Hot Springs - "Volcano" - Album Review

Hot Springs - Volcano
Aquarius Records

Hitting like a geyser of sulphuric fury, the debut release from Montreal’s Hot Springs explodes onto the scene with all the heat and volatility their name implies. From the ballsy opener “Headrush,” a veritable archive of pent-up aggression, to the relentless drilling of the testosterone-fuelled “Pink Money,” this gutsy quartet displays their pop-rock fangs with relish. Quavering somewhere between Grace Slick and PJ Harvey, songstress Giselle Webber is reportedly the hottest thing going in Canadian music today.

Hypnotizing audiences with her ferocious sexuality and wild whirling-dervish dance moves, Webber commands attention with every deliberate note. Drummer Anne Gauthier drives the point home with her solid yet creative beats, dirtying up the psychedelic harmonies with a heavier Led Zeppelin-inspired sound. Despite getting off to a good start, Volcano inevitably cools off as it winds its way through nine remarkably modern-sounding tracks. 

As a budding entity that has become defined by its own kinetic energies, Hot Springs may indeed prove to be a dish best served live.

by Christine Leonard

Published October 11, 2007

Marcel Khalife : Romieh prison blues

Imprisonment no deterrent for renowned oud player Marcel Khalife

Despite being banned from Tunisia and put on trial in Lebanon, Marcel Khalife continues to preach peace through his songs

by Christine Leonard 

Marcel Khalife and the Al Mayadine Ensemble perform at MacEwan Ballroom October 4, 2007

It’s been 20 years since renowned Arabic musician Marcel Khalife last paid a visit to Calgary. In that time, the internationally renowned oud player has traversed the globe recording music, performing at venues such as the Kennedy Center and Berkeley College and attempting to build bridges between people and their respective ideologies.

A native to Lebanon, Khalife now makes his home in Paris, where he composes original, traditionally influenced music to complement soul-stirring verses penned by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. His latest release, Taqasim, embodies the essence of an artist who has faced censorship on every front yet has remained steadfast in his efforts to break down the barriers that reside within. Summing up 30 years of dedication and tribute to Darwish — his friend, lyricist and national poet of the Palestinian people — Taqasim is a thoughtful and passionate collection of songs that takes its name from the Arabic word for improvisations.

“There is always a unifying message in my music and in the poetry of Darwish,” Khalife explains. “It is a message of peace and harmony, a message of love and hope and a message of justice, and also resistance to persecution wherever it emanates from. It is my attempt to express the feelings and emotions that Mahmoud Darwish's poetry has instilled in me in music, without the lyrics.”

Once again touring with the Al Mayadine Ensemble, a fluctuating collection of accomplished players who furnish each piece with their manifold vocal and instrumental talents, Khalife is eager to present his unique blend of modern and traditional compositions to the delight of audiences worldwide. Performing as a trio, quartet or larger group, the ever-evolving Al Maydine Ensemble takes whatever form necessary to meet the requirements of the work in question.

“My music is grounded in my Arab culture and music, yet open to influences from music of cultures in other parts of the world,” he says, “I draw my inspiration from the poetry that I read, which touches me deeply, and from everyday episodes of life and people.”

Khalife has been persecuted by governments (he was banished from Tunisia for expressing his support for political prisoners and activists in that country), corporations and individuals who take offense at his views. He has even been taken to court three times, facing a three-year prison term in Lebanon for “insulting religious values” by singing a poem adapted from a story from the Qur’an. Despite ongoing accusations that he is guilty of blasphemy under Islamic law and the very real threat of detainment, Khalife’s projects continue with the same indomitable spirit.

“There have been several attempts to stifle my work and ban it,” Khalife says. “There were attempts to persecute me by falsely accusing me of blasphemy and insulting religious beliefs. On this tour, my performance in one of the cities in the U.S. was canceled by the venue that the presenter had secured for the concert by claiming that my event is unbalanced and divisive, and might be alienating to a certain community in the city.”

Pitchforkmedia and MuzzleWatch.com reported that the San Diego Salvation Army recently refused to rent space for Khalife’s performance, because doing so would be unfair unless an Israeli was allowed to play the same stage.

“It makes me more persistent in the work I do,” Khalife says. “Cultural and artistic production is our last line of defense in the face of the gradual political collapse that the world is currently experiencing.”

3 Inches of Blood Interview by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Ankle-deep in a bloody good time with 

3 Inches of Blood

Fantasy-metal sextet 3 Inches of Blood prepare to Fire Up the Blades

~~~

Whether you’re waste-deep sluicing out a clogged floor drain in a slaughterhouse or applying tiny squares of tissue to a zit inadvertently decapitated during a morning shave, blood is blood, and the red stuff always gets a reaction. The same can be said of the formidable heavy metal ensemble known as Three Inches of Blood. Riding high on the success of their latest release, Fire Up the Blades, the fast-shredding sextet has captured headlines and hearty praise for the over-the-top duelling vocals of high-ranger Cam Pipes and doom-growler Jamie Hooper, backed by Alexei Rodriguez’s punishing percussion and the crunching black metal bass riffs of Nick Cates. Moving beyond novelty act niche, Three Inches of Blood has undergone some significant lineup changes in the interest of establishing themselves as a true metal superpower. Guitarists Shane Clark and Justin Hagberg joined the band shortly after the release of the group’s 2004 album, Advance and Vanquish. According to Clark, their new material is their most extreme to date.

“For me, as an individual musician, the process of recording the new album marked the end of being stifled creatively,” he says Shane Clark. “Justin and I joined at the same time and we have been touring on the last album for two and a half years. I loved the music, but I wasn’t involved in writing it. Being on the road has made us a lot tighter as musicians and personally, too. Working on this album was a very collaborative effort, we all shared our influences, and I’m happy with the fact it came together so well. It’s fast, heavy and rockin’; kind of like Deep Purple.”

Clark says the baker’s dozen tracks that rage within Fire Up the Blades reflect an evolution in the band’s taste for fantastical imagery. Giving new meaning to the words “heavy metal,” Three Inches of Blood have raided the Viking’s armoury in search of razor-sharp steel fit to slay the giants of Jormungrund. Leaving behind the evil-yet-bloody-amusing pirates and hobbits that inspired their music in the past, they still maintain their signature combination of Pipe’s lightning-hot shrieks, and twin guitars laying down thunderous power chords.

“There has always been an element of fantasy to our songs,” he says. “Mythological themes seep into the music, and our lyrics often talk about finding inner strength and overcoming the odds. It’s very escapist in nature. The last thing we want is for people to come home from a horrible day and then have to hear about ours. We wanted to explore serious fantasy that touches on what some may call the plague on the planet that is Christianity. Some of the songs deal with demons and things from the Crusades in a hypothetical way. ‘Trial of Champions’ is about gladiators as slaves who rise up and overthrow their masters. It’s about becoming free, but it’s done in an indirect way. We just put a new twist on an old idea.”

Rising to the challenge like the champions of mayhem they are, Three Inches of Blood recently completed a full tour with Ozzfest, in which they flexed their collective muscle and exposed their new and improved chops to a rapidly growing international fan base. Known for donning horny Viking helmets and hoisting medieval weaponry of every description, Three Inches of Blood’s adherents seem to take enormous pleasure in immersing themselves in the fantastical action. Security staff be warned — it may be harder to spot a homemade double-head battle axe in a pat-down than you’d think. Damn fur-lined underwear!

“We seem to be able to appeal to a broad spectrum of fans,” Clark explains. “There are so many subgenres of death and black metal, including stuff I’ve never heard of. We have been so fortunate to have toured with so many different types of acts within the death metal realm in so many cities. Of course, things are at their craziest when we perform for audiences in Western Canada. They’re always the most intense, patriotic and steadfast. I wouldn’t put it past them to show up with a lot of weapons. We take it as a compliment when people genuinely enjoy our stuff and really get into the lyrics, whether they show up in an actual full suit of armour or just something they made out of beer cases. We love that enthusiasm. There’s no political or religious agenda here, it’s just about having fun, burning off energy and letting out your aggression.”

By Christine Leonard

3 Inches of Blood perform with Verbal Deception & Gallows Eve
Royal Canadian Legion #1  Saturday, September 29

Originally published September 27, 2007 in FastForward Magazine

FORD PIER - Interviewed by Christine Leonard-Cripps

12-Step Program, 11-Step Pier

Fun guy Ford Pier wants to be your new boyfriend

"I don’t know what nine out of 10 people think about me, and I’d say that I’d disagree with them anyways’ — musician and man-about-town Ford Pier shows why they call him the ladykiller.

In an age of digitized pleasures, the collectors and musical archivists who relish the feel and crackle of a vinyl record have a new and devoted ally in the one-man musical phenomenon known as Ford Pier. Fronting (and often comprising) the band that bears his name, Ford has taken an enduring love of his musical education (which he describes as a “grateful chore”) to the next plateau by releasing his own six-song EP, mysteriously dubbed Organ Farming, both electronically and on 12-inch vinyl.

“A friend of mine who is a naturalist and a hiker takes a lot of photos and this one of tree fungus really caught my eye,” Pier says of the album’s title. “I thought it looked like a little brain."

If the title seems a bit obtuse, it’s because Pier is an offbeat guy. Still, he doesn’t let others’ opinions influence him. 

“I don’t know what nine out of 10 people think about me,” he says, “and I’d say that I’d disagree with them anyways. You can’t draw any conclusions based on the people I’ve worked with and the environments I’ve surfaced in; punk, country, alt- rock, classical, electronic. Over the years I’ve participated in projects with some fabulous people and helped them to write songs in their own idioms. Now, I prefer to be known for my own stuff. My favourite thing in the world is to sit around the guitar or piano and play music for a friend or someone I enjoy.”

As a prelude to a forthcoming full-length album, Organ Farming offers an immediate glimpse into the world of this enigmatic and somewhat curmudgeonly multi-instrumentalist and singer. Building on the momentum of earlier releases such as Meconium, 12-Step Plan, 11-Step Pier and Pieric Victory, Ford Pier has once again teamed up with producer-engineer-musician Michael Phillip Wojewoda. He’s also joined by members of the Rheostatics, FemBots and the Weakerthans to create Organ Farming and the forthcoming LP, Adventurism, to be released this autumn on Six Shooter Records.

“This was nothing like recording my last album, Pieric Victory,” Pier says. “That album spanned three years and was recorded in two different cities on opposite sides of the continent, and that’s reflected by its varied instrumentation and panoramic scope. Organ Farming is an experiment. With new band members coming onboard, I had a whole repertoire to teach and it occurred to me that it was going to take a long time. So, I did something I’d never done before and wrote songs that addressed each band member’s qualities as musicians. It opened the floodgates; I wrote a whole bunch of new material and chipped away at some older stuff. New things just kept popping up that seemed to complement the old.“

Citing successful EP-LP combos from punk rock acts like his progenitors and supporters NoMeansNo, who put out similar releases in their heyday, Pier remains true to his roots, even as he alternates between the booming music scenes in Vancouver and Toronto. Sought after by the likes of The Sadies, Buttless Chaps, Carolyn Mark, Ron Sexsmith and Martin Tielli for his uncanny ability to merge orchestral melodies with conceptual noise, Pier is as serious about the nature of performance as he is about achieving perfection in the recording studio.

“It’s great to have the cavalier attitude that this is my album, and I wrote it for me,” he says. “I’m satisfied, and that’s all that counts. Of course, I’d like it if others like it. That’s the point. It’s not really music until someone hears it and hopefully wants to hear more. That’s what gives life to the piece. (Music) doesn’t depend on space the way other art forms do. To experience a great painting you have to be there and study in the frame, that’s where it exists and casts a shadow on the wall. If you have a recording of a live performance, it re-creates the moment for you wherever you happen to be. Live performance is all about catch-as-catch-can adventurism. There’s more to it than the way things sound — it’s the energy in the room. It’s all about guitar, bass, drums and the power of rock.”

~ Christine Leonard 

Originally published in Fast Forward Magazine September 20, 2007  

GRIM SKUNK - an interview with Peter Edwards by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Catcha fire under the bridge

Grim Skunk puts the ‘party’ in politics

There is a surprisingly serious edge to GrimSkunk, one that belies their reputation as Quebec’s premier high-flying, bong-water-steeped rock ’n’ roll act. For a party-oriented band, GrimSkunk is no stranger to controversy. Their original bassist, Marc-Boris Saint Maurice, founder of the Marijuana Party of Canada, left the band in 2000 to open Montreal’s Compassion Clinic and to continue his crusade to legalize marijuana from the inside by joining the Liberal party. More recently, the band’s breakaway single “America Sucks” and its accompanying video have fired up intense international debate on YouTube. Looking back over a career that spans 15 years and eight LPs, GrimSkunk’s lead guitarist Peter Edwards continues to thrive on the changes and challenges that signal this legendary ensemble’s readiness to face the future head-on.     

“We’ve shot three videos for our new album, Fires Under the Road,” says Edwards. “It was filmed last year in advance of the album’s release on October 31. The title track is a nod to a long-standing annual tradition where our friends gather in secret caves under a road to light Samhain bonfires. The other videos are for our songs ‘America Sucks,’ and ‘Vive le Quebec Libre,’ which is kind of the French version of ‘America Sucks.’ That song in particular has stirred up a massive controversy. It built up slowly and now we have Russians posting arguments with Americans about the superiority of the AK-47 over the M-16. We have always been very open to debating global issues. We have our stand. Some people in the States may take it at face value, but it’s a wake-up call to all of North America. We have to shock people into realizing the government is materialistic, consumer-oriented and wasteful.”     

Sometimes the status quo isn’t good enough and standards need to be raised across the board. Never ones to Bogart a good thing, GrimSkunk have shared their success by applying the “puff, puff, pass” philosophy to their working lives as well as their recreational activities. Stepping in where the well-liked Cargo Records label left off, Edwards, along with vocalist and rhythm guitarist Franz Schuller, vocalist and keyboardist Joe Evil, drummer Alain VDbC and Boris’s replacement bassist Vince Peake, conceived Indica Records. Shortly thereafter, they released the infamous Inhale compilations to showcase the impressive variety of bands they had attracted to their label.    

 “We’ve entered a co-partnership with a group of labels and have seriously gotten into the business of releasing music,” Edwards reports. “We’ve put out everything from alt rock to punk to pop to techno and hip hop. One of our greatest successes has been a world groove album. There’s a new generation emerging, one that is more open-minded and less likely to be prejudiced against foreign cultures. Indica records carries licences for artists from England, the U.S., France and Australia, though to date all of our Canadian artists are from Quebec. Basically, we don’t want to limit ourselves in any way.”  

 Stepping down from their soapbox and leaping from their amps in full glorious Van Halen-style, GrimSkunk really know how to let their hair down when it comes to performing live. Thrilling audiences with their classic-rock guitar assaults, theatrical organ runs and heavy metal percussion, GrimSkunk possess the uncanny ability to combine multiple genres and tongues into one mighty explosion of synergistic energy.     

“After our last show in Norway, some kids came up to us and expressed their admiration for us, because we don’t care about being hip,” Edwards laughs. “We’re all about good times. It’s still 90 per cent party. Politics does not rule the majority of what we do. Our ability to accept multiple musical styles lets us create a multi-musicscape that reflects Canadian culture. People get it when they see us live. We try to keep the universe in balance by starting fires.”

Originally published in FFWD Magazine by Christine Leonard

AUTOBODY : An interview with Graeme McInnis by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Heavy Metal Shop

Calgary's Autobody likes it fast and furious

Emerging Calgary hardcore-meets-heavy-metal artists Autobody have weathered highs and lows on the road to rock ’n’ roll glory, and they have the experience and the scars to prove it. Claiming a musical heritage that stretches back to a prog-rock ensemble known as theR.A.C.E., this unholy trio of tried and true friends have succeeded in blazing their own trail.    

 “In the beginning, we ran our own label and put out our own records,“ says guitarist Graeme McInnis. “We spent five to seven years working on the last record for our previous band theR.A.C.E. It was a very progressive concept album. We had a great vision that required a complex recording process to accompany the tremendous industrial nature of the performance. Ultimately, it was cheaper to buy a studio than to pay to record in one, and that’s how our label, Trace Records, got started. We recorded some projects for other bands to offset the expense, but it all comes down to percentages and our style is just not “mainstream.” It became apparent that we were leaning more towards art than commerce. I wouldn’t advise young musicians just starting out to try and start their own label; we’ve learned how difficult it can be when you’re trying to do everything yourself.”     

Eventually, the strain was too much, and, as McInnis puts it, things soon “self-imploded.” Still, the members of Autobody endured and eventually emerged from the ashes of their former incarnation. McInnis further cemented his collaboration with vocalist-bassist Jerrod Maxwell-Lyster and the two joined forces with drummer Rob Shawcross to form a powerful three-piece. The group has left behind the disappointment and dissolution to focus on the future.  

With the advent of their explosive full-length debut, The Mean Length of Daylight, released on the band’s own label, Autobody have dedicated themselves to creating shredding guitar riffs and pummelling percussion arrangements so tight there’s no room left for personality conflicts.     

“I don’t think we’ve taken a step back by going down to a three-piece,” McInnis explains. “I think we’re much more accessible. It’s a much simpler project in terms of merging egos, finances and commitments. We just try to keep it simple; we’ve learned over the years that too many members means too many issues. I think that our wide dynamic range sets us apart. As a trio we are strong enough musicians and songwriters that we can perform original compositions in any style within the genres of rock and metal. We’re a steamroller full of determination!”    

Making the most of their new, sleeker lineup, the lads in Autobody have been generating plenty of buzz on the local scene and beyond. They’ve been performing at metal festivals, appearing on globally broadcast radio program “Megawatt Mayhem” and, most recently, embarking on a whirlwind tour of their old stomping grounds in Southern California.     

“The reason we chose to return to the L.A. scene is that there is such a huge number of venues concentrated in an area the size of southern Alberta.” McInnis reasons. “We do all of our own booking and it’s way easier to hit a large segment of the population down there. It was definitely a learning experience, and we did our best to take advantage of it by playing with bands down there that were of interest to us. We had a great time. It’s a lot of hard work, though, and that’s part of the whole problem; as the band is getting to be more popular, all of the little tasks that we were doing ourselves are becoming full-time jobs. That’s when you know you need a professional team — when all of the ‘detail work’ gets to be too much to handle.”

~Christine Leonard

Originally published September 6, 2007 in Fast Forward Magazine 

SQUARE ROOT OF MARGARET -- an interview with Jason 33 1/3

Endless rotation

Square Root of Margaret screams in library-voices

Completely incognito — Four-fifths of Ontario’s Square Root of Margaret find the perfect way to avoid unwelcome attention

The party house. Every old neighbourhood has one. Skateboard ramp ascending the front porch, flags instead of curtains, anatomically correct garden gnomes strutting their stuff in an overgrown yard. For the southern Ontario town of Chatham, a.k.a. The Maple City, that particular residence was known as The Briscotech. Its requisite resident house band — Square Root of Margaret.    

  “There was lots of LSD going on at the time,” explains keyboardist Jason 33 1/3. “The guys chose the band’s name by going into a room in The Briscotech that was known as the library. They began randomly opening books and pointing to words. The idea was to find a combination of words with no linear meaning. You could call it a surrealist statement. Other names that came up were Big Daddy Carnie and the Thumbsaws, and Bloated Policewoman.” 

Thankfully that one didn’t stick. Collaborating and creating infectiously good music in a non-linear fashion, Jason and guitarist Po Kadot, along with the house’s namesake rhythm guitarist Joshua Brisco, bassist Easy Reissner and drummer Todd Clark, have amassed an impressive body of work since the band’s inception. From their mind-bending early Outer Space(s) and Casual Man-Slayer EPs to their more recent LPs, Levitation Days and Cloud Nine Revisited, Margaret have displayed an uncanny knack for combining harmony and whimsy. Self-proclaimed “soldiers of misfortune,” the group has weathered an unfortunate era marked by venue closures, studio fires and a record label that crumbled, taking one of their best releases, the brilliant yet ill-fated Endless Rotation, with it.     

“The history of this band goes back to the beginning of time,” explains Jason, a two-year veteran of the long running troupe. “Po Kadot started the band as an instrumental trio back in high school. I know the term ‘musical genius’ gets bandied about a lot, but he honestly is one. He can literally pick up any instrument and moments later he’s working on a melody. We recorded one of our early songs, “Crisis in Space,” within 10 to 15 minutes of Po picking up an autoharp for the first time. Funnily enough, our guitarist, Joshua, lived in The Briscotech, too, and taught himself to play his instrument by listening to (the band) jamming out in his basement. One day he just came downstairs and asked to join.”    

Rotating on an axis of unbridled musical talent and unexpectedly auspicious coincidences, Square Root of Margaret continue to pursue the ideal of creating genuinely unique and enjoyable music that is at the same time deeply personal and widely accessible.   

“We exist in our own world, one we have created out of cultural necessity. The Briscotech is gone, but our new residence, The House of Bleen, continues to be a communal existence, ” Jason elaborates. 

“For a while there, Square Root of Margaret had stopped playing live and focused on making music. It wasn’t long before Po had accumulated over 100 songs. We selected 13 to make up the new album Teragram Photeur. Having our own recording and rehearsal space in-house has influenced the sound and feel of our albums. An interesting pattern developed where Po would wake up, go downstairs and record music inspired by his dreams. We consider ourselves thoughtful individuals and we believe that, within reason, we can do anything. As long as we have warmth, food and shelter and it doesn’t hurt anyone, we intend to customize our existence to suit our needs and perceptions. We like to mix and match concepts in our songs; they’re whimsical, abstract and only limited by our imaginations.”

Published September 6, 2007  by Christine Leonard