happy birthday meghan morrison (only a week late!)

photo via facebook

last friday callum and i paid a visit to aspetta cafe, where our friend meghan morrison was celebrating her birthday. she rented out the joint for the night and shared the stage with everyone in attendance. guests were encouraged (sometimes forced hah) to sign up for the open mic. we played cadaver bells & gypsy spells as well as the hangman's elm. aspetta is a small cafe (with a wicked patio) located in trendy kensington market. they have a stage that opens to the patio, nothing better then being able to enjoy live music while sipping a cider and chain smoking (kidding!...sort of... ew). callum and i were recently featured on meghan's weekly webcast, which you can find here.

strap up my books, i'm headin' out.

photos via smash

you know sometimes when your cruisin' (the street, the web, whatever's your vice) and you come across something that you didn't realize until that very minute you absolutely needed. well that's what happened when i stumbled upon smash. who knew you needed a book strap for all of your literary masterpieces while you take a stroll to the park. now i know, and there can't be anything cooler than strapping your books up and heading out to brush up on my nietzsche (which i have been reading for almost two months now, i'm envious of all you smart, smart people who can whip through those books in two days and feel like you got the gist of it). i say book straps beat a backpack any day. i imagine my books would have to be old and weathered as in the picture or else it wouldn't have the same effect. i might have to throw mine around a bit, man-handle them you could say, before they are worthy of being strapped up.

regarding the ladder, well i realized that this ladder would be much more space efficient  (and beautiful!) than the hideous carpeted stairs attached to my mezzanine at this very moment. and the globe? well everyone needs a globe and i myself, do not have one, but this one looks very pretty.

we're goin' to america!

"stop splashin' you're getting ma hair wet," is what i was screaming.

always apply sunscreen

wilbur's obese cousin

this past sunday i visited toronto island for the first time, ward island more specifically. arms loaded up with coolers and musical instruments of every sort, we caught the ferry and were on our way. i came across the fattest pig i have ever seen and saw the closest to clean beach since i've lived in the GTA. we had a little jam session on the beach, callum on guitar, christian st-pierre on the xylophone (which he picked up for only $10 at a pawn shop and she was a beaut!) and myself on the recorder/flute. i'm sure we annoyed the hell out of everyone around us trying to sunbathe. thanks to alex for showing us the way (especially the backtracking to the right path hah!) and kyle for making it out even though we left without him.

the bowery

grilled octopus with tomato confit, tomato chips, nicoise olives, baby arugula, polenta and squid ink aioli

grilled 24 oz Rib eye with lemon shallot honey vinaigrette and shaved parm

if you're down in the financial district and are looking for somewhere to eat or to catch a drink with friends, look no further because the bowery just opened up. it took over the spot of six steps and the transformation that happened with the space is phenomenal. the space is eclectic with a hint of "punk" thrown in. lots of black and orange with vintage hits, like the stools that are straight from new york city. i don't have a picture of it, but featured in the main front window is a custom neon art piece by up-and-coming canadian artist jarrod wilson.

the food served was nothing short of mouthwatering. my favourite of the night was "grilled octopus with tomato confit, tomato chips, nicoise olives, baby arugula, polenta and squid ink aioli." long name, but delicious. the prices are reasonable, a couple drinks, an app and an entree will likely set you back around $50. not to bad. i love that they cook on a five foot long charcoal grill as it makes the whole restaurant smell like campfire slightly, one of my favourite smells. the word on the street is that they will be opening the downstairs as a live music venue. i had a chance to check out the basement and once this place is up and running, i can see it getting packed real quick.

vintage shopping in leslieville

gadabout

this past saturday i went shopping along the leslieville strip. the place is swarming with antique shops. i came across a fantastic record store called discovery used and collector records, and all the records were 50% off (my kind of deal). i didn't end up buying anything, but the posters they had on the wall were to die for (but unfortunately not 50% off). i then visited my FAVOURITE vintage store gadabout, i seem to make my way down there atleast once a week. just look at all the shoes! (all around $60-$80 dollars) they have a wide assortment of pretty much anything you're looking for. old straight razors, harmonicas, leather jackets, flapper hats, letterpress blocks, jewelery, SHOES, anything! it's all very reasonably priced as well.

finger snap snap

yesterday was our last night at the studio. we finished up our song cadaver bells and gypsy spells and we really dig the new spin on it, greg's drums really pick up the tempo compared to the demo. if anyone is looking for a great studio to work with, i confidently recommend oak recording studio. we worked with justin helle (pictured above), who is a multi-talented engineer/musician and he made the entire experience an enjoyable one. he was "spreadin' the good vibes". we're very excited to get the first song recorded off of our new album and can't wait to get back and finish the rest.

tattoos + guitars

here are a couple more photos of our first session at oak recording studio. these were taken off of my canon, not the iphone, so the quality it a little better. there are a few shots at the end of callum playing on a vintage gibson that the studio has available and it sounds beautiful. we're heading back to the studio tonight to finish up the song with some finger snaps and all that jazz.

you can find the rest of the shots here.