naughts and crosses, hexes and ohs

There's a soft spot in my heart for electro-pop. It makes me feel giddy and if i could dance, I probably would (believe me, you don't want to see that). That's why when I first heard Hexes & Oh's, something clicked inside me and I just had.....to write a music review!


Hexes & Ohs are a Montreal group comprised of Heidi Donnelly and Edmund Lam. The main theme you read about their relationship is that they've been together for over a decade and were in fact high school sweethearts. I'm always impressed by people who were high school sweethearts and have actually stayed together. I know of maybe one or two couples that are in this same situation and you wonder how it is that they've been able to maintain that freshness since clearly a highschool mentality is different from when you're in your late 20s. Of course, I've now turned this review into my theories on relationships. Time to move on.


Ok, one more tangent. What is IN the water in Montreal that seems to breed great music? Arcade Fire? The Stills? Beast? The Dears? Stars (to a lesser degree)? Someone bottle that water up, turn it into beer, and send me a case.


The album in question is Bedroom Madness (available for download at your favourite legal music download site and iTunes). Published by Noise Factory Records.


Heidi and Edmund's vocals play well off of each other. The music is fun, light, pop-py, but the lyrics sometimes belie the happy notes. Something I've loved ever since I heard the dark ominous lyrics the Smiths wrapped around with sugar coated tunes. Heidi's vocals remind me of the melodic sounds Amy Milan puts into Stars and a teeny tiny, little bit of Miki Berenyi (Lush, there's a blast from the past for all you kids out there) and Emily Haines thrown into the mix (I have to put Emily Haines into a post, just have to. Emily, call me!). Edmund's vocals are no slouch either. He'll never be the lead singer of Alexis on Fire, but who'd want him to be screaming with this kind of music (sorry George, i really can't do the screaming).

The album's main single, H-h-highschool is great! Catchy and definitely brings back those great memories of highschool....Maybe not. When they sing "Awkward and deranged, the same old skinny kid from highschool" I'm thankful I got over the skinny part, the deranged aspect is debatable. Let's be clear here. I went to a Catholic boys highschool. now THAT'S awkward.

The rest of the album is dotted with catchy tunes, from the upbeat Wildfire, Little Bird (great banjo at the beginning), the kon kan (another blast from the past for you kids) beats of Seems so Elementary, Try so Hard, and Not Arriving. The album doesn't let you drop the proverbial pop head sway (you know the sway...bob left and right to the beat, you know it..you just won't admit it).

There are some weaker tracks on the album (you're a hologram, ship going down, still adore you ), but it's not enough to take away from the album's fun and thoughtfulness.

Songs like Suspicion, Looking to fight, and we remain, go through thoughts on relationships and their good and bad (mostly bad) times. Wait, I've got it! The secret to maintaining a highschool relationship for more than a decade....is to write all the bad scenarios in song. If you can sing about it, you don't have to live it! A strange cathartic endeavour? (Karoake bars take note, you have the secret to life long relationships!!).

Notable track: In High Places

This album is great. Definitely catch a listen on their website and if you like it, support some great Canadian music.

MIchael Jackson 1958 - 2009

RIP MJ. you rocked my world back in Grade 3 and had some really classic songs...then you got weird. Is it wrong that I don't see you as the pop (North American pop) icon that you once were, but the weird dude that owned Neverland Ranch, had that incident with the kids in the bed ALLEGEDLY (acquitted), then HAD kids, but surrogate and the questions around whether or not you really did the deed? It probably is and i'm probably going to some really warm place in the afterlife (if there is one), but i've gone and said it.

Fave MJ songs:
Don't stop til you get enough - apparently now a staple at all weddings
Rock with you
The girl is mine - (just cuz that "doggone" girl is mine)
Human Nature - did you not think he said "doeshedomedatbay"?
Man in the Mirror - do you think he liked what he saw?
(that's about it, because honestly, i thought the rest of his "newer stuff" sucked....oh don't you throw the first stone!)

some thoughts:
- what's up with all this death? Ed? Farrah? now Michael? bad coincidence or conspiracy theory?
- do you feel that maybe the 1st 2 are getting a little ticked off that MJ's stolen their news stories?

Morning Ian, morning Bernie

6am....I'm up. just had enough sleep i guess.
Flip on the TV, wondering what those crazy guys on Breakfast Television are doing...but then i turned the channel and was drawn to....
Joy Division the documentary by Grant Gee. BLOODY BRILLIANT! I really should have seen this awhile ago when it was in town for the film fest a couple of years ago.

There's something odd about watching a documentary at 6 in the morning on arguably one of the most interesting frontmen of the music i grew up with who's demons won out far before his prime. It's unfortunately not a unique story among artists (singers, writers, actors). Perhaps artists are pre-wired to not only have a certain level of creative genius, but on the flip side have a distinct view of the world not in technicolour, but in various shades of grey and black? The documentary itself was about the chronological history of the band. It goes through how the band met up (sex pistols gig....and....i just put "god save the queen" in my head..great), their start up, progression to being on the cusp of being "big", Ian Curtis' suicide, and bands continuation into New Order (NOT a New Order doc). I won't go into details since i think that everyone should watch it.

Interesting tid bit. I'm watching them play "Dead Souls" and seeing Ian getting riled up and pumped in all his psychedelic dance glory (joe cocker had nothing on him) and thinking..."I've heard this song before". It finally clicked. Nine Inch Nails did a cover of it for "The Crow". Didn't even have to google that.

someone take these dreams away

that point me to another day

a duel of of personalities

that stretch all true realities

An interesting question is what defines "Pop"? Throughout the documentary, Joy Division is referred to as a pop band. Perhaps living through the 80s, in grade school, "pop" to me was the Michael Jackson's and Whams of the world, but to me the Brit "pop" of the 80s had a darker tone to it. Artists weren't singing about waking up before you go-go, manic mondays (soft spot in my heart for susanna hoffs) or singing in malls to raucaus tween girls. Could it be that the artists that came out of the late 70s and early 80s in the UK seemed to have a darker grip on reality than North American ones? Don't get me wrong, there were some great 80s bands from North America, they just didn't seem to have the darkness that Joy Division, the Cure, Bauhaus, The Smiths (although wrapped in some damn catchy tunes there mr. morrissey!) et al seemed to have....perhaps i'm just a dark guy and need to review that psychology text book again.

With "Atmosphere" playing in my head as i type this, i gained a deeper appreciation for the story of Joy Division and the guys behind the music. Ian Curtis, you left the world too soon, but i'm sure you've already gotten into a few pub brawls with Kurt Cobain.

thought: was Ian Curtis actually the Kurt Cobain of the early 80s? discuss.
thought #2: goth rock, pop rock, brit pop rock, why can't we just all get along? discuss.

Walk in silence,

Don't turn away, in silence

Your confusion,

my illusion,

worn like a mask of self-hate,

confronts and then dies.

Don't walk away