I'm working on a new website!

I'm working on a new website. This blog will be moving but the posts will stay forever. Thanks to everyone who's ever read this blog and my opinions! here's a list of the top 5 most popular of my posts:
1) Ghosts of a Sabre Tooth Tiger - show review
2) Run the Red Light - show review
3) 10 amazing songs to download right now (volume 2)
4) My controversial post about Translink
5) Carpenter & Northcote - show review

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Seven! Released today!

Seven!

Marty's new song "Seven" produced/mixed by Carl Davis (the Left/the Pompadoors) and mastered by Abbey Road Studios (the Beatles/John Lennon) is released today in all digital formats!  This song is his 2nd single of 5 (or more) tracks that will be continue to be released throughout 2014.   This new song simply titled "Seven" is a guitar driven countrified adult alternative rock and roll track about typical 20 something life lessons to domestic bliss in the 30's and beyond.  "Seven" takes the listener to a place they've been before but forgot about and glad they've returned.  When you hear the hooks in the chorus you will not be able to help singing along! 

Click here to be redirected to "Seven" on iTunes

10 AMAZING songs to download now (#3)

Song #1: Just another Girl by Alexandria Maillot
Song #2: Legs for Daze by Owl Skowl
Song #3: Sacrifice by Jay Arner
Song #4: Blackie by Rykka
Song #5: I heard I had by Dear Rouge
Song #6: Ruby by Louise Burns
Song #7: the Heart of Juliet Jones by Tough Age
Song #8: Animals by the Ghost of a Sabre Tooth Tiger
Song #9: Showering with Wine by Sunshine
Song #10: Date Night by Needles/Pins

10 AMAZING songs to download right now (#1)

Song 1: Lovers Outta Love by Mardeen
Song 2: Better Off by Fighting for Ithaca 
Song 3: Reaction by Acres of Lions 
Song 4: Letterman by Gay Nineties 
Song 5: Girls by Laurell 
Song 6: Sunday by Paul Filek 
Song 7: Shake your Money by the Rockies
Song 8: Magic by Two Hours Traffic 
Song 9: Queen by Pompadoors
Song 10: Our Last Song by Dominique Fricot 
Bonus: Between you and me by Jody Glenham

Adam's List

I've been thinking about something lately: How can I expect anyone to pay for my music if I don't pay for music myself? This train of thought has got me on about a song/album per week on iTunes on my iPhone. It's easy, it's quick and dirty, it solves a problem for me which is listening to my friends new music.

Here's my "what if" question: What if all of the people I know, either music industry people or even just friends/family, purchased 1 song by 1 band per week on iTunes or Bandcamp etc etc?

Let's say it was 1000 people, just for sake of argument. Buying said music not because it was "amazing!" or "best song ever!" or "OMG!" or a "radio single" etc etc but to support the arts in the city of Vancouver/Canada and also to pay it forward. On iTunes, depending on your distribution method (CDBaby, Tunecore, etc) 1000 downloads would be about $600-700 to the artist. That kind of money could equal another recorded song for the recipient. Pay it forward.

I've been reading about this phenomenon sweeping Tim Hortons this summer. A lady in Edmonton bought $800 worth of coffee for the "next" x number of customers. The recipients of this generosity carried it on the next time they were at Tim H's coffee joint, and on, and on, until it hit national headlines recently.

Going back to the "Marty's List" or as I'd prefer "Adam's List" (named after Adam Fink: the most solid dude around, and a quasi-hero/friend of mine/dance-guru/save-on-meats host/drummer/subpop/scientist/"Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall") a $52 yearly investment in the local music/arts community may spark a wave of new music based positive vibrations.
Know what? I'm going to start this list off. I know Adam would agree with my 1st choice:
Rolla Olak - Download track 8 - "Highway Patrol"

Pay it forward.

Love, Marty @martyzylstra

Less Conversation

Earlier this month Sweetheart released a new EP.

I still remember the rehearsal jam that sparked the new songs on this recording.  At that time in my life in early 2008 I was probably in the worst place I'd ever been.  I'll spare you the details but how I felt the day we first worked on the spark that was going to become our new album was deep into a pit of self loathing.  I'm not going to make any excuses for my choices or the way it panned out in those days but as we got through the song that eventually became Less Conversation, I could feel the band channelling what I was feeling.  They all had been or were going through something similar.  Things weren't great in our lives.  We still managed to laugh and to support each other.  That's what I really appreciate over the years of life in Sweetheart.  The amount of support we give each other.

These are some of my favourite lyrics I've ever written.  I can't take full credit because the other 3 guys in the band really steered the lyrics to where they finally stay.  Here's a sample:
I'm desperate/And dangerous/One last kiss/We won't forget/This love we had/Why won't you take me/For me?
We'll make less conversation/put to death our good intentions/I wrote every book you ever read/I'm violence in your head/blood eyes cannot deceive me/why can't you make this easy/this conversation keeps repeating everything you ever said you ever said you ever said you ever
You never listened to my story/a warning/you never given me the glory/a warning/me for me

go check it out for yourself here

Although those times are over and the journey has led me here down this path, this song sticks with me.  It represents a picture of the memory of where I've been.  This song is not who I am.  But it is apart of me. Maybe who I once was. 

Deep thoughts.

love,
Marty
@martyzylstra