Musical Interpretations

One year ago my Dad died

2011-08-13T00:34:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it's been a year already, but you gotta think of the good times. Whether you met the guy once or knew him & loved him your whole life, he was unforgettable. He'd give you the shirt off his back but you'd never fill it out in the shoulders. I couldn't possibly list all the major gifts he gave me: my athleticism, work ethic and sense of humour are just a few, but nobody will ever touch his BBQ skills.

Rest In Peace Don Stafford: March 4th, 1941 - August 13th, 2010.

The Beige - El Ángel Exterminador

2010-01-18T00:08:00.000-08:00

by Nathan Stafford

Sophomore release from local exploratory jazz/pop project

El Ángel Exterminador is a CD I can listen to all day long. Ambient, smooth musicianship, laid-back, yet unpredictable song structures, lots of nice, acoustic & stringed instruments, stirring lyrics and punchy delivery, using vocals as an ingredient, not in your face all the time. Not a jam band, but accomplished players set out with a lot of freedom and a cool cohesive vision of what a record is.

This record is definitely suited for long play; it’s atmospheric, interesting, but not overbearing at any time. If you have a keen ear, you’ll want to rewind the song, to hear that little sound or echo you caught out of the corner of your ear. The way everything transitions, you can start at the first track and feel how the album moves along, nearly every song turning into a huge, monstrous musical exploration at the end. Much of the album is instrumental, the lyrics pulling you back in to this world from the offbeat musical world The Beige has created.

You’ll notice a couple of different vocal styles on this record. I was immediately hooked-in during the opener “Road” with its almost Nick Cave or Bill Callahan/The Smog singing style; that mono, slow, half-speaking. Here’s my main critique of the rest of the album: On the later songs, I was missing that vocal. It went to a more straightforward, while aurally pleasing singing style in the middle songs, which certainly connects the listener and shows versatility, but I feel it’s a little middle of the road at times, when compared to the mysterious musical world around it.

There was a definite Cake feel to “Underground is Waiting”, which I really like, but I was craving the vocals I heard in the first song intro. That kind of baited the hook for me, but I kept waiting for it to come back.

As I see it, there are two ways to listen to this record: In a set of headphones, scientifically observing every little echo, every unique keyboard bend, and really getting into the lyrics; or you can put the CD on, go about your busy day doing whatever, while having it play in the background and still manage to pull you out of whatever you’re doing for a second and say, “wow, that’s nice”.

One of those moments happened when I heard the main guitar in the instrumental track “Ponce de León”. It’s so simple, so clean, but a little warped beauty, over spacy bass and drum shots. All the while, there’s something humming and whirring in the background, getting closer and closer, only to fade away into nothing with everything else. Later on, the hooky double bass on “Underground is Waiting” draws you in, and there’s only 6 lines of lyrics in the whole song.

The Beige show that music can have modern production, and still contain that man-made substance, but I suppose it is the modern man we’re talking about here. These guys recorded and self produced everything (Produced by Rick Maddocks & Jon Wood). I want to find out more about field recording, though. It fascinates me.

I first encountered singer-songwriter/author Rick Maddocks of The Beige in March ’09, when I caught another project he’s in called Slowmobile. The music was all created live, using real instruments, with looping and field recordings for good measure. I asked Rick back then about how he goes out and gets those field recordings:

“I spent a week in Havana and recorded as much as I could: echoing voices in a near empty church, a lone trumpeter in a quiet plaza, recorded a flamenco class in the Gran Theatro de Havana; captured a kid on tape singing a dirty little tune after he bummed a smoke on the Malecon.”

It remains a mystery to me, if any of those specific recordings are used on El Ángel Exterminador, but you can hear little murmurs of things, a trace of something here and there, totally distinguishable to the people who made this music, but to the rest of us, it could be any mysterious sound, man-made or other.

The album winds out with the elegant “Este Pais” or “This Country”, and a final composition-bookend, coming in at 7 minutes and 52 seconds, called “FIN”. It’s other-worldly.

This is not an album that’s going to pick you up and make you wanna dance. The press materials I received called it the “Great Canadian feel-not-so-good album”, but if you are looking for some original music to sink your teeth into, or to just distract you for a minute, The Beige are not as bland and neutral as their name might suggest. With intense imagery, theatric or cinematic composition style, and wide range of elements, this album will not disappoint.

*The Beige play a CD Release Party for El Ángel Exterminador on January 23rd at St Paul’s Anglican Church (early show). Tickets at Red Cat Records, Zulu Records, Highlife Music and info@thebeige.ca

Pointed Sticks: Three Lefts Make A Right

2010-01-18T00:07:00.000-08:00

Interview With Pointed Sticks Bassist Tony Bardach
By Nathan Stafford

One of Vancouver’s most original, peppiest powerpop/punk bands has just released a new record after a hiatus that lasted far too long. The group was a local staple of the ’78-81 heyday, and the first Canadian act signed to U.K. label, Stiff Records. Sadly, Pointed Sticks disbanded in ’81, and a reunion looked to be out of the question.

Fast-forward to 2006, and a Sudden Death re-issue of Perfect Youth is suddenly selling like hotcakes in Japan! The band is invited by their distributor all expenses paid, for a 3-show reunion tour in Japan. Well, the response was so good, that the guys caught the recording bug again. Here they are, in the flesh, with an entire album of new material and a 2-show CD Release Party Dec 19th at The Rio. Are you ready, Vancouver?

I caught up Tony Bardach prior to the show:

“We’re like a bunch of debs planning the junior prom here,” laughs Tony.

NS: Are you sure this isn’t a lost tape from 1980 or something?

TB: It turned out even better than I’d hoped, really. It sounds so clean and perfect to me. We knew we had good songs, but even good songs can sound kinda crappy if it’s all muddy. I really have to credit Gord (Nicholl) a lot, with engineering and producing the thing, and Nick as well. Also, we were lucky enough to get Mike Fraser to mix it at The Warehouse, so it sounds as good as anything he’s ever done.

NS: How did you hook up with Mike Fraser?

TB: He ran into us at a gig we were playing at The Commodore and he told us he’d mix our record for a case of beer if we made one, so I think that’s about when we decided to actually be serious about making a record.

NS: Your singer, Nick Jones called this album a ‘Natural Progression’. Do you know what he meant by that?

TB: For me, it helps prove that time is not really all that linear, because we were able to pick up right where we left off without any sort of preconception or planning. Being together in the early days of starting a band is really fun, and I guess it really remained like that. We never really made our second album. We packed it in before we had that chance, but maybe that was in us. I think that those particular tunes that might have existed back then are long-since forgotten. I think the new album is more of a reflection of our current experiences and maybe some reflection on the past and how it affects the now.

NS: 3 years ago, the idea of doing this album was inconceivable, but was it playing onstage together again that started the album talks?

TB: Initially, we were kind of shocked that we could actually do it, but then seeing the people in Japan and realizing how aware they were of the music, you know they knew all the lyrics. There were hundreds of people singing the words to our songs that we couldn’t even remember as well as they could! That was really inspiring. After that, Ian had an idea to make a song as a Thank You called ‘My Japanese Fan’, and we made the single. I think Gord had started to write a little bit. He had written ‘Any Time’ and Nick was starting to get interested in writing things again, and I came along with a song, and it just fell together the same way it normally does.

NS: I heard some of these songs were written by mail?

TB: Oh yeah, email was involved, especially in the demos. It took maybe 18 months from when we started writing songs to when we thought about actually releasing a record and probably a year from when we thought about releasing the record to actually getting it out.

NS: Back in the day, you guys were turning out the songs pretty quick though, right?

TB: Yeah, I think so, but we were all together. We weren’t working in different countries and stuff. We probably could have done this much faster if we just sat down and made it, but it might be better for the amount of retrospect we’ve had with the songs before actually recording them.

NS: So is there no real sense of urgency now? Can you guys just go with the flow?

TB: (laughs) Yeah, we have a little bit of luxury that it just doesn’t really matter that much. We don’t have any agenda anymore, whereas in the past, there was an agenda, whether it was implied or inherent. There was some expectation about us being Canada’s Great Hope, and that probably hurt us more than helped us, but it got us a lot of attention and it really put the pressure on. I don’t think any of us liked that. It wasn’t where we were coming from, and it wasn’t why we had started the group.

NS: The pressure got to you eventually.

TB: It started to feel like music business. It started to feel middle of the road. You know, sometimes things just start to feel like the point has been missed, or at least it’s not funny anymore.

NS: How do the new sessions differ from the old? You still managed to get that great live sound. How was it recorded?

TB: Well, we decided how much money we had to spend, and then we looked around to see where we could get the best sounds. We decided we would definitely get the best drum sound at Mushroom, and that was affordable for us. We went in and recorded the thing live, used their drums and their piano, and we took as much from that session as we could/ We then took the stuff over to Gord’s studio Paramount, and did all the overdubs there.

So yeah, it is live. You can definitely hear the room, and some of the bass is even saved from that original track. It’s not really all that different from before, except there’s the luxury of the email happening, and more studios are around. Definitely having the studio has been one of the reasons we’ve been able to do anything, otherwise we’d be sitting around in my living room with Garageband.

NS: On the earlier recordings, was it harder to come up with a decent

TB: I think it really depended on the equipment and the place. We were lucky enough to record at Little Mountain. We had a really early 24-track Neve board, and top of the line stuff. When we were making demos, we’d be on somebody’s 8-track in the basement somewhere. That was the best you could hope for, for most of the bands.

NS: Northern Electric is your label now, the Collective.

TB: We’ve been friends with Richard for some time. Ian and Richard are fairly close, and he’s helping produce some of the stuff for Northern Electric, and we’ve got a lot of confidence in Richard Chapman, and some of my old friends are on that label. Richard’s something of a genius, too.

NS: Did you see the early punk scene as a collective?

TB: It was kind of like a club that had no criteria for joining and no membership fees. That didn’t exist forever, but that was the initial thing, because everybody was trying everything, and everybody was accepting of everybody’s attempt at whatever.

NS: Do you, or did you consider yourselves a punk band?

TB: It really depends on whether you think of punk in terms of the sound of music, or the attitude that initiates the music. As far as I’m concerned, definitely a punk band. We all came from the same large group of people, and we’re exposed to the same stuff, and really what we were doing at first was trying to be the antithesis of where the scene was apparently heading. It was getting quite tough and heavy, the rude boy thing was becoming interesting, and some of the fun, some of the glam & glitz and foolin’ around was really disappearing. We set up this pop band to be teen idols and really, it was just a piss-take on what became the hardcore scene. We dressed up in seersucker suits and gave ourselves funny names.

NS: Your new song, ‘Scrambled Eggs’. What’s the story behind that song?

TB: Scrambled Eggs, to be honest, was not the intended line. It was just a word that fit by meter in the space, and I think that it was chosen as kind of a joke, because I’ve heard that Lennon & McCartney, when they were writing Yesterday, they didn’t have the line, ‘yesterday’. All they had was ‘scrambled eggs’. They weren’t sure how to fill it in, so they just said ‘scrambled eggs’. I came in, having never heard this story or anything and just heard this demo, and the line was ‘scrambled eggs’ and it was supposed to be changed, but that was my favourite thing about the song. I said,

“Yeah! We gotta keep that! Scrambled Eggs!”and they’re going:

“No, that’s not supposed to be the line.”

But I don’t think it matters. It’s just a beautiful image.

NS: Is the image the message?

TB: Yeah, it’s highly visual and suggestive. It’s great. It’s lovely that everybody can have a different take on music, where you can get the lyrics wrong in your mind, and it may mean something entirely different to you than anybody else in the world.

NS: You wrote the song ‘Igor Said’ about a doorman in the downtown east side, right? At the Smilin’ Buddah?

TB: That was really a special place for all of us, because that was our bar. There were other places where the punk bands could play, like hall gigs and things like that, so it wasn’t like it was the only thing around, but it was a small bar, and it was only punk. Pointed Sticks never played there in Pointed Sticks, but we all played there in fuck bands, and it was just always fun.

Before you’d get in there, you’d meet Igor, and in those days, a lot of places would have the little cage, where you pay the cashier, so Igor would stand behind this window, and really all you could see was his chest and some of his gut. He was an enormous guy, and his head would disappear at the top, and all you would hear is, “You got I.D.?” He would hassle people for I.D. and take the money. He’s still around. He works at the Carnegie. He’s a pretty neat guy.

In some ways, that song contains the nod to him, and it’s a nod to the atmosphere and the events of that time. I got The Dishrags to sing on that song, and also Johnny Ferrerria, who played sax with the band does some honkin’ on the baritone.

NS: Did you have any songs left in the can when you guys broke up?

TB: No, not really. We recorded ‘Found Another Boy’. There was a live recording of that, and we did it as a flipside to Japanese Fan, and at that time, we didn’t have any plans for any kind of album. It was just the one little single we were gonna do to say, “Hello. Here’s a single.”

NS: What’s your favourite song?

TB: They change so often. I probably have about 7 or 8 favourites.

NS: Was it hard to get the band back into live-show form?

TB: Working out the old songs was really easy, actually. Other than getting a little bit mixed up about the evolving changes, like when we would flip a verse around and turn it into a chorus, or flip the chords in the verse to use for the solo, shit like that we might forget, but for the most part, we had all the feel and all that together. We were certainly rusty, but it didn’t take long to get the WD out.

NS: You said you don’t consider yourselves a touring band anymore, but will you be hitting the road to promote this new record?

TB: Only if we’re just standing on the corner, trying to sell them. We don’t have any plans to go on a tour. Generally, we just wait for the phone to ring, and if it’s an interesting enough offer, and we’re able to do it time-wise, then we try to do it.

NS: So no 40-date tour?

TB: No, but what a movie that would make! Out there in Japan with our attendants.

NS: Any Spinal Tap moments over in Japan?

TB: Hmmmmm. Not really so much. There was quite a lot of drinking involved. Their system is a bit different over there. The gig ends relatively early and then many people form the gig will then go out to a large restaurant and eat and drink together until 4 o’clock in the morning.

NS: If the expenses were paid, you’d be back in Japan in a heartbeat, wouldn’t you?

TB: Oh definitely! We’d figure out a way to make that happen.

NS: Do you know who shot the Youtube videos of you guys in Japan?

TB: Some of those videos are actually shot by a guy from Toronto named Mike Ramone, who actually flew from Toronto to Tokyo to see us. He figured they would be our only shows. We never could find him to hang out much, we just talked to him a little bit after the show, and then he was off doing his other things.

NS: Expecting a lot of old friends out for your 2 shows on the 19th?

TB: Oh, I hope so. As far as the Rio goes, my big message is: Get to a record store and buy tickets! That’s just about the only way to get tickets, is to buy them at the record store. I’m sure they’ll have them at the door, but it doesn’t hold that many people, but they’re pulling out some more chairs to make some more room up front.

NS: Any Special Guests making appearances at the shows? Will there be saxophone?

TB: Yeah, we are having some visitors. Johnny is definitely making an appearance. We wanted to have a show that was just good bands, a good old fashioned hall gig, where it wasn’t all about the main bands. It was about all of the bands, because everybody has fans, you know? We may get ourselves blown off the stage, but you know, we’re much older than them.

NS: Are you already in talks about the Next record?

TB: Oh yeah! In fact, we’ve already recorded the next 3 records. We’ve got them in the can, and they’re going to be released post-humously. (laughs) No, we were all so excited about this record, that we started joking about our next one, and writing more songs for it, so the jokes will turn into reality, I’m sure. We all like writing songs, and we have a good time playing them with each other.

**The Pointed Sticks: Three Lefts Make A Right Release Party takes place with TWO shows at the Rio Theatre (Broadway & Commercial) on Saturday, Dec 19th. All Ages Show at 2PM with The Evaporators and Pretty Vanilla! Licensed 19+ Show at 8PM with The TVees and Strange Magic!

**Three Lefts Make A Right is now available on CD, vinyl and digital download. Visit your local retailers or www.thepointedsticks.com to get a copy!

Pointed Sticks Day!

2010-01-18T00:06:00.001-08:00

by Nathan Stafford

December 19th, 2009 was officially Pointed Sticks Day in East Vancouver.

The release party for the band’s return album on Northern Electric, Three Lefts Make A Right was a buzz event, rockin’ the house with 2 Shows at the fabulous Rio Theatre.

An All-Ager in the afternoon with guests The Evaporators and Pretty Vanilla
and
The Main Event at 9PM with The Strange Magic and The TVees.
*with special guests: The Dishrags Johnny Ferreira

Two great line-ups and a chance to see one of this city’s most exciting live bands, maybe ever! I first heard of them when I bought a re-issue of the Vancouver Complication record. (track #1 “The Marching Song”) but their story is legendary in this city. What can you expect to see live?

It’s 9PM, the Rio lobby is buzzing, with merch flying, drinks flowing, and popcorn popping! It feels like Record Store Day in some way. Stepping inside, I sat down and tuned into The Strange Magic, who are sounding great up there. Todd Simco sat in for several songs, he’s co-producer of their New EP with Kurt Dahle. Good songwriting in this band, coming from all angles. “Star 69”!

Next up, the TVees garaged the place up instantly with some good jangly business and gettin’ all worked up. I think the band is almost as excited to see the Pointed Sticks as they are to play this show! I really liked the tone on the bassist’s Rickenbacker. These guys are a serious party band! Watch out!

Now onto the Big Show. The projector starts up with images on the back wall; early Pointed Sticks photos, videos, and some more recent footage from the Japan Tour. That’s great production value. If you’re having a show in a movie theatre, why not use what you have?

Tony, Nick, Bill, Gord and Ian take the stage to a huge cheer! Everybody in the place is geared for this moment, and we’re whipped right into the madness. People are dancing, singing along, smiling, hugging and having a great time! It’s cool to see that.

“Scrambled Eggs” is still my favourite from Three Lefts, and experiencing those gang vocal harmonies with the tight musicianship of everybody and their expert delivery kicked ass. We’re here to celebrate this album, and the new songs like “Wireless”, “Igor Said” and “She’s Not Alone Anymore” have great energy & feel, just like the classics, “Found Another Boy” “Somebody’s Mom” and songs from Waiting For The Real Thing sounded spectacular. These guys sound so polished, so together, it’s unreal.

The encore featured a very special rendition of “Power Pop Santa” with The Dishrags and Johnny Ferreira, really capturing the moment; friends rocking together for friends.

Encore #2 brought about some pretty huge smiles. The last song was “Out of Luck”. Those keyboards, the guitars, everything was perfectly surmised into an exclamation point. Now the night has ended, but you always crave more. No word on future shows, but if you need me, I’ll be at home spinning the new record till 4AM!

Three Lefts Make A Right is now available where good music is sold. Check out www.thepointedsticks.com too. Pointed Sticks Are Fun!

Collapsing Opposites' Ryan McCormick

2010-01-18T00:04:00.000-08:00

by Nathan Stafford

Local audio-art ensemble Collapsing Opposites is about to release a new album called ‘In Time’. The group’s sounds have evolved and grown since 2002’s ‘Demonstration’, but there has always been a strong visual element to the music. With ‘In Time’, the group’s first vinyl full-length, there’s a lot to sink one’s teeth into.

Here is the back-and-forth I had with Ryan, 2 weeks prior to the release of ‘In Time’:

Says Ryan: There is a strong visual / multimedia presence with this group; our audio art affects our visual art and our visual art affects our audio art. Our last album 'Inside Chance' was closely connected with an art installation I did called The Game of Life - the art show came after the album, but it was based on some of the same ideas and took them in different directions than the music could. More recently, at the same time as we were working on our new album 'In Time,' we were involved with an art project called Whose Museum, and ideas from the album and the museum became intertwined. Our forthcoming video for the song 'Diamond Mind' as well as the cover art for 'In Time' contain references to both the songs and the museum.

NS: Did Chriss-a-riffic play on this record? He’s played with you before, correct?

RM: Chris plays the Rhodes keyboard in the choruses of our song Diamond Mind. I believe I first met Chris at the Pic Pub in 2003, but got to know him a lot better during the 4 years we were bandmates in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?. He is certainly one of our best friends, and we have worked with him a lot before. He was actually a member of our band briefly last year, as he came on tour across Canada with us, playing keyboard in Collapsing Opposites as well as doing his own Bible Belts set. Bible Belts and Collapsing Opposites released a split seven-inch record last year. We currently practice in Chris's garage - a place called The Shed.

NS: The new record has 2 sides: Songs About Living, and Songs About Rock. Could you explain those titles?

RM: What we have here, essentially, are the two primary archetypes of temporal existence: that which is living, and that which is dead.
On one side, there is the time that passes by in one's life, transitioning from birth to infancy to childhood to adolescence to young adulthood to middle age to the golden years to death. It includes such milestones as work, relationships, money, politics, sex, knowledge, and purpose.
On the other side, we have a much longer vision of time, where rocks slowly crumble into dust and join back together with a larger rock such as Earth. From time to time a rock becomes so massive that it ignites and becomes what we call a star, such as The Sun. Planets change, stars supernova, but matter cannot be created or destroyed. This is known as the First Law of Thermodynamics.
The two sides of this record explore these two aspects of time - the living and the rock. Of course we are ultimately interested in reaching a synthesis, and we hope that by providing some suggestive thoughts on the topic of time, our listeners will be able to formulate their own conclusions.

NS: Fascinating stuff. Hey, I really like the intro on the song ‘No One’. You play this ambient-noise stuff for almost 2 minutes, and then it gets really rockin’. Was it written that way, or did it just come out in the studio?

RM: We knew we wanted a long drawn-out intro, but no, we hadn't written anything out on paper. In the studio we sort of jammed on the song for about twenty minutes - as I recall, we actually played the rocking part first and then devolved into more abstract noise-y stuff. At home, we edited it and moved some pieces around and picked the best parts to use as our bed tracks. Keyboards and vocals were overdubbed later.

NS: So you’ve decided to release this album on vinyl. You’ve also released your music on cassette in the past. Why vinyl at this stage?

RM: We are very interested in using media with two sides. We know that truth is multi-faceted and it is an overly-simplistic view to say that there are only two sides to every issue, but the human mind is limited in capacity and it is often helpful to think in terms of the binary - even if there are several intersecting binaries operating at once. Two-sided media like records and tapes add a new layer of meaning to a work and an artist can use it to their advantage in reinforcing a binary concept. In our cassette it was 'Music' and 'Words', and in this new record it's 'Songs About Living' and 'Songs About Rock.'

NS: You’re going totally DIY with the distro of this record. What are the benefits and drawbacks of releasing this record yourself?

RM: This is a question I could talk a lot about, but for now I'll just say that it's incredibly liberating to think of a band or album as an art project rather than a career and to think of music as a community rather than an industry.

NS: Speaking of community, you are giving away your earlier recordings for free over at your website. How come?

RM: What we've been doing is making the recordings available for free after the physical copies have all been sold. Usually by the time that happens we have moved on to new things and don't want to spend money and time re-printing old stuff - but we also don't want it to be lost forever. It costs us nothing to put it online, so we do that. I would recommend it to anyone who sells out of a recording and doesn't plan on making any more. Why let your work get lost forever?

NS: Will you be hitting the road to promote ‘In Time’?

RM: We are doing a short Northwest US tour in February, and are planning a much longer cross-Canada and European tour for May-July. I'm sure there will be various Vancouver shows scattered in and amongst the tours, but we haven't got anything specific set up yet.

NS: Anything else you’d like to add?

RM: We've been heavily involved with a non-profit organization called the Safe Amplification Site Society - this is very relevant to the Vancouver music communities and I bet many of your readers would be interested. They can find out more at www.safeamp.org

NS: When is the new record available?

RM: The release party is Jan 29 at Little Mountain Gallery. We may have copies available sooner - possibly before xmas - but we don't have an exact date yet. If anyone wants to buy a copy before the release party they can email ryan@collapsingopposites.com to make the arrangements.

NS: And they can find out more about tour dates, music and Collapsing Opposites news over at www.collapsingopposites.com
Thanks for your time, Ryan! Best of luck with the new release!

CJ Leon’s Street Corner Gothic

2010-01-18T00:03:00.000-08:00

*Free Download at myspace.com/cjleonspoken

Writer & Composer Clinton John Leon has a new album out, and it’s filed under the new-to-me genre of Gothic Jazz. Emotive, simplistic, effective, and impractical, with lyrics that’ll make you give your head a shake at times. So sad, but funny and sincere in its dark originality. There is humour in bleakness.

With song titles like “Hot Stalker”, “Whore Babylon Blues” and “Dying Too Slowly”, you can’t expect party rockers on this album. I found a touch of Tom Waits in some of the tracks; especially in the way CJ describes his seedy scenes and characters. There was no Waitsian Growl to be found, although I think he could probably pull it off.

Listening to the track “My Music” gave me a glimpse into CJ’s life. He sings, “Nobody gives a damn about my music, but I don’t really have a choice. If I don’t write, and I don’t sing it, I can’t sleep, and get hemorrhoids.” Seriously, that’s gotta suck.

This album left me wondering, who is this CJ Leon? By googling him, I found out he has released quite a large amount of material. 3 CDs of music and spoken word, along with books, an industrial noise project that intrigues me, and a slew of videos. The more I listen & watch, the more mysterious he seems to be. Another hidden gem presents itself in this crazy city.

Diagnosis: Street Corner Gothic isn’t going to be everybody’s cup of tea right off the top; it’s not music you’d listen to all the time. I’m going to recommend this album for fans of strange, vaudevillian-type music, or anyone who wants to escape into someone else’s skin; into his extremely dark sense of humour; into his dream world. This guy is a seriously skilled spoken word artist with some extremely well written pieces. Either way, you can’t go wrong with a free album download.

His youtube videos are entertaining to watch, a sequence of vignettes describing the brutal urban truth of poverty and drug addiction, for example. There’s lot’s more out there from one of the quirkiest, most interesting multi-format artists I’ve encountered in a long time. I’d like to see some live beat poetry from this guy in a club downtown or something. Hey Skinny!

Interview with Paul Pigat aka Cousin Harley...

2009-11-19T01:31:00.000-08:00

Interview with Cousin Harley Front Man and Solo Artist, Paul Pigat
by Nathan Stafford

We’re gearing up for the Nov 14th CD Release Party for ‘Boxcar Campfire’, the new acoustic solo album from Paul Pigat, who is otherwise known as the front man of local Rockabilly/Western Swing act Cousin Harley. I spoke with Paul on the phone less than a week before the big show!

NS: Paul, you’re about to release your 1st solo album, and I’ve been listening to it for the last 3 or 4 days now. I really like the songwriting, and I love the stripped-down bare production style. How did the idea for this album first come about?

PP: Well, I’ve been doing this music for quite a long time, but I started playing it live about 6 years ago, and I guess I found myself on the road with Neko Case, playing upright bass for her, and the opening act couldn’t do the tour; we were touring the U.K. She asked myself, Kelly Hogan and Jon Rauhouse to do a Songwriters-In-The-Round for the opening set. I started performing it there, and the response was really good, so I thought maybe it’s time to actually record this stuff.

NS: That was the impetus for it.

PP: Yeah, that was the get-up-and-go to actually record the record. As I said, I’d been playing that music for quite a long time, and we had a little house gig at Perkowski’s on Commercial Drive, and I saw it through 3 different names as it changed ownership, but it was basically our Sunday night get-together. I never really thought that I was going to do a record with it until that tour.

NS: So, you’ve been writing these songs over a 6-year period?

PP: Let me just pull that up and see what’s on that. I finished the record like 6 months ago, and I’m one of those guys that once it’s done, I just walk away from it for a while. Yeah, these are sort of over the last 6 years I would say. A lot of them are a little more recent than that though.

NS: As I’m listening to the record, I notice a lot of ups and downs. “Papa Come Quick” is a mover and a shaker, and then you’ve got the slower “Nowhere Town”. Was that intentional to have it like a roller coaster, or is that just the way it came out?

PP: That’s kind of the way it came out. I play live a lot, and I’m a live musician mostly, so I try to run my records to feel like the way I would normally run a set. You can’t do a set of all depressing stuff, or your audience is completely wiped out by the end of the set. You’ve got to throw the occasional “Up” tune and a fun little number.

NS: So, you were looking for a live-feel.

PP: Yeah, it’s got an ebb-and-flow to it, and I think the goofy songs like “Sweet Tooth” kind of balance out the darker side of “Dig Me A Hole” and stuff. There’s a balance to it all.

NS: “Corn Liquor” is another great track. Is that autobiographical?

PP: Yes. I played The Wild Oats and Notes Festival in Tofield, Alberta, and it’s a really strange little festival, because you can’t apply to play this festival. He only hand picks bands. It’s this crazy farmer who goes out one year and checks out all the bands at all the festivals that everybody goes to, and then he throws a festival every second year and he invites all his favourite bands out. I think this was the first time I’ve done it. I’m doing it for the 3rd time next year, and you know, we had a great set, lots of good times, and the stage is this converted Quonset hut. He always gets us to close his festival, we’re the closing act, and there’s of course a large amount of free beer for the band. I made my way through that, and I met a fellow that, it wasn’t corn liquor he gave me, it was a bottle of home-made tequila, and I learned my lesson that you shouldn’t open a bottle of home-made tequila at 4:00 in the morning. It’s not the time to start.

NS: Oh, man.

PP: The reason I called it Corn Liquor is, are you familiar with Carolyn Mark?

NS: Yeah.

PP: Carolyn Mark and I are very old friends, and Carolyn was doing the festival as well. Carolyn is of course infatuated with corn, and that was one of the few times I’ve ever drank her under the table, so I was very proud of myself.

NS: Well, you got a song out of it, anyway.

PP: I got a good song out of it. I was pretty happy about that, but I had a massive hangover. There’s nothing worse. Of course you sleep in tents at this festival, so there’s nothing worse than being beaten on by sun at 8 o’clock in the morning, and you’re just completely de-hydrated, and you have to get to the airport and get on a plane. It was horrid.

NS: Well, I’ve been listening to the new record as I said, and then I went back and listened to some of your Cousin Harley material, and it’s quite different. For fans who have heard both, where do you think they will make the connection? You’ve still got the Paul Pigat stamp on it, but do you think that people will necessarily know, if they just heard one song from each, that it was the same guy?

PP: I think that the guitar playing, I mean I’m pretty distinct as a guitar player, so I think most people will hear that. I think they both carry a thread of that traditional country sound, because that’s always been something that, even though I’ve tried to deny it for many years, it seems to be what I do, that sort of rootsy, country, rockabilly thing. I actually think that boxcar is almost an extension of Cousin Harley in a way, it’s just the mellower, sit down and listen version.

NS: Who do you see this album appealing to?

PP: This is for the people that Cousin Harley would be too loud for.

NS: I see. Again, going back to the live show, you’ve got a big one coming up on Nov 14th, and I saw that you had some really great musicians lined up for it: Jesse Zubot, Tommy Babin and Chris Nordquist. Is that going to change the sound of the songs?

PP: No, it’s going to retain its quality. Kind of the point of this stuff is that it’s loose and in the moment, and basically everything except for the mandolin and of course the drums and bass, I play on the record. I play all the banjos, I play all the dobros, all the steel guitars, and I play all the guitars on it, so that’s impossible to do live.

NS: You need a little help from your friends on that one.

PP: Exactly. When I’m performing this, and as I say I’ve been doing this for a while here in Van, I’ll just basically surround myself with a bunch of different musicians, musicians of course that I know, that are friends of mine, and also who I trust to have big ears, and will add stuff to the song. This stuff, some people called it ‘Porch Music’, and if it’s too slick, it won’t work. With Jesse Zubot and Tommy Babin and Chris Nordquist, although Tommy has been doing this stuff with me for quite a long time, it’s going to have a really cool, loose feel. They’re all different players, except for Tommy, that were on the record, but they’re all fantastic guys, and they’re going to hear exactly what they want to do. I also want to hear what they can bring to it, and it’s always interesting for me when I’m on stage and I hear something completely new from somebody, and it helps me find new things, because I basically try to improvise as much as possible, even with this stuff.

NS: So then, every live experience is going to be different each time, depending on who you have onboard.

PP: Absolutely.

NS: Do you see a live album in your future for this project?

PP: For this project, I wish we had been able to record that band that I did the U.K. with, with Neko’s band; Paul Rigby on bass, Jon Rauhouse on steel guitar and banjo, and Barry was on the record as well, but that moment, that one tour had a certain vibe to it that was really spooky music, especially with Jon Rauhouse playing banjo. I think if I found the right group of people and the right opportunity, I would be more than happy to do a live recording of this, and have sort of a revolving band, where you could have 15 different players over the course of the live recording. That would be fun.

NS: Sort of like a “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” kind of thing.

PP: Exactly, but I’m also into small ensembles. A quartet is generally the biggest band I tend to front. I like the open spaces of not having too many people onstage, so we have to figure out a way to get everybody to revolve.

NS: I heard you’re a bit of a collector. How many instruments do you own?

PP: I have no idea… It’s somewhere around 30. Between mandolins, banjos, guitars, steel guitars, erhus, upright basses.

NS: And of course amps too, right?

PP: Lots of amps. I’ve actually just started thinning out the amp herd. I sold a couple of amps in the last few weeks. Amps are just big and heavy. I’d love to have all the great amps, I’d love to have a Vox AC30, but they just take up too much space, and there’s really not much space left in my apartment.

NS: Too much to carry around too, right?

PP: Yeah, as I get older, my amps get smaller.

NS: Isn’t that why you quit playing drums originally, because it was too much to carry around?

PP: Wow, you did some research! My original interest in music was to become a drummer, and my brother convinced me that, “You don’t want to play the drums, look at all the stuff you gotta carry around!” Not realizing that when I was gigging, when I was 12 or 13, I was gigging with about a 1971 Super Reverb, which is a pretty large amp for a 12 year old to be carrying around. I might have been better off with the drums!

NS: Gigging at 12! I couldn’t believe that. What sort of shows were you playing then? You were in garage bands before that, right?

PP: I ended up meeting one of my best friends when I went to Junior High School, and he and I were both very large for our age, him even bigger than I was, and I remember our first gig was at a mall, but our second gig was at a roadhouse bar that was just up the street from me in Toronto. Toronto had Roadhouse bars, but not anymore. We had a house gig there, we played once every two weeks for a couple of years and that got me going. I’d say I probably did that until I was about 15, and then I took a year off, I kind of got bored with it all, and then I went to a school of the arts for a while, and one of the guys that I was teaching guitar to there convinced me to go down to Grossman’s, which was the cornerstone of Toronto’s Blues scene, and I went down once and never stopped gigging after that.

NS: At what point did you transition from playing other people’s music to wanting to compose your own music?

PP: That was pretty much when Cousin Harley started. I’ve always written my own stuff, because I do a lot of fingerstyle guitar as well, but never lyrical music, never wordy kind of stuff. Cousin Harley kind of got me started on that, and I was sort of hanging around with Carolyn Mark and Tolan McNeil and all these great songwriters I really respected, and I figured, “Well, I’ll give it a shot.”

NS: Did you come from a musical background? Were your parents involved in music at all?

PP: No. In fact, I can’t remember any music in my house, other than my brother’s record collection. My parents never listened to music, there were no musical instruments in the house whatsoever. My brother did have a great classic rock, early heavy metal and new-wave record collection.

NS: Early heavy metal, as in Judas Priest?

PP: More like Black Sabbath. Sabbath and Mountain, and stuff like that. I started listening to all of that stuff, and then every once in a while, I would pull out a BB King record or something, and then pull out a Madness record. It was a pretty interesting collection, which is strange, because he doesn’t really listen to music anymore. It’s a drag, because he had such great taste as a kid.

NS: From Black Sabbath to Madness. You had a lot of influences. Danny Gatton was a big influence for you, right?

PP: Oh, huge influence for me, yeah. Not so much on the boxcar stuff, but for everything else, he’s always been the guy. There are other guys as well, like there’s Tal Farlow and Les Paul and Charlie Christian, but the first time I heard Danny Gatton play, I knew that I was going to follow that route of guitar playing.

NS: I like your baritone on this record. When did you start singing?

PP: I became a singer because I had to when I moved out West. There were no gigs for me. I never had that experience before, where I was looking for work. I always had enough gigs to make a living, but I moved to Victoria, so I had to make my own gigs. I started sort of a swing band, and I started getting into the crooning stuff, and a little more of the Cabaret stuff. I think there’s a bit of a Cabaret element to Boxcar as well. I don’t know if it’s audible, but I hear it as certain Cabaret tunes, and of course the Blues has always been there.

NS: You never really got into jazz though, did you?

PP: I’ve always loved jazz, and I had a jazz trio for quite a long time, but it’s swing jazz. Because I’m classically trained, I perceive music in a different way than jazz musicians. I have a theory degree, and the way classical musicians approach harmony and theory is very different from the way jazz musicians do. It’s always been a goal of mine to completely understand jazz guitar, but there may be a jazz record one day. I would hope so.

NS: You did play at the Vancouver Jazz Festival though, didn’t you?

PP: I did play the Jazz Fest. That was really fun! I didn’t realize that when they asked me to do the show, because it was Jesse Cahill, who is my drummer in Cousin Harley, he invited me down to sing this song for this tribute to Jimmy Smith, and I know that he’s got a band called The Nightcrawlers that’s an organ band quartet, so I figured that it was just going to be, you know I’d show up to the Cellar, and there would just be an organ quartet. I had no idea that there was going to be a 16-piece Big Band. It was awesome! I got to do the big outdoor show with them the next day, and it was really fun. I love playing with Bill Coon, you know I don’t get a chance to do that very often, and Bill is a fantastic guitar player. We got to trade a few things back and forth, and it was nice to play with that many horns behind you.

NS: Congratulations on your Gretsch Guitars endorsement!

PP: Thank you.

NS: That’s huge! Has that been in the works for a while, or did that some from Viva Las Vegas?

PP: It’s all from Las Vegas. I went to Vegas, and the guys from the Gretsch Appreciation Society, which does the Gretsch Discussion Pages, who aren’t really affiliated with Gretsch Guitars, they’re just fans, asked me if I would do an interview for them, because a lot of them have bought my instructional DVDs. They said, “Meet us at the Gretsch booth”, and Tim, the person from the Gretsch Pages introduced me to Joe Carducci, and Joe is one of the bigwigs for Gretsch. He asked me if I would like to play their guitar for the festival, and I already have a lot of nice guitars, but I really wanted to play their amp. I knew their amp was going to be good, so I said, “Yeah, I’d be more than happy to play your guitar if I can use your amps as well.” I didn’t think I was going to use the guitar for the whole set, and then I ended up using it for the whole set, because I just fell in love with it when I was onstage. I got offstage, and they asked me where they could send this rig, because they wanted to give it to me, and then we had a meeting the next day, and we talked a little bit about the endorsement deal, and if they wanted a clinicnian, and Gretsch really hadn’t decided if they were going to have a clinician. They just told me they would contact me, and then a month later, they flew me down to Scottsdale, Arizona to meet all the guys at Fender, and then I was their clinician. It’s a great gig.

NS: So, your DVDs led them to discover you in a way?

PP: In a way. I don’t think the guys at Gretsch really knew about my DVDs at all. It was basically that show. I just got on the stage and Cousin Harley played the set that we would normally do, and they just loved it. It was recorded, and filmed, and we did an interview for them and all that stuff, but it was basically out of that 70-minute show that sealed that deal.

NS: So now you’re travelling around North America doing clinics and workshops, keeping busy with that.

PP: Yeah, I hope to do a lot more! They’re fun.

NS: What do you enjoy most about doing clinics?

PP: Well, I get to meet a lot of people that I sort of met through the Internet. My email address is actually quite easy to find. I get people from all over the world emailing me about my DVD and stuff like that, so this is an opportunity for these people to finally come out and I get to meet them face-to-face, so that’s really great. Also, I’m a guitar gear head, and I’m in music stores all the time.

NS: Sort of like a kid in a candy store.

PP: Oh yeah, I could have spent everything I made ten times over on this last tour. (laughs) I have a problem.

NS: To get ready for teaching, you must have had a good teacher that showed you the ropes, not just with guitar playing, but also someone who showed you how to teach.

PP: Absolutely. I had a great teacher. I’ve had many great teachers all through High School and all that stuff, but my University professor Eli Kassner really got me started on figuring out how to teach properly, because I studied with him for 4 years in university, and he offered me a job in my second year of university to teach at his studio. I had already been teaching a little bit at that point, because I taught the younger students at the School of the Arts as well, but I really didn’t understand how to teach then, and just being able to study with Eli, and hang around with the people that hung around with Eli. I’ve sat down and had tea and crumpets with John Williams, because Eli was pretty well known in the classical music scene. He taught Liona Boyd, and he studied with Segovia, so he was hooked in.

I got to meet a lot of great people through Eli, and Eli was always the cat in the University who was completely open-minded. You wouldn’t expect it. He’s an older man, he’s in his late-80’s now, so I met him when he was about 55 and he loved that I played the Blues. I think I’d been a student for 3 months and he asked me to play for his 65th birthday party, and it was Ed Bickert, Liona Boyd, Lighthouse, and my blues band. We were terrible! You’ve got guys like Ed Bickert onstage, probably the best Canadian jazz guitar player of all time, and then I’m trying to hack my way through a Chicago electric blues kind of thing. It was pretty funny, but Eli always loved it. He’d throw these parties, and whenever there was a classical guitar player touring from another country, he would always throw a party for them, and all of his students would be invited, and 9 times out of 10, he would have the guitar player do a recital, and there was always this old beat-up Telecaster sitting in the corner and he would insist that I jam a Blues tune with him. It’s really strange when you’re trying to jam a Blues tune with a Cuban Classical guitar player.

NS: That’s interesting.

PP: Yeah, but he was an awesome cat still is an awesome cat, and he really taught me, first of all how to understand music, and how to teach it.

NS: How to share it.

PP: Yeah, he was really good. He was always supportive. The teachers that crack the whip are not usually very good teachers in my opinion. I’m more of a constant encouragement kind of guy.

NS: I was just listening to “Boxcar Campfire” before we spoke, and there are some really strong songs on there, but what I think it needs is exposure. Exposure is the key, so what are you going to do to expose this music, and what do you think is the biggest hurdle that you face, as far as exposure?

PP: Well, the biggest hurdle is that not many people know who I am. Cousin Harley has a certain reputation in certain scenes, and we’ve got sales in Holland and what not, but Cousin Harley is its own entity. The DVDs have done really well, so my name is out there for that, but people only see me as this rockabilly guitar player. That’s going to be a big hurdle, is to get the singer/songwriter thing going on, and getting people to listen to this side of the playing, although there’s still some fine guitar playing on it, but to sort of open up that group of people, the Folk Society people and have them listen to it, since I have no pedigree in that kind of genre, I think that’s the biggest hurdle. The nice thing about Boxcar is that I could tour it relentlessly if I want to, because the hardest thing about touring when you’re in my circumstance is that everybody I play with, we’re all professional musicians, so we all have to play in at least 4 or 5 bands. Coordinating tours can be extremely difficult, however with Boxcar, I could tour that record by myself.

NS: It’s really flexible.

PP: There are some tricky bits to the record, it’s not as straightforward as some may see upon first listen, there are strange bars and 2/4’s thrown into it, but it’s all charted out, should I go to a city and I want a bass player. If I know a bass player who’s living there, I can just say, “Come out to the show. Here are the charts. Let’s go.” That keeps it fresh!

NS: So, Nov 14th is the big Day. Your CD Release Party at St James Hall, but what are your plans after the CD Release? I see you have a couple of gigs with Cousin Harley, in Prince George Dec 4th and here in Vancouver Dec 5th, but what’s next after that? More solo shows?

PP: I’ve got a few more solo shows that’ll probably be just little places on Commercial Drive. Right now, the thing on the plate that we’re working on is actually a lot of Cousin Harley stuff, because we’re going down to the NAAM Show in Anaheim for Gretsch, and they’re flying the whole band down for that one, so that will be really good. I think February I’m going to take off, and I might even get out of town, because I don’t think I want to be here for the antics of the Olympics, but then in March, I’m going to be in the Netherlands with the Sojourners. Kathy, my manager, just got back from Denmark at the WOMEX conference, and there is some interest in the Netherlands with Boxcar, so maybe we’ll try to do a little ground work while we’re there. There’s also the potential for an Australian tour with Cousin Harley as well, so I think I’m just going to try to do as many Boxcar shows as I can, just in-between other stuff. I’ve got to make a living.

NS: I think we’ve covered a lot of ground here, but is there anything else you’d like to add to readers of The Skinny?

PP: I just hope that they come out to the show, and it’s going to be really fun, and the lineup of players, with Chris Nordquist and Jesse Zubot and Tommy Babin, they’re just such fantastic players, and they’ve all got their own specific voice. I’m really excited about what’s going to happen there that night! If you want to hear some good acoustic music, it will be a great night for it.

NS: Finally, if they were to make a movie about your life, what would be the one scene that everybody would still be talking about the next day?

PP: Oh, that’s a good question. I’m not sure that scene has been written yet.

If you’d like to check out the latest scene in Paul Pigat’s life story, you can come down to St James Hall on Nov 14th for a night of great acoustic music. If you can’t make it, you can pick up Paul’s new record ‘Boxcar Campfire’ at such fine local establishments as Red Cat Records, or through www.paulpigat.com

Shonen Knife!

2009-11-07T18:38:00.000-08:00

Live Review by Nathan Stafford

It’s a Big Fun Party Tonite! With Osaka, Japan’s #1 Super Group Shonen Knife in town for the first time since ‘07, the rock & roll is here to stay! Who cares that it’s Sunday? Who cares that it’s raining? Who cares that it’s cold outside? It’s nice and hott inside the Biltmore!

The night belongs to “Boy Knife”, but all 3 bands on the bill are amazing. We’re talking Apollo Ghosts, The Strange Magic and of course, a certain all-girl pop/punk trio that was releasing records when I was still in kindergarten.

Arriving early was a good idea, as I caught Apollo Ghosts dishing out some pretty cool minimalist rock, and a disco-Sasquatch number. I misunderstood that one too, but I still loved it. Local sextet The Strange Magic spilled its potion on the dancefloor next, giving everything & more that you’d expect from a big exploratory pop/rock ensemble. The crowd was eating up Kayoko’s eastern-themed pop stylings for some reason. Okay, I like where this thing is going.

And Now…. From across the Pacific…. They’ve been rocking your hearts for nearly 30 Years… It’s Shonen Knife!

Konnichiwa! Hitting the stage in their pastel super-hero outfits and devil-horns held proudly high, the lovely ladies otherwise known as The Osaka Ramones are here for one thing, and one thing only: “Banana Chips”!

“We are so short. You are so tall!” remarked guitarist/singer and sole original member Naoko Yamano. “We’ll make it up with our jumping!”

And they did! The whole crowd was jumping in fact, bopping and screaming along to catchy, straight-ahead winners ‘I Wanna Eat Choco Bars’, ‘BBQ Party’ and the biggest bang of the night, ‘Ramones Forever’.

What a performance! You wouldn’t believe how intense Shonen Knife is onstage! Slashing guitars, ba-booming bass, and a drummer who defies all laws of size & strength. Seriously, the talk of the town was this little drummer girl named Etsuko. She looked about 12-years-old, wore a big ol’ beautiful smile the whole time, and hit the skins so hard, I thought the kit was gonna fall apart on a blast beat! Bassist Ritsuko was feeding off the front row, and did a great job singing ‘Johnny Johnny Johnny’. Oh yeah!!!

Historically speaking, Shonen Knife hold a unique place in the Rock & Roll scriptures, winning over heavyweight fans like Red Kross, Sonic Youth, and their 1991 European tourmates, Nirvana. 15 albums, 6 EPs, tons of compilations and singles later, Shonen Knife still brings out droves and droves of dedicated, loving fans.

“Big! Big! Big! Cat!” How can you not sing along to those lyrics? There are 3 members of Shonen Knife, and there are 3 sides to a pyramid, so ‘Pyramid Power’ seems like a logical way to wrap up the set, I guess. You gotta love a band that pulls out the rock poses, jumping up and down, and saluting the fans right till the finish line. The End! That can’t be it though, can it? After a 45-second departure, the biggest little power trio from the east took the stage again, grabbing a souvenir photo op with the audience first.

“Everybody is so handsome and beautiful!”

Aww, geez. Thanks Naoko. One more song? Puh-leeeease?

Okay, okay. The chants of “Shonen Knife! Shonen Knife!” finally gave way to one more round of big, brash power chords and girly 3-part harmonies. ‘Antonio Baka Guy’ gave the crowd its ultimate satisfaction. True to form, the Shonen Knife trio stuck around afterwards to shake hands, high-five, and sign autographs for every waiting fan. The lineup nearly stretched out the door! There wasn’t a frowny-face in the house.

Shonen Knife continues along its North American tour, hitting Bellingham and Portland before a big Halloween show in California! The newest record “Super Group” is available through Good Charamel Records or on iTunes. The record is great, but you gotta see them live. If you missed out this time I hope the Candy Rock Fun won’t elude you again! Peace, Love and Shonen Knife!

Aaron Cadwaladr's Commercial Drive Connection

2009-11-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

by Nathan Stafford

East Van’s alt-folk gentleman Aaron Cadwaladr (pronounced cad-WALL-a-der) just launched his new full-length record with a packed release/tour kickoff party at Café Deux Soleils Oct 23rd. ‘Wade Through The Dark’ was produced by Colin Stewart (Black Mountain, Cave Singers) and features awesome guest musicians Steve Dawson, Jesse Zubot, Veda Hille and Peggy Lee!

“I would have to call it the Commercial Drive Connection,” says Cadwaladr. “I was honoured to have each of them lend their talents to my album.”

Track to track, you’ll find an earthy, roomy feel like a vintage coat, or “Neil Young meets Radiohead for a pint of organic stout”. Peppier numbers like ‘Slowdown’ have that Calexico feel, Aaron’s patient vocals on ‘Cooling Our Backs’ could be likened to a young Stephen Stills (4 + 20), while the title track shows a little grungier side. There’s good variety on this disc, with lots of tasteful chops and hidden gems for more than just folkies and fiddleheads.

Now to the party. The first of 2 sets! opened with relatively sedate album tracks like ‘Engage The Air’ and the Paul Simon-esque ‘Take These Chances’, making way for the extremely catchy ‘Shape Changing Sky’ (which I was still humming on the skytrain ride home). Covering Wilco, Radiohead, and later in set #2, Aaron brought up fiddler Elise Bouer for a few tunes, and ended up doing a folk-rock version of The Clash ‘Wrong ‘Em Boyo’. Last time I heard that song, there wasn’t a fiddle! Aaron could have benefited from some help vocally, otherwise he’s pretty much driving this ship himself. Side musician Nathan Schubert was a standout, playing about 5 different instruments on his crowded corner of the stage.

Check out this excellent music video put together from the show. This song was performed once in each set, so the videographers would have different camera angles, and I assume 2 takes of the live mix. This is what you can expect from an Aaron Cadwaladr Band performance:

Aaron is a pretty worldly fellow, and I asked him about his days busking in Europe, and what he thinks of a chatty audience:

“There is something very humbling about both busking - when folks just walk on by, hardly noticing - and playing in a loud café where people also may not notice the musicians. Being a street musician taught me to play and enjoy it, whether there is an audience or not.”

There was definitely an audience at Deux Soleils, but Aaron seems content in making music for himself, and hey, if anyone else likes it, that’s cool too.

“Making music to please others is a risky game as far as I am concerned, though it is nice to hear that folks are enjoying the music.”

These folks definitely enjoyed the music, and the new album “Wade Through The Dark” is a sure bet for anyone looking to escape their inner-city-dwelling lives for a cool 50 minutes of wide-open wilderness. The Aaron Cadwaladr Band will be trekking around the province for the next month or so, returning Nov 22nd for a homecoming gig at The Backstage Lounge. More dates & info at myspace.com/aaroncadwaladr.

NS: Aaron, we’re here at your release party for “Wade Through The Dark. Tell me a bit about the new CD. You had some interesting special guests: Veda Hille, Zubot & Dawson. How did this thing come about? Those are some amazing connections!

AC: For the most part I would have to call it the Commercial Drive Connection. Veda, Steve Dawson, and Peggy Lee all live in the area, and I have been a long-time big fan of all of their music. I was honoured to have each of them lend their talents to my album.

NS: On the Live-tip, I know you perform solo, and I know you perform with the band. Who will grace the stage with you tonight for the CD release?

AC: For the CD release I will be playing with my regular band with me on guitar & vocals, Cornell St Jean on bass, Nathan Shubert on piano, accordion, glockenspiel, mandolin and all sort of things. Unfortunately, our fantastic drummer Michael Munro will not be able to make it on the tour, but, we have an excellent replacement sitting in for him with James Mcrae on drums, and Elise Bouer will be sitting in for a handful of songs on the fiddle. It will be a great night and we are really looking forward to it!

NS: Do you always write solo, or have you co-written with anyone for this release?

AC: To this point I have pretty much written solo, though I would love to have the opportunity to explore more collaborative projects.

NS: I saw an excellent review of you somewhere: “ a distinctive addition to the great Canadian singer-songwriter tradition”. That must feel good, to get that media acceptance, right? Would you say you strive more for media acceptance, fan acceptance, artist acceptance, or all 3? Or do you care?

AC: That is a bit of a difficult question to answer. I really try to just focus on the music. I figure that if I make songs that I can stand behind, then that is the best that I can do. Making music to please others is a risky game as far as I am concerned… though, yes, it is nice to hear that folks are enjoying the music!

NS: Is there an element of busking in your live show, like the old days in Berlin? What do you like about busking?

AC: When I play solo shows it definitely brings me back to my days as a busker, especially in those venues where folks are more interested in drinks and conversation than live music. There is something very humbling about both busking - when folks just walk on by, hardly noticing - and playing in a loud café where people also may not notice the musicians. Being a street musician taught me to play and enjoy it, whether there is an audience or not. I love playing music – and every once and a while someone really digs it, which makes it worthwhile! Busking is excellent practice, as well.

NS: Any plans to tour Europe with this new CD, maybe go back to those roots and show off the finished product?

AC: Absolutely! The gears are already in the works for a little tour back in the homeland (Wales, England, Ireland) though I would also love to head back to Berlin, it has such a vibrant music scene and is a town always up for a good time!

NS: “Neil Young meets Radiohead for a pint of organic stout.” – explain that explanation, please.

AC: Well, People are always asking me to define my sound – I find it a bit hard to put myself in one box – so we came up with this little tag that I think defines the our sound. Neil Young and Radiohead are both huge influences on me, especially the more earthy and mellower side of both of those artists, which is where the “organic” comes into it. And stout, well I just love stout…!!

NS: Did you play with a Neil Young tribute act called Live Rust? Is that where the Neil Young connection came from? Do you cover any of Neil’s songs currently?

AC: Hmmm yes I did play with Live Rust for a spell – Until life got too busy. But I would say that the Neil Young connection runs much deeper than that – he’s in our blood isn’t he? I was drawn to the Neil Young Cover Band because of my love of Neil young, but the cover band had little impact/influence on my songwriting or sound. I still sit in with Live Rust once in a while and thoroughly enjoy it!
…and yes I have been known to throw a Neil Young cover into a set here and there!

NS: You received a FACTOR demo grant a few years back, correct? You did an EP. You were funded again for this full-length. Did you ever factor grants and things into your music career in the early days, and would you say that grant money legitimized your music career at all?

AC: The FACTOR demo was my first grant money. It definitely gave me the ability to grow my music and focus more of my energy on my own music and recording. I guess you could say that yes, in a way it may have “legitimized” my music career as I was able to work on my own material instead of doing such things as playing in tribute bands and jazz trios to pay the rent. Also, there is a bit of industry recognition, which comes with receiving artist grants, which is nice.

NS: You were also involved with SIFE BCIT. What has working with them done for your career? I watched your video testimonial of the initial stages. Have you continued working with them?

AC: Funny you ask… Yes SIFE BCIT was a great experience as it helped me to understand the business aspect of marketing my music. The leader of the group of SIFE BCIT students that I was working with is now what you might call my Manager – Ross McKeachie - so yes I suppose that you could say that, in a twice removed sort of a way, I am still connected to them.

NS: You have been a guitar teacher for over 15 years? Has that ever decreased your drive to play guitar? Like you teach guitar all day, then go home at night, is guitar the last thing you want to do, or is it the opposite?

AC: Being a guitar teacher keeps me on my toes as a musician. I have some really great students that I have been teaching for years – and I enjoy teaching. It doesn’t really detract from my personal enjoyment of playing music. They are really such different experiences.

NS: This is a bit off-topic, but what is ‘In Veronica’s Garden’ and how were you involved with that? I saw you had some Illustrator and Photographer credits?

AC: Ahhh yes, this is a bit of a left turn – but here we go…A little known fact about me is that I also have a Fine Arts Degree. For a while there I was pretty focused on painting and did a couple of watercolours for the book, my mom’s book! I also did the painting that was used in the graphics for my EP Shape Changing Sky.

NS: You also play in The Kerplunks! That’s so cool. What got you into Children’s Music?

AC: I have been playing with Dina D and Tina Jones (the brainpower and force behind The Kerplunks) for over two years now. When they asked if I wanted to join them in this project I jumped at the opportunity – their songs are great to play and they are all stellar musicians. We have a lot of fun together! It is kid’s music that both adults and musicians can appreciate. I never tire of it! We have been doing very well including winning a West Coast Music Award, a Canadian Folk Music award and getting a Juno Nomination. We lost to the Bare Naked Ladies….

NS: Back to the album, any interesting stories about the recording process for this record? Did everything go smooth as silk, or what? Getting that many musicians on board at the same time must have presented a challenge.

AC: We had pretty solid arrangements for the tunes going in for the Rhythm section, then we layered the extra instrumentation on top. It went pretty smoothly. It kind of changed as it went along and we just went with it.

NS: Anything else you’d like to tell readers of The Skinny? Aside form promoting the new album with your BC-tour, what's coming up next?

AC: My energy has been focused on this album for a while and I am looking forward to settling back down and focusing on my songwriting.

NS: And finally Aaron, cats or dogs? If you had to pick just one…

AC: Well, I have a large irritable shaggy bearded Rottweiler hound – so I would have to go with dogs… she would be pretty ticked if I chose cats, and it’s definitely in my best interest to keep her happy.

NS: Well, I hope you keep your dog, and your listeners happy with the new record “Wade Through The Dark”, which is available at fine local record stores as well as through aaroncadwaladr.com. Best of luck to you, sir!

Language-Arts – Stomping New Territory, Making New Sounds

2009-10-26T03:36:00.000-07:00

by Nathan Stafford

Language-Arts has polished off another beauty with its sophomore release ‘Where Were You In The Wild?’. With a local-launch party Sept 28th and upcoming East/West tours, the Vancouver-based ensemble is bringing music to the people, making smiles contagious, all while racking up nation-wide media attention and critical acclaim by the boatload.

The follow-up to 2008’s ‘Short Run EP’ is full of lush, caringly crafted numbers, endearing, almost addictive musical wondrousness, stream-of-consciousness ‘pixie-rap’, and you might say it’s somewhat of a grower, as evidenced by bandleader, guitarist and vocalist Kristen Cudmore:

“It's jam packed with little anecdotes and collages of ideas if you listen for it, so each listen new things might pop out.”

Although the album isn’t officially released until later this month, L-A decided to give local fans and supporters a sneak peek by hosting an advance release party.

Says Kristen:
“We were playing around with dates and thought it would be special to allow our friends and listeners of Language-Arts to get a chance to hear it first. I think it's more of a thanks to them for supporting us during the process, from starting out to the new album.”

Taking the stage amid screams and chants, Language-Arts revealed an All-Star lineup to the Biltmore’s ample audience: cellist Cris Derksen (ESL), string bassist Aaron McKinney (SSRI’s, Like Animals Again), vocalist Laura Anderson (Stick Twig), singer/songwriter Hilary Grist on keys/vocals, plus the aforementioned Kristen and Gregor rounding out the cast.

This band sounds amazingly tight live, and for anyone who’s been listening to ‘Where Were You In The Wild’, you can just close your eyes and feel like you’re listening to the album. This is how a live act should sound! Beautiful harmonies, rapid-fire flow a-la Kristen, and precise instrumentation in a genre most critics would call ‘etc’.

The set was chock-full of album cuts like ‘Boxed In’, where classical guitar looping, excellent cello, 5/4 time, and a top-notch hand-clap breakdown pulled the audience in even closer.

On the lucid dream that is ‘Tuck It In’, Kristen reveals a flow that would flabbergast even the most seasoned hip hop head. Her child-like, yet firm voice is a finely tuned instrument, and with the echoes of Laura and Hilary in the midst, it sounds almost too good to be true.

The entire band was exceptional, but the one thing I can’t get over is how Kristen manages to lead you along this twisting, winding, linguistic path, all while whipping out mini-symphonies on that guitar. For me, it doesn’t get any better than that watching that balancing act. For fans of inventive, creative, inexplicable music, this was a dream performance from top to bottom.

It’s official; ‘Where Were You In The Wild’ will be available across Canada Oct 27th with an ensuing tour, and hopefully another local date or two in the near future.

To bring it home, here is a little Q&A I had with Kristen & Gregor:

NS: I see you’re wisely waiting until spring to tour Eastern Canada…

K= It's really hard touring in Canada because who knows when winter really ends? But ya, we will be going from Ontario to Nova Scotia this spring. We have tour plans for November for the west portion of the country, too. Plus it makes the drive shorter! Both Gregor and I are from Nova Scotia and we go home a lot to be with our growing families, but usually when we're touring it's a day or a dinner with family and then we're off again.
NS: You played NXNE this year. Did that work out well?

K= It did. We made a lot of new friends and connected with new listeners as well as people who are able to help us out with promoting our shows or our music. There was a nice few articles applauding our performances too, which was reassuring.

NS: I love the time signatures you use. You must be good at math!

G: Most of us are solid at adding and subtracting. Kristen does a lot of sudokus. I think she also secretly loves doing her taxes. I’m going to teach her how to use excel for her birthday. yay!

NS: What can you tell me about the title track off your new album, ‘Where Were You In The Wild?’
K= To me it's about what makes someone who they are and how petty things can get in the way of our lives and cloud our direction from time to time. "Are you a product of your parents or a product of your past? Who licensed you to carry your own mass?" are a few questions. "You can have your Rice Dream, in your ignorant igloo. I'll be sure, not to bother you.... what a silly life to have lead."
NS: New CD, new tour, and what else is coming up for Language-Arts?

K: We are just focusing on these plans at the moment but we're really excited to stomp new territory and keep creating new sounds that hopefully people find interesting. Our goal obviously is to get to a place where we can focus more energy on creating art and presenting it to new people.

Check out the music, tour dates, amazing lyrics and more at www.language-arts.net

Music BC Compilation CD Opportunity

2009-10-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

BC-based artists with a current commercial release looking for a new avenue to promote their music on an international and domestic scale can now apply to be a part of the Music BC Compilation CD.

The program is open to all Music BC members who have commercially released an album, EP or single within the last 24 months, or will be within the next 3 months (proof may be requested).

Complete applications must be received by 5:00pm PST on Friday November 13th, 2009.

Click here to download the Music BC 2010 Compilation CD application form (pdf).

The compilation will be distributed at MIDEM, CMW, SXSW, JUNO's, and various Canadian Consulates. This is a promotional CD only and not for sale. No royalties or mechanical licensing fees shall be payable for inclusion on this compilation. Applicants acknowledge that Music BC Industry Association may use the compilation CD to promote BC artists to international consulates, labels, Film/TV, publishers and other music industry companies.

***BONUS: All artists selected for inclusion on the compilation CD will also have their song posted on www.musicfrombc.com which is Music BC’s streaming music site to promote music from BC artists that is ready for tv/film/video game placements. At the jury’s discretion, they may also recommend a selection of applicants who were not chosen for the CD to be included on www.musicfrombc.com.

Hard copies of the applications for the Compilation program and other MAP programs are available in Music BC’s Resource Centre located at #530 - 23 W. Pender St. in Vancouver, BC.

Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. All components of your application must be received by the date and time of deadline. Applications received by fax will not be accepted. No exceptions will be made. FOr more information, please visit www.musicbc.org or phone 604.873.1914

Preview: Sky Larkin, Peggy Sue, Valerie & The Mutineers

2009-09-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

Coming to a Pub 340 Near You....

UK-based recording artists SKY LARKIN and PEGGY SUE are performing 2 shows in Vancouver on October 18th with locals VALERIE AND THE MUTINEERS!!

Sunday Oct 18th FREE In-store gig at Neptoon Records (early)
AND
Sunday Oct 18th 8PM at Pub 340

Check out these videos and links and don't forget to practice my new religion of seeing live music every Sunday. Booyah!!

Sky Larkin: 'Fossil, I'

Peggy Sue: 'Lover Gone'

www.weareskylarkin.com
www.PEGGYWHO.com
www.myspace.com/valerieandthemutineers

2 Cadillacs and a Pack Mule

2009-09-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

Live Review feat: Buffaloswans, Shiloh Lindsey, Eldorado, and Joseph Blood

Not that we need a reason to party, but locals Eldorado just wrapped their first ‘official’ music video, and the gang is hitting the road with some other cool acts to spread the word across Western Canada. With 4 bands on the agenda, let’s get right into it.

Buffaloswans kicked it off with a little psychedelic country. The sound feels comfortably vintage, complete with rusty vocals, two lead guitars and a whole lotta depth. Great way to set the tone. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, they just spent 40 hours in the studio over the last 3 days working on the next record. I like the psycho-death march that ended the set; it just kept building and building, bigger and bigger, until someone took it home.

Shiloh Lindsey is a classic. Her voice like melted wax, her killer, almost dreamy presence demands your full attention. We heard some older tunes, and a couple from the forthcoming album ‘Western Violence and Brief Sensuality’, which will drop in the New Year. This girl is the real deal. Fans of straight-up classic country that kicks the shit outta your soul, come and get it.

It’s video time! Eldorado’s ‘Suitcase’ is the title track of their newest album, and its simple elegance and romanticism will capture you. I’m still humming it. The video, directed by Matt Leaf, is a black & white story about, well, a suitcase falling in love with a travel case. The sweet harmonies and lounge-feel of the song make it a perfect fit with the visuals. Check it out on Eldorado’s myspace – www.myspace.com/theeldorado.

Eldorado is just like the classic car: smooth, stylish and luxurious. They got the crowd revved up early on, with songs like ‘Jaded Julie’ and ‘tex mex’ showcasing the crystal-clean vocals of frontgal Angela, and the tight precision of the band. Actually, as things progressed, I thought the song ‘Honey Don’t’ really stood out for the smart lyrics & mature vocals. It was around this time that guitarist/lyricist/singerist Nenad jumped up on a couple of bar stools to rile up the crowd. Look out! The set ended just as it started, with ‘Suitcase’. I think we’ve got a genuine single, here, folks. I missed the bgv’s from the studio version, but simplicity is beauty in some cases.

To close things off, Joseph Blood stepped up to knock us out with a 7-piece band. I’d say this guy is well known locally for his guitar work, but as he showed on this night, also possesses immense vocal talent and a bounty of genuine songs. ‘I Miss Smoking Cigarettes’ was my favourite, and got everybody stompin’ and boppin’. Between songs, I detected a little bit of Mitch Hedberg-esque humour, or maybe it was Joseph channeling The Boss. Ahh what the hell, why not bust out ‘Born to Run’ and call it a night? I liked Blood’s original material yes, but when you bring The Boss, you bring the party. Joseph Blood, you’re onto something here.

Now, I just know the folks around the country will appreciate this travelling musical lineup. Eldorado, Shiloh Lindsey and Joseph Blood are all touring together for a spell, and we all know great things happen on the road. If I could just hitch a ride in one of those Cadillac’s, I’d be all set. Seems like the only way to travel.

By Nathan Stafford
Submitted to The Skinny Magazine
http://theskinnymag.info

BC Liberals to Cut Arts Funding by 50% in Upcoming Budget

2009-08-21T17:49:00.000-07:00

(lifted from Music BC's Website: www.musicbc.org)

"The BC Government plans to cut funding to Arts and Culture by up to 50% on September 1, 2009. This may mean 100% cuts to some organizations like Music BC.

The present funding freeze and cuts will have a direct impact on Music BC:

* MITAP $100,000 travel assistance program

* WCMAs Provincial partnership support $40,000

* Next year’s Music BC operating funds of $45,000+ are in jeopardy

There are two ways we are asking for your support:

1.If you are a performer - On Saturday August 29th, as a show of solidarity, we are asking all artists to perform 50% of a piece, and tell the audience why you stopped.

2.You can also send a letter, and keep sending letters, talking about the impact of proposed funding cuts on your community by writing to pertinent elected officials. Office addresses on each elected official’s web pages (emails below). Make sure these arrive by August 26th at the latest to have an impact on this decision.

Arts - Minister Kevin Krueger - Kevin.kruegermla@leg.bc.ca
Premier Gordon Campbell - premier@gov.bc.ca
Minister of Finance Colin Hansen colin.hansen.mla@leg.bc.ca

We ask your support in taking the message to your local MLA - if at all possible, in a face-to-face meeting. Clearly these funding issues affect many arts organizations in the province. To get more information on your local MLA, you can go to http://www.leg.bc.ca/MLA."

More at: http://www.musicbc.org/?p=1342

****************************************************************************************
What can we do?
Many around the province, especially in Vancouver and Victoria, have rallied to show their opinion of distrust with the Campbell Liberals, protesting the proposed, and insulting cuts to arts and culture.

Check out this video of an artist protesting in the above manner

http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/8752/bc/ondemand/video/bc-090831-cj-budget-protest-wanting-qu-RAW.wmv

The result:
Sept 1st: Government reveals budget with cuts to arts, culture, medicine, seniors, education, and more.

BUT
After careful consideration, and threats of legal action by those promised 3-year contracts with government gaming grants, the Liberals have reversed the decision to revoke those 3-year agreements.
http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/government+restores+million+multi+year+gaming+grants+after+lawsuit+threat/1955863/story.html

Live Review - Way To Go Einstein, Stride Elementary, Waltz Darling

2009-08-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

August 13th
Backstage Lounge
Vancouver, BC

Cool bands. Cool Venue. Cool Weather. Cool Drinks. Cool People.

Way To Go Einstein
http://www.myspace.com/waytogoeinstein

Way To Go Einstein's new album Pseudonym is out on Submerged Records, home of local greats Hinterland & Windows '78, and I have heard the name bandied around town a bit lately. With a name like Way To Go Einstein, it's hard to forget. I pictured a Thomas Dolby "You Blinded Me With Science" kind of vibe, but here's what I saw onstage: a pink handbag, stuffed unicorns, and some other stuffed animal I can't recall. What else can I say? You gotta give props to the props. Covering Tears for Fears 'Head Over Heels' caught me a bit off-guard. WTGE is no TFF, but WTF? It sounds good, it's nostalgic, and most of the crowd, myself included, seems to be children of the 80's. Dig it.

I like what I'm hearing. This is my first taste of Way To Go. Sometimes it's good to go in cold y'know? I clearly need to go see them again, because this set went by way too quickly. Here's one thing I can tell you: the 3-part vocal harmonies, animated bass playing, seasoned drummer, and a list of influences that includes both hot pockets and Sigur Ros left me very intrigued. Way to go, Way To Go Einstein! You just solved the theory of a relatively solid opening act tonight. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other.

Stride Elementary
http://www.myspace.com/strideelementary

This is the first time I've ever seen Stride Elementary. I love firsts. I also love lasts. Speaking of lasts, Stride's most recent gig was THE last gig at Richards on Richards (Last Call). They opened the night kinda early, so I missed them. You might say they kicked off the long goodbye for one of this city's most storied live music venues. I heard they kicked ass. That 4-song set will go down in infamy.

Now, on to tonight's music. There is a lot going on to whet your whistle in Stride. If you have a mind like mine, you've got a zillion things going on inside your head, that somehow get all sorted out beautifully in the end. The music is kind of like that. It's not just one riff for 3 1/2 minutes. One second you're all-entranced by their ambient sounds, sweet melodies and harmonies, but then the ROCK wakes you up & grabs you by the doodads. They build it up and burn it down. I specifically liked how musical jack-of-all-trades and altogether classy guy Greg Williams was controlling the more 'spacy' elements like big, bendy synth leads and ivory tickling, yet, he was grounded enough to throw some nice, crunchy bass at you too. 6-string picker and composer Glenn Garnis hit me with some elegant riffs on the guitar, drummer Michael Nathanson was a force, and frontman/guitarist/sometimes bassist Kevin Titcomb's gentle precision and friendly vocals connected all the dots.

There's a really BIG element to Stride Elementary. Not quite a jam band but they're definitely testing themselves and exploring what is humanly possible with endless creativity and a backline that would clearly indicate some sort of hook-up/employee discount-connection at Long & McQuade. (Hook me up!) It's kind of like a rock symphony, with these 4 guys killing it for kicks. I was glad to see them get some dancers out, albeit for their last song. Fuckin eh. The boys joked that their last song was chosen (by themselves) as the unofficial themesong for the 2010 Olympics - except they'd have to change the verses, and the chorus, and oh well, just leave it as-is. It definitely hit the spot, and unlike the Olympics, didn't cause my rent to go up. Nicely done guys. 'Lookin For Something' was my track of the night. Stay Tuned.

Waltz Darling
http://www.myspace.com/waltzdarling

Hailing from Eastern Vancouver, their mission in life is simple: "DRINK... DANCE... FUCK!!" A handful of zany banter officially opened the show tonight, followed by some zany banging on the zany drums by none other than Michael Nathanson again, pulling double duty with back-to-back bands. A 4-piece with plenty of chutzpah, I got the sense right away that these guys are a lot of fun. If the Violent Femmes were from Hungary, you'd pretty much get the jist of Waltz Darling's more lively numbers. Well, at least that's what it reminds me of. With a twist of cowpunk/cabaret and upbeat folk, me likey very much.

I didn't expect the night to end so crazily. It was kind of like when you buy a bag of salt & vinegar chips, you eat a few, and there is one ketchup chip at the bottom of the bag. You eat it. You are shocked and surprised, but you like ketchup chips, so you consider yourself lucky.

'Angel Affection' is my favourite track. It's about "Driving, drinking lots of booze, rolling the car over, and not dying." With a nice jangly-to-spacy guitar sound, it's sure to cure your Thursday blues. If Waltz Darling can cure the Thursday Blues, what can't they cure? The answer is nothing. Waltz Darling single-handedly cured the Black Plague as far as I'm concerned. If you don't believe me, well I guess you're the antichrist.

These are perfect drinking tunes. Or maybe 'already drunk, getting drunker by the minute' tunes. Here's a quote to tell you just how classy these guys really are:

Bassist Rich Katynski:

"We don't know the rules. Is the cocaine allowed in Canada? Can we have some? No? Okay, we make the music then."

What a treat. So different from most bands around here, well, because they're apparently not from around here. 3/4 of them aren't anyway. I really dug singer Atila Breti's shoes. Now, if those babies don't scream rock n roll, what does?

American Head Charge Calls It Quits

2009-08-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Minneapolis-based recording and touring act American Head Charge is calling it quits, announcing today that they will be disbanding, and continuing on under a new name with a new frontman. Citing singer Cameron Heacock’s “inability to continue on a musical career path,” the band is on the lookout for some new blood, officially beginning the audition process for a new vocalist.

“This is not the kind of news I enjoy being the bearer of, but we’ve been ready and waiting for input from Cameron for almost two years; we’ve written and recorded two albums worth of material in that time.” says co-founder and bassist Chad Hanks. “At this point, he no longer gives being in this band any sort of top priority, which is so sad seeing as how he has such an amazing and unique voice; I couldn’t wait to hear it on these songs.

“However, we’re looking forward to some new blood; a young, hungry soul that doesn’t sound like anyone else and is ready to work his ass off. We’re more than eager to get back to the mines. This is what we do.”

Vocalists can submit EPKs/demos to NewVocalist2009@gmail.com

Olio Festival: Brand New fest kicks off in Vancouver Aug 13

2009-08-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

The inaugural edition of Vancouver's own Olio Festival will be hitting the clubs and the streets this coming Thursday August 13th, running to Sunday the 16th.

The festival of Music, Comedy and Art will feature such local indie acts as Fake Shark-Real Zombie! Adjective, Bend Sinister and White Lung. The comedy portion will consist of locals Bronx Cheer, Man Hussy, Paul Anthony aka Hugh Phukovsky, and lots more.

As an added bonus, shows will feature artwork from some talented artists like Andy Dixon, Ronan Boyle and many, many more.

Festival passes are available for $25 + a small service charge at www.oliofestival.com

For more information, check out the website, or read the following Straight article, and interview with one of the festival's creators/organizers, Dani Vachon:

http://www.straight.com/article-245455/olio-festival-rounds-groundbreakers

19th Annual 'Under The Volcano Festival' Goes Down This Sunday

2009-08-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

Now in its 19th year (amazing!) Under The Volcano Fest takes place this Sunday, August 9th at Cates Park in North Vancouver. The festival combines music, poetry, storytelling, and workshops in a beautiful scene.

This year's fest includes performances by local art-punk institution Mecca Normal, rapper Invincible, 2008 Vancouver Poetry Slam Champion Scruffmouth and scads of other bands, DJs and creators.

Also on the sched, a series of workshops ranging in subjects from "Resisting 2010: No Olympics on Stolen Land" to "Peoples History of Kanada: Chapter 2 - Internment, Displacement & Stolen Generations". There are also activities for kids at the Dragonfly Kidz Fest.

The self-described 'Festival of Art and Social Change' runs from 12 noon till about 9:30PM and admission is by donation ($10 - $20 suggested). A free shuttle to the festival grounds leaves Broadway station starting at 11AM on Sunday, and runs every 30 minutes, with the last ones leaving directly after the festival at 9:30.

For more information, and a full list of performers, please visit volcano.resist.ca

PEASANT gives a Peek at the new album

2009-08-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

I just happened to stumble across this act called PEASANT aka Damien DeRose from Buck's County, PA. A 23-year-old poet-turned-artist, he's been releasing albums since 2005. I just got this email, checked out the new single, and I rather like it. Please read on:

** New Single, “The End” (Sept. 1st) in Preparation for New Album & European Tour! **

Check out Peasant’s “The End” Daytrotter Session mp3 here: http://media.daytrotter.com/audio/dt/peasant-the-end.mp3

“What becomes so beautifully clear in listening to DeRose sing – in that clear mountain stream, weepy-voiced way of his – is that none of his characters and none of us are ever rid of any of the people that we’ve shared the dark or a kiss with.”
- Daytrotter

“…Damien DeRose's delicately emotive voice is going to be an inescapable part of our 09” – RCRD LBL

“The End” is near! Currently adding the final touches to the 2010 album, “Shady Retreat”, Peasant is giving us a sneak peak of what is to come with a brand new single entitled “The End”. Alongside another breathtaking new track, “Thinking”, and Daytrotter’s live session version of “The End”, Peasant has compiled a charming appetizer to tide us over for the coming months – available as a limited edition 7” vinyl and digitally throughout the U.S. on September 1st.

In addition to the brand new Single, Peasant is embarking on a full European tour (see dates below) as well as creating two new music videos in September/October – stay tuned for further details!

Pre-order the 7” vinyl here: http://www.papergardenrecords.com/shop/item/47

BIO

Peasant is Damien DeRose, 23-year-old poet turned artiste, from fabled and beautiful Bucks County, PA. The sleepy hometown and its surroundings, melded with trials and tribulations, to inspire Peasant's confessional and straightforward style of music. In and out of the bedroom studio throughout high school, DeRose helped form a small scene in Bucks County by doling out frisky live performances and DIY records. After high school, he traveled solo on several tours of the US and Europe before signing with Paper Garden Records in 2008 and releasing "On The Ground."

From the whispered, homemade tracks of Fear Not Distant Lover (‘05), to the more polished On the Ground (’09), Peasant’s music has evolved from release to release while maintaining a sensibility and honesty. In 2009, "On The Ground" gained distribution through Team Love, as well as having several songs placed on network TV. In addition, Peasant's music video for “We’re Good” was featured on Stereogum.com, MTVU, and Fuse.TV. Peasant had several tours throughout 2008 and 2009, playing shows as well as recording a series of sessions for Daytrotter, WOXY, and LaundroMatinee, eventually leading to opportunities to share the stage with such high-profile acts as Cursive, Delta Spirit, and Deer Tick among others.

Peasant is going back to his roots for his upcoming album, “Shady Retreat” - recording and engineering the tracks on his own in a converted springhouse studio in the woods. It is a creative step forward for an artist who admires self-produced records from The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" to Nick Drake’s whispered 8 track sessions. With similar passion for all things human, DeRose creates lush, yet still simple music for “Shady Retreat”, a record he has worked his whole career to produce and one that is bound to exude the beauty of music that comes without pretense, and exists purely, because it does. “The End” is the first single and an excellent lead in to the record.

“Though his music is unassuming and acoustic, when armed with a guitar, DeRose makes music that beckons and calls out, as if demanding to be heard. DeRose also has a secret weapon: a voice that seems to expose his very soul.” – NPR Second Stage

Upcoming North American Tour Dates

8/9 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Park Festival
8/20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Monkeytown
10/20-10/24 – New York, NY @ CMJ

Upcoming European Tour Dates

9/16 Berlin (D) - Schokoladen
9/17 Hamburg (D) - Astra Stube
9/18 Bremen (D) - Spedition
9/19 Leipzig (D) - Paris Syndrom
9/20 Nürnberg (D) - Mata Hari Bar
9/21 TBD
9/22 Wien (A) - B72
9/23 Dornbirn (A) - Spielboden
9/24 Zürich (CH) - La Catrina
9/25 Düdingen (CH) - Bad Bonn
9/26 Bern (CH) - Musigbistrot
9/27 Winterthur (CH) - Dimensione Bar Café
9/28 Orleans (F) - L'atelier
9/29 Paris (F) - Le Pop In
9/29 Paris (F) - Le Baron
9/30 Lille (F) - Caf & Diskaire
10/1 London (UK) - Cafe Oto
10/2 UK - TBD
10/3 Gent (B) - Wespstraat
10/5 Düsseldorf (D) - Pretty Vacant
10/6 Köln (D) - Stereo Wonderland
10/7 Amsterdam (NL) - Paradiso
10/8 Utrecht (NL) – Ekko

Resources

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/peasant
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peasant/6460201126
Purchase from PGR: http://www.papergardenrecords.com/shop/item/47

Training Day 3 - The Hills

2009-08-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

Today my training will consist of a 20KM run, followed by resistance training at the Stanley Park Rugby Clubhouse. The run will begin in Vancouver's West End and wrap up in beautiful British Properties, a section of West Vancouver.

Step 1: Warm-Up
A solid stretch was in order this morning. At 7am, it isn't exactly hot outside yet, and there's always a chance of injury. I begin with a head-to-toe stretch, starting with neck rotations, through to shoulders, upper arms, chest, back, upper legs, groin, inner thighs, knees, calf muscles, ankles and feet. After every 3rd stretch, I'm drinking water. Now I'm ready to get moving! But we must ease into a run of this length.

Step 2: Setting the pace
A good tip for setting your pace is to TALK! This works best when training with a partner, but I'm not afraid of looking like a fool. I'll talk to myself! I like to find a nice comfortable pace where I can still carry a conversation while running. I find the talking/running combination works wonders for your stamina, and by forcing you to take more breaths, your muscles acquire more oxygen and are able to take the abuse.

Step 3: Keeping the Pace
As I wind around Vancouver's West End, through Stanley Park and towards the Lions Gate Bridge, I start feeling like a million bucks! I'm tempted to kick it into gear and really burn this bridge. But alas, this is a 20 K run, and I don't want to blow my wad this early. I pull out my trusty MP3 player mid-stride, and load up an audiobook. It's a Discworld novel, one of Terry Pratchett's. You may be tempted to listen to up-tempo dance music or punk/heavy metal, but trust me, save these for the gym, when you need explosive power for things like power-lifting and speed training. An audiobook is a nice, conversational pace, perfect for those who follow the TALK principle while on long-distance runs.

Step 4: Adjust To The Hill
As I exit the Lions Gate Bridge, loop around the bike path and begin my ascent up the brutally steep Taylor Way, my stride lengthens, my arms swing more freely, and my hips bend slightly forward. I want to keep the same pace, so I must adjust to the incline.

Step 5: Form over Fast
I don't need to beat any time trials today. I'm not racing my little brother. I know that perfect form, done at a moderate speed, will give me more benefits than a sloppy, albeit speedy run. My arms are positioned as follows: 1) Keep elbows bent at a 90 degree angle 2) Wrists should be locked 3) hands are open, yet relaxed 4) Swing arms at the shoulders, bringing hand up to eye-level 5) Left leg forward = right arm raised

Step 6: Hydrate
Taylor Way bears right at Stevens. The incline is not as large. The hard part is over. At this point, my muscles are feeling the strain. It's important to hydrate before, during, and after a workout, so this is the during part. My water bottle is filled with an electrolyte sports drink, which I am sipping, not swigging. I use a small amount to swish out my mouth, spitting on the ground. A well-oiled machine needs servicing from time to time. No stopping, just sipping!

Step 7: Take in the View
As the summit approaches, I am nearing the 10KM mark. I know I have achieved a milestone, hitting 50% of my total run. I deserve to relish in this moment. I take a short rest, slowing down the pace to a walk, but never stopping. I don't want my muscles to seize up like the Tin Man, so it's important not to plop down on the ground and lie there. Once my heart rate is back to moderate, or rest pace, I take one last look around, and begin my descent back down Stevens.

Step 8: Don't Let Yourself Go
Running downhill, your body wants to let gravity take over and speed up the pace. This is taking the easy way out. It's much harder to fight the forces and slow your pace to the TALK speed. Running downhill is fine, if there is a bear after you. I don't want to blow a knee, so I take it slow, step easy, and keep my head up. As the road winds down and down, I gradually notice my muscles loosening up. I'm ready for the home stretch.

Step 9: Over the Bridge and Through The Woods
To Grandmother's House I go? Not quite. As I cross the Lions Gate Bridge, feeling a wee bit winded, I begin planning out my resistance workout at the Rugby Clubhouse nestled in Stanley Park. Mapping out a routine takes my mind off my quads, which feel like they are about to burst. Now is the perfect time to kick it up a notch. My mind wanders though lunges, bench-blasts and chin-ups, while my body turns up the heat and I go to all-out sprint for the last kilometer. Now is the perfect time for a quick upper-body blast!

Step 10: Weight a Minute
Who says you have to spend all day in a gym to achieve your fitness goals? Here is my quick, intense routine, using an outdoor gym, or even a child's playground (if you are allowed within 50 feet of a playground):

Chinups (10 reps wide grip / 10 reps reverse grip)

Close-grip pushups (25 reps)

Incline Pushups, using Park Bench (25 reps)

Lat Pullups, using waist-height bar (15 reps)

Bicycle Crunches, lying on back touch left elbow to right knee, etc (50 reps)

Crunches, however you prefer (30 reps)

Repeat

Step 11: Cool It Down
It is important to cool down & stretch after an intense workout like this. I have a 10-minute walk from Stanley Park to my apartment, which is perfect. As I walk, I end my workout with some walking lunges, side lunges, and calf-raises. Once I reach my front door, I stretch head-to-toe, head inside and hydrate. A great way to make your own sports drink is using lime juice, water, sugar to taste, and a pinch of salt. At only pennies a glass, I am hydrated, cooled down, and smilin'!

Step 12: Re-Fuel!
You only have a short window with which to re-fuel after a workout. I believe you should eat a solid meal within an hour after working out, in order to effectively repair your battered muscles. Any combination of protein/greens/clean carbs will do. I like a tuna sandwich on squirrely bread with a spinach salad on the side. Protein/meal replacement shakes are good too, just read the label to make sure they don't have too much refined sugar in them. This workout should leave you feeling energized, not crashing from a sugar-high! Eat smart, and you'll live to see another workout tomorrow! Go to bed early, wake up at 6:30, and prepare for Training Day 4 - Swimming Time!

A Wild Night for A Wild Pear

2009-07-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

By Nathan Stafford
June 23rd was a special day, marking the release of The Evaporators/Andrew W.K. split 7” ‘A Wild Pear’.

4PM @ Neptoon Records, Main & 20th
This place is packed to the gills and overflowing onto the street. Nardwuar is his usual lightning bolt of energy, leading us through our fave songs, and debuting two new additions - ‘The Bomb’s in My Pants’ and ‘Oh Non’ – both appearing for the first time on the new 7”. A special guest with the initials A.W.K. is beckoned from the basement to dance a jig and sing with us! You get a couple hundred people jumping in this place, and the floorboards feel like they’re about to collapse! It’s pretty cool to hear this new hybrid band come together, and the fans are loving it! ‘You Better Get Ready To Die’, so ‘Party Hard’!

People of all ages & walks of life are here, sticking around for autographs, sweaty handshakes, and of course to buy some records! Did I mention the show was free? Bands treating fans. Is there anything better?

8PM @ the Biltie
I can’t believe the number of guys dressed up like Andrew W.K! White pants, white T-shirts, long black hair… Do they always dress like that, or just for tonight?

The Vicious Cycles fired the starting pistol & kicked us into gear with their two-stroke rock & roll. The VCMC is sounding like good ol’ straight-ahead should, and throw in some of the most amazin’ merch I’ve ever seen. Check ‘em out!

The Evaporators deliver. The standard costume changes, keyboard crowd-surfing and history lessons are all here in spades. Nardwuar is like a maniacal energizer bunny, pulling out every stop humanly possible. I love his daredevil get-up, complete with crash helmet. If production is a reflection of the economy, well we’ve switched to the barter system and are flourishing! I love the cover of The Pointed Sticks tune ‘I Quit School’. Nice touch. The boys finish up with I.D.N.M.F.T.T.M.W.M.F.A. but they’ll be back. I can tell.

Andrew W.K. takes the stage solo; just one man, keyboard, and some backing tracks. He starts out with a positive, motivational tip: ‘Tonight is not a concert. Tonight is a celebration!” the rocker insists. So why is he asking us to ‘tone it down a little’? I guess there’s nowhere to go from 11, is there? Well, maybe 12. Just wait for the hits to come out.

‘Time to Party’! The place is going nuts! Beer foam everywhere, rough crowd surfing, stage diving, and a small fight is breaking out. Wait, is this the first song in?

This is one sweaty pit. The first two rows are pushing their way right onto the stage! They’re going with it! Dozens of people are now onstage. Where’s security? Pretty much helpless against a mob of this magnitude. (Search on Youtube: ‘Andrew W.K. Fans Rush The Stage’).

For the fans, it's a dream come true! You're onstage with your hard-rockin' hero. Must have felt like such a rush.

For the audio engineers, lighting people, club, photographers and musicians, you had to hold your breath, not knowing what was happening, what was being destroyed. Is Andrew W.K. alright in that mess of sweaty arms and legs?

The party-starter appears unfazed, whipping out ‘Long Live The Party’, and suddenly the stage erupts! I can’t even see the singer through the human wall! Oh, there he is. Someone’s putting their hat on him. Like monkeys, kids are hanging from pipes, wrecking the place and mayhem ensues.

Security gets on the mic and announces “the show will not continue until everyone leaves the stage”, but the damage is done. I hope The Man expected a party tonight, cause we’re not done yet! “Can we kick it up a notch?” asked AWK. I thought the place was going to explode! ‘Party Hard’ was definitely being taken literally.

The sound engineers are in a bit of a pickle. Some baboon destroyed the sound system, so we’re led through an a cappela version of ‘I Love NYC’ to close off the set. We make due with what we have, and it’s still great. Andrew W.K. makes a quick exit.

Encore! Encore! As the sound crew rushes to ready the battered backline after the meelee, things start to boil over. The curtain is drawn, the Evaporators take the stage and back AWK through ‘She Is Beautiful’ and the Leather Uppers ‘Don’t Sell Hot Dogs Tonight’. Sounds pretty smokin’.

And now, another special guest: Mr Brian ‘Wimpy Roy’ Goble of The Subhumans, who belts out ‘Oh Canaduh’, and ‘Fuck You’. I’m in heaven. Here’s everything you want in a concert. Tuff opening band, performance-art punk spectacle, hit-wielding headliner, legendary lead singer, and some unexpected, but entertaining crowd antics.

“Oh, stick around, there’s a DJ set too!” The dancefloor has been swept of beer cans, sneakers & debris so Andrew W.K. can keep the party going with mashups like David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’ and Jay Z’s ’99 Problems’. Delightful.

The moral of the story is this: ‘A Wild Pear’ is officially released. Find it, get it, and love it! I would like to end with the following statement: Fun Fun Fun Fun Fun… Fun Fun!

Edited by Dave Bowes for The Skinny
www.theskinnymag.info

Let's Get Reatarded in Here

2009-06-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

It’s Tuesday June 2nd and I’ve just moseyed up to the Biltmore for what looks like a rockin’ good time. Memphis garage punker Jay Reatard ventured across the border to kick out the jams tonight. I’m thanking my lucky stars to see him back in Canada. You may have heard the story about how Jay punched out a stupid gear-smashing fan in Toronto, but hey, who can blame him! Anyway, I was stoked for the show.

I arrived late, just as locals Sex Church finished up their set. Yes, I know. Tardiness. Bad form on my part. (Insert lame excuse here). I figured they must have just finished, as a steady stream of rowdies flooded out the doors for an evening smoke, or to meet the pizza man. Who gets a pizza delivered to the Biltmore?? Someone with a lot of new friends, that’s who!

Once I queued my way inside, my ears were met with some excellent tunes on the house system. Punk records new and old were spinning away, courtesy of some fun-lovin’ kids at the back. I think I saw DJ My! Gay! Husband! lurking around, but I couldn’t be sure if he was behind the music. To my delight, I even heard The Misfits’ ‘Skulls’. Oh, this night just keeps getting better and better.

After hanging around for a while, making a couple of new acquaintances, I could hardly wait for the show to start. Luckily, the changeover was pretty quick, and soon the curtains were drawn and the sweaty masses made their way to the stage. I managed to weasel my way right up front, at least for now.

Jay Lindsey aka Jay Reatard & Co kicked right into the garage punk goodness, unleashing ‘I’m Watching You’ early on. The out-of-control rats-nest on Jay’s head totally covered his face, and aside for the odd head-bang, I hardly saw his visage for the whole set. He’s kind of like this strange, hairy aggressive beast up there. His fake British accent is really crazy and gives the whole thing a 70’s British punk twist. Crikey, fake accents are fun!

Jay had a mess of guitar pedals up there onstage. I wanted to swoop in for a closer look, but I figured that would be like Dorothy seeing behind the Wizard’s curtain. I didn’t want to ruin the mystery, so I averted my attention from down there. I did, however notice at one point, the singer/guitarist switched over to a beat-off old acoustic guitar, but there were no campfire songs tonight. The swirling, twirling feedback noises coming out of that thing, or the amp, made my skin crawl. I believe that was “All Over Again”. Pretty short song. Boom, it’s over, again.

Jay has been in countless bands like Lost Sounds, The Bad Times, The Final Solutions, and his first project The Reatards, from which he got his moniker. The other 2 members of Jay’s touring band were pretty interesting to watch as well. Drummer Billy Hayes was like a big hairy mastodon of sweaty rhythm, playing those simple punk beats with precision. Bassist Stephen Pope was mad as a hatter. When he wasn’t bouncing around or slicing out some delicious farty bass lines, he was usually within 10-inches of the nearest fan’s face, yelling the lyrics face-to-face, like a competition seeing who would forget the words first. He usually won. Who says backup singers need a microphone anyway?

The high point of the night for me came when the Tard Boyz whipped out the track “See/Saw”. Suddenly the crowd turned from mashpit to moshpit. Swaying and pushing became jumping and thrashing. A few pipsqueaks made their escape as the big boys came out to play. The thing that struck me was how the song came out about 10-times faster in a live setting, compared to the record which is still pretty fast.

Reminds me of why I first got into bands like The Ramones. Their songs are pretty fast, but in concert, they play those things with blinding speed. No time for lengthy introductions either. It’s almost a blending of one song into the next, maybe just enough time for catching your breath and yelling out the song title. “Substitute!” Jay did pause for a moment to curse the people at Border Services for making him wait around 4 hours before letting him into the country. But he keeps doing it cause “It’s So (fucking) Easy” – great segue into that song! This is one of the fastest-moving sets I’ve ever witnessed. Wham, bam, thank you, Reatard!

I was happy to hear “My Shadow” made it into the set; one of my favourite favourites. Jay announced his ‘last song’ well before the 12AM curfew, and in a final, mindblowing finale’, brought an eager fan onstage to slash out the last few chords of the closer. I think it might have been one of the guys from Sex Church, but I can’t be sure. It would have been way cool if it was. The pair shared a big hug after the song, quite the opposite of the whole Toronto fiasco, which you can read all about in Jay Reatard’s fantastic blog at www.jayreatard.com.

After the set, I made my way over to the merch table. I found that Jay Reatard has a lot to offer, merchandise-wise. After re-launching his Shattered Records label earlier this year, Jay has made virtually everything he has ever recorded available for purchase. I was really intrigued by Thee Oh Sees/Jay Reatard Split 7”, along with about 4 other 7-inchers up for grabs. Jay came over and met his fans after the show, signing autographs on everything from skateboards to posters and probably a few body parts (on dudes).

So if you’re sick of the Plain-Jane, corporate rock they play on the radio, try one of Jay Reatard’s records on for size. I picked up his newly-released Matador Singles CD at the show for $15. Trust me, it’s well worth it. Music like this makes me itch to pick up a guitar and start hammering away again. You don’t need fancy gear (a ‘Flying V’ guitar just looks better) or a fancy music school (Jay reportedly never went to highschool, opting to stay home and record songs). All you need is a little inspiration, and seeing Jay Reatard tonight did it for me!

Matador Singles ‘08
Newly released on Matador Records (Neko Case, Cat Power, The New Pornographers), Matador Singles ’08 is a compilation of all six Jay Reatard 7” records from the Matador Singles Series. It starts off with a bang!!! Garage-punk demons like ‘See/Saw’ and ‘Screaming Hand’ (7” #1) slowly mutating into progressively poppier tunes down the line, closing off with a special bonus track ‘I’m Watching You’, just to bring it to an even Baker’s Dozen (13 tracks total). Listen to the organ on ‘Hiding In A Hole’ and ‘Dead On Arrival’ and you’re guaranteed to be hooked on Jay Reatard’s addictive, hooky, fun masterpieces. Jay Reatard, ‘You are my hero’.

1. See/Saw (7”#1)
2. Screaming Hand (7”#1)
3. Painted Shut (7”#2)
4. An Ugly Death (7” #2)
5. Always Wanting More (7”#3)
6. You Mean Nothing To Me (7”#3)
7. Fluorescent Grey (7”#4 )
8. Trapped Here (7” #5)
9. Hiding In My Hole (7”#5)
10. Dead On Arrival (7”#5)
11. No Time (7”#6)
12. You Were Sleeping (7”#6)
13. I’m Watching You (extra track for album)

Stay tuned for Jay’s next Matador release, Watch Me Fall, due out Aug 18, 2009.

www.jayreatard.com
www.matadorrecords.com

Andrew W.K. Fans Rush The Stage in Vancouver, Canada

2009-06-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

Andrew W.K. performs live at The Biltmore Cabaret, June 23rd Vancouver, BC Canada
Release Party for 'A Wild Pear' Split 7" with The Evaporators

*40-50 wild fans onstage with Andrew W.K.*
He kept performing, despite having cables ripped out, the instruments & sound system partially destroyed, and part of the stage ripped off. Security finally stepped in and stopped the show until everyone left the stage. What a crazy night!

Polaris Prize Long List Announced....

2009-06-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

The long list for the annual $20,000 Polaris Music Prize has been unveiled. This is a prize awarded to the best full-length Canadian record released between June 2008 to May 2009.

These names were selected by the Polaris Music Prize jury, which consists of music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers from across Canada. The albums are judged solely on artistic merit, without regard to genre or record sales.

In alphabetical order, the candidates are:

Arkells - Jackson Square

Jill Barber - Chances

Beast - Beast

Bell Orchestre - As Seen Through Windows

Bison B.C. - Quiet Earth

Bruce Peninsula - A Mountain Is A Mouth

Cœur De Pirate - Cœur De Pirate

Leonard Cohen - Live In London

D-Sisive - Let The Children Die

Elephant Stone - The Seven Seas

Elliott Brood - Mountain Meadows

Fucked Up - The Chemistry Of Common Life

Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels

Handsome Furs - Face Control

Tim Hecker - An Imaginary Country

Hey Rosetta! - Into Your Lungs

Japandroids - Post-Nothing

Junior Boys - Begone Dull Care

K'NAAN - Troubadour

K-OS - YES!

La patère rose - La patère rose

Land Of Talk - Some Are Lakes

Lhasa - Lhasa

Malajube - Labyrinthes

Metric - Fantasies

One Hundred Dollars - Forest Of Tears

Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love

Joel Plaskett - Three

Snailhouse - Lies On The Prize

Charles Spearin - The Happiness Project

Rae Spoon - superioryouareinferior

The Stills - Oceans Will Rise

Think About Life - Family

Timber Timbre - Timber Timbre

Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane

Martha Wainwright - I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too

Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms

Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

Women - Women

Woodpigeon - Treasury Library Canada C/W Houndstooth Europa

For more information on the Polaris Music Prize, and to keep up to date as the list shortens, check out: www.polarismusicprize.ca

A Wild Pear drops June 23rd

2009-06-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Nardwuar and Mint Records present: A Wild Pear split 7-inch record featuring 2 tracks by The Evaporators and 2 tracks by Andrew W.K.. W.K. covers two classic Canadian punk songs, while the Evaporators contribute an original, and a cover of 60's Quebec garage act Les Hou Lops. Officially released June 23rd, 2009. Available pre-order thru: mintrecs.com & nardwuar.com

Track listings:

Side Nard:
1. The Bomb in My Pants(Original)
2. Oh Non (Rousseau de Les Hou Lops)

Side W.K.
1. Oh Canaduh (Gerry Hannah of The Subhumans)
2. Nardwuar vs. Andrew W.K. interview snippet
3. Don't Sell Hot Dogs Tonight (Leather Uppers)

What The Hell Is This Record About Anyway?? And Why The Hell Should I Care? Well, it's an amazing Canada-themed collaboration between two icons of rock & roll and if you like having fun, then you'll love it!
Speaking of fun, check out The Evaporators with Andrew W.K. performing Live at the Mint Records Ridiculously Early XMas Party!

This is collaboration magic. The Party Starter from NYC Andrew W.K. meets the Human Serviette, meets the insurmountable force of Garage Punk veterans The Evaporators

The record cover is the artwork of cartoonist Mitch Clem
Printed on White Vinyl, playing at 45 RPM
The record sleeve features more artwork on the back by Mitch Clem, track listings, and a special written message from Andrew W.K. which continues on to the fantastically detailed

Liner Notes!

The liner notes will impress any collector or music historian/aficionado. Within the foldout document lies a continuation of the story from Andrew W.K., a note from Greg Tymoshenko of The Leather Uppers, a story about Quebec Garage Rock bands by rock & roll expert Marc Coulavin, PLUS!!!

A Live Review of Nardwuar Nite, Friday December 5, 2008 re-printed from this very blog!
(Check out the Musical Interpretations Archives in December '08 for that one).

DOWNLOAD THE FULL LINER NOTES in pdf format by clicking this link or simply copy & paste http://nardwuar.com/records/cleo18 if that link is broken

Check out this record! I implore you! If you can't find it at your nearest record store, just ask them for it, or order it online through one of the 2 websites at the top of the page. The only thing you'll regret is if you wait too long and can't find one of these gems someday!

RELEASE PARTY
If you are in the Vancouver area on June 23rd, don't miss The Evaporators & Andrew W.K. performing at the following locations:

June 23rd: 4PM, Neptoon Records, 3561 Main Street FREE! All Ages!
June 23rd: 9PM, The Biltmore Cabaret, Kingsway tix $15.00 available at Zulu, Scratch & Red Cat

MORE STUFF Related to this record:
Here is a link to an article I had printed in The Skinny, a cool, indie Live Music Scene Report magazine out of Vancouver.

Here is a link to my Full Interview with Andrew W.K.

Here is a link my Full (but brief) Questionnaire with Nardwuar

Here are some more cool things for you to check out:

Original Live Review of Nardwuar Nite!
Who Is Nardwuar The Human Serviette cover story/BC Musician Magazine
Nardwuar's Archived interviews from Citr Radio 101.9 FM in Vancouver
Nardwuar's Youtube channel
Official Website of Andrew W.K.
Other fine artists from Mint Records

Nathan J.S. Vs. Andrew W.K. - Interview

2009-06-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a transcribed interview with NYC-based Party Rocker Andrew W.K., reached at the airport on his cellphone

Note:
Several attempts were made at getting this interview. The original time was rescheduled, and then postponed. As I began losing hope, I remembered what Nardwuar taught me; 'Never give up' (like when he waited hours and hours for Snoop Dogg to show up at a hotel for a lightning-quick interview) and after calling back giving Andrew 15 minutes to pass through security gates, then giving him time to select some gum, the interview finally happened! I mind the wait, knowing what lies on the other side...

An Interview With:

Andrew W.K.

(N): I’ve read about the cosmic circle that brought you and Nardwuar together. What was the impetus for doing this record together? Did you throw the idea out there? Did Nardwuar? What was that conversation like?

(AWK): We came together years ago. I first discovered him by watching his interviews on a videotape that a fan of his lent to me. I was really entranced by what he was doing. He really had a big impact on me, just the way people behaved towards him, the way he behaved towards people, it gave me a lot to think about as a performer who was about to go out into the world and speak to people about what I was doing. Eventually I got to meet him and do an interview with him. It really was a dream come true, I was very star struck when I met him. I just see him as a very singular, very confident person who has done something that’s never really been done before and created a life for himself that’s completely unprecedented and I think it can be an inspiration to anybody to do their own thing. I just really believe in him.

He suggested the idea of doing the 7”, and I thought ‘Wow’. There’s moments in life when you have an experience or interest in the past come into fruition in the present, or in the future in a way that’s very special, and I feel that getting to work with Nardwuar in this way and me getting to cover these Canadian songs, especially The Leather Uppers’ ‘Don’t Sell hot Dogs Tonight’, that has signifigance with my past, and I’ve enjoyed these things and now I’m getting to participate with them in a really amazing way. Out of the respect for how circles can be completed and how dreams can come true, I always try to say Yes to those types of opportunities.

(N): You released an album called The Japan Covers – Is this essentially your Canadian Covers?

(AWK): Well hey, that’s a great way to refer to it. Doing cover songs is relatively new to me. Before I did the Japanese album, I never really released any cover songs, except maybe this one, ‘Mickey Mouse March’ which was actually in Japan as well. I’ve oftentimes covered songs just for fun and never released them, but it seemed like it would be fun to delve into that further and when Nardwuar presented the idea of doing Canadian songs specifically, that appealed to me because I’ve been a really big fan of Canada and then especially these songs were just great, and The Leather Uppers, I’ve liked them since I was 13. Again, to have the opportunity to record their song for a very Canadian release just was so special to me. I just feel very grateful.

Who plays drums on Oh Canaduh? Was that you?

(AWK): That’s me playing all the music on there. I play piano, yeah. I took some jazz classes in school, and I started playing drums around that time, in Junior High, and I’ve just learned so much to the point where I’ve been able to play different instruments to get across what I’ve wanted to get across in the song, so I’ve picked up different abilities with the drums over the years. Playing drums on those songs is a lot of fun.

(N): Was Sgt Frank around at all? What’s he up to these days?

(AWK): He was around but he did not play, in fact none of the band members actually played on those recordings, but we’re actually playing in Kitchener with the full band this summer. It’s a big deal. The Cutting Edge Music Festival in August.

(N) You started a label correct? Skyscraper Music Maker.

(AWK): Yes, that’s true. I appreciate your research, and asking about that.

(N): Your 1st release was DAMN! The mixtape, and I was wondering what other releases you might be planning for the label, maybe a MAGAS album?

(AWK): Oh, the artist Magas? He’s fantastic! That would be an example of a man that has had a very, very big impact on my life and to complete the circle with him would be really fantastic. I hadn’t planned on that, but that’s a really great idea and I appreciate you suggesting it. That sounds like a no-brainer.

We just this week releases our first release which is a very limited promotional release, but it is a release and it’s the DAMN! The Mixtape CD. It’s also available digitally on iTunes and Amazon. That just came out and we actually just had a release party and concert at Santos Party House here in Manhattan.

(N): Ahh, your new club!

(AWK): Yes, it really was a great time, and we all put a lot of work into making that happen, make the CD a reality, and to see it come out was very satisfying. A lot of people participated and contributed to making it.

(N) So that’s all artists that you’ve produced right? Like Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry?

(AWK) Yeah, he’s on there, and Alaister X and Bad Brilliance and Cherie Lilly, and myself, and Girl Talk has a remix on there, and this group The Postales, an amazing singer named Julia, there;s a lot. There’s another producer who contributed tracks as well, this guy named B-Rock, who’s a young and upcoming producer who’s excellent. He helps balance out the whole thing. There’s almost 30 tracks on there.

(N) Wow! That’s a lot of tracks!

(AWK) I mostly did voices, and sort of hosted the atmosphere. I really want people to check it out. I imagine it will be available for free on the internet everywhere pretty soon. I think the CD has already sold out to be honest.

(N) Really?

(AWK): Well yeah, it was very limited because it’s a promotional release, we’re not really selling them. We just made enough copies to make our money back. But the next real release is the first official album release, a solo piano album. 55 Caddilac, and that is coming out in the UK on September 7th and September 8th in the United States. That’s definitely a new kind of release for me to be involved in.

(N) So you record out of Skyscraper Studios in Manhattan

(AWK) Yes, that’s my studio

(N) Have you ever been to any studios here in Vancouver at all?

(AWK) Well, actually when I rehearsed with Nardwuar, we were at a studio.

(N) Was that JCDC?

(AWK) Yes Exactly! It was fantastic.

(N) Besides rehearsing, did you get to hang out at the studio at all, maybe listen to some old New Pornographers mixes or anything?

(AWK) I think we did listen to some jams, and they were all very good. I had a nice time in the space. It had a really good vibe. I’ve heard other stuff that came out of there, like the Evaporators stuff, and it always sounds really, really good. I understand there are some other popular spaces around there, in that Gastown area. I was told a lot about Gassy Jack while I was down there. I think Nardwuar’s mom is perhaps THE authority on Gassy Jack and Gastown.

(N) She wrote the book on Gassy Jack!

(AWK) Yeah, she wrote a book on Gassy Jack. That’s amazing. I remember hearing about that.

(N) What other activities have you done while in Vancouver, or has it always been go go go?

(AWK) It’s been pretty go go go, I mean this last time was one of the more relaxed times I’ve had there, which was really nice. I have a lot of memories of looking out hotel windows. It’s one of the great cities of the world! Certainly of the West Coast.

(N) Well as a Vancouverite, thank you very much.

(AWK) It’s very beautiful, it has a unique feeling to it, the people are very nice, and there’s an edge to it, which I think is pretty exciting. It has a real city feeling in that way. People have always been really nice to me there. I played a DJ party show there before, but I think this will be the first ever solo show that I will have played there.

(N) Andrew, are you into sports at all?

(AWK) I like sports.

(N) Are you into wrestling?

(AWK) What sort of wrestling?

(N) I interviewed a wrestler named Memphis once from the ECCW, and he said he listens to your song Party Hard before a big match in order to get pumped up. What do you think of that?

(AWK) Oh wow, that’s great! So it’s the Canadian version of the ECW? I am a huge, huge, huge fan of wrestling. I just wasn’t sure if you meant Greco-Roman style or Grappling. I like the real wrestling, not the Olympic-style. I like the stuff when they’re actually in the ring and doing real things. No, I’m just kidding. They’re both real. They’re absolute master enterainers operating at a very high level physically, the endurance, the artistry and the dance, they’re going through, and there’s the actual personalities that they develop. It’s compelling. I’m a realy huge fan of Vince McMahon as a unique figure in his own right. It’s all very intense and all very exciting. Every wrestler I ever met has been amazing. Every single one from Triple H, The Rock, to Ray Mysterio. The guys I’d be most scared to meet were always the ones who were the nicest. I’ve met some of the really extreme backyard-type guys too that I would think are even more scary, but they’ve actually been some of the most gentle and sweet people I’ve ever talked to. Chris Jericho, he’s great. I’ve had many nice times with him. I just think all those guys are amazing. They’re really putting a lot on the line and choosing to follow a dream that really asks a lot of them.

(N) Have you ever heard of the comedian Hugh Phukovsky aka Paul Anthony? He was in that Vampire comedy movie Suck with Iggy Pop and Malcolm McDowell.

(AWK) I don’t think I’ve seen that movie, but it sounds cool.

(N) I was at a taping of his show Talent Time, and he had one of the wrestlers on the show and the whole thing went haywire with another wrestler rushing the stage, and Hugh got injured, but anyway, guess where he tapes the show? The Biltmore Cabaret! And guess where you’ll be performing on June 23rd?

(AWK) I wonder if I’ve been to the Biltmore before. I don’t know that I’ve played there or not. I’ve played quite a few different places in Vancouver now, so I’m excited to see this place.

(N) And you'll also be performing at Neptoon Records, correct?

(AWK) Yes, that’s a special in-store performance to celebrate the 7”

(N) What can the folks here in Vancouver expect between the 2 shows?

(AWK) Well, they’ll be very different, for obvious reasons. The Neptoon Records show will be different because it’s in an actual record store, but at both shows, you’ll hear songs from my albums, if you’ve listened to them, you’ll be familiar with them, and you’ll hear a nice variety of tunes with some stuff you definitely haven’t heard before, and new stuff I’ll make up on the spot. You can expect to not have too clear of an expectation, but I think it will be fun. I give everything I can to create a feeling of energy, and that’s what I will be focusing on.

(N) If people want to see an example of you live, I guess they can check out the Who Knows? DVD, right?

(AWK) Sure, the Who Knows? DVD is a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun making it, putting it together. It represents the first 4 or 5 years of touring that we did. If you go onYoutube, there’s a lot of great clips from more recent shows. I love that people can take videos and put them right up, so please check out the footage, but you can never really get a full sense what it’s like until you’re there. Like with any performer. But I like video, and I would be really happy if people check out the Who Knows? DVD. There’s a lot more to watch beyond the performance as well, but I think there’s some really great concert footage.

Actually the Japanese version of that DVD has some of the best footage that we couldn’t fit on the US one. I’d encourage people to get that import if they have an all-regions player. There’s a whole bunch of footage from the wheelchair shows.

(N) People talk. This might sound scary, but there are websites out there that list all these rumours about you, like TruthaboutAndrewWK etc. I heard a rumour, Andrew W.K. that you never shower. Is there any truth to that?

(AWK) Well, I took a shower today, so that proves it to me. I did take a shower today, I swore I did. When you go into the bath but you stand up and you have the water come down, that’s a shower, right? Well that’s what I did.

(N) Okay, I was just checking. Is there anything else you'd like to add, Mr W.K.?

(AWK) Oh that's it? You want a closing statement now?

(N) Sure. Anything at all

(AWK) I would like to say that I really very sincerely do have a particular love for Canada. It offers something to me as aperson, as a human being, that’s unique to any place I’ve been around the world. I grew up very newar to Canada and went to Canada a lot growing up, even lived there for short periods of time on student exchange programs, and just really developed a meaningful relationship with it, so anything I’ve ever done with Canada has always had a special signifigance, and I really just want people to understand how much I value their interest, their support or any feelings they have for anything I’ve done at all, and gave me the chance to do this with them. Giving us the chance to do this together really means a lot. I just want anyone who has read this or who would read it to get that feeling that you can do whatever you wanna do, and you already are! I just want to give people that energy to break through those feelings that say ‘You Can’t Do What You Really Want To Do’. I want that for me and I want it for everybody else. That’s what it all comes down to.

This Interview was edited and used in the article 'Nardwuar and Andrew W.K. are A Wild Pear' - Issue 28 of The Skinny.

**Thank you for your time Andrew W.K.! And thank you Nardwuar and Melanie Kaye for helping me hook up this interview!

Nardwuar The Human Serviette Peels A Wild Pear

2009-06-10T01:48:00.000-07:00

Photo by K.C. Armstrong

The following is my brief questionnaire with Nardwuar The Human Serviette

(NS) The Bomb in My Pants - any stories behind that song? I love it!

(NTHS) This particular song was inspired by a story “O”, a great skateboard photographer and also member of the San Diego bands Olivelawn and Fluf, told in Flipside Magazine. It deals with using the washroom in a “certain way” when you are on tour. I will leave it at that.

2) The Evaporators covered 'On Non' on this record. I was pretty intrigued by the story of Les Hou-Lops. Changing their name to Les Tetes Blanches and bleaching their hair to match, only to get sued for it. But it was actually Les Mousses' live version of 'Oh Non' that "held the most sway on The Evaporators' own rendition." Why did you choose that song for the record? Was it seeing Les Mousses on Youtube? Will you be performing it live on June 23rd? Can I film it and put it on Youtube?

Years ago The Gruesomes from Montreal covered “Je Cherche” by 60s Montreal Punks Les Lutins. That got me turned onto an amazing cache of priceless Quebecois Garage Rock, which inturn led me to Les Hou Lops. I am addicted to cheese but the Gruesomes basically got me addicted to Les Hou Lops! So it was natural I would search out different versions of the song and thanks to the greatness of YouTube, there suddenly was a cover of “Oh Non” by Les Mousses! However, this time appearing before my eyes, were a bunch of kids wearing sailors outfits in a “Battle of the Bands” playing their asses off. “Oh Non!” That was the kicker that really set the single in motion.

3) In this age of digital music, CDs seem to be losing their battle with the mp3. I love the fact that you chose a vinyl 7" for this release. And white vinyl to boot! The Evaporators have released 7-inchers before, like 'Welcome to my Castle', 'I'm Going to France', and 'Honk the Horn'. What attracted you to doing this project as a 7" and not some crazy digital download or perhaps an Evaporators wristwatch, like the band Sky Larkin did?

Every Nardwuar Records Release has been on Vinyl. We have even done 8-track cartridges over the years too, so it was natural to do Vinyl. We had to do white vinyl because that is Andrew W.K.’s favourite colour!

4) Will this record be available south of the border? How do you think the U.S. peeps will enjoy it? Do you think they're 'hungering for a fine selection of Canadian tunes' down there? Did/will you send Jello Biafra a copy?

We will be sending out copies to US distributors and the next time I see Jello Biafra I will get him a copy for sure. He loves the Subhumans, who Andrew W.K. covers, and infact just released the last Subhumans record, “Death Was Too Kind” !

5) I noticed a lineup change - Shawn Mrazek is playing drums in the Evaporators. He plays in The Doers too. the Doers are awesome! Just wondering, why the new drummer, and will he be touring with you? If so, what happened to Scott Livingstone? Was he unavailable to do this record because of prior commitments or something?

Scott and Shawn are both still drumming for the Evaporators, filling in for each other, when one can’t make it. LatelyScott has been busy working with legendary Vancouver Visual Artist Rodney Graham, who also puts out albums, does art and tours the world!

6) Anything I missed here? Any more exciting tidbits you'd like to share about this new, fantastic release on Mint/Nardwuar Records? In your famous words, why should people care? Other than the fact that it's great music by 2 great acts, awesome packaging, extensive liner notes and the artwork of Mitch Clem, pressed on White Vinyl, featuring a special interview snippet of Nardwuar vs Andrew W.K., a personal message from Andrew W.K... Wait, I think I just answered my own question.

Thank you so much for caring Nathan! I guess if you care, people care! Well, at least you care! Having Mitch Clem do the artwork was so awesome. Not only does he have a kickin’ web comic “My Stupid Life” at www.mitchclem.com he just released a book on Darkhorse Comics called “Nothing Nice to Say “. Furthermore it is incredible that Andrew W.K. actually agreed to do a split 7inch with The Evaporators. I still can’t believe he said yes, and now were are doing a gig together!

Nardwuar & Andrew W.K. are A Wild Pear

2009-06-10T01:27:00.000-07:00

Nard and Andrew Wash the fruit exclusive
By Nathan Stafford

Vancouver’s very own vivacious veterans of garage-punk The Evaporators are releasing a split 7” record with NYC rocker Andrew W.K on June 23. The event will be marked by a couple of local performances - A Free All-Ages in-store at Neptoon Records at 4PM, followed by an 8PM show at the Biltmore Cabaret.

The record, called A Wild Pear, is a fabulous little 4-song collection, with a special bonus interview snippet of Nardwuar Vs Andrew W.K. Nardwuar explains that it is pressed on white vinyl because all Nardwuar Records releases are vinyl (some even made it to 8-track) and because white is Andrew W.K.’s favourite colour.

On Side Nardwuar, you get the Evaporators romp “The Bomb in My Pants” which blasts off like a rocket to Uranus.

Nardwuar: “This particular song was inspired by a story “O”, a great skateboard photographer and also member of the San Diego bands Olivelawn and Fluf, told in Flipside Magazine. It deals with using the washroom in a “certain way” when you are on tour. I will leave it at that.”

The Evaps also cover 60’s garage/R&B Montrealers Les Hou-Lops’ track “Oh Non”.
Nardwuar: “Years ago The Gruesomes from Montreal covered “Je Cherche” by 60s Montreal Punks Les Lutins. That got me turned onto an amazing cache of priceless Quebecois Garage Rock, which in turn led me to Les Hou Lops. I am addicted to cheese but the Gruesomes basically got me addicted to Les Hou Lops! So it was natural I would search out different versions of the song and thanks to the greatness of YouTube, there suddenly was a cover of “Oh Non” by Les Mousses! However, this time appearing before my eyes, were a bunch of kids wearing sailors outfits in a “Battle of the Bands” playing their asses off. “Oh Non!” That was the kicker that really set the single in motion.”

N: Was the idea to do this record yours or Nardwuar’s?

AWK: “He suggested the idea of doing the 7”, and I thought ‘Wow’. Getting to work with Nardwuar in this way and getting to cover these Canadian songs, especially ‘Don’t Sell Hot Dogs Tonight, is a huge honor for me. Out of the respect for how circles can be completed and how dreams can come true, I always try to say yes to those types of opportunities.”

N: You released The Japan Covers album last year. Is this essentially your Canada Covers?

AWK: “Well hey, that’s a great way to refer to it! Doing cover songs is relatively new to me. When Nardwuar presented the idea of doing Canadian songs specifically, that appealed to me because I’ve been a really big fan of Canada and The Leather Uppers, I’ve liked them since I was 13. Again, to have the opportunity to record their song for a very Canadian release just was so special to me.”

N: Who played drums on ‘Oh Canaduh’? Was that you?

AWK: “That’s me playing all the music on there. I took some jazz classes in school, and I started playing drums around that time in Junior High, so I’ve picked up different abilities with the drums over the years. Playing drums on those songs is a lot of fun.”

N: You just started a label called Scyscraper Music Maker.

AWK: “Yes, that’s true. We just this week released our first very limited promotional release, it’s the ‘DAMN! The Mixtape’ CD. We had a release party and concert at Santos Party House here in Manhattan for it.”

N: You own that club, and you also own Skyscraper Studios in Manhattan. Have you ever been to any studios here in Vancouver?

AWK: “Well, actually when I rehearsed with Nardwuar, we were at a studio.” (JCDC)

N: What other activities have you done in Vancouver, or has it always been go go go?

AWK: “It’s been pretty go go go. This last time was one of the more relaxed times I’ve had there, which was really nice. I have a lot of memories of looking out hotel windows. It’s one of the great cities of the world!”

N: I interviewed a wrestler named Memphis once from the ECCW, and he said he listens to your song Party Hard before a big match to get pumped up. What do you think of that?

AWK: “Oh wow, that’s great! So it’s the Canadian version of the ECW? I am a huge, huge fan of wrestling. I just wasn’t sure if you meant Greco-Roman style or grappling. I like the real wrestling, not the Olympic-style.”

N: You’re performing June 23rd at The Biltmore, but you’ll also be performing earlier that day at Neptoon Records. How will those two shows differ?

AWK: “Well, they’ll be very different, for obvious reasons. The Neptoon Records show is in an actual record store, but at both shows, you’ll hear songs from my albums, if you’ve listened to them, you’ll be familiar with them, and you’ll hear some stuff you definitely haven’t heard before, and new stuff I’ll make up on the spot. You can expect to not have too clear of an expectation, but I think it will be fun. I give everything I can to create a feeling of energy, and that’s what I will be focusing on.”

N: I heard a rumor that you never shower or wash your hair. Is that true?

AWK: “I did take a shower today. I swore I did. When you go into the bath but you stand up and you have the water come down, that’s a shower, right? Well that’s what I did.”

N: Anything else you’d like to add, Mr W.K.?

AWK: “I would like to say that I really very sincerely have a particular love for Canada, and I really just want people to understand how much I value their interest, their support or any feelings they have for anything I’ve done. I just want to give people the energy to break through those feelings that say ‘You Can’t Do What You Really Want To Do’. That’s what it all comes down to.”

A Wild Pear is now available to pre-order through Mint Records and Nardwuar Records. Not sure if it will be available in the U.S. yet, like The Evaporators’ last release “Gassy Jack & Other Tales” on Alternative Tentacles.

Nardwuar clarifies: “We will be sending out copies to US distributors and the next time I see Jello Biafra I will get him a copy for sure. He loves the Subhumans, who Andrew W.K. covers, and in fact just released the last Subhumans record, “Death Was Too Kind”!”

Anything else you’d like to add, Nardwuar?

“Thank you so much for caring Nathan! I guess if you care, people care! Well, at least you care! Having Mitch Clem do the artwork was so awesome. Not only does he have a kickin’ web comic “My Stupid Life” at mitchclem.com he just released a book on Darkhorse Comics called “Nothing Nice to Say “. Furthermore it is incredible that Andrew W.K. actually agreed to do a split 7inch with The Evaporators. I still can’t believe he said yes, and now we are doing a gig together!”

Following the Vancouver shows, Andrew W.K. and The Evaporators will be hitting the road together to play Sled Island Festival in Calgary, then 2 shows in Edmonton. Following that, Andrew W.K.’s Crazy Canadian Summer Tour rocks the nation!

So Don’t Sell Hot Dogs on June 23rd, just come out to the show!

Read my Full Interview with Andrew W.K.

Read My Full Interview with Nardwuar The Human Serviette

Read My Live Review of Nardwuar Nite!

Order A Wild Pear Online!

Live Review: Pub 340 + 4 Bands = Partytime

2009-06-09T02:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, before I say anything, this was unofficially dubbed Duncapalooza, a show organized by a guy who played in three-out-of-four bands tonight. Here is the lineup:

The Stereo Three
One Life Animal
Break The Chains
Tenant

To kick things off, The Stereo Three hit the stage in all their power-trio glory.

You might remember an interview + story I ran on them a while back:

An Evening With The Stereo Three

The energy was there, like a punk rock warm-up before this musical marathon. That's how it is. Duncan was ripping it up with his baritone guitar riffs, bouncing around like a madman, giving it all on the mic. Ryan's bass solo was an added bonus to his 'all feel' vocals. You could see the pain on his face. Out back on the kit, Sam kept everyone in order, while still managing to keep a grin on her face & mug for the camera... What more can I say about this band that I haven't said already? There's a lagwagon-esque feel here, with songs about getting home from the bar after the last bus has stopped running. My favourite track of the night is still 'Black Water'. It's poo. Don't drink poo.

www.myspace.com/thestereothree

Next up, One Life Animal

Duncan is back at his usual home behind the drums for this one. Think back to mid-90's glory-rock like STP or Tomahawk and you'll be right up OLA's alley. The singer has sort of a Chris Cornell thing going on, but in my opinion, the old industry saying 'eat the mic' comes into play here. When you're battling with 3 other guys playing heavy, you can't afford to move your mic away from your mouth a-la Celine Dion. I couldn't hear him half of the time because of this patented move! When he jumped off the stage, his microphone cable got tangled in the monitors, leaving it to someone in the front row untangling him. Poor planning = poor theatrics.

The singer aside, I do have some positive things to say about this band. The music is no-nonsense, belligerent loud rock. The stuff you can dig your talons into. The riffs aren't mindblowing, but they're just chunky enough. There are no 2-minute wanking solos. The bass sounds like a growling velociraptor, and it's all stapled together like a sac to a park bench by the precise, violent drums.

I'd like to see these guys continue to develop, but I just heard the news that the singer has left the band. The trio of drummer, guitarist and bassist have something to look forward to if they keep writing these throwback tunes, so I hope they can find someone to front the band who'll make a better connection to both the audience and bandmates. There was just a cold feeling up there onstage, like a disconnection, but they're putting it out there anyway. It's like driving a truck, even though the Check Engine light is on. Something's amiss, but what you see is what you get, in this the last incarnation of the band. I hope they live on with a new singer, maybe a new life for One Life? Fans of gritty alt-rock with a 90's feel will probably get into these guys.
www.myspace.com/onelifeanimal

And Now, the metal mischief of Break The Chains

I wasn't sure what to expect from these guys. The recordings I've heard online are pretty insane, so I was curious to see how they pulled it off live. After giving up on singers, the 2 guitarists in the band decided to handle vocals themselves. Actually, when drummer Duncan chipped in vocally, I thought it sounded fuckin righteous. Throat-raping-ly righteous.

Check out this video I snapped of the set and you'll see what I mean about the vocals. The shredding is top-shelf. Singer/guitarist Crash seems like the kind of guy that lives, eats and breathes METAL. He has it dead on.

'Break the Chains is an aggressive retaliation to the state of world we live in everyday served over a tight mixture of punk hardcore and melodic metal. Formed in August of 2006, Break the Chains have displayed a passion and commitment that has culminated in their debut album, 'Lights Out'. Recorded with Shawn Penner at Mushroom and District IV Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia' - lifted from myspace

I'd look for this music on a skateboard or extreme mountain biking video near you, otherwise just find yourself a nice solid brick wall or fence to smash your face off while getting into tracks from the band's new EP like 'Lines That Divide' and 'Step Down' and 'Deliver & Die'. All of which are available for a preview at www.myspace.com/breakthechainsmusic

Wrapping things up is Vancouver/Delta mainstay Tenant

These guys have been around for a couple years, infecting the Vancouver scene with their brand of experimental/screamo/soft-then-hard-then-soft-again tunes. You can't avoid comparing these guys to bands like Alexisonfire and hey, that's a good thing.

The militant chugging guitars, self-abating vocals and altogether obtuseness make Tenant a good way to wrap up the night (for those feelin a little tipsy and aggressive). As far as merch goes, this group had the most to offer, including their album.

I've seen/heard these guys before, and I can really get into the spastic, crazy energy they give off. Not something I listen to all the time, but it has its time & place, like everything. Reminds me of a band I saw a lot in my teen years, Halifax's Ermine. I think these guys are in that same sort of vein. Hardworking, Canadian, Different, but they've got their shit together. Could be export-quality with a little polish.
www.myspace.com/tenantband

**Thanks Duncan for inviting me down to the show! I'm happy to report that the drummer/guitarist/show organizer survived the night. 3 sets of loud rocking can take a physical and mental toll. But he did it!

Look for all these bands on the web or just click the links herein if you're curious.

**Thanks to Sam Armstrong of The Stereo Three for the awesome photos!

Immaculate Conversation: Interview with Brooke Gallupe of Immaculate Machine

2009-06-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

by Nathan Stafford

It’s Friday, May 8th and I just had a rousing chat with Immaculate Machine frontman and Cowichan Sweater enthusiast Brooke Gallupe, in advance of the Vancouver installment of their tour to promote the sparkly new album ‘High on Jackson Hill’.

Brooke, how would you describe the new album?
Well, it’s a lot less slick and produced than our previous studio albums. It was recorded in my parents’ house in Victoria. They were kind enough to take off for a couple of weeks and give me the house to record in, so everything about it is more relaxed. I hadn’t written all the songs by the time we started recording, and Colin (Stewart, producer) wasn’t familiar with the sonics of the house.

How did you write the songs on the spot like that?
I kind of let it flow a little bit, making less logical sense, as opposed to our last album ‘Fables’, which is all story-oriented. There certainly are stories on the new album too, but I’m trying to let it be stream of consciousness a little bit more.

So like, ‘70’s weirdo music’?
It’s definitely a lot more experimental. We did cymbal crashes and reversed them, we went out and mic’d my car engine revving and doors slamming. On one of the songs, if you listen on headphones, there’s audible children screaming – it was recess at the school behind my parents’ house. All those things locate the album for me.

You suggest people buy the album on vinyl, right?
I’m a fan of the LP record. It’s just so much nicer to have the big cardboard sleeve. The artwork is done by my sister, and I’m really proud of it. It’s much better BIG on vinyl than on a CD. The vinyl sleeve can also come in handy if you’re looking for a Halloween costume. That’s a real Halloween costume I used one time - Neil Diamond’s Greatest Hits. The cover is just his face, 12-by-12 inches. So you just cut the eyeholes out and there you go, you’ve got a great Halloween costume. High On Jackson Hill, the artwork is like a spooky little mountain with these 2 craters that look like eyes, so if you cut out the craters, you’ve got yourself a mountain-face mask!

So, welcome back to BC! You started your tour off in Brantford, ON. Why Brantford?
Well, it’s got a bit of a legend to it in a small underground kinda way. Besides, we’re a bit of a new lineup on this tour, so we wanted to hit a few smaller places to test it out. No offense to Brantford, but we were hoping to play to some cool crowds of music fans but without the media there for our first couple of shows, so we hit Brantford and Sudbury and Sioux Ste Marie. All really fantastic shows, but smaller towns.

You mentioned the new-ish lineup. Your sister Caitlin is on bass, and I was sad to see Kathryn (Calder, also of New Pornos) wouldn’t be joining you.
Yeah it’s pretty different without Kathryn. There’s an illness in the family, so she’s staying home and doing the right thing. Hopefully when we do another tour she’ll be around for that one… because Kathryn’s not here, we’re gonna have kind of a limited repertoire tonight.

Homecoming show in Victoria tomorrow, then Seattle?
Yes, and I’ve just had my passport stolen, so it should be interesting getting there. The funny thing is, when we crossed the border this last time, we’re driving a fancy rented SUV, and there’s no problem. It seems like if your car costs more than $50,000, the border guards are like, ‘please sir, right this way.’ The difference between driving a touring/drug smuggling-looking van and a newer, respectable vehicle across the border is pretty astonishing. So yeah bands out there, borrow your Dad’s SUV and avoid hassles at the border.

That’s interesting. Speaking of interesting, in 2006 you released an EP called ‘Les Uns Mais Pas Les Autres’. Qu'est-ce que c'est?
This is our EP of French translations. We took six of the songs off our album ‘Ones and Zeros’ and translated them into French. That’s what I did my university degree in, was French literature so I guess I was trying to get my money’s worth from my university degree. It hasn’t paid off in any other way, so I figured I would cash in. I think people were a little puzzled by it, but in a good way. The Quebecois seemed to really appreciate it.

And from French to Mandarin? You have a song called ‘Wo Xiang Tanbai’ – what’s that about?
That’s basically an inside joke follow-up on the French EP. It’s based on an interview we did with Grant Lawrence (CBC) where he was teasing us about being overachievers, doing the French EP, and he’s like ‘Oh, what’s next, singing in Chinese?’ So, we had no choice. We scheduled an interview with him, and surprised him with it. We had the producer play a clip from the old interview, and the song comes on and his jaw dropped. I’ve never seen Grant Lawrence quiet for more than a couple seconds at a time and that did it.

Have you dabbled in any other languages?
We were touring with a German-Canadian bilingual person, and just to take it one step further, he translated one of our songs into German for us. So while we were in Europe last year, we had French, English, German and Mandarin Chinese all going (laughs).

Cool! The Language Band eh?
It’s kinda cool. We don’t really live up to that reputation, it’s mostly just English with a little bit of French thrown in there, but I would be happy to be known as The Language Band.

Thanks for your time, good sir! Anything else on your mind?
I’m glad to be back on the West Coast. I think that’s sort of what the new album’s about, being at home. There’s so much interesting stuff happening in my city, even though it’s a small city. I like being able to appreciate the nuance of your immediate surroundings rather than have to look far away for something of beauty.

Immaculate Machine played to a packed house at the Biltmore Cabaret, with openers Lakefield and The Strange Magic providing a good warm-up. I did notice a difference with the new lineup, but Brooke kept things interesting with his Wayne Coyne-like energy and stories about a) his apartment b) stabbings at The Red Jacket nightclub and c) making music with a W.W.T.R.D. mentality (What Would T-Rex Do).
‘High On Jackson Hill’ is worth checking out, and available at many fine local music retailers or online at www.mintrecs.com

Archives: Hot Panda Heats Up The Media Club

2009-06-01T01:44:00.000-07:00

By Nathan Stafford

Fresh off a SXSW Marathon weekend, Edmonton’s Hot Panda swooped (Can a panda swoop?) in to officially introduce the new record ‘volcano…bloody volcano’ to this market. The fine folks at Mint Records know how to put on a really big shoo, so I headed down to The Media Club for the 7:30 start.

The night belongs to Hot Panda, but there were 2 other acts on the bill that deserve mentioning:

Fanshaw is a pop/folk artist who normally performs solo, but tonight a full band backed her. Observers noted the singer’s energy & stage presence skyrocketed with the presence of the band. Dark Eyes and Strong Hips ~ those are song titles, not a physical description.

Next up, Victoria’s Vincat. We got a sneak peek from the upcoming EP ‘Earthly Rotations’, with songs like ‘Human See Human Do’ showcasing the ultra high, oft-operatic vocals of Kristian and Crystal. Out back, drummer Dan controlled a laptop with samples of Earthly sounds like birds chirping. The set ended with a climactic prism of sound like when a universe implodes. Oh, and the bass sounded like a demon.

And Now… Get Ready For It… Hot Panda!

The set immediately vaulted into a high-energy bonanza. Lead singer/guitarist Chris snapped a string right away. Twaaang! Better to get it over with early I guess, but a borrowed guitar kept the show rolling along.

This quartet is difficult to define. Chris is a ball of focused energy right down the middle; the jangling guitar and vocal yelps work well for a guy who steps into the mic like he’s walking upstairs. On the keys, Heath provided a nice synth blend sorta like SEGA Genesis meets Hilarious House of Frightenstein. I kept an eye on drummer Maghan’s extra-curricular activities like kazoo, a soprano solo on ‘It’s Worth Eight Dollars’ and hey drummers, she plays her hi-hat with a tambourine. Yeah yeah yeah yeah!

My favourite song ‘Cold Hands Chapped Lips’ features a rather unexpected time-signature change coupled with lazer-beam synths and a touch of thrashiness. Bassist Keith joined in garishly on the vocals for this one too. Dance!

The moral of the story is this: Hot Panda put on a fun show! Oh, and did I mention they have their own hot sauce? I think they hit the flavour mix perfectly. Hot & Sweet.

For more information on Hot Panda and to order volcano… bloody volcano, visit www.mintrecs.com

Archives: The Elixxxirs, Hefe and The Carnival Band - Mondo Mardi Gras!

2009-06-01T01:25:00.000-07:00

By Nathan Stafford
Printed March 2009 in The Skinny (http://theskinnymag.info)

It was a larger-than-life affair at Pub 340, bursting with Bands, Beads & Burlesque Beauties. This ain’t your classic Band A + Band B = Band C Live Show. The whole night was a fiesta from start to finish, with a fun musical backdrop provided by The Carnival Band, Hefe and The Elixxxirs. We were also treated to the sexy, seductive sideshow of Diamond Minx and Madam Mae I between sets.

After much mingling, The Carnival Band hit the stage like a tidal wave, looking like the cover of Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Horns & strings took the stage, drums & percussion on the floor up front. The music sounded like Mr Bungle with a marching band. To warm up, the 24-piece took a little walk – out the door, up the street and around Victory Square. Frontman/ saxophonist Ross Barrett led the storm with his exceptionally gravelly bellows & succulent sax. By the end of the set, everybody in the place was up and dancing. This is Mardi Gras Baby!

Hefe is loud – a wicked wall of sound. I immediately ducked into the bathroom & stuffed some TP into my ears. Good idea. Halfway into the set, a few members of the Carnival band hopped up onto the stage. That part was planned. When the Carnies insisted on staying up for a 2nd song, it felt a bit off-the-cuff, but Hefe rolled with it! It was mayhem, but it worked. Front man Jeffrey Helm was the cowboy-hatted head honcho, jumping around, dancing & sweatin’ to the oldies like Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”. Not the most Mardi Gras-themed songs, but who cares! You gotta hear “Sushi Girl” – a Hefe original. It’s delicious! “Gimme Gimme Gimme Some Squishy Fishy”!

To close up shop, The Elixxxers rocked the party till the wee hours. Front-gal Bobbi-Jo Moore has a drop-dead gorgeous voice. It’s hard to describe, but she has that little “curl” in her voice like Gwen Stefani back when she was still cool. The band is a smokin’ hot blend of Ska, Rockabilly, Reggae & plenty of Punk. Bassist Chris King rocked his Hofner Beatle Bass copy with precision, and climbed up on the PA speakers for a bird’s eye view of the situation. He saw me skankin’ up a storm right up front. The songs are fun, sassy & I’ll say it again – that voice is just gorgeous! Looking forward to the new sound & a new album from this band. Elixxx This!

***On a side note, I had the extreme pleasure of hanging out with one of Punk Rock's most enigmatic, funny, and entertaining front-men, Mr Chi Pig of SNFU. We chatted, laughed, and I managed to grab this photo op with Chi. What a legend this guy is. I was pretty excited to hang out with one of my punk heroes for a night.

Archives: Closing Iris Live Review (Binge)

2009-06-01T01:12:00.000-07:00

By Derek Ennison*

Somebody’s been following me for at least 3 blocks now. Heavy breathing. I’m looking over my shoulder. Blood pressure rising. It could be mall security, the cops or worse. Sweaty palms. I duck into some dive club and head for the bathroom. I think I’m in the clear now. Those fuckers. I slink into the corner booth as the band takes the stage. If anyone asks, I’ve been here the whole time.

The stage banner reads Closing Iris. I guess that’s the name of the group. I have no idea who they are or what they sound like. Suddenly, the air fills with an eerie groaning, like a tube amp warming up, or a growling Obsidian Dragon. Yeah, it’s an amp.

“Is this seat taken?” Before I could answer, a rather stout gentleman sits down next to me. Shit, I’ve been made.

“You here to see the band?” I shrug. The man proceeds to tell me everything I need to know about this band, plus a good portion of his life story. Normally I hate conversation, but his chatter drowns out the jackhammer in my chest, and, there’s a good chance I could use this guy as an alibi if anything goes down later. Keep talkin’ buddy.

Turns out the band is in fact called Closing Iris, and they’re out on a tour of Western Canada promoting their newly-released EP Another Reason (to lie to yourself). They have 2 types of shows: BINGE & PURGE. That translates to loud & quiet, or so I’m told. Tonight it’s a full-on BINGE, with amplified guitars & plenty of distortion. Front man Shaun Funk greets the crowd rather deadpan, launching right into the raw, gritty straight-ahead rock. It’s all business from the top.

The crowd seems a bit apprehensive at first. On a Monday night, it’s likely most people are either burned out from the weekend or like me, have other shit on the mind. The songs are full of slick, animalistic energy, begging comparisons to STP or early Tea Party. Not exactly a fresh sound, but it makes me think of the good ol’ days when grit still mattered. This is a heaver-rock trio, with plenty of twists, hungry harmonies, and grungy guitar riffs in tow. Intelligent, angsty lyrics lure listeners, like “Pointing the finger, but it’s pointing back at me.” Tasty.

The band keeps grinding through the material, tossing in jokes about the size & demeanor of the crowd. “Come on up front. Both of you.” I look around the room, seeing several sets of pupils glaring back at me. Could they be watching me? Maybe it’s just a coincidence: a simultaneous scan. Ms Passive-Aggressive Waitress hands me a double, and the band shoots into their best song yet. “Hey” starts off with some hearty picking from Mr Funk, before launching into a full-force, yet listenable rocker akin to Lifehouse’s “Hanging By A Moment”.

As much as I hate it, I’m guilty of people-watching. The guys in this band are pretty interesting to watch. They seem to feed off each other. It’s a single unit, like The Borg, this strange organism called a Rock Band toiling away, whether you like it or not. They’re tight, on-point, on display, but rather mysterious. Out back on the kit, Don Mutter throws heat, but still floats a surprisingly melodic harmony. Bassist Aaron Archibald looks like he belongs on a Triumph Motorcycle, his 5-string bass slung over his shoulder like a shotgun. When someone yelled “Freebird!” I think he actually considered it for a minute.

In a final jolt of energy, Shawn invites a little lady named Chrystal Leigh onstage to sing a song with the band. Little frame maybe, but this girl is a presence. I recognize her right away as the voice of local industrial-rockers Jakalope. My brother Mike owns their albums. The band launches into “Vertebrae”, which goes down like a Red Bull & Vodka. The crowd comes alive, and the band sounds its best all night. It feels like someone just threw a cluster bomb into the place, shaking everybody outta their skin.

The back and forth between front man and front woman brings the temperature up to 300 degrees. Another double rye and I’m starting to get lost in the music. Chrystal Leigh’s breathy, hot vocals take over and suddenly I forget why I’m hiding and who it is I’m running from. Closing Iris clearly saves the best for last. As the final dragon’s growl fades into the wood paneling, my paranoia re-emerges. I pound back another drink and evaluate the situation. I want to buy a CD for Mike, but it’s so dark in here, I can’t find the merch booth. With no other recourse, I avoid the pleasantries and head for the door.

Down the alley, a left, then a right, now I’m standing on the corner of a busy Granville intersection. As I step into the street, a van whizzes by, mere inches from my face. “Watch It Buddy!” I point at the driver, catching my blurred reflection in his tinted window. “Pointing the finger, but it’s pointing back at me.” There. One line from a song just defined my night. Nobody’s chasing me, it’s all in my head!

As I struggle to remember the name of the band, out of habit I look over my shoulder. What if I’m wrong. What if they’re following me again. Heart Pounding. In a panic, I start to run. Pulse Rising. Back to where I started.

-Closing Iris.

*Note to the reader: Derek Ennison is a pseudonym, a character I created to give this article a twist. I know it's cheating, combining fiction and fantasy, but I assure you the live review portion is true to fact. I'd love to hear your feedback on this new style of writing I'm test-driving. Thank you.

All the best,

Nathan S

Archives: Bend Sinister, Jackfruit, adaline - Live Review

2009-06-01T01:04:00.000-07:00

Feb 6th, Richards on Richards
By Nathan Stafford

adaline’s fun, flirty, fashionable force set the stage aflame tonight. “Famous For Fire”, the title track from her debut album kicked off the set with a bang. The ginormous smile said it all; adaline is a romantic, making love to our ears with her soul-shattering vocals and sentimental stanzas.

Adding a dash of variety, the indie songstress threw in a horn section “Yay Cap College!” and invited her multi-instrumentalist father (Dadaline?) onstage for some fiery fiddle and trumpety trumpet. A family affair all around, brother Tyson rocked the guitar atop the airtight rhythm section of Dave Warkentin (bass) and Adam Smith (drums). If you’re ultra-observant, you might recognize Adam and his sky-high cymbols from Nat Jay’s Borrowed Band. He’s a heavy hitter, full of energy.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a flaw in adaline’s set. Winding up with the fan favourite, tripped-out beat of “Chemical Spill” – this girl proved why she’s making a name as one of Canada’s top indie songbirds. In a touching moment, adaline revealed that she is now a WorldVision Artist – helping feed starving children around the world, while pouring out her soul to hungry music fans right here at home. As she left the stage, she seemed to be fighting back tears of joy. Good things are happening for adaline, and you know what? She deserves it! - adalinemusic.com

Bend Sinister ladled out a deep dish of keyboard-driven good times. Add 2nd guitarist Joseph Blood to the mix, and witness the twin-symphonic shredding of “The Same Things” to start things off. Me likey!

With a mixture of intensity & tenderness, front man Dan Moxon was clearly enjoying himself; joshing, tossing t-shirts and tickling the ivories, all while leading this force of a band through the ups and downs and ups of the set. Dan’s voice cut through everything like a diamond. Sweet, soulful, and powerful. What a treat!

The band will set out on another cross-Canada Jaunt next month, promoting the brand, spankin’ new record “Stories of Brothers, Tales of Lovers”. Vancouver, we’re so spoiled to call this band our own. Excellent record. Sexcellent live show.

Peep the new tune “Jimmy Brown”. Danceable, swoonable, unbelievably catchy pop hooks with enough peculiarity to grab you by the nuts.

You’d never guess that Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” would cap the set, but Dan’s vocals were scarily perfect, note for note. The band sounded great all night, but like any good fireworks display, they really brought it home. Bravo boys. - myspace.com/bendsinister

Jackfruit funked it up. Period.

Batting cleanup in a town fittingly called “No Fun-Couver” can often lead to empty clubs and disappointed musicians. Tonight, the handful of die-hards who stuck around till the wee hours got a crazy treat; a little piece of Jackfruit.

There’s no guitar, but keyboardist Ian Lamont, who looks as though he robbed a Radioshack with all the gear he’s packin’, more than accommodated 3, count ‘em 3 keyboards! He probably could have used an extra hand, but on second thought, a glow stick somehow bounced onto the stage and literally struck a chord! It’s a sign that everything was going right, because the toss landed in key! Huh?

Now onto singer/pelvic thruster Christopher Berry. His presence onstage was like that of a wild stallion in a polyester shirt. Galloping around, winking at the fillies in the front row, and flashing those big chompers, this dude was like Hawksley Workman on speed; the vocal stylings of Serj Tankian with the eccentricities of a David Byrne. Throwing in theatrics can be a bit ‘much’ at times, but fans of the zany will enjoy the slap bass-tastic rhythms and funky, chunky sheep bleats and circus-style celebration that can only be described as Jackfruit. - myspace.com/jackfruit

Archives: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - John McEuen's Tales from the Road

2009-05-31T23:27:00.000-07:00

By Mike Ennison*

I walk down to the busted-up payphone. Pushing aside a shopping cart, I drop about 15 quarters into the cracked coin slot and dial. I take a look around at my grubby surroundings, pause, and get ready to interview The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

On the line is John McEuen, a founding member of The Dirt Band. Gold & Platinum records aside, this man has worked with everyone from Steve Martin to Johnny Cash to Phish, and seen it all. As an icebreaker, I ask what fans can expect on the BC-leg of band’s next tour.

“I know it’ll be better than the first time we played there, back in ‘67.” reminisces John. “We had a couple of Australian guys called the 2 From Down Under that opened for us. It was like a Las Vegas thing, in a club, and it wasn’t very much fun. The band was only a year old then and it wasn’t our best show, but fortunately it wasn’t our last show.”

I wasn’t at that gig in ’67, but I know a few lounge lizards who probably were. Over 40 years, the guys in this band must surely be sick of each other by now. John?

“Those assholes? You ever hear that comedian’s description of Thanksgiving? It’s the time when everybody gets together and remembers how much they hate each other,” he laughs. “I’d say there’s a constant amount of arguing that can happen, but it’s not like any of it is dire. Differences of opinion are allowed, and certain things you learn to tolerate. I think that’s probably the reason the group has stayed together.”

Peeling away the corner of the home-made “Press Pass” I always wear for courage, I ask John about his support staff.

“Our Road Crew is like 2 guys doing the work of 4, and getting the pay of 3.”

They even helped out when things got hairy in Atlanta. (See the Atlanta Festival Meltdown on www.johnmceuen.com)

“I told the Roadie, take the truck, don’t put any equipment in it, and park it next to the stage because I think this gig isn’t gonna happen. To get the 2nd half of the money from the promoter, I told him, look the truck is parked next to the stage and we’re not gonna unload it until we get paid.”

Promoter’s aren’t all bad, are they? I take a drag from my cigarette and listen while John ponders that question.

“You mean like the promoter in Wichita who came up to me and opened his briefcase that was full of crumpled 5’s and 1’s and said ‘Well I can count you off the 3 Grand from this or write you a check’. I, like everybody else he said that to, said ‘Write me a check, it’s okay.’ That check bounced like an NBA basketball, as did everyone else’s. Like any business, weird things happen and you hopefully learn from them. Experience comes from mistakes. That’s how you learn to handle things I guess.”

Now that’s Dirty. But the band trekked on. With all the accolades, awards, and critical success, these guys have a lot to celebrate, but not without trials and a lot of hard work.

“There have been a couple of years where nothing new came up, and you can kind of feel it dragging. I always believe that your last show better be your best one because it could be your LAST show. That’s what motivates us, putting in a good performance every time. You don’t want to have people say ‘well, I saw them last night, but they sucked’. We just rehearsed for 3 days straight. It’s something you gotta do.”

“So John, how do you keep things fresh?” I ask, swatting a fruit fly with my notepad.

“New material. The older songs get played with a new life when you cycle in some newer ones. Trying new things keeps it fresh, and even the classics get played with new energy. Try changing it up now and then and good things will happen.”

I thought about joining a writers group, working with other people on improving my material, but I never did. I’m somewhat of a recluse. Collaborating works for you John, do you think it could work for me?

“Do you shoot pool?” he asks.
“Uhh, yeah,” I mutter.
“If you’re playing a game of pool with somebody who’s really good, do you play better?”
“Well, yeah I suppose.”
“Same goes for music, or tennis or anything. If you’re playing with a bunch of so-so, mediocre guys, you’ll always just be at that level.”

Funny you should mention shooting pool. It’s one of the only positive memories I have of my Dad. He’d pick up my brother Derek and I at school, and take us down to the pool hall for lunch. Dad was usually too busy to spend time with us.

“It’s just the way it is. Sometimes, with my middle son, we talk about stuff like ‘I wish we’d just gone swimming more often or flown a kite or played pool’, because sometimes it’s work work work. But Jonathan and I, we bonded over music, and done about 1,000 shows together. We connected more and more as we got older."

Father and son, working side-by-side. There’s some sort of cosmic connection that most of us have never felt. Like you can read each other’s minds?

“We walked onstage last week and did an hour-and-fifteen minute show without any planning or talking about anything we were going to do. But because of all the stuff we’ve been through together, it worked fine.”

I spent the afternoon ‘browsing’ at the record shop, and I found this record called “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”. The cover had all those names in cursive writing. Mother Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, and of course the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. It would have been a shame if that landmark album never happened. John remembers fighting tooth and nail with the record company.

“I remember when my brother and I went to the record company president to tell him what we wanted to do with the Circle ablum. He sat there listening, and he said, ‘Well I don’t think I’m gonna sell 5 of these. But since you guys are really so passionate about it, ok I’ll put up the money.’ Years later, that guy had moved way up in the music business. It was a risk, but the band came up to the mark together.”

Seems like a common theme with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; family. After a long haul from my pocket flask, fighting back thoughts of my boozebag father, I manage to get focused. John keeps talking. He’s telling me about an interesting high school friend of his, funnyman Steve Martin. John just produced a serious banjo album for Steve called ‘The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo’. How did that come about?

“You know, The Dirt band played the music for ‘King Tut’. Steve wasn’t confident that he was good enough, or that he had enough material for a whole album, but I convinced him he did. Today (Jan 27th) is the day it was released, actually. Right now it’s #1 on the Country Charts and #35 on the Pop Charts on Amazon.com.”

Seems like everything John McEuen touches turns to gold. “Your list of accomplishments is as long as the Mississippi.” I joke. Man, does my comedy routine ever need work. “I understand you have a satellite radio show. I’m a little out of touch. What’s a satellite radio?”

“It would be like if you were writing for a magazine in Florida instead of Vancouver. Or now you have to write a book about the influence of Casinos on American Indians, y’know? I’m basically doing things that I’ve done, playing music & talking, only now it’s in a different format that I’ve never experienced before. I like making a radio show, it’s a totally different animal. It’s in its 4th year now. The Acoustic Traveler Show, Channel 15 on XM Satellite Radio.”

Sounds futuristic… That’s something I don’t tend to think about too much, the future. When your biggest worry is how you’re gonna buy a bottle, it’s tough to plan ahead. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has me beat though.

“Everybody’s unified when it comes to getting the music out there, and especially with this new album. It’s finished, we’re not sure where it’s gonna go yet, but we have high hopes. I think it’s the best thing we’ve done in years, easily. We’re looking forward to getting it out there.”

The operator is prompting me to add more money to continue the call, but I’m afraid I’m a little light today. My last 2 quarters will get me about 45 seconds. (Actually, I have a crisp twenty in my back pocket, but that’s already reserved for a Mr. Johnny Walker).

In a mad dash, I ramble off about 15 questions, akin to “Why do you do it, what makes you jump out of bed in the morning, what is your proudest accomplishment? As time ticks away, John does his best to field all of my questions. I dive back into my pocket flask while he reels off the answers, proving that he has indeed done over 10,000 interviews in his life.

“Some people call me a music historian. Yeah, I know some things you don’t know. I don’t think that makes me a historian, though. I like acoustic instruments, and I wanted to see if I could get them on the radio. Whether it was banjo, mandolin or guitar. Early on, that was my main focus. When I played Mandolin on ‘Mr Bojangles’, I felt like I got lucky. It was only the 3rd song I’d learned. I wasn’t very good, I just did what was needed for the song. That’s a good example of the group. We just come together and see what happens. The rest is history I suppose.”

Winding up, I bid John best wishes with the tour, new album and his family.

“We’ll see you up there in Canada!” he says “We hope you like the new songs, and some of the old ones that have been revived. We promise we’ll play all the favourites too. Looking forward to it.”

I’ll do everything humanly possible to pull myself out of the gutter long enough to see The Nitty Gritty Dirt band this time around. If I knew where my dad was, I’d invite him along too.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has been wowing audiences worldwide for over 42 years, 30+ albums and they’re still going strong! For more information on tour dates, band news and albums, I’m told you can check out www.nittygritty.com

*Note to the reader: Mike Ennison is a pseudonym; a character I created in order to try something new for this article. I know it's cheating, blurring the lines between fiction and non-fiction, but I assure you I didn't alter my interview subject's responses in any way.

I'd love to hear any feedback on this form of writing. It was very exciting for me and I'd love to do more of it, given the opportunity.

Thanks, Nathan Stafford

Archives: Dave "Rave" Ogilvie - Obsessions of a Record Producer

2009-05-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Motley Crue, The Grapes of Wrath, Killing Joke, The Odds, Violent Femmes, Skinny Puppy, and the client list goes on…

Dave Ogilvie has seen a lot in his years as a record producer, mixing engineer and musician. Always leaning on the innovative, looking for what’s new, and not afraid to venture outside his boundaries, Dave’s journey has led him around the world and back to Vancouver.

Dave’s career began in the Rainy City as assistant engineer to Bruce Fairbairn. Soon, the 20-something began taking on projects of his own, usually in the wee hours of the night. His first producer credit was on 54-40’s critically acclaimed “Green Record”.

“I was Bruce's guy at Mushroom. I was assisting on a 54-40 session, and they got sick of the person they were working with and said, "What are the chances of you producing? Would you like to produce some tracks for us? I was like, Wow, I 'd love to.”

Right around this time, Dave began working with Industrial Rock pioneers Skinny Puppy. He eventually went on to produce, engineer and mix 9 albums and 10 12” singles for the band. Dave’s involvement helped the Puppy break new ground, and at the same time, he established himself as a pioneer of this new, exciting sound that mixed electronic, metal and goth music.

“With Skinny Puppy, I got to travel a lot, I met Al Jorgenson from Ministry, ended up working with him a lot, I met Trent with Nine Inch Nails, Severed Heads from Australia, and all of a sudden, I was able to leave the realm of Vancouver and get into the international market, which is a hard thing to do.”

Dave built a reputation early on for experimenting with new sounds, new mediums, and pioneering the use of computers.

“Back when computers first came along, I was like, Bring it on! Computers are a necessity for us now, and to use them in music is just a blessing.”

Industrial heavyweight Trent Reznor has been a staunch supporter of Dave’s work, bringing him in to work on some heavy-duty projects over the years. The two co-produced Marilyn Manson’s Platinum-selling record 'Anti-Christ Superstar'. Dave on working with Manson:
“Making that record was a lot of work, because we had to create everything from scratch. Basically all we did was work, and then once and a while we’d go out to a movie and I’d hate it, because we’d be ready to leave, but we’d have to wait for Manson to put his make-up on.”

Fast-forward to 1997 and none other than Motley Crue came to Dave to work on their album “Generation Swine”. The band decided they wanted to re-record their hit single “Shout at the Devil.” There’s an interesting story behind this song, and lead singer Vince Neil’s feelings might have been hurt a bit.

“We get down to doing vocals, and Vince Neil could not even come close to hitting it, and so finally, I just cut my losses and I went to Tommy & Nicki and said, “I gotta use the old vocals”. I fit the old vocals from the original song into this whole new recording. This was a fun thing. I re-recorded the whole song, everything, all the instruments, except for the vocals, which was all the original tracks. Ahh the fun things you get to do.”

Another fun thing Dave worked on was Nine Inch Nails song “The Perfect Drug”. The song was written for the David Lynch film Lost Highway with subsequent re-mixes released in an EP, “The Perfect Drug Versions", or Halo 11.

“I got to deal with David Lynch while we were doing this, and that was a whole other concept. Here’s a filmmaker that I love, and he’s turning to me going, “It’s really nice, Dave, but I think it should be a little more blue.” I looked at Trent, and he’d been dealing with this guy for like 3 weeks. Once again, it pushes your boundaries. What does he mean? What does blue mean? That’s how he dealt with things, was all in colors. It’s really cool.”

The song is the most successful single in Canada, sitting in the Canadian charts for 208 weeks.

Another Reznor-connection came with the re-mix of “I’m Afraid of Americans” by David Bowie. Ogilvie produced a re-mix of the track, featuring rapper Ice Cube. Dave says he narrowly averted disaster with this song. He sent the tracks to Ice Cube in L.A. where Cube would add his own vocals and send the track back for mixing.

“I put the tape on, and I see they’ve done 4 vocal tracks. So I put on the 1st track and it’s West Side Connection and Ice Cube going “Yeah. Yeah. Come On.” And you can hear them opening beers and smoking joints. Track 2, more of the same. I guess it’s gonna be on these last 2 tracks. Track 3, more of the same. Track 4, I got a 20-second part of rapping, that’s it. We just paid 25 Grand, and they gave us nothing."

Despite this disappointment, Dave still managed to turn the track into something interesting. Looping Ice Cube’s vocals with David Bowie’s is like something from another planet, which must have pleased the Bowie camp. The track was released as part of a CD/Vinyl Single which was released in the U.S. by Virgin.

With such massive success under his belt, Dave soon had record execs calling him:

“This record label approached me, and said, “Do you have any music that YOU want to do?” I said yes, but I never have time, I'm always working on other people's records. They said “Why don't you give us some of your demos” but I didn't have any at the time. I had pieces of songs. I didn't have a singer or anything, but I told them, “Yes I have a singer” and I thought of Katie B (now Katie Rox). I liked her, I liked the sound of her voice, so I approached her and said, “Do you want to sing on some songs? I think I have a record deal, but I don't have a band.“ We did some demos, it turned into Jakalope, and all of a sudden, I had a record deal, and this whole new world opened up for me, being in a band and labels and all that. The last four years, I've been seeing a whole different side of it. It's been a real learning process, and that brings me up to speed of where I am today.”

Jakalope lives on with new singer Chrystal Leigh, formerly of The Perfect Strangers and Kelowna band “Closing Iris”.

Next up for Dave “Rave” Ogilvie:
Tool front-man Maynard’s side project: PUSCIFER! Dave re-mixed a track called “Momma Sed” off the new album called “V is For Viagra”.

You can be sure of more boundary-smashing music coming from Dave Ogilvie. Here is a little insight on his recipe for success:

“You can’t be lazy. If you want to be lazy, nobody’s gonna notice you.” (Dave “Rave” Ogilvie)

Archives: The Rhythm Arts Project

2009-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Quoting T.R.A.P. Director Eddie Tuduri:

“T.R.A.P. is an educational program that addresses basic life skills in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. This program started 11 years ago when I broke my neck in a bodysurfing accident in Carpenteria, California.”

This is an amazing story of a man, his message, and the healing power of music.

Eddie Tuduri has been a 1st call touring drummer since the early 70’s with The Beach Boys, The Eagles, Dwight Yoakam, Ronnie Hawkins (Canadian Tour) and others. He has also recorded with Ike Turner, The Five Man Electric Band (of ‘Sign, Sign, everywhere a Sign’ fame), and local heroes Chilliwack.

Eddie flew in from California to record on Chilliwack’s 1978 album Lights in The Valley. He doesn’t like to brag, though.

“I flew in and did the record in one day… They didn’t put my name on it, or say that I was the drummer, but somewhere on the back of that record, it says ‘Thanks to Joe’s Pizza, Harry’s Whatever and Eddie Tuduri’ (laughs).”

Fast forward to 1997. After the surfing accident, Eddie found himself paralyzed, hospitalized, and unemployed. The drummer was now faced with the biggest obstacle of his life. Doctors said he wouldn’t walk again, let alone go back to his job as a globe-trotting rock drummer.

One day Eddie asked the Orderly to place a drumstick in his one moveable hand, and he began knocking out a beat on his bed, or table leg. Then something incredible happened.

“A little old lady rolled in from the other side of the ward and said “Eddie, I want to play! So we gave her a cowbell…We had this little groove happening in the ward, and we were all laughing.”

Soon, more and more patients wanted to play. They clapped along, sang along, etc. Spirits were high, and doctors took notice. Drumming soon found its way into the everyday routine for this group of patients.

“All the therapists began to find a use for it, which they called Rhythm Therapy.”

Eddie says the media noticed his situation, too:

“Modern Drummer wrote about my accident, and I mentioned that I wanted some bongos and congas and some percussion items, and all the gear merchants started sending things to the hospital. They said Eddie, you need to stop. There was thousands of dollars (in gear) and they wouldn’t stop sending. I didn’t really know what I was going to do.”

Luckily, Eddie recovered from his accident and walked out of the hospital, albeit with a cane, only 6 weeks from surgery! He credits his recovery to the Rhythm Therapy he received, and thanked the patients and doctors and friendly folks upon his release. The hospital staff liked Eddie so much, they decided to bring him back twice a week to lead drum circles. Eddie found himself drumming for a living again, and soon The Rhythm Arts Project was born.

Eddie is living proof that rhythm and music-based therapy works. And it’s not just for accidents. People with physical and mental conditions like Downe’s Syndrome, William’s Syndrome, Tourrette’s, and MS can benefit from the project. In fact, Eddie’s recent work has mainly focused on working with people with those conditions.

Eddie describes a typical T.R.A.P. session:

“We sit in a half-moon and I sit in the centre of that. We start with Djembes. What we really focus on in the beginning is to get everyone to tune in, to listen to each other, to listen to me, take direction, take turns, respect each other, and support each other.”

Get to know your peers first, and then join them on the route to recovery.

“Everybody’s individual. If I was teaching the 3rd grade, in a typical school, those children would all be within that range, you know what they could comprehend. Now, I could have children who are 5 to 12, or 12 to 18 or 18 to 80! We’re working with many different levels, different ages, different cultures, different languages, all in the spirit of fun. ”

Teamwork, co-ordination, speech and simple math are among the exercises covered. Once the initial introductions are complete, the real magic happens. Eddie uses the human senses – touch, sound, sight – to allow people to cope with their various conditions and communicate to others in the group. The results are incredible.

Eddie is now taking his show in the road, showing the benefits of this program. Eddie is back in to Vancouver as part of a Cross-Canada promotional tour.

“This is our (T.R.A.P’s) first venture into Canada, but I’ve been working here off and on since the 70’s... From 82 to 85, I worked and toured with several different acts like Ronnie Hawkins, The Downchild Blues Band, The Lincolns, and Rocky Rouletti. I worked from Coast to Coast. I’ve probably seen more of Canada than most Canadians! (laughs) I fell in love with it. I have lots of friends in Canada. The Pearl Drum Company helps me to promote and market the rhythmic arts project here. They and the Sabian Cymbol Company are taking us from Toronto to Vancouver.”

At each stop along the way, Eddie presents the T.R.A.P. Promotional Video. You have to see it to fully understand what it’s all about. For a clear-cut demonstration of how this organization works to change lives and unlock creativity and character from individuals who are challenged by physical, mental and developmental disabilities, go check out:

www.traponline.com

*Click on the T.R.A.P. Video logo

For Eddie, now 60, the next step is franchising, and branching out the organization:

“I’d like to see 10 or 15 people who have the same passion for this and can carry it on. My goals are to clone myself and all these other folks to carry this program into the future.”

If you are interested in improving the lives of disabled people through the magic of music, please check out The Rhythm Arts Project. For more information, Eddie can be contacted at: eddie@traponline.com

Archives: Transmission Showcase

2009-05-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Transmission Showcase
Thursday, Dec 4th

2 stages, rapid-fire turnovers, and some of the hottest buzz bands in the country.

The night started off with Vancouver’s Pacifika and their fiery Latin-infused love songs. Beautiful music, looks that kill, and an unforgettable presence onstage. Frontwoman Silvana looked like she was soaring through the air with her sweet, flowing melodies.

The band performed songs both in English and Spanish. Actually, I kept trying to pick out words I recognized, and only one comes to mind. Caliente’.

Woodhands blew me outta my tree. I’ve heard the name, seen pictures, but I had no idea how furiously funky these 2 individuals are onstage. One word describes this music: Hard. The synth/drum duo, led by one-time local boy Dan Werb, destroys all prior belief that “everything’s been done”. I couldn’t resist dancing. My feet just totally lost control.

Judging by drummer Paul Banwatt’s Star Trek T-shirt, I’m guessing these 2 are actually from a far-off, funkier planet. My recommended track: Dancer.

Wendy McNeill’s music is defiant of restrictions and leaning on manic. Taking the stage solo, the prairie girl’s soothing vocals and lead-actress looks caught everyone’s attention from go. Looping guitar, accordion & vocals, she’s not your average folk artist.

Wendy soared through her set way before I was ready to let her go. She really understands her arsenal & doesn’t hesitate to pull out all the stops. I think I saw an older man, stage left, wiping away a tear. That visual pretty much sums up the set.

USS is the yin & the yang; picture “Buddy Holly playing at a campfire in the middle of a drum n' bass rave.” DJ/Hype man Kebab sets up the groove and gets the crowd revved up, all while dropping handstands, cartwheels, or scratching with his face.
Guitarist Singer Schulz is a pretty gifted lyricist, very natural & fun. He threw in a rhyme he wrote at age 13, and it still sounds genuine. This is Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker.

In a bizarre finale, the boys took out a blender and made a smoothie out of OJ, tangarine slices, and a banana. USS chugged their juice, said goodnight and left the crowd shocked and confused… but ultimately delighted! I’d call this the Ultimate Sound Spectacle.

Radio Radio is a bunch of downeast bilingual boys, who just moved in and took the place over. These 4 funky Acadians busted out some party-time hip hop, always with a fat bass line. We got 2 DJs out back & 2 mic-men up front, busting rhymes in our 2 official languages. That’s how they roll in Moncton. With the DJ’s chipping in, we received a 4-man barrage of fine-tuned funny lyrics like in the track Cliché’ Hot.
We’re not used to French-rappers in VanCity, but I think this is more than just a novelty act. We could be looking at the beginning of a movement. Bientôt de retour

Final Flash is Heavy, without the Metal. The Montreal-based quartet started off promising, but the crowd just wasn’t engaged, and kept a healthy distance. Sounds like Supergrass/Hope of the States, but something was missing.

Frontman Joé committed 2 cardinal sins: dropping the mic, and then blowing into the wrong end of his harmonica. Stage banter was pretty awkward to say the least. Sure, tuning up is essential, but it shouldn’t stall the show.
Perhaps the English-language creates a barrier for Joé. At home, I imagine the intros are en Française. Mysteriously though, the French accent disappears once the singing begins. Maybe they should sing the introductions.
The members are solid individually, and the material works with their strengths. I just felt something was missing. They may have just had an off night.

Winter Gloves are a dancy pop outfit who is turning heads. Synth-laden, hooky, handclappy & very danceable music. 3 keyboards filled the airways with a tangling barrage of leads. Vocals were spot on, emotional and on-point.

Dancing is contagious, and the crowd was feelin’ the incendiary drumbeat.
Coming out of Montreal, Winter Gloves is backed by Paper Bag Records for the release of the new album ‘about a girl’. After just one listen, I’m convinced these lads could be very big, very soon.

Chin Injeti’s SuperGroup The Hastings Set capped off the night. You never know what you’ll get with The Set, but tonight it’s Chin, funk/electro duo Love & Electric, with soul singer Omar Diaz and a couple of wild dancers onstage.

Omar is a cross between Cee-Lo Green and Little Stevie Wonder; very fun, & pushing the energy over the top. Love & Electric are full of dancy grooves via DJ/programmer Kevin Mah, and there’s no escaping Roxy’s breathy bad-girl vocals. It’s getting hot in here…
The Hastings Set has released a trio of Compilation Albums with artists like Zaki Ibrahim, Kinnie Starr, Times Neue Roman, K’naan, Moka Only and many more.
The musical genius Chin capped off the set with his sweet acoustic track “Who I Am”, getting everybody onboard.
One thing’s for sure, this bunch is sure to get the party started. Or in tonight’s case, keep it going! Recommended track: Love & Electric, Never Wanna Get Over You

Check out tonight’s acts online at:

www.pacifikaonline.com
www.woodhands.com
www.wendymcneill.com
www.myspace.com/laradioradio
www.myspace.com/finalflash
www.winterglovesmusic.com
www.thehastingsset.com

*all photos by Nathan Stafford c/o www.flickr.com/freelanceyouth

Archives: Interview with Black Label Society Bassist John 'JD' Deservio

2009-05-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Black Label Society

Vancouver Chapter Presents:

Bassist John 'JD' Deservio

By Nathan Stafford

Black Label Society has kicked out a decade’s worth of the raunchiest, raddest riff rock known to mankind. At the group’s core is front man and longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist & co-writer Zakk Wylde. Zakk’s penchant for the heavy, headbanging, hallucinogenic hard rock has led him to recruit some of the tightest musicians on the planet to round out the band’s sound.

The current lineup consists of:

Zakk Wylde (Lead Guitar, Vocals)

Nick Catanese (Rhythm Guitar)

Craig Nunenmacher (Drums)

John Deservio (Bass Guitar)

I recently caught up with John “JD” Deservio. John has played an integral role in the group, starting with the 1st album ‘Sonic Brew’ to touring, promotional appearances, and of course, this interview!

When he’s not busy touring the world with Black Label Society or one of his side projects, John is always eager to give back to the fans. He recently toured Western Canada as part of a speaker series to promote Hartke Amps. One of his stops included Kelowna, BC.

On the solo tour:

“I just did a little clinic out there. It was awesome! It went really great. We have the best fans all over the world. They come out and support, and it’s really fun for me to do the clinic thing, because I really get to play the way I can and educate the kids about all kinds of other music and the gear I use.”

How does JD spend his downtime here in BC?

“I had a couple beasters (laughs). Yeah, the BC Bud rules. But I never have any time to do much of anything. I’m always in & out, y’know? I’ve been to Vancouver a few times, and I really enjoyed that city. I love it! Very European, but it’s so beautiful on the water and the mountains and everything.”

JD on the underground metal scene, in Vancouver and beyond:

“It’s a bit seedy, but the best places in the world are a little bit seedy. I didn’t run into any problems, and usually people don’t fuck with us. They think we’re gonna robTHEM! (laughs)… We just look like we’re mean. Coming from New Jersey or the New York area, you gotta have some toughness, or you’ll get eaten alive, son!”

Black Label Society hit the road this fall for a lengthy tour through Europe, sharing stages with some cool Euro bands along the way.

“We’re headlining a bunch of festivals. We headlined one festival a month back and TNT was there… We were in Norway and we actually played a show with them. Really nice guys. Ronni Lé Tekrø is a great guitarist.”

Any rock & roll casualties along the way?

“Fortunately nobody has really been trampled or hurt at our shows. But I know there was a problem in England with some punk-ass biker club that caused one of the Black Label shows to get cancelled, because they were actually beating up the fans who had black label shit on. Pretty stupid. It’s a band, it’s all about being cool and brotherhood, and here these fuckin punk asses are beating up on kids. That’s bullshit. I think that was in Manchester.”

A message to the masses:

“It’s all about love and being cool to each other. That’s what the whole thing (this band) represents, like a brotherhood. We aren’t bikers, we’re musicians, and we’re just trying to do good to everybody… Like Marvin Gaye said, “Only love can conquer hate, man.”

Speaking of spreading the love - Any special gifts from fans around the world?

“In Japan, I’ve received many gifts, like Godzillas and shit, because I love Godzilla. In Europe, I’ve gotten some cool flags and stuff that the fans have made and thrown up on the stage. I got one from Ireland. I got one from Canada, actually, that I brought with me on my clinic tour… Yeah, we get stuff from all over the place.”

Black Label Society recently toured South America and Mexico. How’d that go?

“That was amazing. We did 3 weeks with Korn and Ozzie. That was a few months back. We were in South America and Mexico, and the fans were great. They love metal down there. It was really, really cool. It was great to play with Korn. My buddy plays drums with Korn now, Ray Luzier. He’s an amazing drummer, so it was really nice to be on tour with a good buddy of mine, that I didn’t expect. And opening up for Ozzie is always awesome.”

Did the fans in the Mexico Chapter know the words to your songs?

“They were yelling some Spanish shit at me. (laughs) I didn’t know what they were saying.”

So what’s up with the Chapters anyway – how do I join one?

“It’s like being part of a fan club. Where ever you are, let’s say if you live in New Jersey, and you come out to the Black Label show, well that’s the New Jersey chapter. If you’re in Idaho, you come out, that’s the Idaho chapter. Fans are all part of it. People ask me all the time, “How do I join the Chapter? Well dude, you’re already in it, because you’re a fan and that’s it is. We say, if you’re from Jersey, you’re in the Jersey Chapter, y’know?”

Rumour has it, the band will be featured in the new Guitar Hero.

“Yes, the new one is coming out, I think Zakk is on the cover and everything, and we recorded some music for it a little while back, so I was pretty psyched about that, and I’m actually trying to get my new band on a track, that would be insane.”

“I have a side project that I’m doing, it’s called Cycle of Pain and my record comes out in March. I’m hoping we can get on Guitar Hero ‘cause that’s just such great exposure.”

Now that you mention it, John’s new band Cycle of Pain has been gaining ground and recently had their song ‘5’ featured in the TV show Sons of Anarchy.

“I was really psyched. My whole family was calling up, the phone was blowing up and stuff. It’s really cool. It’s exciting.”

How did that deal come about?

“My record company pimps out my music to networks… They sent out a couple of my songs to Fox, ESPN and the like, and they all called back right away and said they loved it, so I’m gonna get more stuff on television, which is another great avenue. The record company is responsible for that.”

Speaking of side projects, didn’t JD play with members of David Lee Roth’s band? Is there an album floating around out there?

“That’s like a completely different style of music from Black Label. More like Prog-rock/fusion-jazz. We get along great and I actually went over to Japan with Ray (Luzier) and we played. Me Ray and Toshi, who lives over in Japan played together. He brought us over there as part of the Toshi Hiketa World Project. We’d go to music colleges and teach. We did a couple gigs, played the instrumental stuff. The Hideous Sun Demons is the name of the band. I never got to record the record with them because we started jammin’ and we wrote a whole record of stuff that was insane, but then I went out (on tour) with Black Label and Ray went out with Army of Anyone at that point and we never got to record our record, but we WILL eventually. We’re gonna record another Sun Demons record!”

Has ‘Diamond Dave’ heard any of the Sun Demons’ tunes?

“I’m sure he has, man. Yep. He loves all kinds of music. He’s a good dude.”

Here’s an odd collaboration. I heard that professional baseball player and metal fan Mike Piazza actually growled on one of Black Label Society’s records. Is that true?

“He did. He growled on Stronger than Death… I remember I was in Jersey at the time and Zakk called me. He’s like ‘Mike’s here” and we’re talking on the phone and Mike was all excited, he says “Dude, I just sang on the record!”

Rumour verified. How about the great Nate Watts?

“Nate, he’s the most beautiful guy in the world. He’s been Stevie Wonder’s MD since like 1973 or something. In my book, he’s sittin’ at the right hand of the father. What a beautiful, beautiful guy. The life he’s lived, the experiences are just insane. And for me to actually be able to call Nate my friend is insane for me. I love all kinds of stuff. I love funk music and gospel and soul and for me to be able to call Nate Watts one of my friends is amazing.”

“We did a thing together, it’s called Tales from the Bottom. It’ll be on the Hartke site, and you’ll see me & Nate sittin’ there talking about James Jamerson. It’s pretty interesting. Tales From The Bottom! (laughs) We had fun with that one.”

JD on the fuzzier side of Nate Watts.

“Nate’s like a 300-pound Teddy Bear, so I feel safe wherever I go with Nate y’know?”

Now JD, hit us with some other collaborators. Let the name-dropping begin!

"On my record, yeah Zakk played on it, and I got Hugo (Ferreira)from Tantric singin on some stuff and Clip Payne from Parliament/Funkadelic did some backups on a track for me. He’s a beautiful dude. I’ve had a lot of great experiences with a lot of great different musicians. Ray from Korn played on some stuff for me, Brian Tishy, another great drummer and friend of mine, who plays with Billy Idol and all kinds of other cats. We went to Berkley together so he’s another life-long friend of mine as well. I’ve had a lot of great musicians on my shit. Also, jamming with Vinnie Moore, that was great. Derek Sherenian is another guy. He’s pretty amazing."

JD’s musical tastes are as varied as his rolodex.

“People definitely don’t know that I am huge into Soul Music. I’ve always been. I just connected with it. Soul music actually came from the church, y’know. It’s all God, and I totally get on with it. The feeling is just amazing. You can’t match the intensity and the adrenaline of a metal show, but the feeling you get from Soul Music is a completely different thing, y’know? As far as a bass player, in Soul Music and Funk Music, Jazz and stuff like that, the bass is just way more involved. It’s more of a compositional instrument rather than in metal and rock where you’re just following the guitar player, basically. I really get into James Brown tons, so much great Jazz. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, they’re like my favourites, there’s just so much music that’s out there. Reggae music too. Bob Marley is amazing. And the feeling you get from the music is just unmatched.”

JD on playing Metal vs other genres.

“Metal… onstage with the adrenaline; you can’t match that energy but all the other music has so many different things to offer and I’m just trying to let all the people know about that. In metal and rock, there’s a void of soul. Back in the 70’s, Black Sabbath was bluesy and soulful. All the metal bands, all the hard rock bands had an element of soul to them and I’m just trying to re-educate the kids about that, bringing that back.”

Does Zakk Wylde approve of his bandmates’ side projects? (Guitarist Nick Catanese also started Speed X with Mike Stone from Queensrÿche)

“Zakk played a couple solos on my record for me the other day. He was Jersey here and he came out to the studio. We had a blast and he’s so proud of me. It all strengthens the Black Label Tree, whatever anybody can do in the band y’know?”

Looks like Zakk is on board with Cycle of Pain, then?

“He’s like my biggest fan and I’m his biggest fan. He’s so proud of me and so psyched for me. It’s awesome. It’s more of like a family, just an extension, y’know?”

Speaking of The Family, JD does what he can to give back to the fans. He also has a message to other artists out there.

"I’m doing more and more signings and stuff, and it’s awesome that people actually care enough to get my autograph (laughs). That’s pretty funny. I’m really grateful for that. The fans are what it’s all about. If it wasn’t for the fans, I wouldn’t have a job y’know? I think more musicians should think about that. There’s a lot of dicks in the business. But we’re not, we’re cool (laughs)."

So what is the next year looking like for Black Label Society and JD?

“We’re going to Europe in a couple weeks, we’re gonna headline a bunch of festivals over there and then I’m gonna be mixing my (Cycle of Pain) record. It should be done pretty soon, and it’s gonna be comin’ out in March. I’m slated to go out on tour again with Black Label in March, and I’m hopin’ that by some chance, my band Cycle of Pain can maybe open up a couple of shows for Black Label. That would be amazing. Zakk always mentions to me (in deep voice) ‘You’re gonna be doin’ double duty, bro’ (laughs). I can’t wait dude. That would be insane. We’re going out with Black Label March through April and then I’m gonna try to go out with my band Cycle of Pain for the whole rest of the year.”

Will Black Label Society be back in Vancouver any time soon?

“Like I said, next March we’re supposed to go out through America and Canada, and I’m really hoping we can get out to BC, because I love the whole Western Canada scene.”

Now to wash down the interview. Is there really a Black Label Society Hot Sauce?

“There is! I think it’s out now. I’m not sure where you can get it, if it’s in the stores or if you have to get it online, but you can go on the website and I’m sure there’s some information about it. I think the hottest one has Zakk’s piss in it!”

Woah! There you have it! Crazed fans can now take home a little piece of Black Label Society! If you’d rather take them home in another form, be sure to check out one, or all of the albums.

Don’t forget, John’s side project Cycle of Pain will be releasing an album in early ’09.

For more information, check out:

www.blacklabelsociety.com

www.blacklabelsociety.net (Official Fan Site)

www.johnjddeservio.com

www.myspace.com/cycleofpain

Blog? Off

2009-04-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

(Logo design by Payton Evans)

NOTICE: Musical Interpretations will be on a temporary hiatus.

This online collection, which is not a blog at all but more of a catchall for my various writings, thoughts and musical escapades, will be scaled back in the coming weeks as I work on an exciting new project. I agreed not to blog about it during the early stages, so just hang on. It will be a departure from my usual live reviews.

I don't really consider myself a blogger at this point in time. There was a time...

I kept a daily journal during my 2 months in China in early 2008. If you feel like stepping into a time machine, reading a day-to-day 9-Week Blog that happened a year ago, Check Out:

"White Rice (www.nasianstafford.blogspot.com)

Or if you're into gig-shot photos, check out my Flickr Page: FreelanceYouth

Or my Videos on Youtube! www.youtube.com/timesamillion

And now we can follow each other on Twitter! twitter.com/nathanstaff

Keep in touch y'all! I'll be back shortly with lots of sweet goodness. You can count on it.

-nathan stafford
Music In Productions
info -AT- musicin.ca
www.musicin.ca

The Skinny Turns 1! This is No April Fools Joke

2009-03-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

Come on down to Lugz Coffee House on Wednesday April 1st to celebrate the 1st Birthday of Vancouver's Bi-Weekly Scene Report, The Skinny.

A photo retrospective, lots of indie music, and a good chance to mingle and get to know the people in your local scene. Clever artists can bring a CD or demo and work it! See you there?

(See Poster)

My Week at The Biltmore - A Visual Review: Part 2

2009-03-26T01:14:00.000-07:00

Wednesday March 4th: Paul Anthony's Talent Time
Location: The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, BC

A monthly live-taping for Novus Network tv program ‘Paul Anthony’s Talent Time’. This month marks the return of comedian extraordinaire Hugh Phukovsky aka Paul Anthony. After 2 ½ years on hiatus, Hugh returned in all his zebra-panted glory.

Hugh is the 'punk rock custodian of comedy'. I'd liken his act to watching someone fart in their pants for 20 minutes. And yeah, I loved it! Hugh's set of new material sparkled, including a joke about 'doin it Greek-Style' aka in-the-butt (yes, folks, it was a Rated R program. R for Racy). Billed as a Talent Show, the night also included crooner Adam Olgi (sp), a B-Boy-Ballerina-Battle from the kids of DanceTron 2009 and a visit from a representative of P.R.O.D. (Permanent Residents of Disney Land). The only thing left was to bring up ECCW Wrestler of the Year (yes, 'real' live wrestling exists in Surrey) Scottie Mac for an interview and video presentation. Unbeknownst to Hugh, Scottie’s nemesis Moondog Manson, a rather stout, mulleted chap rushed the stage and announced his disgust with the situation. What should Scottie get all the glory?

Now with 2 wrestlers onstage, something went wrong. It was obviously planned that Moondog would POWER BOMB Scottie Mac, but the Dog inadvertently elbowed Hugh in the head, sending him flying offstage. I think it caught the comedian off guard, because Hugh got knocked the Phuk out! The show ended abruptly and the lights came on. Peeking behind the curtain, I saw a bloody-lipped comedian being helped offstage rather tenderly. I actually saw the egg on the back of his head, and a friend of mine touched it. Hugh stuck around after the show, but refused to drink any alcohol because he reportedly suffered a concussion. The crowd mostly dispersed, the cameras went away and the show was over. Or was it?! It’s never too late for a lil’ Karaoke! Tune in to the Novus Network where the show airs regularly, and don’t miss the next taping on April 1st! What time is it? It's Talent Time!

Check out the facebook page for Paul Anthony’s Talent Time

Artist Profile: Wanting

2009-03-26T01:09:00.000-07:00

Packing up and moving to a foreign country on your own is sort of like being reborn. You have to start over, going from zero, learning everything there is to know about a strange, new culture. For starters, there’s a language barrier, a culture barrier and not having any relatives around can be a bit much to anyone, let alone for a 16-year-old girl. Wanting came to Canada at age 16 completely on her own. The young lady soon experienced heartbreak, loneliness, nostalgia, confusion, sadness and short-lived happiness. These emotions and valuable lessons have forced her to grow up extremely fast.

“You are pretty much a nobody when you first go to a foreign country on your own. Without your family or friends that you made in high school being there with you to lend you a hand when you are in need, you have to prove to the people around you that you are worthy; that you can do what they do and, better. Nobody else is going to do things for you, you have to do it yourself.”

As an only child, Wanting felt a huge weight on her shoulders. In order to appease her beloved parents in China, she went to university and finished her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management, but there’s only one thing that Wanting can be truly happy doing, and that’s music. She followed her heart back to the piano, and started writing.

Wanting’s heartfelt lyrics vividly display her personal struggles and her views on life and love. She tells her stories through a powerful, yet gentle voice. Each melody captures a moment of her life that’ll take you on a journey.

“Some of my friends have said that they see a different Wanting on stage. I agree. They are probably used to the Wanting who’s fun, goofy, always joking around and easy-going. I mean, come on, who wants to see a grumpy old soul hanging around… But I think singing, writing and performing, for me at least, is a way to bring out the bottom of the iceberg you know? To truly be vulnerable and just…let it out. It’s good to do that once in a while because it keeps you sane and happy. Now, not every song I write is always real life, I do use my imagination to keep it interesting sometimes.”

Wanting’s debut album “Love I Am” is a collection of stories of heartbreak, loneliness, nostalgia, confusion, sadness and short-lived happiness that are inspired by love. Love between a mother and a daughter, love between two lovers and love between friends.

“Love being the universal language, I hope the audience can easily relate and identify with my songs. I believe, if my creations have touched or influenced people in any way, if my songs have made people pause and think for a moment…even just one person, I feel that my music has served its purpose and as a song writer, I am fulfilled.”

Wanting also writes, sings and performs in Chinese (Mandarin). She exemplifies the very idea that music has no borders. Local fans can catch her Chinese songs at a live show, and fans abroad will be happy to know Wanting plans to release a Chinese language album very soon.

“ ‘Wanting’ in Chinese means graceful, peaceful, beautiful and happiness…And yes it is my real name.”

Here are a few lines from the album that capture Wanting’s originality.

In “Shine Over Me”, a line says, “I’m older than I am…”
Explanation from Wanting: “Well, I feel sometimes, certain people I meet who are the same age as me are way younger than me, mentality-wise. Things they want and they do are things I wanted and did 3, 4 years ago. That’s why I feel that I am older than my actual age. Thus, I’m older than I am. ”

In “Nobody’s Fault”, a line says, “The shoulder you lent me, was made out of sand…”
Explanation from Wanting: “This one is easy to read, shoulders that are made out of sand, you can never lean on. You’ll just fall flat and get a concussion (laughs).”

In “Shell”, a line says, “I threw myself, then I, became a shell.”
Explanation from Wanting: “This song I wrote when I was feeling very low and small. Basically, this line is a way of saying how empty I was at that point. I’m sure people can relate to this.”

Wanting’s last name (Qu) in Chinese means Music. She is unstoppable on stage, and lovable off stage. Keep an eye out for the amazingly talented rising star – Wanting!

The full-length album “Love I Am” will be released in spring 2009.

www.wantingmusic.com
www.myspace.com/wanting

My Week at The Biltmore - A Visual Review: Part 1

2009-03-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

This is the story of my week at The Biltmore Cabaret. I attended 3 events at the Vancouver Venue, hoping to see some great acts. Take a look and you'll see what I did!

Tuesday March 3rd, Jody Glenham CD Release Party
Location: The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, BC
5 acts, short sets, fast-paced changeovers. Let's get started!

****************************************************************************************

Opener The Rising Price of Gas – solo-acoustic R&B/Hip Hop covers. That’s right. Like Lucinda Williams singing Ludacris. Pretty hilarious concept, but her supple voice paired with ukulele and guitar sounded surprisingly sweet, and out of the ordinary. 'Lollipop' was my fave.

Next up, Bad Moves telecaster-driven indie rock a-la Pursuit of Happiness or The Battles. Frontman Bobby let one slip with his quip “This is my last song… I mean Our Last Song.” I take it he does the writing. Whoever wrote those songs, they rocked my toque off.

3rd on the sched, Laura Smith with her band called... Laura Smith! I had to snicker at the introduction 'We are Laura Smith'. Laura has a pretty voice and a penchant for penning piano-pop, but something was amiss with her set tonight. There were technical issues, and I sensed a lack of connection with the crowd. There's a full band onstage & you could have played soccer on the dancefloor. That's never a good sign of how things are going. Laura and her band are playing 2 shows at the upcoming JunoFest, where I'm hopeful she can make more of an impact on the crowd and make this critic eat crow. You've got to remember, these folks are still pretty young, and still gelling musically. Could have just been an off-night, but overall, I was underwhelmed.

And now, the piece de resistance, headliner and ex-Winnipegger Jody Glenham celebrates the release of her sophomore album 'Focus Pull'. In a genius move, Jody screened her music video for 'One Shot' on a small canvas at the back of the stage. By forcing the audience to move forward, the singer/songwriter had us right where she wanted us! Now with a rambunctious crowd before her, Jody and her new backing band tore into the set. In a true sign of camaraderie, Laura Smith and Louise Burns returned to the stage to sing BGV's. That was a nice touch. A new band usually has its hiccups, but I saw none on this night. Great set, right down to the cupcakes, which Jody bakes herself (admittedly when she's nervous). The crowd either wanted more songs or more cupcakes, but alas there weren't any! Just kidding. I think the band only rehearsed 10-or-so songs for tonight, but rest assured, there are plenty more on Jody's 2 albums and myspace page. Now let's get some scotch!

But wait, there's still another act: Analog Bell Service. I don’t think anybody wanted to go on after these guys. Yes, they didn’t take the stage till waay late, but they shook the place all night long. Energetic ska-rock the likes of The Specials or The English Beat – only with an added P-Funk Punch courtesy of bassist Colin Cowan. Brothers Chris and Mike Leitch switched off the lead vocals flawlessly, trading guitar for keyboards without missing a beat. If you didn’t look at the stage, you probably wouldn’t notice that the lead singers had changed. Siblings singers are just naturally similar, vocally. Oh and the white sunglasses were so chic! Analog Bell Service stole the freakin’ show tonight! It’s a shame barely anyone stuck around to witness it. But I sure as hell did!

Live Review - Vancouver Outer Limits

2009-03-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

Jan 12, 2009
'Vancouver Outer Limits'
A Stunning Live Music & Visual Performance
Providing the Music: Anomalous Disturbances & Slowmobile
Providing the Visuals: VJ Mediavictm

Live Music & Live Video.

First off, I'll describe the scene. There are instruments set up on either side of the stage. In the middle, a large projection screen. Opening act Slowmobile is seated on my right side, setting up to perform. In the middle, VJ Mediavictm's workstation, with laptops and video equipment controlling what you see on the screen. He explains to me what each piece of gear does, and I watch him hand pick video clips, each of varying lengths, from his extensive library. He'll cue up video as the music progresses. A live art film. It's a mix of stock footage, like trees and animals, but there are also clips he filmed himself, like the lights of downtown Vancouver. It was really cool. Check out www.mediavictimlabs.com to see more of what this guy is about.

First up on the musical docket, Slowmobile.

3 guys, with bass, guitar, 2 laptops and lots of cool techniques. This is live ambient music at its finest. I noticed the bass player was also triggering a drum machine, but the sounds coming out weren't your average drumbeats. I caught up with bassist Rick and asked him about what he was doing.

"All the twiddling i was doing on the sampler was related to field recordings. I spent a week in Havana and recorded as much as I could: echoing voices in a near empty church, a lone trumpeter in a quiet plaza, a street band on stilts cranking out some funky rhythms with drums and a reed trumpet; i dangled my mic over the stairwell of my fifth floor room in the hotel sevilla and caught the surreal echo of flutes and percussion being struck from a hundred feet below; recorded a flamenco class in the gran theatro de havana; captured a kid on tape singing a dirty little tune after he bummed a smoke on the Malecon. These recordings were distilled down to short loops composed of clips that lasted anywhere from 2 to 15 seconds.

All of this stuff got woven into the set, much of it as ambient sound, much of it as a virtual rhythm section. the flamenco dancers, for example, became a clanking and thumping loop early on in the set to which i would then lay down a groove on the bass. Later, the street band's cacophony would take over then ebb away. These sounds would weave in and out of our set. a few of the loops were often playing at once.I'm hoping to use these recordings in a studio setting too, sculpting a piece of music together."

Not your average performance tonight at The Beaumont. I wondered if the band talked to the videographer beforehand to work out a theme for tonight's performance.

Rick says:
"Our concept for the Beaumont show was to have a "hot and cold" piece of music, in which a tundra soundscape would morph in and out of hotter, funkier sounds. Not sure the visuals reflected that--i wasn't looking, but i believe the 'cold' was predominant. This musical idea is something I hope to explore further regardless."

Hot & Cold. Cold & Hot. Whatever it was, I couldn't escape the music. If you are interested in winding, sinewy building soundscapes, check out: myspace.com/slowmobile

Next up, the headlining act, the first performance in more than a year by Anomalous Disturbances aka Terry O'Brien.

Terry's musical project combines all sorts of musical genres, instrumentation and inspiration. You never quite know what you'll get, so when a rare chance comes along to see Terry live, I take it! Tonight we weren't disappointed.

Terry's gear collection is as impressive as his musical abilities. His rack is taller than he is, his pedals cover a lot of real estate, and his 2 guitars are mint. The last time I saw Anomalous Disturbances, it was in a small-ish coffee shop, so it's a real treat to see him in a soft-seater theatre.

Here's the thing about Terry's music: it takes you places. It's not something you can just casually listen to. If you really immerse yourself in the sounds, your soul will pretty much escape your body through the top of your head and drift around the atmosphere with the notes from Terry's guitar and looping effects. I'm no gear head, so I try not to pay attention to what the man onstage is doing, I just sit back and listen. Normally I'd close my eyes and let my brain go for a walk, but tonight I can look at the screen and enjoy the whole show.

This isn't violent, thrashing, loud noise at all. Terry is a really gifted guitarist and his hushed chords bend and grow with each twist of a dial, every thrown switch. Sometimes it's looping one chord and manipulating it beyond the point of recognition. Sometimes there is so much going on, it's better not to try & understand it. Just enjoy it.

Ambient, experimental, alternative, mood-music, whatever you want to call it, it's beautiful stuff. I only hope we'll see another Anomalous Disturbances show soon. I urge you to check out www.myspace.com/anomalousdisturbances

OK, I know this show took place over a month ago, but I was hoping to add a little video, via the Vancouver City Limits Youtube Channel. I still haven't seen any footage from this show, but I really want to! Keep an eye on www.youtube.com./vancouvercitylimits for video from this and many other great performances.

R.I.P. Punker! - Lux Interior, Lead singer of The Cramps dies at 60

2009-02-09T16:45:00.000-08:00

The world has lost another rocker, this time Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, who died of heart failure on Feb 4th, 2009. He was 60 years old.

For anyone who has never heard of The Cramps, they hit you with that 'smack you in the face, have you beggin' for another' vibe when onstage. For those like me who have already fallen under their spell, you know what I'm talking about. Still performing as recently as November, 2008, The Cramps were something of a phenomenon even in their formative years, performing at NY's CBGBs in the mid 70's with their 'peers' The Ramones, Patti Smith & Television. The band spent 4 decades delivering that rockabilly/punkabilly garage sound we all know and crave.

In honour of Lux Interior, check out this Live Video of "Way I Walk" performed at the Napa Valley Mental Hospital in 1978, courtesy of the fine folk at The Internet:

Paul's Boutique 20th Anniversary Re-Release

2009-02-05T20:50:00.000-08:00

A Re-mastered version of the landmark 1989 Beastie Boys album Paul's Boutique has just been released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the record. The group have some unique options for fans looking to grab the "new" album:

Digital Download Package with 320kbps MP3 downloads

Deluxe Digital Package with highest quality download, 5 music videos, interactive 3D Digital album art & Full-album video commentary by the Beastie Boys

CD: completely re-mastered, 8 panel Eco-pack

Vinyl: Remastered 180 gram vinyl with 8-panel fold out

20th Anniversary Commemorative Package includes a CD, 180-gram vinyl, a Paul's Boutique t-shirt and a never seen before poster that's 8 ft wide

All this & More at: http://paulsboutique.beastieboys.com

Check out this classic interview from 1989:

R.I.P. Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, Richie Valens

2009-02-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

50 years ago, a charter plane carrying 17-year-old sensation Richie Valens, J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson, and 22-year-old megastar Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley crashed over Clear Lake Iowa, killing the 3 stars and their pilot.

Feb 3rd, 1959 was known the world over as "The Day The Music Died". Today, the trio is remembered for their contributions to Rock & Roll and popular culture. The loss of Buddy Holly was especially difficult, considering the number of stars who later listed the lanky Texan as an influence: The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, and Don McLean. McLean, who immortalized that black day in history with his 1971 hit song "American Pie", including the line "I can't remember if I cried, when I read about his widowed bride" about Holly's wife, Maria.

It seems like so many artists are taken at a young age, often tragically. This time, it wasn't drugs or alcohol or murder, but a blinding snowstorm that caused the pilot to lose control of his aircraft.

A Few of Buddy Holly's accomplishments:

1955: Buddy Holley opens for Elvis Presley in Lubbock, TX

1956: Buddy signs to Decca Records, with a contract that misspelled his name "Buddy Holly". The new spelling stuck. At this time, Buddy recorded an early version of "That'll Be The Day".

1957: Buddy Holly leaves Decca Records, but the company will not release his publishing, forbidding him to release "That'll be the Day" with another label for 5 Years! Holly forms his new band The Crickets, and proceeds to sign 2 Recording contracts with Decca subsidiaries Brunswick Records and Coral Records, in essence finding a way around the Decca restrictions so he could release his eventual hit "That'll be the Day". (Quick fact: the original version, played more slowly and half an octave higher, was a commercial failure)

1958: Buddy Holly & The Crickets tour Australia & The U.K.

1959: The Crickets split up over differing priorities. Buddy was more interested in the New York recording/publishing scene, while the band wanted to hit the road again.

Buddy Holly embarks on a solo tour, performing with names like Dion & the Belmonts, Richie Valens and Big Bopper.

Feb 3rd, Holly chartered a plane to fly with his backup band (Tommy Allsup , Carl Bunch and Waylon Jennings) to Fargo, North Dakota. In a strange twist of fate, the band members weren't on that plane. Bunch suffered from frostbite due to a faulty tour bus heater and missed the flight. Jennings gave his seat to Big Bopper, and Allsup, losing a coin toss, gave his seat to Valens. 21-year-old pilot Roger Peterson lost control during a snowstorm, sending the 4 into the dark pages of music history.

March 9, 1959: “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” written by Paul Anka and recorded by Buddy Holly at his last studio session shortly before his death, becomes a posthumous hit.

A great website with information about Buddy, his band and story is: www.buddyhollyandthecrickets.com

Buddy Holly was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

ATTENTION - FLOOD OF FIRE GEAR STOLEN

2009-02-03T23:15:00.000-08:00

ALERT: The Flood of Fire jam space in Vancouver got broken into over the weekend and thieves got away with 4 guitars and two backpacks full of pedals and chords!

Keep your eyes open for:

-Alex's grey musicman bass with a Blue Pearl pickguard,

-Sean's camouflage Washburn flying V guitar with emg pickups

-Justins black fender stratocaster with an emg pickup in the bridge with white pickguard, and his BC Rich warlock guitar with a bandaid on the headstock.

If you happen to be at your local guitarshops and pawn shops and spot something similar to what we have described please let the band know! Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Contact the band through their myspace site www.myspace.com/floodoffireband or email INFO@FLOODOFFIRE.COM

Junior Major Shares A Little Secret Magic: Album/Live Review

2009-02-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

Question: Is it wrong for a grown man to jump up-and-down on his bed with headphones on?

The answer: Not unless I get caught!

Life’s a party when you’re Suzy Sabla. With a CD Release Romp scheduled for Friday the 23rd, the Junior Major frontgal & fashionista was excited to rock the house with some frolicking fun!

“Tons of frolicking, cute dresses, heavy-duty lead-ups… Not only are people getting a dose of the album Secret Magic, but we’ll also be playing a few new tracks so people know what to look forward to!”

The new disc plays like a party. 11 tracks of pure indie garage-pop glory, from the opening track “Drunk Lip”, to the title-track/closer “Secret Magic”. A+. What’s a Drunk Lip anyway? Sounds scandalous!

“Drunk Lip is a song that Katy and I wrote after we saw some musicians onstage and we were mimicking that everybody in the band had their drunk facial expressions on. It’s just a party song, taking the piss out of that face when you know somebody’s just about to fall on their face. You know they’re making excuses and lying about how many drinks they want when they should be drinking water,” laughs Suzy.

Moving down the line, there’s a common theme with the album: tongue in cheek humour, sugary-sweet harmonies, garage-pop revenge, and a whole lotta ‘tude. Bits of grungy cacophony like “Bad Timing” and “Snake Charms” really get the blood boiling, but it was the story of “Dirty Birds” that gave a little glimpse into the Junior Major muse. The elegantly spoken Suzy explains:

“That was an angry little song that was written when a piece of information fluttered my way about some people whom I thought I trusted. I’ve gotten over the situation, but that’s why I like writing songs, because it’s so much better than having temper tantrums at people because you kind of get over it once you’re done singing it ten times.”

Secret Magic was recorded with producer and Good News bassist Hayz Fisher, who it’s also fair to add, joined Buck Cherry in a modern-Modernettes incarnation. The album will satiate most indie appetites, as you won’t find any 4-minute guitar solos, or even 4-minute songs for that matter. Secret Magic is a fun collection of sugar & spice & everything destructive.

Now onto the live show at the fabulous Biltmore Cabaret. It feels like a Vegas Lounge; a place you could find yourself hanging out at 11am on a Tuesday. As Hayz & opening act The Good News loosened up the mostly young-ish, well-dressed crowd, the promise of a great evening presented itself. Great sound from this 6-piece, and if “Our Love is a Crime”, then you can lock me up for loving this band!

In a growing trend, the headliners went on 2nd tonight. Good news for Suze:

“I remember playing at the Biltmore last year, and I tend to drink double Gin & Tonics when I play. I managed to spill one all over myself, my set list and some other people. I got another drink, but I spilled that one shortly thereafter. I guess that comes with playing last. When you’re headlining you gotta watch the amount of alcohol intake.”

Apparently there has been some lineup shuffling within Junior Major, right Suzy?

“We’ve just added a new drummer, named Tony Dallas, and thusly we have also thrown some bass into the mix. Rather than being a 3-piece, we’re now a 4-piece. Really going Junior Major Deluxe. It’s noisy, dirty & grimy, but simultaneously girly, fun and energetic!”

Damn right! The new lineup is off the friggin’ charts! The show opened with the usual sickly, baritone chug from Katy’s 6-string, and almost right away, whipped into a mad dash of energy. With Tony the Uzi-Machine Gun behind the kit and Adam Sabla jumping (literally) over to bass, this gang could very well earn the label “Most exciting local band” this year. The girly-twin vocals of Suzy & Katy remind me of when my 2 little sisters would make up songs to tease me back in the day. Ahh, nostalgia. Complete with kissing-up.

“Sorry for swearing, mom.” (Suzy Sabla)

The look. Junior Major’s wardrobe looks like a clash of the decades. Little Suzy Q in her 60’s party dress, Katy in her stylish, timeless black cocktail dress, Adam sporting a skinny-tie and Tony looking like one of the Get Up Kids. These are the bad kids who showed up to crash the debutant ball. Prom-punk! Suzy even offers fashion tips for those looking to spruce up their style:

“Here’s my fashion tip for everybody: Without sounding cheesy, don’t give a shit about anything else and if something seems rad to you, but it looks ridiculous, there’s nothing wrong with being ridiculous! At least it’s a step away from American Apparel hoodies. I look back at some of my outfits and say ‘What The Fuck Was I Thinking?’ Colour’s good. Actual patterns are good. Why the hell not? We’re young!”

You might remember a couple of years ago, “Surface Socket” brought national exposure to Junior Major via The Wedge. In the video, Suzy & Katy throw a party on Burrard Street, challenging passers-by to a dollar store version of Hungry Hungry Hippo. Now, if Suzy could challenge one artist to a game of Hungry Frog, who would it be?

“I’d like to challenge Lady Gaga. I watched Much Music for the first time in a few months the other day, and I was absolutely appalled. There were 2 Lady Gaga videos in a row. I was like; Who is this girl? What’s with the metallic hair? I challenge you Lady Gaga to a game of Frogs. Anytime, anywhere.”

With a lively live show, rambunctious record and a lavish lineup, it’s only a matter of time before Junior Major Fever spreads East, and South:

“We’re looking to potentially head on over to the East Coast, do a mini-tour like Toronto, New York, Montreal. It’s definitely on the horizon, we’ve just gotta figure out the right timing.”

You can check out Junior Major live at Honey Feb 4th for Suzy’s Beehive Birthday Bash. Dress Code: Pretty In Pink!

All that partying can be pretty exhausting, but Suzy and the gang won’t stop there. Rest assured, there will be more frolicking fun as the band heads into the studio to unleash another portion of their kajillion-or-so songs.

“RECORDING!!!!!! “ screams Suzy. “Woooohooo! Yeah, we’re going to be recording in February with our friend Patrick at Mission Shack Studios and once again with Hayz Fisher, who just did some vocals with Adjective. We’re excited to bring out some new songs that we’ve been writing and either do an EP or if we’re feeling up to it, another full-length!”

Suzy Junior, Katy Major, Adam Sabla & Tony Dallas. Punk Rock, Fashion, and Frolicking Fun. The new album is called Secret Magic. Find out where you can buy it at www.myspace.com/juniormajor

Team Winston Showcase - Gig Shots!

2009-01-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

Team Winston Showcase
Feat: Wanting, Nat Jay, Savannah Leigh Band & Winston
Location: The Railway Club, Vancouver BC
Jan 16th, 2009

Something A Little Different... A Visual Review
Gig Shots by Nathan Stafford

Wanting

Nat Jay

Savannah Leigh Band

Winston

*Side note: Ryan aka Winston performed in 3 out of the 4 acts on the bill, pulling not double, but TRIPLE DUTY! With all that hard work, I am amazed at how much energy he had left for his own set. He led his band through a few pop/folk/rockin' numbers and then cooled things down with a handful of solo tracks.

Most notable, the song "What's Your Fuckin' Problem" really got the crowd's attention, as they yelled, sang or "Whoooo!'ed" along to the song. The song is about a friend who disappears all of a sudden, maybe moving back to Ontario, or who knows. I think we all know somebody like that. One minute you're hanging out with the guy, then all of a sudden they are on the other side of the country.

Rounding off the night, the band Winston performed a "New Song". I didn't catch the name of it, if it has one, but the piece started out with a Coldplay-like build and moved into a scorching rocker. In a random act of randomness, the song transformed into "I was Made for Loving You" by Kiss - and even more exciting, THAT transformed into "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor. Yeah, that's right. I haven't seen a band do that so seamlessly since The Clumsy Lovers. To listeners: it doesn't matter what your "style" is. If you can recognize songwriting, arranging and performing talent, you'll likely enjoy Winston. The Man, the Band, the Producer, the Nice Guy. A packed house in a tough market like Vancouver is a mark of success. Team Winston Wins!

Live Review - Parlour Steps, ARCTIC, Windows '78

2009-01-19T01:07:00.000-08:00

Saturday Jan 10th, 2009
The Railway Club
Vancouver, BC

It’s Saturday night, and some delicious music is about to be dished out at one helluva hotspot: The Railway Club.

On Tonight’s menu: The return of astronaut-rockers Windows ’78, a lovely little band called ARCTIC, and the sweet sounds of Parlour Steps. Let’s do it!

I arrived right on time, only to be waylaid by the Vancouver Canucks game, which was on every tv in the house. How can you compete? The actual show didn’t start until 10:30, but it was well worth the wait. 90 minutes of beer-drinking and garage-rock talk got me nice and pumped up.

First up, the Men from Mars: Windows ’78. After a slight hiatus, the band returns with an astoundingly solid set. Noted was the absence of original guitarist and Hinterland co-founder John Lucas, but in his stead was Greg Williams, a very talented musician in his own right (Check out Stride Elementary). Drummer Michael Nathanson, who also plays in Stride, was solid tonight as always, giving the shoegaze-rock material exactly what it needed. Seems like cousins Mark and Craig Rogers have co-written a seemingly endless supply of songs about “Stupid Friends & Bad Relationships”. Poor guys. I guess Mark’s pain is our pleasure…

The dreamy, spacious, build-it-up rock satisfied the crowd quite well, and when the band’s producer, and Parlour Steps frontman Caleb Stull joined the band for a song, it sounded fuckin’ brilliant in my opinion. The somewhat stunted, melancholy vocals a-la Mark got a little dash of pop when combined with Caleb’s. I wanted to hear more, but unfortunately, I understand it’s somewhat of a faux pas to press too hard for an encore from the opening band. I hope for everyone’s sake that Windows ‘78 will be back soon for another show on this planet. I’ll be there!
Recommended track: You Wonder Why – www.windows78.com

****************************************************************************************

Next on the docket, Vancouver’s ARCTIC.

ARCTIC has just released a new EP “Unbeliever”, so I was curious as to how the set list would be chosen. Frontman/guitarist Marcus Martin has a solo album out there as well, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would it be like a solo artist with a backing band? Well, yes and no. Marcus seems to be the “voice” of the band, but the other members are contributing in spades. Bassist Kirsten provides some cool, spacy bass and her Charles Shultz-like humour thrown in between songs was perfect. Drummer Todd Biffard’s performance really stood out. He was playing like a man possessed.

I’ve never really witnessed a lot of effects-based guitar looping before, let alone with an acoustic guitar! If I closed my eyes, I could have sworn there were 3 or 4 guitarists, a keyboardist, someone playing jigsaw, and a pack of Narwhals singing to each other. You’d half-expect Marcus to have a 3rd hand hidden somewhere with all the crazy things he was doing. Check out this epic jam that the band seemingly built up from feel. If you are a fan of bands pushing the boundaries live, you gotta see this:

I’m interested to see where ARCTIC will venture next sonically. They seem like an insanely versatile bunch. Great chemistry happening onstage. I felt like ARCTIC was tight, but loose at the same time. That might be an oxymoron, but that’s ARCTIC! And, did I hear a little taste of Dance-Punk in there as well? Go to www.myspace.com/arctic, load the first song on the player (You Coming Down v2), and tell me what you think! Not what you'd expect compared to the rest of the material. A great way to end the set, nonetheless.

Check them out online, and you’ll see these folks have their proverbial shit-together. The logo is eye-catching, the website a beautifully-organized hodgepodge, and they have created some pretty awesome videos. Peep the newly-released “I Heard” video, which was animated by bassist/web guru Kirsten Starcher, with the concept coming from Marcus. I’d like to see what ARCTIC comes up with next. Check out www.projectarctic.com for more from this interesting band.

I HEARD – By ARCTIC

ARCTIC Gig Shots by Nathan

****************************************************************************************

And now, the headlining act, Nine Mile Records recording artists Parlour Steps.

I've never seen this band live, but I‘ve heard their name bandied about town, so I was excited to 'P-Step' to the music. I recently saw their video for “Thieves of Memory”, and was intrigued… For one, the song is insanely catchy; the harmonies make those little hairs on my uhh neck stand up, and how can you not love stomping and clapping along? The song was selected as a winner in the International Songwriting Competition out of 15,000 entries. If you’re still not satisfied, check out this artful, entertaining video which is all over The Hype Machine.

Thieves of Memory - By Parlour Steps

I’ve heard comparisons to Vancouver’s indie darlings Mother Mother. The 2 Girl-1Guy Harmonies are definitely right there, but everyone is playing an instrument in the Parlour Steps gang, so in a street fight, I gotta give the decision to Parlour Steps.

The dance-ability may have caught the crowd a little off guard, but no sooner than you could say Kalamazoo, the room was ablaze with the cuttin’ of rugs. I had a blast, dancing & singing along to the simple, catchy lyrics. A great way to end a great night! great!

Sweet songs, looks that kill, the high-energy talent of frontman Caleb Stull, thumps & claps a-la drummer Robert Linton, & the frisky vocals of bassist Julie Bavalis & keyboardist Allyson Mara are a sample of the reasons why Parlour Steps are a buzz-band. 2008 saw the release of AMBIGUOSO, a U.S. Tour, and plenty of press. I’m looking forward to what 2009 will bring for these thought-rock stars.

Recommended track: Only Mystery

Check out the following sites for more Parlour Steps-y goodness:

www.parloursteps.com

www.myspace.com/parloursteps

www.ninemilerecords.com

Live Review - Harma White & Wanting

2009-01-13T23:59:00.000-08:00

Cafe Deux Soleils
Dec 20th, 2008

On a cold blustery night in Vancouver, I rigged up the dog sled and mushed over to Cafe Deux Soleils, in hopes that my rough translation to 'Cafe of the Two Suns' was correct, and thus this venue might offer some summertime warmth. Well, I didn't find two actual suns, but I did find 2 musical acts that put a smile on my face. It's true: having fun keeps you warm!

First up was the striking and sweet-sounding songbird Wanting. Her simple, but catchy tunes were a nice way to start off the evening. The sound system was a little shaky though. At times the piano was barely distinguishable, and then all of a sudden it was too loud (1st act = soundcheck?). I heard from Wanting that she couldn't hear herself through the monitors, which affected her vocal performance. I guess as a singer/songwriter, you have to hear yourself, but in my opinion, you're gonna have to get used to playing with less-than-ideal sound conditions if you're going to tour. A little vocal training will ween any artist off monitor-dependence and give that boost of confidence.
Photo credit: Steve MC

Performing songs in 2 languages is always impressive to me, even if I can't understand a word. Mandarin-Chinese sounds really nice atop a slow, poppy melody on piano or acoustic guitar. I enjoyed imagining what the lyrics could be about... My version of the song was about lying on the Beach!

In a thrilling finale', keyboardist-extraordinaire Michael Ayotte took the stage to accompany on piano.

With the addition of Ayotte, Wanting's voice took on a driving, more powerful sound. As a solo artist, she is normally splitting her attention between vocals & focusing on hitting the right notes on her instrument (guitar or piano). Now unencumbered, free to roam both physically and vocally, she ended the set with an exclamation point! The song, called Everything in the World, will be featured on her debut album to be released very soon. Wanting is performing a string of local dates in January, February & March. Check out www.myspace.com/wanting for more info!

****************************************************************************************

Next up were the throw-back psychedelic-southern-boogie-rockers Harma White. The quartet-now-trio journeyed all the way from Abbotsford for this show, which presented a bit of a challenge this night. Glancing out the window, I noticed a huge dumping of the White Stuff descending. Snow in Vancouver? Yeah. Believe it. I'm staying put though. If the band can get home, so can I.

The set was chock-full of tastefully-chosen covers, mostly from 1976 or earlier. There's something about paying homage to your musical roots that I gotta respect. My favourite cover of the night was Arlo Guthrie's Coming Into Los Angeles.

The set was sprinkled with original material as well, with no clear pre-determined set-list in place. The band would usually leave it up to their loyal fans to call the shots. I heard someone shout "Skynard!" and I was hoping they'd whip out Free Bird. Alas, no it wasn't in the cards. I did, however enjoy the steady positive energy of "So Come On". The song is featured on the band's Myspace page currently. Check out www.myspace.com/harmawhite for a listen to this, and my other fave: "Hey Skinny".

Now about the band. As a trio, these lads fill the void pretty damn well. Rhythm & Lead guitar (on an acoustic no less) is no small feat to pull off, but Kyler Pierce did so seamlessly, while handling most of the vocal duties this evening. The rhythm section contains the self-professed "Jesus Christ on drums & Santa Claus on bass." aka the brothers Clark. Brandon on bass is a virtuoso with the electric 4-string and upright, throwing in some gutsy, bluesy vocals for good measure. Shane on drums, rocking an exceptionally small kit tonight (apparently the show was billed as an acoustic set), really drove the set home. His fills are fast, yet smooth as silk. Steady-timing, good interaction and a beverage-delivery service from the crowd kept him steady-rockin' all night.

My only gripe was the band's lack of visual stimulation this evening. Normally, you'd see an Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test going on in the background. They often bring a projector screen along to every show, but my guess is tonight the food colouring froze.

I wanted Harma to keep playing forever, and I felt pretty confident they very well could. These 3 fellas draw material from a seemingly-endless playlist of some long-gone era they discovered in their Dad's record collection. If you're into the classics, these guys are a class-act. Harma White plays the Station Square Pub Feb 28th.
Check out www.myspace.com/harmawhite.

Check out these gig shots I snapped!

Attention BC Artists, and friends of the BC music community!

2009-01-13T23:53:00.000-08:00

*Forwarded Press Release*

-Jan 13, 2009-

Music BC has received word that the Music Industry Travel Assistance Program (MITAP) is currently being reviewed by the new Minister and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, & the Arts. We would sincerely appreciate it, if each of you could send an email or letter to the Ministry expressing your sincere thanks of their support of this program, and that you hope to see it continue for years to come. (Template below) We need to ensure that they know how much the BC music community appreciates having a program like MITAP to reach out to. For every artist/business that has ever wanted to apply, has applied, or has received funding, if we want opportunities like MITAP to exist, now would be a great time to express those sentiments.

Please send all letters and emails to the Minister, Deputy Minister and Cultural Policy Analyst's Office. (Contact info is below) Please CC info@musicbc.org on any emails as well. Thank you so much for your continued support!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Attn: Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts

I wanted to take the time to thank the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, & the Arts for providing the Provincial Music Industry Travel Assistance Program (MITAP) administered on your behalf by Music BC Industry Association. MITAP has helped to grow and sustain the British Columbia music community.

[For those who received money - please state what the money was used for and the benefit]

[For those wanting to access the money - please state what you would use the money for and the benefit from such money]

At a time in the music industry where live performance has become a critical component to an artist's development, I believe that this program is essential. Further, in the new music era, travel expenses for touring, showcases and business travel have been increasingly downloaded onto artists and it is now harder than ever to cover these expenses without some financial assistance.

Often it is the first few tours that are the hardest, but once a following is established, sustainable careers can be achieved from this initial work. MITAP provides that initial leg up that is so vital to moving artists to the next level in their careers and helping to establish that all important fan base.

In order to continue to promote the many talented musicians of British Columbia within and outside of the province, travel initiatives are frequently necessary. Many very successful tours and showcases would not have been possible had it not been for the support received from MITAP.

I understand the new Minister and Deputy Minister are currently reviewing the renewal of the Music Industry Travel Assistance Program for this upcoming fiscal year. I wanted to express my sincere thanks for this program and my hope that it to continue for many years to come.

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Minister's Office
HONOURABLE BILL BENNETT
PO BOX 9071 STN PROV GOVT
VICTORIA BC V8W 9E9

E-mail: TCA.Minister@gov.bc.ca
Telephone: 250 953-4246
Fax: 250 953-4250

Deputy Minister's Office
PHILIP STEENKAMP
DEPUTY MINISTER
PO BOX 9846 STN PROV GOVT
VICTORIA BC V8W 9T2

E-mail: Philip.Steenkamp@gov.bc.ca
Telephone: 250 356-6981
Fax: 250 356-1195

LORA CARROLL
CULTURAL POLICY ANALYST
PO BOX 9819 STN PROV GOVT
VICTORIA BC V8W 9W3

E-mail: Lora.Carroll@gov.bc.ca
Telephone: 250 357-7148
Fax: 250 387-4099

Must See Event! Anomalous Disturbances - First Live Performance in over 1 Year!

2009-01-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

ANOMALOUS DISTURBANCES LIVE w/ special guests Slowmobile and VJ Mediavictm

7PM at The Beaumont Stage
316 West 5th Avenue at Alberta St.

Vancouver, BC

$6 at the door

www.thebeaumontstudios.com

Greetings Friends!

On Monday evening, January 12th, Anomalous Disturbances (aka Terrence O'Brien) will be performing live in Vancouver, BC for the first time in over a year, at The Beaumont Stage. The ongoing weekly Vancouver City Limits event is being re-christened - for this night only - Vancouver Outer Limits, in keeping with the performances of improvised ambient soundforms.

Also performing will be special guests, the wonderfully eccentric group, Slowmobile.

And to provide a feast for the eyes, visuals by Vancouver's VJ Mediavictim.

Please join us for this evenings mix of unique sonic environments and visual immersion.

-------------------------------------------

Emanating from Vancouver, BC, Anomalous Disturbances, aka Terrence (Terry) O'Brien, creates ambient soundforms. Utilizing his ever-expanding rig of sonic discombobulation ---- an array of guitar synthesizers, sound processors and looping devices, through which he plays his guitars ----- Terrence constructs mixes of ethereal washes, snaking drones, ghostly melodies, bleeps, bloops, swooshes, disembodied voices and the occasional found sound/field recording.

Currently, Terrence is completing two CDs; "Archive Two" - a double album of recordings from 2001 - 2008 and another album called "Inside", which features his brothers Chris and Wayne on percussion, beats, EWI, samples and synths. These are scheduled for release in early 2009.

www.myspace.com/anomalousdisturbances
www.myspace.com/disappearingmusic

Slowmobile is an introverted musical gang of three or more, established in 1986. We met just before expo and soon found out we all liked tape echo. Due to an aversion towards public performance in our youth, thanks to an 'incident' at our first scheduled show, slowmobile holed up every tuesday in a warehouse on Main st. in Vancouver (except for 1995, when christoph went away and yvan swore off music for eight months). There we created many kilometres of improvised ambient sounds and planchette music. We've always recorded live off the floor and mixed slowly afterwards, as if there's a gigantic hourglass on the roof. Now, in 2009, we are still combing through an unreleased back catalogue and are ready to emerge, with long beards, to find a slightly warmer, greatly changed country.

http://virb.com/slowmobile

VJ Mediavictim

Ryan McCann aka VJ Medivictim started his video career creating documentary videos for independent musicians - he moved out from behind the camera doing live video art projections mixing them live to music at many dance party gigs at various locations from small 20 person house parties to 200 person outdoor parties in the BC rainforest woods to 10,000 person raves at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. He has done visuals for all sorts of events up and down the west coast.

mediavictim@shaw.ca
www.mediavictimlabs.com
www.mvpvideo.ca

New Posts!

2009-01-02T09:54:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering, I didn't drop off the face of the blogosphere... I have been posting most of my music-related news & stuff on a new mag's website: Gonzo Magazine!

I urge you all to check it out: www.gonzomagazine.ca

On this site, you can check out the first issue, read the blog and yes, you can submit your own music, film & culture news! All you have to do is comment on a post, and you will be taken through the registration process. It's that easy! You'll be blogging in no time!

AAAnd if you like having things delivered, please subscribe to the magazine! It's only $30 per year, which gets you a fresh copy delivered to your door every month! For more information, check out: www.gonzomagazine.ca

Nardwuar Nite! Live Review - Mint XMas Party- Nite 1

2008-12-21T17:15:00.000-08:00

Featuring:
The Evaporators
The Pack AD
Lois
Kellarissa
Thee Goblins
and more!

The fine folks at Vancouver’s one and only Mint Records went all out this year for their “Ridiculously Early Xmas Party”. Sleighbells were ringing all weekend long. With 2 nights of live music celebration in Vancouver, and one in Victoria, we’re talking about a party of holiday proportions, with a stocking full o’ good times for all.
Here’s the recap of Night 1: Nardwuar Nite!

The party is at the Ukrainian Hall in East Vancouver. A modest venue, perfect for all ages punk shows, and maybe a potluck supper or two. Tonight’s menu includes a fun, fun evening of live music and special treats for the kids, including Narduwar’s video vault and some rumors of a special guest.

Aside from the 5 Minty-fresh acts, I was excited to see the big-screen presentation of Nardwuar The Human Serviette’s epic interviews with Pop Culture’s biggest names; Snoop Dogg, Courtney Love, Beck, Michael Moore, Henry Rollins – you name it, he’s got it! What a perfect way to keep the crowd tuned in between sets. The tartan-topped man of the hour himself was on hand to emcee the event, introducing the videos and bands, not to mention pouring in 2 Live sets with Thee Goblins & The Evaporators. This is just another day at the office for The new Hardest Workin Man in Showbiz.

Early arrivers were treated to a set from Narduwar’s spinoff band Thee Goblins. If you’re into costumed keyboard-rock, or you’re wondering what the heck that is, Thee Goblins are perfect for you! It’s a rare occasion to see Thee Goblins live, so I’m guessing somebody got their Xmas wish list in to Nardwuar just in time for the show.

Next up was the always fashionable Kellarissa, which is Finnish for “In the basement”. Indie fans might recognize this lady as a founding member of both The Choir Practice and p:ano. There is a peculiarity to her music, but the voice doesn’t lie. If you missed Kellarissa’s live set, don’t worry. Visit her myspace page and you’ll find 2 live tracks recorded at Pub 340. Hyvä! www.myspace.com/kellarissa

Lois was 3rd on the bill tonight. Lois Maffeo is a so-called anti-folk singer songwriter from Olympia, Washington who took a hop, skip and a jump to Vancouver for this gig. Joined onstage by Evaporator/Smuggler guitarist and multi-talented recording guy David Carswell, Lois spun through about a half-dozen or so songs to a campfire-like audience, seated in a giant circle around the stage.

For those who aren’t in the know, Lois is a very influential artist, especially to women in the Northwest Indie rock scene with her group called Courtney Love (this was before the Hole singer changed her name to Courtney Love). Her music is tripped down, acoustic-guitar-based with maybe a drum or percussion instrument thrown in. It’s just people making music for people. Call it folk or anti-folk or whatever. Call her Lois.

After another intermission-video, Blues-rock duo The Pack A.D. took to the stage. Thanks to Nardwuar, we learned that these gals recently returned from playing a Blues Festival in Columbia. Interestingly enough, the promoter thought they were such a big deal, he had prepared a few luxuries for the band, including special toothpicks made with the band’s image imprinted on them! Sliced deli meats were served using the “tooth-Packs”. What a strange, but cool story. Thanks Nardwuar!

For a duo, these gals sure sounded powerful. I closed my eyes and pictured John Lee Hooker with a big, soulful, rockin band behind him. When I opened them again, what I saw was guitarist/singer Becky Black hammering on her 6-string and drummer Maya Miller hammering her kit like a blacksmith. Maya was handling the song introductions, but couldn’t stray from dropping F-bombs throughout the banter. Looking around, she noted the presence of small children and corrected herself with an embarrassed slap to the forehead. Oh well, they gotta learn ‘em somewhere. The crowd was loving The Pack A.D. and so was I. I’m pretty sure they managed to sell some “Shit with our name on it” aka merch to the starving fans. What a great band – go listen to The Pack A.D.

And now, it’s time for the main event: the garage rock ensemble The Evaporators! The set was opened up with ‘Half Empty Halls’, but to the contrary, this hall was overflowing with people, bouncing and bopping. If this was anything like last year’s Mint Xmas, I knew a special guest or two would soon be taking the stage(search youtube for Alex Kapranos with the Evaporators).
2 costume changes in, I began wondering where Nardwuar was taking us. With original bassist/New Pornographer John Collins now joining in on rhythm guitar, the band declared “I don’t need my friends to tell me who my friends are”. But we still love our friends!

It’s Surprise-Time! Nardwuar ran into the crowd with not one, but 2 mics. I noticed a rather tall fellow dressed completely in white. As Nardwuar handed him a mic, the band quieted down and announced the presence of rock & roll madman Andrew W.K.!!!!

Once Andrew took the stage, the show was cranked up about 257%. I’d say Nardwuar himself is about 157%, and when you add Andrew, carry the one and you better prepare for mayhem! After busting out the Andrew W.K. anthems “It’s Time to Party”, “Ready to Die” and “She is Beautiful”, along with The Leather Uppers’ “Don’t Sell Hot Dogs Tonight”, Nardwuar began quizzing the newest Evaporator. It wouldn’t be an Evaporators gig without a little trivia.

Holding a copy of The Evaps’ new record “Gassy Jack and Other Tales” next to a copy of Vancouver punk legends The Subhumans’ 1980 LP “Incorrect Thoughts, you might spot an alarming similarity. “It’s a Parody!” shouted Andrew. Nardwuar bet Andrew that he’d never play with a member of the Subhumans. Well, all bets are off tonight.

Taking the stage brandishing his blue bandana head wrap, Brian “Wimpy Roy” Goble led the band into the 1978 Subhumans single “Oh Canaduh”. With Andrew W.K. joining forces with the Evaporators and Subhumans, I figured I’d seen it all.

www.youtube.com/cherielily

Did you know that Goble played bass in The Skulls, Joe Keithley’s first band before DOA? Do you know who took over on bass after that? Bonus Points if you knew it was Randy Rampage. I thought I saw Randy poking his head out from behind the curtain earlier on in the set, but I guessed he was just there watching. Double Bonus Points if you guessed Rampage would join the boys onstage. TRIPLE BONUS POINTS if you guessed they’d be joined by the amazing drummer Jon Card, who’s played for everybody including, Personality Crisis/SNFU/DOA/Subhumans/Evil Twang.

There’s a punk rock Supergroup onstage. I can’t handle this. Pleasure overload!

Let’s recap: The stage now consists of:

Nardwuar on vocals, keys & crowd-surfing.
Stephen Hamm on bass (Evaporators, Canned Hamm, Slow)
John Collins on rhythm guitar (Evaporators, New Pornographers)
David Carswell on lead guitar (Evaporators, The Smugglers)
Scott Livingstone on drums (Evaporators, Thee Goblins)

PLUS

Andrew W.K. on rhythm guitar and vocals
Brian “Wimpy Roy” Goble on vocals (Subhumans)
Randy Rampage on vocals (DOA)
Jon Card on drums (Personality Crisis/SNFU/Subhumans/DOA)

I think I should pinch myself. My wildest dreams have just come true. This is like all of my favourite bands combined into one crazy package. With so many groups represented here, so much material to draw from, how do you pick the song? I’m happy to say, the choice was a right one.

The anthem of my teen years: “Fuck You” by the Subhumans.

“We don’t care what they say, Fuck You!”
(Gerry Hannah, 1979 The Subhumans EP)

Seeing all these legends onstage playing the anthem of my disgruntled youth, I think I just soiled myself a little bit.

I hung around afterwards, to congratulate Nardwuar on a job well done. Of course, he and Andrew W.K. were mobbed by teenage fans, but my patience paid off, and I managed to grap a photo op:

Photo credit: Wanting Qu

Thanks to Mint Records for putting on such a fun event! I think the grand finale Super Group experience more than covered my Xmas wish list for this year. Nardwuar, you’ve outdone yourself yet again. Ho Ho Ho and a Fresh Breath of Mint!

Collaboration Effect - Vol 2

2008-12-14T03:23:00.000-08:00

Earlier I wrote about what happens when Rap meets Rock, or when Run DMC meets Aerosmith.

(See: The Collaboration Effect)

Now I've taken it a step further. I've participated in the collaboration. No better way to research than to totally immerse yourself in it. On a week's notice, I transformed myself into a Hype-Man. Nobody expected that I had this in me. I just strolled into that club, acting all unassuming, and then Baaam! When I hit the stage, I was instantly high on adrenaline. That's the effect I feel when Collaborating with great musicians. For the love of investigative journalism, Check out the results:

www.myspace.com/satoritide
www.myspace.com/jamstarwaves

Live Review - The Savanah Leigh Band

2008-12-09T00:10:00.001-08:00

LIVE at the Media Club
Vancouver, BC
Nov 27th, 2008

I was invited down to the Media Club on Nov 27th to check out The Savannah Leigh Band. I got a compilation CD from my buddy Seth at DMA Discs, which included one of Savannah’s tracks. On a whim, I decided to show up early and interview the band. Hopefully I could learn what these cats are about, and what place roots-rock has in the ever-changing technological music industry.

Sitting down with ¾ of the band, I began asking the tough questions: Why do you do it? Where does your inspiration come from? What are you doing to get your music out there? What I got was a very genuine conversation about what music means to these folks. This is music about everyday life, relationships and the way the world turns. The band actually had a great sense of humor, which you wouldn’t necessarily associate with melancholy music. Will it work? We’ll see!

My interview with the band was aired today on CJSF 90.1 FM (SFU’s Campus Radio) today.
Click Here to listen to it on Arts Indy Crossroads, which airs every Monday at 3PM on CJSF 90.1 or www.cjsf.ca

Now on to the show. The crowd had Vancouver disease again, keeping their distance from the stage. It didn’t phase the band though, as they marched into their set.

Front-woman Savannah has a powerful voice hidden within her tiny frame. I was pretty pleased with her country-ish control and timing. She and guitarist/bgv Diego Zaragoza compliment each other perfectly, creating warm, folky harmonies that meld into one.

The band is pretty kickin’. Bassist Adam Jones was plucking his upright just perfectly and drummer Brendan Krieg was very dynamic. On “Music Is His Mistress” – a true boot-stomper, Brendan’s bass drum was driving the song like a trucker drives his big rig. Always steady, both hands on the wheel.

One complaint with the show was the sound level of Diego’s guitar. True, he is a gifted player, but as the set went on, I noticed him creeping up his volume, and eventually he was flirting with drowning out Savannah’s voice. Being his last show before a 6-month trip to Australia, I guess he wanted a chance to rock out one last time. As I said, he’s gifted with the strings, but I’m pretty sure the name of the group is The Savannah Leigh Band. Diego would get his chance later, as this gig doubled as his solo CD Release Party.

To bring things down, a bit, Savannah shooed her drummer and guitarist offstage and turned out a solo-acoustic number with bassist Adam Jones. The crowd chatter was distracting, since in fact, this is a night club and they serve booze. I think Savannah’s acoustic numbers would be better served in a coffee shop or songwriter’s circle, where everyone is tuned in to the music. She has some nice material and a pretty voice, but I can’t say the crowd was paying full attention. I felt like I was in a gold rush-era saloon, with rowdy patrons getting drunk, and a stunning, solitary songstress in the corner pouring her heart out.

Just like that, the band returned to the stage and kicked out a few more roots-rockers before calling it a night. As I strolled home through Yaletown and the West End, I found myself humming 2 songs.

The acoustic, locomotive-like number “Killing Time” is remnant of The Corn Sisters.

“Music Is His Mistress” is just a stomp-it-out, clap-it-out kicker with some machine-gun guitar licks and that hard-driving bass drum.

I hope the departure of lead-guitarist Diego won’t affect the progression of this group. They suggested finding a stand-in, but I think it will be tough to fill that void. We’ll see what happens at the next live show!

Check out The Savannah Leigh Band January 16th at The Railway Club, as part of the Team Winston Showcase. Also performing are: Winston, Nat Jay, & Wanting.

For more of The Savannah Leigh Band, visit www.savannahleighband.com

No More Going Coastal

2008-12-08T22:31:00.000-08:00

Much Music has announced the cancellation of its weekly music program: Going Coastal.

More info at:
http://gonzomagazine.ca/blog/?p=32

*written by Nathan Stafford

Mother Mother Lost a Voice

2008-12-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

Vancouver’s Mother Mother have just announced they’ll be parting ways with vocalist Debra-Jean Creelman.....

More info at:

http://gonzomagazine.ca/blog/?p=26

Mongrel Zine #4 Launch Party

2008-12-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

This Friday Dec 5th, there will be a launch party for Mongrel Zine, Issue #4 at the Sweatshop (1945 & 1947 E. HASTINGS). There will also be a free art show from 7-9: THE PRIMAL CORK CARVING SHOW : ANIMAL ARTWORK BY BOB SCOTT.

The art show from 7-9 is free, and bands will be on at 9-ish($10 cover). Here's who's playing:

Dead Ghosts
The Vicious Cycles
The Trap Doors
Timecopz
DJ Moe Diddley

Mongrel Zine is a print zine with art and garage rock plus rekkid reviews and more... based outta Vancouver. Read interviews and buy the zine at www.bobscottartwork.ca/mongrelzine.html

www.myspace.com/mongrelzine

Transmission 3 Hits Vancouver

2008-12-02T18:27:00.001-08:00

Starting Dec 2nd, Vancouver will be host to an innovative music conference and live music festival. This is the 3rd year running, and the event will now include a WHistler component to tie-in with the Whistler Film Festival.

The info:

There are three components to Transmission 3.

transmission.TALKS

Today to Dec. 5 at The Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. This portion of the conference is invite-only, although you can request an invitation at transmitnow.com. Registration is $875 plus GST.

transmission.LIVE

A live music event featuring local and out-of town acts at both Storyeum (142 Water St.) and the Biltmore (395 Kingsway) from Wednesday-Friday. Performances are open to the public, with tickets available for $10-$15 at Scratch and Zulu Records as well as transmitnow.com.

transmission.WHISTLE

The conference/showcase moves to the Four Seasons Whistler, with a tie-in to this years Whistler Film Festival. A unique conference, with speakers from both the Film Fest and Transmission, will take place Dec. 6.

For more info, visit transmitnow.com

Music Gets A Nod at Okanagan Film Fest

2008-11-30T12:47:00.001-08:00

Note to BC musicians and Filmmakers: Music videos by BC artists get waivers for this year's Music Video competition, part of the Okanagan Film Awards in the 12th Annual Okanagan International Film Festival.

Entry is free for music videos!
Final late deadline is Feb 6, 2009

Enter through the withoutabox system and ask for a waiver or contact jason@okanaganfilmfestival.com.

See www.okanaganfilmfestival.com for all the details!

Tonight, it's Music Out

2008-11-28T16:30:00.000-08:00

-Warning-
Nathan Waxing Philosophical
please, start with another Journal Entry if this is your first visit to the site. I'm weird like that. Not too often though, I promise.

I'm going out tonight, to a local rock concert. It's a thing that I do. This time, my mind will be wrapped around the festivities. Your true love, your friends, and with any luck, a toast or two.

Some great music will sort of leave a brush stroke across the whole evening. Normally I'm at a concert, I'm like a horse with those blinders on, focused only on the music. I'm trying to combine the two worlds and just kick back once in a while. Loosen up Nathan, willya?

Friday night, and I'm cuttin loose with some fine folks, Mother Mother providing the entertainment. Sorry, no notepad this time.

Showing up at the office drunk is a little different than writing music reviews, but I think my focus on restraint will pay off this time. I don't have to write about every show, nor do I have to get drunk at every show. Heck, I know it'll be great, so why write about it? Because you can! That's what's great about free speech. Anyone can do it for free, but if you're doing it for money.... please tell me your secret.

A hobo approached us today in front of a Gas Town rehearsal studio, selling a CD of his street music songs. He knows someone with a mac and used their microphone. 5 bucks? Looking at the burned cd, I was almost tempted, but then I thought "what if the cd doesn't even work. jesus, this guy wreaks like booze. what if he's starving, and he needs the money. what's up with that bandage on his hand." I reluctantly said 'no thanks' on the cd. You never know, I could have been looking at the next Wesley Willis. Only much smaller, and more beardy. From the whiff of this troubadour though, I figured it would probably be Barney Gumble's solo album.

People are either for, or against home recording. You talk about the years gone by, when you were forced to go into a studio with someone who knew what they were doing, and you remember the records that came out were pure gold! A mixture of what's established and what's new. Today, musicians are recording themselves in every town, every neighborhood, and castles and cabins around the world. With a simple internet connection, you can independently release that music, and leave chance to decide if anything ever happens with it. You could record an album, post it online and walk away from it for five years, then come back, make another one. Technically, you have 5 years experience in the music industry. I think that's what scares the old guard. Even The world is getting smaller now. I'm in the position where I can produce web content, like music, videos and websites, then post it online to anyone who is interested. It's all new to me, but here I am riding the wave.

I love new things. Time was, you had to be patient when expecting new things. I remember the anticipation of waiting for your fave band's new record. Going to a smaller shop and ordering a cd, tape or vinyl. Buying tickets to the all-ages show that weekend, inquiring about band names you've overheard at the shows. My Saturdays, well the more innocent ones during high school.

Those days are gone. If I want to find some new music on Nov 28th, 2008 you know how I, and most people get it? Online. You know who is giving it away? You and me are.

In the vinyl heyday, this worked out perfect for the record industry. If people like the record, they're gonna play it out, and they'll have to buy another copy. Collectors buying plastic-wrapped discs, never to see the light of day. We have these big pressing plants pumping out The White Album and feeding consumerism. This is music for crying out loud. You're not gonna buy it the same way you wear out a pair of jeans and replace them. I still go buy my tickets at the record store, and I know it gives them a profit. What's wrong with that? I'm not getting my music there anymore, that's what's wrong with it. We're too tempted by new things, and trying to get them for free. We're giving away our own music to anyone who wants it, and we're de-valuing the really goood music.

We all have our excuses. It's funny when people say "I bought a copy of this band's cd 10 years ago. I'm just re-downloading it because the cd is scratched or I gave it away. I've paid my dues. I bought enough records in my day. Or my classic, I'm a broke musician/student/journalist/painter." But I suppose we could buy it online, too. Wait, if I'm at the grocery store, waiting in line to buy a chocolate bar, and someone offers me a free sample of theirs, what am I gonna do? Even sweeter, this chocolate bar tastes like a Queens of The Stone Age bar, but it's crispier, and has 2 more albums. Want it for free?

There are 2 sides to every coin. I'm not here to preach for either side. I can prove to you that I still buy some of my music at record stores, I can prove to you that some of my music was free. what's the difference. what's over is over. I can't wait for the day when music is legitimized for what is is, and we don't have to cheat the system anymore to get what we need.

Let's stop waiting around for the music industry to catch up with our needs. Let's change the way we treat our music, and the system will be forced to catch up.

In my eyes, these musings are no way an authority on anything, just an avid music fan trying to do what he loves, and stay out of trouble doing it. Thank you for reading, I'm really honored to be doing this.

But back to my earlier point. Partying and drinking; combined with writing coherent thoughts... has mixed results for myself personally. Anyone who has sent an email while drunk knows this all too well.

If you want to hear how the show went, you'll have to join me tonight!

Mother Mother
live at Richards on Richards
Tonight! FRI Nov 28th
with guests.
Doors 8pm

Nearly Famous Night 3, Part 2

2008-11-25T12:15:00.000-08:00

The marble rye. Photo www.radio3.cbc.ca

Festerday's Forgotten, The Marble Rye and Nat Jay
Continuing on from my last post, I'm now hunkered down at The Media Club for the rest of the night. We have 3 more bands coming up in a short span, so I'm not going anywhere!

First up was Yesterday's Forgotten

These guys are loud. A trio, but playing beefy. Someone yelled at me'Hey, these guys sound like The Hip', but it's dangerous to make such fast comparisons. Yes, we're talkin southern rock, CCR, BTO beget YF. It is what it is. A new-ish band, testing the boundaries, putting out a southern rock vibe with a vengeance. Anyone who likes rocking out would enjoy playing in this band. That's the feel i got. rock out as hard as you wanna.

Maybe I was just focusing on singer Ryan's vocals, and missing the forest for the trees, comparing them to Gord Downey's. It seemed like the band was pushing harder and harder, building Who-huddles where's everybody's soloing, and building, and building, and you know it's coming, and Blaaam. feeding off the crowd and just jamming like we were in a backyard party.

Check out this video of the guys rocking out during one of the many breakdowns in their set:

To me, if I'm out with the boys, there's nothing better than a semi-loose, heavier-leaning but altogether pleasing rock band giving it 100% on a stage. They were lucky to draw 2nd I think, and had a nearly packed house. I was anticipating a good night at the door, and it was still early! these guys could be your next workhorse band, touring to places that need shit-kickin music, but mind blowing for the mushroom-eating crowd. I'm being honest here, thinking of my buddies currently working in places like Lethbridge, or Alaska, hell everybody has a friend in a band like this.

I checked out YF online, found out they were working with JMP - Vancouver's hard rock production powerhouse. Bif Naked, Age of Electric, Britt Black, and many artists back in the heyday of Her Royal Majesty. Those guys have a story or two... to be continued...possibly?

Back to the band. I can suggest one thing. Diversity. Maybe even bringing in a 4th member, but the trick is, not something that has to be played loud. Djembe, violin, flute, y'know, bring things waaay down. Then, continuing with the theme of building the intensity to an explosion, you do this, but keep your calm & let the audience dictate the moment. It's tough with a short set, I know, but the journey is worth the prize. I'll be back to check up on these lads, and I think working with JMP is a solid plan. They're good fellas. Best of luck Yesterday's Forgotten!

www.myspace.com/yfband

Coming up next, Marble Rye

www.myspace.com/marblerye

I've seen these cats before, and I must say, it's always a fun show. Bouncing all over the stage, sometimes off the stage, and keeping the crowd initiated is always a recipe for success. The house was packed for a reason! Marble Rye got us all on our feet and shook out the wintertime blues. Why go on vacation when you can just go to a Marble Rye show?

Seriously, the last time I saw these guys, they were still fairly new. I think it might have been 2005. Time flies! And I'm missing out!
Look at www.radio.cbc.ca
Just type Marble Rye in the Main Search Bar. You'll come up with a set of songs. Just let it play. I'm not paid to say that, it just has the most songs. Just do it! Also not a paid promotion.

Marble Rye. Like the bread. Good band, good bread. There, I said it. Dancy, 3part harmonies and stop stop rhythms, living in the performance, and the arrangements couldn't be more fun, poppy, and creative. Anybody whose genre listing says 'Rock/Crunk/Big Beat' is either a little silly, or a whole lotta fun. Or maybe a little bitta both?

In a snap decision, the set started with a 2-guitar gala of Tenacious D proportions. In fact, it was a Tenacious D song. What you don't see, is a bass amp being fired from the band. I had an amp that crapped out from time to time, but luckily it wasn't onstage, and it wasn't on the car ride over to my set. during rehearsal, & only my bandmates had to suffer as I faced the working musician's reality of gear breakdowns. It's a business, things break and have to be replaced. I must say, the little speedbump, it was handled smoothly, and I commend the entire band, and the lender of the amp. Actually, "bass issues" turned into a little off-the-cuff song creation, i don't know if it was helping to fix the amp, but it succeeded in relaying the message to the entire crowd. I'd like to see a band sing for the entire set. even during the banter. She took the riff in stride, and we were soon back in business.

I was delighted to see a little extra instrumentation in the set to compliment the fare. Play that ol' trombone!

Check out this snippet of Marble Rye. Enjoy!!

On a side note, if you like Marble Rye, you should also take BIKE for a spin!

********************************************************************************************************************************

And Now, the grand finale of the night: Nat Jay

www.NatJay.com

Unless you've been living under a log at Hodge Podge Lodge for the last year, you've probably heard of Vancouver Pop/Folk Singer Songwriter Nat Jay and her rocket-like success as of late. This young miss is becoming a powerful force in the local scene, not only through her music, but with her status as a budding media-mogul. Seriously, you don't have to go very far to find a Nat Jay poster, a link online, or even a spot in major network TV! This girl & her team are working it in every sense.

Now, onto the music. I would compare Nat to a straight-laced Patti Smith. Somewhat angsty, yet soft and appealing, and at the same time, very melodious, tuneful and sentimental. The lyrics are about self-discovery, lost love or just life in general. This is writer's music. I want to hang on every lyric, and I feel like I learned a great deal about who this artist is.

Some say Nat's the expert networker. One example is the smokin' band she assembled for the show tonight. Not only is local singer/songwriter and producing powerhouse Ryan Hauschild aka Winston on hand for guitar & BGV's, but the other members of The Borrowed Band include members hand-picked from other great local acts. Including:

Robbie Tornroos (Lead guitar) - A smooth, strong presence, from local Indie band Elias
Peter Carruthers (Bass) - Amazing accomplished upright jazz bassist, converted to rock bass here flawlessly
Adam Smith (Drums) - I saw Adam the NIGHT BEFORE playing with Adaline. Rock solid. What a gifted drummer.
Tom Dobrzanski (Keys) - All-in multi-instrumentalist. Seriously, check out this guy's resume www.verticalstudios.ca

And don't forget Nat, on lead vocals and strumming her acoustic. The whole band was Rock Solid! This is an undiscovered Super Group with a frontwoman creating the whole story.
Speaking of another supergroup, Nat is a member of all-new combo The Prettiest Face in Town.

How do they find time to rehearse? My only solid contention with the set would be to hear Nat belt it more often! She has a great voice, so I dont know, if it was a live sound mixing issue? a band that size combined with vox is that you'd normally see with nothing more than an acoustic has its curve-balls. With so many change-overs, short-ish sets, the sound tech has his work cut out. My compliments. The Media Club is a great room to have a show. worth the admission cost. Actually, I'm at this show on a free ride, and I'm loving it.

As the night journeyed on, Nat led her Borrowed Band through an emotionally-charged set of self-penned gems. Later on in the set, we were treated to 'Love When I Can', which was featured in an episode of ABC's Men In Trees this year.

Things are happening for Nat Jay, because she's MAKING IT HAPPEN. That's why I compare her to Patti Smith. Nat Jay is Nearly Famous..

Her music is strong and full of emotion, her team is solid, and her presence on stage, holding the starter's pistol at the front of this killer band is like something out of a rockumentary. It's a melting pot of some sort. Check out Nat's myspace page for more information on touring, recording and more from this artist. www.myspace.com/natjay

Nearly Famous Music Festival - Night #3, Part 1

2008-11-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday night, and there are WAY too many great shows to check out. First off, the great SNFU is playing at The Red Room. Every punk rockin' bone in my body wants me to be there. BUT, I have a good feeling our friends at Abort Magazine will be covering the show quite nicely, so my services are probably better used elsewhere. Still, I wanted to get a feeling of the vibe, so I decided to check out one of the opening acts.

Left Spine Down is a smörgåsbord of punk, metal, industrial and techno that once seen, will change your perception of the musical possibilities that are out there. Frontman Kaine is a vocal force to be reckoned with. His presence on the stage (12-inch spiked hair and all) burns an instant memory in the celluloid of your brain. I saw these guys on a latenight Shaw Cable program about a year ago, and I was instantly hooked. Never mind that the lineup includes ex-Black Halo Denyss McKnight, and Jeremy Inkel from Front Line Assembly. Never mind that the new record boasts the production and mastering team of Shaun Thingvold (Skinny Puppy) and Chris Peterson (Noize Unit, Front Line Assembly). Never mind the accolades. Just check out this band if you are into heavy, cerebral, cyber-punk infused music that will blow your 5 senses out the back of your head.

www.leftspinedown.com

Next I decided to move on to the Media Club, where I knew I would find an eclectic mix. Upon arrival, I immediately bacame interested in the goings-on up front.

I would describe Mink Valley as an art/punk/indie band along the lines of The Pixies or "the noise my wet converse make when I stumble into the drug store looking for ear plugs." (from the band's myspace page). This kind of strange creativity is pretty rare in a world crowded with pop/rock and MTV reality tv. I for one, enjoyed Mink Valley about as much as a tall glass of Lime-Ade on a sweaty August day. It just felt right, you know?

I had a little chat with bassist/vocalist Tanya Bennett & snapped this photo!

Again, these guys are like one of those great minimalist paintings of a can of soup or something. Fickle minds might dismiss them as 'weird' or 'foolish', but I for one, couldn't avert my attention from this group of pop/garage-rockers. More, please!
www.myspace.com/murderinnminkvalley

I decided to stay put at The Media Club for the rest of the night, so stay tuned for Part 2, my account of:
Yesterday's Forgotten
Marble Rye
Nat Jay