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MAD PROFESSOR REG HARKEMA'S A GIRL IS A GIRL SEPPUKU 9 JEAN SMITH 10 NEW BOMB TURKS 12 BLACKALICIOUS 13 UZ JSME DOMA 14 Regulars
DEAR AIRHEAD 4 7" 6 RADIO FREE PRESS 6 editrix: VlDEOPHILTER 16 barbara andersen INTERVIEW HELL 17 ad rep: VANCOUVER SPECIAL 17 maren hancock UNDER REVIEW 18 art director: REAL LIVE ACTION 20 jenny watson CHARTS 23 production manager: ON THE DIAL 24 christa min DATEBOOK 26 photo editor: ann goncalves Cover art and design: jenny, barbara, tess dehoog, FOR ENGLISH, READING OF UZ JSME DOMA INTERVIEW (P. 14) MAKES TROUBLING, BUT ANYWAY IS WORTH THE TIME. ONCE YOU ARE HAVING ellinda siu, tristan winch A RHYTHM, LIKE OF UNDERSTANDING THE TEMPO OR MELODY OF photography and WORDS, YOU ARE GIVEN AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IS MAYBE DEEP OR illustrations: SPECIAL. ANN, WHO IS MAYBE PORTUGUESE A LOT, TOOK PICTURES OF hamish brown, ann goncalves, SWEATY OLD CZECH MEN AND JENNY, WHO IS SOMETHING OF jean smith, dan zubkoff EGYPTIAN, MADE COVER LAYOUT. production: bryce dunn, david, alia hussey, cat moore, gabby resch, katie riecken, © "DiSCORDER" 2000 by the Student Radio Society ellinda siu, graeme worthy of the University of British Columbia. All rights reserved. contributors: fa nia a, paul Circulation 17,500. b, bleek, pc, julie c, paul c, Subscriptions, payable in advance, to Canadian residents steve d, jay d, bryce d, are $15 for one year, to residents of the USA are $15 US; $24 jamaal f, alia h, oksana k, CDN elsewhere. Single copies are $2 (to cover postage, of godfrey I, sam m, Jamie m, course). Please make cheques or money orders payable to duncan m, christa m, gabby r, DiSCORDER Magazine. morgan t, tesla v, tobias v DEADLINES: Copy deadline for the August issue is July 12th. on the dial: Ad space is available until July 19th and can be booked by call ing Maren at 604.822.3017 ext. 3. Our rates are available charts: upon request. DiSCORDER is not responsible for loss, damage, or July cholera any other injury to unsolicited manuscripts, unsolicited artwork datebook: (including but not limited to drawings, photographs and trans barbarous ancillary parencies), or any other unsolicited material. Material can be sub & christen minaret mitted on disc (Mac, preferably) or in type. As always, English is promotions coordinator: preferred. SendefnailtoD/[email protected]. From UBC to Langley and Squamish to Bellingham, CiTR can distribution: be heard at 101.9 fM as well as through all major cable systems matt steffich in the Lower Mainland, except Shaw in White Rock. Call the CiTR us distro: DJ line at 822.2487, our office at 822.3017 ext. 0, or our news mr. germany 2000 and sports lines at 822.3017 ext. 2. Fax us at 822.9364, e-mail macintosh hos: us at: [email protected], visit our web site at yang chang, tristan winch http://www.ams.ubc.ca/media/citr or just pick up a goddamn publisher: pen and write #233-6138 SUB Blvd., Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, linda scholten CANADA.
printed in Canada Dear Airhead
al porcelain, rather than in the time to visit the Netherlands- water... the proper place for shit last Saturday a fireworks factory to be. exploded and destroyed half a Dear Airhead, city. So far there are 20 con Wish you were here, firmed dead, 200 in hospital, It is foreign correspondent shaw- Shaw. (Italy) and 150 still missing... the whole country's freaking out. Oh ster shaw here, writing to tell you well. Otherwise, things are a- about why everything here is all Hello Chaps! okay. I ride my bike, I drink fucked up. Porn is prevalent in Well, I've seen it all and done it beer, I buy Jip & Janneke junk Italy and can be found within the all and got some brilliant sound- and... I can watch Powerpuff pages of your average wood-fin scapes/audio project things. I've Girls two times a day! I'm going ishing mag, as well as plastered also smoked and drunk A LOT: to Germany in a couple of days, on bus stands. I feel that this is a fun thing to do. I've to Berlin & Dresden I think. We'll DiSCORDER could take a cue learned to laugh and play like a see how long my $ holds out. from the Italian pornsters, and child all over again—har har Did you know that an S Club 7 really spice up its image a bit. har. Lots of bad teeth. Lots of CD costs only $45 here? On a similar note, in London cute boys (with bad teeth). Right Fantastic, eh? Tomorrow I'm there are little postcards with pic now I'm on a train to go see my going to watch Top of the Pops tures of naked ladies on them, old boarding school—Oh! Fun! and life will be perfect. trying to peddle their wares. Not been to any clubs yet, but Dutch boys are cute but These post cards are collectable o fashio as well as tradeable. Perhaps thing called the "Pink inciaire on tour - the editrix could do a little pro Pounder"... I'm very scared. • Julie* (Netherlands) motional pose for the wee mag? Must dash, out of space. In other news, Europe is fun Fuck off and die you spoiled except for the Germans (who fol brats.—Ed. low me everywhere—pervs!) 3\^V JULY 14 - VICTORIA @ The Little Fernwood and the European languages. It write to JULY 15 - COURTNEY® 1995 Stewart Ave is, I must say, too fucking hot self titled CSONID in storeCs UNYOJULY 16N - SURRERECORY @ ThD eN JavGa JoinCOMPANt Y ® mn\t and the toilets allow your shit to discorder! $10 by mail JULY 17 - VANCOUVER @ The Brickyard be displayed to you on the actu
Our annual directory, chock full of contact numbers and 'eccirds & apparel addresses of bands and the businesses that support them, will be in the September issue. The deadline for entries is August 15, 2000. Vancouver: , x 102-1252 Burrard St YOUAREA(Checkone): (at Davie) _BAND/MUSICIAN_PROMOTER (604) 893 8696 RECORD LABEL/DISTRIBUTOR _UVE MUSIC VENUE MANAGER/AGENT_STUDIO ZINE OTHER
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ULL TIME UNDERGROUND [CINEMA] ^ARTYlART AUCTION I RAFFLE MUSIC1! FILM | ZINE LAUNCH (AND MORE
•SATURDAY AUGUST 5. 20001
1 SEE YOU THERE. l^ttlEMi UNDERGROUND EXPERIMENTAL OBSCURE 6 NIGHTS getting for the great free stickers with just wanting to read about zines in its "Required Reading" and sew-on patches alone. (PO obscure bands. The Spectre section. Whether or not this will Box 1564, Point Roberts, isn't that impressive initially, but be a recurring event is unclear. WA 98281-1564, USA or we really enjoyed the retro (1218 Chestnut Street, Suite
label. (Fanboy, Weidenallee 29, breadwinning band. The Plan's price, just to read how Gene 20357 Hamburg, Germany) 7" features two very aggressive hopes that the proceeds of his ISAN, a nice little electronic emo-mathy tracks, both worth a single can help other struggling duo slowly gaining recognition close listen. The vocals are artists on the Lookout! label such in this neck of the woods, have strong, the musicianship more as Green Day, Operation got a loyal following in the mag than merely competent—this is Ivy, and The Donnas. I know ical world of Europa, as was evi very good news! (Jesus Sanchez you all want more avant-garde, denced by the multitude of Records, 22 Fulham Avenue, un-financially viable releases records they've got available on Winnipeg, MN R3N 0G2) from the above mentioned foreign shores. I got a lovely little I'll admit that I'm not always artists, so buy Gene Defcon and two-song 7" while in Solex's the first to get the joke, but I think support new artists! Billie Joe needs to eat too, you know. arbara thinks that I'm a 7"s of abnormally good quality. some terribly lo-fi two-track pop, record store in Amsterdam. I get this whole GENE DEFCON (Lookout! PO Box 11374, spoiled brat because I've I'd tell you more, but my pocket- check out CURLYWURLY, a "Parochi" and "Gentle Man" are thing. I think. It's supposed to be Berkeley, CA 94712-2374) Btraveled the world. I think book was crunchin' by the time I German four-piece who really, both extremely laid-back, sparse funny, right? I really didn't enjoy I'm a lucky duck and am more learned of this label, and all I did really want to be Mods. Micha, The Prima Donnas' A couple of dreamy, mellow than happy to collect platters was acquire one measly 7" by Hedwig, Cecile and Frauke sing musical output, but one singles to be found on the record from foreign countries galore. an already oh-so-familiar name. "Frenglish Pop V Roll," which of them boys (if not shelves these days are those by I've got a few new-ish treasures I picked up a SMOG two-song basically means that the lyrics more, who knows?) AIRIEL and PORTAL Both to rant about (I'll spare you all are indecipherable. The poor went and formed this bands craft sleepy, soft, repetitive the tales of my quest for old don't really know if I ought to be recording quality means that the band, and assumed the and sparse songs worth a listen Smiths singles, that's just a little writing about it. Tough luck, Mr. only thing you really get from persona of one Eugene if you're itching to drift right off (I bit too [as the French say] pathe- Days and Calendars, I want to this four-song record is a bit of a Gordon Defcon. He mean that in the best way, not tique...), and there were a few heap praise where praise is due. fun groove. It sounds cute, so I recruited four hot ladies like they're gonna put you to gems waiting for me here at the Also, this might just do the trick like it. (Homesick, Gathe 59, and a couple of boys to sleep or nothing). Airiel's a-side station upon my return. As and get some of you into mail- 42107 Wuppertal, Germany) create "Olympia's #1 features a plodding bass-line and pleased as I am to be back in ordering mode. The two songs Another cute, if slightly more Party Band!!!" I would muted guitars, with some very the 'Couve, I can't help but wish on this release are awful sad, rockin', German band is have to say that he was passively sad vocals. The b-side I was somewhere a bit more and just as awfully pretty. "Came TIGERBEAT. These young men 100% successful in this. is an instrumental. Ditto for the exciting. Oh well, I've always Blue" is a slow, simple song sung have obviously listened to a lot Gene Defcon rules! The Portal format. The one bonus to got my mountains of vinyl to to the accompaniment of two of JSBX records in recent years, sound is full, lots of the Portal single is the white amuse myself with this summer— ever-repeating organ chords. Less as their garage rock style has voices and instruments noise feed that grows and dis if no human thrills are to be is eternally more in the songs of been pinched from somebody, tracks, a little more so than other to keep this action afloat. torts the track but never over found. Oh, yeah, and I've got Bill Calahan, and this song is no anybody else. Nothing original, Isan material I've heard. If this They've got an organ (a party powers the relaxed sound. Euro 2000... exception. "Spanish Moss" is that's for certain, but certainly an isn't the one for you, don't give Where's the rain when you need German label Hausmusik slightly more hopeful than the a- enjoyable single from the 'Beat. up. (Static Caravan, 29 Poplar cerned), and the girls have been to stay in? (Roisin Recordings, ought to be a household name side, possibly only because it's They like to use the word Road, Dorridge, UK B93 8DD) christened The Genertes. It PO Box 289, Swindon, UK SN1 over here, but the gods have not not dissecting another dysfunc "Funky," and the lead singer's Fancy stumbling upon never hurts to give your ladies a 3UE) been good to it as far as North tional love story. Two beautiful accent is really adorable. Some Canadian talent abroad! I got derivative name to keep them in I hope that the summer sees American notoriety goes. tracks by a beautiful man on a of you go in for that kind of my eager paws on a new single line with the party plan. Mr. all of you spending quality time Apparently, Thurston Moore lovely label. Get a mail-order cat thing. For those of you who go by Halifax's THE PLAN at a Defcon has a super ego, and with your record players and that is a big fan of the label. That alogue! (Hausmusik, PO Box in for well-written tunes, you North of America show. One super style to boot. The four much happiness and rock is your should be enough to turn some 1545, 86885 Landsberg, should check out tigerBeat, or of the NoA boys is keeping busy songs on this single are all qual lot. I'm off to ride the bus and heads, no? Hausmusik concerns Germany) some of the other German with this band as well, rocking ity, all fun, all the time. The liner my chances at true love itself with churning out post-rock If you want to indulge in garage rock bands on their out harder than he does in the notes are worth the purchase H.A.G.S.! • J jJ2j WOO Are We Mad? chattin' it up with the Mad Professor
by oksana kolibaba
May 15th marked the return of the Mad Professor to Vancity, performing his deep and unpredictable style of music over at with music? Neither. Neither, neither. I wasn't in no preaching business. When I Sonar. For roughly the past 20 years, London based produc Music... well, I started through a technical angle, 'cause when I was started out, I was just making my opinion of music. I wasn't trying to er Neil Fraser has been producing his trademark dubs and a little boy, the most technical thing in our house was a radio. I was dominate or dictate or educate even, y'nuh? I was just going through reggae-influenced tracks from his Ariwa Studios. Luckily for curious to know where the man's voice was coming from. So I opened some experiments that were in my head, really. us avid music listeners, the Professor keeps on pumping out his the back of the radio and saw all the valve lights and flickering, and Self-exploration that started a whole new curiosity about the transmission of radio innovative, effect-laden dubs on a daily basis. Yeah. It's nice that people tune in and people appreciate it, but y'nuh, waves and radio frequencies. I was so curious that I ended up build the day I was making music, I never expected to sell one single copy. Behind the carefully laid out mixing desk sat the Professor, ing my first radio when I was about 10 years old. And that's the root I'll be blunt! [laughs] schooling the audience with his experimental dubs and bass of it all. What advice do you have for people becoming involved heavy jungle riddims. On the mic, we had Nolan trie serving Tell me a little bit about your process. Technical or con in music right now? ceptual. What do you do when you sit down and write a up some fine chatta, providing a solid link between the audi Well, I think that they should kinda go back and research the golden track? era of the '70s and the '60s because it's from there that the whole ence and the mysterious man behind the deck. The set includ Well, there's no one method, y'nuh? I mean, it depends. Sometimes thing exploded. And quite honestly, you get a lot of people writing ed several tracks off of Mad Professor's forthcoming album, you could start a track with a melody, you could have a melody in songs who couldn't even care what they sound like because it's quite Tricks in the Mix, which is a "melange of drum and bass, dub, your head. Sometimes you could start it with a beat, y'nuh. It varies easy to put two words together and make things rhyme, y'nuh? and some jazzy sounds... a very surprising album," sched so much. There's no one way to hang a cat. You could hang him by Writing a song, a real song, is a bit more than that. So I think that the tail and hang him by the neck. You still hang him, y'nuh? really and truly, we need to get back to the standards of the '60s and uled to be released sometime this fall. In addition, his set fea Tell me about your latest album, Dubtronic. the '70s, 'cause then you had to be good to be on record. That's why tured tracks from various artists on his very own Ariwa label, Dubtronic is not really the... well okay, that was the last one that was there were hardly any bum tracks from those days. Whether reggae, as well as Lee Perry's Boombox. As a bonus treat, Ndidi released couple years ago. But there's a new, new one which I'm soul, or even pop... even pop had a high standard of songwriting Cascade made an appearance, which serves as a reminder about to complete which is called Tricks in the Mix ss-ss-ss-ss-ss and production, and I think now because there's so much technology that our homegrown emcees are truly world class artists. She [echoes]. Hopefully that's going to be completed next week or so... as around, it's quite easy for a kid and a computer and a hard disk soon as I get back. It may be on the streets around September and machine and a sampler to jam out something. Everyone thinks, "Yeah, broke out some sweet rhymes overtop the dub master, which that's like ah... big melange of like drum and bass, dub, and some yeah, yeah. I'm a songwriter." But no, I think in the name of music, only added to the quality of this truly innovative performance. jazzy sounds... yeah. It's a surprising album. As you go from track to you really oughta bring the quality back. Earlier in the evening, the Professor and I had the opportuni track your ears must be totally surprised! It must catch you totally So now that we've spent some time appreciating the ty to sit down over a glass of sake to discuss the ins and outs unaware... for to suddenly blink and think.."Oh! What's this I'm lis past, what plans do you have for the future? tening to again?" Yuh. That's the idea. In other words, you must never of the mad, mad world of music. Me? Ah... I'll just be staying on the same course I've been on. No fall into a sense of, "Yeah, I know what this is gonna be like " So it's change in direction. • a really surprising album. DiSCORDER How's it going? You're very experimental with your music. What do you va.com for more info on Ariwa Sounds Neil Fraser: It's goin', goin', goin', gone! have to say about people who are fusing different types Tell me about the tour. What's going on right now? of music together from different cultures. Some say mat The tour? Well, we've been touring throughout North America, east it's cultural appropriation. Is it... coast to west coast. Myself and Nolan Irie, and we had Macka B in ...acceptable? Well, yes, I mean obviously the melange of cultures for a couple of days, for eight days actually. More than a couple. could bring forward some very interesting things. Yuh got different And he's now gone back. And today we're back in Vancouver... back things coming together, y'nuh. You never know... in Canada. But then there's those people not giving credit to... What was it that motivated you to become involved Well, that of course depends how it's done. If it's done like with ille gal rip-off's and things, then yeah. Then that is de downside, y'nuh? 'Cause it's up to every individual to be as fair as possible. And to bal ance the whole ting. Then there's those major label artists like Puff Daddy who sample foundation tracks and all of the kids end up thinking that the original versions of the track he's sam pling is produced by Puffy... and it's not. But I think you'll find that, despite what kids think, if they look in the fine print, they'll see he's probably given credit. I think that right now Puff Daddy's too big to attempt to bastardize any record and don't give any credit for it and get away with it. He's too big for that, y'nuh? So despite what the kids think, they'll find that it's worked out properly. What probably they have to do is more research on a lotta these tracks and know where he's coming from. 'E's like... I remember some kids hearin' Puff Daddy's "I'm Coming Out." The Diana Ross tune. I played it to some kids and they say, "Ahh, dat's the Puff Daddy song." I say, "Nuh, what you guys gonna do. You guys haffi study dis ting." You gotta appreciate things like production houses, like Tamla Motown, and Philadelphia International, Platinum... all the major black pro duction houses from the '60s and the '70s. Once you do that, then you would understand where music is today and why certain songs are being done. Because about 60% of the music done today is being based on something old. It's ripping off something else. It's good to know the source. It's also a marvelous, marvelous cultural discovery when you haffi go ahn dig up these tracks, and you see like "For the Love of Money." It's like an O'Jay's track with Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff. You could appreciate the whole originality of the track. When you started out, what was your original idea and vision? Were you preaching to the people who were already converted or were you trying to educate every body? 7n^ai®@ffi CiTR Alum Makes Good! by Tania Bolskaya
Fidelity." While the two films share a love of records and a humorous depiction of men's self-absorption in the face of all things female, Harkema's film was actual ly made first. He says without bitterness, "With the way things work in terms of distribution and who has clout and power, his film got out first." Comparing the two films, A Girl Is a Girl is tai lored well to its smaller scale. Its 85 minute running length and close-shot style allow the film to get deep er into real behavioural quirks, and the emotions behind them, than its Hollywood counterpart. With A Girl Is a Girl, Harkema was looking to do some thing special with film that High Fidelity doesn't even attempt; which isn't to say he wasn't willing to enjoy the other film. "I really liked the movie, not because of any cinematic values, but because it's a good story, well told, that I can relate to." What is hinted at in that statement is Harkema's boredom/disgust with much of the studio and inde pendent scene in the US. While he cites Harmony Korine's work [Gummo, Julien Donkey-Boy) as "huge ly influential," he is not so enthralled with other American voices that have been shouting (and shout ed about) south of the border recently. He'd rather be thought of as an homage-giver to the masters than one of the recent indie crowd. About an article which called A Girl Is a Girl "fauxGodard," Harkema coun ters, "It's like people used to say about the Marx Brothers: Bad Marx Brothers is better than anything else out there. So better faux-Godard than true Paul Thomas Anderson or Kevin Smith, as far as I'm con cerned." His dedication to creating interesting and provocative cinema also sets him in opposition to much of the independent filmmaking in British Columbia. While he is quick to cite directors whose work he loves—"One of my big influences right now is Blaine Thurier [Low Self-Esteem Gin). Blaine Thurier could have made 100 great films for the money that Vancouver, BC- Like the Lord of the Manor surveying filmmaking for the past 85 years—was directly in the based on real people, if you're going to go any Paul Thomas Anderson spent raining frogs"—he has his demesne, Canadian feature film director Reg path of larger cinematic goals. where with them, you're going to have to give up harsh words for some in the movie business here. Harkema looks out over the patio at Havana. "There Like his cinematic influences, Godard and the idea of representing the actual people because "The independent film that's being cultivated in are a lot of ugly actresses out there," says the new American indie pioneer John Cassavetes, Harkema you just won't be daring enough to do anything. If I Vancouver is of the nature of, 'Wow, look how great darling of the film festival circuit, "and I've seen a was more interested in finding emotional truth than thought for a second that Trevor was based on me, and close to Hollywood standards that person was lot of them." He pauses to flip open his cell phone obsessing over burning nicotine. would I deliberately set out to be Canada's poster able to make their film on that budget!' That's the kind and give a few instructions to his house-boy, Manny. "There's a certain way of making films that's boy for premature ejaculation? No. Once you of film that I think is being cultivated by the powers Okay, beyond the "CiTR alum" and "Canadian been entrenched in the American psyche and con divorce yourself from the actual character, it's so that be, be they bureaucrats, be they production com Feature Film Director" parts of that opening, it was a sciousness. Hallmarks of that system are matching much easier to get into their psyche." panies, be they ditterent awards given out. And it's complete fabrication. A little sour grapes joshing, if shots in terms of the length of cigarettes and cutting That isn't to say, of course, that there isn't a lot of not interesting. It's not cutting-edge independent film. you will, to a guy who used to spin records late-night back and forth and close-ups, all designed to make Harkema and his friends in the film. Characters reg It's just cheap imitation. To have someone be labeled, on The Visiting Penguin Show and is now promoting everything seem smooth, to suck the viewer into the ularly extol the virtues of vinyl ("Selling your records 'Oh he's such a great independent filmmaker his first feature as writer/director, A Girl Is A Girl illusion of the film, make them unaware that they're is like selling your existence. CDs have no soul."), because he's going to be the next Norman Jewison.' (playing in July at Tinseltown). Here I am, still writing watching a film. I found that I had oftentimes to com and indie rock from the likes of Destroyer, Built to That's not independent film, that's small-scale for a college radio magazine, and he's gone and promise a lot of performance just because of the Spill, Superconductor and The Evaporators peppers Hollywood. I could go to LA and do that shit if I want made one fucking excellent little film. That's after length of a cigarette." the soundtrack. Harkema, a man who brags about ed to do that." Though he thinks that the Hollywood style of film building a solid reputation as one of Canada's top To set off on his artistic journey, Harkema wrote his Pointed Sticks singles and admits to keeping making proliferates because it's easier to swallow editors by doing Genie-nominated work for people an initial draft of the film, which he then worked on decades-old receipts from Quintessence Records (the whole—no digestion necessary!—he is optimistic like Bruce MacDonald [Hard Core Logo), Guy with Kissed scriptwriter, Angus Fraser. Once casting alleged precursor to Zulu, which I wouldn't know about the future of film. Agreeing that the phrase Madden [Twilight of the Ice Nymphs), and Don had been done, A Girl Is a Girl's dialogue was about because of my relative youth), was happy to "innovative film" undeservedly frightens people as McKellar [Last Night). So has hanging around TO enhanced by improv work done in rehearsal, before use the music of lesser-known talents in his film. much as "punk rock," he says of both, "Beyond the with the big boys of Canadian cinema spoiled the and during shooting. "Local bands out there—send me your stuff! We used Ladner-raised, UBC educated Harkema? basically indie songs, but we used one song from a polish and the production values it's not that scary. The result is a fresh, goofy, and realistic look at large organization, and I will never deal with large But people are scared. Stuff that's polished is palat Hardly. Like his film, his discourse flows freely one young man's journey through the magical land organizations'again. I would rather on my next film able and easy, stuff that's not, they have to redefine and unpretentiously. Which isn't to say that he does of relationships. Beyond the innovative editing set the music budget higher, so I can pay indie bands their entrenched ways of thinking." This he sees as n't have a few opinions that fall on the impolite side style—jump cuts and overlapping sound are regu more, and then just use indie music. Because it's eminently possible. of strong. According to his press kit, Harkema got larly employed while continuity is not—the film has easy. 'Here's 500 bucks.' Hopefully, as my films get "I think that audiences in some ways are becom into directing because of limitations placed on him an intimate and friendly feeling which lets us into bigger budgets, 'here's 5000 bucks for the rights to ing more sophisticated in that they're becoming more by the directors he worked for. "Ultimately, [I] want these characters' lives and allows us to believe they your song.' Nice and clean. Rather than 'This is how accepting of certain styles. At this stage in cinema's ed to direct A Girl Is a Girl as an editing experiment. exist outside their celluloid frames. Part of the char much for the synch rights and this is how much for the development, in terms of mass audience popularity, There were filmmaking rules that I wasn't allowed to acters' flesh-and-blood realism can be attributed to master rights and the synch rights have favoured those sort of stylistic innovations are basically in the break as an editor. I had to become a director to the fact they were patterned after real people. (One nations...' fuck it, man. Fuck you, your song's not service of style only. I'm just going to keep making break them." Giving full credit to mentors like Don of the characters in A Girl Is a Girl is based on CiTR's movies and hope that people catch up." McKellar and Bruce MacDonald, Harkema wanted former Demo Director, Dale Sawyer.) But, Harkema With all the vinyl and thwarted love, the If you're interested in catching up in the near— to venture into territory previously explored by inno warns, it's not wise to read too deeply into such inspi- inevitable phrase soon to be included in every rather than the distant—future, check out A Girl Is a vators like Jean-Luc Godard, for whom the American review of A Girl Is a Girl is "the Canadian High Girl at Tinseltown this month. • Continuity Editing System—the standard of American "When you're dealing with characters that are S^^zQpA,: by sam macklin Seppuku is a mysterious, deadly serious ensemble from Ottawa. They tread the dusky hinterland between
Q \ avant rock and contemporary take. The idea of the Avant Garde belongs to another gener they are. Live, we replace bass lines with amplified sine classical. But while the band's music ation, and though I respect the people who align themselves waves; or with samples of the natural acoustics of bells with with that tradition, it doesn't resonate with me at all. As for out the hammer striking metal sound; or bird sounds as frames lurks in the sonic shadows where jazz, I am not sure I have anything to add to that category of and cues for pieces; or voices pitched down to 10-15 Hz as music. There are phenomenal artists and musicians who are percussion fills... Often we perform tracks with completely dif sound can fade away into silence at setting new standards and taking jazz to new levels, people ferent instrumentation and arrangements, but they always like Tim Berne, David S. Ware, John Zorn, William Parker, retain the movement of the piece, and they are always rec Peter Brotzmann, Ken Vandermark and many others. To put ognizable. I don't like repeating the same set twice. I obsess any moment, their creative mainman me in their category does them disservice. over it until I can come up with a way of performing it that I really don't know what you mean by dark ambient. My doesn't hinge on a reference to something else. Mark Molnar proved to be extremely understanding of that has always been from people like Mick You seem to be suggesting that your music is quite Harris [Scorn], Kevin Martin [God, Ice, Techno Animal], Tricky strictly composed, whereas a lot of it sounds forthcoming and articulate over the and others. I have profound respect for their work, but it's dis improvised. tinctly separate from mine—conceptually and culturally. Yes, the music is largely composed rather than improvised. I I have a particular problem with the use of the word know what I want in my head, and I try to go after it without course of this e-mail interview. "post." When I hear people stick that word in front of "rock" sacrificing the piece in the process. Almost everything is notat- or "classical," "jazz" or any genre title, I get worried. This ed and written in some form. Notation is a form of communi DiSCORDER: Perhaps you could begin by giving tendency to reduce the past to aesthetic references and short cation, and I notate it depending on the person I am giving it details of Seppuku's releases to date. formulations really does it a disservice. The idea that there to. If they can read music, I'll write it out fully. If they can't, I Mark Molnar: There was a demo released in early '97, has been a separation and that what we have now in rock or generally give them copious amounts of notes and we work called Tissue. Then in '98 I recorded the first album [the awe punk is "meta-" or "post-" just doesn't hold up, and most through it together until they understand what I want from some houses of earth's innocents...] for SpectraSonicSound, importantly, it doesn't help people to listen to the music. It just them. which was released locally in February of '99 and nationally creates a cultural obstacle. I realize when you used post-rock, I try to encourage improvisation within the structure and in November of '99. you meant it as an umbrella term, but I don't see how people cues of the pieces, so that the players can express themselves, align the Seppuku material with any one group or movement. Who's in the band apart from you? but I do not want to play "improvised music." When people The Seppuku line up from '97-'98 was a trio of vocals (Mike To ascribe it to any genre leaves me uneasy, and it excludes are improvising, they are expressing themselves, and they are Hickey), metal percussion (Andrew Cant), while I played gui certain people. I am not trying to rant here, I am just trying to raising the bar each time they do something; pushing forward tar/piano. In late '98 Andrew left, and Mike and I were articulate this so that there is no misunderstanding. and not relying on an existing vocabulary. That is really excit joined by Alistair Dempsey on contra-bass and Leigh Newton Clearly then, you have a huge range of influences ing. "Improvised music" I find to be rather stale and boring on drums, at which point I started using my violin and cello vying for creative attention. In light of this, how do most of the time. By improvised music, I mean music made by live, along with the guitar and piano. Since then, Alistair has you achieve such a restrained, uncluttered sound? people who find a few clever things they can do with their left the city for greener pastures. Mike and Leigh have done The short answer is I only put in what needs to be there. Mark instrument and then force it into any situation as if they're very few shows with me in the last six months as they are Hollis [Talk Talk] vehemently warns against creating any music doing something important or interesting. It usually ends up focusing on their own projects. I've been doing solo cello/vio unless you are sure about what you have to say. Morton lin performances of Seppuku material between the band Feldman said that people should clean out their ears before being neither of the two. It should move forward, always for shows, mixing originals with covers of Iannis Xenakis, Harry writing anything. I've always tried to start with a blank page ward. The players should always choose sounds in relation to Partch, Dimitry Shostakovich, Erik Satie, Alexander Scriabin, and go from there. I do not want to enter into an artform what they are hearing in the moment, and they should try to Prince, Tom Waits, Tim Buckley, Marvin Gaye, Billie Holliday, unless I can leave it in a better state than the one I found it in. add to the piece, not take away from it. Morton Feldman, Diamanda Galas and Meira Asher. I don't want to just add to the grey morass of replicating music Do you have "classical" training in composition What existing label best fits your music? that fills so many record bins and clogs so many radio sta and the performance of composed material? Above all, it is just MUSIC. It should just be listened to the tions. I'm not an elitist or a snob about any form of music. It's I began studying with private teachers while doing conserva way people listen to any kind of music. That said, the descrip just that life is too short to be copying someone else. It's polit tory and orchestra/ensemble training at the age of four. I tions that get pasted onto the music often mislead people. I ical, in that I over-think everything while putting it together. It began with theory for the first eight months and then I started respect and appreciate it when people hear the record and is constructed so "that the music can have its own life, its own playing guitar, violin and a little piano for composition. From relate it to something in their music collection, or to any loose heart and spirit. there I picked up every instrument I could get my hands on. I ly defined genre, but ultimately it is a misreading. Not can't play any wind instruments to save my life, but I can play Producing something aesthetically powerful is because what I am doing is so intangible or so far into left pretty much anything with strings attached to it. I studied pri more important than paying homage to your myr field that it defies labels, but because putting it into any one vately with composers and teachers for 15 years and since iad influences? genre will alienate certain people from it. It's an uphill battle then I've been working on my own. I played in orchestras and I don't feel any pressing need to reference my influences in the just to get people to listen to this because they want some ensembles until I was 14, at which time I stopped playing clas music at this point as I don't want to imitate them. I want to use thing they are familiar with, and it takes a bit of an invest sical music because I couldn't relate to it. I listened to my par what I've learned from them to do something for myself. There ment to make this familiar enough to enjoy it, so the ents' record collection until high school, which consisted of a is a lot of room for studying something really brilliant, like descriptions tend to hurt the music more than they help it on a King Tubby's methods of production or the Ohio Players' vocal little jazz and a ton of Motown. In high school I became incur wider scale. I guess my problem with each of those terms is arrangements, or [Charles] Ives' piano works and then apply ably addicted to rock, punk and pop culture. My background that they are more exclusive than inclusive. I just want people ing what you've learned to give voice to your own ideas, but is pretty dry and typical, I'm afraid. to listen to it as MUSIC, not as any one kind of music. How you actually have to have something to say before you can they make sense of it in their own ears and heads is personal use it as a tool or else you just end up creating a fourth or fifth While his musical baekground may be dry and typical, his and the less interference with that the better. rate reproduction. own music is anything but. It's incredible that music as sparse Your music has been described as avant-jazz, dark Music this restrained must be hard to replicate live. and understated as Seppuku's can express such extremes of ambient and post-rock. Which of these descriptions How do you manage it? drama and compassion. Mark has several works in progress turns your stomach the least? All of the pieces on the album were written so that they could right now and one gets the impression that his best is yet to The idea of calling it avant-jazz is affectionate, but it is a mis- be played by any configuration of instruments, no matter what come. Watch this space. • JEAN SMITH by Christa Min
DiSCORDER: I was wondering, since the first track on your recording happened over a couple of days in Olympia. I took some had a dream that Jean Smith hit me. In reality, I wait new CD has the same title as your latest book, is it a kind instruments down, and I really just found this state of mind where I was patiently for the day when someone finally rips the of soundtrack for the book? being really relaxed and allowing the sounds to just arrive and then I glasses off my face, breaks them across her knee and Jean Smith: Sure [laughs]. thinking, at the same time, of how to leave space so that I could layer cracks me one right between the eyes. You should hear Because in the intro of your book you talk about the point something else on it. the things that come out of my mouth. When someone between order and chaos, and that's what this record So the songs weren't written beforehand? sounds like to me. No. The only thing that was written was the main singing one in the gets a bad haircut, I point and laugh and say "Nice middle, "Snippet From Hell." haircut!" While transcribing this interview, I realized What would you call this CD? People have been having I just want to talk a little about your book because I read that when I'm nervous, I talk like a car whose engine is trouble categorizing it. it and enjoyed it. dying—slow and occasionally sputtering. That's what Well, I typically leave that sort of thing up to somebody else. You Good. I can't believe you've done all this stuff since we last spoke. mean like choose a genre sort of a thing? You know too much now. You know more than I do about this stuff. I happens when I try to think and speak at the same time. Yeah, like where would you put it in a record store? should be asking you questions about it! Christ, I barely cracked a joke during the whole inter I guess somewhere in with the experimental jazz type stuff. But then if It's been a while. I didn't know it came out in '98. I view. Jean Smith, however, is charming and articulate. it was there, I don't know how anyone who knows what Mecca thought it was new. There seem to be three different Her new self-titled album is on Kill Rock Stars, and her Normal or Two Foot Flame does would find it. points of view in the book. There's Claudine, who I think There are not very many vocals—which was surprising, is fictional, then there's you... latest book. The Ghost of Understanding, is available because you doing a CD without vocals is like if David There's not really a "me" me. There's an "I"... from Arsenal Pulp Press. Since this interview was con [Lester] decided to start singing. There's a Jean from Mecca Normal. ducted over the phone, Jean Smith couldn't punch me, Well, it wasn't really entirely intentional, it's just the way it came to be Oh, there's her [laughs]. even if she wanted to. which is how the CD sort of built itself in a lot of ways. The whole Would that be you? In the"very literal stuff, in the letters and tour diary stuff. That is me, yes. )0 jjfy WOO Then there's kind of someone in the middle, who I've rurally, like where we're at. Not having any places to play here, I'm named "Claujean" because there are points when I'm not wondering if that's typical; what phase is live music at? Is it coming sure who is speaking. back? Will it ever come back? Are there as many bands out there as It could be Claudine speaking or thinking in first person. there were two years ago? And what's with all this new improv-jazz It could be? You're not sure? stuff, which now I find I'm kind of a part of, and I don't know whether No, and I don't mind that kind of cloudiness. With the first book I I'm seeing more or hearing about more people doing that just wrote, people would say, "What's it about?" and I would immedi because I'm kind of doing it too, or whether there really are more ately go, "Whoa, that's a tough question." It's the same as "What people who are going by their own regular, proper name, and cre genre of music is this?" That's maybe not the best place to start with ating improv units. Does that seem like something that's happening? trying to define it. The "What's it about?" type questions don't seem I've kind of been looking for it. I've got to this point to apply. where I only like three bands, so instead of over-playing Yeah, 'cause on the back of the book it says "Fiction?" those bands, I just look for music that doesn't sound too with a question mark. It's like the point between Fiction much like "music." I like that your CD fits that genre. and Non-Fiction. If there is one. Yeah, that's what I'm finding too, and this has happened to me before Yeah, and I don't see why that can't be something that is worked with where I'm not looking and saying, "What are other people doing? I or worked from as a point of view. In fact somebody once said, I think I'll do that too." I think I'm aware, in a way, of what people are think I overheard somebody say, "Fiction. You know, part true, part doing, but I think there's sort of a wave of people who all get to the not true." I think people kind of expect that of fiction anyway, that it's same point, for whatever reason, of creating a similarly defined, gotta be from some aspects of life unless it's completely from that maybe not similarly sounding, but I want to do really beautiful, weird state where you're just rambling and creating a whole other world. But typically I think most fiction comes from experience. I think that "Root Smooth Sapling Whips" is that. I think people that write fiction want to call it that I like that it's long, it doesn't actually have an actual tune ever, and it because if it is about themselves they don't want people just goes on. Hopefully it creates a mood, it creates an environment. to think it's true. It doesn't demand that you listen to words, and it doesn't have the I was never in a porn film. crazy repetition of notes. All that stuff doesn't mean that much to me That's good to know. anymore. Maybe it's just something that would fit into what else you're I thought I would get way more flack about that, but nobody seems to thinking about or lead you into thinking about somewhat more relaxed want to ask me, so I have to clarify. That wasn't me. things. I thought that was pretty clear. The ending confused me What I was saying before about liking music that isn't the most with Claudine talking about writing the book. I necessarily "music," I wonder why that's happening now. thought, "Isn't Jean Smith writing the book?" Maybe it truly is something that's going on. Maybe it's this phenom Have you recovered? I can't say I go out and do a lot of that because I am doing things like enon that people are finding somehow more satisfying than these Yeah, it was traumatic [laughs]. Do you write a lot? writing books and working on music myself. I feel like when I'm in blurbs of songs, this tuneage factor that goes on for two and a half Lately it's been this e-mail business. My god, every time I turn it on Vancouver, I have this other life, and then when I go on the road it's minutes and has this jarring effect of blasting out this repetition of there's something else to write about. Actually, I just did an interview more involved—staying up super late and playing music every chance stuff. Maybe it doesn't go with the circuitry that we've recently estab for RCKGRL, and that was fun, but it was all e-mail. It's this whole you can get. So when I'm here I don't tend to go out that much. I lished with e-mail and how your brain is chattering away with digital new way to write, in this fairly cheerful first person, and your audience have to say L'm not particularly up on it. I guess the Lois thing, wasn't information or techno. All that stuff is kind of strange when you think is one other person. It feels like a different, happier, healthier way to it a Sunday night? I think it was a $10 cover charge, which I don't that techno somehow aligns itself with how your heart is beating. It's write because there's someone immediate that's there to receive it. normally go for either. Maybe somebody didn't think that through. like we really are in tune with these sounds, so there must be some Are you writing another book? With you so busy with this new album, and writing—and reason that people want to have sounds that aren't geometrically Yeah, I have to write another book. I know David did a solo tape and an album with Bud placed. There must be a reaction or a response that's more than just Is it going to be similar to the last one? Osborn—is Mecca Normal just on hold? taste driven. I think it will be except that I think I'm more confident... I think I'm Well, we're making plans now. We've got one show on July 22 at Most bands I find to be either bad or tolerable. more confident, [louder] I'M MORE CONFIDENT now, and I'm enjoy Graceland as part of CMJ in Seattle. That'll be the first show for us in I once did a show in Philadelphia and some poor soul came up after ing continuing on and seeing the whole thing as process. You write wards and said he would- your first book, and it feels like this is your book that you are writing, and you don't foresee that there will be other books or other years. I "I'm not looking and saying, 'What are other people I^rwjrK^! tend to just be focused on the here and now, and everything seems so "Oh, Cod. I don't know crucial. I'm breaking out of that and realizing that all of these things, doing? I think I'll do that too.' I think I'm aware, in a way, wh"» to say to you. guy." the records, the tours—they're much more flexible and always a part But this is what I'm count of o long line of activities. So it's taken me 15 years to feel confident of what people are doing, but I think there's sort of a wave ing on, that there are just in that way, that things will carry on into the next phase. of people who all get to the same point, for whatever rea several people out there, So you're going on tour soon? and I will keep making I go Thursday and meet up with these people and play, which we son, of creating a similarly defined, maybe not similarly r rhos •a! haven't done yet, which is a little bit odd. people. It inspires me. I I was wondering how you're going to perform this stuff sounding, but I want to do really beautiful, relaxed music." don't want them all, their live, seeing that you played everything on the album. feet smell. Just a few Well, they've got CDs, and the person in Chicago, the woman, is a good people. • drummer, and I've seen her play, and she's really, totally creative. I'm quite a while. not normally attracted to drummers. I guess they don't cross my path Planning to record anything? too frequently. I really liked her playing, and she responded to this Dave's got a bunch of new songs. He handed me a tape, and I'm band list thing that I put up on the Kill Rock Stars site, and she knows going to write the words, and everything will be back to normal us and wanted to be involved, which is pretty... well, the last thing I [laughs]. We're going to do a tour in the beginning of November Selected Discography needed was a drummer, right? But I like her, and she really wanted to down the west coast. The RCKGRL conference in the beginning of participate. The other guy is a guy in Washington DC who saw the November in Seattle will be the start of the tour. same notice, and he's a guitar player, and again, do I need a guitar Are you going to be part of Ladyfest? JEAN SMITH player? I haven't actually talked to him yet. I go on Thursday, and Yes, on August 6th. we've just been e-mailing ba«"k and forth. It's sort of become this weird Jean Smith CD (Kill Rock Stars, 2000) Will that be just you or Mecca Normal? thing where we're reluctant to call. We haven't spoken. By getting That's the big question. We'll see if any of these people from the East "Carboni Angel" 7" (Kill Rock Stars, 1992) people to respond to this e-mail notice, I didn't expect that we would can make it out, and if they can't... I did a solo show at the WISE Hall never talk. about a month ago, so I know I can do the whole thing solo. I used MECCA NORMAL Have you asked him to call you? stacking CDs, I played the synth, electric guitar, and sax, and sang. Who Shot Elvis? CD/LP (Matador, 1997) Well, it just became this thing, right? Now we're just trying not to And it worked. It was totally great. You really have to be focused on talk. When a point occurs when we're booking flights, and it would what the hell is going on, but I enjoyed it. I was totally nervous, but I Sitting on Snaps CD/LP (Matador, 1995) be handy to speak to him, we just kind of grit our teeth and e-mail. got through it. "The Bird that Wouldn't Fly" 7" (Matador, 1995) Well, it seems you do a lot of stuff in Olympia. I remem Do you do any work on the side? Non-art related? . Jarred Up LP/CS/CD (K, 1993) ber Lois came up here a few months ago. There were I'm just now setting up with an agent to handle my paintings in the Flood Plain LP/CS/CD (K, 1993) probably 50 people at that show. I've seen some shows States, and I'm writing for a couple of places and always looking to in Olympia where there's been so many people, even do more of that if they actually pay. I'm doing, not really a tour diary, "From the surface" 7" (Dionysus, 1992) when the show's in the middle of the week. Olympia's is but something from the road for Broken Pencil, and I'll try to look at Mecca Normal LP (Smarten Up, 1986) definitely smaller than Vancouver. What do you think of different scenes that I see from peoples' homes, in-the-bathroom type the music scene in Vancouver right now? stuff, and try and do a report of what people are thinking about cul- ]] new turks jamaal
bout three years ago, I showed up at the Starfish Room to see Both things I fear. I don't want to be another punk band singing about music, and it's just kind of weird. Columbus, Ohio's New Bomb, Turks based solely on the rec hot rods and how much you hate fascists and girl problems I also Okay, Mr. Segue, how's the Columbus scene? A ommendation of a friend. "What are those?" I asked, pointing don't want to be like Bad Religion. You have to be aware of using It's pretty much dead, at this point. There's less and less national acts at the unfamiliar wooden structures separating crowd from stage. words like "vociferous" because it just sounds silly, and you only have coming through because the one really great club in town is gone, "Barricades" was the obvious answer, though in all fairness my query two or three minutes to work with. I try to walk that line. I've grown up and the new club the guy opened is way too big, and the stage is too was born more from surprise than ignorance. Never before, nor since liking Bob Dylan's and Elvis Costello's and Paul Westerberg's lyrics, high and nobody likes to play there. The other small club in town for that matter, had I seen such a setup at the club. I recently had the but I also liked Iggy Pop's and the Ramones' lyrics, where they can get that's kind of cool has been turned into a fucked-up, white trash crack pleasure of speaking with Mr. Eric Davidson, lead singer of the band a lot across in a few words and they're funny. Anytime I feel I'm being house, and it's small and nasty and way too urine-soaked by now. that puts the "fear-for-thesafety-of-our-precious-PA" back in rock V too "vociferous," I try to throw in some funny puns and just get the There hasn't been a new, good local band in probably three years, fucking song done already. roll. and there's no college radio. The second-largest university in the Tell me about the song "End of the Great Credibility nation, and we have no college radio station. There's great record DiSCORDER: Let's talk about the new album [Nightmare Race." stores, but that doesn't matter anymore. I mean, Jim works in one, Scenario]. What got you thinking about third-world dic A couple of things happened around the same time. I saw this show and he says there's been a serious decline in the last two years. No tators and nuclear holocaust? on MTV, it was only on for a little while, but it was supposed to be this young kids come in anymore; they're buying their music off the net for ultra-hip indie show at one in the afternoon. It was pretty good, they Eric Davidson: Oh, no. It was just... we're pretty bad at coming up $ 1 7 because they assume that's what a record costs. would interview indie labels and smaller bands, and once they did an with album titles. It's always at the last minute and we just say, "Okay, Or not buying it at all, if they can find it. Does that aspect interview with the guy who runs Kill Rock Stars, which I thought was that's good enough." I was sitting around, watching the news, and it of the internet bother you guys? kind of ironic, being on MTV and all. Then there was all that major was some story about a potential disaster that could happen in a No, because I will move on. I doubt I'm going to do this for the rest label stuff that went down where Seagrams bought Universal and all third-world takeover that was called a "nightmare scenario" if he got of my life. We're not going to lose that much money; we're not a kinds of bands got dropped—some of them friends of ours—and it his hands on a nuclear weapon. Rage Against The Machine or a Metallica. I doubt there are a million was just striking me that at the end of the decade, we're still around. High-tech FBI code? kids out there downloading Turks music, but if there are, fine. When we signed to Epitaph, we got a lot of shit from little indie zines Capitalism created this thing, and now it's going to eat it up. We Yeah, I doubt it's all that official. In Europe, they were calling it the saying that we're trying to sell out, while we've seen all these other probably lose $30 a year to downloaders, and I'm willing to sacrifice "official CIA code," like I'm letting nuclear secrets out of the bag. I bands come and go, and self-righteous labels that have these very elit that if it means kids can get access to our music. I mean, probably half really think it was just a phrase somebody used on the news that I ist attitudes that you have to stay within your own crowd. So we get the records in my collection are "For promotional use only. Not for thought sounded kind of neat. it from the punk side and we get it from the indie rockers because we So is this album more of a lo-fi affair than the last few, or don't have backpacks or something. resale" that I bought for $3, so I'm in no position to complain. And is that all in the imagination? It sucks to put food on the table. certainly assholes like Metallica and fucking Garth Brooks are in no It has fewer tracks than the other records. When we got Sam last position to complain because they're already multi-millionaires. Yeah, and it's not like we're millionaires or anything, but when you May, the new drummer, we hadn't put out a new record in a long Tell me about some up-and-comers, bands I need to live in America it's sometimes an empty cause to have. It's America. know about. time, and we knew it was going to take a while to work him in and It's a capitalist, consumer culture and eventually, if you stick around, There's a band called the White Stripes, from Detroit, that is pretty write some new songs because we started from scratch with him. So you're going to get caught up in it whether you like it or not. So until when we got some down, we just wanted to put them out and we I have the time and money to move out of this fucking country, I'm cool. It's just a brother and sister, and they sound like a lo-fi Gories- had heard some good stuff coming out of that studio, Ghetto going to deal with it on the level that yeah, Epitaph's a bigger label, type band with a singer that sounds like Robert Plant. It's very bizarre. Recorders, up in Detroit. We'd known the engineer for a while, he but they get us good distribution and all the rest of it. A band called the Clone Defects, from Detroit, that is pretty cool. always comes to our shows there, and he asked us to record. So once So I first heard of you guys from a friend who found you Detroit sounds like it's got a bit of a thing going on there. we got there, we really liked the room sound a lot, it was coming out on the internet. Has that always been part of your game Yeah, there's a lot of good bands and some good clubs, but all these fine the way it was. Usually Jim puts down two or three or four guitar plan? bands have this weird attitude. It's kind of like Cleveland; it's very tracks, but this time we just decided to leave it the way it was. Well, we're just at the age where the whole computer thing is at the enclosed and it's own community. The bands all think that nobody What happened to the old drummer? crux, or whatever. We're not part of the 17 year-old-buy-japanime-sit- else is going to care, so they don't even bother to try to tour or put out Well, it's a long story, but basically it just didn't seem like he was into at-home-all-day-staring-at-a-screen generation. We have lives and have too many records, which is a very Midwest or "Rustbelt" thing to think. it much anymore. He's got a Master's degree and such, and I think sex with girls and things like this. But I have a computer, and I think I like that normally, but there are some good bands up there. A band deep down he wanted to move on. He was very surprised; I don't downloading music is fine and all that shit. The only thing I worry called the Secret Lovers from Austin, Texas—I just got their record. think he'd give you the same answer, but he'd missed a few prac about is, me growing up, the experience of learning what music I That's pretty cool. Starlite Desperation, whc were from California, but tices, and there were other personal issues. You know, the usual per liked and what music I didn't like was going to record stores and see they live in Detroit now, and they're cool. They sound like an indie, sonal and musical differences. ing the grizzled, old guy behind the counter complaining about all the faster version of Roxy Music, or something. There's lots of good bands I love how you segue for me. Let's talk about education. music or going to concerts and getting that physical feeling of what I out there; they're just getting harder to find now that the whole "alter Education leads to talking too much. do and don't like and what kind of people I do and don't like. I kind native rock explosion" thing is kind of gone, and the media isn't as Amongst other things. Have you guys all been to school? of fear for this generation of kids taking one song at a time off these willing to cover this sort of thing. You seem like a bunch of smarty pants. sites and making their own CDs with no input from anyone else. These Rock 'n' roll is so passe. Yes, we all graduated from school. When the band started I was are the kids who don't want to go to clubs because they're so smoky It's just like the late '70s. Disco's everywhere and you have to look for already almost done, and now we all have degrees except Sam, or some girl might rub up against them and give them AIDS or some music harder, and the internet doesn't really make anything easier; who's still going back now and then thing so better to visit Zimbabwe on the internet. you just have that much more shit to wade through. There's good I'm not sure where that came from. It's not like you're Or hang out on ICQ. music out there, it's just that people get jaded, and they want their using big words like Bad Religion, but there's a certain Yeah, exactly. And I don't want to sound like the old guy either, but I own sound for their own generation. • intelligence to it. just see more and more clubs closing down and less and less live yijjt) woo During my recent interview with Poets Of Rhythm from Germany, So you're not composing That kid is dope; he's I heard some MP3's of I've spoken with my the versatile lyricist Gift of Gab Joyo Valarday's solo record. songs over the answering about to blow up, I tell Eminem before he was great-uncle—who is a of Blackalicious, we politicked Lateef and Xcel have a group machine anymore? you. What are some of famous and he was 70 year-old bluegrass and philosiphized about the called Maroons, I'm doin' a solo No more, no more. your favorite emcees or rocking some positive bass player—about hip duality between the darkness project with a bunch of different Are you composing down singers? You and your rhymes—more similar to hop. He's all about the har and light of stardom and producers, Lyrics Born's solo in Xcel's basement, as crew got a real vocal flow. yours—but now that he's vest, raising of vibrations toothaches. It's clear that in this record is about to come out and shown on the record's dust It's not just blah blah blah aggro, his records and expansion of con MC's game, everyone who of course another Latyrx and sleeve? you know? are selling. sciousness. I say to him, I speaks truth and never fakes is a another Blackalicious record. So Yeah, that's where it's at. We Well, with me in terms of I think that hip hop goes in feel that hip hop can be we're gonna keep it comin'. wrote and recorded Nia all influences, you know everybody cycles. You look back at '88-'89 the catalyst of this truth. And Shadow got some down there. that's dope.. with the whole Native Tongue Indeed. It's a whole renaissance DiSCORDER I'm really thing coming out ? So do you have input to It's a hard one to answer, era, Public Enemy, Boogie Down goin' on in hip hop right now. excited to talk to you. I'm Indeed. Shadow's doin' a solo, the beat making, or does right? Productions. That's happening The momentum is beginning to feelin' your new record... and me and Lateef and Shadow Xcel excel in that? Yeah, 'cause there's so many of right now; it was a moment back shift. If it seems like I'm not it's all good. are working on a project also. X is the beat department, I'm the them. T La Rock, Rakim, Big in '92, '93 when Souls Of talking much it's cause I have an Gift of Gab: Thanks man, Oh word, so it's all just lyrical department; we're both Daddy Kane... Mischief, Freestyle Fellowship excruciating tooth ache. good lookin'. networking! always open for creative You don't want to leave and Pharcyde came out. It's just What happened ? It's some conscious stuff, Indeed, we're all interchange suggestions, but for the most part anybody out, right? resurgences, it's little renais I think I got a cavity or some it's refreshing. I was able. X handles the music and I Yeah, you know I could go on sances. We're on the brink of thing, it is boomin'. wondering if you could tell Were you up in the radio handle the words. for days. Gil-Scott Heron, Roy one of those right now: you got your rhymes is me about the birth of the station at the University of I was gonna ask Xcel Ayres... my style is an Dilated Peoples, Jurassic 5, so sweet « Solesides label and its Davis? what kind of sampler he encompassing of all those styles Common, Mos Def, Reflection transformation into I was for a split second because mixed in, going out in different Eternal. It goes in cycles; it's the Quanumm Records? when I graduated high school I He uses an MPC and an Akai, directions. I like to go where the yin and the yang. Not to even Solesides was started around moved back down to LA. I'm and that's all I'm gonna say. A beat akesn . It's call anybody negative because '90-91. I was living in LA and originally from the San Fernando chef doesn't want to reveal all of particular style, it's really a everybody has a story to tell, Chief Xcel was going to UC- Valley, and me and X would his ingredients, you know what I matter of being another and everybody's story has a b Davis. Out there he met DJ Zen hook up and do stuff over the mean? instrument on the track and right to shine—no matter what it (Def Chang), who had a show phone—like he'd play me a Yeah, you rockin' the flowin' with the mood of the is. But it runs in cycles like that, out there. He and DJ Shadow beat, and I'd write to it over the ol' Fisher Price turntable beat, wherever that happens to and I do think that the type of and Lyrics Born would go down phone and we'd commute. But down therel take me. rap that we do is coming back to the station, and they would be then it was just like, "Man, we [laughs] And just being the heart to the forefront. diggin'. It was a friendly can't make music like this!" That So you guys got hooked beat! Do you see the hip hop L mpetiti like, is when I ended up movin' up to up with Mo' Wax through Indeed. family of today coming ords than you." Zen Davis. By then he had met Lyrics DJ Shadow? You can definitely tell from together, universally tran the catalyst who pulled Born, Zen and Shadow. We met James Lavelle and DJ Shadow your rhymes that it's scending the beefs and everything together. So it was Lateef about a year after that. have a very long history. They comin' from the heart, it's whatnot? A like, "Yo, we got this whole pool I know Shadow was doin' were working together at the flowin' like the blood, you Indeed. It's a whole lot of unity of talent, we got connections some mixes on the college same time that we were working know? in California right now. When with all these college radio DJs, radio. Did X have his own on our Melodica EP. James Yeah, definitely we're in LA we holler at Abstract why don't we just pool all of our program? heard it and showed interest, so How do you feel about the Rude, Dilated. We holler at the C talent together and start our own Yeah, him and Lyrics Born had a we hooked up with him like that, popularity of negative hip Cali Agents, and everybody label?" The initial intent of show that they used to do for a and boom—it went on from hop like Eminem? He's got kinda wants to see each other Solesides was for each artist to minute on KDVS. Back then it people upset on one hand win. Everybody's hookin' up and have their "sole side." That's Asia and X i What's your relationship but he's also very talented. workin' with each other, you why it was called Solesides, Jazzbo—who is also one of the with the hip hop scene in It's comedy. It's meant to be know. It's good to see things k that's why the first record was DJ original members of Solesides— the UK? comedy. But he is very talented, kinda unified right now. But I Shadow's "Entropy" on one side had a show, and DJ Zen had a We got much love for the UK. though. don't think that it's coming back and Lyrics Born's "Send Them" We love doing shows out there. because I don't think that it on the other side. Around 1996 We get a lot of love, and we left. It's just different or '97 we had accomplished show a lot of love back. It's 5s that different styles everything we wanted to do dur dope. i at the forefront. ing that period and DJ Zen's Latyrx put out that track interests were goin' in other with Herbaliser, "8 Point directions. Qi Agenda." That's a dope way of rebuilding and taking it track. I was wondering to the next level. what your relationship is Is Quannum signing to the cats coming up here, up-and-coming artists? like Moka Only and Definitely. We have a group Swollen Members. from Portland, Oregon called I think Swollen Members is The Life Savers and they're dope, yeah. I haven't really extremely dope, so look ' gotten a lot of exposure you their record to be Well... Maestro Fresh Wes, Main Source, Michie Mee; I haven't really gotten a chance get out here as much as I'd
an interview by Pro-Motion ) DiSCORDER: Do you mind if I ask you some special mood at those concerts? questions about the early days of Teplice? I'd I don't really feel, like especially now, it's kind of long time ago, which is good. And so, talked about THE SLAVIC MUSICAL really like to know about Fourth Price Band, was true 10 years ago. Right now, these young people, like 17,1 8,19 {year olds], Shanov and Do Rady, those early punk bands these people ore raised kind of in normal situation so it's probably not so and those early times where you were under much true right now, but it used to be. Definitely, there is some similar SENSIBILITIES, a system that... things were difficult. experience, so a lot of people from Poland or Hungary, their reactions, Mirek Wanek: FPB, when it began, that was 1981 they catch some jokes, which if you play some older songs, so they kind and especially in Teplice—I founded that band—and of catch these jokes foster. But it's afways very funny question. People METICULOUS in Teplice especially it was a small city and it's North always ask me... if I'm here, how is the difference between reactions of Bohemia, you know, it's not really a cultural centre. audience here and in our country. When I'm there, they ask me about ARRANGEMENTS AND Teplice in that time wasn't like a rock centre at all. So reactions of American audience. And I always say, people are same, basi the only bands we got there was these bands who cally you know, and reactions of people depends to sound, if they know us, played in bars, some really just cover songs, some hits, if they are open to listen, if they are kind of experienced with this kind of THEIR GENESIS like, really stupid and ugly music, just unbelievable. music, which means if the club has kind of dramaturgy which gives raising There were a couple of young bands, you know, they some audience. So it depends to these things and not so much to nationality. tried to play rock but Your latest album, Usi, or far* in WITHIN THE FERVENT everything was almost English... What is the significance of forbidden. And there either that song, or that title, as a COMMUNISM OF wos some guy who took musician? about everything Actually, it is a concept, definitely. It was in whov, my mind a long time, actually, I was really :h band has to go thinking deeply about these things ond it's about communication, about lis ,.:!h 111, ff for his per- tening. The ears, it's a symbol for... [At this very point, openers jack md of c Assassin begin their set and drown out our conversation and so, after CZECHOSLOVAKIA didn't give permit to any checking our soft drinks at the door, we adjourn to body. At the same time the band's tour van parked just outside the ver PROVIDE CZECH he was a big drunkard, Actually, we were not really political band, I so he likes these bar ever. Which means we were thinking bands because they about human characters and relationships and , QUINTET UzJSME always when he show that these things are kind of like a basement, c up—because he could foundation of any system. Then, if you have cancel the concert, you socialist system, communist system, or if you DOMA ('Now WE'RE know, because he has have capitalist system, or whatever, that power—so they characters and the relationships are wrong , HOME'OR'Now I always give him a cou and if people are not nice to each other, if j ple of whiskeys or what they do not want to listen to each other then ever he drank, and he you start problems. And of coi GET IT!') WITH A got really drunk, and at you've got communist system, those prob- ; the same time he tried to lems which in capitalist system are bad, in j be a poet, so he wrote communist system are freaky! Becaus some really stupid these people get power to kill you or pt lyrics... just like, unbe . jail c lievable. But each band these characters, like if some person PERSPECTIVE ON THE got one song with his I don't know, brutal if he has power lyrics and they got per like a communist leader he is danger mit. So it was kind of ous because he can kill you with per ANATOMY OF strange, kind of like very mit, with law. But... the democratic bad, but kind of funny also at the sc ;. So FPB at system tries to protect, kind of—I'm kind of skeptic even of that—they MODERN ROCK. that time was like coming from the protect from too much power to that kind of persons. From the very tion, just nothing like that at all, ond immediately they beginning, I was thinking that the real problem is not... [I mean] it were really angry, these cultural censors and police as is! The communist system wos a real problem, but it's not the real GUITARIST/SINGER/ well. They immediately start to take care of what was ly main problem, the main problem is about human characters, going on and so FPB played maybe 20 shows only in about relationships. So the very first album was named In the their whole history, and all were illegal, so it was not Middle of Words. In the middle of words, the word 'soldier'—like SONGWRITER MlREK really possible to pby in legal way. And there is not many, many 'soldier,' 'soldier,' 'soldier'—the word 'human' is alone. any recordings from that time. If you put them on paper, like thousand words 'soldier' and you put jui WANEK RELAYS THE I wanted to ask you then if there were only 'human' it's so atone, it's just really lonely. So that's something about negative things during this period for young have to say I see it even here in North America: people tend to be part of musicians, or if there were some positive buy McDonald's, everybody go on vacation on Florida, everybody watch these commercials, everybody... HOMOLOGY OF THIS things about that time as well? you know it's like, not everybody, but a lot of people like to be like the others, they like to be like sheeps in I think as I showed, it's got some tragic part but also the mass you know. And thot was typical for communism, actually... sometimes I feel like people don't comic part: that's why we like so much Kafka, Franz understand that, they think that some few leaders, some few freaky leaders took power and they made dic ABSURDIST STANCE Kafka, because it's kind of black humour and it's absurd tatorship... that's not true. Like, million people vote for them. And they like to be like a sheeps and have some which you can be depressed from or if it's too much leaders to care about everything and the most important thing for them, for most people, was to have some absurd then you kind of laugh to it because it's just thing to eat, to have place to stay, and hove some work... and if they have that, they didn't really care if WITH A STRONG something really funny. So something similar was in that they can speak what they want, if they can sing what they wont, they didn't really care about artists in jail, time and I think what was good in that time—which i they really didn't care. So that's something that I feel is don't want that it will come back again—but what was '., you know, it's just something,,. SENSE OF HUMOUR, kind of good, that always when artists are working It's hut under pressure, under some fear, under some kind of Right. And that is what we try to sing about, or artists talking about fight or something like that, it always gives them more RESIGNATION AND these kind of problems, these things, these kind of things. And sensitivity or something. Like being more accurate and so, that was the first album. The second album Unloved World more really straight, and more, I don't know how to and... it's again, something like, thot people, all over the earth—like say, really sensitive for very important things ond deep CONVICTION. let's say 'Unloved Earth' or 'Unloved World'— [it's] about the earth which things. And also audience. Audience in that time, is unloved by human beings, but at the same time they need it. because not so many bands [spoke] straight. The lyrics It's home! were kind of like reading between the lines and audi Right. Then the third one was Hollywood and it was again kind of about article by Steve ence were extremely trained on the reading in between lines and a little joke, which probably from abroad communication, about... this entertainment, to Hollywood, this kind of sym DiPasquale nobody can get, in Czech Republic definitely all these bol for entertainment, false world. Again, about mass, you know. From people go, 'Oh, wow! Yeahl' and immediately they will one point of view you can kind of laugh to these mass, you know, how stu photos by Ann catch if. pid are they, that they believe in this kind of fake world. At the same time it's something about dreaming and people just tend to dream, and if they Goncalves So, do you find any kind of special, maybe don't have it by their own, they want to see it on the screen somewhere— not relationship, but with other former com they just want to substitute it with something. Of course it's very bad that munist countries, maybe when you play in those Hollywood people use it for making money, you know, this kind of Poland or Hungary—I know you've played weakness of people. But at the same time, you can't really laugh to these some shows in Bosnia—is there kind of a people without understanding that mostly it's because they miss something
'H' Some old, very fat lady, you know, in her inside, she might be, she really wants to be, I don't know, some nice girl walking, dancing, whatever, she wants to be ballet dancer. And of course, she can't... objectively, she can't, but it doesn't mean she can't dream about thot. So she at least wants to see it on some screen or something. And then, the fourth one was Fairytales from Needland and again, almost the same. Even [though] each is about something different, the main is almost the same: following these human pleasures or hopes or some disasters, or whatev er like that. So Fairytales..., it's ogain like, people 600 years or 800 years ago hoped in something and they loved each other and they hated each other, exactly the same like now, and they made up some fairytales in it time from their experience from their lifestyle, their jtime They made itp some fairytales which we read now and we say, 'Oh, that's smart, that's nice, realfy true. That's big, true, deep/ You know we got from these past people, we got fairytales, we can very simply say, about angels and about dev ils. You know, we got this personified evil and good—angel and devil, for example. So I was wondering what—of course, in future they will get from us [some] message, over thousand years—they will get from us something evil and something good, so I tried to imagine what kind of personified persons it will be. So this album has 12 songs and each song is about one created person. [The title] is based on the word 'to need' because people need fairytales and they need that evil and they need that good and they need to trust in good and that stuff, so it's from Needland. That's the fourth one, and the fifth one is Ears and that kind of I that with the ears: exactly that place where everything is incoming. So if you have open e. sally get somebody else sbody else's fears, loves, whatever—you can get feelings. Ofcc ily about ear, but it's a symbol for openness, for in-come, like radar w. And that's what is in the main sentence on the album: 'The ears h to fisten the other ears.' And again, Ears, on the very beginning I had, because I wrote these lyrics, 'The ears teach to listen the eyes.' That was my original rhyme or some line. And it was vhotever, just nice views and then some very smelly car is going kind of funny, absurd, that somebody who is 'Eye,' you try to around, whatever. In one second all these mixtures are—t am giving you really simple examples—but I :hange him, and try to teach him to listen. But later I found, no, mean, even your mood changes a lot during just one day. And all these fast changes and all these mixtures lis is not the real true: the real true [is] you teach to listen the ear, and kind of chaotic stuff of just one day... that's what we try to make a picture [of] in the song as well, you the next ear. And that ear, if it's open, will get ability to teach know. So the message is in words, in pictures of Martin Velisek, which we have on the cover, in music, like in the melody, in the structure, in the arrangement, and in the way how we perform on stage, how if we In talking about the human need for mass experience, ally or not. Each piece, each detail of this music, has to be filled belonging, community, how do you see yourself as a with that message what we want to say, this kind musician, who's doing stuff with ears, in a collective, ofp ofhur life. kind of communal experience? How do you see your band fitting into that human need? Is there anything else you want kind of special, special kind of art I would say. It's very ed to talk about? abstract. Like, music itself, without lyrics. Because people can get it So that is about the ears. Also, what I directly somewhere into the heart—through the ears— but it's more hope is that we can bring here this idea feelings. It's not really concrete message like that you can say with because t don't think it's so common to like, 'That, that, that.' It's just something about feelings you know, think about rock music this way. it's kind of add together your feeling from stage, add with feelings of Something what would be good if people ibody who listens to it and that makes if the result, you know. You just will again start to think about and feel >me group of people something and some of them will listen, some of ock music. I tell you, I really hate that sen will understand, and maybe some of them will get some message or dee from Keith Richards: 'It's only rock ibility or some energy to talk to other people or to be nice to other peo- i' roll.' I hate that, because it's not true why we play music, so we don't need to say that because it's dif- id it's just really bad joke from him and . that. Elsewhere you said it was maybe about power, that for good people—you know this might be true about * , you need power. What do you mean by that? his way of rock V roll—but it's definitely not . it's... maybe this is why I started with punk music even though... I true about our rock 'n' roll and about many ally felt like these people with... bands around who really try to be equal to The mohawks. Right, yeah. And this green hair and whatever, I never really liked this, this sur classical music or to some paintings or, what face. But I felt punk music is really good for that moment, thot it gives people power, it just gives them like, did Beethoven two hundred years ago. It's the 'Okay, stop sitting on the sidewalk. Stop walking without any sense. Just go! just do it, you knowl' And of be same thing. You use just different course, if you have just that, it's again dangerous, kind of, because who will say what to do? You started istruments and different process to make with questions about FPB—and that was definitely something what I feel we kind of brought into it: some kind usic because it's modern way how to do it of specialty that was combination between some kind of straight punk music and poems. It was really strong and how people are able to listen now so you and straight punk musk, and it worked together, so that was kind of mixture between strength and power, use present instruments for that. But you can you know, energy on stage, which has to go to wake up people; at the same have the same goals and same ability or dis time, that really deep and nice poetry, very tender. Because energy, it goes ability or whatever. I just don't agree with that straight, it goes realfy fast into you. Something, maybe similar, tike maybe sentence and I really want to help people come it makes you start laughing, but maybe some mother tries to [give] some lit back into feeling that this music has some sense tle kid some pills, which is healthy, but if is not [a good taste] so she puts and there's some message and that the message some honey on that little spoon and she put the pills in the middle and important thing—not if the band is famous, 'This is just honey!' and you eat it and you get some healthy thing as well, or rich, or if these guys on stage look nice or if you know. So, that's something simitar in the way that the honey is the they do this moving or [that] moving. It can be fun, punk music, like straight and people can dance and they can realfy be entertainment, but the most important thing is message and if band has no message I don't feel they have free in that moment, you know they really feel something, but at the same a right to talk to people. time, they can get, even from lyrics, something nice, some nice message What else can we expect from the band in the future? or sensitivity for something nice and important. tt's never-ending story kind of, unfortunately, it's this kind of fight—it's not fight exactly—but kind of fight,., [Tape stops. Tape is Hipped. Cell phone rings. The Sex Pistols are men it's without end, you know, and that's it. That's, I feel, the role of art [forever]: it was, it is and it will be. So tioned in a discussion of other great bands having roots within, but I think we just keep doing what we have to... and then somebody next, hopefully, continue with that. eventually moving away from, straight punk music] What t stilt feel is, that even with words, even with these melodies, it's The next generation of fairytales. always the same picture how life is going. If you just print in your Right! Some next ears. • mind your whole day, it's really chaotic mixture of something very net, I don't know, you met some girl, whatever, you know, somebody on
)S E&^4i®ELT coin themselves as brand name Huston's adaptation of Dashiel Stanton, aliens, background filmmakers and entertainers in Hammett's gumshoe masterpiece hilarity and bizarro monologues Hollywood. Today, Raiders still is the perfect mix of studio (John Wayne was a fag I), Repo stands out as one of the best Hollywood professionalism and Man was slacker before Douglas Video Philter joyrides of American filmmak youthful exuberance. Unlike most Coupland or Richard Linklater ing; for me, it's proof to an of today's first time directors, had finished working after N'Sync universe that in my day, Warner Brothers handed Huston school at Dairy Queen. The per adolescent girls lusted after real a killer cast—Humphrey Bogart, fect film for a teenager who's Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sidney looking for something unclean to From the adolescent glee of Greenstreet, Eli Wallach—and love, Repo Man's brand of not-yet-Reaganite America back let him go for it. While it may be wacko-sincerity-kitsch is ow much do you love DiSCORDER columnist have not to the sophisticatedly drunken a little mannered for today's real- unmatched by any film, save its movies? All of a sudden, always been as eloquent as I bond, beyond glee of its on-screen depression ism-and-or-special-effects audi brilliantly deadpan east-coast Hit seems that everyone could have hoped, they have me and my impeccable taste, is years, the film which serves as ences, the snappy words and sibling, Stranger than Paradise. and their robo-dog has become been shockingly beneficial to me an overt and unabashed joy in my adult counterpart to Raiders taut performances of this 60 It's been a long time since, a movie expert, if not a full- personally. Had I not, as a naive their own celluloid existence. has to be The Thin Man. year-old flick draw me into their like the evening I exited the fledged online buff-cum-critic. (By sophomore unused to the wily Made by people who not only Whereas Raiders showed me a nasty little cage every time. Studio Cinema after imbibing the way, if John Cusack happens ways of volunteer-operated care about film as an art form land of non-stop action, jokes Naked greed and a low-class Repo Man, I came out of a the to be a secret fan of Video clubs, been coerced by Mr. but value it as a supreme trans and mayhem in a jungle/desert dick's personal code of honour atre completely overwhelmed by Philter, he can buff-cum-critic me Richard Vilus into reviewing a porter of psyche, these movies setting, the adventures of Nick share center stage as everyone the film I had just seen. Maybe any time.) When my own subur film (which, for reasons of show both their creators' intense and Nora Charles opened my tries to screw poor Sam Spade. it's an age thing, a working-stiff ban '50s-style parents are taking past inebriation shall remain desire to engage and their bloodshot eyes to an enchanting He'd care, except what's the thing, a seen-it-all thing, a heavy- in Titus, chap-wearing Jonathan unnamed) my career trajectory immense talent for doing so. world of non-stop drinking, jokes point? on-the-irony thing, but I don't Rhys Meyers and all, my dad may have been as straight as an While I've seen each of these and mayhem. In New York. Nasty. Dirty. Brutish. Short. often get really visceral about starts bandying terms like "cult arrow—into oblivion. As it is, TV films more than a dozen times, Glib, well-dressed and soused, These are the qualities of: a) The film" about, and my fellow film Guide has still not called to offer their freshness and insane vitality Nick and Nora have taught me Maltese Falcon, b) life in a state loved and admired Pulp Fiction students are talking seriously me my dream job as Head never diminishes. everything I ever need to know of nature, c) the next film on this and I thought Go and Swingers about Paul Verhoeven's oeuvre, Synopsis Writer. (Big fun is in No VCR-raised child could about being fabulously wealthy, list, d) all of the above. You don't zoomed and swung, I was tipsy store for the gang when Ross understand the hardship of an have to phone your lame friend over Topsy-Turvey, but the mes value of being a film scribe. [David Schwimmer] does every allowance-less 1 2-year-old scrap yourself on Christmas morning. to know the answer is D. You merizing power of film has While I'll admit that my folks one a favour and whines himself ing together the necessary funds While the subsequent films of the might have to be telepathic to faded somewhat. In the end, I'll remained true to Richmond and to death.) However, after years and finding yet another lame series dip and bow in quality, know I'm talking about the film blame DiSCORDER for starting hated Titus, the cult film my of review films like Stop! or My film [Max Dugan Returns?) to the lustre of the original retains that in 1984 started me on my me onto the wicked path of film father lovingly referenced was Mom Will Shoot and Deadly dupe your parents with, just so the diamond-sparkle patina of punk rock rampage through Zulu analysis in the first place. They Grumpy Old Men, and Paul Weapons, I have amassed you could catch that one, special Records. You can say it has bad were so much easier to enjoy Verhoeven's oeuvre kicks ass, I enough of a newsprint portfolio flick for the eighth, ninth, tenth The Thin Man's Nick and acting, an unintelligible plot, before "mise-en-scene" and pine for the days when there time. Then again, no one who Nora are a glitteringly intimate nonsensical dialogue and too "auteur" entered my vernacular. weren't so many film kids on the as a grad student and Media wasn't a kid in 1980 can possi dinner for two; the ensemble of much Emilio Estevez, but Repo But now that I'm burdened with block. I can still put the masses Studies Student Center employee bly understand how fucking The Maltese Falcon are a Man doesn't care. As the life of knowledge I can at least sound to shame in a film-only game of at Concordia University. And so excellent Raiders of the Lost down-and-dirty party for eight. a repo man is always intense, so smart when I'm spouting my Isaac Asimov's Superquiz, but I my time here is done. Ark was when it debuted here Eschewing the laughs for hard- too is Alex Cox's nocturnal jour indefensible opinions... in a bar live in fear of the day that I start Before I go, however, I 20 years ago. Sure, as an adult, edged nihilism—and the social ney across the cement-coated LA near you but in DiSCORDER no to spend all my time submitting would like to inflict upon you or on video, the film has some of niceties for an unmarked bottle landscape. Aside from its perfect longer. • adjective-heavy user reviews to (because I know you're much too the same charms—high thrills, in the desk drawer—John mix of punk rock, Harry Dean the Internet Movie Database in a polite to stop reading—I could huge guffaws, handsome pathetically desperate attempt to be that person reading over your archaeologists, nazis—but the be "published." shoulder on the bus right now!) 100-proof adrenaline rush was But as the wisest Beatle who my list of all-time great films. a one-time offer of youth. Though isn't dead yet said, all things These aren't the finest artistic most of the folks responsible must pass. It's time to make my achievements or the most presti (Steven Spielberg, Harrison final bad pun, take my last gious projects. Most v Ford, George Lucas) have gone cheap shot, and leave my last ed in that glittering pit of evil and on to middle-age spread (pri- modifier dangling in this fabu degradation called Hollywood, jrily in the wallet and lous rag. While my dozen years made to suck folks like us into If-satisfaction regio as an on-air CiTR critic and their fantasy-weaving web of 1980 they were still tryin.
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16 JMJSJ WOO Sandra: The farthest we've traveled to play is don't use them, I just carry them around so that the Lavish: There once was a boy named McTavish the tour we did across downtown Vancouver! band thinks I know what I'm doing, plus they help He really was a nasty ol' sadist. We played the Brickyard on a Thursday and the for stage presence. So in effect, I use the effect ped He'd gather hot peppers Pic on a Friday. Wow, it's been rough being als for effect only. Well... maybe fuse the Digitech and throw them at Lepers. together that long. We fought, the van broke processor for the cool tremelo, plus a couple of nice And he once hit me mum with a radish. • down somewhere on the way, and Craig choked fancy chorusy, modulated things. Most of the 1001 on a chicken wing. sounds in that big blue pedal are pretty cheesy. Discography What were the last two local gigs that Actually, my favourite accessory is a pick that P/oza-2000 CD each of you have seen, and who would Michael gave me. It is red, thin and can be used Contact you like to see yourselves share a bill for a variety of non-musical activities. Gill Breen with? If you could pass one tidbit of advice on to Phone: 604.873.6476 Lavish: We've seen a lot of gigs lately. Gill and aspiring young pop bands, Lavish, what
vocals. Whoever's singing it finally landed in my box, got sounds like he could give a rat's listened to and found a home in local demos ass what anyone thinks of him my fireplace. Then I had to hunt Vancouver belting it out in the basement at down a copy of the original Hello kids, and welcome to four in the morning. That's not to song to wash the aftertaste from another spellbinding installment say that their brand of my ears. Get it? Don't. Special of (drum roll) Local Demos! As punky/folky rock is without its (604.983.7077) always, this month's crop of flaws, but at this stage of the THE JOIN walk that fine independent home jobbies was demo marathon, I'm fairly easily line that separates retro music overwhelming and at times infu convinced, (no contact) from dated music. By dated, I'm riating. Whoever implied this PAN play a kind of mar thinking about jam bands that was going to be a glamorous PETE ARCHER ketable electro-pop, with a sort play at least one "C.C.R." cover. job is a goddamned liar and will Everest of Econoline Crush-inspired It's a personal bias. Anyway, I eventually have to answer (Independent) vocal thing. That wasn't meant to liked the playing (especially the Pete Archer has had his demo to some higher authority. MELODY WEY be an insult, that was me search acoustic guitar) and the singing, tapes in rotation at CiTR for Nevertheless, here we go. Cool Struttin' ing for some way to describe so I guess it was the songwriting longer than I've been working PEPPER SANDS Oddest tape of the month (Independent) music I clearly don't know much itself that got to me. Shitty lyrics. here, and that's saying an awful We/come to Pepper Sands goes to WILLIAM JAMES One song, "Newsman," rocked A few years ago, this lo-fi grrrl about. I liked some of the songs, lot. His earliest song at the sta (Independent) MCKAY and his Solo Zither with truth, even if it was a little folk (and occasionally roots- didn't like others, and seem to tion (1984), "Blade Runner," The mysteriously-monikered Experimentations. 'Twas noise. I country flavoured) pop package recall being quite pleased with Hard to also happens to be the first one Citizen A, singer/bass player of didn't know what to make of this would have arrived at CiTR in the way the electric guitar ripped judge this band, I'n afraid I included on this two-CD compi Pepper Sands, made one of what i ith the form of a hissy cassette with in over top of the bleeps and need more to go on. (r contact) lation of Mr. Archer's recordings the outstanding appearances on appreciation of sound. I tried a hand-drawn cover. But here blips. Apparently these guys Well, there you are. Not a over the years. "Blade Runner," the recent Vancouver Special using it as background fuzz for we are in the 21 st century, and have now changed their name to very positive month, I suppose, made up of guitar, drums, and (Mint Records, and no relation to the apartment, but it really made despite being the result of what Sunlikestar and will playing but life isn't a very positive samples from the movie of that this column) compilation with the Erin irritable. I can't even must be a home-made recording, shows in your neighbourhood game. Or maybe I'm not a posi name, is quite different from the strikingly low, confident sweeps of describe what it sounded like, Cool Struttin' is a seven-song CD any day now. (604.836.6888) tive person. Oh well, other 27 songs here. All of her voice. Fortunately that same but my first instinct is to say, "Like with clean, slick black-and-white Once upon a time there was got to write this dar them, whether or not they use track, "So Fine," reappears on a zither." Somebody explain this cover art and not a speck of a punk band called VICTORIAN Jamaal synthesizers, drum machines, or this little EP, with three other well- stuff to me. (563 W. 23rd Ave., hiss. Melody sings in a girlish PORK who recorded a local heavily fuzzed guitars, would produced, finely crafted pop Vancouver, V5Z 2A4) quavery way and plays guitar; classic known as "I Don't Give a Happiness by Miyu have to be filed under "folk," songs and plenty of opportunities PAUL WARSAW hails there's organ, xylophone, spring Shit." They eventually went the but that's a very general descrip for Citizen A, Adam and Jay Slye from Duncan, BC, where he Sometimes you look out noises, and the occasional mys way of all punk bands (except tion that doesn't do justice to the to show off a wide selection of weaves his personal thread into the window to see if terious Fender-Reverb-falling-over DOA), until maybe a year ago technical chops. The band sounds the great folk music tapestry. anything has changed. type of sound but no drums. when the band reformed (sort of) You know it's going to bigger than you might expect Discordant while still being While the artwork and some of Archer goes for a noisy, Billy with at least one original mem rain because the clouds from a three-piece and manages depressing, this bad boy sounds are lined with gray, not the song titles ("12 Cigarettes," Bragg kind of presentation; at ber and a new addition in the to demonstrate a good bit of like crap, thanks in no small part silver, and your half of "Backseat Baby," "You Don't least one old CiTR demo hit person of his daughter behind diversity for such a short CD. No to the whiny, poor-me vocals. the grass isn't so green Own Me") might make you ("We've Paid Already"), while the microphone. They played because it's not on the doubt this is the demo that will get Duncan must be a shitty place to expect something a little tough, gentle-toned, is overtly political; last year's Shindig and bright side. You look up them signed some place... live. (526.6898) towards the sky, but it's even angry, Cool Struttin' is another, a very traditional- impressed with their attitude http://Pepper_Sands.tripod.com hard to see the light quiet, sweet and just a little bit sounding (although original) Yay! I liked it! BEL RIOSE, more than their music. Then they
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July long vinyl July short vinyl July indie home jobs 1 huevos rancheros el muerte del toro 1 gene defcon lookout 1 lollies green card marriage 2 dilated peoples the platform 2 bartlebees flight fright magic marker 2 birthday machinnachine the torch 3 belle & Sebastian fold your hands chil d... matador 3 various artists patty duke covers top quality r'n' r 3magnus dragon style 4amon tobin supermodified 4 the moves s/t mr. lady 4 riff randells sweet sixteen 5 Jurassic 5 quality control interscope 5 riff randells s/t 5 metic je ne sais pas 6 murder city devils in name and blood 6 mooney suzuki s/t 6 nasty on lester bangs 7elliott smith figure 8 dreamworks 7 tremolo falls s/t 7belriose the notion 8 sarah dougher the walls ablaze 8 hot hot heat s/t 8 new hedron heap wonder 9 stereolab first of the microbe... elektra 9 unwound/versus split 9panty boy sea hag 10 a silver mt. zion he has left us... constellation 10 spitfires slick black cat 10 boy vs. girl smiling memories 11 blonde redhead melody of certain... touch & go 11 three berry icecream four songs included 11 pepper sands 12 sleater-kinney all hands on the bad... kill rock stars 12michelle gun elephant west cabaret drive 12les saints ta mere 13 calexico hot rail touch & go 13 teach me tiger remember me fantastic 13p:ano ill of november, most of October 14 rick of the skins here independent 14 selby tigers 14 dreamy angel laundromatte queen 15 bedhead/macha macha loved bedhead 15 microphones k 15 sparrow orange the orange peeler 16david kristian alien8 16r al kids down to you tko 16evan symons 17 spitfires in too deep again junk 17 radio berlin heart of industry 17hugh phukovsky jesus loves me 18djfood kaleidoscope ninja tune 18kepler between still sheets spectrasonic 18 kid kordene karobooshka 19 salteens short-term memories 19dja-trak enter ralph wiggum stones throw 19 symphonic ensemble boxing day blues 20nashville pussy high as hell 20 q and not u hot and informed 20 clover honey talk about me 21 mary timony mountains matador 22 i am spoonbender teletwin These are the Breaks 23 tristan psionic mind the gap sonic unyon yeah we're so blah blah blah... Fridays, 12-2pm 24 sonic youth nyc ghosts & flowers interscope this is what we listened to... 1 Jurassic 5 25 special guests first album song corp. dove douglas charms of the night sky s/t • masada Ave in 2 craig mack wooden horse 26 ween white pepper elektra taipei • swans body to body, job to job • blonde redhead 3 de la soul ooh melody of certain damaged lemons • skull kontrol deviate 27 another joe plasti-scene 4 dilated peopl right on beyond all means of capture • jesus lizard down • embrace 28 mirah you think it's like this... • rugazi red medicine • peters drury trio when old met new 5 thirston howl i still live v, 29 plumtree this day won't last endearing • icebreaker distant early warning • some velvet sidewalk 6 nightmares o wax feat, de la soul keep on the lowdown • kid 606 down with the scene • nomeansno 30 radiogram unbetween transsiberian 7 slum village i don't know sex mad • joel phelps blackbird • melt-banana • bad brains 31 sugar shack get out of my world • the frogs bananimals • palace days in the wake 8 moka only everything 's fucking great 32 masters o/t hemispher i am not a freemdon kindercore 9 common the light 33 billy bragg & wilco mermaid ave. vol. 2 10 maseo words + verbs citr 101.9 fm... these are the breaks, the shake, folk oasis, 34 residents stars & hank. east side digital anoize, contemporary, the ether table, pirate radio, word. 35 various artists special
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HA HJFE pacific perspective.- APORIA XMKH n yr r^r" STEST ass™ rEr zz:— jr - •- ^ d©— SO YOU WANT OUR STUFF, CHEAP, FAST, NO SPECIAL ORD E R S ? 16"" I^H.^^1.. 6*" BBC The 7 t^m immwiii BBC end of tne v\ \adnv » ?k\ Aamin Leo Ramirez 7 (cifUe ;«nKup Show 8 SUBURBAN JUNCLE wor(<| new* 8 WORLD HEAT 9 ®MISS3W ess "mas SSI 9 BREAXFASTWITH Reel Music THE BRpwMS Fool's Pewetdise TV are you 10 J 10 •JHSIflSl TO8E§ sATt>fc 112'" ^iXfood/ 12™ pop scene GWAW/W WNOi UIE MONDAY AMOIZK THESE ARE THE SARAGAMA 1 1 Rockery BREAKS JOWffM/ CONTEMPORXRy the shake srr$vt*»iK* %*1CW ^©WERCHOKO 2 pQQo f$ee f$dt* THE WOHATOPOBA SHOW Mb* TKKUTlONSfflr'SHOW Black Noise 3 A WALKABOUT THE WORLD RHYMES & MfflWEUMMfflfi' ffirAltffi^uAg) li^J'SST SS3&1W33 4 electric avenues REASONS f$etel}W Evn.vs:. e©»© TWMElSrOUJttG VEQAN 5 5 Ch.ps v,th Everything ffl&flfry /Saint Tropez 6 6 FILIBUSTER/ rochele FLEX YOU* OUT FOR KICKS Var'EastSide Sounds RADIO FREE 7 Queer FM AUDIO VISUAL HEAD eong AMERICA 7 AW SOMETIMES WW/ /AHUCAH 8 BY THE WAV/ MfSME 8 RA0IO aLINIKATHIKO WlfiFEl (HBS^ggED ELMS Hello India REPUCA REJECT ewopUc 9 9 Geetanjali Circles LWc frow... 10 THE r<9L» 6>ASf 9 10 ' TrfUNt&R&IRPrlEU JAZZ VENUS FLYTRAP/ ^— 11 STRAIGHT OUTTA 11 The Show /HOW fill-in •soat-c^icvi JALLUNDHAR fflcaBRin>-VOICES/ pipcorcoflis |12" incw&^roQYes sol 12** 1 CHILL-OUT ROOM VENGEANCE Aural mm; 1 Tentacles sHirwx 2 tS.IYtiNE'. 2 MISERY HOUB TABLETURNZ 3 /EARWAX 3 ^%Y\i\nTiYai\ 4 THE 4 vibe psychedelic ftrst tVmoc fill-in MORfV/rVG AFTER 5 aimuaves SHOW IVOOfX: Ui»*v)? 5 6 6 L______..-._..______— __ — — — — — — — — — — -. — — — — — — — _ — — — — — — J 2if JAJZJ WOO 4:30 (last Tuesday of each END OF THE WORLD NEWS 6:00-9:00PM month) 6:30-8:30AM AFRICAN RHYTHMS alt. THE MEAT-EATING VEGAN REEL MUSIC 8:30-10:00AM 6:00-9:00PM David "Love" 4:30-5:00PM Soundtracks and classical. Jones brings you the best new 10,000 VOICES 5:00- THE ETHER TABLE 10:00- and old \azz, soul, Latin, 6:00PM Poetry, spoken 11:30AM "Some people samba, bossa & African music word, preformances, etc. don't like Pomme Fritz, but I from around the world. FLEX YOUR HEAD 6:00- do. That's because self-abuse HOMEBASS 9:00PM- 8:00PM Hardcore and punk 12:00AM Hosted by DJ rock since 1989. Noah: techno, but also some RADIO ELLINIKATHIKO proposals encouraged. trance, acid, tribal, etc. Guest 8:00-9:O0PM Greek radio CANADIAN LUNCH DJs, interviews, retrospectives, Loud & (Xueerf CIRCLES 9:00-10:00PM From 11:30AM-1:00PM From giveaways, and more. there to here, from now to then Tofino to Gander, Baffin Island SHITMIX alt 12:00-3:0OAM and back again. Shiva to to Portage La Prairie. The all- The Shitmix council convenes shava Sense. Nonesense. Canadian soundtrack for your weekly. Chairman: Jamaal. Sound to silence. Samsara. Correspondents: DJ Marr, the VENUS FLYTRAP'S LOVE DEN STEVE & MIKE 1:00- delicious yet nutritious Erin, alt. 10:00PM-12:00AM 2:00PM Crashing the boys' D.C. Cohen, the Rev. Dr. K loveden@hotma il .com club in the pit. Hard and fast, Edward Johnson and Wine- AURAL TENTACLES 12:00- heavy and slow. Listen to it, Jug Hutton. 3:00AM Ambient, ethnic, baby (hardcore). funk, pop, dance, punk, elec THE ONOMATOPOEIA SHOW SATURDAYS tronic, and unusual rock. 2:00-3:00PM Comix comix THE MORNING AFTER comix oh yeah and some SHOW 3:00-6:00AM WEDNESDAYS music with Robin. THE LEO RAMIREZ SHOW THE SUBURBAN JUNGLE RHYMES AND REASONS 6:00-8:00AM 7:00-9:00AM A perfect 3:00-5:00PM THE SATURDAY EDGE blend of the sublime and CULTURE CAVITY SEARCH 8:00AM-12:00PM Studio absurd, with your refined and 5:00-5:30PM guests, new releases, British exotic hosts Jack Velvet and REELS TO REEL 5:30- comedy sketches, folk music Carmen Ghia. 6:00PM Movie reviews and calendar, and ticket FOOL'S PARADISE 9:00- criticism. giveaways. 8-9AM: 10:00AM Japanese music OUT FOR KICKS 6:00- African/World roots. 9AM- and talk. 7:30PM No Birkenstocks, 12PM: Celtic music and per THE NORTHERN WISH nothing politically correct. We formances. 10:00AM-12:00PM Spike don't get paid so you're damn SAREGAMA 12:00-1:00PM spins Canadian tunes accom right we have fun with it. POWERCHORD 1:00- panied by spotlights on local Hosted by Chris B. 3:00PM Vancouver's only ON AIR WITH GREASED true metal show; local demo ANOIZE 12:00-1:00PM HAIR 7:30-9:00PM Roots tapes, imports and other rari THE SHAKE 1:00-2:00PM of rock V roll. ties. Gerald Rattlehead and FREE RADIO PRESS 2:00- LIVE FROM THUNDERBIRD Metal Ron do the damage. 3:00PM Zines are dead! RADIO HELL 9:00- LUCKY SCRATCH 3:00- Long live the zine show! Sam 11:00PM Local muzak from 5:00PM From backwoods and Bleek present the under 9. Live bandz from 10-11. delta low-down slide to urban ground press with articles from HIGHBRED VOICES alt. harp honks, blues and blues zines from around the world. 11:00PM-1:00AM roots with your hosts Anna, MOTORDADDY 3:00- MOODS, GROOVES AND Jim and Paul. August 5th, 2ooo 5:00PM "Eat, sleep, ride, lis EXPLORATIONS alt. RADIO FREE AMERICA ten to Motordaddy, repeat." 11:00PM-1:00 AM 6:OO-8:00PM Extraordinary RACHEL'S SONG 5:00- PLUTONIAN NIGHTS 1:00- political research guaranteed 7:30PM Info on health and 6:00AM Loops, layers and to make you think. Originally the environment, consumption oddities. Naked phone staff. broadcast on KFJC (Los OTR's annual day of queer and sustainability in the urban Resident haitchc with guest DJs Angeles, CA). context, plus the latest techno, and performers. SOUL TREE alt. 10:00- programming will Le broadcast trance, acid and progressive http://plutonia.org 1:00AM From doo-wop to house. Hosted by M-Path. hip hop, from the electric to AND SOMETIMES WHY alt. FRIDAYS the eclectic, host Michael Saturday, August 5th. If you'd like to 7:30-9:00PM sleater-kinney, SHADOW AT DAWN 6:00- Ingram goes beyond the call low, sushi ... these are a few 8:00AM With DJ Goulash. of gospel and takes soul music volunteer, contribute programming, or of our fave-oh-writ things. CAUGHT IN THE RED 8:00- to the nth degree. REPLICA REJECT alt. 7:30- 10:00AM Trawling the trash PIPEDREAMS alt. 10:00- 9:00PM Independent and heap of over 50 years worth 1:00AM need more information, contact Bryce at innovative music and noise of real rock V roll debris. TABLETURNZ alt. 1:00- from an ex-host of Little Twin SKA-T'S SCENE-IK DRIVEI 4:30AM 822.1242. Our first meeting will be 10:00AM-12:00PM Email EARWAX alt. 1:00-4:30AM BY THE WAY alt. 7:30- requests to [email protected]. "noiz terror mindfuck hardcore 9:00PM Let's give alternative THESE ARE THE BREAKS like punk/beatz drop dem Friday, July 1th at Loo pm at CiTR. media a chance—VIVA 12:00-2:00PM DJ Splice headz rock inna junglist VINYL! 7"s new and old, local and A.V. Shack bring you a mashup/distort da source full flipped up, freaked out, full-on, force with needlz on wax/my FOLK OASIS 9:00-10:30PM funktified, sample heavy beat- chaos runs rampant when I The rootsy-worldbeat-blue- lain trip, focusing on anything free da jazz..." Out.—Guy grass-polka-alt.country-cajun- with breakbeats. Smiley conjunto show that dares call BLACK NOISE 2:00-3:30PM REGGAE LINKUP 4:30- itself folk. And singer-songwrit- Essays, poetry, social com 8:30AM Hardcore dancehall mentary, and conscious music reggae that will make your STRAIGHT OUTTA JALLUND- from a Black radical perspec mitochondria quake. Hosted HAR 10:30PM-12:00AM tive. If you can't take the heat by Sister B. Let DJs Jindwa and Bindv, oZ95. NARDWUAR THE HUMAN Bhungra! "Chakkh de phutay." SERVIETTE PRESENTS... HANS KLOSS' MISERY 3:30-5:00PM Please keep HOUR 12:00-3:00AM on rawkin in the free world Mi: of ssing, and have a good breakfast. unheard and unlistenable Roc on, Nardwuar and melodies, tunes and voices. Cleopatra Von Flufflestein. FIRST FLOOR SOUND SYS NOOZE & ARTS 5:00- TEM 3:00-6:30AM 6:00PM THURSDAYS FAR EAST SIDE SOUNDS alt. 2S®^3I@3® Tyme)@Commodore SUBMISSIONS TO DATEBOOK ARE FREE! TUES 25 Del Tha Funky Homosapian, Blackalicious@Richard's; WED 26 Wilco@Commodore; Bottom, American Steel, the Datebook Probes@Brickyard THUR 27 Flashlight, BFX@Brickyard FRI 28 Mickey Hart Band@Commodore; Lorna, Motor Psychc@Anza Club (free!) SAT 29 Luke SolmonOSonar f'S HAPPENING IN J SUN 30 Korn, Powerman 5000, Papa Roach@GM Place; MON 31 And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead@Brickyard FRI JUNE 30 Ujaku@Sun Yat-Sen Garden; Susana SUN 9 Prince Paul@Sonar; Deadly Snakes, The Legendary Greg Baca@Commodore; Ottmar Liebert, Alma Libre@Vogue; Punk Rock Oblivian@The Pic; Saul Duck@Brickyard Babe-O-Rama (feat. Ani Kyd, Satina Soturnina)@Cobalt; Carolyn MON 10 New Music Monday@Brickyard Mark, Clover Honey, Notes from Underground, Ackley TUES 11 All@Starfish; Phat Tuesday@Brickyard Kid@Brickyard; Low Self-Esteem G/r/@Blinding Light!! WED 12 Legendary Pink Dots, Dead Voices on Air@Richard's; SAT JULY 1 The Golden Wedding Band@Sugar Refinery; Francois Saddlesores, Puritans, Bel Riose@>Brickyard Houle's Electroacoustic Quartet, Jorrit Dykstra@Woom Shakti; Jonny THUR 13 Travis@Commodore; Indigo GirlsOOrpheum; Sector 9, Lang, Sue Foley@Orpheum; Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio, Omar Dr. Didg@Sonar; Melody Wey, Lee Hutzulak@Sugar Refinery; Sosa@Vogue; Wadada Loe Smith, Now Orchestra@the Cultch; DJ Tacklebox, Surrounded by Idiots, The Wet Ones@Brickyard; Sector 9, Wax, Mo' Funk Collective@Commodore; Lee Hutzulak@Cafe Deux Dr. Didg, Soundtribe@Sonar Soleils; Canada Day with the Natural Born Swillers (feat. Lummox, FRI 14 Spy 66, Nunstalker@Cobalt; Karen Foster, Stationa, Nasty Lupus, The Wet Ones)@Cobalt; All Systems Go, Mr. & Mrs. Evil, On@Brickyard; Strong Like Tractor, Phrapp, Time is the Horace Pinker@Brickyard; Low Self-Esteem G/r/@Blinding Light!!; Enemy@Picadilly Conrad, Matty, Shohei, Howard Hughes@Club 23 SAT 15 Les Sexareenos, The Come-Ons@The Pic; Rotundi, Catheter, SUN 2 Mad Caddies, Groovie Ghoulies, Grade, the Jeno, Laughing Dog@Cobalt; Hot Hot Heat, Red Light Skin, Bonfire Stotus@Grandview Legion Hall; Bruno Hubert Trio@Sugar Refinery; MadiganOBrickyard; Conrad Black, Matty, Shohei, Howard The Rest@Woom Shatki; Cesaria Evora, Barbarito TorresOOrpheum; Hughs@Club 23 Paul Plimley, Mark Armanini, John Oswald, Jean Derome@ Vogue; SUN 16 Zubot & Dawson@Jericho Park; Heavy Metal Sharon Riley, Faith Chorale@the Cultch; Millenium Sunday@Brickyard Projecr@Performance Works; Dixie's Death Pool, Parlour Steps, Fond MON 17 Perfecto feat. Paul Oakenfold@Commodore; Archie Crisis, of Tigers@Sugar Refinery; Heavy Metal Sunday@Brickyard; Low Self Mr. Plow, Man of Death, Joel, Brandonxxx@Cobalt; New Music Esteem G/r/@Blinding Light!! Monday@Brickyard MON 3 Melody Wey, Lee Hutzulak, Michael Derrick, Fond of TUES 18 Phat Tuesday@Brickyard Tigers@Sugar Refinery; New Music Monday@Brickyard WED 19 SPM, Morning Maker@Brickyard TUES 4 New Bomb Turks, Spitfires, Hell Caminos@Brickyard; Low THUR 20 Closure, Mr. Pink@Brickyard; Ricardo Lemvo, Makina Self-Esteem G/r/@Blinding Light!! Loca@Richard's; Freak, Liqurd@City Limits (Abbotsford) WED 5 Capozzi Park, Donkey Engine, Young and Sexy@Brickyard; FRI 21Facefest 2000 (feat. Wheelie, Ashtray, Motorama, Uneven tow Self-Esteem G,r/@Blinding Light!! Steps, Vim Fuego, Demonskull, Shrimpmeat)@Anza Club; The Briefs, THUR 6 Delta 72, Beachwood Sparks, The Sadies@Richard's; Punk the Girls, the New Town Animals@Brickyard; Sweet Smell of Success, Rock Bingo@Cobalt; The Swimmer@Anza Club (free!); Side 67, Liqurd, Loco, KUF@Java FRI 7 Reverend Horton Heat, Hank Willams lll@Commodore; Delta Joint; Blasphemy, Disciples of Power, Thorazine, Crown of 72@Graceland (Seattle); Autopussy, Ted Bundy Project, Your Horns@Columbia Funeral@Cobalt; All State Champion, DBS@Brickyard; Red hot & SAT 22 Masada@Norman Rothstein Theatre; Felchers, Star Queer Live Fundraiser@WISE Hall; Gravel, Just Cause, Even Spangled Bastards, Seizures, Turn Offs@Brickyard; Hightower, LightOStarfish Bulldog, Gnosis, Todd Tomorrow@Club 23; Punchdrunk, Disciples of SAT 8 Evilive, Powerclown@Cobalt; The Birthday Machine, Amy's Power, Thorazine, FreakOJava Joint; Loco, Human Resistance Rocks@Ms. T's Cabaret; Blackheart Procession, Shannon Wright, Program, Loco, Cereal Porn@Columbia Radiogram@Brickyard; Double A, Twist, Todd Tomorrow, SUN 23 Joseph Arthur@Starfish Gnosis@Club 23 MON 24 Virus 2000 (feat. Ed Rush, Matrix, MC Ryme m^ifniiimiaEM Amsterdam Cafe 302 W. Cordova St. (Gastown) 683 7200 Frederic Wood Theatre (UBC) 822 2678 The Rage 750 Pacific Blvd. South (Plaza of Nations) 685 5585 Anza Club 3 W. 8th Ave. (Mount Pleasant) 876 7128 Garage Pub 2889 E. Hastings St. (downtown) 822 9364 Railway Club 579 Dunsmuir St. (at Seymour) 681 1625 Arts Hotline 684 2787 The Good Jacket 225 E. Broadway (at Main) 872 5665 Richard's on Richards 1036 Richards St. (downtown) 687 6794 Astoria Hotel 769 E. Hastings St. 254 3636 The Grind Gallery 4124 Main St. (Mt. Pleasant) 322 6057 Ride On 2255 W. Broadway; 2-712 Robson St. (upstairs) 738-7734 Bassix 217 W. Hastings St. (at Cambie) 689 7734 Hollywood Theatre 3123 W. Broadway (Kitsilano) 738 3211 Ridge Cinema 3131 Arbutus St. (at 16th) 738 6311 Backstage Lounge 1585 Johnston (Granville Island) 687 1354 Hot Jazz Society 2120 Main St. (Mt. Pleasant) 873 4131 Scrape Records 17 W. Broadway (near Main) 877 1676 Black Dog Video 3451 Cambie St. 873 6958 Hush Records 221 Abbott St. 662 7017 Scratch Records 726 Richards St. 687 0499 Black Sheep Books 2742 W. 4th Ave. (at MacDonald) 732 5087 Jericho Arts Centre 1600 Discovery (Pt. Grey) 224 8007 Seylynn Hall 605 Mountain Hwy. (North Van) Blinding Light 36 Powell St. 878 3366 Jupiter Cafe & Billiards 1216 Bute (near Denman St) 606 6665 Shadbolt Centre for the Arts 6450 Deer Lake Ave. (Bby) 291 6864 Boomtown #102-1252 Burrard (at Davie) 893 8696 La Quena 1111 Commercial (the Drive) 251 6626 Singles Going Steady 3296 Main St. (at 17th) 876 9233 The Brickyard 315 Carroll St. 685 3978 The Lotus Club 455 Abbott St. (Gastown) 685 7777 Sonar 66 Water St. (Gastown) 683 6695 Cafe Deux Soleils 2096 Commercial (the Drive) 254 1 195 Luv-A-Fair 1275 Seymour St. (downtown) 685 3288 Starfish Room 1055 Homer St. (downtown) 682 4171 Cambie 515 Seymour 684 7757 Medialuna 1926 W. Broadway Starlight Cinema 935 Denman St. (West End) 689 0096 Caprice Theatre 965 Granville (Granville Mall) 683 6099 Minoru Pavillion 7191 Granville St. (Richmond) Station Street Arts Centre 930 Station (off Main) 688 3312 Celebrities 1022 Davie St. (at Burrard) 689 3180 Moon Base Gallery 231 Carroll St. (Gastown) 608 0913 Sugar Refinery 1115 Granville St. (downtown) 683 2004 Cellar Jazz Cafe 361 1 W. Broadway (downstairs) 738 1959 Naam Restaurant 2724 W. 4th Ave. (Kitsilano) 738 7151 Theatre E 254 E. Hastings (Chinatown) 681 8915 Chameleon Urban Lounge 801 W. Georgia (Downtown) 669 0806 Neptoon Records 5750 Fraser St. 324 1229 Thunderbird Ent. Centre 120 W. 16th St. (N. Van) 988 2473 Chan Centre 6265 Crescent Rd. (UBC) Orpheum Theatre Smithe & Seymour (downtown) 665 3050 Tribeca 536 Seymour 688 8385 CiTR Radio 101 9fM 233-61 38 SUB Blvd. (UBC) 822-3017 Otis Records 1 176 Davie St. 669 5414 Tru Valu Vintage Robson (downstairs) 685 5403 Club Vesuvius 1 176 Granville St. (downtown) 688 8701 Otis Records 1340 Davie St. 647 1161 Vancouver E. Cultural Centre 1895 Venables (at Victoria) 254 9578 CN Imax Theatre 999 Canada Place 682 4629 Pacific Cinematheque 1131 Howe (downtown) 688 3456 Vancouver Little Theatre 3102 Main (Mt. Pleasant) 876 4165 Columbia Hotel 303 Columbia (at Cordova) 683 3757 Palladium 1250 Richards (downtown) 688 2648 Vancouver Press Club 2215 Granville (S. Granville) 738 7015 Commodore Lanes 838 Granville St. (Granville Mall) 681 1531 Paradise 27 Church (New Westminster) 525 0371 Varsity Theatre 4375 W. 10th (Point Grey) 222 2235 CNB Skate and Snow 3712 Robson St. 682 5345 Paradise Cinema 919 Granville (Granville Mall) 681 1732 Vert/Futuristic Flavours 1020 Granville (downtown) 872 2999 Cordova Cafe 307 Cordova St. (Gastown) 683 5637 Park Theatre 3440 Cambie (South Vancouver) 876 2747 Video In Studios 1965 Main (Mt. Pleasant) 872 8337 Croatian Cultural Centre 3250 Commercial Dr. (at 17th) 879 0154 Piccadilly Pub 630 W. Pender (at Seymour) 682 3221 Vinyl Rekkids 76 W. Cordova (Gastown) 689 3326 Crosstown Music 518 W. Pender St. 683 8774 Pitt Gallery 317 W. Hastings (downtown) 681 6740 Vogue Theatre 918 Granville (Granville Mall) 331 7909 Denman Place Cinema 1030 Denman St. (West End) 683 2201 Plaza Theatre 881 Granville (Granville Mall) 685 7050 Waterfront Theatre 1405 Anderson (Granville Is.) 685 6217 Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Main Hall 578 Carroll St. 662 3207 Puff/Beatstreet 4326 Main (at 27th Ave.) 708 9804 Western Front 303 E. 8th Ave (near Main) 876 9343 DV8 515 Davie St. (downtown) 682 4388 Puff #14-712 Robson (at Granville) 684 PUFF Wert Bar 1320 Richards (downtown) 230 6278 Fifth Avenue Cinemas 21 10 Burrard (at 5th) 734 7469 Purple Onion 15 Water St. (Gastown) 602 9442 Whip Gallery 209 E. 6th Ave (at Main) 874 4687 Firehall Arts Centre 80 E. Cordova (at Main) 689 0926 Queen Elizabeth Theatre Hamilton & Georgia 665 3050 W.I.S.E. Hall 1882Adanac (the Drive) 254 5858 F W.U.H. Beatty 552 Beatty St. (downtown) 687 7464 Raffels Lounge 1221 Granville (downtown) 473 1593 Women In Print 3566 W. 4th (Kitsilano) 732 4128 U JMJSJ WOO THE LONGHORN July 12th, Whistler July 1 3th, ^^™-^^ Broughorouqnti tiuo you byov;: (604)932-5999 w/DJ Leanne Q{/fm^f9^&m(mm^ w/DJ Graeme upstreamcntcrtainment.com Tickets at Puff, Zulu, Black Swan, Highlife, Bestsellers (Whistler), and all Ticketmaster Outlets/Charge by Phone (604) 280-4444, or call the Streaml_ine@ (604) 904-4207 NEW 1 RECORDINGS Zl II 11 JULY 1-JULY 31, 2000 BY: ":'.....„ JURASSIC 5 GRANDADDY POLE ANALOG BROTHERS GRANDADDY, Quality The Sophtware 3CQ/LP Pimp To Eat CD/LP Slump CD OLE has always been about ool Keith, Ice T. Black Silver and Pimp Rex, all BROADCAST, to** CD Psound itself as much as Kunder amusing aliases, make up this super group dub music. After all, POLE'S If Some are fantastic, responsible for ruthless and sinister hip-hop. "sizzling Stefan Betke sometimes dou MURDER CITYQualit™y Control' this July. some pure oddball. What if in a wave of laser beams and death rays"! Nu Gruv m bles as an engineer at Berlin's The JS's are on point and the peeps are Mending tor these eccentric reveries where really closer to our reali affiliated Ground Control Records makes this synth famous Oubplates & Mastering, a studio responsible lor it JURASSIC 5 pledge allegience to off the hook, old ty than we first thought? That would be something! infused MC battle — with plenty of Korgs, Moogs, DEVILS, mastering Basic Channel's many bottom-heavy releases. skoot rhymes and in-harmony refrains, lovin' you Wow. Much like compatriots The Flaming Lips and oscillating Roland machines to set the tone — more Nevertheless, BeDw is in noway merely interested in the tang time. Laying the foundation is Cut Chemist, get Mercury Rev, GRANDADDY are living a post-psyche JURASSIC 5, technical reproducibility of bass tones. There is a com than just a good game of Oroids with phat beats! ting deep and architechin' solid beats and crusty sam pop dream, enchanted by tales of star-sailor pilots, with pelling warmth audible in Betke s recordings that'can CD/LP 19.98 Available JULY 9th ples from daddy's basement crates. Ready for the their controls jammed, drifting into obBvion. If you dig SUPER only come from a more persona! and perhaps profound infusion on the realdeal ? this, then comprehend the phantasmal burned-out connection fo dub and, again, the pleasures of sound. BLACKALICIOUS FURRY CD 16.98 story of a Captain America toner feeling down when all And this sensibility permeates this latest record - easily the computers crash. Symphonic space rock meets Befke's best. This is highly recommended. lor fans of IflMayCDEP SUPER FURRY ANIMALS Mystery Science Theatre. Hmm, U you understand the dub, digital experimentation, or even of "good" music ANIMALS, evolutionary history between Sun Ra, Nel Young, and independent of genre. ASLACKAUCIOU S are among the main proponents Mnwg2CD Sonic Youth then perhaps GRANDADDY is your adap- CD 16.98 2LP 24.98 revamping the current indie hip-hop scene. Released KINNIE eleased for North America on Flydaddy Records, KID 606- Down With the Scene CD Post-Soccergirl work from this talented beat programmer. SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE- The Rising Tide LP At last- their new release. 1972 W 4th Ave. PEDRO THE LION- Progress CDEP/10" These guys are still indie. MY MORNING JACKET- Heartbreaking Man CDEP A new European EP from these heartfelt lads. Various- SEXY VOICES- ITALIAN MOVIE STYLE VOL. 2 CD Obscure soundtracking. GIANT ROBOT- Jennifer Kissed Me CDEP Finnish post-rockers, we've seen their ads in Wire. Vancouver. BC Rothko 40 Years To Find A Voice CD/LP Drifting sounds from the UK. Sound Track- The Cooler CD Caipirinha's minimal tech meshed with warm grooves. V6J1M5 Various- Constant Friction: Collaborations CD The Lo Records compilation, with Stereolab. MATRIX- Various Films CD New on Chain Reaction. tel 738.3232 WHAT'S GOING ON AT 1869 WEST 4™? r ORIGINAL LOCATION) TART GALLERY STORE HOURS NOW SHOWING: MontoWed 10:30-7:00 THE ZULU SATELLITE STORE d Fri 10:30-9:00 FEATURING OVER 4000 USED CD'S AND HUNDREDS OF USED 9:30-6:30 VINYL TITLES — ALL AT GREAT PRICES!! I 12:00-6:00 ON SALE NOW: 25% OFF APPROX 2000 USED CD TITLES!