Apparently the above photo (from National Geographic) is “Spring in Calgary”.  Yes, it may feel like this at times, but seriously?!  I find we, as Canadians, fight the impression by the rest of the world that we are simply an ice field with beer.  I just wanted to say that the above photo is not “Spring in Calgary” unless Spring is in January after a snowstorm.  Sorry, just a bit punchy today.  Damn National Geographic.

Oh well, I did discover a great compilation “album” from Splice called “The Old Lonesome Sound” yesterday that I can’t recommend enough.  It is great jam packed full of great talent – come on…Deer Tick, Christian Kiefer, Radar Bros., Phosphorescent, Adam Arcuragi, These United States to mention a few.  The FREE mix is the first “Original” Compilation offered by the site – so sign up, download, tune out.

If you also get the chance (you know you will get the chance) – check out the RAM tribute album from Autumn Tone Records that is run by and available on Aquarium Drunkard’s blog.  Good friends “Travel By Sea” are included alongside Bodies of Water, The Broken West and Earlimart – and the band to merge these two albums: Radar Bros.!  Also consider a donation to “No More Landmines” directly from AD.  If you don’t know the “RAM” album is the 1971 solo Paul McCartney album that nobody really knows about, well almost nobody – not much gets past AD.

Well that is enough music to keep you going today, and to get those mp3 spiders working for their pay, check out a nice little Dylan cover that gives me a warm feeling to melt all that snow that apparently is in Calgary this Spring.  But seriously the track, “Not Dark Yet” is covered by “that guy from ELO” or you may also know him as Nathan Wayne.  I think he does a pretty good job, and while myself not being a huge Dylan fan, I know a good song when I hear it.  I also find Wayne’s version is not a impersonation of Dylan, but simply what one would think Dylan would sound like…without trying to sound like him…ya know?  I think is conveys the song well and makes me pine for some room temperature single malt, if ya know what I mean.

Well I am off to read “tweets” by all the SxSW bloggers while at work – what else am I going to do at work?

~Smansmith