Signage: Leon Furs

Overhanging signs like this were once very commonplace here in Hamilton. (And I’m sure many other North American cities.) Now they are a rarity. Regulations and insurance did them in. This derelict example on James St. N. is one of the few left. Curious how long it will be before it’s gone like the hundreds of others that used to exist.

S.o.t.D. - Pieces Of A Dream (Roger’s Raw Dub) – Incognito

Pieces Of A Dream (Roger’s Raw Dub) – Incognito

I’m guessing Roger is Roger Sanchez.

Soulful and funky.

S.o.t.D. - Shadows – AIЯLIИES

Shadows – AIЯLIИES

Love how this genre has managed to turn the snap, crackle and pop of vinyl not into something integral to the sound.

S.o.t.D. - Jade (Orphx Remix) – Svreca

Jade (Orphx Remix) – Svreca

Orphx are from the city I live in, and do a style of music that I’m not sure if it could be classified as techno or industrial.

S.o.t.D. - W.Y.H.I.W.Y.G. – Front 242

W.Y.H.I.W.Y.G. – Front 242

If I wasn’t already a huge fan, getting this album in 87, and reaching the 2 minute mark of this first track – yup...I’m a huge fan.

Signage: Custom Signs Westdale Display

A new sign, but a very nice one.

S.o.t.D. - Obedience – Jonny L

Obedience – Jonny L

Rolls along nicely, but with a bit of menace to it.

S.o.t.D. - By Your Side – Azaleh x Eikona

By Your Side – Azaleh x Eikona

Gorgeous. Love the mood this evokes.

S.o.t.D. - Skyfall – Malaky, Satl & Silence Groove

Skyfall – Malaky, Satl & Silence Groove

Names that keep popping up, and keep being consistently fantastic.

Signage: Private Property No Trespassing

The more faded and weathered a sign is, the more my love for it increases.

S.o.t.D. - Never My Love – The Association

Never My Love – The Association

Bit of a lesser known act from the 60s.

Signage: City Motor Hotel

The City Motor Hotel is gone. While the sign alludes to a 50’s retro future of hopeful optimism, by the end it was a squalid dump filled with addicts, dealers and hookers.

S.o.t.D. - Expand – Jazz Cartel

Expand – Jazz Cartel

Blissful.

S.o.t.D. - Revelations (Essence Of Aura Remix) – Tango And Fallout

Revelations (Essence Of Aura Remix) – Tango And Fallout

S.o.t.D. - Drop It On The One – The Specialist

Drop It On The One – The Specialist

After yesterday’s track I just had to play this steamroller. One of Dillinja’s many guises.

S.o.t.D. - Deep And Rolling – The Specialist

Deep And Rolling – The Specialist

I like it when a song announces what it’s going to be. Like if Oasis released a song called Mopey and Whiny.

Signage: Private Property

Nothing that thrilling, but it’s a solid and stolid sign, one that the “get the hell off my lawn you little bastards!” curmudgeon in me can appreciate. And I find it interesting that the red fades before the black, and that some of the structure, how the sign painter did it, is revealed thusly.

S.o.t.D. - Nightlife – Jonny L

Nightlife – Jonny L

This fella was way ahead of the game.

S.o.t.D. - Contrast – PhD

Contrast – PhD

From 1998 on Good Looking. Predictably creamy.

Signage: Amsterdam Bicycle Club

If I spent any amount of time in Toronto, and wanted a hangout, this would be it. No idea about the staff or the food or or the decor or anything. But this just seems like a natural fit for me. On the Esplanade.

S.o.t.D. - Scarlet – Phelian

Scarlet – Phelian

Just can’t get enough of this genre.

S.o.t.D. - Planet – Four Tet

Planet – Four Tet

One of the only things I got excited about at the SuperCrawl 2 years ago was Four Tet. Super fun to dance to.

Signage: Giant Yard Sale

I’ll bet this giant yard sale was a giant success because of the giant letters they used to inform potential customers. 

No spidery, thin letters done with a marker, hard to read driving by. This? What it is! Where it is! Boom! No date, but likely put up in the nieghbourhood the morning of.

S.o.t.D. - Raise The Pulse – Portion Control

Raise The Pulse – Portion Control

Definitely sounds almost 35 years old, but this stuff really had an effect on my musical interests back in the day.

S.o.t.D. - Side To Side (Beau Collins Remix) – Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj

Side To Side (Beau Collins Remix) – Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj

What little I know of Nicki Minaj, makes me think I can’t stand her, but this remix is pretty fun.

S.o.t.D. - Tranquil – J Majik

Tranquil – J Majik

Oh gosh.

Signage: Kids Slow

Not sure it’s necessary to let the entire neighbourhood know about the fact your children are developmentally challe...oh wait...they want you to drive slow because there are kids. Okay. It took me a while, but I figured it out.

S.o.t.D. - Lose Her (Cloud Nine - Skys Above Mix) – Secret Motion

Lose Her (Cloud Nine - Skys Above Mix) – Secret Motion

Not as good as yesterday’s remix, but still pretty darn good.

S.o.t.D. - Lose Her (S Gurley Representations Of Beatz Mix) – Secret Motion

Lose Her (S Gurley Representations Of Beatz Mix) – Secret Motion

It almost seems like the supply of terrific D&B tracks I never discovered when they were released is inexhaustible.

Signage: Old Chum Ghost Sign

An Old Chum (a brand of pipe tobacco from Imperial Tobacco) ghost sign on Queenston Road in Hamilton.

S.o.t.D. - Back To Life (Silence Groove Remix) – HumaNature

Back To Life (Silence Groove Remix) – HumaNature

Terrific mix and nice video.

S.o.t.D. - Angelic – Silence Groove

Angelic – Silence Groove

S.o.t.D. - If I Could – Basic Forces

If I Could – Basic Forces

S.o.t.D. - Halo (Hyperspd RMX) – Depeche Mode

Halo (Hyperspd RMX) – Depeche Mode

Signage: No Smoking

Explored an abandoned building for a potential photo shoot location and found this on the ground. Had to be about 5' long.

S.o.t.D. - Cleopatra – The Lumineers

Cleopatra – The Lumineers

What I’d really like to show is the video of my nephew playing this on acoustic guitar and his girlfriend and her amazing voice singing this. But apparently I’m not allowed to since it was filmed in their school auditorium, and the school logo appears. Not sure I understand the reasoning, but hey.

So, in it’s place, I’ll show the original.

S.o.t.D - Deep Deadly Subs – Dillinja

Deep Deadly Subs – Dillinja

Not all that subtle, but dear god that bass.....

S.o.t.D. - Forever – High Performance

Forever – High Performance

The tune is good, but I especially enjoyed it because of all the footage of Greece, where my brother is moving to soon.

S.o.t.D. - Im Rhytmus Bleiben (CardioRhythmRMX by EDOBOT) – Front 242

Im Rhytmus Bleiben (CardioRhythmRMX by EDOBOT) – Front 242

Really want to go see these fellas when they come to Toronto later this year.

Signage: Tony’s Clip Joint

Sign at my barber.

S.o.t.D. - The Russian Are Coming (Take Five) – Val Bennett

The Russian Are Coming (Take Five) – Val Bennett

Took me a second to realize why this sounded familiar. It’s a rock steady cover of Dave Brubeck’s iconic Take Five. In a different time signature too.

S.o.t.D. - Chainsaw (Josh Wink Remix) – Skinny Puppy

Chainsaw (Josh Wink Remix) – Skinny Puppy

The pups seem to be my fallback Canada Day song. But hell, why not?