously anticipating a new episode of lost only to be incredibly disappointed. the ratio of questions answered to questions raised used to be merely lopsided. this season, however, the approach appears to be to eliminate any promise of answers. last night, my wife asked if i thought the writers/producers actually have a story and/or an ending in mind or "are they just making it up?" in the past, i would have given them the benefit of the doubt. no more. to quote elaine benes, "i don't like this thing and here's what i'm doing with it!"

i'm going cold turkey, baby. i'm done with lost entirely. instead, i have decided to devote that hour to the lost art (at least since viola was born) of listening to an entire album from start to finish. just writing that sentence seems indulgent, but i suppose i don't much mind. i've indulged my lost obsession for far too long with far too little payoff.

i busted out ruth's vinyl copy of rem's murmur last week (unrelated to my lost rage - actually in honor of the anniversary of its release) and listened all the way through. it was heaven. i encourage you to do the same next thrusday. please send your listening suggestions and feedback here. we'll consider it a support group.

dust off those old school headphones, crack yourself a dharma beer, and drift off to your own little island, hipster.

You Can Take the Boy Out of Bflo...

2009-01-23T15:35:00.003-05:00

even though i have now been a member of the bflo diaspora for longer than i lived there, i still occasionally check in with the hometown rag. mostly, i pop in to see what donn esmonde has to say (most days the only readable column). today, on a lark, i checked in with the gusto section to see what was happening on the local music scene. what a great bit of serendipity as i stumbled across jeff simon's article on two local dj's releasing their second volume of homegrown queen city funk. who knew there was life beyond rick james?

here's a link to their myspace. i've got both volumes on order and will post once i get a chance to take it all in.

Something Up My Sleeve

2009-01-22T12:20:00.006-05:00

are you looking for a good time-waster? (if you're reading this the answer to that question is clear.) enjoy.

A Moment of Zen

2009-01-21T10:46:00.007-05:00

one of the more interesting phenomena on youtube (a place rife with interesting phenomena) is the posting of videos of rare ska and reggae singles. instead of creating a cheesy pastiche of slowly rolling still photos, the trend seems to be to simply shoot a video of the actual 45 on a turntable. for those of us who grew up when playing a record was still fashionable, these videos are incredibly soothing. watching that label go round and around for 2 or 3 minutes takes the edge off the day almost as effectively as the sweets sounds the video was created to highlight.

A Tip of the Cap

2009-01-21T10:19:00.006-05:00

big thanks to my brother, matt, for the recommendations on some outstanding ska/rocksteady/blue beat resources. in return, i have decided to assign him a new honorary reggae moniker. from now on, matt will be known in the boiler factory as lord bonobo.

Hey, Professor...

2009-01-21T10:17:00.003-05:00

when you're heading into unknown territory it's good to have a guide. thankfully, professor bob is there to show the way.

Change Is In The Air

2009-01-15T14:09:00.006-05:00

over the years I have occasionally been asked the question “what kind of music do you like?” i inevitably answer that i like all kinds of music. of course, anyone asking that question isn’t really a “music person” and likely has a specific genre they are fishing for you to echo (often country music– at least in these parts). since i don’t wish to offend, i lie. what would you do?

i’ve always prided myself on having pretty eclectic tastes in music. upon closer inspection, not so much. it's clear to me that the bulk of the 1000’s of albums I own are of a particular variety – whiny white guitar rock. of course, I have dabbled in other genres over the years (rap, funk, reggae, ambient, dance, soul, classic country, blues, etc). but, i keep coming back to the basics.

I got thinking more about this situation after reconnecting with my college roommate and a subsequent series of revelations linking him to a current friend and dj. The two of them share an affinity for what was once defined as “world music”. they have both inspired me to a new year’s resolution: find a new genre of music and dive in for a full year. hey, it beats working out!

my goal will be to soak up as much as I can and post interesting tidbits here for anyone interested (or incredibly bored). Deciding on a genre has been tough especially since I’m a lyrics guy. my 2 semesters of college spanish have been inadequate to aid my appreciation of latin music. strangely, my 4 years of high school latin haven’t helped much either. after much consternation, i have settled upon ska as my genre to explore. it’s not too far out of my comfort zone since my exposure to it in a groundbreaking 1987 film, concerts at the campus pub (RIP) at suny binghamton (RIP), and the fact that “a message to you rudy” was included on every mixtape made for my wife during her college years.

where to begin? i realize, as my favorite canadian (bruce mcculloch - see below), would say: “greatest hits are for housewives and little girls.” unfortunately, the task i have set myself requires a manageable jumping-off point. consequently, i have picked up a few compilations to get things rolling. i’m going to give a shot at first wave ska and go from there (2nd, 3rd, 4th wave, rock steady, reggae). i welcome any and all recommendations from anyone who may wish to share.

Six More Days

2009-01-15T13:18:00.002-05:00

i'll let my favorite canadian help you all get ready for next tuesday's inauguration.

Isolation Drills

2009-01-13T10:50:00.005-05:00

since moving to potsdam, new york more than 12 years ago, there have been two running jokes about our location: "it's not the end of the world, but you can see it from here" and "we're an hour and a half from everywhere."

while the first statement may be a bit of an exaggeration, the latter is pretty much spot-on. ottawa - 90 minutes. lake placid - 90 minutes. montreal - 90 minutes. you get the idea. most of the time, these concerns have little effect on my life. when someone visits from out of town it means that we spend the bulk of the visit in the car, but day-to-day it's no biggie. other than a rare trip to the airport, most of the time the distance is irrelevant - until recently.

several months ago, major league soccer announced a bidding process for new franchises. being a huge mls fan, i was beyond excited to see a bid from montreal hailed as a front runner in the process. first division soccer just 90 minutes from home! season tickets, here i come! not so fast.

almost as quickly as my hopes were raised they were dashed as the ownership team pulled their bid mid-way through the process. there is, however, still hope that the darkhorse bid from ottawa will get some love from the mls suits. i'm not optimistic.

so, my big chance to have something worthwhile within my 90 minute radius has been destroyed. maybe i can convince the investors in the local pipedream nascar track (brasher falls - just 20 minutes from home!) to give up their bid to join that doomed sport and to get on board with the sport of the future. (no, not kickboxing!) i'll keep you posted.

into the fray

2009-01-09T14:46:00.001-05:00

welcome to the boiler factory. i'm not sure how interesting this site will be to anyone other than myself (and my brother - the one i stole the artwork from), but figured i'd give it a go after seeing some of the amazing stuff friends have been doing in this medium.

i'm not afraid to admit that, like 98% of bloggers, i have no grand plan. we'll just see where this goes from here. at the very least, it will give friends and relatives a forum for checking in without all of the voyeurism and politics (should i confirm that acquaintance from high school?) of the facebook.

so, on with the self-absorption...