by SCOTT C

How the geniuses in the advertising world manage to correspond the newest crop of Christmas commercials with the first snowfall will always be a little scary to me. I woke up on the couch this morning, TV still going strong from the night before, to a throng of Santas all converging on some department store to start their holiday shopping. A look out the window confirmed that I was indeed in the Twilight Zone, as huge, unnatural snowflakes fell to the ground. I am ready for the wind. I am ready for the ice. I am ready for the cold. I am not, however, ready for Christmas. Not that I dressed up for Halloween or anything, but I enjoy the fall like a good backrub. Trouble is, it's never long enough.

The only thing they're celebrating over at Café Campus on Friday, November 7, is the triumphant return of Yu. Iraqi rap pack Euphrates hope to pack them in for this special show that includes members of 9 Majesty repping live on stage with the crew. The show starts at 9 p.m. with a $5 tax.

Big tings a gwan over at Inbeat Records on St-Laurent this week, when Josh Milan and Kevin Edges from house outfit Blaze light up the spot with an in-store session for all the deep and soulful heads (like Jojo Flores, whose birthday it is). If you've got an arm for passing demos and the gift of gab, perhaps this little teaser could work for you - or maybe not. They'll be playing from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight, Thursday, Nov. 6, just prior to their evening appearance at Mile End Bar just slightly up the Main.

Fresh Fridays at Blizzarts welcomes the We-Funk crew of DJ Static and Professor Groove back to the fold this week on Nov. 7. It's been a while since they rocked the place, but you know they're gonna do it again. Look forward to free rein before 11 p.m. and $5 after.

Afrobeat heads will be happy to know that Soundway Records label head Miles Cleret is on his way to Montreal right now. He'll be touching down on Nov. 14 at Salon Daomé for a sweaty night of pan-African craziness. This guy's record collection makes us all look silly, but damn, what a party! This $10 gig is a Montreal first, so do not miss.

Oh, and look out for gigs from Grand Master Flash and Arrested Development (!) at Medley this month, as well as What What (aka Jean Grae), Little Brother and Cody Chesnutt all on the same bill in January, not to mention the return of funk boss Keb Darge in the new year. Stay up…

Seven reasons this shit could be a movie on Zed TV:
1. Various Prone Breaks (Second to None)
2. Jaylib "Champion Sound" 12" (Stones Throw)
3. INI "To Each His Own" (BBE)
4. Umod "Tromboline" (Fabric)
5. Various Soulive Remixed (Velour)
6. Roy Hargrove "Poetry" Spinna remix (Verve)
7. Phil Clarke "You Are" (Jajou/Select)

Sorry Josephine!!! fathead@videotron.ca

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