Merry Christmas!

9 Years Has Gone So Fast

I can't believe it but it's been nine years since Joe Strummer (of The Mescaleros and The Clash though you knew that) passed away. Wow. I miss you and your music, Joe. I wish I could have seen you live though I will never forget the first time I put a Clash record on my turntable when I was in high school. You blew my mind then, and still continue to do so through your music. RIP Joe Strummer, we miss you.

Can't Sleep Rob Ford Will Eat Me

UGGHH Just as I was about to post my Christmas wish list, I get inundated with images of Toronto mayor Rob Ford dressed up to play his part in The Nutcracker Suite. I can and will have nightmares from this, dammit. Talk about bringing all new meaning to "can't sleep clown will eat me."

Santa, Baby

The Christmas tree is up and the apartment is full of Christmas carols. I put my Christmas iTunes playlist on shuffle and was pretty impressed that I have just about every musical genre represented for the holidays; punk rock, soul, doo wop, rockabilly, garage, country and so on. Neat-o. 

Just in case you've ever wondered what a DJ's Christmas tree looks like, well now you know. It has ornaments of records, ornaments from my mom that say 'DJ Misty Rock n' Roll', ornaments that I've made as a kid and ornaments from when I was a kid. Christmas has always been a pretty big deal growing up and I'm no stickler for tradition but there are just some things that I hold dear. The house always feels more like home this time of year when it smells like cinnamon and the tree lights are sparkling. The carols are playing, here's one of my favourites...

READY STEADY GO! HO HO HO!!!

I know I know. I have been the worst with updates on djmisty.com... Blame it on Christmas! I mean really, how is it already December anyway? Beats me but I'm realizing I need to get on overdrive if I want to get everything on my to do list, done. My only saving graces this month (except for the big Christmas Day itself) are my two DJ nights. Yes, you read that right...TWO. TWO. This is normally the time of year I'm dj'ing 'round the clock every single damn night but no, not this year. Last year I basked in the glory of not working retail for the first year since I was a teen, and this year I'm basking in the glory of GOING to Christmas parties instead of DJ'ing them. Oh, and the big kid job too. Getting Christmas ready in a shelter of women with all different backgrounds and faiths is fascinating. I love celebrating and learning about celebrations from around the world because the best gift I can ever receive is knowledge! I'm a cornball, but it's true.


ANYWAYS, come out to my DJ nights for some festive cheer, I love DJ'ing around Christmas because I get to bust out all my holiday fav's. I have a lot of fun novelty Christmas songs that give me the giggles all year 'round but this is the only season suitable for playing them out. I'll also be playing other favourites that aren't holiday related. My two DJ night holiday cheer kicks off on Thursday Dec. 8 at Bovine Sex Club (542 Queen St. W.) where I'll be playing rock n' roll classics from the 50's, 60's, 70's and beyond both on digital and VINYL. Then you can come by Cloak & Dagger (394 College St.) on Saturday Dec. 10 for great swingin' hits DJ'ed by the TeenageWerewolf and myself. Sweet. :o)

I Wish...

I wish I was on the beach today. 

A Rare Example

It's fair to say that in most cases, the original is better than the remake. This can almost always be said for music, anyway. However, once in awhile you come across a cover so awesome that it blows any other version out of the water. Sorry to turn my back on a good classic this way, but Reigning Sound's cover of the song, 'Stormy Weather' nails it. Originally written for Ethel Waters in 1933 it has been covered by Lena Horne, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holliday as well as R&B group The Five Sharps. My guess is that Reigning Sound tried to channel the more upbeat Spaniels in their version, however it is way more garage rock than doo wop but I'll let you decide for yourself. I'm posting the original as sung by Ethel Waters, The Spaniels 1958 version, and of course, Reigning Sound's take. Which one do you prefer?

MIXTAPE MONDAY: Big Freak 45 Mix

This week I'm doing Mixtape Monday a lil' different. The most recent musician to pop into my radar is the amazing, Nick Waterhouse. At only 24 years of age, Mr. Waterhouse is an old soul where music is concerned...kind of like yours truly. Another avid 45 collector, he has put this mix up on his sound cloud site and damn. Give it a listen for big tunes by artists like Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Mitty Collier, Ike & Tina as well as a favourite of mine, Richard Berry. 

Also check out Nick Waterhouse's Soundcloud page where you can hear his own tracks that are obviously influenced by the greats in his mix. 

Nick Waterhouse for BIG FREAK 45 Mix by Nick Waterhouse

CALL OF DUTY: MW3 & Me!

If you're a gamer...this is your post. The blog that I write for (www.g33kpron.com) has been working with the awesome new game trading site, WAYGOZ and you may have even seen us on the news (if you haven't, the video is posted below, check it out)! But now with the launch of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 happening TOMORROW NIGHT, you can enter to win big at waygoz and pick up your game (with a 20% discount) in person not at a lame store but at a cool bar with great tunes, drinks and the babes of G33KPRON.  Here's how to come to the party and get free stuff.

WAYGOZ.COM on CTV National News

1. RSVP and get party details at http://www.waygoz.com/launch (there will be no admittance w/o signing up at that link. If the page is down and you still wanna come, email misty(at)g33kpron(dot)com and I'll sort you out). The Facebook event (for more info) is RIGHT HERE.

2. SHOW UP for a chance to win awesome door prizes including Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call Of Duty merch & swag.

3. PRE ORDER Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for $49.99 (20% less than any other game store!) w/ Waygoz on the link you'll get in your email after you RSVP to the launch party.

4.  REGISTER @ WAYGOZ.COM to swap your video games and if you are one of the first 10 people to initiate and complete a swap at the party, you'll get COD:MW3 for free. Cool!

5. Be Our CALL OF DUTY Hero and go to waygoz to find out how you can be their expert on all things Call Of Duty and you'll get yourself a limited edition Call Of Duty XBOX360.

My (Not So) Secret Identity

I'm getting ready for work and marvelling at the fact that I feel a little bit like a superhero. Well, minus the hero part...but there's no doubt that I wear a few different hats. The biggest contrast comes from when I work at the women's shelter during the day, then go to DJ at night. It's like going from a frumpy baseball cap to a fascinator that would make even the Queen Mum blush.  I can't lie, it's both wonderful and exhausting especially when one bleeds into the other but I always get a burst of energy at the end of my shift, and getting to go DJ is always what I'm in the mood for. Tonight I'm especially excited, I get to play music that is my favourite for dancing...sixties Motown and soul all night long AND I'm not the only DJ which rules. I get to play awesome tunes and dance away as well.  Killer! Here's hoping you'll want to come dance with me tonight but if you do...get there early! The last time I DJ'ed this party I had bummed out pals who didn't get up getting in because they came a little too late to be fashionable and got stuck outside in line all night. Don't let that happen to you! Come before midnight if you wanna get in and let's party, because there ain't no party like a Motown Party!

Holidays In The Sun

Where I am.

What I'm doing

And of course...What I'm listening to

more pictures and adventures to come...

Gone Fishin' - BRB

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Birthday, Chuck Berry!

Happy 85th Birthday to one of Rock n' Rolls original legends!!

I Love My BFF

...because she sent me this.





Also, I don't have a flyer for it but I am dj'ing tonight at the Bovine (542 Queen St. W.) with some neat-o bands and have a few guestlist spots to save you the $5 cover. Email djmistyrocknroll (at) gmail (dot) com if you need one. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Goin' To The Chapel

You may have noticed there was no Mixtape Monday this week, and I apologize for that but I come with a brilliant excuse: my bff got married. Kind of a big deal. I can truly say the whole day was absolutely dreamy from start to finish. Alana is one of the most wonderful people I have ever been so fortunate to meet, and her new hubby Spencer is not surprisingly an equal match to her fabulous self. I went through several tissues, a few eye makeup smudges and a lot of huge smiles and laughs. Could a wedding be any more perfect? Nope.


I also got to try out a new toy: Djay Remote for iPhone! That way I was able to control the music without having to full on DJ. There was no way Alana and Spencer could have gotten anyone else to DJ, I would have probably spent the event growling across the room but at the same time, we all wanted me to be able to enjoy the wedding and not work! This is why I will begrudgingly admit that I have become a full on Apple fan boy. Between the DJ program on the Mac and the remote for the iPhone, it was a perfect way to mix the tunes without missing the fun.  

The tastiest cupcakes I have ever eaten. Why? These were clearly made with love.

Of course I just wouldn't be me without some cheesy mirror self shots. I have been watching a lot of Mad Men lately. *sigh*

Look what I "caught".

Before the night was over (and to make sure the tears would flow once more) Alana gave me something very, very special turning my knees to jelly and my heart to mush. It wasn't necessarily to say that I should get married, but that she wanted to pass the torch so I could be as lucky in love which I am. :o)

Finally, nothing says good love like a trip to the grocery store after the wedding. Hey, we had a car and looked good (and the store was 24 hours) so why the heck not?!

So like I said, a perfect wedding. Not just because the bride looked gorgeous or because the groom looked like a prince or because the venue was purely magical but because the day was so full of love I thought the seams of the restaurant would burst. It may sound cheesy to say but I don't care. It was there and it was infectious. Everyone felt it and as a result everyone was so warm and open to one another. But then again, as a buddy (good ol' Kai Boysen) put it, "Everyone here loves Alana, why would they be a dick?". Exactly.

READY STEADY GO! Goes On Hiatus...For Now!

You definitely don't want to miss tonight's instalment of READY STEADY GO! because it's going to be the last one...for now. October kick starts many adventures for Rob and myself but the trade off is giving up our fun weekly rock n' roll party. That being said, you still have lots of chances to bust out your drinking garments; once a month at The Bovine Sex Club (second Thurs. of every month) as well as our popular monthly Mess Around at The Cloak & Dagger (second Sat. of every month). And in the meantime, come on by tonight. Tina Sixx will be there, the food and drink specials rule, and Rob and I are going to play the best rock n' roll, punk and soul tunes. See ya!

Dum Dum Girls - Bedroom Eyes

Woo! Their second album Only In Dreams comes out today on Sub Pop records and you can check out the brand spanking new video by garage indie pop darlings, Dum Dum Girls right here (or on youtube, whatever).

Lil' G

This past weekend I got to play model for my friend Jasin's awesome creation, Lil' G. Lil' G (short for "Little Ghettoblaster") is Jasin's vinyl toy brainchild of a way to combine art with a useful mp3 player, in a format that makes him feel tons of nostalgia; the boom box! Jasin made a prototype that has already been painted and modified to have a bunch of different looks although when I got my hands on it, it was all white. We took a bunch of pics around town in front of graffiti then called it quits to go get caffeinated. Here are a couple of the pics from our "photo session" none of which are to be taken too seriously ;). 


For more info about the Lil' G, check out its website right HERE.

Mixtape Monday: Mess Around

Alright. So you may remember this one from Mixtape Monday's past. BUT...the way it was hosted before meant that the songs couldn't mix into each other, they were individual tracks AND after you listened to the mix once, it would shuffle. HMPH! That being said, it is a pretty great mix and now you can listen to it the way it was intended. It has a lil' something for everyone...just like Rob & I's night on the second Saturday of every month at Cloak & Dagger Pub (394 College St.), also called MESS AROUND. Coincidence? I think not.

 Mess Around by djmistyrocknroll 

Track List

1. Ray Charles - Mess Around

2. Shirley Ellis - Rubber Dolly (The Clapping Song)

3. Etta James - Tell Mama

4. The Showstoppers - Ain't Nothin' But A Houseparty

5. The Isley Bros. - Twist & Shout

6. The Music Explosion - Little Bit O' Soul

7. ? & The Mysterians - Can't Get Enough Of You Baby

8. The Ramones - Let's Dance

9. The Exploding Hearts - I'm A Pretender

G33KPRON.COM

The cat is out of the bag! I am the official music g33k blogger for www.g33kpron.com. What the heck is G33KPRON? It's a nerd culture blog about games, comics, movies, gadgets, music, tattoos, cosplay, shows & hot geek chicks brought to you by an army of sexy, all female nerds. In other words, awesome. 


You can check out my first entry right HERE and keep checking back as there will be frequent updates!


We're the droids you're looking for.

Mixtape Monday - BOOM BOOM

Sorry for skipping Mixtape Monday last week, though I promise it wasn't my fault. I was having some issues with Soundcloud but with some slight trickery I was able to overcome them. Now, regarding the trickery, it comes by way of a bit of a cheesy intro on the mix but hey, whatever works. This mix is a set of all sixties and garage tunes, that I dig and will hopefully make your Monday that much better.

 MistyFM_1 by djmistyrocknroll 

Track List:
1. The Animals - Boom Boom
2. The Nashville Teens - Tobacco Road
3. The Sonics - You Got Your Head On Backwards
4. Rocky & The RIddlers - You Weren't Using Your Head
5. The Retreds - Black Mona Lisa
6. The Renegades - 13 Women
7. The Electric Prunes - Too Much To Dream Last Night
8. Love - Seven & Seven Is

The Spits

The Spits are coming! The Spits are coming! I've got my tickets!! Sept 23 & 24. Stoked!!

Birthday Weekend a Go-Go

Rob's Birthday weekend was a real hoot! I am a last minute sort of bird so I got his gift on Friday (the day before his Birthday) - not because I'm lazy - but because I knew if I got his present any sooner I'd burst with excitement and not be able to wait to give it to him. It's a good thing I waited too, as soon as he got home from work Friday night I made him open it up.

He's been quite the photo buff as of late and been taking really neat photos with both his point and click digital camera and iPhone, but as long as I've known Rob he's been saying he'd love to get a digital SLR. Well, now he has one. He was stoked and has been shooting with it non stop since Friday night. Success!


On Saturday, I wanted to make sure he had a great Birthday. We didn't do anything extravagant, but enjoyed spending the day together. We hit up Sneaky Dee's for a late lunch and basically ate until we were ready to burst. The only thing that saved us from totally feeling like a pair of beached whales was the awesome bike ride we went on afterwards.

After eating enough food to feed a small village, the awesome bike ride and a nap, we were ready to MESS AROUND at our local watering hole, The Cloak & Dagger. We DJ'ed up a storm and partied hard. There were shenanigans I can't even discuss here but if the rubber duckie below is any indication, just know that good times were had.

Happy Birthday, Rob!

Sorry for the delay in updating, the Bovine was a blast on Thursday night and I paid for it yesterday. Today is something else though, it is my awesome and oft mentioned boyfriend's Birthday. We're spending the day together and I'm spoiling him rotten. Rob's Birthday also falls on our monthly MESS AROUND over at Cloak & Dagger where we're gonna rip it up like it's Saturday night (and we just got paid). You're welcome to join - there may be party hats.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tonight @ The Bovine Sex Club

Happy First Day Of School

I kind of miss going back to school, I really do. My little brother starts his first day of high school today...and while he probably thinks the White Stripes are lame, I love them and can't help but think of this song on the first day back.

Update: I spoke to (or rather, texted) my lil' brother and he was loving his first day of high school. Not nervous at all, the kid's got swag (as they say).

Mixtape Monday: Mmmhmmm!

 Mmmhmmm by djmistyrocknroll

Funky, soulful divas is the theme of this week's Mixtape Monday! From Gloria Jones to Marva Whitney, I gotcha covered with women who have somethin' to say.


Listen here or check out/download the mix from: www.soundcloud.com/djmistyrocknroll/mmmhmmm


TRACK LIST:
1. Gloria Jones - Tainted Love
2. The Supremes - Can't Hurry Love
3. Shirley Ellis - Rubber Dolly (The Clapping Song)
4. Little Esther Phillips - Mojo Hannah
5. Aretha Franklin - Chain Of Fools
6. Etta James & Yvonne Fair - In The Basement
7. Yvonne Fair - Say Yeah Yeah
8. Marva Whitney - What Do I Have To Do To Prove My Love To You

MESS AROUND: Rob's Birthday Edition!

In the craziest of coincidences, Rob's Birthday falls on the same day as our monthly Mess Around at the legendary Cloak & Dagger (394 College St.). This means you must come out to have lots of drinks and listen to many great Punk, Garage, Soul & Rock n' Roll songs brought to you by the Birthday boy and myself. It will be fun times, seriously. xo.

Happy 6th Birthday, Missfit!

This may seem a bit lame but I don't care. It's my pug Missfit's Birthday today, dammit. I know she's just a dog and doesn't know any better but I still like to spoil the shit out of her on her special day. I have an extra big T-R-E-A-T with her name on it, some special food for her when she wakes up and of course we'll have to go on an adventure. I'm thinking either Toronto Island, High Park or an afternoon at her old stomping grounds, Trinity Bellwoods. 


Regardless of where we go tomorrow (or any other day for that matter) I always try and make sure she's happy. Lots of kisses, belly rubs and snuggles because she's an awesome little dog who never fails to bring a smile to my face. Now that she's six, she's been getting a little on the grey side (on her chin, ilke a beard) and isn't as hyper but ask anyone in the building and they'll tell you she still has her crazed puppy moments. In tribute to Missfit here is a collection of pictures from the past few years. Cute, huh? :o)

Missfit after coming home, 3 months old!

Cough Cough

Tonight...READY STEADY GO!

Don't forget those drinking hats because tonight we're gonna get ready to READY STEADY GO! at 751 on Queen St. W! Last week, even a tornado watch and some pretty spectacular lightning couldn't keep you guys away so let's hope the same rings true for tonight. I'm coming equipped with some rockin' tunes and I'll be bringing both my drinking hat and dancing shoes. See you there!