Howdy...

Well, I leave for Europe in four days and I'm swamped, so this will become my tour journal/diary from now on... Not much to say now, except my hands hurt from moving and I gave blood today, so I feel like a champ... Peace-

Sanity Music - Yeah Yeah Yeah's

I didn't realize that there were three TV channels specifically dedicated to celebrities, along with whole sections of 'news' broadcasts dedicated to them too. I think we have redefine culture in our day and age as 'a age-old adage, now extinct, that used to relate to people who cared about themselves, their own personal expression, the state of their world and the arts, science and politics dwelled within.' RIP intellectualism.

Hiya,

Quick post. This blog will be my tour journal this summer, as I'm spending two months in Europe along with a few weeks across Canada before settling in Amsterdam to go to school full-time. I will try and continually update this site as frequently as possible, despite not even having time to do the dishes often...

So my thesis defence is on Monday. I have a 30 minute presentation sandwiched by questions. Three months of work, toil and sweat comes down to answering a few simple questions. I hope that my performance does not detract from the quality of the project. The project should be online by the fall,as it is a course website that will indeed by used by McMaster University. I am excited to see that happen.

Finally, Kae Sun will be travelling to Guelph and Hamilton this weekend, so check our website and hopefully we're see you dancing as much as we will be.

Best-
Shain

This is some information for my band, Kae Sun's upcoming show in Guelph, ON at Vinyl. Check it out!

Hey!

It turns out I did not get into school in Denmark, so it is official; I will be moving to Amsterdam to do my MA at the University of Amsterdam. I will be done my undergraduate studies on April 22nd, and then I'll have a break for the summer. I'm going to be doing a little bit of travelling with some friends, interspersed with trips back to Canada to be with my family. I'm going to Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Eastern Europe, not to mention the British Isles. I'll also be back to graduate on June 6th and for a short relaxing jaunt back to Canada in the middle of July.

Here's a piece I just wrote that I think represents what I've been upto. Read it Here. Let's hope people read it. I'm gonna leave you with more travel photography, as it is a passion of mine to try and capture the essence of where I go, even if it is far from realistic. peace-

Hiya,

I'm trying to update this as much as possible, even though I am stuck working on my thesis. Right now I'm converting 40 PPT's to PDF's, so I have plenty of time. I just want to share one my favourite all time pictures I have taken. It's from Amsterdam and it gets me excited for the future. Toodle-oo. I love bikes.

Sanity Music - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

One more post; I just wanted to update my band's tourdates at the end of the month.

Come see us:

www.kaesunmusic.com
www.myspace.com/kaesun
www.liferecordsent.com/kae.htm

Saturday, March 25 @ TBA in Toronto, ON (Industry Showcase)
Friday, March 31 @ The Gypsy Co-Op in Toronto, ON (w/Jay Crocker)
Saturday, April 1 @ Brando's in Brantford, ON
Friday, April 7 @ Vinyl in Guelph, ON
Saturday, April 8 @ The Pepper Jack Cafe in Hamilton, ON


peace

Hi,

Haven't updated in a few weeks; I have decided that until I graduate from school, this blog is going to be slightly ignored due to time constraints. Yet, I will make it up to all you lovely readers, as I will be updating this every day as I travel throughout Europe for three months. I'll also make sure to update it with my daily growl upon settling in Amsterdam.

Hope all is well. I have a multitude of grandiose, brilliant topics to set on discussing here, but it'll all have to wait, as my thesis is due in three weeks and my life revolves around it. All I hope for, in this short period, is that Dick Cheney continues to shoot his friends, until every last one of them is dead or a vegetable. I'm not a violent person, but a few less rich white guys in power is fine by me.

And on that note-

<-- Human Quail -->
Hi.

Haven't updated in a few days. I'm been battling a nasty sinus virus that has kept me in bed for the past ten days. I'm feeling better but no where near 100%. Ah well.

I find it interesting that when Dick Cheney shoots someone, it is seen as a humourous joke through the eyes of the biased, sensationalist media but murders, shootings and violence are always at the top of the news hour on TV. I believe Cheney should be charged with unlawful misconduct, but unfortunately we do not live in a free and fair world and the evil man will get off scot free. Apparantely the victim suffered a minor heart attack because of the shooting, not to mention getting shot.

Also, it took the white house 21 hours to break the news after the shooting, and it was done so by a private newspaper in Texas. When is this obviously hidden agenda of this administration going to end? I wish impeachment was an option.

Here are some links:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cheney_hunting_accident

All I have to say is, those quails are pecky mothers... I'd suppose Cheney could mistake a human for a quail.



-peace

Sanity Music - Apostle of Hustle - Folkloric Feel

Hey!

February is upon us, and it seems that Canada has yet to experience much of a winter this year. It is interesting that everyone is loving the nice weather (present company included), but I have a feeling it is going to cause some damage in the long run. It's the winter. In Canada. It should be cold. But alas, it ain't. Guess I'll put my hoodie on and go enjoy the outdoors.

So I'm moving to Amsterdam. Quite the daunting task ahead of me, but I'm excited for it. I've moved abroad before and understand what is involved, but this is even more a life changing event than moving to the UK. There I knew it was for a year; this time, who knows.

Anywho, get a look of my school at The University of Amsterdam

Also, here is a link to a piece I wrote on Keller Williams that questions the nature of 'jamming' in the 'jamband' scene. I'm moving more to writing about the socio-political implications of music, rather than just music itself. Check it out if it tilts your fancy.

Finally, I want to alert you to some upcoming tourdates of my band, Kae Sun
Please come out if you can...

February 16th - The Pepper Jack Cafe, Hamilton, ON w/Shane Phillips
February 18th - The El Mocambo, Toronto, ON w/Mat the Alien & Wax Romeo
February 24th - Alex P. Keaton, London, ON w/One Way Trip

That's all.

Best-

Shain

Sanity Music - Death Cab for Cutie

It is so difficult to update this thing amidst four year classes and a crazy life, but here goes for another short update.

Firstly, the band is doing well. Check out www.kaesunmusic.com for updates and tourdates. We're going on the road in February, and I'm stoked.

Also, I got into Graduate School. I will be moving to Amsterdam to go to the University of Amsterdam to study Media Studies for my MA. www.uva.nl. I couldn't be happier.

More soon.

best-
Shain

I know it has been over a month since my last post, and this one is a quickie... more later.

My band is releasing our CD on Thursday, January 12 at the Underground in Hamilton.
Info:

Kae Sun
CD Release Party for Soliloquy
Thursday, January 12th
The Underground
41 Catherine St. N @ King William
Hamilton, ON
905.741.ROCK

www.kaesunmusic.com
www.myspace.com/kaesun

We are politically potent live hip-hop. Come out if you can.

One the most favourite pieces I have ever written was just published. It's a case study examining the theoretical progression of bluegrass music. I'm trying to move out of just 'writing about bands' to start going deeper into music, it's socio-political implications, history, methodology etc... This piece is a step up for me, and I am damn proud of it.

Check it out.

A Case Study on Bluegrass

Sanity Music - STARS - Set Yourself on Fire (December 18th, baby!)

Hey...

Busy time, so less posts. Here's a review I just wrote that got published;

http://www.jambase.com/headsup.asp?storyID=7502

Thanks!

Also, check out Mundus Journalism for an interesting opportunity grad school wise.

Sanity Music - Modest Mouse - Good News for People who Like Bad News

Hey,

It has been a few days since I edited my blog. I'm busy figuring out my graduate school applications, and I really wish there was a search engine that honestly ranked schools per program on the basis of 5-10 categories. There are ones in specific countries, like Prospects
for the UK or Princeton Review for the US, but nothing that transcends countries, programs, faculties and most importantly, honesty.

I am getting so confused with the advice my advisors have been giving me. While extremely worthwhile and needed, I have been barraged with contradictory advice, telling me to go to completely different places and structure my applications differently for each one, for example. Why I will probably be laughing about it in the future when I end up in one of these institutions, it is tiresome and frustrating now, especially when my final year of University hangs over my head. Definitely a stressful time right now, I can tell you that; but things will work out.

Saw Bright Eyes w/Feist and The Magic Numbers last night in Buffalo, NY. It was fantastic. All three bands were mesmerizing, a true tour-de-force of pure, honest songwriting. Expect a JamBase review shortly. For now, check out my newly published review of a Ratdog show in Toronto.

I hope a few people are reading this, as I will continue to update it throughout my quest for higher education. Best-
Sanity Music: Perpetual Groove - 11.19.2005 -

Sitting in the Multimedia lab... doing another project. Just felt like updating quickly... More soon.

Hey!

Just a short post before I go to work on a Saturday night, again. Today was a busy day. I wrote three articles, marked some assignments and finished an arduous scholarship application, due Monday. It's weird when you sit down and theorize grad school applications. Essentially, I am doing a shitload of work, just to be given the opportunity to do a shitload of work. It does not make much sense to me, but the road to a PhD masses through MA country first.

Interesting music day as well... I have listened to Stars, Boozoo Bajou, a compilation of Canadian female country artists, Decemberists, Wilco, Somebody's Closet and of course, Phish. Also on a Food TV hook... I love the Food Network.

speak soon.

-Shain

I'm actually listening to Coldplay today. How depressing is that?

More tomorrow.

Hello,

Well, this is take two. My first ever blog. Like usual, I am extremely late when subscribing to new technologies, but this is one fantastic idea. I just built a website today. It's located at www.shainhouse.com and it is going to house my portfolio, or whatever I can throw up there in my lack of spare time.

I'm hoping to update this blog atleast once a week and hopefully a few people will read it. Who knows? Regardless, it'll be fun.

Okie... topic one: Have you ever been to a supermarket where every aisle/check-out, if there is more than one, is open? I have never noticed this in my life and I really believe that they are installed to create a sense of convenience within the shopper's innate emotional underling when in fact, said aisles and check-outs are never fully utilized to their recognizable capacity. Here is my take on it; maybe it is a secret, yet incredibly ingenious plan to increase the amount of patience dwelling inside your average lumpen proletariat, or a ploy to get you to buy more goods while you are waiting. Regardless, it is one those lovely daily rituals that would never get fleshed out without semantics. It is about time we actually take a minute and look at the world around us, for what is really is.

Anyway, check out my writing at www.jambase.com and www.relix.com, where I frequently contribute. if you're in Ontario or Canada, check out Exclaim (www.exclaim.ca) or View (www.viewmag.com) and in the UK, Drowned in Sound (www.drownedinsound.com) or Leeds Guide (www.leedsguide.co.uk).

see you soon for take trois.

-Shain

- On a Paul Simon kick... He is simplicity at its finest, despite obvious bastardization of several indigenous African musical conventions. Still, I love him.

More later. I promise.