Cultural Olympiad : Broken Social Scene and Tegan and Sara

By: Lezah Williamson

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As part of the Cultural Olympiad, on Feb. 6 you can go hear the atmospheric, bombastic sounds of Broken Social Scene; opening for them are the boundary-bending punk/folk/pop/rock twins from Alberta, Tegan and Sara.

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Alive and Kicking - Psychedelic Furs, Part II 2008 Christine Albrecht

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Peter Gerstenzang, (Feb/02/06), had written a piece entitled New Days for Psych Furs' Butler for the Rolling Stone magazine.

Surely, life just keeps getting better for our favourite gravelly-voiced frontman Richard Butler.

Richard Butler fronted the band, Psychedelic Furs who sung Pretty in Pink which was used for the 1986 movie of the same name.

The band originally assembled in the late 70's, and continued until 1991. Artistic disagreements led to the band's semi-demise.

The '80's were the glory years for the Furs; Heaven, along with Pretty in Pink kept the Furs on the airwaves. As a lover of all things Richard, I faithfully attended his shows, but in 1994, when he came out with LoveSpitLove, I found my Real Richard - brilliant.

By 2000, LoveSpitLove was no more. Interestly, LoveSpitLove was on many movie soundtracks and televisions soundtracks and I am curious if that is when Richard decides to venture on to something new?

In 2001, the Furs rejoined and have been playing ever since with the likes of the: Violent Femmes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, X, and Franz Ferdinand which would indicate the Alive and Kicking moniker is very appropriate.

In early 2006, Richard released the critically acclaimed solo album entitled Richard Butler,which held a collection of songs dedicated to his and his friend, Jon Carin's deceased fathers (Both Doctors.)

Richard Butler was originally trained as a visual artist, and his recent works have receive much world attention. He has had gallery openings in New York, Miami, Florida and Florence. One of his paintings is his CD's cover art; but that is for you to figure out.

I had formally noticed that in 2004, the Furs have had an extensive tour schedule; Richard has recently released the song Work it Out (written by Vince Clark of Depeche Mode) for the children's show, Johnny Bravo (and perhaps as a keepsake for his daughter, Maggie Mozart Butler, 11, in 2008).

In August 2004, a book about the Psychedelic Furs was released, entitled Beautiful Chaos.

Present bandmates in the Furs are: Richard Butler (vocals), Tim Butler (bass), John Ashton (guitar), Frank Ferrer (drums) and Amanda Kramer (keyboards).

Butler, (June 5, 1956) presently resides in New York with his wife and daughter.

Updated according to the ever resourceful Wikipedia, PLEASE keep it honest.

Images taken by image.listen and Susan Strange

Rebel Cell

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Visit Baba at

>Hello People,

Thanks for all the great feedback on my Fly on the Wall episode, and now this one is about the next chapter. In three days Dizraeli and I will perform our first show at the Edinburgh Fringe, the World Premier of The Rebel Cell. Exactly four years ago I premiered The Rap Canterbury Tales here and the reverberations are still being felt, not the least by me.

Well, The Rebel Cell, in my humble opinion, is better - it's funnier, crisper, more topical, and in many ways a perfect inheritor to the Lit-Hop mission I began with the Tales, although its content is more Orwellian than Chaucerian. I sincerely hope the reverberations of this project go even further; although, tragically, not everyone can make it to the Fringe!

Never fear. Just like with the Tales, we've recorded The Rebel Cell as a full-length rap storytelling album, and it is now available for free download from my website. Free?!? Yes, that seems to be the nature of the beast these days. Everyone with a bit of web savvy will be able to get it for free soon anyway, so why not follow in the footsteps of Radiohead and beat them to the punch? At least that way we can raise the buzz to a fever pitch and hopefully have a successful run at the world's biggest arts festival. So please, tell your friends!

Of course, if you want to order a physical CD in the mail that's still an option, and if you want to support us there is also the option to donate £5 ($10) to the cause of a couple of recording artists doing good things, but either way you can start listening to The Rebel Cell... right now, no strings attached.

Okay, that's all.

All the best from the 'burgh,

Baba

Read a review of Rebel Cell.

The Beauty Myth

The Beauty Myth

Girls and women are told to embrace themselves and accept their bodies. They are also told to treat their body as if it were a temple (via Oprah). This is all good advice.

I believe everyone has beauty within and without, and my version of beauty will be far different than others'. That's what makes life and love connections so intriguing. How bland and tasteless life would be if we all aspired to some beauty "ideal" and actually bought into that image.

I was skimming through a People magazine (I know, I know... I should know better) when I came across an article about women taking their children's ritalin medication because it made them more focused, able to multitask, and LOSE WEIGHT. Immediately, I shook my head and said, but why...?

I only have to look at the headlines on all the tabloids at the checkout:
"How to lose 10 pounds in 10 days!"
"How to decrease signs of aging!"
"Ten things to do to keep your man happy in bed!"

Excuse me? I must be living in a fog because I don't recall being told by my mother that I had to stay young, thin, and fabulous in bed to be worthy. In fact, she ascribed to the "embrace yourself" philosophy.

Our society has not progressed one iota if women are still looking to outside sources to be "good" or "better". What happened to liberation? Well, we certainly can't look to men and blame them. They sit back and shake their heads at our self-absorbed quests for perfection, dictated to us from some magazine that is usually written by women, for women ie: Cosmopolitan.



Here's a reality check to anyone thinking those cover girls are something we should, and can physically, attain.

1) The models are usually between the ages of 17 and 21.
2) Many of them have already had cosmetic surgery (top surgeries are nose jobs and breast augmentation)
3) They haven't had children
4) They're not menopausal
5) Their skin is airbrushed and any "lumpy" bits are digitized out of the photo
6) They have terrible eating habits and often have eating disorders
7) Finally, believe it or not, you are just as beautiful, if not more, with your body and its life experiences.

Ignore those Beauty Myths on the covers of checkout stand magazines.

Look yourself in the eye and affirm your individual beauty because it is there.

Comedy Death Ray Review: By Terry Lowe

I fear that genuine wit is fast disappearing from the world, pushed aside by sarcasm, crudity, frantic neuroses, and if none of those work, sheer volume.

The Comedy Death Ray show at the Commodore featured plenty of sarcasm, a lot of crudity, the abovementioned frantic neuroses, all delivered at high volume. What it did not feature was much in the way of humour.

According to the Georgia Straight, Vancouver’s entertainment weekly (and not uncoincidentally, the producers of the show):

The lineup may not have the star power of the one that played the Global Comedy Fest last fall, but there’s still some solid talent: Doug Benson, Greg Behrendt, Dana Gould, Janeane Garofalo, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Tim and Eric, and the Fun Bunch.

The draw: This is the hip show in Los Angeles. Sure, it’s only five bucks there, but if you factor in airfare, you’re saving quite a bit.

Target audience: Risk-takers. Go for the celebrity names, stay for the unknowns.

Dana Gould’s marriage jokes were funny, Janeane Garofalo was mildly amusing, and Doug Benson was genuinely entertaining (and he was the only performer who actually connected with the audience). The rest of it sucked. This is not good value for money; I had a comp ticket, and by the end, it wasn’t even good value for no money.

Wikipedia lists many things that might be found in “alternative comedy,” and of those, Comedy Death Ray offers up two:

* Breaking social taboos: Particularly those relating to sex and bad language; alternative comedians swore on stage and, continuing the theme of observational humour, often made jokes about sex acts and sexuality. Toilet humour was not uncommon either.

* Story-telling and personal narrative: Emphasizing story, personal experience and individual rhythm instead of the rigid set-up/punchline jokes and rhythms of mainstream comedy.

Fair enough. Too bad they weren’t funny. Instead, they were abrasive, contemptous, and superficial.

I expect my reaction is a cultural one. One of the things Canadians do very well is comedy. We have very good comics working both here and in the US. I’d recommend seeking out some of these instead. If, however, you prefer your comedy without laughs, you may find Comedy Death Ray - um - “interesting.” I wouldn’t pay more than $5, and I’d look for somewhere with more comfortable seats (the better for some of the more squirm-inducing bits).

Rather than “comedy,” this show should have been billed as “Neurotic people yelling at you for two hours about their pubic hair issues.” If this is the best Los Angeles has to offer, then they need a lot more Canada down there.

Puppy Scratch Fever By: Mike Gillis

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"Dude, how was your Valentine's Day?"

"You know... It was the usual depressing shitshow that comes with being single on Valentine's Day."

"I thought you said you were going to a bar or something?"

"I did. I went to that college bar that all the freshman chicks go to. I brought a shoebox full of puppies with me."

"Puppies?"

"Yeah. Chicks love puppies. Puppies are the Lemon Gin of the animal kingdom."

"So what happened?"

"I got swarmed man. It was great. This one girl was all over me."

"What was her name?"

"I dunno. Sandra or Dawnette or something."

"Did you hook up?"

"Almost."

"What do you mean 'almost'?"

"Well, it was all aces at first. She was gaga for those puppies. It was pretty much a slam dunk, but then I botched it."

"How?"

"I said, 'If you like these puppies you'll LOVE my bed. My sheets are made of puppies'."

"And?"

"Face slapped. Puppies confiscated. Ass kicked to curb."

"Shitty."

"I know. She must have been vegan or something."

"So... where did you get the puppies in the first place?"

"Found 'em in some dude's yard."

"Nice."

"Thanks."

Image from www.nar.org.au

Close Encounters with Addiction Feb. 21 at SFU, Surrey By: Lezah Williamson

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Dr. Gabor Mate

is a doctor who works in a harm reduction facility in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. He is a former columnist for the Vancouver Sun and the Globe and Mail. On February 12, he will be releasing his latest book, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, in which he talks about all kinds of addition, from heroin to workaholics.

There is a free lecture at SFU's Surrey campus on February 21. Go to for more details.

Image from thelavinagency.com

The Top Ten Albums of All Time By: Shane Christensen

Far off the beaten path...

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Read Shane’s follow up article, Top Canadian Albums.

I have always felt that I had an above average knowledge of popular music, and regularly got my kicks at always being the guy who knew all the answers to those obscure questions you’d sometimes get from people. So at social functions, I was the “go to” guy for any tidbits of musical information someone needed to know to win a bet, or just to prove to someone that they were right about something.

I wore this personal badge of honour proudly, albeit with total humility I might add, and took great personal satisfaction at being such a smarty pants. But every gunslinger meets his/her match, and mine came in the form of a good friend/ fellow drummer (and an extremely good drummer) who amazes me with his musical knowledge.

Amazes me so much, that when it came time to compile my choice for the top ten rock albums of all time, I immediately knew that I had to get my friend, Chris, to give me his thumbs up before I submitted them to Swanktrendz, lest I completely embarrass myself once again.

Method to my madness - if I get universal condemnation from the readership, I can merely point to my pal Mr. Bryen and lament,“Well he said it looked all right, and he’s the man!” Yes, 'true' friends. I can be a real conniving bastard at times.

Anyway, back to the task at hand. I have always wanted to compile a list of the top albums for years, and after many conversations with musically minded friends; discussing the necessary criterion for a piece of work to be considered as the 'best'; I finally have a list that I feel comfortable with.

The criteria for making this list is as follows:

1.) Album must have been critically and/or commercially successful

2.) Must have innovative qualities that changed popular music

3.) Musicianship is so good, it can not be denied as being truly
'exceptional' and 'extraordinary'.

So, without any further delay. My top ten albums of all time.

1.) Revolver The Beatles



This masterpiece of diversity and innovation gave birth to progressive rock and set the standard for true, musical brilliance that these lads had in abundance. R.I.P. John Lennon and George Harrison

2.) Are You Experienced Jimi Hendrix Experience



Jimi was to hard rock what the Beatles were to progressive rock. This album was revolutionary at the time, and so much so that it still stands the test of time. R.I.P. Jimi Hendrix and Noel Redding

3.) Led Zeppelin IV Led Zeppelin



This album would set the standard for rock/hard rock music for the ‘70s and beyond. It’s not my personal favourite Zep work, but it still remains one of the most popular albums of all time. Oh, and by the way. Most critics hated it just as they hated Zeppelin for being a rip off band (Whole Lotta Love-Willie Dixon), and that is why this work doesn’t meet all criterion. But who cares? This album is an absolute monster. R.I.P. John Henry Bonham

4.) Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band The Beatles



Revolver opened up the door of progressive rock, and this album took it to the moon. A perfect body of work in every way, and one of (if not the most) the most influential albums of all time.

5.) Dark Side Of The Moon Pink Floyd



This is another example of Pepper’s-like perfection. The artwork. Packaging. Oh, and I nearly forgot! The music. It still sounds fresh and relevant 35 years later. R.I.P. Syd Barrett

6.) The Joshua Tree U2



Not only was this album commercially and critically successful, it was the most innovative of it’s time. Even to a die-hard fan like myself, I was confused the first couple of listens as it was so different from any contemporary work. But it definitely grows on you.

7.) Boston Boston



This is where I can hear the groans from some of the readership, but think about it for a minute. I remember when this album came out, and it was a monster for a year or longer. Musically, it was as close to perfection as you could possibly get, thanks to Tom Scholtz and his manic determination to “get it right.” R.I.P. Brad Delp

8.) Nevermind Nirvana



Many times in musical history, one album stands out from the collective pack. This is that album. There were a lot of similar bands from the Seattle scene, but Nirvana kicked the grunge door wide open with ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, and set the standard for the rest of the decade. R.I.P. Kurt Cobain

9.) Never Mind The Bollocks The Sex Pistols



Oh, oh! Is that more groaning I hear? Again, let’s look back at the time and think about what these silly little buggers did. There were a lot of punk bands all over the place, but this band is regarded by many as “the definitive English punk band” (BBC) and is credited with kick-starting the movement in Britain. I think they might have even killed Disco! R.I.P. Sid Vicious

10.) Saturday Night Fever The Bee Gees



Okay!!! Stop laughing so hard. I know you’re shaking your collective heads and relishing in the fact that I’ve obviously lost it for real this time. But again, I ask you to consider what a profound impact this album had when it was released. I remember clearly as a hard rock disciple that simply loathed the shallowness and superficial qualities of the Disco era. And I remember clearly that these guys were responsible for it. But whether anyone likes it or not, this album was a masterpiece and was very influential and successful. I know many will argue that it is not entirely a Bee Gee’s record, but who’s kidding who here? This was their baby. R.I.P. Maurice Gibb

As a footnote, I’d just to say that I hope you find this list insightful, interesting, and even entertaining. For all the great bands and artists that didn’t make the list but gave us years of great music. Thanks! And for those artists that have left us, you will not be forgotten as you’re still a big part of our daily lives and give much substance and pleasure to it.

Review of the Movie Sicko by Shane Christensen

The other night I sat down to watch Michael Moore’s latest documentary SICKO, which takes a look at the American health care system and compares it to other socialized systems in France, Cuba, and right here in Canada.

It is a typical Moore production that mixes disturbing reality with doses of humour and American self-contemplation. But like a lot of Moore’s previous endeavours, he doesn’t hide his disgust at the state of affairs in his country in which too many times the average person gets the shaft from a cold and heartless system; usually the result of unbridled corporate greed.

He documents this with heart wrenching clarity at the beginning of the film as he introduces the audience to a once typical middle class couple that was living the American dream. They had a nice home and comfortable lifestyle, and raised a few kids along the way. But then they both got sick and ended up losing everything in the process of trying to stay alive, and are forced to move into a small room in their daughter’s home; hence even losing their dignity. And the most shocking thing was that this couple had health insurance!

And in my humble opinion, that is the beauty of this film. I was expecting to see a number of cases relating to poor and destitute Americans who could not afford private medical insurance and therefore suffered because of this. But Moore is a master at knowing how to get the maximum effect from his work and he gets a much bigger bang for the buck by documenting a number of cases of middle-class Americans that do have health insurance coverage, but end up getting swindled by heartless and manipulative insurance corporations that will stop at nothing to save a buck, even if it means that people have to die in the process.



And as is typical in all of his previous movies, Moore takes aim at a number of politicians from both parties that sell their constituents out to the highest bidder, as they line up behind a variety of corporations that are affiliated with, or make their millions from the American health care system. Even though I consider myself a realistic kind of guy, I was shocked by the number of elected officials from both parties that line up behind these corporations to do their bidding. All for the sake of generation campaign contributions.

The saddest and most ironic part of the movie deals with the cases of a group of individuals that worked at ground zero after the 9/11 attacks. While officially there were promises that any person who suffered illness as a result of the after-effects of working in this potentially hazardous environment would be looked after, the reality was that many people were abandoned and simply discarded as they failed to qualify for treatment due to a number of technicalities of one kind or another. So being the showman that he is, Moore charters a boat and sails from Florida to the American base at Guantanamo Bay Cuba with this group of heroes, to try to get the same state of the art medical care for them that the terrorists being housed at the facility get.

Of course there was no way that that was going to happen, but in a further display of irony, his group receives free medical treatment and medicine from the Cuban health care system. The same treatment that was denied at home because these patriotic men and women who gave so graciously to their country at one of it’s darkest moments, didn’t qualify for any number of reasons.

Another typical trait of Moore’s movies is his obvious respect for Canada and our way of doing things in a much more humane way than that in America. He quickly introduces you to a few individuals who receive treatment in our health care system; a system which gets a fair deal of negative press in certain circles over wait times for operations and treatment itself. But after Moore’s examination and comparison of the two different systems, you’re left with absolutely no doubt as to which is the better of the two.

But by the time he goes to France to explore their system, I was actually getting angered and irritated by the blatant disparity that exists between what Americans receive from their health care system as compared to a number of other countries. And I felt this way because there is a lot about America that I admire and respect, and it really bothers me to see innocent people exploited in the name of a dollar, especially when it doesn’t have to be that way. And Moore proves this clearly and graphically in SICKO, while still presenting us with a film that is entertaining and even humourous at times.

But it is also very sad, because it’s obvious that Moore is a proud American who is trying to bring about real and constructive change for the betterment of the American people and nation as a whole, because he believes in the ideals that his nation was founded upon and which propelled it to the stature of world leader. And he should be praised and commended for what he does because there is nothing un-American about that at all, even if he happens to offend many of his fellow citizens by exposing blatant flaws and inequities that exist in the U.S.A.

As a footnote, I’d like to offer my thanks to Swanktrendz editor Terry Lowe who steered this writer straight about some fundamentals of writing. I submitted an initial review that was written immediately after watching this film, and the anger and emotion was still very fresh and more than obvious in the original draft. And the end result was something more of a personal rant than that of a movie review and commentary. So a lesson has been learned; DON’T WRITE MAD! Or at least make sure it's a good read if you do!

Juno movie review by Lezah Williamson

We saw Juno over the Christmas holidays. In fact, Dave liked it so much, he saw it twice.

Juno is one of those films that's many things at once - a comedy, a romance, a drama, a quirky indie-type film - and it does it all well.

I recently read an article in which Juno screenwriter and former stripper Diablo Cody was lambasted for her role in what was being portrayed as a 'new and disturbing trend' in movies promoting teen sex, which in turn, of course, leads to teen pregnancy (which, according to the writer of the article, is on the rise). All I could think, however, was: where have you been, lady? Isn't an all-consuming interest in sex at the very heart of the nature of every teen on the planet - and has been, since time began? I don't really think times have changed; nor have movies, come to think of it.

You see, Juno is more than a Superbad (let's get laid) type of comedy. It's much more thoughtful, much more introspective - despite having a very extroverted young lady as protagonist.

For Juno (played by the lovely Ellen Page) is a person who marches to the sound of her own drum, but does so in a very honourable way. Her individuality is respected by all segments of the population, and those who don't immediately like her are usually soon won over.

And the movie doesn't try to candy-coat life, either. Juno runs into people who don't like her, just because. And she experiences sadness, rejection, emotional upheaval - all the real things people go through in the real world.

Juno, the character, is a great person. Juno, the movie, is well worth seeing. And Juno, the soundtrack, is fantastic, too.

Three out of three - now that's not bad...

Top ten Canadian Albums of all Time by Shane Christensen

Read More of Shane’s Article Here.

Recently, I compiled my choices for the Top Ten Best Rock Albums of all Time, Article can be read here , and unfortunately there were no Canadian artists present. Being the true patriot that I am, I decided that that just wasn’t going to work, and felt I should do a follow up piece which would profile my top ten Canadian Rock albums of all time.

In my earliest childhood recollections, music played a pivotal part in my upbringing and would truly define my very being. And a good part of this music was homegrown, because this country has produced a great abundance of local musical talent.

Some of my earliest musical memories included artists like: Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and of course the Guess Who, as these acts were frequently played on my favourite radio station of legendary status in Toronto, 1050 CHUM. And it wasn’t fan appreciated because of Canadian Content Regulations either, as all of these acts enjoyed huge international success, especially south of the border.

And the one thing I found while writing this article, is that this list was a lot harder to compile than my previous one, and I think the reason is because I do feel a deep attachment/loyalty to our homegrown acts. I am unashamedly proud of the following artists along with those who have furthered followed in their predecessor’s footsteps, and have proven to the entire world that my Canada cradles an abundance of creativity and talent.

As in my previous article (see link above), the criterion remains the same for an album to make my Swanktrendz list.

And this is as follows:

1.) Album must have been critically and/or commercially successful

2.) Must have innovative qualities that changed the production/approach of popular music

3.) Muscian and technical work is so good, it can not possibly be denied as being exceptional

But the difference in this list is that I’m going to add a fourth criteria, as follows:

4.) Noted album must have had a profound impact on the Canadian music industry

My choices for the top ten Canadian albums of all time are:

1.) Harvest Neil Young



Neil had already achieved notable success in the U.S. with Buffalo Springfield and CSNY, but this album was an enormous critical and commercial success that put him on the map as a solo artist, and as being uniquely Canadian, at that. I always felt that our music is a reflection of our national conscience, heart, and soul. Neil embodies all of that - and so throughly, he continues this Canadiana embodiment right through to the present day. He is our national treasure of whom we are all proud.


2.) Court and Spark Joni Mitchell



Many fans and critics would have picked the album Blue, but I’ve always preferred this offering. With smash hits such as Help Me and Free Man In Paris, this work firmly entrenched Joni as one of the greatest musical acts of the day. Even Jimi Page and Robert Plant were huge fans, and their classic song Going To California is believed to be penned for or about her. Not bad for a beautiful lady from Saskatchewan. Her innovation and originality, as well as the fact that she was a great inspiration to a whole generation of young women, provides more than enough reason to place this album so high on my list.
(Editor’s note - I agree! Same for Town & Country)
3.) Moving Pictures Rush

Although they had achieved a fair amount of international success, it wasn’t until this album came out that Rush was looked at with the level of respect that they truly deserved. Musically, they took it to a whole new level with songs like Tom Sawyer and Red Barchetta which propelled the band’s sales to dizzying heights, especially south of the border. Without a doubt, these guys are the best technical musicians this country has ever produced, and the work on Moving Pictures was second to none.

4.) Road Apples Tragically Hip


I can still remember the first time I heard a couple of tunes off this album in a Belleville, Ontario, bar; waiting to go on with the band I was in at the time. During the intro tunes, I rushed over to the deejay to inquire, “Who the hell is that?”, then immediately went out and bought the disc the following morning. I didn’t stop listening to it for months, and it’s still in regular rotation in my house and car. Quite simply, a great album from start to finish.

5.) Self Titled Tom Cochrane and Red Rider



The first song I heard from this album was Ocean Blue, and it immediately blew me away. But shortly after hearing The Untouchable One and Boy Inside The Man, I was again off to the record store and was thrilled to find out that this was indeed one of those special albums. One of the ironies of life is that while this very strong album did well, his ’91 release Mad Mad World would garner unprecedented critical and commercial success due to the popularity of the lead single, Life Is A Highway. And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Of special note is Ken Greer’s contribution both to this band and Canadian music in general with his help in launching that band out of Kingston way back in ‘87.

6.) Fully Completely The Tragically Hip



The Hip had achieved a fair amount of success by the time their third full length album was released in ’92, and Fully Completely would propel them to their present status as probably THE number one Canadian band of all time, although many Rush fans would obviously disagree. But the Hip did what Rush never could, and that was to place itself firmly in the Canadian psyche of an unprecedented number of fans, so much so that they have undoubtedly become indelibly connected with all things Canadian.



And on Fully Completely , songs like Wheat Kings and Fifty Mission Cap brought the music production industry to a whole new level, and there it has stayed since this album’s release.

7.) American Woman The Guess Who


Driven by the huge commercial success of the title track, this album solidified The Guess Who’s position as the top Canadian band of the time. In many respects this also marked the pinnacle for the band, as although they still enjoyed commercial success after Randy Bachman’s departure, the critical and commercial level of success was never duplicated to the level they attained upon the release of this, their third album. But these guys were definitely trailblazers for Canadian music, as they paved the way for all the other Canadian acts who followed in their footsteps.

8.) Reckless Bryan Adams

Mr. Adams became a household name in Canada after the release and phenomenal success of this album back in ’84. It spawned a total of six hit singles, and included the raunchy It’s Only Love duet with the best legs on the planet, Tina Turner. He would go on to have more record breaking success in the early ‘90s with one of the biggest singles of all time, (Everything I Do) I Do It For You , which spent an astounding 4 months at #1 on the UK record charts. And he’s still maintained his nice guy personality through all the fame and fortune, which just makes it extra sweet. I guess nice guys can finish first after all. Way to go Bryan! You da man!

9.) Come On Over Shania Twain

I know some of you are immediately asking yourselves, “Isn’t this suppose to be the top Canuck rock albums list?” And that is one of the reasons for this albums placing in the top ten. Sure it’s sold over 35 million copies worldwide, and that qualifies as the biggest seller album ever by a member of the fairer sex. But when you look at the track listing, you have to really question how much of this record is country at all. Like a lot of great artists, Shania is capable of bridging and fusing musical styles and genres from song to song, and that’s a major reason for her massive appeal and success. If I ever come across a genie in a bottle, my only wish is that I should be turned into Robert “Mutt” Lange immediately. The luckiest guy on the whole planet!

10.) All The Right Reasons Nickelback

I know there is a lunatic fringe that exists that hates anything or anyone that is super-successful, regardless of whether they deserve this success or not. And Nickelback seems to be one of those bands that just doesn’t get the critical respect they deserve.

Case in point; This album has sold over 6.5 million copies in the U.S. alone, and has never been below #30 on the Billboard Top 200 for over 103 weeks. Only Shania’s Come On Over has a longer run that high on the charts, as it stayed over 123 weeks in the top 30. And it’s kind of funny that both artists get slagged or disrespected by some because of…what? I don’t understand it, ‘cause in my mind they are both great artists that have produced top quality music that millions of people enjoy. And I’m sure they both take great pleasure in that fact, and it helps to drown out the sounds of the naysayers who take ‘offense’ from their enormous accomplishments.

I happen to be very proud of what Nickelback has done as they’ve proven to Canada and rest of the world that great things come from the smallest of places…even Hanna, Alberta (population 2500). Well Done!

Memorable Quotes of 2007 By: Lexidiem

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The envelope please...

The Yale Book of Quotations is an annual list of memorable quotes that is compiled by editor Fred Shapiro, who relies on suggestions from quote-watchers, along with his own choices, and then searches databases and the 'Net to determine the popularity of the quotes.

The ten most memorable quotes of 2007 according to Shapiro are, in order, and the #1 Memorable Quote of the Year is:

1.Don't tase me, bro!Don't tase me, bro!

~ Andrew Meyer, a senior at the University of Florida, while being hauled away by campus police during a speech by Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. It was the plea heard round the world as officers removed him from a speech by Senator Kerry.

Yale Book of Quotations editor Fred Shapiro said that the quote by Meyer just before he got zapped by campus police while protesting at Senator Kerry's speech was "a symbol of pop culture success," thanks to how many times it was searched for on Google and how many T-shirts it showed up on.

2. I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and Iraq and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us.~ Lauren Upton, South Carolina contestant in the Miss Teen USA contest, when asked why one-fifth of Americans cannot find the United States on a map.

3. In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country.~ Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking at Columbia University in New York.

4. That's some nappy-headed hos there.~ CBS radio personality Don Imus, referring to the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

5. I don't recall. ~ Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' repeated response to congressional questions about the firing of U.S. attorneys.

6. There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11. ~ Senator Joseph Biden, referring to Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani, speaking during a Democratic presidential debate.

7. I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a nine percent approval rating.~ Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, referring to Vice President Dick Cheney.

8. (I have) a wide stance when going to the bathroom.~ Senator Larry Craig, explaining why his foot touched the foot of an undercover police officer in the men's restroom of an airport.

9. I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man.~ Senator Joseph Biden, referring to Senator Barack Obama, a rival Democratic presidential candidate.

10. I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history.~ Former President Jimmy Carter, referring to the Bush administration.

Bonus 'Perfected' Quote:

There was one truly memorable quote that was made in 2007 that I was disappointed to find had not been included in this year's edition of the book. This one came from the October 8th television broadcast of The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch on CNBC, and included a lively dialogue between the host and his guest, a well-known conservative commentator, columnist and best-selling author:

* We just want Jews to be 'perfected,' as they say. ~ Ann Coulter, who went on to explain her viewpoint that Jews ought to become Christians.

Deutsch, a practicing Jew, said he was personally offended by Coulter's remark, and she tried to defend herself.

"I don't want you being offended by this. This is what Christians consider themselves, because our testament is the continuation of your testament. You know that. So we think Jews go to heaven. I mean, [Rev. Jerry] Falwell himself said that, but you have to follow laws. Ours is 'Christ died for our sins,'" Coulter said. "We consider ourselves perfected Christians. For me to say that for you to become a Christian is to become a perfected Christian is not offensive at all."

And of course she had to mention the late Jerry Falwell... and you can see an interesting animated of him 'perfected' in this parallel posting.See the YouTube video here.

After seeing that, you might enjoy this video where Philadelphia's own Leah Kauffman, the voice behind "I Got a Crush on Obama", performs in the music video "Perfected" which is probably the best jab in Ann Coulter's ribs that I've yet seen.

Strata Releases Stay Young Video

Strata is a four-piece rock band from California. Although I can’t give them kudos for a great name, I can give them kudos for a great video release, Stay Young.

They have experienced previous success with their songs, Piece by Piece and Never There (She Stabs) (featured on the soundtracks for the movies The Punisher and Elektra, and on the video game, Madden NFL 2005).

Check out their latest video here:

Visit Strata’s Video Stay Young

Or here:

Visit Strata’s Video Stay Young

Visit Strata’s Website

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Christine Albrecht: KROME Headlines Tonight at @ The Festival Of Guns Headline christine Albrecht

Visit Swank’s Home SiteKROME is proud to announce they are headlining tonight, November 17th for the Jagermeister and CFOX presentation of the 6th Annual Shaftebury Festival of Guns 2007 (A Rock 'N' Roll Experience) at The Bourbon- 50 West Cordova, Vancouver, BC.

Krome will be playing with
Nikki Hurst & The Turn.

The Show Starts at 8:30, KROME hits the stage at 10:30. Hope to see you there!

Photo by: Paul Hammill at www.almostfamousphotography.ca/

Festival of Guns

Krome Home

Well It’s That Time Again By Christine Albrecht

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To be honest - we’ve only done a fund raising/beg for donations article once in the history of Swanktrendz. However, after reviewing our financial records (or lack thereof) we realized that swanktrendz.com is hanging by a precarious monetary thread.

What had begun as a rebellious response to Canwest’s (Canada’s media conglomerate) omission of great independent (and local) fine and performing arts, Lezah and I went on to write and post in-depth articles that would only warrant a line in any other magazine or newspaper, or be disregarded completely.

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As a result, Swanktrendz has steadily grown into a weekly ezine whose readers have suggested a litany of potential articles, and who have gone on to submit articles on topics close to their own heart. Swanktrendz is, indeed, an ezine for the readers rather than for the advertisers.

The mention of Advertisers (or lack thereof) is a wonderful sequeway into Swanktrendz’s present dilemma. After four years of paying hosting sites, web programming prices, office and sundry costs, the cost of this wonderful online hobby is adding up. It has become the large elephant in the room that no one wishes to address when meeting as a staff.

So readers, I am asking you to please help keep swanktrendz online for another year. The general cost of keeping swanktrendz afloat for one year is only $1500.00 (of course, assuming that our wonderful contributors are still going to contribute their articles ‘pro bono’ - free.)

So, any and all readers out there in cyberworld, please contribute to the Keep Swank Alive fund by donating $1.00, $2.00, $5.00 or more to our Paypal account. I will send you a receipt, however, you will not be able to claim the donation for taxation purposes as we are not a charitable organization. (Then again, maybe you have a creative accountant who knows what heading we may ‘fall under’ in taxation laws?)

To donate any and everything - Heck we’d even be grateful for $0.25! Follow the enclosed link and indicate whether you would like a receipt.

Thanks again to all those readers that have added their thoughts, suggested articles, or just made themselves available to read a few articles. Without our readers (YOU), we’d be another 404 Page Not Found in the internet world.

Thank you in advance for any and all contributions!

Christine, Lezah, et al.

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Educational Reforms in the US, by Lezah

Educational Reforms in the US

I've been reading a lot these days about proposed educational reforms in the US. Recently Gubernatorial candidate Rob Reiner (yes, Meathead, that Rob Reiner!) has proposed mandatory pre-school for all 50 States (at this point, only 2 states offer state-sponsored pre-school).  His proposal also involves the top 1% of income earners being those who are taxed to support this venture. The proposal is based on a comparison of costs between pre-school in comparison to that of the cost of early-intervention literacy training and other interventions aimed at the not-yet-school-ready school-aged set. Figures indicate that 7% of the annual educational budget is spent on these type of programs; studies indicate that state-sponsored pre-school will decrease spending by at least 6%.  It's a good thing, as Martha would say...

On the not-so-good side is Bush's 2004 proposal entitled the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, which will require "forced mental health screening for every American child...(the purpose being to) locate and treat children with undiagnosed 'mental disorders'".  Hmmm, it all sounds a bit Big Brother to me. Especially considering that parents protesting this are claiming that the big pharmaceutical companies are behind this particular push.  The earlier the diagnoses are made, obviously, the earlier children will be prescribed their particular regimes of drug therapy, and the sooner the drug companies will be raking in even more money.

Now don't get me wrong - I'm all for properly prescribed medication when and where there is a need for it, but frankly, one needs to consider the number of people who are misdiagnosed on a daily basis for all types of problems, physical and mental.  That's one very major concern right there.

Poor parenting?  Environmental factors?  Socio-economic problems?  There have been a lot of kids with the above problems who have been erroneously diagnosed with ADD or ADHD.  And the more serious maladies? Don't you think the parents or a family physician might have picked these up already?  Or am I'm being terribly naive?

I've heard the US described as being an 'asocial laboratory', and this particular proposal smacks of that very thing.  I think it's time for all the parents of America's 52 million children out there to re-establish and retain control over their children's well-being - before it's too late.

Lezah