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

THE BUTTLESS CHAPS - Tumbling Along with the Tumbling Tumbleweeds...

THE BUTTLESS CHAPS

Country-Fried Flare! 

by Christine Leonard

In the twang-rich province of Alberta, country bands come and go like tumbleweeds before a Chinook wind. So, how is it that a Victoria-grown foursome, namely The Buttless Chaps, have managed to put down deep roots in the subconscious of Canadian country music? Pure innovation – a talent perhaps best demonstrated on their newest album, Love This Time, which includes some collaborations from their Mint Records label-mates Ford Pier and Carolyn Mark.

Reflecting on five years playing electro-prog-country-rock, singer, guitarist and banjo maestro Dave Gowan reveals what The Buttless Chaps have been up to since the 2001 release of Death Scenes I II and III, and how the band has been evolving since we last heard from them.

In the two years since the release of Death Scenes, lots of things have changed. This time out sees the Chaps experimenting with strings, horns and choirs to expand the sound and make it richer. At the same, Gowan says the band was conscious about not overcrowding the songs.

"We also spent about four months in the studio on Love this Time, which gave us a lot more time to arrange and compose the songs."

While possessing a golden ear certainly has its advantages, Gowan still remains at a loss when it comes to describing The Buttless Chaps’ laid-back approach to the creative process. It seems that these things just come naturally to some folks. And, of course, Gowan gets a lot of help from his faithful band of amigos. Lasse Lutick (electric guitar, lap steel, synthesizers, banjo), Morgan McDonald (keyboards and synth) and Torben Wilson (drums and pads) each add their own secret spice to The Buttless Chaps’ country-fried flair.

"There is no real plan to it, we just let it go where it wants to," explains Gowan.
"When the band is playing well together and we are feeling relaxed, we usually become inspired to write new songs. I think music all ties together – we are not very punk, but Hall and Oates are. Is Lyle Lovett considered new country? I like Lyle Lovett’s voice. I really like his role in the movie Short Cuts, where he plays the evil baker phoning about the birthday cake."

Strange tastes indeed, but what else would one expect from a band that calls itself The Buttless Chaps? Gowan has encountered just about every reaction possible to this all-too-apt anointment of his wonderfully twisted little gang of players. Aren’t all chaps buttless, Dave? Isn’t that kind of the point? Gowan dutifully attempts to extinguish this burning question.

"I have tried to answer that one many times… and have given up. I like the way the name gets misspelled more: ‘Buttless Chips,’ ‘Buttless Chups,’ ‘Buttless Chops.’ and my personal fave, ‘Buttless Craps.’"

All modesty aside, The Buttless Chaps continue to leap the barbwire fences of the imagination, grabbing the whole western music genre by the horns and wrestling it to the muddy ground in one swift movement. Some unwitting concert-goers may resent being pelted with their oven-fresh audio road apples, but that’s just the price you’ll pay for sittin’ rail side at The Buttless Chaps rodeo.

"We are very honoured to get to play for people and that they choose to share their time with us... Some people prefer the rootsy stuff, some prefer the ’80s stuff, some people are brought by their friends and kindly tolerate both. Some people threaten us, or tell us to play the blues.… I think people kind of know that the show mixes different genres."

by Christine Leonard

Catch The Buttless Chaps Live:

Friday, September 19
Liberty Lounge
Saturday, September 20, 2003
Original Joe's 

WINTER HARP

Winter Harp plucks up the spirit of the season!
 

WINTER HARP
Thursday, December 12, 2002
MacEwan Ballroom (U of C)

Combining medieval Christmas carols with their own vibrant musical compositions, Winter Harp is a Vancouver-based troupe of troubadours that performs and records music using painstakingly reconstructed traditional medieval instruments.

The heavenly reverberations of the classical Spanish and Celtic harps, plucked by multiple-award winners Lori Pappajohn and Jill Whitman, have a commanding presence. Lauri Lyster is Winter Harp’s heartbeat, providing what Pappajohn refers to as "the oldest source of music" – percussion – while Joaquin Ayala and Kenichi Ueda augment the company’s 190 strings with flute, bells and chimes. Poet and performer Alan Woodland animates each show with tales of winter that, according to Pappajohn, are carefully selected for their ability to tug at your heartstrings. They signal that the Yuletide has truly begun.

"Winter Harp gets together in the fall to plan out our next show," says Pappajohn. "We have a hard time deciding what not to include. Alan Woodland travels to England every summer and visits libraries to do research for us on Christmas and winter. He comes up with so many wonderful pieces of literature. No matter how often I hear some of them, they can still bring tears to my eyes."

Resurrecting music that in some cases has gone unheard for centuries is no easy task, but Pappajohn and her associates have discovered that having authentically crafted instruments to perform with makes that music sound even better. Her first inspiration for the customized construction of a specialty medieval replica was the bass psaltery, a haunting instrument with ancient roots.

"The bass psaltery goes back thousands of years," says Pappajohn. "The Sumerians and Babylonians used them. I have one bass psaltery that is about a foot-and-a-half tall. And I thought, ‘Wouldn’t this sound fantastic if it was five feet tall?’ So I went to the best instrument crafter in Canada, a man named Edward Turner, and he laughed at me like I was crazy. But I said, here’s the deal – I’ll pay you. So he made it for me. It’s a five-foot obelisk and the sound it produces is amazingly ethereal. I can only describe it as the sound of sunlight shimmering on the surface of water."

Her next flash of creative genius came when Turner showed her a picture of one of his other original creations, the organistrum. Far from the grating trumpet of its sister crank-handle machine the hurdy-gurdy, the organistrum’s four bowed-up strings have a more harmonious disposition. Its deep tonal voice originated in 12th century Spain and then migrated across Western Europe. Turner copied Gothic cathedral sculptures to perfect his design – there are only two such instruments in existence in the world (the other hangs in the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa).

"I was ordering my bass psaltery and Ted said, ‘By the way, I made one of these, too.’ The picture was so breathtaking that without even hearing it I said, ‘I’ll take one.’"

For Pappajohn, the realization was beginning to set in that there were dozens of "lost instruments" out there waiting to be rediscovered. Looking at the Christmas carols we all know by rote, she points out that we are reciting lyrics that were written two, three or four hundred years ago. Taking people back to that long-forgotten time has become the theme of Winter Harp’s mystical performances and recordings. Clad in Pre-Raphaelite gowns and surrounded by candles, the members of the ensemble embody the spirit of the season, and convey its message of good will through cheerfully interactive songs and stories.

"We focus on the myth and legend surrounding the darkest time of the year, when people traditionally gather," says Pappajohn. "The Celtic bonfire festivals were an opportunity for everyone to share warmth, companionship, their hopes for the return of the sun, and the coming new year. For centuries it’s been a time when people pause and examine their lives…. There is a time of darkness within all of us that anticipates the returning, the rebirth. For us, it’s a journey. Whether you believe the Christmas story or treat it as a fable, it’s a fun and magical time of year for all."

Winter Harp has recently received a grant from Bravo, which has allowed the troupe to produce its first music video, entitled "Avalon." Filmed on location in England in the pouring rain, "Avalon" will be in rotation on Bravo and is also available (along with more information about Winter Harp) on the group’s Web site, www.winterharp.com.

By Christine Leonard

The Best of Mickey Hart: Over the Edge and Back - Album Review

Mickey Hart
The Best of Mickey Hart: Over the Edge and Back(Rykodisc)

By Christine Leonard
Jul 10, 2002

Percussionist/composer/producer/author/ethnomusicologist Mickey Hart, former drummer of The Grateful Dead, presents Over the Edge and Back, a retrospective spanning 25 years of musical experimentation and exploration. Gathering together previously recorded materials, Hart re-encapsulates the essence of his artistic odyssey into one dynamic audio-showcase. This "Best of-" compilation opens with the song taken from Hart's most recent new-age release Supralingua, "Angola", an evocative instrumental track which signals to the listener that they aren't in Kansas anymore. 

Carrying on from there, the disc flows into the seductive and optimistic "Where Love Goes" sung by the London-based group The Mint Juleps. I do declare, that this is one beauty of a track, with pure vocals and an African sway to it. Drawing on a lifetime of experience, Hart has rounded up a collection of diverse material from his numerous solo and collaborative performances around the world. One of these significant side-projects is known as Diga, a self-described 20th-century rhythm orchestra. 

Featuring the lightning-quick beats of tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, Diga is the source of the album's fourth track "Sweet Sixteen." Another compelling cut entitled "The Compound" was one of many Hart composed for the percussion-based soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now. Turning his studies ever inward, Mickey Hart has taken the shaman's path to spiritual enlightenment, as documented in his memoirs "Drumming at the Edge of Magic" and "Planet Drum," and the complementary CDs that accompanied them. 

Indeed, the theme of this new album is very much in keeping with Hart's visionary quest to conjure the ancient metaphysical roots of his musical soul.

RECOMMENDED TRACKS: "Where Love Goes", "Call To All Nations"

Christine Leonard, CJSW Radio, Calgary, AB

MEDIAEVAL BAEBES

Is that a lance in your pocket?

If so, the Mediaeval Baebes 

will be happy to see you!

MUSIC PREVIEW
MEDIAEVAL BAEBES
Friday, March 10, 2002
MacEwan Hall (U of C)

Former leader of the legendary goth band Miranda Sex Garden, Katharine Blake and her troupe of bewitching troubadours breathe new life into Europe’s oldest music. Borrowing in good faith from medieval literary sources, Blake arranges ancient sonnets and prose into workable 21st century melodies.

Formed in London in 1996, the Mediaeval Baebes originally consisted of a dozen women from around the globe who were drawn to each other by a shared love of art, music, theatre and drinking. Combined with their angelic voices,the group’s sensuous image, which incorporates intricately braided tresses and sinfully sheer floor-length gowns, quickly captured the interest of British record companies.

Three top-selling albums later the Mediaeval Baebes have reduced their handsome headcount to a mere nine singers: Blake, as well as fellow Miranda Sex Garden alumnus and Hamilton, Ontario native Teresa Casella, Marie Findley, Claire Ravel, Rachel Van Asch, Carmen Schneider, Ruth Galloway, Bjork’s doppelganger Audrey Evans and – who could forget? – Cylindra Sapphire. Though their numbers may have diminished, the balance and range of their vocal harmonies has not. The nine sisters recorded their latest offering and named it after the romantic symbol of perfect love, The Rose, and included a stunning booklet of gorgeous goth-nouveau artwork and intimate portraits of each Baebe in full anachronistic regalia.

"I think this is our most ambitious project to date," says Blake. "On our other albums we weren’t able to be a part of the whole process. We wanted to see this new one through from beginning to end, to really take responsibility for the final product. It was a great experience, we were able to bring in friends of ours who are musicians, and photographers, and artists."

Rounding out the wild wench entourage is accomplished musician and honorary Baebe, Dorothy Carter, who gives encore guest performances playing the hurdy-gurdy, dulcimer, zither, recorder and autoharp. Also along for the joyride is another Miranda Sex Garden refugee and longtime collaborator, percussionist Trevor Sharpe.

"We’re on a one-month tour of Canada and the U.S. where we all share one bus," says Blake. "It’s a bit of a nightmare getting everyone on the case. Every performance is incredibly live. Hundred-string instruments threatening to go out of tune. The instruments are amplified, but not electric, it’s all organic, and I think the audiences appreciate that aspect of realism. There’s no script – it’s different every time we do it, and anything can happen."

Perhaps, the most notable outside contribution to this album comes from the Mediaeval Blokes, who provide seldom-heard male vocal accompaniment to the Baebes on the bawdy song "Dringo Bell." Blake laughingly divulges that the naughty heirloom tune is about the sad dilemma of "Brewer’s Droop," – that is, when a man’s consumption of alcohol overbids his ability to perform in the bedchamber.

"It’s kind of our version of the Dead Kennedys' "Too Drunk to Fuck." What we did is called up a bunch of male friends of ours and got them so drunk they could hardly stand. Which was perfect, because we wanted a really deep manly kind of bass sound coming from them for this one.... They’re not on this tour with us, but when we play in London again, I think it would be excellent to go drinking and have them onstage with us."

Revelling in the social freedoms that would never have been afforded to women from the times of which they sing, the Mediaeval Baebes spice their wine with a feminist emollient. On another track from their new album, an 11th century Irish ballad entitled "I Am Eve," epithets of Christian misogyny fly like a world of woes released from Pandora’s jar. Still burning with bittersweet irony, the chenille-clad chanteuses reconstruct "The Sour Grove," a lewd 15th century erotic poem sung in medieval Welsh. Extracted from "Cywydd Y Cedor" (or "The Female Genitals") by Gwerful Mechain, this potent poem in celebration of the female body was reputedly banned from many anthologies of Welsh verse on the grounds that it is "salacious."

No strangers to controversy, the Mediaeval Baebes have had their works banned on British television, and have sent clergymen into a tizzy over their pagan sympathies and the liberal interpretation of songs usually reserved for Catholic mass. But speaking in tongues comes naturally to these scholarly-minded maidens; their previous albums have featured hymnals sung in Latin, Middle English, German, Italian and medieval French. During the process of sourcing out their latest array of material, the a cappella choir added several more languages to their dialectical palates. Blake explains that the gradual progression of translating and interpreting the original texts lays the foundations for the shape of the finished product.

"We’re up to eight different languages on the new album. We added medieval Spanish, Russian and medieval Welsh. Oh, and some ancient Irish, too. The music and phrasing arise out of the lingual melodies. It’s exciting to stylize the existing elements and let it grow from there naturally. For example, the song "The Snake" is based on an old fairy tale, and sung in Spanish. It’s sort of the Mediaeval Baebes do Ricky Martin."

By Christine Leonard

Battershell: Luv Punks - Album Review

Battershell
Luv Punks
(Ng)

The circus has come home to Popopia and we're all invited, courtesy of gurlee-punkers Battershell. The adventurous trio from New York City is back with "Luv Punks", a return to the "non-mundania world of fantasy and frolic". 

The U.S.S. Battershell has witnessed some serious crew changes since the release of their EP "Beautiful Princess of Spit" in 1995, the year they were signed to NG Records. After gigging around New York and touring the U.S. they released their debut full-length album "Sunshine on Popopia" in 1997. Trapped in their urban environment the band: singer/songwriter/guitarist Tammy Lynn Fulkerson, bass/vocals Hannah Head, and drummer Charlie Lauth, sought to escape into a utopia of their own making. Based on Tammy Lynn's personal experiences, the fifteen songs on the new album will probably ring true for the many patriotic Americans raised on country and western music. Reminiscent of The Muffs, Veruca Salt, and, at times, Jane's Addiction, the drawling lyrics and rockin' melodies constitute a pop-punk meatloaf sandwich with a little mayhem on the side. 

While Tammy Lynn has claimed no affinity for Meat Loaf; Johnny Cash, Ace Frehley and Jimmy Page are definitely on her plate. Her impressive vocal range and solid guitar playing have earned Battershell much adulation as they've been showcased at industry festivals and events such as South By Southwest (two years running), Foundations Forum '96, CMJ Music Conference, and the Macintosh Music Fest. Battershell performs two of their songs on the soundtrack for the movie "Ripe", and have contributed a cover of Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy" for the Elektra Records one-hit-wonder compilation. 

Although the upbeat energy and bounce of this album is appealing in a Ramones-y kind of way, it all starts to sound the same after a while. And the lyrics are way too literal, as in: "My chords are tangled, this tone really sucks on my guitar. These cheap effects keep on buzzing, pissing me off." The rangy guitar and bizarre sound effects seem very promising, but the high pitched vocals sour the sauce. Water in the whiskey, if ya know what I mean. 

The real gem on this album, however, is the enthusiastic, trans-gendered cover of Billy Idol's hit "White Wedding". Recommended Tracks: "White Wedding", "Dizzy The Tattooed Dog", and the hidden song six minutes into the final track (Battershell's answering machine and a couple of hot little ditties at the end)

By Christine Leonard
Jul 24, 2001

Kittens: Night Danger Album - Album Review

Kittens
The Night Danger Album
(Sonic Unyon)

The fierce threesome from Winnipeg is back with The Night Danger Album, featuring cover art of an inverted mountain goat that reminds one of a shot from an old Viewmaster 3-D picture disc.

This album reads like a true Melvins tribute, from the muffled bass and unintelligible lyrics right down to the song titles and the font they're printed in. Funnily enough, Kittens have been kind enough to provide the listener with the lyrics to same said songs, i.e. "Water moccasin, choke on the phone/Jeckyll man, /Jeckyll man, the blindfold of hope" taken from the recommended song "Moosejaw". 

All I can say to that is, "Like stee moanin' Ludlow" (see Melvins " Bullhead"). Still, definitely worth listening to, The Night Danger Album possesses all the Kittens' natural charm and (by now) signature ingredients. With six tracks recorded in only three days, this album retains a certain live performance energy with a touch of Oi and honky tonk thrown into the mix, most prevalent in the song "Honky Tonk Werewolf Song". 

I also recognize the more esoteric final track "Silent Night" which seems to have just been thrown in as filler and yet provides some audio relief with the mellow weirdness of a modern hyper-ballad. All too short, this album is a 6 oz. steak where a 10 oz would have satisfied. Kittens can also be heard on the recently released "Now We Are Five" Sonic Unyon artist compilation.

By Christine Leonard
Jul 23, 2001