Upgrade Upcoming

I bought a new computer! Yes! Whoo!

The parts are being acquired and assembled over the next few days, so the current prognosis is that I'll have it by Thursday night; you'll pardon me if I disappear from the blogosphere in the meantime, as I get everything set for all the various transitions and maneuvers involved in switching from one computer to another.

This is going to be magnificent. I'm all giddy. Ooh!

There'll likely be a dramatic upswing in posts upon my return, if only because they're going to require far less time to perform -- so here's what we can look forward to when I get back.

Obviously this incoming technology will mean saying goodbye to my current, soon to be former, hysterically old computer; a friend had suggested a post to honour the occasion, so I'll be sure to give the ol' eMachine a lovely sendoff for its many valued years of service. Maybe give it a watch or something. We'll have to see.

I'll also be going over the upcoming concert schedule for our fair city and highlighting everything I either intend on seeing or wish ruefully that I could go to; if you haven't been paying attention to the oncoming neat stuff, rest assured that I'll fill you in as best I can. Because that's how I roll.

Also -- you may have noticed this story that popped up recently about the University of Manitoba purchasing the neighbouring Southwood Golf Course. As a recent University of Manitoba graduate you can bet that I'll have plenty to say about this, particularly because -- not to spoil too much about the eventual post, but just so you know in advance -- I hate golf.

And of course, as I'd originally intended, I'll continue to bring to you the very best in music that you weren't going to hear otherwise; precious few people seem to be taking me up on this as yet, but I'm going to keep trying! Because I don't know any better!

So, yeah, Slurpees and Murder will resume updates in a few days or so. If anybody needs me in the meantime, you know where to find me.

Which reminds me:

Susan Cadogan - If You Need Me [buy]

I was going to save this song for later, for another post of summer tunes, but what the hell. It's nice out now, a merciful development considering the weather these last couple of weeks, and this will tide you guys over in the meantime.

I usually have a good ear for what'll stick and what won't, as I was reminded yesterday when a friend of mine blamed me for his having Dale Hawerchuk on the brain. So, trust me -- you'll probably have this song popping up in your head periodically, and furthermore I would guess that you'll have very little complaint about the matter.

I once had a coworker tell me that it was terribly uncool to like reggae at all. Except for Bob Marley, she amended -- but liking anything else was lame. Well, I don't need people to tell me that I'm terribly uncool! I can--wait, damn it, no. Hang on. Scratch that last part.

Oldschool reggae is awesome, and anyone who would tell you otherwise has never properly investigated the genre beyond the same three Bob Marley songs that mainstream North America ever acknowledges. (There, that's more like it! I'm back on track.)

Though this piece in question is unmistakably reggae, chock full of the traditional anchoring rhythm trappings that primarily identify the genre (and dig the bassist on this piece, especially during the guitar solo a minute in when he's easist to pick out; there's no way that guy wasn't having fun playing this line), this is one of those songs that would have been just as accessible -- and just as delightful -- if played in almost any other conceivable genre. This wouldn't have seemed out of place in the slightest as a soul tune, a country anthem, a new wave chart, a classic rock anthem, whatever; hell, if I were a rapper (and I assure you that I'm not, at least not as far as I know yet), I would singlehandedly fight an entire pack of lawyers to make sure I get to sample this track.

And if I had the necessary comic-book superhero powers to will things into being with my mind, this is the song I would hear in my head every time I wanted to conjure up a tasty citrus-based alcoholic beverage. As I furrowed my brow and focused my energies I would hear the drum hit, the opening riff, bam, and a tall glass with an umbrella in it would spontaneously appear in my hand just as the lyrics kicked in. Oh, to dream. (And I swear, if I ever write a comic book, somebody's getting this power.)

So kick back and enjoy the weather as best you can, gentle readers; I'll be back to continue shoving songs at you before you know it.