This newsletter is an extension of the 2022 Summer Album Guide, and will evolve to include writing about the community, the city and the world in areas other than hot vinyl and vital music. But for now consider it a gesture to continue the art of the album review, forever disappearing from our print newspapers. - Dave Bidini
Neil Young
Chrome Dreams
Last week, Patti Smith, playing between US Girls and The National at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto, introduced a song written by a lanky songwriter who, she said, “is the same age as me” (76 years old). My thoughts didn’t immediately connect to Neil Young, but the dichotomy works: two seasoned, decorated, below-the-fold songwriters whose legacy touches punk, poetry, folk, and rock; one of them explicitly New York, the other explicitly California. Accompanied by her son on piano, she played “After the Gold Rush,” substituting the words “21st Century” for “1970s,” igniting a chain of texts between friends who were at the show — HEAVY! POIGNANT! I CANT BELIEVE IM SEEING THIS! — despite the inescapable stonerdom of the verses. But hearing this song in the summer air performed by one of the great artists of her generation was a true August treat, and that it arrived alongside the latest archival work by the Omemee musician showed that, no matter what you’re listening to, you’re never far from one of his universally beloved songs, from “Powderfinger” (presented here the way you’ve heard it at countless parties or open mics: spare and acoustic) to the half-speed “Sedan Delivery” to a slightly less fine version of “Pocahontas.” There’s the obvious question of how much old tape is too much when it comes to the unpacking of Neil’s archive, but the obvious answer is also “Who cares?” It’s a delight to be reminded how much this music matters, to both you and me and Patti.
Purchase the LP on Neil Young’s store HERE
DijahSB
Tasty Raps, Vol 2
This new 5 song EP helps keep the Dijah boat moving in the water, and adds to the colours of its sails, particularly “Too Much to Do,” with its cross-rhythm Latinate and personal narrative throwing new light on the work of the local rap giant. Here, the pastels swirl and coagulate across the mixes; trippy sonic candy that melts like candle wax across beats jumping and hiccuping without losing their direction (“I Feel Like Rihanna” also has a keyboard thrall that winds like ribbon around the vocals). The sounds here don’t reinvent, but reliability is never a given among artists at the front end of their journey. DijahSB’s records continue to be easy to cheer for.
Thank you to Great Lakes Brewing for being generous sponsors of all things WEP, including the newsletter you just read!
For more on Great Lakes Brewery, check their website HERE