Some of the Bestest Alberta Releases of 2019

Gone Cosmic
Sideways in Time
Kozmik Artifactz 

A supernova of a musical experiment, Gone Cosmic warps time and space around mindblowing guitar riffs, tetragonal rhythms and the air-raid warning vocals of an onyx-tressed siren, Abbie Thurgood.

A basement-jam brainchild conceptualized by stringslingers Devin “Darty” Purdy and Brett Whittingham (of Calgary’s stoner rock mainstay, Chron Goblin), this intrepid crew blasts through alien landscapes navigating dire turns, deep pockets and soaring incantations that put the legions of Mars on high alert.

Interstellar jazz meets terrestrial grit as Gone Cosmic takes their audience on an acid-fuelled rocket ride around the sun before splashing down in a sea of psych-rock tranquility.

• Christine Leonard 

Sunglaciers
Foreign Bodies
Independent 

A sweat-slicked fever dream of an album, Sunglaciers’ first full-length release reverberates with an electric intellect that shimmers like a sunset reflecting off a skyscraper.

Afloat in an emotionally clouded atmosphere, Sunglaciers melt away artifice and presumption with an earnest appeal for the freedom and room to spread their wings.

Echoing the smooth transitions and pensive introspection of indie wavers The Psychedelic Furs and The Jesus and Mary Chain, singer-guitarist Evan Resnik feels his way through a forest of fuzzy memories while Mathieu Blanchard (drums), Kyle Crough (bass) and Helen Young (synths) seal the melodic mood rock envelope with a probing kiss and a subconscious prayer.

• Christine Leonard 

 nipiy
Arts & Crafts 

Drawing on their Indigenous roots, this amiskwaciy (Edmonton, Treaty 6) phenom takes their attention-grabbing name from their Plains Cree heritage.

The cooly contemporary, culturally significant, band’s debut on the Arts & Crafts label finds vocalist/guitarist/storyweaver Kris Harper, (cedar log) drummer Marek Tyler and synth player/bassist Matthew Cardinal carving out a perch for “those who don’t seem to fit in for myriads of reasons,” while creating a modern, atmospheric album that speaks to all quarters.

Sticking out their necks and letting down their hair, the neo-trad trio traces a path that runs to the heart of Canada’s musical past, present and future.

• Christine Leonard

Japandroids: Taking life and music at their own pace

Japandroids: Big City Small World 

06 October 2017By Christine Leonard   

One of the preeminent Canadian rock acts to emerge in the past decade, Vancouver’s Japandroids made a mission of taking the world by storm, when the band started up in 2006. By 2013 the duo, consisting of drummer/vocalist David Prowse and guitarist/vocalist Brian King, had racked up an impressive 500 live shows in some 44 different countries. Although they seemed to be riding high on the success of their ear-catching debut album Post-Nothing (2009) and its jubilant follow-up, Celebration Rock (2012), Japandroids was losing steam and becoming increasingly disenchanted with their non-stop schedule. 

“We covered a lot of ground and it was a blur at times. Our jam space is full of random memorabilia and sometimes I look at the tour posters of the shows we’ve played and it boggles my mind,” says Prowse. “The big thing that came from touring ourselves into the ground, was that it took quite a bit longer to get back into the studio and make another record. Running ourselves ragged took quite the toll on us mentally and physically and emotionally. Now we’re trying to do things in more of a measured way. We can pace ourselves and do a lot more than if we’re just going full-tilt and then have to slam the brakes on again when we’ve been on the road for months and our voices are shot and our bodies are broken.” 

Unfortunately, damage control has taken centre-stage for Japandroids with the unfolding of recent events.  

“Timing is a funny thing,” Prowse explains.

“Things have been good overall, but things are a bit strange at this exact moment. Brian is in Mexico City and there was a really big earthquake there, so things are kind of weird and fucked up. I can’t think of a better way to say it. He’s okay, but the city’s in pretty rough shape. Brian is in love with a really wonderful lady who lives down there, he’s down there a lot. I’ve talked to him briefly and it is obviously a pretty scary moment for them, but in the grand scheme of things they’re lucky.” 

Experiences like this one are exactly why Japandroids value having the flexibility to work when and how they want to. The pair effectively hit the pause button on their careers four years ago in the wake of whirlwind tours and media engagements. With the wires having fallen silent, Prowse and King were able to gather their senses and compose new material at their leisure. Working remotely and meeting in Vancouver or New Orleans to collaborate in person, they incrementally built-up the foundations of their third studio release, Near to the Wild Heart of Life (2017). And though Japandroids’ latest effort may have lifted its name from the prose of (the heeded yet unhappy author), James Joyce, the lyrical content, according to King’s design, is pure cross-continental poetry in motion. 

“Celebration Rock has a lot of movement to it and songs about being on the road and travelling, whereas this new record, Near to the Wild Heart of Life, is about feeling rooted to these various places we call home,” Prowse explains.  

And as for their return to form after a three-year layaway?

Don’t call it a hiatus, call it a social media cleanse. 

“I don’t think either of us thought it would take so long for the album to be finished! But I’m glad we didn’t post photos or vague statements that we were working on a new album because people would be like ‘Whatever happened to those guys? Did they break-up? Are they dead?’ It took some time to decompress and then Brian moved away, which slowed things down but also lead to a better album. I really enjoyed being able to reflect and then jump back into it. Being able to take that time apart was really good for us personally and for the band, so it was all worth it the end.” 

JAPANDROIDS perform October 13 at the MacEwan Ballroom (Calgary), October 14 at Union Hall (Edmonton), October 16 at O’Brians Event Centre (Saskatoon) and October 17 at Garrick Centre (Winnipeg).

Frankie McQueen - Interviewed by Christine Leonard-Cripps

The most lovable douche bags around

Frankie McQueen grabs attention & doesn’t let go

Frankie McQueen's brand of psychedelia isn't contained by generic titles or, as it turns out, set lists, either.

Primed to celebrate its fourth anniversary as a band, the local rockers behind Frankie McQueen represent the latest wave of Calgary musicians to take up the torch of reverb and rebellion. Its status as an up-and-comer to watch was cemented in 2009, when Frankie captured the “Rockstar” crown at a radio-sponsored battle of the bands and walked away $200,000 richer. There was a catch, however — these grand prize winnings are earmarked for recording studio expenses. But still, it’s a hell of an allocated shot in the arm for a group of greenhorns that cut their teeth on the Wednesday wing-night pub scene.

“Connor (Muth, drummer) and Kelly (O’Keefe, bassist) started the band back in high school,” reports vocalist-guitarist Scotty Charles. “They had been jamming and trying out singers for a while and knew about my singing and playing abilities from seeing me perform in various talent shows and with my band Fang. They were heavily influenced by the old Calgary indie and garage bands (such as) Telly; at the time, and Rob Eight from Telly was a youth pastor who got all those boys playing together.”

“We all loved Telly’s song ‘Frankie McQueen,’” he continues. “And we asked if we could use it as our name. They gave us the thumbs-up and by the end of our first gig together the crowd, at the Nova music showcase, was chanting ‘Frankie! Frankie!’ In that moment, we knew we had something worth pursuing.”

Continuing to build Frankie McQueen’s momentum and character along with founding members O’Keefe and Muth, Charles helped to bring guitarist Scott Giffin to the fold during the recording of its debut EP. A late-night brainstorming session that precipitated music lessons and a fast friendship, the addition of Giffin strengthened the band’s sound as well as its sense of purpose.

“Scott and I hit it off right from the get-go,” explains Charles. “We just started jamming and the hard rockin’ ideas haven’t stopped coming since. Even though we have rather different musical tastes and backgrounds, we all mesh together very well onstage. As guitarists, Scott and I tend to go back and forth a lot, whether we’re working on a sexy ballad, a big bluesy number or a ripping-fast metal song, eventually one of us will ignite out of a jam and create something that becomes a song. There’s really no designated driver in Frankie McQueen — too many assholes trying to backseat drive. I’ve found the best thing you can do in that situation is get them to drink more beer and then let ’em steer the ship for a while.”

With a second EP in the works, it appears Frankie McQueen’s ship is indeed due to come in again. Parlaying their new take on an old sound into indie gold, the organic psych-rock foursome is eager to immortalize the evolution of the Frankie McQueen sound — now with the aid of esteemed producer Graham Sharkey.

Prone to performing with his eyes shut — only to open them and find himself halfway through a set — Charles relishes the otherworldly experience of sharing his audio art in a live setting. In fact, the group is known to perform without a formal “set list,” opting to go with the flow, sometimes recording the order of songs after the fact to be presented in their “natural” order the next time. This talent may well be Frankie McQueen’s greatest asset, as it allows the intuitive quartet to present a moment while remaining present in the moment.

“When we’re onstage we know that it’s our time to shine,” Charles explains of his band’s alter ego. “Frankie McQueen is the kinda guy who rolls into a joint and immediately captures everyone’s attention and completely takes over. He’s a leader, not a follower. He’s a total badass. When I’m talking about Frankie McQueen the man, I’m talking about the most lovable douche bag on the planet.”

by Christine Leonard

Originally published December 16, 2010 in Fast Forward Magazine.

EVERYDAY SUNSHINE - THE STORY OF FISHBONE

Metzler doc has Fishbone shining

Everyday Sunshine has vet Cali act navigating the racialized waters of ’70s L.A.

We’re all familiar with the images of public school desegregation in Texas back in 1956, black children being led into their formerly all-white schools under guard as angry mobs jeer from the sidelines. Flash forward some 20 years, and the next generation of African-Americans were met with a similar circumstance, as Los Angeles began bussing students from outlying black neighbourhoods into the city’s more affluent and predictably white high schools. Despite protests by white parents, the likes of Fishbone’s Angelo Moore and Norwood Fisher were soon ushered into a previous unexplored environment, one that exposed them to the surf and punk rock culture of their newly acquired peer group.

Already well-acquainted with the worlds of funk, jazz, reggae and R&B, the singer and bassist pooled their talents with drummer Phillip “Fish” Fisher (Norwood’s brother), guitarist Kendall Jones, keyboardist Chris Dowd and trumpet player Walter Kirby to form the original 1979 lineup of Fishbone. Tracing the groundbreaking ensemble’s twisted roots, filmmakers Chris Metzler and Lev Anderson have gone to remarkable lengths to uncover the ins and outs of one of North America’s most influential bands in Everyday Sunshine, screening at this year’s iteration of the Calgary Underground Film Festival.

“They are the storytellers of their age,” explains co-director and writer Chris Metzler. “They grew up in the first post-civil rights generation in the 1970s and were raised with the promise and belief that came with that. The challenge of making the film was to reveal that era of L.A.’s history; it’s one of the most racially polarized yet multicultural spaces in the world. Through Fishbone, we wanted to tell the story of the black experience and the insolence that came from them as a result of the city they came from.”

Of course, no trip to the Hollywood Hills would be complete without some bonafide star-spotting, and Everyday Sunshine doesn’t disappoint. According to Metzler, the directors had a difficult time narrowing down the number of celebrity interviews they could include in the movie. Having spawned innumerable acts in its three-decade career, Fishbone has attracted some pretty impressive followers.

Everyone from Flea to Perry Farrell to Ice T to Gwen Stefani chimes in on Fishbone’s no-holds-barred, genre-straddling, mosh-pit-igniting performances. Stefani, in particular, expresses a deep affection for frontman Moore — his persona has been the single greatest influence on her style as a lead singer. Another of the film’s gems is a smooth and informative narrative thread furnished by none other than Laurence Fishburne, who provides insight into the events and conditions surrounding Fishbone’s meteoric rise to an equally mercurial fall, one that finds the band in court for trying to kidnap/force an intervention on one of its own.

“We tried to stay away from the cache of name recognition in dealing with the celebrities in this film,” says Metzler. “We wanted to stick to people who were family members and close friends for this one, but there are so many who have been personally touched by the band. Contemporaries, followers, friends outside music — there is a lot of admiration for them and a lot of relationships to be talked about. Fishbone has been involved in punk, ska, rock, metal, hip hop.... Everyone wanted in! Laurence knew the band from his days working as a nightclub bouncer back in the ’80s; he was the perfect voice to explain the issues surrounding the film.”

Determined to witness the life of Fishbone firsthand, filmmakers Metzler and Anderson spent three to four years tracking the band on tour, delving into members’ home lives, and watching over their shoulders, as Fisher struggles to get Moore’s alter-ego, Dr. Madd Vibe, to step away from the theremin. Recent and archival concert footage is interwoven with Ground Zero reports, family album-calibre interviews and Fat Albert(ish) animation to deliver an awe-inspiring yet completely sobering account of Fishbone’s tumultuous swim upstream.

“The tough thing about working on a documentary film is that there’s a fine line as to how much filming effects the action,” says Metlzer, of Fishbone’s reaction to being immortalized in celluloid. “In the end you can’t really separate the two, but having a lot of people asking those questions certainly makes the band reflect on things, even when they’re not on-camera. Angelo and Norwood are thoughtful guys, and a lot of the things that came out in the film had been on the tip of their tongues and ruminating in their heads for a while.”

“Sharing these details outside of the self often spurs us on to share even more,” he continues. “What started as a compelling project has become a catalyst. The band is curious to see what happens next. They really loved seeing these interviews; if they had one piece of feedback it was that they wanted to see more of the people. It could have been a 10-hour movie!”

Christine Leonard

Originally published April 7, 2011 in Fast Forward Magazine

Fishbone: EVERYDAY SUNSHINE - video

The Unicorns interviewed by Christine Leonard

Who will cut their hair when they’re gone? Montreal’s one-horned wonders The Unicorns pour on the sugar & spice

Preview~ THE UNICORNS

MacEwan Hall About to embark on his second cross-country tour, a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Alden Ginger views his musical horizons with an air of confidence. He and high school buddy Nicholas "Niel" Diamonds have made quite a name for themselves – The Unicorns. And yes, their musical style is every bit as silly and self-indulgent as the name implies.

Obviously, fear of being ostracized by their peers has never factored highly in The Unicorns’ list of concerns. More likely, these awkward oddballs of electronic delight take pride in their non-conformist ways. Seeking to crawl under the skin of anyone who will listen, The Unicorns are spinning a cotton-candy web big enough to entangle our entire nation.

"The Unicorns started when I was in high school, which is not so long ago," says Ginger, the budding guitar hero. Ginger and guitarist-singer Diamond spent some time living out on the West Coast. Their drummer Jamie Thompson lived in Guelph, but now their home base is in Montreal which is where they started to get serious about music.

Not pulling any punches, The Unicorns’ debut release Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone? comes fully decorated with rainbows and clouds, the song titles spelled out in toothpaste across a hot fuchsia background. The childlike simplicity of songs like "Ghost Mountain" and "Jelly Bones" further purvey their genuinely innocent view of the universe with Ginger’s devastatingly stylish guitar riffs breaking up the high-pitched wonkiness of this teddy bear’s picnic on acid.

"We have a lot of different ideas about music." says Ginger of his. "We have very divergent personalities. I play some of the rockier music that’s more guitar-oriented. I come from a punk background, but I’ve never considered myself as part of the punk scene, specifically. I don’t like the guitar rock, but for some reason I just have to do it," he says chuckling.

"I hate it when bands claim that they have something for everyone, but I guess that in our case it’s true. That’s all part of the dialogue between Nick and I – working on a bridge between our two different musical backgrounds. That’s where the contrast comes from, as we try to find some middle ground."

Touring as the opening act for Soft Canyon has definitely left an indelible mark on The Unicorns, according to Ginger. Soft Canyon’s ability to blend old and new sounds together has become their alchemical roadmap to unfettered creativity and most importantly fun. You could also try to compare the Unicorns to Cake and Ween, but when those connections ultimately implode, it all boils down to the beat (as the Go-Gos might say). This beat that drives them, according to Ginger, is the ultimate battlefield upon which The Unicorns’ never-ending civil war will be waged.

"Sometimes we fight onstage. We try to dance. We physically battle each other – it’s easy to get carried away. We’re quite emotional about our songs, and sometimes that emotion translates itself into anger."

The Unicorns also explore the other side of the emotional coin.

"We’ve also done puppet shows to our music. We like to entertain, and we like to wear lots of pink. I think pink is a great colour," Ginger elaborates.

"The nature of our live performances fluctuates quite a bit, because we have a lot of songs with varying degrees of energy in them. So, we wind up switching instruments and decibel levels often. It doesn’t always have to be loud to be good. Some people don’t like it when we play our ‘lighter’ stuff…. Fuck ’em!"

by Christine Leonard

Originally published in FastForward Magazine
Friday, November 21, 2003