MANDATES!

So...we're going to profile one band that's playing the EARTHQUAKE SHAKE everyday until the fest...first up, THE MANDATES!

THE MANDATES are a relatively new, 4 piece band outa Calgary featuring members of bands like THE THROWAWAYS, KNUCKLEHEAD, SIDS and THE TENSION SLIPS. They cite bands like the NEW YORK DOLLS and THE BOYS as influences...so you no where they're coming from. Pop-edged punk-rockthat brings the hooks without sacrificing the balls. I haven't seen 'em yet, but knowing these guys from their other bands, we're guranteed a energetic and catchy set. Check 'em out on Myspace! THE MANDATES will be opening the first night of the SHAKE on Friday, June 10th.

EARTHQUAKE SHAKE!

The Second Annual EARTHQUAKE SHAKE festival is happening in Victoria this year on June 10th and 11th. 2 nights of killer out of town, punk bands at LOGAN'S PUB...the opening of "Fat, Drunk and Stupid" a show of the artwork of "King" Darren Merinuk ( http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=211233498897384 )...and the first anniversary of the TALK'S CHEAP store!

Here is a list of most the bands that will be playing the SHAKE:
Friday J...une 10th:
- Mandates (Calgary) http://www.myspace.com/camerainmynecktie
- Timecopz (Vancouver) http://www.myspace.com/timecopz
- Topless Mongos (Calgary) http://www.myspace.com/toplessmongos
- Spastic Panthers (Calgary)http://www.myspace.com/thespasticpanthers
- Needles//Pins (Vancouver) http://www.myspace.com/needlesxpins

Saturday June 11th:- Juvenile Hall (Vancouver) http://www.myspace.com/juvenilehall
- Sheglank'd Shoulders (Calgary) http://www.myspace.com/sheglankdshoulders
- Moby Dicks (Lethbridge) http://www.myspace.com/themobydicksandstuff
- Defektors (Vancouver) http://www.myspace.com/defektors
- B-Lines (Vancouver) http://www.myspace.com/vancouverblines

Single day tickets $15 or both days for $28.

Show Line-ups, ticket info, etc up at: www.earthquakeshake.com. Buy tickets online, or pick 'em up in Victoria at TALK'S CHEAP (556 B Pandora) NOW!

RECORD STORE DAY Recap...

So, Record Store Day 2011 came and went this past Saturday. People waited outside of TALK'S CHEAP for 20+ minutes before I opened at 9:30Am...an hour and a half early! Was it a good day for sales? You betcha! But why? People in search of elusive "Record Store Day Exclusives" (most of which will still be sitting on the shelves in shops when next Record Store Day rolls around)...or people who do all their record shopping for the entire year on this one day? I answered at least 6 phone calls from people looking for the Rush and Nirvana exclusives...and I sold stacks of wax. Where are all these people with money to spend on records the other 51 weekend of the year??? From what I gather from talking to other store owners, most people who make an effort to participate in Record Store Day, and stock some of the exclusives, can expect to do 5 to 10 times the business they'd do on a regular Saturday. A medium sized store in a decent sized city reported bringing in $36, 000 dollars in one day...with 90% of it's sales being Record Store Day exclusives. Looks like the Record industry cooked up a scheme to sell a shitload of records...and it worked. It's Christmas for record collector's...and it's as much of a bullshit marketing scheme as Christmas, Valentine's day, etc. As much as I'd love NOT to participate in such a blatant cash grab, the reality of the matter is that any independent store selling records in this day and age needs to embrace anything that helps them move more records. I guess all I'm saying is who needs Record Store Day...your local record stores are open every weekend of the year. Stop in and buy a few records every month, and they'll treat you right. Exclusives are bullshit...overpriced reissues are a joke. Bring your spare change down to TALK'S CHEAP, BLACK RAVEN, THE TURNTABLE and GORDIE'S this weekend and show your local shops that every weekend can be "Record Store Day"!

B-LINES

So...we were treated to a fantastic show by vancouvers B-LINES on Saturday, April 2nd...it was suppossed to be an album release, but the albums were delayed...so the band made some tapes exclusively for the Vic show., and the show went. Great sets by MEDUSA, OPEN RELEATIONSHIP and YUNG MUMS...and B-LINES put on one of the best sets I've seen in Victoria all year. If you need a B-Lines LP, I've got 'em down at the TALK'S CHEAP...look for a YUNG MUMS tape coming out soon...and go see MEDUSA and OPEN RELATIONSHIP any chance you get!

If you miss the show, here are some pics courtesy of JOHN CARLOW...

B-LINES

YUNG MUMS

OPEN RELATIONSHIP

MEDUSA

...Don't miss WHITE LUNG///JUVENILE HALL///and Guests at LOGAN'S PUB on May 7th...and THE EARTHQUAKE SHAKE festival at LOGAN'S on JUNE 10/11th!

Posting stuff Again!

I've never been very good at updating Blogs or web pages, but I figure I better start giving people a reason to check TALK'S CHEAP out. I'm committing to updating the blog everytime I have something worthwhile to talk about. That might be twice a week, or twice a day. I'll try to have something new up every day though.

Also...I've been listening to alot of STATIC STATIC lately...you should too...

http://www.myspace.com/staticstatic

Monster Party!

I want to take a moment to talk about one of the coolest things I've seen in Victoria since I've lived here. When I took over the Talk's Cheap space from Regalia, there was a poster on the poster board for something called Monster Party...the photocopied, hand colored poster with a drawing of a monster head advertising Toys, Animation and Oddities caught my attention, so I folded the poster up and stuck it in my pocket. The poster ended up sitting in the office at home, where I looked at it every day for a week or so, vowing every day to go check this place out. Did I check it out? Nope. I kept meaning to, but never made it the three or 4 blocks from my store to the Monster Party gallery at 1322 Broad St. So a few days after opening the doors at the store, this guy comes in asking if he can leave some flyers and poster for his gallery...Monster Party. We get talking...he tells me about the stuff he's got over there, and how people just aren't coming up to see his stuff. I tell him that if he wants, he can bring some stuff by thestore for people to check out and that I'll try to send people over. He asks if he can bring some over..right now. A few minutes later he's back with some of his stuff. A plant pot in the shape of a Monster Head, a severed finger fridge magnet, a Mummy magnet, rubber monster face puppets...all with hand painted packaging. This shit is Amazing...and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I spent the following week telling customers to check out the Monster Party gallery...while still having never actually been over there myself. Well, finally made it over there yesterday after closing up the shop. Holy shit. Just go check it out for yourself. The gallery itself is like Pee Wee's playhouse meets a carnival house of horrors. Sculptures, paintings, puppets, animations, masks, a fiji mermaid...seriously cool stuff. I dunno if I just grew up with the right stuff...but having my young mind warped by stuff like the Hillarious House of Frightenstein, cheap used 70's Horror mags, Rankin/Bass animation, Pee Wee's Playhouse, etc...has me completely wired for exactly the kinda stuff found at Monster Party.

Don't be scared off by the fact that you've gotta ring the buzzer and climb a maze of stairs to the third floor of an old building to a musty studio space above a nightclub...I don't think anybody will be dissapointed by what they find at Monster Party. Bring your friends...bring your kids! Just check out Monster Party...and tell Phil that Talk's Cheap sent you...

Monster Party

1322 Broad St

Studio D (Buzzer #23)

Open 1Pm till 6PM every day...look for the Sandwich board.

Upcoming Shows!

Lotsa shows hitting Victoria over the next little while...I'll make a point of reminding you about them here. Here's a run down on a few things you should check out...


- COSMETICS /// MODE MODERNE /// TWO CABINS at Logan's Pub on Friday March 26th. Facebook Event


- TALK'S CHEAP #5...our monthly DJ night at Logan's Pub. Hundreds of punk-rock, garage, pop, etc records, with cheap beer, etc. Facebook Event

- PETROLEUM BY-PRODUCT /// ANIMAL BODIES /// NEW KRIME at Logan's Pub on Friday April 23rd.

- NOBUNNY /// SLAM DUNK /// MYELIN SHEATHS at Logan's Pub on Wednesday May 5th.

- SONIC AVENUES at Logan's Pub on Wednesday June 2nd.

- EARTHQUAKE SHAKE festival...a shitload of killer bands...June 11/12th. Stay Tuned for more info...