It's that time of year where everyone starts talking about they were listening to, or reading or watching the past 12 months. Alot of people are also writing up their "Best of The Decade" lists. I've thought about writing one of those, but what an undertaking that would have to be. I can barely remember what happened this year, let alone the last 10 years. Lord knows i spent weeks trying to get my best of 2009 list together, and even now as i'm about to post it i'm worried that i forgot something crucial.
Anyways....
BEST OF 2009
Full Lengths Releases
LEEROY STAGGER-Everything Is Real CD (Rebeltone)
PULLING TEETH-Paranoid Delusions/Paradise Illusions LP (A389)
RUINER-Hell Is Empty LP (Bridge 9)
DEAR LANDLORD-Dream Homes LP (No Idea)
OBITS-I Blame You LP (Sub Pop)
LUCERO-1372 Overton Park LP (Universal)
SHOOK ONES-The Unquotable A.M.H. LP (Paper + Plastic)
RAVEONETTES-In And Out Of Control LP (Vice)
SOUL CONTROL-Cycles LP (Bridge 9)
GLASVEGAS-Glasvegas LP
DEVOTION-Bastard Son Of Affluence Blues LP (Rivalry)
CAVE SINGERS-Welcome Joy LP (Matador)
COLD CAVE-Love Comes Close LP (Matador)
CULT RITUAL-Cult Ritual LP (Youth Attack)
IRON AGE-The Sleeping Eye LP (Tee Pee)
HANDSOME FURS-Face Control LP (Sub Pop)
RISE AND FALL-Our Circle Is Vicious LP (Deathwish)
DRIVE BY TRUCKERS-The Fine Print LP (New West)
KING FRIDAY-Married Alive CD (Fast Crowd)
DO MAKE SAY THINK-Other Truths LP (Constellation)
7” & 12” EPs
FUTURE VIRGINS-Easiest Years 7” (Plan-It-X)
LAWRENCE ARMS-Buttsweat And Tears 7” (Fat)
OBITS-I Can’t Lose b/w Military Madness 7” (Sub Pop)
VACANT STATE-Both 7”s (Self Released and Deranged Records)
SUPERCHUNK-Crossed Wires 7” (Merge)
ON-Control 7” (Self Released)
SPANISH BOMBS-Beastman Is God 7” (Black Mass)
HOPE CONSPIRACY-True Nihilist 7” (Deathwish)
THE B-LINES-B Lines 7” (Nominal)
GYPSY-Relatively Distant b/w Skeleton Parade 7” (Six Feet Under)
MINDSET-Real Power 7” (React)
GET BENT-Dead It 7” (It’s Alive)
SMALL BROWN BIKE-Composite Volume 1 7” (No Idea)
CIRCLES-Lay Of The Land b/w The Lives Of Others 7” (Silly Girl)
YOUNG WIDOWS-Split 7” Series (Temporary Residence)
BOUNCING SOULS-7” Series (Chunksaah
SOUL CONTROL-Silent Reality 7” (Bridge 9)
MARKED MEN/THIS IS MY FIST-Split 7” (No Idea)
THE MEASURE (SA)-Songs About People… 12” (Don Giovanni)
TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET/THE ERGS-Split 7” (Vinyl Collective)
LIVE SHOWS
UNDERTOW w/ Unbroken-2 Shows; May 9th California (w/Threadbare) and October 3rd Seattle (w/ Strain and Converge)
DEAR LANDLORD w/ Off With Their Heads-July 11th Seattle @ The Funhouse
108 w/ Pulling Teeth, Lewd Acts, Skin Like Iron, Grave Maker-April 21st, Vancouver @ Chapel Arts
RUINER w/ In Bear Country, I.O.P-October 17th, Vancouver @ APC
DICKIES w/ The Blasters-May 8th, Hollywood, CA @ Knitting Factory
THE MEASURE (SA)-Seattle @ The Funhouse
LUCERO w/Black Joe Lewis-May 23rd, Vancouver @ Biltmore
RAVEONETTES w/ Mode Moderne-November 5th, Vancouver @ Venue
OBITS-May 15th, Vancouver @ Media Club
CAVE SINGERS-September 5th, Vancouver @ Media Club
GASLIGHT ANTHEM-2 shows in Vancouver (especially the Sept show with Murder By Death, Frank Turner and The Loved Ones)
THE BRONX-April 1st, Vancouver @ Richards
GET UP KIDS-September 20th, Seattle @ Neumos
SOUL CONTROL-October 1st, Vancouver @ APC
MURDER CITY DEVILS-February 13th, Vancouver @ Commodore
LEEROY STAGGER-May 29th, Vancouver @ Railway Club
NO BUNNY w/ The B-Lines-July 28th, Vancouver @ Pats Pub
THE HOLD STEADY-September 29th, Vancouver @ Vogue Theatre
MURDER BY DEATH-April 29th, Vancouver @ The Bourbon
CRO MAGS w/ Cruel Hand, Outbreak-July 8th, Seattle @ Studio 7
This is on top of all the times I saw local bands like Tranzmitors, Vacant State, Carpenter, Damages, Mode Moderne, B-Lines, Leeroy Stagger and others
Other Things That Made My Year Decent
-- Getting engaged. Wow! Good move on my part. Wedding in summer 2010
-- Finally getting a cat. Even though Zooey passed away due to a defective heart, i'm glad we had her in our lives for a few weeks.
-- Exceeding my goal of reading more than 30 books over the year. I got the list, maybe i'll post that.
-- Some good movies; Anvil documentary, Milk, The Road, Chi Pig documentary, and some others
-- Trips to L.A., Halifax, Saskatchewan, Calgary, Edmonton and countless trips to Seattle.
-- Good eats at The Palomino in Calgary
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Musical Memories
I've been thinking about writing about some records/songs/bands that mean alot to me. And i've also been thinking about how certain records/songs/bands trigger a memory (good or bad). But then it becomes a matter of which ones to choose? I look thru my record and cd collection and there's just to many things to choose from. So i decided to grab my ipod and leave the decision up to fate. I've put my ipod on random and will write about each song that comes up. If this turns out to be a good read i might try it again....
First up....
Doughboys - "Stranger From Within" (from "Whatever" LP)
-- Canada's own Doughboys, who started after John Kastner left the Asexuals. The first 2 Doughboys records, "Whatever" followed by "Home Again", are classic melodic punk albums and both have many songs that trigger memories (especially Home Again). I remember the first time i saw the band was at the Bronx in Edmonton on the Home Again tour. John Kastner was doing these big jumps off the bass drum ala Chi Pig, which i thought was so rad. There's something about the vocals... they have this strained quality that really works for the slightly morose and contemplative lyrics that they are known fore.
Snapcase - "Priceless" (from Progression Through Unlearning)
Man, Snapcase were such a powerhouse on record but live they were even more amazing! The heavy crunch of the guitars was so powerful in a live setting. The first time i saw Snapcase was in Minneapolis, must've been 1996. I had hitchhiked to MPLS for a punk fest, but Snapcase wasn't part of that fest. But some great bands played that weekend; Los Crudos, Dillinger Four, Man Afraid, and more. On day 2 of this fest i ran into an old friend from Edmonton who let me stay at their house, which was appreciated since i had been sleeping outside the past couple nights. Around the corner from their house was a small venue called the Bombshelter. It was a tight, little basement space...about the size of a bombshelter. My memory is slipping on who opened the show, but the 2 main bands that night were Snapcase and Refused. Snapcase were great that night, but Refused were even more explosive!! This was their 1st tour of north America, right around the time "Songs To Fan The Flame" came out. I remember the band were literally running at the concrete walls and bouncing off them. There was little to no air in this little space, and it was a hot July night, so the space became unbearable to be in after a while. But you couldn't walk away when a band this explosive and powerful was happening right in your face. What a show!
Mike Hale - When She Loved Me (from "Lives Like Mine")
I'm still trying to get into Mike's solo work, and it's not because it's bad but because i think i'd rather he record a new Gunmoll record. Gunmoll were from Gainesville... yeah, just another great Gainesville band on No Idea Records. What's with that town? Everything Gunmoll did was great, they had that rough-around-the-edges melodic punk with gruff vocals that i love so much.
Triple Threat - Obliterate (off "Into The Darkness")
Triple Threat never got the respect they deserved, and i think that's because they had so much to live up to because of the band members resumes. I like their records, but live they were even better, just alot stronger. One of the times i saw them was with Insted in New Jersey, fuckin' great show, but the day almost got ruined by the person i was dating at the time. It's a long, and actually quite stupid, story that i won't repeat here. But it was a hellish day spent with that person, but thankfully Insted and Triple Threat set it off. After the show the bullshit started all over again with this person, making for a horrible night.
The Get Up Kids - Anne Arbour (from Red Letter Day 10")
Fuck me... the Get Up Kids are one of my go-to bands when i'm feeling down in the dumps or nostalgic. They just trigger these emotions in me. In 2005 I spent alot of time on tour and i didn't have an ipod yet, just a discman. I brought every GUK recording i had, and i remember after a night of hardcore i would often put one of them on, listening to it on my headphones as we drove thru the night or slept on the floor of some random people's house. Recently me and erin bussed to Seattle to see them play and it was fantastic. So now i have another good memory attached to the Get Up Kids.
Downcast - They Are Not (demo version from the Discography)
Early 90's.... when every band and person involved in punk/hardcore had to be careful of what they said and did due to the extreme political correctness that prevailed the scene. Every action was judged. It was like a witch hunt. The weird thing was that if you were a heavy band but didn't have overtly political lyrics you were called macho, but if you were heavy and had something to say you were ok. So bands like Downcast, Econochrist and Born Against were loved by pretty much everyone. Not alot of the bands from this era stood the test of time, but Downcast did. I remember buying their first 7" from Allan Watermelon, aka Honking Dog, an Edmonton punk guy that ran a distro with his gf Karen. Good people.
Samiam - Hey Brother (from Billy)
I've got alot of memories attached to Samiam, but i think my favorite would be from the 1st time i saw them play, in 1990. My friend Rusty convinced Sven to drive us to Calgary to see Samiam and Snuff. I don't think Sven cared about the bands at all, he was really into stuff like Bolt Thrower and Napalm Death. Sven was also one of the craziest drivers ever. He'd have the metal cranked to 11, yelling french swear words at other drivers and worst of all is when he'd speed up behind a car and then start flashing his lights until they changed lanes. It was scary enough driving across town with Sven, so you can imagine what it felt like to drive 3 hours in the winter. The show was at the Westward hotel, i was underage but got in with no problems. Skin Barn played first, they were a really good Calgary band. Samiam played 2nd, this was right around the time of their 1st full length, and fuck were they good. Lots of energy. Closing the night was Snuff, who at at that point had never toured North America and didn't actually have any records out in this country. That could explain why there was less than 50 people at the show. I had a penpal in the UK who had sent me their records and stuff so i was really into the band by that point. Their set was lots of fun and ended with every single person at the show coming on stage and slam dancing while they covered "Purple Haze". It was a complete mayhem on that stage!! As we left the Westward sweaty and tired we realized it had been snowing all night and the roads were very unsafe. By time we got past Airdrie we realized that visibility was pretty much zero, so we had no choice but to drive really really slow. This pissed Sven off so much! He was cursing in french the whole way. The drive took way longer than normal, so by time i got dropped off at home it was pretty much time for me to head to school. Oh yeah, did i mention i was 16, in high school and had told my parents the night before that i was going to hang out at Rusty's place up the street? I snuck in the house, i think my dad was already up and getting ready for work, laid down on my bed for 5 minutes before dad was "waking me up" to go to school. What an adventure!!
Part 2 at a later date?
First up....
Doughboys - "Stranger From Within" (from "Whatever" LP)
-- Canada's own Doughboys, who started after John Kastner left the Asexuals. The first 2 Doughboys records, "Whatever" followed by "Home Again", are classic melodic punk albums and both have many songs that trigger memories (especially Home Again). I remember the first time i saw the band was at the Bronx in Edmonton on the Home Again tour. John Kastner was doing these big jumps off the bass drum ala Chi Pig, which i thought was so rad. There's something about the vocals... they have this strained quality that really works for the slightly morose and contemplative lyrics that they are known fore.
Snapcase - "Priceless" (from Progression Through Unlearning)
Man, Snapcase were such a powerhouse on record but live they were even more amazing! The heavy crunch of the guitars was so powerful in a live setting. The first time i saw Snapcase was in Minneapolis, must've been 1996. I had hitchhiked to MPLS for a punk fest, but Snapcase wasn't part of that fest. But some great bands played that weekend; Los Crudos, Dillinger Four, Man Afraid, and more. On day 2 of this fest i ran into an old friend from Edmonton who let me stay at their house, which was appreciated since i had been sleeping outside the past couple nights. Around the corner from their house was a small venue called the Bombshelter. It was a tight, little basement space...about the size of a bombshelter. My memory is slipping on who opened the show, but the 2 main bands that night were Snapcase and Refused. Snapcase were great that night, but Refused were even more explosive!! This was their 1st tour of north America, right around the time "Songs To Fan The Flame" came out. I remember the band were literally running at the concrete walls and bouncing off them. There was little to no air in this little space, and it was a hot July night, so the space became unbearable to be in after a while. But you couldn't walk away when a band this explosive and powerful was happening right in your face. What a show!
Mike Hale - When She Loved Me (from "Lives Like Mine")
I'm still trying to get into Mike's solo work, and it's not because it's bad but because i think i'd rather he record a new Gunmoll record. Gunmoll were from Gainesville... yeah, just another great Gainesville band on No Idea Records. What's with that town? Everything Gunmoll did was great, they had that rough-around-the-edges melodic punk with gruff vocals that i love so much.
Triple Threat - Obliterate (off "Into The Darkness")
Triple Threat never got the respect they deserved, and i think that's because they had so much to live up to because of the band members resumes. I like their records, but live they were even better, just alot stronger. One of the times i saw them was with Insted in New Jersey, fuckin' great show, but the day almost got ruined by the person i was dating at the time. It's a long, and actually quite stupid, story that i won't repeat here. But it was a hellish day spent with that person, but thankfully Insted and Triple Threat set it off. After the show the bullshit started all over again with this person, making for a horrible night.
The Get Up Kids - Anne Arbour (from Red Letter Day 10")
Fuck me... the Get Up Kids are one of my go-to bands when i'm feeling down in the dumps or nostalgic. They just trigger these emotions in me. In 2005 I spent alot of time on tour and i didn't have an ipod yet, just a discman. I brought every GUK recording i had, and i remember after a night of hardcore i would often put one of them on, listening to it on my headphones as we drove thru the night or slept on the floor of some random people's house. Recently me and erin bussed to Seattle to see them play and it was fantastic. So now i have another good memory attached to the Get Up Kids.
Downcast - They Are Not (demo version from the Discography)
Early 90's.... when every band and person involved in punk/hardcore had to be careful of what they said and did due to the extreme political correctness that prevailed the scene. Every action was judged. It was like a witch hunt. The weird thing was that if you were a heavy band but didn't have overtly political lyrics you were called macho, but if you were heavy and had something to say you were ok. So bands like Downcast, Econochrist and Born Against were loved by pretty much everyone. Not alot of the bands from this era stood the test of time, but Downcast did. I remember buying their first 7" from Allan Watermelon, aka Honking Dog, an Edmonton punk guy that ran a distro with his gf Karen. Good people.
Samiam - Hey Brother (from Billy)
I've got alot of memories attached to Samiam, but i think my favorite would be from the 1st time i saw them play, in 1990. My friend Rusty convinced Sven to drive us to Calgary to see Samiam and Snuff. I don't think Sven cared about the bands at all, he was really into stuff like Bolt Thrower and Napalm Death. Sven was also one of the craziest drivers ever. He'd have the metal cranked to 11, yelling french swear words at other drivers and worst of all is when he'd speed up behind a car and then start flashing his lights until they changed lanes. It was scary enough driving across town with Sven, so you can imagine what it felt like to drive 3 hours in the winter. The show was at the Westward hotel, i was underage but got in with no problems. Skin Barn played first, they were a really good Calgary band. Samiam played 2nd, this was right around the time of their 1st full length, and fuck were they good. Lots of energy. Closing the night was Snuff, who at at that point had never toured North America and didn't actually have any records out in this country. That could explain why there was less than 50 people at the show. I had a penpal in the UK who had sent me their records and stuff so i was really into the band by that point. Their set was lots of fun and ended with every single person at the show coming on stage and slam dancing while they covered "Purple Haze". It was a complete mayhem on that stage!! As we left the Westward sweaty and tired we realized it had been snowing all night and the roads were very unsafe. By time we got past Airdrie we realized that visibility was pretty much zero, so we had no choice but to drive really really slow. This pissed Sven off so much! He was cursing in french the whole way. The drive took way longer than normal, so by time i got dropped off at home it was pretty much time for me to head to school. Oh yeah, did i mention i was 16, in high school and had told my parents the night before that i was going to hang out at Rusty's place up the street? I snuck in the house, i think my dad was already up and getting ready for work, laid down on my bed for 5 minutes before dad was "waking me up" to go to school. What an adventure!!
Part 2 at a later date?
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Billy Bragg
Can you think of a better way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon then inside a record store watching English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg playing a free show? I'm way to broke right now to be spending $45 for a ticket to his show at the Commodore Ballroom tonight, so when i heard that he'd be playing free at Zulu i got very excited.
Zulu Records was starting to fill up shortly after 1pm, and by 2pm the place was jammed full when Billy Bragg strapped on an acoustic guitar adorned with a couple slogans from the Clash. For a man who's been around for so long, it's quite amazing that he's playing for free in a record store and seems quite happy to be doing so. Throughout the 45 minute set he was telling stories, joking with the crowd, and the guys from his road crew. For some reason the person sitting in front of Billy Bragg had a penguin of some sort (not a live one obviously) and this became fodder for many jokes, like during the song "Sexuality" he sang "Bestiality" during the chorus. I was happy he played "Between The Wars", and felt goosebumps when the song started. He closed the set with the classic song "New England, which got the whole crowd singing. It was pretty cool to look around the record store and see so many people singing along with big smiles on their faces.
Zulu Records was starting to fill up shortly after 1pm, and by 2pm the place was jammed full when Billy Bragg strapped on an acoustic guitar adorned with a couple slogans from the Clash. For a man who's been around for so long, it's quite amazing that he's playing for free in a record store and seems quite happy to be doing so. Throughout the 45 minute set he was telling stories, joking with the crowd, and the guys from his road crew. For some reason the person sitting in front of Billy Bragg had a penguin of some sort (not a live one obviously) and this became fodder for many jokes, like during the song "Sexuality" he sang "Bestiality" during the chorus. I was happy he played "Between The Wars", and felt goosebumps when the song started. He closed the set with the classic song "New England, which got the whole crowd singing. It was pretty cool to look around the record store and see so many people singing along with big smiles on their faces.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Recent Gigs I've Seen
Once again i've gone a few months without writing on here.... whatever, it's never gonna change.
Here's some (very) short reviews of some shows i've seen recently;
October 17
Ruiner / In Bear Country / I.O.P. @ APC
I'm always happy when i get the email from Ruiner asking me to set up a show for them. I fuckin' love this band, they never disappoint on record or in a live setting. And this time was no different. Sporting 2 new members and promoting a new LP, Ruiner came to Vancouver on a cold and wet Saturday in October. The APC is a tiny little place that gets real warm real quick, which was apparent by the end of I.O.P.'s set. In Bear Country played 2nd, and this was their first Vancouver show (even though they are from here). IBC consist of some dudes from some older local bands, and sound like a cross between Small Brown Bike, Crime In Stereo and melodic hardcore. They were great, and i'm sure they will catch on worldwide once they release something. Ruiner cranked out a 14 song set, including a few requests from the crowd. The new songs sounded great. Can't wait for these guys to come back
October 27
Propagandhi / Rebel Spell @ the Rickshaw
I don't like being around this many people in a space that isn't flat & wide open. I become a grumpy old man. I caught some of the Rebel Spell's set. Whatever. They do their thing, and i guess you could say they do it well. But after a couple songs it all sounded the same. And their singer needs to have more personality on stage. Propagandhi.. a band i loved when they first came around, but who don't mean nearly the same to me anymore. The first LP, and the split 10" with I Spy, are great records. I guess Today's Empire is ok too. Hell, maybe all their records are amazing, but i just stopped paying attention. So alot of their set went right over my head and i found myself bored. Throughout their set i just kept thinking about how i wish Todd would quit this band and start playing in I Spy again. Fuck, they were a great band!!
November 5th
The Raveonettes / Mode Moderne @ Venue
Locals boys Mode Moderne opened up, showcasing songs from their recent self-released LP. There's no hiding the fact that these guys LOVE the Smiths and Joy Division. But they do the sound well, no fucking around. Headlining the show was the Raveonettes, who's recent LP has grown to be a favorite of mine over the past month. They were great, playing songs from all their releases, and really sounding like a cross between the Jesus and Mary Chain and Sonic Youth (at times). The "wall of sound/phil spector" comparisons that get thrown around would apply more to their records. The use of pre-recorded drums mixed with the live drummer who's kit was simply a floor tom, a snare drum and a cymbal really made me think of JAMC. The male & female vocals worked well together in the live setting. And who ever was in charge of the strobe lights had them timed perfectly to the guitar freakouts. An amazing show!
November 10th
Dinosaur Jr / Pink Mountaintops @ Commodore Ballroom
This was my 1st time seeing Pink Mountaintops, which is kinda odd since they're a local band and i work at the label that released 2 of their records in Canada. They were good, a bit more laid back and different than Steve McBean's other band Black Mountain. Was that Tolan McNeil on bass? I haven't seen him on stage with steve since the mid-90's when they played in Gus. Dinosaur Jr were loud! And because J Mascis has so many amps i would ask that he please buys an electric guitar tuner. No one wants to hear you try to tune when you've got 6 amps turned up to 10. I was happy to hear some songs from the 90's major label records throughout the set. As uncool as it might be to say, i actually like those records than the SST ones. So when they opened with Thumb i was pretty stoked. Same as when they played "Feel The Pain" and "The Wagon". Another surprise was closing the set with a cover of the Cure classic "Just Like Heaven". It's great to see a legendary band touring for a new record that is just as solid as their "classic" albums, the new songs sounded great alongside older numbers. Great show. My ears were ringing long after the fact even though i had ear plugs in the whole night.
November 15th
Teenage Bottlerocket / Cobra Skulls / The Tranzmitors / Isotopes @ the Red Room
The Isotopes opened the show with a set that was only 10minutes long, but filled with pop-punk songs like Ben Weasel would write. The Tranzmitors used their 30minutes to play a mix of older songs (Bigger House-Broken Homes, Glamor Girls, etc), new unreleased songs (Sunday Morning and a song about someone named Jimmy) and even a cover (Jesus and Mary Chain). These guys are my favorite local band, and in my opinion can do no wrong. I can't wait till some of these new songs come out on vinyl. Cobra Skulls were up next, and that's 40minutes of my life i'll never get back. These guys weren't good at all. Boring punk, with some ska bits thrown in here and there. Yawn. The best part of their set was when they finished and the sound guy played Metallica "Motor Breath". Now that's a good song!! Teenage Bottlerocket played last. I like listening to their records, and live they sounded pretty good, but all in all it wasn't anything spectacular. They do the Ramones/Screeching Weasle thing quite well, but after 25 minutes i felt bored, so i left and went to see Carpenter at the Railway.
November 15th
Carpenter @ the Railway
What are the chances that there would be 2 good shows happening on a sunday night in Vancouver? And the bands i mainly wanted to see at both venues were the locals. At the Railway i ended up missing In Bear Country since i was at the Red Room, but i made it just in time to see Carpenter. These guys have been on tour most of the year, and this show was the last show of a month long tour. This was also my first time seeing them without Ryan on 2nd guitar. I missed ryan's dancing and singing along, he always looks like he's having so much fun! But the new guy played well, and appeared to enjoy himself, just without the dancing. Carpenter sounded like band who's been on tour alot; tight. They played 2 new songs, one of which i had never heard before. Both sounded good, one of them gives off a Face to Face vibe. I hope they get into the studio soon.
Here's some (very) short reviews of some shows i've seen recently;
October 17
Ruiner / In Bear Country / I.O.P. @ APC
I'm always happy when i get the email from Ruiner asking me to set up a show for them. I fuckin' love this band, they never disappoint on record or in a live setting. And this time was no different. Sporting 2 new members and promoting a new LP, Ruiner came to Vancouver on a cold and wet Saturday in October. The APC is a tiny little place that gets real warm real quick, which was apparent by the end of I.O.P.'s set. In Bear Country played 2nd, and this was their first Vancouver show (even though they are from here). IBC consist of some dudes from some older local bands, and sound like a cross between Small Brown Bike, Crime In Stereo and melodic hardcore. They were great, and i'm sure they will catch on worldwide once they release something. Ruiner cranked out a 14 song set, including a few requests from the crowd. The new songs sounded great. Can't wait for these guys to come back
October 27
Propagandhi / Rebel Spell @ the Rickshaw
I don't like being around this many people in a space that isn't flat & wide open. I become a grumpy old man. I caught some of the Rebel Spell's set. Whatever. They do their thing, and i guess you could say they do it well. But after a couple songs it all sounded the same. And their singer needs to have more personality on stage. Propagandhi.. a band i loved when they first came around, but who don't mean nearly the same to me anymore. The first LP, and the split 10" with I Spy, are great records. I guess Today's Empire is ok too. Hell, maybe all their records are amazing, but i just stopped paying attention. So alot of their set went right over my head and i found myself bored. Throughout their set i just kept thinking about how i wish Todd would quit this band and start playing in I Spy again. Fuck, they were a great band!!
November 5th
The Raveonettes / Mode Moderne @ Venue
Locals boys Mode Moderne opened up, showcasing songs from their recent self-released LP. There's no hiding the fact that these guys LOVE the Smiths and Joy Division. But they do the sound well, no fucking around. Headlining the show was the Raveonettes, who's recent LP has grown to be a favorite of mine over the past month. They were great, playing songs from all their releases, and really sounding like a cross between the Jesus and Mary Chain and Sonic Youth (at times). The "wall of sound/phil spector" comparisons that get thrown around would apply more to their records. The use of pre-recorded drums mixed with the live drummer who's kit was simply a floor tom, a snare drum and a cymbal really made me think of JAMC. The male & female vocals worked well together in the live setting. And who ever was in charge of the strobe lights had them timed perfectly to the guitar freakouts. An amazing show!
November 10th
Dinosaur Jr / Pink Mountaintops @ Commodore Ballroom
This was my 1st time seeing Pink Mountaintops, which is kinda odd since they're a local band and i work at the label that released 2 of their records in Canada. They were good, a bit more laid back and different than Steve McBean's other band Black Mountain. Was that Tolan McNeil on bass? I haven't seen him on stage with steve since the mid-90's when they played in Gus. Dinosaur Jr were loud! And because J Mascis has so many amps i would ask that he please buys an electric guitar tuner. No one wants to hear you try to tune when you've got 6 amps turned up to 10. I was happy to hear some songs from the 90's major label records throughout the set. As uncool as it might be to say, i actually like those records than the SST ones. So when they opened with Thumb i was pretty stoked. Same as when they played "Feel The Pain" and "The Wagon". Another surprise was closing the set with a cover of the Cure classic "Just Like Heaven". It's great to see a legendary band touring for a new record that is just as solid as their "classic" albums, the new songs sounded great alongside older numbers. Great show. My ears were ringing long after the fact even though i had ear plugs in the whole night.
November 15th
Teenage Bottlerocket / Cobra Skulls / The Tranzmitors / Isotopes @ the Red Room
The Isotopes opened the show with a set that was only 10minutes long, but filled with pop-punk songs like Ben Weasel would write. The Tranzmitors used their 30minutes to play a mix of older songs (Bigger House-Broken Homes, Glamor Girls, etc), new unreleased songs (Sunday Morning and a song about someone named Jimmy) and even a cover (Jesus and Mary Chain). These guys are my favorite local band, and in my opinion can do no wrong. I can't wait till some of these new songs come out on vinyl. Cobra Skulls were up next, and that's 40minutes of my life i'll never get back. These guys weren't good at all. Boring punk, with some ska bits thrown in here and there. Yawn. The best part of their set was when they finished and the sound guy played Metallica "Motor Breath". Now that's a good song!! Teenage Bottlerocket played last. I like listening to their records, and live they sounded pretty good, but all in all it wasn't anything spectacular. They do the Ramones/Screeching Weasle thing quite well, but after 25 minutes i felt bored, so i left and went to see Carpenter at the Railway.
November 15th
Carpenter @ the Railway
What are the chances that there would be 2 good shows happening on a sunday night in Vancouver? And the bands i mainly wanted to see at both venues were the locals. At the Railway i ended up missing In Bear Country since i was at the Red Room, but i made it just in time to see Carpenter. These guys have been on tour most of the year, and this show was the last show of a month long tour. This was also my first time seeing them without Ryan on 2nd guitar. I missed ryan's dancing and singing along, he always looks like he's having so much fun! But the new guy played well, and appeared to enjoy himself, just without the dancing. Carpenter sounded like band who's been on tour alot; tight. They played 2 new songs, one of which i had never heard before. Both sounded good, one of them gives off a Face to Face vibe. I hope they get into the studio soon.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Show Review: Off With Their Heads w/ Dear Landlord
Off With Their Heads
Dear Landlord
plus locals
@ the Funhouse (Seattle, WA) July 11/09
When i first heard about this tour hitting Seattle, for 3 shows over 24hours, i just knew i had to make it down. Thankfully my good friend Mike was down for a road trip. We started the trip trying to find a border crossing without a 2hour wait time, and after crossing into America we set our sites on getting to the Tulalip Casino for the buffet. It was only 12noon when we hit the buffet, and 1 hour later we were stretched to the limit as we exited the casino and out into the blazing summer heat.
After some record shopping we started heading to the Funhouse, a little punk bar in Seattle, for the show which was scheduled to start after 4pm. Before we got their i realized that the chocolate i got from the casino had melted in my pocket! Everything in my pocket was coated in chocolate; all the american money i had, my coins, random pieces of paper, etc. As i tried to get everthing out of my pocket i only ended up getting chocolate under my fingernails, on my shorts, shirt, everywhere. Fuckin' hell!! I was using my shoe, a newspaper and my hands trying to scrape the chocolate off. When we got to the funhouse i handed the doorman my chocolate covered money, feeling like the worlds biggest dumbass. Lesson learned, chocolate melts in extreme heat.
I can't remember the name of the first bad, but they were ok. Nothing special, but at least they didn't annoy me. Next up was Dear Landlord, who have just released an amazing album on No Idea called "Dream Homes" that has been on constant rotation in my life. The band loudly blazed thru their set, with barely any breaks in between songs. All the vocals were spot on, just like the record, and surprised me as they can be quite melodic. Their set wasn't even 27 minutes long, and it was perfect! Following them was tour mates Off With Their Heads (also from Minneapolis and also on No Idea Records and share a member with Dear Landlord). I love OWTH, but they just couldn't stand up to Dear Landlord. Don't get me wrong, they were fuckin' great, played alot of songs i loved, but they just didn't rock as hard as Dear Landlord. But i am looking forward to OWTH touring Canada this fall with Bouncing Souls and Youth Brigade. The one thing that surprised me about this show was the insanely small crowd, couldn't have been more than 30-40 people there. Maybe because both bands played the night before as well as a show later that night. But if i lived in Seattle i would've gone to all 3 shows.
After OWTH we decided to skip the last band, go to 7-11 for free slurpee day and hit the highway.
DEAR LANDLORD
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS
Dear Landlord
plus locals
@ the Funhouse (Seattle, WA) July 11/09
When i first heard about this tour hitting Seattle, for 3 shows over 24hours, i just knew i had to make it down. Thankfully my good friend Mike was down for a road trip. We started the trip trying to find a border crossing without a 2hour wait time, and after crossing into America we set our sites on getting to the Tulalip Casino for the buffet. It was only 12noon when we hit the buffet, and 1 hour later we were stretched to the limit as we exited the casino and out into the blazing summer heat.
After some record shopping we started heading to the Funhouse, a little punk bar in Seattle, for the show which was scheduled to start after 4pm. Before we got their i realized that the chocolate i got from the casino had melted in my pocket! Everything in my pocket was coated in chocolate; all the american money i had, my coins, random pieces of paper, etc. As i tried to get everthing out of my pocket i only ended up getting chocolate under my fingernails, on my shorts, shirt, everywhere. Fuckin' hell!! I was using my shoe, a newspaper and my hands trying to scrape the chocolate off. When we got to the funhouse i handed the doorman my chocolate covered money, feeling like the worlds biggest dumbass. Lesson learned, chocolate melts in extreme heat.
I can't remember the name of the first bad, but they were ok. Nothing special, but at least they didn't annoy me. Next up was Dear Landlord, who have just released an amazing album on No Idea called "Dream Homes" that has been on constant rotation in my life. The band loudly blazed thru their set, with barely any breaks in between songs. All the vocals were spot on, just like the record, and surprised me as they can be quite melodic. Their set wasn't even 27 minutes long, and it was perfect! Following them was tour mates Off With Their Heads (also from Minneapolis and also on No Idea Records and share a member with Dear Landlord). I love OWTH, but they just couldn't stand up to Dear Landlord. Don't get me wrong, they were fuckin' great, played alot of songs i loved, but they just didn't rock as hard as Dear Landlord. But i am looking forward to OWTH touring Canada this fall with Bouncing Souls and Youth Brigade. The one thing that surprised me about this show was the insanely small crowd, couldn't have been more than 30-40 people there. Maybe because both bands played the night before as well as a show later that night. But if i lived in Seattle i would've gone to all 3 shows.
After OWTH we decided to skip the last band, go to 7-11 for free slurpee day and hit the highway.
DEAR LANDLORD
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Record collecting blog (LINK FIXED)
Check out this blog that my friend Doug just started...
We Will Bury You
It involves record collecting, but not lots of useless facts & trivia. It's all about Doug's collection, which appears to be pretty amazing. I've known Doug for quite some time, and i know he takes his record collecting seriously. He's been posting pictures and stories about some of his records, starting with "Chung King Can Suck It".
Check it out, and check it often as he's been updating it pretty regularly.
(sorry about the broken link before. It's fixed. In case it breaks again, http://doug-wewillburyyou.blogspot.com is where to go)
We Will Bury You
It involves record collecting, but not lots of useless facts & trivia. It's all about Doug's collection, which appears to be pretty amazing. I've known Doug for quite some time, and i know he takes his record collecting seriously. He's been posting pictures and stories about some of his records, starting with "Chung King Can Suck It".
Check it out, and check it often as he's been updating it pretty regularly.
(sorry about the broken link before. It's fixed. In case it breaks again, http://doug-wewillburyyou.blogspot.com is where to go)
Friday, June 26, 2009
Show Reviews
It's been a while, but here's a new post talking about some shows i've been to over the past few months. I've been to a bunch of shows, so i'll have to make each review brief.
LUCERO w/ Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
@the Biltmore
May 23
The real surprise of the night was openers Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears from Austin, Texas. They had a nice soul revue thing going with forays into old school funk and some straight up rock. Included in the set were a handful of songs about the female butt, such as "Big Booty Woman". My favorite song was "Bitch I Love You". Funny shit. The band was so much fun, you just couldn't stop yourself from dancing.
It seems like most times i see Lucero they open with "That Much Further West" and then let the floodgates of audience song requests open up. This usually leads to breaks in between songs, and a general looseness on stage. Tonight was unlike any other set; the band opened with "Bike Riders" and actually seemed to have a setlist slightly mapped out. This resulted in the band sounding tighter, and dare i say, more professional than ever before. Songs flowed from one into the next, Ben wasn't explaining that he couldn't play a song due to drunkeness. The band sounded together, and with the addition of pedal steel and keyboard players, old songs sounded new & fresh. And opening with a rager like "Bike Riders", well goddamn! Lucero did play a few requests, including the one i asked Ben Nichols to play just before he hopped on stage. The set included all the hits, Slow Dance, Nights Like These, Tears Don't Matter Much, The War, etc. But the band also played a few new ones, that got me excited for their upcoming record. Only bad part of the show was when this douche bag poured a full can of beer on my head. What a piece of shit.
CRO-MAGS w/ Outbreak, Cruel Hand
@ Studio 7 (seattle)
June 6th
After a fun day walking around Seattle, me, Steveston Mike and hunter headed over to the venue, way too early. So we headed over to the Krispy Kreme where we witnessed the creation of glazed donuts. Amazing! Back to Studio 7 we found out the Mongoloids had broken down and wouldn't be playing. I didn't care. Cruel Hand opened and were better than i expected. Basic modern hardcore i guess, tons of energy on stage. Outbreak played next. I used to love this band, but now.... whatever. They bored me.
As the Cro-Mags started to set up you could see the anticipation on everyones face, and you could also see just how diverse the crowd was; anti-racist skins, metal heads, hardcore kids, mohawked punx, etc. For the life of me i can't remember what song they opened with, but i just remember tons of people attempting stage dives. Thru out the whole set there was always a few people skanking across the stage before doing a dive. As to be expected there was some punches thrown, and some brawls did break out. At one point i saw some kid crawling on his hands & knees out the front door after some sort of skirmish happened in the pit.
The Cro-Mags sounded great, John Joesph still sounds good and still moves around alot. The band seemed a bit bummed about all the fights breaking out, at one point asking "why do you have to do this at our show?". But of course the fights kept breaking out thru out the set. The set listed consisted of songs from "Age of Quarrel", some Bad Brains covers, and "12xu" by Wire. Solid.
The Estranged w/Mode Moderne, Yellow Knife, Spectres
@Pats Pub
June 19
The Estranged from Portland were much better live than their records, even though I like most of their records. Their full length on Dirtnap wasn't recorded that well, and i felt like it hurt the songs. And hearing those songs live proved my point. The Estranged were a powerful 3-piece, reminding me of Husker Du at some points. And i was quite surprised at how good the guitar player/singer is, that dude can really shred.
Opening the show was 3 locals; Mode Moderne are obviously influenced by the Smiths and Joy Division, i'd like to see them again. Yellow Knife were heavy, post hardcore with some metal leanings. Spectres do the peace punk influenced by Joy Division thing fairly well. I think if they got a different singer they'd be a stronger band.
Leeroy Stagger
@ the Railway
May 29th
Kevin Kane was one of the openers, which makes sense since he also plays with Leeroy Stagger, and he played an abbreviated set due to his frustration with all the people talking while he played his quiet, mellow songs. The worst offenders were these women sitting at a table right up front, maybe 5 feet from Kevin. They had no idea that they were ruining the show for everyone. He ended his set with a couple songs from his old band "The Grapes of Wrath".
Leeroy Stagger returns to the Railway!! I was excited for this show for weeks leading up. The set was heavy on material from his latest album, which i didn't get to hear until after the show, but this didn't matter. Leeroy Stagger is a great singer-songwriter, and his new songs sounded fantastic, akin to someone like Tom Petty mixed with Steve Earle and a less artsy Wilco. Yeah it's that good! I was happy to hear some songs from "Depression River" sprinkled in the set list as well.
I really hope things work out for Leeroy Stagger, he's got the chops and can write a good song, plus he tours non-stop. He's deserving of some success.
Slayer w/ Megadeth
@ GM Place
June 24
Thrash fuckin' metal!! The first 2 bands don't deserve to be mentioned in such a fine blog as this one. On this stop of the Canadian Carnage tour Slayer opened, and Megadeth headlined. Didn't really matter as both bands played 1hour sets, guess it comes down to ego.
Slayer opened with God Hates Us All... what a brutal angry song. But sadly parts of it were lost in the mix, but they got all that cleared up within the first couple songs. These guys haven't slowed down or mellowed out over the years, still brtual, still fast, still angry, and still LOUD! There was 38 amps on stage. That's just crazy. Slayer playing a 1 hour set means they can't fuck around when it comes to the set list, this meant you got to hear the "hits" and there was minimal between song banter. Awesome.
Megadeth played last. Can't remember what they opened with, maybe i was too mesmerized by Dave Mustaine's golden flowing locks that resemble a lions mane. But that first song went straight into "Wake Up Dead".. fuck yes!! My fist was in the air, i was headbanging like i still had long hair, i was singing along... good times. I was happy to hear "In My Darkest Hour",that song is amazing, good heavy riff thru out, some good depressing/morose lyrics. It was amazing to see the whole stadium singing along to "Peace Sells, But Who's Buying?". I know it's a thrash classic, but man people were losing their shit, singing at the top of their lungs and banging their heads.
As good as the bands were this night, the true entertainment was the crowd. Slayer and Megadeth bring out people from all walks of life; patched bikers, dirtbag metal heads, crust punx, middle aged balding men, bevis & butthead, skanks & prudes... you get the picture. They all came to do 3 things; head bang, smoke weed and drink beer. The air was thick with smoke thru out the whole night, and no security guard was going to stop anyone. People would be smoking a joint and a guard would shine the flashlight on them to stop but they would just stare into the light while inhaling their dope. In between bands people stood in the aisles, smoking anything and everything, not even trying to hide it!! I'm pretty sure i got a contact high as my thoughts near the end of Megadeth's set were focused on getting an Iced Tea and a bag of potato chips, no flavor just salt (and for the record they tasted amazing when i rushed to 7-11 after the set). Oh and the 1 beer per person per transaction bullshit they had going on didn't stop everyone from drinking their faces off. These fans came to party, and nothing was going to stop them.
LUCERO w/ Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
@the Biltmore
May 23
The real surprise of the night was openers Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears from Austin, Texas. They had a nice soul revue thing going with forays into old school funk and some straight up rock. Included in the set were a handful of songs about the female butt, such as "Big Booty Woman". My favorite song was "Bitch I Love You". Funny shit. The band was so much fun, you just couldn't stop yourself from dancing.
It seems like most times i see Lucero they open with "That Much Further West" and then let the floodgates of audience song requests open up. This usually leads to breaks in between songs, and a general looseness on stage. Tonight was unlike any other set; the band opened with "Bike Riders" and actually seemed to have a setlist slightly mapped out. This resulted in the band sounding tighter, and dare i say, more professional than ever before. Songs flowed from one into the next, Ben wasn't explaining that he couldn't play a song due to drunkeness. The band sounded together, and with the addition of pedal steel and keyboard players, old songs sounded new & fresh. And opening with a rager like "Bike Riders", well goddamn! Lucero did play a few requests, including the one i asked Ben Nichols to play just before he hopped on stage. The set included all the hits, Slow Dance, Nights Like These, Tears Don't Matter Much, The War, etc. But the band also played a few new ones, that got me excited for their upcoming record. Only bad part of the show was when this douche bag poured a full can of beer on my head. What a piece of shit.
CRO-MAGS w/ Outbreak, Cruel Hand
@ Studio 7 (seattle)
June 6th
After a fun day walking around Seattle, me, Steveston Mike and hunter headed over to the venue, way too early. So we headed over to the Krispy Kreme where we witnessed the creation of glazed donuts. Amazing! Back to Studio 7 we found out the Mongoloids had broken down and wouldn't be playing. I didn't care. Cruel Hand opened and were better than i expected. Basic modern hardcore i guess, tons of energy on stage. Outbreak played next. I used to love this band, but now.... whatever. They bored me.
As the Cro-Mags started to set up you could see the anticipation on everyones face, and you could also see just how diverse the crowd was; anti-racist skins, metal heads, hardcore kids, mohawked punx, etc. For the life of me i can't remember what song they opened with, but i just remember tons of people attempting stage dives. Thru out the whole set there was always a few people skanking across the stage before doing a dive. As to be expected there was some punches thrown, and some brawls did break out. At one point i saw some kid crawling on his hands & knees out the front door after some sort of skirmish happened in the pit.
The Cro-Mags sounded great, John Joesph still sounds good and still moves around alot. The band seemed a bit bummed about all the fights breaking out, at one point asking "why do you have to do this at our show?". But of course the fights kept breaking out thru out the set. The set listed consisted of songs from "Age of Quarrel", some Bad Brains covers, and "12xu" by Wire. Solid.
The Estranged w/Mode Moderne, Yellow Knife, Spectres
@Pats Pub
June 19
The Estranged from Portland were much better live than their records, even though I like most of their records. Their full length on Dirtnap wasn't recorded that well, and i felt like it hurt the songs. And hearing those songs live proved my point. The Estranged were a powerful 3-piece, reminding me of Husker Du at some points. And i was quite surprised at how good the guitar player/singer is, that dude can really shred.
Opening the show was 3 locals; Mode Moderne are obviously influenced by the Smiths and Joy Division, i'd like to see them again. Yellow Knife were heavy, post hardcore with some metal leanings. Spectres do the peace punk influenced by Joy Division thing fairly well. I think if they got a different singer they'd be a stronger band.
Leeroy Stagger
@ the Railway
May 29th
Kevin Kane was one of the openers, which makes sense since he also plays with Leeroy Stagger, and he played an abbreviated set due to his frustration with all the people talking while he played his quiet, mellow songs. The worst offenders were these women sitting at a table right up front, maybe 5 feet from Kevin. They had no idea that they were ruining the show for everyone. He ended his set with a couple songs from his old band "The Grapes of Wrath".
Leeroy Stagger returns to the Railway!! I was excited for this show for weeks leading up. The set was heavy on material from his latest album, which i didn't get to hear until after the show, but this didn't matter. Leeroy Stagger is a great singer-songwriter, and his new songs sounded fantastic, akin to someone like Tom Petty mixed with Steve Earle and a less artsy Wilco. Yeah it's that good! I was happy to hear some songs from "Depression River" sprinkled in the set list as well.
I really hope things work out for Leeroy Stagger, he's got the chops and can write a good song, plus he tours non-stop. He's deserving of some success.
Slayer w/ Megadeth
@ GM Place
June 24
Thrash fuckin' metal!! The first 2 bands don't deserve to be mentioned in such a fine blog as this one. On this stop of the Canadian Carnage tour Slayer opened, and Megadeth headlined. Didn't really matter as both bands played 1hour sets, guess it comes down to ego.
Slayer opened with God Hates Us All... what a brutal angry song. But sadly parts of it were lost in the mix, but they got all that cleared up within the first couple songs. These guys haven't slowed down or mellowed out over the years, still brtual, still fast, still angry, and still LOUD! There was 38 amps on stage. That's just crazy. Slayer playing a 1 hour set means they can't fuck around when it comes to the set list, this meant you got to hear the "hits" and there was minimal between song banter. Awesome.
Megadeth played last. Can't remember what they opened with, maybe i was too mesmerized by Dave Mustaine's golden flowing locks that resemble a lions mane. But that first song went straight into "Wake Up Dead".. fuck yes!! My fist was in the air, i was headbanging like i still had long hair, i was singing along... good times. I was happy to hear "In My Darkest Hour",that song is amazing, good heavy riff thru out, some good depressing/morose lyrics. It was amazing to see the whole stadium singing along to "Peace Sells, But Who's Buying?". I know it's a thrash classic, but man people were losing their shit, singing at the top of their lungs and banging their heads.
As good as the bands were this night, the true entertainment was the crowd. Slayer and Megadeth bring out people from all walks of life; patched bikers, dirtbag metal heads, crust punx, middle aged balding men, bevis & butthead, skanks & prudes... you get the picture. They all came to do 3 things; head bang, smoke weed and drink beer. The air was thick with smoke thru out the whole night, and no security guard was going to stop anyone. People would be smoking a joint and a guard would shine the flashlight on them to stop but they would just stare into the light while inhaling their dope. In between bands people stood in the aisles, smoking anything and everything, not even trying to hide it!! I'm pretty sure i got a contact high as my thoughts near the end of Megadeth's set were focused on getting an Iced Tea and a bag of potato chips, no flavor just salt (and for the record they tasted amazing when i rushed to 7-11 after the set). Oh and the 1 beer per person per transaction bullshit they had going on didn't stop everyone from drinking their faces off. These fans came to party, and nothing was going to stop them.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
No Sense Productions presents....
I'm very excited to announce that No Sense Productions is back after taking a few months off and we've got a HUGE show to announce......
108/Pulling Teeth/Lewd Acts/Skin Like Iron/Grave Maker
April 21st @ the Chapel Arts - 304 Dunlevy Ave (Vancouver, bc, Canada)
All Ages -- doors 7 / Bands 7:30 -- $13
I've been listening to 108 for a long, long time but have never seen them play. About 2 years ago i flew to San Francisco to see them play with Look Back & Laugh, Rise and Fall, and Iron Age. After I bought a plane ticket 108 dropped off the show. It was still an amazing show, and I'm always looking for any excuse to go to SF. Ever since than i've tried to find a way for the band to play here, and now they are! And with a stellar crop of bands on tour with them, and with Grave Maker as the special guests for Vancouver.... should be quite the night!
More info can be found at No Sense Productions. We've also got links and music up for the bands on the page. Oh, and there's a facebook event page, check it out and RSVP (or something like that).
And a big thank you to erin legere for putting together such a great looking poster, and for printing them off for us on such shiny paper.
108/Pulling Teeth/Lewd Acts/Skin Like Iron/Grave Maker
April 21st @ the Chapel Arts - 304 Dunlevy Ave (Vancouver, bc, Canada)
All Ages -- doors 7 / Bands 7:30 -- $13
I've been listening to 108 for a long, long time but have never seen them play. About 2 years ago i flew to San Francisco to see them play with Look Back & Laugh, Rise and Fall, and Iron Age. After I bought a plane ticket 108 dropped off the show. It was still an amazing show, and I'm always looking for any excuse to go to SF. Ever since than i've tried to find a way for the band to play here, and now they are! And with a stellar crop of bands on tour with them, and with Grave Maker as the special guests for Vancouver.... should be quite the night!
More info can be found at No Sense Productions. We've also got links and music up for the bands on the page. Oh, and there's a facebook event page, check it out and RSVP (or something like that).
And a big thank you to erin legere for putting together such a great looking poster, and for printing them off for us on such shiny paper.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Influential Records & Bands
Over the past month alot of people have been posting lists of "Influential Records" on facebook. As a music nerd I love reading these lists, and I of course love making lists like this. It's taken me a week to do this, and i couldn't stop at 15, or even 20. I think i'm at 21 now, and i'm forcing myself to stop. And yes i did put this same list up on Facebook. I'd love to see your lists, you can either post in the comments section or email me at xcitrus@hotmail.com
In no particular order...
KISS -- Alive 2
The reality is it wasn't just this 1 LP that affected me, it was all the records (even post make-up era up to Animalize). This record really stands out for me from an early age, the artwork, the members make up & costumes, Gene Simmons with fake blood all over his face, instantly jumped out at me. The songs were great and the pyro explosions really came thru the speakers. My love affair with music started here.
Bruce Springsteen --
Hard to choose 1 record. I guess Born In the USA would be the first one to hit my ears, I remember hearing him on the radio and seeing the videos on Much Music when this came out. Shortly after i picked up his older tapes and played the hell out of them. Over the years "Born To Run" and "The River" have been in constant rotation and i'm always finding new reasons to love the boss.
Crimpshrine -
The 3 singles, "Quit Talking Claude", "Sleep What's That?" and the split that came with No Idea, really affected me in those early years of discovering punk rock. It all seemed so simplistic, like me and my friends could be doing this. And the lyrics.... as naive as they seem now, at 16 they made me look at things differently. Read the lyrics to "Fucked Up Kid". I thought it was written for me and about me.
the Specials - Self Titled LP
I first saw the video for "Message to You Rudy" and was intrigued by the sounds, the look and the attitude. I borrowed a copy from the public library and played the shit out of it. It seemed so different than anything i had heard before! A few days later i bought a copy from Sound Connection, put it on a tape and listened to it on my walkman all the time. At 16 this music seemed connected to punk somehow but it also seemed like something someone my age shouldn't be listening, like it was a secret music that older punks listened to.
Stiff Little Fingers - "Inflammable Materials"
Discovering this record at a young age really solidified my belief in punk rock as something different, and as a musical form that was explosive and exciting. The lyrics had something to say and were spat out with such urgency that it forced your ears to perk up.
Operation Ivy - "Energy"
Shortly after discovering the Specials and Stiff Little Fingers i was introduced to Operation Ivy by my friend Rusty. This California band combined both of those groups, and at the time there wasn't many groups doing rough, punk influenced ska. Sadly ska-punk was concept that i never wanted to hear again as the 90's progressed.
7 Seconds - "The Crew"
The first time heard this record i was riding thru the streets of Edmonton in the box part of a pick up truck, riding to a band practice with my friends. It was raw, fast, and had great sing-alongs. And those were all things my 15 year old ears wanted to hear. I borrowed the record from my friend Cam, and a few days later skipped school hitting Sound Connection to buy a copy. I celebrate this bands whole catalog, and yes i do enjoy "New Wind" alot.
SNFU - I'm from Edmonton so of course this band played a big part in my musical evolution. I skipped school alot, and would just wander around town; whyte Ave, the high level bridge, Jasper Ave, etc. And along these walks i'd see posters on walls and telephone poles, and they'd have crazy drawings and band names that i'd never heard before. One name that kept popping up was SNFU. I also saw there name once or twice in the mainstream newspapers. So i stole a tape of "Better Than A Stick In the Eye" from HMV downtown, and once i hit the street i put it in my walkmen. My ears were blasted with "Time To Buy A Futon"; a great guitar riff and Chi Pig screaming his head off. Holy shit! This is so different than the metal/hard rock i listened to! I spent the afternoon walking around listening to the tape over and over and over again. This crazy style of music was what i had been searching for. The other reason SNFU influenceed me was that the people playing the songs were real, unlike the metal bands i would hang around the stadium parking lot trying to me i would see these guys on the street and when their set was done they wouldn't run away to a dressing room that was off limits, they would just hang out in the crowd.
The Replacements -- "Tim"
One of my all time favorite records, and also a record that was a soundtrack for a strange time of my life so it can bring on some weird feelings and emotions. Me and my old roomate Dave K. would stay up for days on end listening to this record over & over again, rocking out to "One Dose of Thunder" at the start of the bender and burning out to "Here Comes A Regular" when all our supplies ran out and the sun was coming thru the curtains. This record is Paul Westerberg at his finest.
Modern Life is War -- "My Love, My Way"
There's a feeling you get when you first discover music, those early years of buying records can be so exciting what with all the fresh new sounds burrowing into your ears. As time goes on you get a little pickier, maybe you you don't get impressed as easily, and you will go thru periods of time where nothing excites you anymore, and you're searching for that one band and record that will change you and affect your life. For me that band was Modern Life is War. I discovered this band during a particularly ripe time for hardcore/punk in the early 2000's, a time when bands like American Nightmare, Reach the Sky, Champion, WHN?, Suicide File, No Warning, Count Me Out, Panic and so many more were active (look at the lineup for Posi Fest 2002-2004 for a good example of the core at that point). MLIW stood out amongst the stellar crop of bands at the time mainly because they were heavy without being metal core, they didn't play super fast, and they had lyrics that i related to and felt. This band made me realize how much Hardcore/Punk meant to me. They are also probably the only band i could ever want to see for 37 nights in a row (which i did).
LA Guns/Faster Pussycat/Motley Crue/Guns n Roses --
4 way tie here on this entry. The debut albums from these 4 Hollywood glam bands really struck a chord with me. I would listen to their tapes on my walkmen all the time and think and daydream about what i thought life in a Sunset Strip metal band would be like; sleep all day, drink/drug/fight/fuck all night. This shit just seemed so bad ass to me! I can honestly say that these records were my gateway to punk rock because unlike other glam/hair metal bands i was digging these records/bands were grittier, rawer, and a little more dangerous. The guitar tones weren't super slick and over produced (for the most part). So when i heard punk it just seemed like a more extreme version of what i was already listening too. And yes i still do listen to these records alot (more so LA Guns and Faster Pussycat).
Metallica - Master of Puppets
The 1st time i heard this i was blown away by how fast, angry and raw it was! i used to stare at the cover thinking how cool and bad ass it looked. Metallica (and soon after Slayer) really made me appreciate heavy & fast music.
Descendents -- Milo Goes To College
Fuck, how do i pick 1 record? I believe the first Descendents records i heard were "Milo Goes to College" and "Enjoy". "Milo" has become my favorite. I had heard their name a bunch but at the time ALL was where you could find most of the members, so i was listening to them alot. At some point in 1990, about a month or two before i saw ALL for the first time, i picked up these 2 records. It was similar to ALL but faster at times and a little less produced, I was hooked. Over the years Descendents have been there to help me thru some shitty rough times. At the risk of sounding lame i'll admit to more than 1 occasion of having my heart broken and sitting around listening to the Descendents in the aftermath. And i know i'm not the only one. They also taught me that "thou shall not consume decaf".
Lucero - That Much Further West
This band, and this record, was a turning point for me around 2003-2004. At that point i was listening to hardcore pretty much all the time, just a steady diet of angry, fast, hard music. When i first heard Lucero it made me pull out my old Replacements, Bruce Springstreen, Jawbreaker and Johnny Cash Records. Because to me this band combined elements from all of those songwriters. They were my escape to the constant barrage of hardcore that was my life on the east coast. And aside from the music there was the lyrics... I don't even know where to start in describing them, but suffice to say they were comforting to me. And yes, much like the Descendents, Lucero became a go to band for me when i was feeling lonely, confused and heartbroken. They also became the perfect soundtrack for the long drives while on tour.
Rick Springfield -- Working Class Dog
For the record i still put on his records. But anyways... back when i was a young pup i would listen to whatever my brother was playing, thankfully he had good taste in music, and i would take records out from the public library. My first obsession with a band/artist that was my own decision and had nothing to do with my what my brother was listening to was Rick Springfield. This record has some catchy fuckin' jams on it!!
Bad Brains -- ROIR tape
One day i'm skipping school and as usually stopped in at Sound Connection. I bought a Bad Brains 7" that day. At first it grabbed my attention because it was on yellow vinyl, but the guy working said i needed to hear it. It was a live 7", and had this insane song called "Pay to Cum" that blew my mind! It was so fast and out of control. A few days later i was back at Sound Connection (i was there at least 3-5 days a week) and saw a tape from the Bad Brains so bought it. I was 16 and never left home without my cassette walkman so as soon as i left the store i put the tape on and wandered. For the next few hours i walked all over Edmonton listening to that tape trying to make sense of the sounds i was hearing. It blew my mind with how fast and raw it was. I remember thinking that the people who made it had to be insane. This wasn't fast like Metallica was fast. Metallica sounded like they were in control of what they were doing. Bad Brains sounded like they were possessed or something!!
Jawbreaker -- Unfun
While this might not be my favorite Jawbreaker record, that changes all the time due to stuff like my mood, but it was my introduction. It was 1990, i'm in a car with Todd Flintstone, Rusty Gragg and maybe someone else, on our way out to Sherwood Park court house to yell at some nazi skinheads being charged with beating an old reporter (who's name escapes me). Once we hit the highway Rusty puts on a tape from a band he's booking at the Ambo in a few months. Rusty was grinning as Todd and my jaws hit the floor. The melodies, the rawness, the emotions, that ruff voice, it was unlike anything else i heard at the time yet you could compare it to Husker Du in some ways. A few months later the band played the Ambo for 2 nights and it was amazing! You could put Jawbreaker alongside Descendents and Lucero for bands i've reached out to when i'm bummed out or stuck inside on a rainy day. For the record the song "Bivouac" (from the LP of the same name) is one of the greatest songs ever. Equal parts melancholy, hard and chaotic.
Husker Du -- New Day Rising
When i first heard this record i was amazed at how raw and chaotic it all sounded, yet underneath it all was some amazing melodies. "I Apologize" is a pop song thru and thru.
Forbidden Dimension - Mars is Heaven tape
The first time i heard this tape i was so confused, but i couldn't stop listening to it! The guitars were beyond distorted & fuzzed out, the vocals had some strange effects on it to make them distorted & warbly, and underneath it all was a simple drum machine beat. And the songs were about UFO's, aliens, horror movies, etc. It was all so simple and primitive. And it all seemed so fuckin' punk to me!! I remember going to Calgary with Josh Stevenston for a weekend (at 16) and somehow ended up staying with the members of the band (they had a full lineup for live shows) and got to go watch the band practice and than later that night play an after hours club. It was awesome!
Suicide File -- Twilight
It all started with their 1st 7" and i was sold. Great lyrics, simple punk influenced hardcore. But i'm picking Twilight because this was a soundtrack for my life in Montreal. I travelled down to Boston for the record release show for this LP, it was one of the most amazing shows i've ever seen! I'm actually at a loss for words in trying to describe why this band means so much to me. The lyrics, the music, the people in the band... it was all so amazing and really they became my saving grace for staying involved in hardcore. They were like the amalgamation of everything i loved about hardcore punk. And i'm not going to lie... at their last show (at the ICC Church in Boston) I found my eyes welling up with tears during the last song "Song For Tonight".
J Church -- Camels, Spilled Coronas and the Sound of Mariachi Bands
It's not easy to pick 1 J Church record because the band released ALOT of 7", a few 10" and a handful of full length LP's. Picking this one is kinda cheating because it's a compilation of the first couple 7"s. Before J Church there was Cringer, a mediocre band that got great just before breaking up. J Church was great from the get go, only recording a few bad songs over the years. The melodic music was always a pleasure to hear, but it was the lyrics that i always looked forward to. Lance Hahn could write political lyrics without being preachy and mask it all with a good pop hook. But he could also write something personal that everyone could relate to. One of the best shows i've ever put on was J Church in the basement of the Blue House in Calgary (Showdown 76 and Viceroy opened). Lance was so nice, letting me help write the set list in my kitchen. I don't know what else to write because whenever i think of J Church enivitabily i think of Lance and all the songs he would've written if he hadn't passed away back in 2007. R.I.P. Lance...
In no particular order...
KISS -- Alive 2
The reality is it wasn't just this 1 LP that affected me, it was all the records (even post make-up era up to Animalize). This record really stands out for me from an early age, the artwork, the members make up & costumes, Gene Simmons with fake blood all over his face, instantly jumped out at me. The songs were great and the pyro explosions really came thru the speakers. My love affair with music started here.
Bruce Springsteen --
Hard to choose 1 record. I guess Born In the USA would be the first one to hit my ears, I remember hearing him on the radio and seeing the videos on Much Music when this came out. Shortly after i picked up his older tapes and played the hell out of them. Over the years "Born To Run" and "The River" have been in constant rotation and i'm always finding new reasons to love the boss.
Crimpshrine -
The 3 singles, "Quit Talking Claude", "Sleep What's That?" and the split that came with No Idea, really affected me in those early years of discovering punk rock. It all seemed so simplistic, like me and my friends could be doing this. And the lyrics.... as naive as they seem now, at 16 they made me look at things differently. Read the lyrics to "Fucked Up Kid". I thought it was written for me and about me.
the Specials - Self Titled LP
I first saw the video for "Message to You Rudy" and was intrigued by the sounds, the look and the attitude. I borrowed a copy from the public library and played the shit out of it. It seemed so different than anything i had heard before! A few days later i bought a copy from Sound Connection, put it on a tape and listened to it on my walkman all the time. At 16 this music seemed connected to punk somehow but it also seemed like something someone my age shouldn't be listening, like it was a secret music that older punks listened to.
Stiff Little Fingers - "Inflammable Materials"
Discovering this record at a young age really solidified my belief in punk rock as something different, and as a musical form that was explosive and exciting. The lyrics had something to say and were spat out with such urgency that it forced your ears to perk up.
Operation Ivy - "Energy"
Shortly after discovering the Specials and Stiff Little Fingers i was introduced to Operation Ivy by my friend Rusty. This California band combined both of those groups, and at the time there wasn't many groups doing rough, punk influenced ska. Sadly ska-punk was concept that i never wanted to hear again as the 90's progressed.
7 Seconds - "The Crew"
The first time heard this record i was riding thru the streets of Edmonton in the box part of a pick up truck, riding to a band practice with my friends. It was raw, fast, and had great sing-alongs. And those were all things my 15 year old ears wanted to hear. I borrowed the record from my friend Cam, and a few days later skipped school hitting Sound Connection to buy a copy. I celebrate this bands whole catalog, and yes i do enjoy "New Wind" alot.
SNFU - I'm from Edmonton so of course this band played a big part in my musical evolution. I skipped school alot, and would just wander around town; whyte Ave, the high level bridge, Jasper Ave, etc. And along these walks i'd see posters on walls and telephone poles, and they'd have crazy drawings and band names that i'd never heard before. One name that kept popping up was SNFU. I also saw there name once or twice in the mainstream newspapers. So i stole a tape of "Better Than A Stick In the Eye" from HMV downtown, and once i hit the street i put it in my walkmen. My ears were blasted with "Time To Buy A Futon"; a great guitar riff and Chi Pig screaming his head off. Holy shit! This is so different than the metal/hard rock i listened to! I spent the afternoon walking around listening to the tape over and over and over again. This crazy style of music was what i had been searching for. The other reason SNFU influenceed me was that the people playing the songs were real, unlike the metal bands i would hang around the stadium parking lot trying to me i would see these guys on the street and when their set was done they wouldn't run away to a dressing room that was off limits, they would just hang out in the crowd.
The Replacements -- "Tim"
One of my all time favorite records, and also a record that was a soundtrack for a strange time of my life so it can bring on some weird feelings and emotions. Me and my old roomate Dave K. would stay up for days on end listening to this record over & over again, rocking out to "One Dose of Thunder" at the start of the bender and burning out to "Here Comes A Regular" when all our supplies ran out and the sun was coming thru the curtains. This record is Paul Westerberg at his finest.
Modern Life is War -- "My Love, My Way"
There's a feeling you get when you first discover music, those early years of buying records can be so exciting what with all the fresh new sounds burrowing into your ears. As time goes on you get a little pickier, maybe you you don't get impressed as easily, and you will go thru periods of time where nothing excites you anymore, and you're searching for that one band and record that will change you and affect your life. For me that band was Modern Life is War. I discovered this band during a particularly ripe time for hardcore/punk in the early 2000's, a time when bands like American Nightmare, Reach the Sky, Champion, WHN?, Suicide File, No Warning, Count Me Out, Panic and so many more were active (look at the lineup for Posi Fest 2002-2004 for a good example of the core at that point). MLIW stood out amongst the stellar crop of bands at the time mainly because they were heavy without being metal core, they didn't play super fast, and they had lyrics that i related to and felt. This band made me realize how much Hardcore/Punk meant to me. They are also probably the only band i could ever want to see for 37 nights in a row (which i did).
LA Guns/Faster Pussycat/Motley Crue/Guns n Roses --
4 way tie here on this entry. The debut albums from these 4 Hollywood glam bands really struck a chord with me. I would listen to their tapes on my walkmen all the time and think and daydream about what i thought life in a Sunset Strip metal band would be like; sleep all day, drink/drug/fight/fuck all night. This shit just seemed so bad ass to me! I can honestly say that these records were my gateway to punk rock because unlike other glam/hair metal bands i was digging these records/bands were grittier, rawer, and a little more dangerous. The guitar tones weren't super slick and over produced (for the most part). So when i heard punk it just seemed like a more extreme version of what i was already listening too. And yes i still do listen to these records alot (more so LA Guns and Faster Pussycat).
Metallica - Master of Puppets
The 1st time i heard this i was blown away by how fast, angry and raw it was! i used to stare at the cover thinking how cool and bad ass it looked. Metallica (and soon after Slayer) really made me appreciate heavy & fast music.
Descendents -- Milo Goes To College
Fuck, how do i pick 1 record? I believe the first Descendents records i heard were "Milo Goes to College" and "Enjoy". "Milo" has become my favorite. I had heard their name a bunch but at the time ALL was where you could find most of the members, so i was listening to them alot. At some point in 1990, about a month or two before i saw ALL for the first time, i picked up these 2 records. It was similar to ALL but faster at times and a little less produced, I was hooked. Over the years Descendents have been there to help me thru some shitty rough times. At the risk of sounding lame i'll admit to more than 1 occasion of having my heart broken and sitting around listening to the Descendents in the aftermath. And i know i'm not the only one. They also taught me that "thou shall not consume decaf".
Lucero - That Much Further West
This band, and this record, was a turning point for me around 2003-2004. At that point i was listening to hardcore pretty much all the time, just a steady diet of angry, fast, hard music. When i first heard Lucero it made me pull out my old Replacements, Bruce Springstreen, Jawbreaker and Johnny Cash Records. Because to me this band combined elements from all of those songwriters. They were my escape to the constant barrage of hardcore that was my life on the east coast. And aside from the music there was the lyrics... I don't even know where to start in describing them, but suffice to say they were comforting to me. And yes, much like the Descendents, Lucero became a go to band for me when i was feeling lonely, confused and heartbroken. They also became the perfect soundtrack for the long drives while on tour.
Rick Springfield -- Working Class Dog
For the record i still put on his records. But anyways... back when i was a young pup i would listen to whatever my brother was playing, thankfully he had good taste in music, and i would take records out from the public library. My first obsession with a band/artist that was my own decision and had nothing to do with my what my brother was listening to was Rick Springfield. This record has some catchy fuckin' jams on it!!
Bad Brains -- ROIR tape
One day i'm skipping school and as usually stopped in at Sound Connection. I bought a Bad Brains 7" that day. At first it grabbed my attention because it was on yellow vinyl, but the guy working said i needed to hear it. It was a live 7", and had this insane song called "Pay to Cum" that blew my mind! It was so fast and out of control. A few days later i was back at Sound Connection (i was there at least 3-5 days a week) and saw a tape from the Bad Brains so bought it. I was 16 and never left home without my cassette walkman so as soon as i left the store i put the tape on and wandered. For the next few hours i walked all over Edmonton listening to that tape trying to make sense of the sounds i was hearing. It blew my mind with how fast and raw it was. I remember thinking that the people who made it had to be insane. This wasn't fast like Metallica was fast. Metallica sounded like they were in control of what they were doing. Bad Brains sounded like they were possessed or something!!
Jawbreaker -- Unfun
While this might not be my favorite Jawbreaker record, that changes all the time due to stuff like my mood, but it was my introduction. It was 1990, i'm in a car with Todd Flintstone, Rusty Gragg and maybe someone else, on our way out to Sherwood Park court house to yell at some nazi skinheads being charged with beating an old reporter (who's name escapes me). Once we hit the highway Rusty puts on a tape from a band he's booking at the Ambo in a few months. Rusty was grinning as Todd and my jaws hit the floor. The melodies, the rawness, the emotions, that ruff voice, it was unlike anything else i heard at the time yet you could compare it to Husker Du in some ways. A few months later the band played the Ambo for 2 nights and it was amazing! You could put Jawbreaker alongside Descendents and Lucero for bands i've reached out to when i'm bummed out or stuck inside on a rainy day. For the record the song "Bivouac" (from the LP of the same name) is one of the greatest songs ever. Equal parts melancholy, hard and chaotic.
Husker Du -- New Day Rising
When i first heard this record i was amazed at how raw and chaotic it all sounded, yet underneath it all was some amazing melodies. "I Apologize" is a pop song thru and thru.
Forbidden Dimension - Mars is Heaven tape
The first time i heard this tape i was so confused, but i couldn't stop listening to it! The guitars were beyond distorted & fuzzed out, the vocals had some strange effects on it to make them distorted & warbly, and underneath it all was a simple drum machine beat. And the songs were about UFO's, aliens, horror movies, etc. It was all so simple and primitive. And it all seemed so fuckin' punk to me!! I remember going to Calgary with Josh Stevenston for a weekend (at 16) and somehow ended up staying with the members of the band (they had a full lineup for live shows) and got to go watch the band practice and than later that night play an after hours club. It was awesome!
Suicide File -- Twilight
It all started with their 1st 7" and i was sold. Great lyrics, simple punk influenced hardcore. But i'm picking Twilight because this was a soundtrack for my life in Montreal. I travelled down to Boston for the record release show for this LP, it was one of the most amazing shows i've ever seen! I'm actually at a loss for words in trying to describe why this band means so much to me. The lyrics, the music, the people in the band... it was all so amazing and really they became my saving grace for staying involved in hardcore. They were like the amalgamation of everything i loved about hardcore punk. And i'm not going to lie... at their last show (at the ICC Church in Boston) I found my eyes welling up with tears during the last song "Song For Tonight".
J Church -- Camels, Spilled Coronas and the Sound of Mariachi Bands
It's not easy to pick 1 J Church record because the band released ALOT of 7", a few 10" and a handful of full length LP's. Picking this one is kinda cheating because it's a compilation of the first couple 7"s. Before J Church there was Cringer, a mediocre band that got great just before breaking up. J Church was great from the get go, only recording a few bad songs over the years. The melodic music was always a pleasure to hear, but it was the lyrics that i always looked forward to. Lance Hahn could write political lyrics without being preachy and mask it all with a good pop hook. But he could also write something personal that everyone could relate to. One of the best shows i've ever put on was J Church in the basement of the Blue House in Calgary (Showdown 76 and Viceroy opened). Lance was so nice, letting me help write the set list in my kitchen. I don't know what else to write because whenever i think of J Church enivitabily i think of Lance and all the songs he would've written if he hadn't passed away back in 2007. R.I.P. Lance...
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