The other day, my fried JP of Ottawa doom metal band Loviatar posted a link to this Calgary Herald article about changes to federal regulations related to foreign performance artists planning on entering Canada. And it's scary insane. Without getting hyperbolic about it, I actually echo JP's concern that this just might send Canada's indie arts scenes back to the dark ages.
So last year I won a prize after I pledged to the CKUT funding drive. I got a Music Lover's package which entitled me to gift certificates to three record stores in Montreal. It made me realize that ever since I stopped running the record label about five years ago, my interest in new music has sorta wanned. So, cruising on the excitement of the win, I decided to get into it again and figured I'd commit to purchasing an album a week. The rules I set for myself were that I needed to first make my way through the certificates I got after which I had to prioritze getting albums at local stores. Albums need to be on vinyl and in as much as possible need to be purchased used and/or by independent artists. Of course, I'm allowing myself to break the rules whenever I feel like it as long as I have a rationale for it. My first purchase was Mudhoney's 1989 self titled album.
It's a satisfyingly crunchy record that took me back to yesteryear and got me thinking about the aspects that I loved, and loved-somewhat-less about Seatle grunge. It's been twenty odd years for me since this would have been a current release and I'm glad I've made my way to it, via Mudhoney precursors such as Blue Cheer, the Stooges and the Dead Boys.
