An article about me for a change...

From Vinyl Collective

Today, we bring you our Wednesday Vinyl Collector of the Day, Chris Morin. Chris currently calls Montreal home, but from the sounds of it, he will again be moving in a few months or so. The photo you see above is actually of one of many moves for his collection. Chris describes the photo as, “A hilarious/tragic photo of my collection, en route to rural Saskatchewan, packed entirely in a 2-door Honda Civic hatchback.”

While I was concerned that posting a Collector feature every day might get to be a bit much, every one of them have been an interesting read. I recommend reading Chris’ story of how he got into collecting vinyl, his first vinyl purchase (which is also one of his most prized records), records he would like to see pressed, and out of print records he would love to own. Thanks Chris for taking the time to answer these questions. Glad to hear you now have a van to make moving your records that much easier.

VC: Your name and the city you live in.
Chris Morin, currently Montreal, Quebec, Canada – which, of course, could change at any moment.

VC: Do you catalog your records online? Where are they? Are you on the VC Message board? What is your username?
All my records are meticulously catalogued on Deadformat, username Ohnotherobot. I am on VC every day, under the same name, for all the vinyl news and internet hate I can stomach.

VC: How many records do you own?
According to Deadformat, around 650

VC: Why do you collect vinyl?
As a kid, I was always enamored with records. I used to go to the Sam The Record Man at the mall near my house and stealthily look at the metal records. I remember thinking I was getting away with something, and I kind of was – Warrant and Poison were pretty raunchy for a 7-year-old kid!

As I got older I started collecting records because I liked the aesthetic. At one point, I had about 600 CDs and 200 records and realized I had to cull my collection – I traded all the CDs in for records and acquired quite a few gems from a local store.

Having said that, I constantly question why I bother. Records are a huge pain in the ass to lug around the country, especially considering I haven’t lived anywhere for longer than 8 months in the past five years. Last year, when I moved from Montreal to Saskatoon, SK, it must have been hilarious for the airport security people to watch me claim a box of 80 records as carry-on and pretend it wasn’t heavy – which, of course, it was. However, since I work as a music journalist, it is nice having a virtual library of rock knowledge at my fingertips – I would liken this to a researcher working on a thesis in a library full of old books.

Recently, I just bought a van for the sole purpose of driving back to Saskatoon, where the majority of my collection is. I plan on driving back to Montreal with about 550-600 records in tow. That’s commitment to a collection!

VC: What was the first record you remember purchasing with your own money?
Not sure if this was the first, but I remember hearing Death From Above (pre-1979) for the first time and being completely blown away. So I wrote a nice letter to Andy from Ache Records and concealed a $20 bill for the Heads Up! EP and the Femme Fatale LP. Andy was nice enough to send clear vinyl – which, I would later find out, was retardedly rare.

VC: What is your most prized record in your collection?
Probably the above-mentioned Death From Above EP – it incorporates amazing graphic design with a short blast of fuzzed-out punk rock you can dance to. And, again, it is quite rare. Also, as a Man’s Ruin label collector, anything from that part of my collection is awesome – great stoner rock mixed with striking artwork will always win my heart. Therefore: my OG self-titled Queens of the Stone Age LP, the Turbonegro – Apocalypse Dudes I scored for hella cheap and the Acid King test-press that inexplicably wound up in a bin titled “Moog” at a local store.

VC: What release would you like to see come out on vinyl that hasn’t yet been released?
SNFU – Lets Get It Right The First Time. I’m a sucker for live records – they tend to capture an energy that most bands can never find in the studio. And, considering this is essentially a compilation of one of the best bands in hardcore punk with an absolutely mind-melting live show, this really is a no-brainer.

VC: What is the most you have spent for a record?
Probably $80 for the s/t Queens of the Stone Age, although I once shelled out $120 for a few Man’s Ruin 10”’s, including Electric Wizard, the Fuckemos, Dozer and Fatso Jetson. No regrets!

VC: What out of print record would you kill to own?
Probably all of the colour variants of the non-counterfeit Queens of the Stone Age s/t LP.

VC: What are your thoughts on color variants? Do you collect any artists in particular?
Although I am completely contradicting myself based on the above response, I really don’t have much use for variants. Because I travel so much, I will buy an album I already own if it is something I miss. Any doubles I own tend to get given away to friends. Otherwise, I find it counterintuitive and expensive to even bother.

VC: Do you sell or trade records?
Absolutely. But in addition to selling and trading, I am wholly committed to looking for rare records for friends. I come across friends’ want list items all the time and have no problem being a good bro and mailing them awesome records. Good karma, right?

VC: Your last 5 records that you purchased?
Nomeansno – Old (this was only available on their recent European tour – and someone I have never met from the UK was kind enough to buy this at a show and mail it to me!)
Unsane – Total Destruction
The Famines – Syllables
Harvey Milk – My Love Is Higher… – double translucent red and gold vinyl, limited to 80
Harvey Milk – Courtesy and Good Will… – double dark grey vinyl, limited to 500

Rock out with your gear out...

From the latest Planet S Magazine

COVER STORY · MAY 20 2010

The Church Of Gear

OBSESSING OVER AWESOME INSTRUMENTS IS AN UNAVOIDABLE SICKNESS
by Chris Morin

Dakota illustration.jpgFor musicians, becoming obsessed with gear is almost unavoidable — but it’s also understandable. Playing a cheap, sketchy guitar that sounds like crap and constantly falls out of tune, for example, sucks — and so does hearing someone else play one. Not that every guitarist needs to own an original Les Paul, Rickenbacker or Strat, but it certainly helps.

Although financially draining, having a dependable collection of unique instruments is something every musician aims for. Firstly, that’s because we get consumed by owning it (think Gollum and his “precious”), but it’s also because good gear definitely sets you apart, especially if you’re a local band trying to make an impression.

The problem, however, is that great gear — whether brand new or vintage — doesn’t come cheap. Considering the laughably low incomes that most musicians make from their craft, that means obsessive collector-types are often looking at a lifetime of debt and second mortgages.

Still, any serious musician knows the value of quality over cheaply made crap.

“When recording I’ve found using good gear just gets better results,” states Kalon Beaudry, guitarist for Saskatoon’s Foggy Notions. “There’s a reason people want a Gibson over an Epiphone or a Fender over a Squire, for example. Vintage effects are the same — they’re coveted for a reason.”

Often, that reason is that a given instrument is linked to the classic rock era, where a careful listener can actually pick out the tones of a specific amp. For example, Brian May of Queen would never have cranked out such signature solos with a Strat copy. Sometimes, in order to capture a sound unlike any other, musicians have to be willing to drop some serious coin.

“I spent $3500 on a Carter pedal steel,” admits Etienne Soulodre of Regina alt-country band The Lazy MKs, “and I have no regrets whatsoever. It’s a double-neck, made out of maple that was at the bottom of Lake Superior for several hundred years.

“The gear we use absolutely makes a difference on the records,” he says. “My favourite is this Garnet tube amp that Chris [Prpich, bassist] found for my steel — it makes the steel sound like Neil Young with Crazy Horse.”

And achieving that type of perfect sound is what drives many musicians to make sacrifices that “normal” folks wouldn’t dream of.

“A lot of my peers own novel things like cars and homes,” says Mike Dawson of Regina’s Library Voices. “I’ve only got a couple of bookshelves and a mound of keyboards and guitars.

“It is definitely space-consuming,” continues Dawson, “but the instruments just become part of your everyday landscape. For the longest time, I used an old kick drum as a coffee table and an organ as a mantle.”

Clearly, becoming obsessive over gear is a sickness that results in regular trips to every music store in the city (and beyond) — but hunting for awesome instruments and accessories also means hitting up pawn shops and garage sales, and wearing out the refresh button on your computer while checking online classified sites.

“I usually scour the classifieds across the country on a daily basis, hoping to find a gem,” says Arnold Van Lambalgen of the now-defunct Jr. Pantherz. “Once I found a drum kit in Hamilton, Ontario for a real good price — so I had some friends in the city broker the deal and paid some other friends to bring them here when they toured through Saskatoon, all within a week.”

“While on tour I’ve stumbled across some great gear in dusty corners that I ended up taking home with me, like the Roland synthesizer we use all the time,” says Paul Ross of Foam Lake. “One time [when] we played Edmonton, we walked into the venue and bought the bass cabinet they were using as a coffee table.”

“Generally the stuff I find is strange but not as sought-after items,” says Chad Munson, guitarist of on-again off-again psych heroes Golden Smoke. “I hunt for vintage amps made in Canada, such as Traynors, Garnets and weirdo analog synths the average musician wouldn’t really fetishize over like I do, so often I stumble across these instruments at really good prices. Kijiji has been awesome for finding bargains — lots of people have no idea what they’re selling and often the price reflects this.”

When you find that perfect instrument — whether brand new or vintage — the feeling is indescribably good. The downside, of course, comes when one’s awesome collection of gear starts to conflict with other parts of your life — meaning hard choices must be made.

“I once sold a Moog, an MG 1 I think, to Brennan Hart (aka Knar) for enough money to take my future wife on a hot air balloon ride when I was crazy poor,” admits Steve Reed, of the now-defunct Carbon Dating Service. “I wouldn’t say that I regret that, but I miss the thing. At least I can still visit it sometimes.”

Tragedy can also strike for the obsessive gearhead when, after finally obtaining all the pieces you’ve always wanted, you hit the stage — and have your sound mangled by a sound guy who couldn’t care less about your music.

“Gear is out of your hands on stage generally,” admits Beaudry. “Because even if you’ve got the sweetest Space Echo [effects unit] on stage and you’re really feeling it, if the sound person is an Ohbijou fan or whatever, chances are he’s got it turned down.”

And in the end, Reed is probably right when he says that, no matter how fun chasing down great gear and playing with it is, the song is still the most important thing.

“Whether playing shows or recording friends, it’s never really about the quality of the gear,” he says. “Only gear-heads give a shit about what we use on stage, and for recording it’s mostly about the sounds before they hit the mics. In my opinion a relaxed, experimental and collaborative approach will always eclipse any amount of high-fidelity gear.”

But man, is that black SG in the music store window ever sweet — only two weeks ‘til payday…

And in the Meantime and Between Time...

From the latest PLANET S MAGAZINE

MOVIES · MAY 06 2010

The Real Mr. Pig

PUNK ROCK ICON TELLS STORY ON OWN TERMS IN HARROWING, IMPRESSIVE DOC
by Chris Morin

OPEN UP YOUR MOUTH AND SAY MR. CHI PIG
Followed by SNFU
Saturday 8
Amigos

Open Your Mouth and Say Mr. Chi Pig is a harrowing documentary that examines the life — and quite likely the near-death — of one of punk rock’s most influential, charismatic and disturbed front men, Mr. Chi Pig of SNFU. For punk lovers, the film is clearly essential viewing, but even for non-fans the story of Mr. Pig (born Kendall Chinn) — which is told here largely by the man himself — is one worth watching.

Bursting out of the Edmonton hardcore scene of the early ‘80s, SNFU — formed by Chinn and brothers Marc and Brent Belke — quickly became one of the biggest names of North American punk rock. However, as SNFU faded from the limelight, Chinn quietly succumbed to mental disorder and a fierce drug addiction, and was essentially reduced to living the rough life of a homeless junkie in Vancouver.

First and foremost, the doc chronicles that rise and fall — but according to Open Your Mouth filmmaker Sean Shaul, the film may also have had a hand in saving Chinn’s life.

“Chi has said to me, and he may be embellishing, that we saved his life several times,” says Shaul. “He wasn’t clean when we started making the movie, and he began cleaning up over the course of the documentary. He said that doing the film and the response that we were getting [to the fact] that the film was even just coming out was really driving him.”

Shaul and his partner Craig Laviolette met the singer while frequenting various bars in Vancouver, such as Pub 340 and the now-defunct Cobalt — where Chinn was working as a busser for free beer. While befriending Chinn, the duo began hearing snippets of his tumultuous life story.

“I grew up in Edmonton, where the band originally started, so they were one of the first punk bands that I saw, back in 1995 when I was 13,” explains Shaul. “A mutual friend of Chi Pig’s and myself was telling me Chi’s back-story and I had realized that I sort of forgot about him and SNFU. This friend had told me what happened to him and it was such an interesting story — no magazines had been covering it and it was relatively unknown. I thought it would make a good documentary so I pitched the idea to Chi Pig, and he thought it was a good idea too.”

The documentary is currently making the rounds on the independent film festival circuit, but it’s also become a staple of a reformed SNFU’s live show. In fact, SNFU guitarist Ken Goonie says “[the] documentary is getting an amazing response. Our shows have been sold out across Canada — they’ve all been stellar shows with, 500 to 700 people showing up.”

Along with Chinn telling his story in his own words, Open Your Mouth showcases a an awesome guestlist of punk rock heroes from yesteryear — including Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys and Chuck Dukowski from Black Flag. But perhaps even more impressive are appearances by several decidedly non-punk rockers, such as Matthew Good and Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene, proving that the influence of Chinn and SNFU extended far beyond the realm of hardcore.

As anyone who has ever witnessed SNFU in action can attest, Chinn has always been the focal point of the band, half whirling-dervish and half animated punk rock puppeteer. Although Chinn admits he can’t pull off the antics he used to, veteran punk fans in this city will remember him diving headfirst into an audience and doing a headstand, legs stretched into the air, far above the crowd.

In light of that, when the documentary’s footage focuses on Chinn, clearly dishevelled and emaciated during the height of his drug use, it is both shocking and emotional.

But Shaul, who admits he lost both a job and a girlfriend during the making of Open Your Mouth, says that the end result of the documentary is ultimately a positive and uplifting one.

“From day one [Chi Pig] said that if this was going to happen he wanted to tell his story in his own words and he wanted it to be done right, which is exactly what you would want to hear if you were pitching this to him,” he says. “And he felt the same way in that he had a fan base that didn’t know what had happened to him. He was really receptive, and once the documentary making process started he was really honoured that someone would do this for him. And, of course, we were really honoured as well. It was definitely good for both of us.”

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THE FIRE STILL BURNS…

Getting a hold of Chi Pig for an interview — at least over the phone — isn’t exactly the easiest thing to accomplish. In the hunt for a few words with the man regarding the recent documentary made about his life, Planet S was given this response from SNFU’s publicity agent:

“Chi is tough to get a hold of but here is what you do: He hangs out at PUB 340 in Vancouver every day from like 2 to 6 pm, so call there and ask for him.”

After several calls yielding awkward and empty-handed results, Mr. Pig was finally persuaded to answer a few questions on the bar’s phone — for a few minutes. In the end, perhaps it’s best to take the attitude that it’s comforting to know age hasn’t tempered either Chi Pig’s punk attitude or his incendiary, larger-than-life persona — despite the rather unnerving conversation…

CHI PIG: “I hope you have your shit together because there was a fucking douchebag, and I am a douchebag too, there was some dude who called me up and he didn’t have any questions to ask me. And I hope this is not you.”

PLANET S: “Nope, that is not me.”

CP: I’m willing and able to talk.

PS: What do you think about your documentary?

CP: In my perspective it’s a little long-winded. If I was able to re-edit it, I would’ve shortened it a little. But I like the fact that I got to tell the story of my life in that 90-minute period. Because there is a bunch of innuendo and bullshit on this Google, Twitter, blogging shit rumours about me. So otherwise, you got me and I told the truth about how all this shit went down.

PS: So how has this affected SNFU?

CP: Dude, the movie wasn’t about SNFU it was about me. I just happen to be a douchebag who was in a band called SNFU. All the other fuckers fucked off or quit. Do you realize it wasn’t an SNFU? There is a reason it was called Open Your Mouth and Say Mr. Chi Pig. It’s me telling my fucking life story.

PS: When I spoke with Sean the other day…

CP: Well it doesn’t matter what Sean says about that, it matters what I think of the movie. Who is Sean? Sean isn’t my family. Sean is a person who makes films.

PS: What do you think about SNFU playing in Costa Rica in a few days?

CP: No, I’m totally disappointed that I have to go to Costa Rica. Are you fucking kidding me? What a bummer that is.

At this point in the call the phone line essentially contained plenty of background laughter and random bar noises for a few seconds, before being unceremoniously — although perhaps thankfully — disconnected at the other end. /Morin

DAILY READING - May 6, 2010

From the latest PLANET S MAGAZINE

MUSIC · MAY 06 2010

Feather Cannon In 3-2-1... Engage!

SCATTERHEART BRINGS BIG ROCK BOMBAST BACK TO THE FUTURE
by Chris Morin

SCATTERHEART
Friday 7
The Roxy

With one listen to the fabulously flamboyant rock of Scatterheart, it becomes clear that fun is paramount for this Vancouver band (well, that and finding a tailor who won’t skimp on the plumage). Channelling the sound and style of ‘80s-vintage glam-pop metal — in the best way possible — it seems they’ve made it a personal mission to bring energy, love and brightly-coloured boas back to rock ‘n roll.

If nothing else, says frontman Jesse Enright, audiences should expect to be entertained — but if you’re going to see a band armed with their own feather cannons and bubble machines, that should probably be self-evident.

“We’ve only ever gotten positive reactions — at least to our faces,” laughs Enright. “I’m sure there are people out there who think it is ridiculous and silly, but that’s not a bad thing. I wanted to make Scatterheart a show like going to watch a theatre. As a band, you can just stand there in jeans and a t-shirt and whatever, or you can wear silly costumes, jump around, shoot feathers at people and have giant bubbles floating everywhere.

“There’s definitely a comedic part to it,” he continues. “Partly to amuse ourselves, but also to get people stoked — at our last big hometown show at the Commodore, I actually flew onstage with a harness. I mean it’s just fun, and everybody’s in on it — like when we play small towns in Alberta and these big, tough redneck-looking guys come up to us raving about our show, like they understand it. Everybody wants to have fun.”

Just as impressively, their latest album, The Masterplan, shows that Scatterheart can accomplish a recording worthy of the infectious energy of their Queen-inspired, larger-than-life stage show. Their songwriting goes much deeper than most bands featuring blow-dried coifs, bombastic stage shows and loud guitars could hope to achieve — and that’s important, says Enright, because a big stage show is still pretty much an empty shell if the music falls short.

“I ended up in Australia where the rock scene is really dark and sleazy — which can seem totally awesome and fun from the outside, but being on the inside is totally depressing,” explains Enright. “So I decided I wanted to get back into music. When we started we had this idea that we wanted to go through with: we didn’t just want to get some songs together and look cool and get chicks and all that. We had a purpose for doing this.”

Still, being the centre of attention during all that onstage bombast is a great time, says Enright — like a recent festival Scatterheart played in Korea, which he says was both rewarding and surreal.

“Korea was super cool. It was like playing the part of a Bon Jovi-type rock band — the show was incredible, with a catwalk and a jumbo-tron, and the crowd was incredible with how much energy they had. It was explained to me that Korean people work really hard, so when they want to have fun they make sure they really have fun. It was really overwhelming for the first couple of songs because it was a sea of people jumping, like 25,000 people,” says Enright.

“Plus, you have to act like you do it all the time — I was watching myself on the jumbo-tron and then I realized that I was acting like a dork in front of 25,000 people. I had to remind myself to act like it was all no big deal.”

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Shock Treatment, Indeed

NOBUNNY
Tuesday 11
Amigos

If you’ve ever wondered what Ramones-esque pop-punk would sound like as interpreted by a masked freak — well, you’re just plain weird. Still, you’re in luck — because Nobunny can answer that critical question.

Wearing a rabbit mask that comes across like a terrifying mix of Muppet and Slipknot, Nobunny (aka Justin Champlin) is an odd sight indeed. He’s also a guy who offers up hyper-charged doses of the kind of garage punk that’s so inexplicably — but thankfully — popular these days.

Obviously most well-known for his entertaining stage show — which has reportedly featured both firecrackers and partial nudity (though hopefully not at the same time) in the past — Nobunny is probably best seen live to be truly understood. Still, even his Twitter page (which is peppered with blurbs such as “Ewww! My underwear is moulding and growing hair!”) is absolutely hilarious.

But behind the gimmickry and bathroom humour is a talented songwriter, one whose knack for pop hooks belies his penchant for masked buffoonery. His latest album, Love Visions — featuring a cover photo that pays homage to The Ramones’ 1976 self-titled debut — is full of indie-punk gems that sparkle with both simplicity and a serious pop edge. Combine that with what clearly looks to be one of the most unique live displays you’ll ever see, and this show should be approaching can’t-miss status.


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Can You Print That On An Award Statue?

FUCKED UP
Saturday 15
Amigos

“If what I’m doing on stage looks hideous now, I can only imagine what it will look like when I’m 50,” laughs Damian Abraham — the 300-pound, often semi-nude lead singer of Fucked Up.

With a sound that more than matches their mammoth stage presence, the Toronto-based six-piece have earned the distinction of being a hardcore punk band that has inexplicably taken the mainstream by storm — an honour that was officially cemented when they won the 2009 Polaris Prize.

Still, Abraham is pretty sure that Fucked Up won’t ever end up the Rolling Stones of hardcore.

“We’re a band that has a built-in limit,” he says. “But there was a lot of luck and good timing on our side — [and] it gets to a point where it can only go so far. I mean, where do you go after you win the Polaris? We know it’s not going to last forever, so we may as well not worry about topping ourselves all the time. You can get caught up in [trying to do] something interesting all the time, and it can destroy you as a person.”

Few bands can match the intensity or the work ethic of Fucked Up. From their humble beginnings within Southern Ontario’s DIY hardcore punk scene, the band has since grown in both sound and reputation, becoming known as a musical force that refuses to accept the limits of their genre.

In a scant few years, Fucked Up has released an impressive library of music, including several albums (such as 2008’s The Chemistry of Common Life), mini LPs and dozens of 7” singles. Along the way, they’ve also become infamous for their manically destructive live sets, and for pulling off stunts like playing for 24 hours straight. (Want something even stranger? Well, Abraham was also invited to become a regular guest on the Fox News show Red Eye.)

Potentially short shelf life aside, Abraham promises that Fucked Up’s momentum — and penchant for the bizarre — will most certainly continue into the near future.

“We’ve definitely got some weird stuff in the pipeline, like some really weird, bizarre stuff,” says Abraham. “Every time something happened, there was always something weirder waiting in the wings, so we would try that.

“Our next album is going to be a rock opera — and it’s going to be our weirdest, and greatest, album yet.”

Latest Planet S Magazine

From PLANET S MAGAZINE

MUSIC · APR 22 2010

The Writing’s On The Wall

NEW ALBUM IN TOW, REGINA INDIE-POP COLLECTIVE LOOKS DESTINED TO BREAK BIG
by Chris Morin

LIBRARY VOICES
Friday 23
Amigos

The term “Canadian Tuxedo” comes from a line from the excellent (shut up — I liked it…) movie Super Troopers, describing an ensemble that pairs jeans and a jean jacket.

Sure, it was used as an ironic insult in the film — but after a listen to Denim on Denim, the first proper full-length from Regina indie-pop menagerie Library Voices, one suspects the phrase may well become the next buzzword in Canada’s indie rock circles.

“[The album title is] actually just taken from the song ‘Insider Trading (On Outsider Art),’” explains multi-instrumentalist Michael Dawson. “It's sort of a straight-faced, dry song about finding your place in this world. With that said, I also think the title does its best to fit in with the scene our band belongs to — in the same way that if we were an ‘80s hair metal band, “Leather On Leather” would’ve been an apt title.”

While hair-whipping metal solos aren’t exactly a part of the Library Voices canon, a steady progression towards national — and international — success certainly seems to be. With Denim on Denim now out in both CD and vinyl formats, a successful stint at the Olympics (“It didn't hurt that beer was flowing like water everywhere you turned,” jokes Dawson) and positive reviews coming from across North America, the eight-piece (and often more) collective looks primed to break out in a big way.

Dawson says that success stems from, simply, doing what they’ve always done — but doing it better, thanks to the experience they’ve gained over the years.

“Musically, the new album is very much an extension of our Hunting Ghosts EP,” says Dawson. “I think our songwriting matured exponentially. It's sort of like any new relationship: with Denim On Denim it felt more like we'd finally moved past that and things were going so well we were talking about moving in together.

“Lyrically I've been describing the album as here-and-now. It draws a lot on pop culture, the state of the modern family — and of course, the impending apocalypse.”

Musically, the band is a large, brilliantly overwhelming mish-mash of sound, with instruments like accordion, saxophone and theremin adding a lush feel to the indie rock base that drives their songs.

Happily, Denim on Denim is a fine representation of the over-crowded dance party that Library Voices brings to every show they play — which, given their love of the stage, happens often.

“I don't think it was stated specifically when we first started out that we wanted to tour constantly, but we’re very much a live band,” says Dawson. “That's where our songs translate the best. We're very lucky that we have a group of people who have made the necessary sacrifices in their personal and professional lives to keep us on the road as much as humanly possible.

“For a long time we’d all fallen [under] the unfortunate impression that you have to suffer or struggle in the music that you create,” he continues. “I have no idea how or why that came about, but when we started Library Voices it was very intentional that we wanted to create music and enjoy the process — [and] I hope that’s apparent from our live performances.

“It's strange, but being on the road as much as we are — with nine-plus people stuffed into a van — we get along better at all times than any other smaller band I've ever been a part of.”
*************************************************************************************

Still Waters Run Deep

THE BESNARD LAKES
Friday 30
Amigos

Besnard Lake is located in the great northern boreal forest of Saskatchewan — making it a fitting spiritual muse for husband and wife duo Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas.

Borrowing their name from what locals call the “Lake of Many Islands,” The Besnard Lakes play haunting, isolationist psych-pop, conjuring up plenty of textured noise that perfectly captures the lonesome beauty of the area that gave them their name.

While they moved to the fertile indie rock stomping grounds of Montréal a while back, the band returns to Saskatchewan every summer — much to the delight of fans in their native province.

Formed in Regina in 2003, The Besnard Lakes eventually started their own studio in Montréal to achieve the unique combination of psychedelica and pop that characterizes their sound. (In fact, rumour has it that their latest album, The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night, utilized the same mixing console that Led Zeppelin used on Physical Graffiti.)

With an army of effects pedals at their disposal, watching The Besnard Lakes live is akin to watching a skilled mason slowly construct a brick building — the end result is wonderfully impressive, but it takes some patience to get there. Like their namesake, The Besnard Lakes are perhaps best enjoyed as an overall experience, appreciated for the journey as much as the end result.

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You Guys Better Not Be Touring In A Ford!

JON AND ROY
Friday 23
Vangelis

Jon and Roy have made some fairly huge strides of late — despite steadfastly describing themselves as a “local band.” The Victoria-based folk-reggae-roots band (named after core duo Jon Middleton and Roy Vizer) has been featured in surf videos, as the soundtrack for programming on PBS and the National Geographic channel — and in a Volkswagen car commercial, of all things.

While hard-core folkies may balk at the idea of a band licensing their music to shill vehicles, Middleton says the band is simply thrilled to have their music reach as many people as possible (and hey — it’s Volkswagen, which has long been first in hippie hearts).

“I don’t find it strange that we got a song in a Volkswagen commercial pretty quick,” says Middleton. “We never really considered it too much except that it was just another way for us to get our music out there.”

Formed in 2003, the independent act quickly gained momentum while taking their stripped-down, acoustic-meets-world-beats sound across Canada — as well as a short stop in England with Buck 65. While they were in Saskatoon last year while opening for Cat Empire, Jon and Roy (currently touring in support of their latest album, Homes) have since expanded both their line-up and their sound.

“The band used to be just myself and Roy but we added a bass player, which has changed the way we write songs,” says Middleton. “And we’ve also added a guy who plays a mandolin live full time, which again has changed what we do live — so we’ve definitely achieved a fuller sound.

“I’m always hoping someone will be pleasantly surprised in terms of our live show being a lot more energetic than our recordings, which are a little bit more low key. Live, we tend to play harder and do some improvisational things, so if someone has only heard our albums they would probably be surprised by us live anyway.”

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Send In The Clowns

NOFX
Sunday 25
Odeon

When you’ve had an almost 30-year run as arguably the world’s greatest continuously functioning punk band, the idea of topping yourself and remaining relevant must be daunting (especially since the vast majority of what passes for “punk” these days has long been safe enough to hang at the mall or meet your parents).

So take a bow, Fat Mike.

As the singer-bassist of NOFX, Fat Mike has long been known for outrageous behaviour — and his latest stunt offered yet more proof that, while you might be able to dress a punk up, taking him out on the town remains an iffy proposition.

In what might be one of the greatest (or grossest, for those who partook of the free “drinks” on offer) punk rock spectacles ever, Fat Mike pulled off easily the most memorable piece of performance art at this year’s SXSW festival in Texas. After playing a few acoustic numbers, Fat Mike — dressed as the title character of NOFX’s latest 7”, Cokie the Clown — proceeded to shock the audience by telling a few stories from his past. These included witnessing the prelude to a rape, his roommate’s death and participating in his mother’s euthanasia. Whoa.

As the proverbial icing on the cake, Mike/Cokie closed the show with a video of him urinating into a bottle of liquor — which he had distributed to the crowd earlier in the show. (To be fair, he did play a song entitled “Drinking Pee.”)

Shocking? Yes. Gross? Undeniably. Further cementing Fat Mike’s place amongst the upper echelon of punk rock’s legends? Absolutely.

It’s certainly not that either Mike or NOFX as a whole needs to worry about their place in the history of punk, however. Formed in 1983 by original members Mike, drummer Erik Sandlin and guitarist Eric Melvin, NOFX began their career like most punk bands, playing basements and touring in a station wagon. In the nearly 30 years since, they’ve released 12 full-length albums, numerous EPs and several live albums — and, unlike almost every other punk band with any longevity, they’ve yet to release an album that completely sucks.

Along the way, NOFX has influenced countless bands (for better and for worse, it must be said) — many of whom can be found on Fat Mike’s own label, Fat Wreck Chords. They’ve also remained pretty much true to their punk roots — such as in 2003, when NOFX used their influence to try and sway popular political opinion, with the album The War on Errorism, the Punkvoter website and the Rock Against Bush tour.

Most importantly — and especially in terms of their upcoming Saskatoon date — NOFX has always been an amazing, often hilarious live act. Just make sure you get your drinks from the bar...

Jim Cuddy, Blue Rodeo - Q and A interview

*I decided I am going to do this again*

The following is an interview conducted with Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo.

You can read the article corresponding with the interview at Planet S Magazine, or go HERE.

CM: The Things We Left Behind is garnering a lot of rave reviews – are you surprised by the album’s success?

JC: When you put out a record you have no idea how it is going to be received. How the band feels about the record rarely jives with how people feel about the album. But I think I am happy about it being talked about for its form and content. The fact that we did vinyl and made it a double record seems to be of more interest now and that is really satisfying because there is a lot to talk about with vinyl coming back or people having more access to music now. The album as a piece of work is less fragmented so its nice to see people responding to all the work and effort being put into these sorts of things as an artist still matters.

Is there a common lyrical theme that runs throughout the album?

There isn’t a common lyrical theme on the album but, and this is something that always occurs to us after the fact, is that there are common themes once you stand back from it. The common themes, as we get older, are a lot more the-way-things-are with hints of mortality. So as I get older I start to see these themes.
We have two songwriters who don’t work together so we get together with our songs and its uncanny how similar these songs can be considering they are written in isolation.

Has there been any change in your songwriting arrangement with Greg Keelor?

It’s the same arrangement but in terms of the intensity of it is different. When we were first starting everything was new it was exciting because we were trying to figure it all out. And then in the middle part of our career we suddenly had a career, which surprised us. There is a lot of tension when you are working in a competitive way. Nowadays the mutual respect we have for each other is a lot more forefront. I mean being able to do this once again after all these years is just amazing.

You have obviously seen a lot of changes in the music industry since you first started. Was there ever any specific plan to adapt to these changes or was it all just serendipitous?

Its always been serendipity even though we’ve done many different things to adapt. But we’ve always just made the music that seems the most important to us at the time. And we’re lucky that we’ve always occupied a separate space in that we’ve never been overly attached to the most popular music of the day. When we started there was a lot of hard rock bands out there and our music was very meek, yet we succeeded on the radio. Every time we put out a new record the label would sit us down and tell us how hard it was going to be for us. I think we represent something different than a lot of other bands do. We represent something more personal. We tour a lot to every little town and city. So when our music comes out I don’t think it matters what our record sounds like as long as it sounds fresh and original and it sounds like we are doing something that matters to us.

With Blue Rodeo’s countless appearances on the CBC, your many cross-country tours, playing at Parliament Hill and your performance at the upcoming 2010 Olympics, at what point did you realize how engrained with Canadiana your band had become?

Well those things are really just the icing on the cake. Its because we meet people all the time and so many people say things to us like ‘I saw you at a bar in Sydney’ or ‘I saw you when I was going to university in Guelph.’ We realized we became a part of peoples’ lives at a fairly significant time in their lives when they were a teenager or a young adult. And they took us with them through the rest of their lives. Who knows how that happens?
We didn’t play Parliament Hill because we are so world famous, we played because everyone involved had some connection to us. The Olympics is the same thing. I think the Olympics is going to be a good example of how Canadian bands have become a part of the national consciousness in the last 20 years. There weren’t this many bands 20 years ago and the media didn’t give this much coverage and there weren’t this many opportunities for Canadian music. We are lucky that we’ve been a part of a generation of Canadian musicians that have been embraced by audiences.

After all these years on the road what is touring like nowadays?

Touring is a blast. Long ago we decided that touring is best done in the winter because it was the time when we were the least missed at home and people didn’t have a million options. It’s a lot fun and you get to see how people are coping with winter, whether it is devastating or mild. It’s a charmed life when you are out on the road. You spend the day getting ready for your concert and you don’t have a lot of other responsibilities.

What continues to inspire you to do Blue Rodeo?

We enjoy each other’s company and we enjoy being on the road and playing music. We are all the type of people who would be compelled to do music; I think it might be something in our DNA. So we would be doing this anyway. So I guess we’re lucky that we have this forum for it. We can play on stages for audiences. We really enjoy it and its contributed greatly to our happiness as human beings.

Weekend Wars

Getting old is pretty cool. Just ask old man man Tyson McShane. On October 20, he celebrated his 29th birthday in Montreal with a show at L'Emisphere Gauche and he rocked harder and sang with more clarity than I have ever witnessed. Getting old is lhaving to review every shitty thing you did. But the trick is having the balls to make right on it.

Indeed, there is video and mp3 evidence.

What there is hopefully not evidence of? Our post-party at Chez Serge, where a mechanical bull was ridden by all.

Fredericton is okay. But Halifax is going to be the cheese. Also, clean socks are paramount; clean underwear is fucking crucial.

Men

*The following is a preamble to touring with Slow Down Molasses. The reason I do this is I have yet to see them. But this story is very Montreal, I assure you.*

I had approximately one job interview in precisely four months in Montreal. Hilariously, it was for Fox Broadcasting for a men’s website called Askmen.com. I didn’t really want a job but it seemed foolish to not go. But in preparing, I was suddenly forced to evaluate my masculinity.

What would I ask men? And how would I respond? The answer was actually somewhat clear, the one that all men knew but few cared to admit: “I don’t know.”

I had never felt particularly manly. I had played sports as a kid – not well. And I had maybe driven a truck once. But I truly had no idea what it meant to be a man. Suddenly forced to articulate it in a general interest article, I started reaching: I wrote about cooking with curry (at the job interview, when asked why curry, my reply would be “lunch”).

It was strange that I had even gotten the job interview, and my article certainly did not ‘wow’. Cooking isn’t typically considered manly, as it is stereotypically women’s work. And like any stereotype worth its salt the truth of the statement could be measured in ounces, cups and gallons.

This was especially apparent growing up with the women in my family. They take turns fretting over the stove. They strong-arm vegetables, pulverizing and pureeing in a dazzling display of strength. And they literally crush entire meals with their bare hands.

But I came to realize that cooking is one of my ultimate expressions of manliness. Commandeering the kitchen, I become confident and powerful. I control what will be consumed and by who. I am the provider. As I cook I reach a Zen-like state of relaxation. And my knowledge of food and its preparation has been enough to steam the pants off of someone – tres manly!

In the end I didn’t get the job at the men’s website (merci monsieur!). Instead I brushed up on being manly. I spent my time cooking, frying, boiling, peeling, brazing and broiling. And steaming the pants off of someone.