1. 21 Nov


    Photo 1:  Um, is there a fundamental dichotomy between this man’s wardrobe and his means of conveyance?  :D

    Photos 2 and 3: Epiphone 50th Anniversary ‘61 Reissue Casino, photographed in my living room, in the November sunshine. 

    Oh, and also, I know I say this EVERY time I post a shot of my Casino…but it used to belong to a famous Canadian musician (and one I have been a fan for many years!), Kevin Kane of the band The Grapes of Wrath.

    They have a new record coming out in the next few months, but here is one of their hits from the 90’s.  Kevin is singing and playing guitar on this track.  Not the Casino though…  :D

     

  2. 18 Nov


    Epiphone Reissue Casino & Fine Art painting by Peter Rotter (http://www.peterrotter.com/).

    The guitar was previously owned by a well known musician on the Canadian indie-rock scene (you can find out more about him here: http://grapesofwrath.ca/), and it is one of my favourites!  Oh who am I kidding…if I just own a given guitar it is one of my favourites!  I love all my children!  That’s why it hurts so much to sell them.  I imaging it’s the same with human children.  Hard to sell them, I mean. :D

    The painting behind the guitar was bought 10 years ago at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition.  It was expensive at the time…but I am happy to report that the value of Peter’s work has increased quite substantially since I bought this piece.  I don’t buy art (or guitars!) for “investment” purposes…I buy them because I LOVE them.  However, if the value goes up while I own them, I won’t complain!  :D

    It is hard to see just how beautiful this painting is… because the (also beautiful) Epi headstock is in the way and the background is blurry due to a short depth of field.  But here is a similar piece from Peter’s website…not mine…but very much like mine in subject, style, size, and overall look.  Yes folks…this is a painting!  And it is huge:  30” x 60”.  It would cost roughly the price of 3 new Gibson Les Paul Standards, perhaps even a bit more than that…!

     

  3. 16 Oct



    More Grapes (of Wrath)…

    Again, not the Steinbeck variety but the Canadian Indie Music Variety.  :D GOW are playing Toronto’s Mod Club on Oct 30 with a bunch of special guests including Sam Roberts, Ron Sexsmith, Great Lake Swimmers and Whitehorse.  It will be the first time I have seen them play in…well a LONG time.  Gonna be great!  :D

    http://grapesofwrath.ca/

    As soon as someone sticks their new tracks online somewhere where I can share ‘em with you I will do so…in the meantime here is one of their early hits, and a personal fave of mine.  From the first time I heard them to this day, I still love the Grapes’ vocal harmonies.  This is from their 1987 album “Treehouse”.  The track is called “Peace of Mind”:

    Also, I never miss the chance to say that I bought my 61 Reissue Casino from the guy singing lead (and playing guitar) in this song, Kevin Kane.  :D  It’s the guitar in my banner photo (at the top of my Tumblr page) and here is a close up…I love it so much!  :D

     

  4. 9 Oct


    BFTP #2 - Epiphone Casino Reissue, shot on January 22, 2012 on my kitchen.  Without hyperbole, one of the sweetest guitars I have ever owned, and NOT terribly expensive.  Strap by Jaykco.  :D

    BFTP #2 - Epiphone Casino Reissue, shot on January 22, 2012 on my kitchen.  Without hyperbole, one of the sweetest guitars I have ever owned, and NOT terribly expensive. 

    Strap by Jaykco.  :D

     

  5. 20 Jun


    I am not a gambler, but this is one Casino I really enjoy!  :D

    2010 Epiphone 50th Anniversary Casino Reissue, Royal Tan.

    Toronto, Canada, June 19, 2012.

     

  6. 18 Jun


    Headstock Macro Series #9.

    2010 Epiphone 50th Anniversary Reissue 61 Casino, Royal Tan.  Plus a REAL (not reissue) vintage automobile I saw at the grocery store today!  :D

    Toronto, Canada, June 17, 2012.

     

  7. 6 Apr


    Despite a slew of fancy new Gibsons and a new, near perfect Martin 00-18V, one MUST remember one’s “old” friends too, and not neglect them!

    Here is my 2010 Epiphone 50th Anniversary Reissue Casino in the sunshine in my living room, Toronto, Canada, April 4, 2012.

     

  8. 3 Mar


    For once I DID NOT go guitar shopping today!  A Saturday with NO guitar shopping?!? Weird eh?  :D  

    Instead I went shopping for paintings at a big artist showing in Toronto called The Artist Project (http://www.theartistprojecttoronto.com/), where I bought a small painting from this painter, Joe Sampson: http://www.sampsonstudio.com/

    The “other” thing I buy too much of (besides guitars!) is paintings.  I can’t help myself…they (guitars and paintings) are both beautiful works of art!

    Anyhoo…after spending about 1/2 the price of a new guitar on a painting today, I came home and took a few shots of one of the guitars I ALREADY have! Epiphone 50th Anniversary ‘61 Reissue Casino!  It is one of my favourites!  

    Strap by Jaykco (http://www.jaykco.com/).

    Oh, and I threw in some random urban photos for fun too!  :D

    Toronto, Canada, March 3, 2012.

     

  9. 23 Jan



    Kevin Kane - Last to Know, 2007.

    I love this tune from my favourite Grape!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiTKlDKJRKg

    Kevin Kane, guitar player/singer/songwriter from the Canadian band Grapes of Wrath who had several hits between 1986 and the early 90’s!  

    This is a tune from his 2007 solo album “How to Build a Lighthouse” called “Last to Know”.  I love the production and the vocal harmonies, but most of all I love his guitar sounds.  This guy really knows how to get a nice warm overdrive.  The basic rhythm track is not too cluttered with reverb or other effects…until the band comes in at 0:28 and then picked notes on the second guitar sound so huge (must be lots of reverb, right?)

    Also, I love the sustaining slide ( it becomes audible at 2:41) which holds it’s pitch (with a slight vibrato) and then slides at 2:45 right down the length of the neck until he main rhythm part kicks back in at 2:47.  Nicely done.

    also…my most recent guitar, the Epiphone 50th Anniversary ‘61 Reissue Casino was owned by this guy before me!  I wonder if he is playing it on this track???  Nah…just kidding. It’s impossible…the album was released in 2007 and the Epiphone I bought is a 2011 model!  :D

     

  10. 18 Sep



    Kevin Kane - Last to Know, 2007.

    Click here and when the link opens then click the “play” button:

    http://kevinkane.bandcamp.com/track/last-to-know?permalink

    I love this tune “Last to Know” from Kevin Kane who was (and is again since they have reunited) the singer and guitar player in the legendary Canadian band of the 80’s and 90’s Grapes of Wrath.

     

  11. 6 Aug



    Canadian Music in the 80’s - Grapes of Wrath

    I was downtown in Toronto today (shopping for guitars…what else?) and I saw this guy on Queen Street that I recognized.  His name is Kevin Kane - I don’t know him personally…I just remember him as the singer and guitar player in a great Canadian band from the 80’s and 90’s called Grapes of Wrath.  He was by himself…just walking on Queen West. I didn’t bother him, but now I regret not saying something to him.  Just to let him know that I was (and still am) a fan of his music. 

    Back in the 80’s when I still lived in Montreal, I loved the band’s album “Treehouse”.  It was a great record, and gave them at least a couple of hits on Much Music and radio, including the track below called “Peace of Mind”.  I got to see them play a couple of times back then…and even met the band once backstage/downstairs at Le Spectrum in Montreal (which is no longer there!  WTF Montreal?  That was one of the BEST venues to see a band in!).  They were opening for somebody there…but I can’t remember who…I just remember Grapes of Wrath.  Here is one of their most well-known songs, “Peace of Mind”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7dB8lEW2iY

    I also recently bought one of Kevin Kane’s solo records, which is also really good.  The song that sticks with me from it is called “Last to Know”.  Listen to it here on his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kevin_kane/music/songs/last-to-know-25732473

    “Last to Know” is typical of everything I loved about Grapes of Wrath - sweet, lush harmonies, great natural sounding over-driven guitars…it’s just really good pop music.  And I mean “pop” in the sense that The Beatles were “pop”…not “pop” in the the current context - no offense intended to current pop artists!  :D

    Do yourself a favour and listen to the two tunes above…they were released roughly 20 years apart from each other!