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