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Tower of Song Canadian Culture Issue 01
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Tower Of Song Canadian Culture E-zine
Editor: Mike Winter
ab809@freenet.carleton.ca
--
Table of Contents:
/\ Introduction Mike Winter
/\ Me, Mom and
Jacques Robert M. Keefe
/\ Reviews
Featuring: Bung, Triston Psionic, Eric's Trip
/\ Fear And Loathing in
Northern Saskatchewan Mike Winter
--
Introduction
This was a project I first thought of about a year ago
or so. It never did get off the ground, but hopefully this
'zine can be built into a long-running project. I'd like to
thank Robert Keefe, who's submitted both times, and make a
plea for submissions! Canada is a big country, and I can't
cover it by myself. Send me record\gig reviews, profiles of
bands, your thoughts, anything. I'm not picky.
submissions: ab809@freenet.carleton.ca
--
From: Robert Keefe <keefer@elwha.evergreen.edu>
My mum was a lover of Country music. I offer this
fact as a confession; for though I have extremely diverse
tastes there are few Country artists I appreciate. Oh,
certainly Hank
Williams, Sr. and Patsy Cline--I'm no fool--and strangely,
there's even a Waylon Jennings album I have a certain
fondness for.
My dislike of the music form is not some psychosis
towards my mother; the form just doesn't speak to me. I've
lived in small cities all my life (except for a four year
sting in Los Angeles--that I am working out in therapy) but
they were "urban" areas. Places of cement, not cattle
ranches.
What Country music I have heard, here in the States,
lends the belief that Country music is in a sorry state.
Giant monolith corporations releasing fellows who don't think
you should buy their cds used as it cuts into their
overbloated paychecks. Kinda different from someone who's
happy just to have played the Grand Ole Opry. Jacques
Lussier could be called a Country artist; but he sounds quite
unlike any Country artists I've ever heard.
Imagine if Paul Simon took acid and formed a band
with Eugene Chadbourne that recorded in Neil Young's
basement, and I mean the basement where he was born, way, way
up north; such a band still could not equal the mastery of
"Shed Your Skin." For starters, Paul Simon doesn't sing in
French. But Jacques Lussier does. This French
Canadian from Winnipeg sings in both national tongues,
cataloging such obsessions as who shares his sleeping bag (a
woodtick, a beaver, a woman and a Catholic) and thedrug
habits of the Messiah. Basically a quirky Country
music--though Garth Brooks he ain't--with lots of other
styles thrown in. Some too hard to categorize. This elastic
eclectic fellow moves me to bouts of ecstacy and
alliteration. He doesn't sing about beer or his
trunk, honky tonks or the woman who just left him. The music
is eclectic and the lyrics are funny and downright strange:
"Jesus was a junkie / Demystifier la joie de vivre / He had
40 meg hard drive / And memory to spare / Jesus kill my pappy
too. This cd's probably not
distributed in the States and I don't know how well it is in
Canada. I'd go straight to the source at Oh Yah! Records;
5-709 Corydon Ave; Winnipeg, MB R3M-0W4; (204) 475-5116.
You'll probably want to order an extraor your mother.
Robert M Keefe DJs at KAOS, Olympia, Washington, USA
His show, Late Night on the Chesterfield, features
independent Canadian artists. He is also the publisher of
the Oly Review of Books.
--
Reviews
From: hutchens@morgan.ucs.mun.ca (scott hutchens)
_Whole_
Bung
Duckworth Distributing
I have heard the sound of summer, and that sound is Bung.
I've been anxiously awaiting the release of this album since
I first heard the rumours that Bung were heading into the
studios. After a several month wait, the band has finally
made their album debut.
I have to admit that during my wait for the album to be
released, I was more than a little worried that this band,
who puts off a fantastic live show, wouldn't transfer well to
a recording. Well, all my fears have now been laid to rest.
There is a slight loss of energy level between the live show
and the album, but this is to be expected with any recording
(unfortunately you can't package the kind of energy this band
gives off on stage). Still, the album is loud, hard, and
explosive. Whether you're experiencing the hard groove of
tracks like `Let It All Fall' or the flat out power of
`Ramirez', the album grabs you by the throat with the first
song and doesn't let go until the very end, when it throws
you in the corner to recover before going for another listen.
I sure that those of you who have seen Bung play live don't
need me to tell you that Whole is a must buy. To those of you
who haven't been fortunate enough to see them on stage, BUY
THIS ALBUM, and then see the band live the next chance you
get. Veterans of the local alternative scene, Bung is, as
listed on the CD jacket, Jon Whalen (raw throat), Phil
Winters (guitar), Arthur Haynes (guitar), Barry Newhook
(bass), and Justin Hall (drums), with "things you hit or
shake" being provided by Paul Curnew. On June 30th they start
a three week tour that'll take them from St. John's to
Toronto and back again.
-
Tristan Psionic\Punch Buggy\Eric's Trip @ The Times
Saskatoon, SK.
The opening band was Tristan Psionic, who call Hamilton home
and are part of the up and coming scene centered around Sonic
Unyon records. If Sonic Youth had a little brother T. Psionic
would be it, they have one of the most derivative sounds I've
ever heard in a band, with squealing feedback, goofy tunings
and generally wacky guitar sounds. But they rocked: with
tempo changes that never got tiresome, the bass player
jumping up and down singing black sabbath covers, crazy waves
of guitar noise that get under your skin and do not leave,
these guys were incredible. The vocals were mixed low, but
it didn't matter, the music
(especially the guitars) were what counted here. Not only
did they put on a great set, but they were giving out free
earplugs and stickers...
Punch Buggy played next, they were a bunch of Doughboys
wanna-be's, so we left for coffee.
Finally, about three hours after the doors opened, Eric's
Trip took the stage. Although they're probably my favorite
band I wasn't that excited about the set, maybe trying to put
a damper on any high expectations that would be crushed. I
needn't have worried though, the Trip were really good,
playing mostly stuff off Love Tara, with a few songs from the
upcoming album and the Peter EP thrown in. After the amazing
stage presence of Triston Psionic, ET was definitely
something different, they seemed almost intimidated by the
crowd, and spent most of their time facing the amps or
jumping up and down at the back of the stage. Julie the bass
player was especially withdrawn, ocassionally whispering
inaudibly about whatever between songs. Although it was a
good set the crowd never seemed to get into it, and the
vocals were mixed way too low for a band that is so dependant
on vocal harmonies. Also the damn band left after only 11 or
12 songs, which was really too bad, as they had just knocked
off incredible versions of Frame and Anything You Want that
blew me away.
A really good show overall for 6$ with Triston Psionic
outplaying everyone, although I wished the trip would have
played longer.
--
Fear and Loathing in Northern Saskatchewan
Since I named this article in honour of Hunter S. Thompson I
might as well make the obligatory drug refernce right now.
When you are camping out in Prince Albert national park,
which for the weekend of July 14-17th was home to the entire
progressive community of Saskatchewan and the world's
largest mosquito population per square meter the two
prevalent smells are going to be deep woods Off and
marijuania. Which combine to make a suprisingly, uh,
interesting aroma.
The reason for all this merriment was the 3rd Annual Ness
Creek Festival, which is put on every year by the Ness Creek
organization whose express purpose is 'to promote the
culture, music and enviroment of Northern Saskatchewan.' The
festival itself is a fundraiser with a few artists boothes
and
concesssions that are a backdrop for music, music and more
music. In sparsley populated and harsh climed northern
Saskatchewan, musicians are far between so they tend to weld
together in an incestous blend of country, bluegrass, blues
and folk that is incredibly tight and features a lot of
cross-pollination. We drove up from Saskatoon in a rented
van with an aging hippie named Mike, who in another
Thompson-eque twist drove like he was on amphetamines, going
130+ klicks or so while simutaneously playing with his baby
boy in the passenger seat. We would come within an inch of
the ditch before he would quit his
kootchie-kooing and swerve back towards the center-line. I
know knew what it was like to drive with Neal Cassady. I was
going up with my girlfriend, another friend and a twenty year
old tent that I had to borrow from some old neighbours. It
is a testament to the greatness of the festival that while
eating discount chunky stew in an impossible to set up tent
that we were flooded out of twice, and breaking up with my
girlfriend (who I still had to share the tent with) I still
had a wonderful time.
We got there friday night, missing all the indie-rock bands
that played the previous night. Of all the acts that stick
out in my mind that night, Crooked Creek was the first. They
were four local guys that have been together for many a year
playing a really upbeat bluegrass-country combination that I
enjoyed dancing to, even if the lead mandolin (an insturment
that CAN NOT be featured in every song) got quite annoying.
The crowd seemed to know their stuff and the band played off
their energy during the set, which if not spectacular was
nice, mellow and very tight. The only other band I remember
from the night was Accoustically Inclined from Winnipeg who
headlined, and were the most rock 'n roll of any of the bands
I saw. They put an a nice long set that had everybody
shaking until around four or five in the morning, although
the lead mandolin got quite annoying. My friend remarked
that when he got back to the city he was going to go to each
music store and smash all the mandolins before they could do
further evil, or something to that effect.
Accoustically Inclined struck me as a band who were good
enough live to carry them across the lively college-bar
circuit, but their material probably isn't strong enough to
carry them too much farther. I went to bed in our soggy tent
tired, sweaty and happy.
The next day I managed to catch Joel Fafard and the Drowned
before the rain came. Joel Fafard is another member of the
francophone Fafard mafia that dominates the artistic scene in
Saskatchewan. Joel is an incredible solo folk
singer-songwriter who manages to come off as whimsical and
sombre at the same time, all while doing some incredible
things on his guitar. Nice set. The Drowned were up next,
they could be pegged in that Canadian folk-rock style, maybe
somewhere around the Spirit of the West. Saskatoon has a
pretty anemic structure for local music making it anywhere
outside the city, but the 'next Northern Pikes' label has
been thrown about. They play a really danceable violin-heavy
folk rock that I have no complaints about. I don't think
they'll go anywhere, but that means we get to see them play
locally a lot, which I won't complain about. Best part of
their set: no mandolin. We hung around until a couple of bad
country cover bands did their thing, and boy am I glad I got
back in time for the Jackson Delta set.
There's something about the blues, something so real and
honest in the music that just can't be ignored. Maybe it's
like Howlin' Wolf said, people like to 'snatch themselves and
jump around, you gotta have the sound.' That sound, that
genuineness is something you just don't find in all the
commercial crap on the radio, it has no soul, it's not music
based in experience. Whatever it's subtelties, the blues as
played by Jackson Delta reaffirmed my faith in live music.
They are a threesome from southern Ontario that's been around
for around eight or nine years and tour the Canadian
festival\blues circuit playing old style blues, covering
Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and the like. They were
amazing, so together with simply two accoustic guitars, snare
drum and a harmonica. Simply great music by great players,
any problems I had that weekend were forgotten in the music.
There's nothing like wonderful live blues to get you moving
around. They got one of the most genuine encore calls I've
seen, the class of the festival no question. Not to heap on
the superlatives, but they were so fantastic that I virtually
ran to buy their live tape. They were followed by a local
swing-country band who were not bad but forgettable and Ellen
MacIlwaine. She was a protege of Jimi Hendrix who still
records independently and follows pretty much the same
circuit as Jackson Delta. They were really loud
realtive to the rest of the bands in the festival, and I
wasn't in the mood for a sonic assault. I will say this
though, she was an incredible guitar player, her guitar was
almost an extension of her, she seemed so natural playing it.
Beyond that they seemed nothing much more then a talented
barband playing a lot of forgettable covers. I wandered off
during her set to hang out with my friend in our tent, as he
was immobilized by same
painkillers he had to take for his arms. Nothing like
talking to a nearly comatose person in a leaky tent.
Only one person of note on the last day was Paddy Tutty, who
is a veteran Saskatchewan celtic-folk player. Unfortunately
for her, her beautiful haunting melodies were squandered on
the sunny day while everybody was busy packing up and
leaving. I spent the rest of the day trying to play laments
about my girlfriend on my kazoo which is what I use to annoy
people so they'll leave me along. You get pretty hostile
after three days in a wet fucking tent.
Still it was a great time, and I'm already making plans for
next year. I usually prefer indie rock and the like, but
this
festival did a lot to open my ears to roots music, and I'm
the better for it.
--
---
Remember get your submissions in for the next issue, I'll
publish when I get about 15\20k worth of stuff.
