Heaven–sent “Hell”

by MORGAN STEIKER

Since Valentine’s Day is around the corner, I’d like to tell you guys about a longtime love story of mine. When I was a young kid, there was always a bunch of records lying around my house, and one of them was Combat Rock by the Clash. “Should I Stay or Should I Go” and “Rock the Casbah” were the tracks that accompanied my pre-hip hop infantile headbanging and air-guitar shredding, but squeezed in there was another song that came more as an acquired taste to me. I had no idea what the hell “Straight to Hell” was about but I just liked the lyrics: “There ain’t no need for ya/Go straight to hell, boy.” That, and the golden guitar intro…

Fast-forward about 15 years, I find myself drunk at le Social and here comes that same guitar, floating from the speakers. Except this time, it’s not Joe Strummer’s voice singing about the Amerasian blues, although the themes are the same—immigration, paradise, exploitation—but now the voice box is “bona fide hustla” M.I.A.’s, and the backbone is courtesy of Diplo and Switch, true torchbearers of Strummer’s Third World rebel music vision. So here I am in the middle of the club, coming full circle, with 15 years of music listening coming together as one.

PLANE TRUTHS: M.I.A.

Unfortunately, my love soon dwindled. I got hammered by the gazillion remixes of “Paper Planes” with everyone under the sun, the commercials, the movies, the “Swagga Like Us” phenomenon and the stupid drunk chicks singing it. It got to a point where I thought I couldn’t hear that song anymore. Over-saturation. But Slumdog Millionaire made me fall in love with it again and when I tuned in to the Grammys to see the results for Record of the Year, and there was M.I.A., all pregnant and beautiful and humble, there’s nothing I wanted more but for her to win that award because it’s okay for the whole world to love it like I do. But she didn’t get it…

Since le Social was where my love was rekindled for the first time, that’s where I’ll be this Saturday night, Feb. 14, to celebrate Valentine’s Day in style at Good Vibrations Valentine’s Groove and Cupid Valentino’s Masquerade. Lovin’ tunes will be provided by soul crusader, and former proprietor of this establishment, Scott C, along with fellow soul master Simahlak and a special R&B set by lovin’ kin DL Jones.

The next day, Feb. 15, you’ll find me at Divan Orange for Spins & Needles, a one-of-a-kind DIY arts & crafts event accompanied by the funkin’ love of DJs Jason Pelletier, B’ugo and Uzi. Six dollars gets you in and includes all materials and instructions for Shrinky Dinks, a craft that involves drawing, plastic and a little toaster oven. Apparently an all-time favourite.

And while we’re on the topic of love, the Wu have a new track, appropriately called “Wu Ooh,” to appear on Raekwon’s Cuban Linx follow-up, and Ghislain Poirier got the remix treatment from Wildlife on one of my anthems, “Go Ballistic.” Seek, find and play at maximum volume.

OH PAPA-SAN…DABEATSEEKER@GMAIL.COM